~~THE SLEEP GODS JUST DON'T LIKE ME~~

Yesterday at work, all I could think about was how much I couldn't wait to get home and just chill. I didn't feel like making any plans, I didn't even feel like going out of the house, I just wanted to relax. About 2 o'clock Brian calls to see what we were gonna be doing later...I said I didn't know, 'we'll talk about it later'. The last few hours of work I'm preparing for him to say that he wants to go to the casino or out to dinner, something like that. I call Brian when I leave the office, he's getting his hair cut, says he will be home in a while. Wow, he's not home, this is my opportunity, I rush home and throw on my terry capri pajama pants and a big ol' tee shirt, grab my biggest blanket, my pillow, and a book and to the couch I run. He calls to say that he is on his way home and asks what I'm doing...I tell him that I'm pooped and in my pj's already. He broke out into fits of laughter. He says he's by the video store and will run in and get some movies, we can order a pizza and just hang out at home tonight. 'That sounds GREAT!' I'm amazed that my plans for the evening haven't somehow been disturbed. Now I can just relax.

We watched a few movies, one was Flightplan with Jodie Foster. The beginning was a little bit slow, but I didn't want to stop watching. About half way through there is this twist, that you just never expect and then I COULDN'T stop watching. We got our pizza and then put in the next one. This was one with Cameron Diaz called, In Her Shoes. I made it through about 3/4 of it and was out like a light. Brian woke me around 11 and said, 'let's go to bed'. Great! I really am gonna get some good sleep tonight! That didn't happen...

Around 11:30, just as I was falling into a deep sleep again...his phone rings. It's work, they want him to come in to run a Vector machine. This is a machine that he hasn't run in about 10 years, and it's used for sewer back-ups. Brian tells them, 'no thanks' and that's that. I fall back asleep after a few minutes and was having a great night of rest when Brian's phone starts going off again. I look at the clock, yeah it's 5:40 a.m. It was work calling again, this time for a main break. Now that's his cup of tea. He's out of bed in about 2 minutes flat and is kissing me goodbye and out the door by 5:57. I figure, I can probably fall back asleep until at least 8 a.m. when 2 minutes later, Max is outside the bedroom door barking his freakin' head off. I get up and brush my teeth, let the dog out and figure this will do the trick. I'll go back to bed for a while. (I guess I'm a glutton for punishment).

I let the dog in, crawl back in bed, pull the covers up and realize, I'M WIDE AWAKE! I turn the tv on and watch for a little bit, there were so many choices at 6 am on a Saturday morning. I settle on a program, (World's Worst Drivers--3), and start getting drowsy again. I shut the tv off and actually fall back to sleep. I start having this crazy dream....my son (who's 12) is little again, maybe about 5. We are near my aunt's house about an hour and a half away. We are at some place where there are millions of lizards running around and you can get right in there and walk around with 'em. We leave this place to head home and when I get home my brother and my mom (who passed away years ago), are at home waiting for me. When I get in the door, we are all talking and my mom and brother are telling me that I shouldn't be so choosy, I should have accepted Brian's ring. (Brief history of me and my mom needed here...she used to refer to me as her blister on her side, because I was always either right next to her, or laying on her lap.) In the dream, I had just laid down on her lap and was talking to her when, my cell phone (in real life) started blaring. WTF?

So yes, that is when I decided that it's not in the cards for me to sleep anymore. I've done a bit of laundry, ran the dishwasher, headed out in the frigid temps for a cappuccino and am now gonna finish watching, the probably crappy movie that I couldn't hold my eyes open for last night.

Maybe tonight will be the night that I get some real sleep...or maybe I'm just destined to be tired forever. Who knows?! All I know right now, is that even when the conditions seem to be perfect for rest and relaxation, the sleep gods don't seem to like me very much!

Have a great day everyone!!!

~~MOVING ON UP!~~

I finally broke down and made the switch from dial-up! I love my modem! LOL Thank goodness that dial-up is gone forever. It was extremely frustrating trying to blog, download pictures or just read e-mail from home. In order to post a pic on this, I would have to start it and literally just walk away and do something else. There was no way that I could go on to something else online, that would just hold up the process even more. Grrrr! Not to mention, when someone would try calling the home phone and it would slow it down even more or just boot me off. How did I live with dial-up for all this time???Another great thing about all of this, is that I have bundled the internet, phone and cable into one nice neat little bill for the month. I have 12 windows up right now and am still moving with the speed of a cheetah...it just doesn't get any better than this!

~~MY DOG IS ON DRUGS~~



Yep, I made the decision to put my dog on seizure meds. He started having them around Thanksgiving and they only seem to be progressing in severity each time. It was really something that I wanted to avoid, but after seeing this last one from start to finish, there was no other option. What scared me most about the meds were 1) the vet said that once we start, he takes them forever and 2) some people were scaring the crap out of me about it.

I've been talking to other dog owners and some say that it's probably the best thing to do, while others, claim that their dog was "never the same again", or that they felt "she would still be with us today, if we hadn't done it!" That's scary shit! I'll tell you what though, looking into his eyes while he was posturing and shaking and half paralyzed, was something that I really don't wanna have to go through again! He's taking the meds and I will just pray that he does fine!

~~VALENTINE'S DAY~~

I'm really not one to get too into the celebration of Valentine's Day, anymore. It really is just another day to me. Yes, I feel that you should tell those that you love, just how much you love them. But honestly, I do that every single day. I think that is one of the most important lessons that I have learned from the loss of my parents. You just never know what is meant to happen and shouldn't take your loved ones for granted. Evah! So, here are some random pics of a few of my fav people.....



This first has to be one of my favorite pics of the boys. It was taken last spring, with me telling them to pretend that they like each other. They really pulled it off, it almost resembles two children who might not fight like cats and dogs 24/7! LOL









Posting this one of Brian might piss him off a bit but I really like it and this is my space, so bummer. It's just one of him first thing on Christmas morning. His hair is messy and he's in his pj's, hence the reason for him possibly getting pissed off at me. Sowwy hun!









This last one, is Peanutt @ http://thepeanuttgallery.blogspot.com

She has been there through thick and thin for almost 27 years now and it goes without saying just how much I love her.

So there you have it, those are my most loved and cherished peeps!

Have a great day everyone...and don't forget to say, "I love you", even though today is just another day!

Love you all!!!!!!

Fits me like a glove...

~~FITS ME LIKE A GLOVE...~~


Now with that title, many of you might think that I might be showing some pics of me scantily clad in a tight pair of jeans, or maybe some hot nightie. But sorry folks, that isn't something that I would share here, and isn't at all what I'm referring to.

What I'm talking about, is the man that I love. Sure, we've all thought that we've met Mr. Right, probably a time or two. (Some more, some less.) But I honestly think that I have nailed it this time around. We don't get along perfectly, in fact, we fight like cats and dogs sometimes. Arguments may turn into harsh words, days of not speaking to each other, wondering if this could even be the end, but then one of us relents and we make up because we just can't stand it anymore!

He certainly has his faults (as all of us do), but those are easily overlooked, due to the numerous ways that he makes me feel more loved than I ever have felt before. While going through my divorce, I honestly didn't think that I would even want something serious with anyone, EVER! He instantly changed that feeling for me. While being at my lowest point, he brought me to highs that I never thought were even possible. Two years later, I still can't get enough of this man. I think he is funny, wildly sexy and that he just fits me like a glove. Looking into the future, I can't see a day without him and I hope that's exactly how it stays.

So, there you have it. The thing that fits me like a glove, is Brian. Sweetie, you are my sunshine and the love of my life! Don't you ever go doubting that even for a minute! I love you hun!

King Max laying on my leather couch, like he owns the place! LOL

 

Just me....


 

Did some quizzes today, here are the results...

You Should Get an Abstract Tattoo

Artistic and uniqueYou're the most likely type to personally design your tattoo

What Tattoo Should You Get?

Another one....

The PJ's You Are Most Like: Comfortable PJ's

You're a bit conservative, traditional, and tend to follow conventions You have an understated, easy sexyness that men love People instantly find comfort in you, and you're a "best friend" to many.

What Kind of PJ's Are You?

How blonde?

You Are a Strawberry Blonde

Men see you as flirtatious, but they also see you as a challenge Because you're totally fearless and carefree You've got the lightheartedness of a blonde, with the attitude of a redhead

How Blonde Are You?

Is he hooked they ask?

You Have Him Totally Hooked

Your guy is all yours - and happily so. He loves being around you, and he totally sees you as a couple. It looks like you two have a great future together - if you want it!

Do You Have Him Hooked?

Well, I think that's all I'm gonna do, for now! Have a great Friday!

~~AS PROMISED, THE CONCLUSION TO THE POST FROM A FEW DAYS AGO...~~

While I feel really bad for posting this, or even saying anything at all....I'm gonna lose my frickin' mind if I don't get to vent about it!! Here's the scoop....

Some of you may or may not know Peanutt and I work together and had to move from one office to another about 3 months ago. The office that we moved to, is one that I actually worked at for about 8 years. In that time, I of course made many friends and hung out with quite a few people that still work there today.

One of those people was "Spaz", or S for short. While, I knew her pretty well; we often had lunch together and chatted whenever we could find the time during work. I thought of her as a very hard worker and just a great person all around. When we were told that we were moving back, I couldn't have been happier that we would be sharing an area with S. I was grateful that it was someone that I had actually gotten along so well with in the past. (Not to say that I had enemies or anything there, but there is one particular person who was one of the biggest factors in my decision to leave that clinic in the first place, I feared being matched up in an area with her.)

Anyhow, when we moved in everything seemed great. She was willing to work with us and seemed very laid back about sharing her space and even giving up some of her space, just to accomodate us. I had no problems, at all!

I can't really determine where the problems began, but I am now to the point where I think I'm about to go nuts! Here are the things that Peanutt and I encounter on a daily basis....

1) She calls to confirm her appointments EVERY SINGLE DAY, for a few days in the future. While that would seem as though it's no big deal to all of you, it makes us wanna rip our hair out and our ears bleed, from all the screaming that she does into the damn phone! When S, Peanutt and I are all on the phone at the same time, during said confirming (i.e. making the patient's ears bleed too), I almost have an anxiety attack, because it gets so loud you can't hear who you are talking to, you have to try and yell over her so that they can hear you on the other end, and if more patients are standing at the desk at the time, it's all over for me. Instant anxiety and bad mood!!!!

2) When a patient comes to check in at the front desk, they reach me first. She takes full advantage of that and will pretend to be busy, even when she knows that they are seeing her doc and not ours. Now don't get me wrong here, I'm all about pitching in and helping out when she needs it, but I think we do about 80% of her work, on any given day. This also applies to the people when they are checking out, and have to make return appointments, or need reminders put into the computer, or even when the phone is ringing! (Her phone btw!)

As I said before, I'm all about pitching in...especially when the favor is returned, but IT NEVER IS!! I can honestly say, that Peanutt and I probably check in & out at least half of all her patient's every single day, while she checks in & out probably 3-4 of ours. It's like we are literally running circles around her when things get busy!

3) She will get right in your face to talk to you, (I'm talking close encounters of the wierd kind here). I'm sorry, but I really don't like random people getting in my personal space like that. And it truly trips me out, when people ignore body language like they do, (totally turning away from them, backing up, things like that). Do they not percieve that as a sign???? Now if I know someone very well, like my kids or Brian, even Peanutt, that's fine. But not S...I want so bad to just say to her, "back off Jack, we really aren't THAT close!" "Give me my fucking space, cuz I can truly still hear you from a few feet away...YOU YELL EVERYTHING, how could I not hear??"

4) Recently, she was told by the doc that she works with, that she was being way too loud. She was appalled and couldn't believe that he would say something like that! Oh my gosh, Peanutt and I wanted to die laughing as she was ranting and raving about it ALL FRICKIN' DAY LONG! Saying, "there is no way that he can hear me from all the way in the back of the clinic!!!" Uh S, I have some news for you....your big mouth is about to seriously drive me stark raving mad!!! I am to the point where just hearing her voice is about to make me crack. I see me crumbling sometime in the very near future. I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!

I really do try to walk into work with a halfway decent attitude every single day. Granted, I can't ALWAYS do that...but I do put some effort into it. That effort is all in vain, because the first time that I have to scream over her to talk to a patient stading at my desk (less than 2 feet away), I'm done. Bad mood! Bad bad mood!!! That mood does not go away until I either go to lunch or she leaves for the day, (which she rarely ever leaves before me).

If anyone has any suggestions to help us cope, we would really appreciate it. And no, it isn't just me being tempramental either, Peanutt feels the same way! We are losing our marbles here. What should we do???? Help!!!!

~~COMING OUT OF HIDING~~

Hi everybody...hope your week is going well! I haven't been hiding on purpose....just caught up in a bunch of nothing, I guess. Work has really been too busy to linger on Blogger for any amount of time and I just haven't had the energy, by the time I get home at night. So, sorry that I haven't even been keeping up on my usual reads...will try and get back at 'er!

~~TO MEDICATE OR NOT TO MEDICATE~~

One thing that has been going on for about a month and a half now, is that my puppy has been having seizures. He has had 3-4 that we have actually witnessed. Hard to tell if there have been more, while we are gone all day. I've only seen 1 of them, and that was enough to totally freak me out! It's not like I haven't seen plenty of seizures; my ex had them almost on a daily basis for quite some time and I've witnessed quite a few at work. But it's still something that is pretty disconcerting.

I took him to the vet and he expressed concerns that his symptoms during the actual episodes, point to a possible brain tumor or lesion. While I certainly would love to find out for sure what is wrong with him, I don't have an extra 1k laying around for me to have an MRI done on my dog. It looks as though medications are the answer, but there are risks involved there too and the doc says that once we put him on the meds, it's for life. (I haven't even asked about the cost...but have heard that it isn't too bad....ugh, I hope that's true!) I have to run out and get them within the next few days. Hopefully, before he has another "episode". Wish us luck!!!

~~DIET SCHMIET!!~~

Okay, I'll be the first to admit it.....I H*A*T*E the diet thing! This shit sucks. I have totally fallen off the wagon this week. I have had a french dip, a burger and fries, french onion soup (with the cheese baked on top). And I'm pretty sure that my fingers and belly can't bloat any more, without getting some unsightly stretch marks. I have not worked out in days and have had absolutely no extra energy for anything.

I was doing great for the first few weeks and was actually taking off the pounds pretty easily. Iwas enjoying working out, and feeling like I was really making headway towards the goal I had set. I don't know what the hell happened to me! I think the weekend was what happened. Brian says, "Let's go to the movies!" Me, "Okay, but we're getting butter on the popcorn...we've been good, we deserve it!" I think that's where it all started. All my hard work has now vanished into thin air. What an idiot!

Oh well, back to the grind. I will be looking trim and fit for bathing suit season!

~~ON AN EVEN KEEL?~~

That pretty much explains the kids and how things are with them. Corey has been working really hard to bring up 2 of his grades from D's to B's. Hopefully he will do good on his exams, and his report card will be great! I have collaborated with his counselor and teacher's and am really glad that they have been so willing to work with him on all of this. I guess it's all about staying on top of everything.

Tyler seems to be doing great. I haven't had any calls or letters from his teacher since we put him back on his ADHD meds and his report card should be coming next week. Hopefully, I will have a glowing comment about that soon.

~~WOUND UP SO TIGHT~~

I have a whole bunch of things to say about this topic, but have to go to bed. While I shouldn't even say anything at all, period...I feel like I have to! Not that it's my duty or that it's going to resolve anything...but I will feel a whole lot better after writing in length about this. (Peanutt also feels my pain!)

Stay tuned for the conclusion....

Have a great night everyone!!! Hope you are snuggled up warm and cozy in your beds right now!!! That's where I'm headed.

Good night!

~~THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS~~

Just 2 days until the children go back to school and start resuming a normal life once again. I KNOW that it is time, as the youngest informed me that he already beat an entire game! (One that he just got for Christmas). He has been like this for a long time now, and really takes the fun out of giving him any games, because he masters them so astutely, within an inhuman amount of time. It's ridiculous how quickly he flies through all of the levels. (And here I was proud of myself, for getting further on Pac Man World 2, than him.) Yeah, that's only because he's been concentrating on one game and now I've challenged him into playing MY game...the one game in their arsenal, that I really like. You know what's going to happen here, don't you? This will require that I keep going back for more, becoming an addict just like him, just to stay ahead of the game. A vicious cycle it is...LOL

~~WHAT? VACATION'S OVER?~~

It's funny how quickly the days fly by, when you don't have to work! How does that happen? The usual work week can feel like eons and yet, take a few days off, and they rush by in a blur.

I didn't do much on my time off, did a lot of chillin' with the boys. We did manage to get out there and see the movie King Kong. Word to the wise, DO NOT TAKE CHILDREN TO SEE THIS MOVIE! The first hour, I could hardly keep my eyes open...the next 2 hours, barely held my attention. My children were bored to tears and asking what time it was, at least a million times. Tyler no longer refers to the movie as King Kong, it's now, "the longest movie EVAH". LOL

Other than that, we honestly didn't do a heck of a lot. Shopped a few days, watched movies, went to the arcade. Nothing too spectacular. I did manage to scrub the house from top to bottom. Though, I truly procrastinated doing that for almost the entire vacation! LOL What a loser I am! But sometimes, it truly feels good to lounge around in your jammies until YOU FEEL like getting up and showered, instead of HAVING to do it. Honestly, one of the things that I enjoy most about vacations is getting away from the mundane day-to-day routines, that you have no choice but to do while working. For me, that in itself, just does my body good.

~~NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION!~~

As is with a great deal of us, one of my resolutions is to lose a little bit of weight and start a workout routine. (Wasn't I just talking about routines??? LOL) Not a whole lot, maybe 8 pounds or so. I'm hoping that will be enough to make a big difference.

Yesterday's food intake; coffee, bagel, cottage cheese, yogurt, small piece of spinach pie, and an apple (with a few walnuts and touch of vinaigrette dressing). While I don't want to deprive myself too much, I definitely want to get back into healthy eating habits again! Another thing I'm very bad about is my water intake, and I'd like to try and start drinking more water again. We'll see how long this lasts!

I actually just did a weigh in and so far, I've lost 1 3/4 lbs. Like I said, we'll see how long it lasts! Wish me luck!

That's about it for now...nothing much going on upstairs at the moment! Have a great day everyone! (Okay, my 3-4 readers!) LOL

Merry belated Christmas to all!

I hope that the holidays were wonderful for everyone! I know that my kiddies are certainly very happy with their spoils, as they've barely shown their faces in 2 days. I have to walk into their bedrooms and remind them that it's time to eat or shower or maybe get a drink, go pee...stuff like that. LOL And there's no losing Tyler, I can hear the slaying sounds of his light saber being thrusted and jabbed into his imaginary opponent for about 4 hours of my day. We will go through numerous batteries this week, I'm sure. Their gaming chairs were a big hit, as well. Corey sat greasy haired, in his chair from the time he woke up yesterday, until it was time for bed. As I said, I had to remind him to eat and shower! Today, I'm taking them to use their gift certificates and just do some running around. Get us all out of the house for a while.

I found that the 3-4 days preceding Christmas left me feeling very melancholy. It's the first Christmas without my dad, and though I really tried not to let it get to me, it hit me with a vengenance. My kids were with their dad, my boyfriend was constantly working, (he put in about 120 hours last week), and being home by myself every night, just wasn't a good thing. I felt really bad, for not truly being in the holiday spirit, but I was dealing with a ton of turmoil in my head. So eventually, I just gave up the fight and allowed myself to whimper, whine and cry until I couldn't whimper, whine or cry anymore. It was truly relieving, to an extent. At least I got it out of my system!

It's kind of funny, because I thought that I was dealing with everything pretty well. My sister had actually been really sad and "down" for weeks, I was there to help and try to pick her back up...had no clue that I was spiraling down myself. I kept thinking that I just wished that we could all have the holiday together, just one more time. Don't know why that was my main focus, but that was at the forefront of all of my thoughts. Every single time that would pop in my head, tears would pop into my eyes, and there was just no stopping it.

By Christmas morning, I was doing better and very excited for my kids. I went to Brian's in the morning and watched his kids open all of their gifts, we exchanged ours, and then we sat down for breakfast together. I realized then, that even though my parents aren't around anymore, I truly do have the love of his parents, and that was a huge comfort. My kids got home shortly after, ripped through their carefully wrapped packages in record time and then we all trooped over to my brother's for a wonderful dinner, a few drinks, and a ton of laughs.



It came out that every single one of us had been going through the same exact struggles this past week, about dad and that also left me feeling that at least I wasn't the only one. My brother came out with this picture of my dad, has to be one of the best ones ever taken of him. He was fishing that day, and there's a whole story behind the huge grin on his face, but it's truly a picture worth a thousand words.

On top of this picture, we all got a gift from my aunt. I don't know where this came from, but all of the sudden a package was handed to me and I was told, "open it". What I found inside almost made me crumble...here it is....









I know that you probably can't read what it says, so here it is;

Merry Christmas From Heaven

I still hear the songs
I still see the lights
I still feel your love
on cold wintery nights

I still share your hopes
and all of your cares
I'll even remind you
to please say your prayers

I just want to tell you
you still make me proud
You stand head and shoulders
above all the crowd

Keep trying each moment
to stay in His grace
I came here before you
to help set your place

You don't have to be
perfect all of the time
He forgives you the slip
If you continue the climb

To my family and friends
please be thankful today
I'm still close beside you
In a new special way

I love you all dearly
now don't shed a tear
Cause I'm spending my Christmas
With Jesus this year!

So, with that, I put aside my selfish tears and was happy that I had my kids, my brothers and sisters, my boyfriend and all of my friends, to make new memories with. I'm truly doing okay, I think I've already gotten past the biggest hurdles. I am very thankful for what I did have then, and what I do have now.

On that note, I'm fixing breakfast and then me and the boys are off to hang out and spend some gift certificates!

Have a great day!

~~I AM A LURKER!~~

I don't know how it happened, but I've come to the conclusion that I am a bonified lurker these days. I have been trying to keep up with my usual reads, and comment on very few, but just haven't been in the mood to write very much.

This is what's happening these days;

My oldest has been having issues at school and home...I'm trying to get him straightened out, which has been no small task. For those of you that don't have teens (or pre-teens), talking to them is similar to talking to a wall! Yikes! I'm doing everything I can to work out all of his issues, but this ain't easy! We are spending next week together and I hope that having more one on one than usual, will be a stepping stone in working out these issues.

Brian has been working day and night, barely sleeping, and I've really been missing having the quiet and intimate time that I'm used to having with him. While I'm trying very hard to be patient and understanding, it's wearing on me a bit. Tonight, we actually got a few hours of "alone" time, and we spent it sleeping. When we woke up, I made some dinner and then we took some silly pics, we were just getting ready to go to bed, when he got called in to work....again!

This is the way I get to "see" him, for the most part lately....






This was one of the pics from tonight, it was after several other pics had been taken. By this time, we were laughing so hard that our bellies hurt and we almost had tears running down our faces! (And those are underwear laying near his head...don't ask!)




Only a few days until Christmas...it's hard to believe, it feels like Halloween just passed. Here is my Charlie Brown tree....

I let the kids decorate it, and didn't even rearrange it after they were done! LOL I hope ya'll are proud of me because normally, I would wait until they go to bed and then go to town moving things until I am satisfied! This year, I thought they did a pretty good job and just left it at that!

You will notice, that it's very bare underneath...that would be because the children will search through the house to find their gifts! Nice, huh? I'm not taking that chance again. All of their gifts are at my sister's house, which is where they will stay until the night before the kids open them. I'm not having them ruin their Christmas this year!

I'm heading off to try and sleep now. I hope everyone has a great holiday, if I don't write before then!

Merry Christmas!

~~THERE SHE BLOWS~~

I have felt it gurgling within me, for a while now...I have held back more times than I can count.

A few days ago, I walked in the door after work to find; one child kicking a bedroom door and the other one yelling at the top of his lungs. I lost it. Yes, mommy had a severe meltdown. Many tears were cried, and they didn't come from my eyes. While I really felt bad for also yelling at the top of my lungs (thus acting as childish as them), I needed to let them know that I'm tired of them walking all over me! It was actually refreshing.

I warned them that if their disgusting rooms were not cleaned by the time they left for their dad's this weekend, that mommy would clean them however I saw fit. I also warned them, that whatever I found on their floors, I would assume was something they didn't care about and would be put in a trash bag and thrown out. They freaked! Both were in tears with Tyler laying on his floor, I could see how overwhelmed he felt, but I didn't care. A mommy can only take so much, before she loses her ever loving mind...and I did. There, I have admitted it. Isn't that the first step? LOL

Now, this isn't just coming out of the blue though. I have asked them (very nicely), several times, to just clean their rooms. Simple as that...'just clean your rooms and you will have a happy mommy'. But they didn't heed my warnings and have now paid the price. They were both a wreck and you literally couldn't even walk in them. Most of their belongings had no "place" and were just thrown all over. How they can find anything at all, is beyond me!

My house may not be perfect, and I certainly, "let it go" from time to time...but this was way beyond that! When their doors would be ajar and I would walk by these monstrosities I would literally cringe. That's pretty bad! For a few weeks now, I've actually considered going in there and doing it myself, but what will that teach them? That they can keep it as messy as they'd like, and I will just march right in there and pick up their mess? Nah, I don't think that will work!

Tyler did a great job, while Brian and I ran out for a bit, he really worked his butt off, (with a bit of instruction from my next door neighbor), but regardless, he has cleaned it and kept it very neat for the remainder of this week. I am happy! Corey however, hasn't heeded my warning and his just, "picked up" a bit and thinks that is suffice. Little does he know, that mommy is sticking to her word and going in there this weekend while they are gone and seriously going through it with a fine tooth comb! He will not be a happy camper when he returns to find that I have gone through ALL of his belongings! (insert evil laugh and grin here) I think there might be a bit of pleasure in this and actually look forward to it!

Well there you have it, that's my rant for the day! Have a great one!

~~HODGE PODGE~~

*Cooking has never really been one of my strongest points, but I get by. The other night while making dinner, I had a shelf in my cupboard fall and glass rained down, all over the stovetop. It just so happened, that I had JUST taken dinner out of the oven, and glass was everywhere! I cleaned up the mess, salvaged what I could, recooked some veggies, and we ate whatever hadn't been right in the line of fire.

The next day I decided to cook something light for Brian and I (my kids were with their dad). I made some Velveeta shells and cheese and baked potatoes with all the fixings. It turned out good, a pretty fool proof meal, or so I thought.

I was done with mine, and gave Brian an extra helping of mac n' cheese. He's a happy camper and gets about 2 bites into it, and I hear him crunch on something very hard. All the sudden he starts sputtering, and spitting his bite of food onto the plate. He finds something white and hard in there...yeah, it was a nice hunk of glass. There was one pot on the stove when everything fell the other night, it was clean and I didn't even think about checking it before cooking with it. Ugh! What a dumb ass!

**My man has been MIA lately.

Work, work, work. Last Sunday he was called in at 2pm and worked straight until Tuesday. No sleep, nothing. I was pretty upset, because he is working on heavy machinery digging around gas lines with no sleep. That just doesn't make sense to me!

I've been having a hard time sleeping too. I wake up every couple hours feeling around, to see if he's there or not. So needless to say, I feel pretty whipped by the end of the day.

Will be glad when he doesn't have to work all hours of the day and night anymore!!!

***The basement is flooded.

Yesterday, I woke up at 6 and made my way to the basement to get some laundry out of the dryer. I didn't turn the laundry room light on, I know my way around. Well, I should have...I stepped in about an inch of cold water. Blech!

Water was flowing out of the top and bottom of the tank, and it sounded as if I had a waterfall in there! LOL I woke Brian and had him turn off all the water, got the kids ready for school and then cleaned up the mess.

Things went as smoothly as they possibly could. His cousin came over and had it replaced by about 1, yesterday afternoon.

I still have bags full of wet clothes, that I have to wash ASAP, but all in all, things are back to normal now.

****Christmas shopping.

I've done pretty well on my shopping, thus far. Actually, have tons more done than I normally would by this time. Can't believe that there are only 24 days until Christmas though! Yikes!


Well, that's what is going on around here! What's new and exciting on your end???

~~HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING~~

Here is my second attempt at this post...yes, frustration is starting to take hold here. It is teaching me a lesson though...SAVE EVERY 5 SECONDS! lol Back to the issue at hand...

Hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! =) I was without my boys, which kinda sucked, but Bri and I still had a nice day. My family usually gets together for the holiday, but it just didn't happen this year, with everyone kind of going their separate ways. We ended up going to Bri's sisters for the day. It's about an hour drive and the roads weren't great, once we got near her house, but it was worth it. I've tried uploading some pics (twice today already) and am not getting any cooperation so far. Trying again!

Viola, above is a view of the table before our feast! The day was very relaxing...we feasted and then played some Hold 'Em and proceeded to feast some more. What could be better than that?

Here are some before and after's of "the turkey". They raised six in all this year...and one just happened to be our dinner. (Kinda made me feel bad, but at least I know it was a well fed turkey that I ate!)






The blur in this pic was Bri's bil Chris, who was very slowly inching his way out of view. I tried several times to get him next to his bird, to no avail!



Here is Brian and I, caught totally off guard by his sister who had no idea how to work our camera. I was mid sentence, trying to tell her what button to push...I don't know what he was doing. I just know, if you ever have any pics you need taken...don't let MaryLou take them for you! (And she thought this was a good one!) lmao

And last but not least...here are 2 pics taken last week at his parents house. This is Max showing his love and adoration for Bri's dad....





Yes, I'm making an appointment to have him fixed...ASAP! lol But this is him after...you think he liked????



Have a great week everyone!

~~Kids, the blues and recent happenings.~~

Well, Tyler made it back from camp last week. He had a great time and when asked if he was good while there replied, "not the best, but I wasn't too bad either!" LOL I was almost afraid to inquire about why he wasn't the best but, I'm a mom and it's my job, I asked anyhow. He said that he just got a "little wild", from time to time, "that was all!" I can deal with that, the kid does have ADHD and isn't on any meds for it! He also informed me very gently, that he didn't want to hurt my feelings, but that he really didn't wanna come home. Said that he was just having so much fun and that he really missed me, but he still wanted to stay. LOL Gotta love him for being so sweet and honest all at the same time!

~~Funky feeling!~~

Don't know if it's just a matter of the time change, coupled with the fact that winter is fast approaching, but I've been in a funk. I'm cranky and crabby, don't feel much like dealing with anyone and just want to sleep, sleep, sleep. This past weekend, I had Friday off and actually took 3 naps throughout the day. WTH is up with that? Brian has been sick and joined me for each one of them, (which is very unlike him to nap once in a day, let alone 3 times) but this cold has certainly taken the wind right out of his sails.

Friday night, we finally managed to get ourselves out of bed and get ready for the Wing's game. The trip there was smooth, even with massive construction and to top it off, we got great parking. The seats were a different story. LOL While we could certainly see great from the upper bowl...and I'm talking the UPPER BOWL, the walk to our seats was brutal and left our legs burning from the exertion. While at the game, we really had a good time and the Wings won, of course.

Saturday was another lazy day, we didn't do anything to speak of. Until that evening, when we went to that Hold Em tourney at our friends house. The tourney was fun, the company good (though Bri and I weren't getting along too well), the food was also very good. All in all, it was nice.

Sunday, I got up and met my sister and my niece for some shopping. Didn't stay out too long, had too much to do at home. When I went back home, I got through a bunch of laundry and then just chilled for the rest of the day. It was the most lazy weekend I've had in a long long time. I kind of liked it, but then felt guilty at the same time, for not being more productive! Ugh!

I also forgot my son's parent teacher conference yesterday, isn't that nice? Turns out, his dad didn't forget and raised a big ol' stink about something going on between my son and a neighbors little girl. From the sounds of it, it was more a misunderstanding than anything. Nothing to go all ape shit about, but that's just the way he is. Ugh. Glad he's a part of my past and not my future.

Just found out too, that one of my sons best friends' mother passed away this morning. It's a total shock, as I just talked to her yesterday and even saw her the week before when I went to pick Ty up from camp. It just blows me away that this has even happened. It's really hard to even contemplate what might have transpired from yesterday afternoon when I talked to her, to this morning. My son isn't usually one to be too emotional either, not that he isn't loving, but he's not the touchy feely type at all either. When he calls me at work in tears, I know something really bad has happened. I think that this has hit home as I went home to have lunch with him and he already had everything set up. I wish I had taken pictures...it was great. He had bologna sandwiches, with shredded cheese for each of us, they were adorned with cheez-its in the shape of smiley faces, napkins, pillows on the floor, and he even got me some juice. It had to be one of the sweetest things he's ever done. Awww!! Yes, it is one of those mommy moments when you know everything you've ever done and every bad moment you've ever had, has all been worth it, for something like this. As a reward, I made him a strawberry, banana smoothie before coming back to work. He loves me! Awww!!!

When I get home, will have to call and find out what arrangements have been made for Nate's mom and might go up to the bowling alley to watch Bri for a while.

Bon Jovi is also tomorrow...that should be fun. Will let you know!

Have a great weekend everyone!

~~Nothing much.

Not really all that much to report here. No more outrageous phone bills or anything of the sort. This week has pretty much been uneventful...just the same ol', same ol'.

Although, my youngest has made his first unchaperoned trip to camp. He left on Monday, and comes home tomorrow. I was fearful that after a day or so, that I would get a call telling me to pick him up, but all has been quiet, so far. This camp is an "outdoor" schooling type environment. My oldest went last year and absolutely loved it, I'm hoping that Ty feels the same way about it, but we'll see.

Tomorrow, Brian and I both have the day off work and are planning on going to see the Red Wings. This will be my first hockey game in years. I'm really looking forward to it. Go Wings!!

It's looking like Saturday we are going to a friends house for a Texas Hold 'Em tourney. There are going to be 3 other couples. Should be fun.

That's really about it for me. Like I said, nothing much here!

Have a great day and weekend!!! =)~~

~~GOOD AFTERNOON!~~

Hi everyone, and hope that this finds you all well. I think I am definitely getting back into my blogging routine now. Things at work are mellowing a bit, and although we still have our "bad" days...we are getting into our groove a bit more.

Now don't get me wrong, doc's are still having little temper tantrums on a daily basis and people (patient's) are still rude as ever, but screw 'em! LOL We are just trying to do our thing and go home...nothing more, nothing less.

Things at home, are the usual daily chaos but it could be worse. Kids are kids and they make mistakes. Here's just a small taste...yesterday, I'm sitting down to eat dinner and decide I will open my mail, bad move. The only bill in there was for the home phone, no big deal, it should be about $30. Yeah right!!! I open it and see under current charges....$250! I'm thinking to myself, "there is no friggin way!". I turn it over, to look at the long distance charges...there it is, in black and white....7 calls to Canada, made by my dear son. One of them was for 81 minutes and cost about $150! Oh yes, I was fuming! I maintained and didn't yell or scream, like I really wanted to...but oh, was I furious! Brian and I went downstairs and discussed it for a while...it just blew me away. Wasn't prepared for it, at all.

When I finally came back up, his brother says to me, "well mom, Corey says he knows it's no birthday and christmas presents for him for a while!" Of course, being the smart kids that they are...they are always pulling the, "make mom feel guilty", card! So, this spurred a long convo with Corey. I asked Corey how he thought he would feel, had the circumstances been reversed??? He replied that he would probably be really angry. I told him that it was also a little stressful in that, there are many other things I could spend $250 on! Yikes! Life goes on!

Today, I should have a chance to get to each and every blog on my sidebar, we have no patient's here at work and it's downright boring already. So, I think that is what I'm going to do right now.

First, I'm going to try and include a picture of the sunrise from this morning. Let's see if this works.

~~BLOG NEGLECT!

Okay, I know that I've been slacking bigtime, when it comes to posting but I've even been too pooped to blog. To make matters worse, it's kind of difficult to blog, when I feel like there are spies all around me! Our new digs at work are not even near as private as they used to be. It's not like we can really "hang out" reading blogs and go unnoticed doing so. It helps that I used to work there prior, and can figure out who some of the spies might be. But it's still an uneasy feeling, knowing that the big kahuna can walk up at any moment! Ugh!

So, the big "move" has had me a little out of sorts and I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things. Will try to make my rounds tonight and to be a better blogger from here on out! ~

=)

Taken from Mt. Peace of Mind at Leeza. I'm not going to tag anyone, but if you'd like to play, go right ahead and let me know you did! =)

Directions: Go to Google and click on the images link. Type in the following and post the first (or your favorite) picture the search engine finds.


~~The name of the town where you grew up
~~The name of the town where you live now
~~Your name
~~Your grandmother's name
~~Your favorite food
~~Your favorite drink
~~Your favorite song
~~Your favorite smell

WAY BACK WEDNESDAY!

I'm very excited because this is one, I actually get to participate in! For those of you that don't know, this game is brought to you by Mama Duck, and if you choose to play, you should let her know that you have. This week's theme, is pictures of you with pets!

While, I don't have anything from long ago, (hence the reason I can't usually participate--my ex husband actually took ALL of my pics from my past!), I can show you the one pic I have of my dog, without me in it!

Her name is Tamika, she was a siberian husky and the most lovable dog I've ever had or even known! She was ALWAYS gentle with the kids and just loved everyone, up until the last days of her life. Unfortunately, I had to put her to sleep just this past March, but there is certainly no forgetting her or what a great dog she was.



Next, is my newest edition Max. Most of you have already seen pics of him. I got him in April of this year. Was kind of looking for a dog, but not really truly looking at that point. He more or less fell into our laps and we all just adore him. He is a puppy still, and has his moments...but he's so cute, you just can't stay mad at him for long.

First one is how he looked up until yesterday, when we shaved him. (And yes, I was having a bad hair day, so what!) LOL



The next one was taken tonight, did the best I could trying to hold a puppy and take a pic in the mirror! LOL But this is Max sporting his new do! Took some getting used to, but I really love it now!!!



Well, that's it for me! It's time to catch some zzzz's!!! Have a great night and sweet dreams! =)~~

WORKING OFF THE CHEX MIX????

Ok, so this is our Chex Mix endorsement. Didn't plan on it being, but obviously he couldn't rip himself from the bag even long enough to take a picture!




As you can see from this pic, he is sporting a small spare tire...(mine is carefully hidden, thank goodness.) As his mother says, we must be very "happy", to both be putting on so much weight! Ugh!

This next one displays how we are coping with the weight gain and trying with all our might to, "work off the Chex Mix". Now these are some aggresive aerobic maneuvers, you probably shouldn't try this at home!



If anyone needs any guidance on how to lose that spare tire hanging around your waist, just ask! As you can see, I'm working hard at it! Ok, well not so much, but it was one of the most relaxing days of the summer, and I loved every minute of it! Gone are the hazy, lazy days of summer! Miss them already! I have that same spot resered for next year though! Can't wait!

Night all! Off to do what I should actually be doing, instead of this! =)~~

ONE OF THOSE DAYS!

Yeah, you know those days...the ones where you just KNOW upon waking, that you shouldn't even get out of bed! My first clue was when the alarm went off at 6 a.m. I got up to shut it off and immediately felt pain to the left side of my face. My sinuses are S-C-R-E-A-M-I-N-G!!!! With every inhaled breath I take, they feel like they are going to explode. The pain and achiness extends from my upper cheek, back towards my ear and even a little behind my eye. I honestly think I would allow someone to shove a needle into my cheek and drain fluid, if I were guaranteed relief right now!

To top things off, I had to really run around like a chicken with my head cut off to get ready this morning. Had to do laundry, pack the kids for the weekend and get myself and both of them ready...all in about an hour. I showed up to work about 6 minutes late (7:51 a.m.), notice the nurses car isn't here. We have patient's due in 9 minutes. I rush in; unlock doors, turn on the lights and computers, get the schedules ready, etc. By 8 I'm pretty much prepared for the day ahead. There's only one doc here, it shouldn't be too bad.

Around 5 minutes after 8, two patient's come walking in. Both say that they have appointments and that they've been waiting outside for me to get in, for about 10 minutes now. Been here, but whatever! The first one was the 8 am appointment, the other one was 8 am yesterday! I get today's 8 o'clock checked in, and talk to the other one about rescheduling. Ok fine, he aplogizes for messing up and coming on the wrong day, and leaves. Since the medical assistant still hasn't showed up, I take and weigh the other patient and get her in the room. I then come back to the front, answer the phone, and it's the assistant...she's in tears, saying that her brakes went out this morning and she didn't know if she could make arrangements to get in. The nurse calls immediately following my hanging up with the MA. I tell her what's going on, and she informs me that she has a meeting she forgot about, and won't be in until later...probably this afternoon. I'm on my own! Fun!

The very early part of the morning went well...nothing too earth shattering. Around 9-9:15, all hell broke loose. Phones started ringing off the hook. I had 2-3 people on hold at all times, for the better part of an hour. I also had to check in/out all patient's and continue to weigh them and put them in the room for the doc. She was also getting very bitchy and would just start ranting as soon as I'd walk the patients charts back to her. I decided I'd do the drop and run thing, for the rest of the day. I have enough to stress about at the moment and can't sit around listening to her, while I could be getting rid of the ringing phones.

Since I started typing this, it has mellowed dramatically. Maybe I've gotten past the worst of it. I've also taken some Advil Cold & Sinus and my face isn't hurting quite as badly. Thank you
Peanutt, for leaving me some of your stash! Love you!

I LOVE MY MECHANIC!

I picked my car up yesterday and it really is purring like a kitten. My brakes are also waaaaaaaayyyyyy better! He also fixed all sorts of little things; replaced a bulb for the interior light, cleaned the whole engine, new plugs/wires, new belts. My brother told me he was pretty anal, but I had NO idea! LOL He made me a receipt that detailed every single part he bought, everything that still needed to be done, etc. I was really impressed by how thorough he was! He also wants me to bring it back next week, just so he can check the lugs and make sure they haven't loosened up any. Yay Wayne! He will definitely get lots of referrals from me.

BOYS WILL BE BOYS!

My oldest son started band this year and he loves it! He picked the saxaphone and finally got to bring this huge contraption home this week. I showed up at the house Monday afternoon, to find him and 3 of his cronies, all with instruments in tow. I went into the house to make dinner, and after about 15 minutes, thought I was going to lose my mind! OMG! The sounds that were eminating from their instruments were A.W.F.U.L! He played every second that he possibly could...and even had very chapped lips by the end of the night!

I love that he has shown an interest in music and is trying. I love that he is excited about it and wants to learn something new. However, I don't love the pounding in my head when he plays his instrument. I see a script for Valium in my immediate future! LOL

NO CUDDLING, NO INTIMACY, JUST GIVE ME SLEEEEEPPPPP!

Gone are the days where we will stay up until 3-4 in the morning on a work night, so that Brian and I have, "our time". I've been barely able to hold my eyes open past 9-9:30 lately! What a loser, eh? He has stayed with me every night this week, showering and grooming just before bed, with high hopes of us maybe heating things up a bit...HASN'T HAPPENED! While this is a very new trend, he is none too happy about it.

Last night, for example, he goes to take a shower about 10:30. While in there, I was in bed trying with all my might to just hold my eyes open. I managed, until he turned the shower off, then I must have dozed off. I was startled by him just a minute later, peeking his head into the bedroom and saying, "oh good, you're still awake!" (Yes, he was very surprised to see this!) Little did he know, that him opening the bathroom door is what jolted me out of my little slumber. LOL I saw the giddiness on his face too...a fleeting moment of pure joy and happiness. I managed to stay awake for another minute or so, while he brushed his teeth and happily jumped into bed beside me. He then turned on some Ultimate Fighting show and immediately, it was lights out for me. I was snoring in less than a minute, he said!

I feel really bad for neglecting him like that. But goodness, I really am exhausted. I've been back to work just a few weeks now, I have to get up more than an hour earlier than I'm used to, and my body is obviously tired of staying up until 12 or later, every single night. Tonight we have a little date, and are heading to a nearby Apple Festival (weather permitting). Let's see if I can do that and then stay awake until 11 or so, and show my man the love that I'm too tired to express!

Have a great weekend all!

HE GOT OUT OF JAIL...BUT MIGHT BE GOING RIGHT BACK...

Ok, not literally, but my brother did get out of the hospital on Thursday night. I went and spent a few hours with him on Thursday, he said boredom was really setting in. While there, his doctor popped in and spent about 45 minutes, explaining everything about diverticulitis. He told him what to eat, what not to eat, how to avoid future problems, and explained a little more about the surgery that will be in his future. It was great, it gave all of us a much better understanding. Or so I thought...

Yeah, Friday night, he was out drinking with a buddy of his. I'm pretty perturbed about the risk he's taking. This is my brother that I've always looked up to. I've always felt that he made pretty wise decisions and had a great heart, to boot. Don't know what to make of this side of my sweet, lovable brother. Don't know if I should broach the subject or just let it be. It is his life and ultimately, his body and his decision. Just think it's pretty careless after his ordeal.

Oh well, off to other things.

THE PEANUT BUTTER WENT DOWN GOOD, BUT...

I had just posted a pic of my dog eating peanut butter last night. While it was absolutely hilarious to see him in action, and I took many pics to capture his true adoration of his peanut butter. I now regret it, bigtime! Let me 'splain.

Last night I went to bed really early, had a splitting headache. I woke up at 4:49 this morning, I thought because my body just wasn't tired anymore. After glancing at the clock and laying there for a minute, I realized that there was a very odd noise coming from the hallway. It kind of freaked me out and I got up and peeked my head out into the hall. Didn't see anything unusual, except for Max. He usually sleeps under my bed, but I guess Brian forgot to put him in my room before going home last night. No biggie. I head to the bathroom, (which is only a few steps), and all the sudden there is something squishing between my toes. I turn on the light, and look down at my foot. It's red! Not quite the color of blood, or the consistency, but nasty. I turn around and look in the hall and there is a huge pile of vomit! To the right of the red pile, there is a nice brown pile! 5 a.m. exactly, I was gagging, tears rolling freely down my face! And that was how my day began!

THIS CAR HAD BETTER LAST FOREVER!

My mechanic gave me another friendly call yesterday. I now need calipers and new rotors...$170. My grand total is now $722! Joy!

On a good note, he says the motor is purring like a kitten and he is going to drive it for a few days just to be absolutely sure! And hey, my car will be like brand new, by the time I get it back. Woo hoo!

THIS SHOULD BE FUN!

This weekend, even though it's a weekend with the ex, he has agreed to let Brian and I have them all day Saturday. We are taking them to Cedar Point in Ohio for a day of roller coasters and very expensive greasy food! Does it get any better than that?

The kids have never been, and they aren't gonna know until we get there on Saturday. I have a feeling they might guess, when we get close, but that's okay! I can't wait to take 'em and have a blast, just the 4 of us!

I'm off for now. Lunch decisions have to be made, and that's serious stuff!

Have a great day! =)

This is my dog on peanut butter! LOL

~~RAIN RAIN GO AWAY....I TAKE THAT BACK, IT'S OKAY~~

On the way home from work today, the sun was shining bright and it seemed awfully hot. During my short commute home, the oh-so-accurate weather guy announced..."It's now sunny and 87 degrees, but with that humidity, it feels more like 90!" He goes on to say, "Way to take the last day of summer out with a bang!" He wasn't too far off, a bang there was.

I knew earlier, that they were calling for storms, Peanutt had gotten an alert while still at work, that it was headed this way. But the sunshine that was glinting in my eyes and the sweat that was beading on my forehead during my drive, sure didn't indicate what was about to come.

Not that this was one of the worst storms ever, or even remotely close to it...but it was a good one! It started with the oddly blue/gray typical pre-storm skies, then changed to a soft light green. You could see several small funnel clouds in the distance, but pretty far up there. To the south, there were still some bright blue skies with billowy clouds.

I stepped out onto my patio, and big, fat, perfectly rounded drops began to fall. While it felt good, they were hitting with a little bit of force, I knew what was about to come. I scooped up the dog and headed in.

I bet it wasn't 3-4 minutes later and the wind began to howl making the trees just bow. They were swaying back and forth and from side to side. Almost like the wind was coming from every direction. I ran to the front of the house, where you always get the best view (our storms usually always come from the northwest), and it was kind of scary. The sky had now changed to a sand-like color, almost like the color of dead fall leaves, there was now almost constant thunder and lightning, the wind had picked up even more, and the rain was falling fast, hard and at a severe angle. It was as dark as if it were midnight and didn't look like there were an end in sight.

This went on for a quite a few minutes, anxiety creeping its way in there a bit, when I saw the brightest blue light and heard a boom that would certainly wake the dead. It was a deep dark ocean blue in the center and ballooned out gradually getting lighter as it went along, until it was almost a white color and then disappeared. I can only assume that it was maybe a transformer blowing, or that lightning struck a little too close for my comfort, but yet, I could see down the street and around the corner, and they still had power. I was also talking to my next door neighbor during all of this, and when that boom hit, my cell phone went completely dead. I paced the floors and tried calling her back a few times, with no luck. When I went back to my watch, out the front window I could see light skies in the distance. It rained and poured for another 15 minutes or so and then the sun began to peek its way out.

That was a good hour ago, now it's dark and no longer muggy. The air feels fresh and clean. I stood outside for a long time, just enjoying how peaceful it is out there. The street was utterly quiet except for the chirping of crickets. I wasn't bothered by pesky mosquitos, I wasn't hot or cold...it was one of those times where it was just perfect out! Stars in the sky, and just a soft whisper of a breeze. I wish I could just stop my mommy duties and hang out there all night long, but I can't! Back to reality for me, I have laundry to do! =)

P.S. My neighbor came over after the storm passed through...she said when she saw that huge flash of light and heard the boom, it had her so shaken, she turned off all her phones and lights and went and sat in the back room in the dark, until it got quiet again. She was too scared to "storm watch" anymore! LOL (I guess I know who not to have accompany me, if I ever become a storm watcher!!!)

Have a great night!!

~~NOT GOOD NEWS~~

Tonight my sister called to inform me that my brother went into the hospital some time yesterday afternoon. He has diverticulitis and has been hospitalized once before for it. I guess he wasn't feeling good on Monday and when his wife got home from work yesterday, he was doubled over in pain. Right now they have him really doped up and said that he's pretty badly infected, but that he may be able to go home as early as tomorrow evening. They also said that he should probably start considering the surgery to correct it, because he's running the risk of a bowel perforation, if he doesn't! Big decision to make because it involves a bag for 3 months until they can go back in and reverse it.

I feel so bad for him. Wish there was something I could do. Going to try and leave work for a while tomorrow and go visit him. May head up after work too.

So hey, cross your fingers and say a little prayer for us that everything turns out okay! Thanks! =)

Goodnight everyone!

WHAT'S AN EXTRA $200?

In yesterday's post, I told you that I was having problems with my car and that it was going to cost about $600. Last night I got a call from my mechanic. He said that he had called around to several places, and it seemed like the parts were going to be very expensive. He said that we may be looking at $800 now. I'm sure you could probably hear my wailing, from wherever you reside, when I hung up that phone. (I think I will just avoid all other calls from him!) LOL


HERE, LET ME PULL THAT OUT OF YOU...

Now I know your dirty minds might be conjuring up many things with a topic like that, but just stop it! LOL I'm talking about my apology. Yes, I did get one! But not without a fight! We went all day yesterday without speaking. Around 5:30, he called me to ask if I was ever gonna call him??? LOL Come to find out, he was mad at me all day because I was "mad at him!" Long story short, after going back and forth voicing our sides of the situation, he finally called and said that he was really sorry and that he shouldn't have said what he did! Thank you! That's what I was looking for!


PLAYING IN THE RAIN CAN BE CONTAGIOUS!

A while back, I posted about the day that Brian and I played in the rain. (We were actually working in the rain, but we made it fun.) We were soaked and both looked like drowned rats, but we laughed and actually had lots of fun.

I had no idea about this, but my dog also loves to play in the rain! Now I was under the impression that small dogs were usually timid, and scared of water, other dogs, stuff like that. Not Max! He will walk right up to dogs 4 times his size, and bark at them. He is very cocky, and makes it known to everyone that he will not back down from anything. (Well, except the vacuum.)

Yesterday, my sister shows up and we let the dog out in the backyard, so he wouldn't jump all over her. She's looking out the window at him and just starts cracking up. I look outside, and see him laying right under the water spray. He looked as though he was taking a shower, rolling his furry head from side to side. It was hilarious! Did I mention that his fur is pretty much like a lions mane???? That there is tons of it, and if it gets the least bit wet, he smells rancid??? Time to make an appt. with the groomer! LOL Oh well, he enjoyed it!


HE'S FINALLY FREE!

I finally let my son be ungrounded, after about 1 1/2 weeks. He was very appreciative and said that he had learned a very valuable lesson and that he would never do anything like that again! (Remember the jewelry fiasco?) So hopefully, he means what he says and I can look forward to no more incidences like that! Can't help but wonder what will be next! ::groan::

So, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. That's all I have for you today. (Wasn't that enough?)

Have a wonderful day! =)

NEW CLUB!

I found a very nice club near my house. My sister and a couple of friends went on Saturday night. It's located right behind the hospital where I just had my surgery, on a drive that I thought was strictly for hospital access only.

This club was like a beach tiki bar. It's either indoor or outdoor. I never even checked out the inside, but the outside was awesome. The bar itself, was located to your right, as you walk in, and to your left was a huge dance area, with pedestals (for those who really like to be on display). There was a large screen that displayed a silhouette of a naked girl dancing to every single song they played. (Yes, the men were certainly drawn to this feature!) There were tables all over, no stools though. It's a stand up or dance kind of place. LOL All of this was overlooking the river and there was a full moon. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, probably around 70 degrees.

I had a really good time and will definitely be going back there in the future. I think what I enjoyed most was not only the atmosphere that the club itself created, but the fact that EVERYONE was extremely nice and there was absolutely no drama. A good time was had by all.

Will have to scan a few pics that were taken while there. It was a promotion for Bud Light and they took a head shot and let us choose what sport type we wanted our head planted on. At first, I picked football, just because Brian is such a big fan. Talk about frickin' hilarious! My pic came back and it looks just like my son...yes, I truly look like a boy! My sister asked if I could get it redone, which I did. This one was better. It was a female referree with huge knockers! LOL

MY CAR IS A HOOPDIE!

Brian took my car for a routine oil change this weekend. The guy took one look at my oil and refused to even change it! He said that there is water in it, which probably indicates a blown head gasket. I'm so completely illiterate, when it comes to cars and what all of that actually entails. (As is Brian!) So, I give my brother a call, to see what he knows about it...how easy or complicated it is...etc. The first words out of his mouth were, "Oh shit, Stace." That right there, told me what I needed to know. Oh shit is right...this is gonna cost me a bit. So not what I need right now, but just the way it goes sometimes. At least Brian has 2 vehicles, and I don't have to worry about getting a ride to and from work. From what I'm told, my engine will be "almost new", when this is all done. Let's pray for that to be true and that nothing else goes wrong any time soon.

OPEN MOUTH INSERT FOOT.

Everyone knows that there are certain topics that you just don't bring up to certain people. (Especially those who know you very well). It's just downright inconsiderate and can be very hurtful, to boot. While watching a movie last night, my beloved said something that pretty much cut me to the core. He was joking around and making fun of something that was happening in the movie. Something that I just didn't find to be funny, at all. Knowing me as well as he does, it's just a subject that shouldn't have even been broached, let alone laugh about.

When I said something about him being pretty inconsiderate, for saying what he had said, it didn't even phase him. After the movie was over, he called me 'crabby', and left. I haven't heard from him since. Like it was my fault, that I got a little upset about something that truly just crushed me! How frustrating!

So, I'm waiting for a bigtime apology. Will see what happens. Not going to stress over it.

Hope everyone has a great day! =)

I MUST HAVE SOME BLONDE IN ME...

I was pretty sure lastnight, that I would be up at the butt crack of dawn, but lo and behold I slept until I just didn't feel like sleeping anymore! Yay for me! (It's 9:43 in the morning, and I just woke up about 10 minutes ago.) Gotta love that.

Lastnight we went and hung out with some friends. Before leaving the house, I let the dog out in the backyard. We were due to be over there at 6, and I was running behind. Brian and the kids were already here and waiting on me to finish getting ready, so I was pretty much rushing around. We got there around 6 and had some pizza, watched the video from our trip, and then started playing some games.

Around 9:30, I got a call from my next door neighbor. I didn't pick it up, because we were right in the middle of our game and I didn't think it would be anything too earth shattering. At 10:30 or so, she called again, I couldn't get to the phone in time. I finally picked up the voice mail from earlier. She had left a message stating that I needed to let the dog in because that barking was making her crazy, and she was about to strangle my pooch! OMG! I FORGOT ABOUT MAX AND LEFT HIM OUTSIDE! What an idiot! Needles to say, we had to finish our game in a rush, and get home to let my poor dog in! When we got home, Max was already in the house, safe and sound, and all of the neighbors lights were off. I guess she finally realized that she had a key, and could let him in herself! Oops, I guess my roots really should be blonde.

Well, I'm off to clean, do some laundry, go get an oil change and some new windshied wipers. Hopefully, will make it to the grocery store as well. But first, I'm going to let my dog in from outside!

Have a great day!

What comes around, goes around???

WHAT COMES AROUND, GOES AROUND???

Do you really think that theory is true??? I'm thinking that it might be!

Remember that unfamiliar being that lives in my house???? You know, the one who has been getting into lots of trouble???? Yeah well, he started feeling really sick last night. Bad sore throat, uncontrollable runny nose, etc.

He woke up this morning feeling even worse. Even stayed home from school, which he never does, (well unless, this will become a new trend. Who knows, because I have no clue who this person even is!) Anyhow, he stayed home and looks, sounds, and feels awful. I ran home a while ago to dose him up with Tylenol and Benadryl Allergy.

I sure hope that he feels better soon, but can't keep myself from thinking that maybe there was a more divine reason he got sick....

I'M SORRY BUT WE ARE EXPERIENCING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

I know that comments aren't enabled right now. Still working out the bugs on this template. Can only cut and paste the code while at work tho...dial-up takes way too long to show me what changes have been made.

Hope to get it straight soon!

New look!

Yes, I found a template that I like and decided to try it out. Still have a few bugs to work on, but I think I really like it. Hope everyone likes it as well!!!

Have a great day!

Where oh where has my little boy gone???

The pre-pubescent stage has hit my household with a vengeance. It almost feels as though someone has come in and stolen my mild-mannered son, and replaced him with this unfamiliar being that I've never met before.

Here are a few examples;
Just after my having surgery last month, this unfamiliar being decided that it might be fun to start a fire, (in a wooden box, no less), in the next door neighbors yard. Mind you, this was only 3 days after my surgery and I was still hazy from pain meds. Both of my sisters were also at the house that day, looking after me, cleaning the house, and looking after the boys. What great mommies and babysitters we are! We had no idea! Corey even walked in with what appeared to be soot on his face. That should have clued me in right there...especially when I asked what was on his face and he got all defensive. But no, stupid mommy that I am, I blow it off as he must have just been playing in the dirt. Later on that day, my next door neighbor comes over and says that one of the other neighbors saw them doing a rain dance around a large fire! When I talked to Corey (aka unfamiliar being), he said that "Alex (next door neighbor) lit the fire!" Upon further questioning, he admitted to supplying the matches from MY BASEMENT! I hobbled over and talked to Alex's mom, we got what facts we could and gave all the kids a good talking to. I also called the ex and let him in on what had happened. The next day, he came over, we again talked to the kids about what they had done and the ex actually bent Corey over his knee and spanked him (hard too). Finally, this made an impact on this creature. He was crying like a baby now. This was the first sign of any remorse. The first emotion that he showed about any of this, and that pissed me off.

Actually, it pissed me off and scared me at the same time. My son isn't like that. He is the one, that for his entire life, I can just give him and evil look and he'd be reduced to tears. He has always been very easy to deal with, he has always been mellow and laid back and was one to go with the flow. NOT ANYMORE!

This past weekend, this wonderful trend continued. I was getting the boys ready to take them to the lake on Saturday. When I went to get unfamiliar being his swimsuit, I noticed something sparkly in his dresser drawer. Upon further inspection, I realized that those were diamonds sparkling away...my diamonds! (2 rings from my mom...who isn't here anymore). I was crushed. There can't be any excuse for this one. At first, I didn't know what to do or say. He didn't act disturbed or guilty that I was in his drawer. I was trying to gauge his reaction to my being in there, but there was none. I scooped up my jewelry, so that he didn't realize what I was doing, and pulled out his swim trunks. I walked into the bathroom, just trying to decide how to approach him. He actually followed, and I just blurted out..."I would like to know what these are doing in your drawer????" At first, he said that he didn't know...and then it changed to him saying that he was just "looking at them". Now, these are things that are left in my jewelry box downstairs...if he was curious or just looking at them, they should have been put right back. But they weren't!

We went ahead and went to the lake, but it was definitely on my mind all day. It weighed heavily on me. I'm just so disappointed. I guess this is what all parents of teens or pre-teens were warning me about. I just never imagined that I would have to worry myself with these things. Pretty naive of me, I know.

For now, he is grounded. He is coming home, doing homework and spending some quiet time in his room to think. I've thought of having him write an essay on the importance of respecting other people's property...something like that. Hell, I don't know! This is totally out of the realm of things that come in the parenting handbook.

I do know that grounding really didn't teach me a whole heck of alot, when I was growing up, but taking away his priveledges, is all I can think of right now.

So, fellow bloggers, I'm asking for your words of wisdom here...I'm just at a loss. Can I expect my son to return to me anytime soon? Is this just a small dose of bigger and better things to come? Am I a complete failure in the parenting department? What? Help!

Oh yeah, and wish me luck, I think I'm gonna need it.

Some vaca pics.

Dale Hollow lake. The view from the rt side of the boat.



The view at the end of the cove where we parked our boat.



Sunrise on the first morning!

Grateful...

I was just doing some cleaning around the house. I opened my front curtains and caught a glimpse of my next door neighbor. While I know it isn't polite to stare, I just couldn't keep my eyes off him. He was diagnosed with Stage IV throat cancer in March of this year, (almost the same exact time, my dad was diagnosed). My neighbor was fortunate, in some respect, that they were able to offer him some very experimental and aggressive treatment, and prolong his life. While these past 6 months have been very hard on him, he at least has a little more time with his family. He has a wife and 13 and 11 year-old boys. I know I'm going around the point here, but just wanted to bring you all up to speed.

While openly gaping at him out my front window, I couldn't help but think that he truly looks like a dead man walking, and that brought me to my current state of sappiness. It made me feel grateful...

Grateful that....I have 2 little boys (well 1 "little" boy, and one, not so "little" boy), running around. Grateful that I have good friends and a family that would be there for me and stand beside me, no matter what might come my way. Grateful that I have a good hearted man, that can show me how much he loves me, just by looking in my eyes. Grateful that I have running water and electricity. Grateful that I have a house to clean, a lawn to mow, and all of the things that could be considered just "average", or nothing special. To me, they are all of the things that shape my life, and I'm happy with that!!

You see, I don't currently have a relative with cancer to take care of, or to worry about, but I've been there before and know how it feels to have someone you love fight to make it through each passing day. I don't usually think of each day as potentially being my last. Even though I know that anything can happen, you just never know. It's still not something I think about on a daily basis. I wonder what it feels like to be in his shoes...to be faced with something that it's just impossible for you to conquer...to be living on borrowed time...to see your kids walk out the door for school each morning, and wonder if it will be the last time you ever see them again, because you may be gone by the time they get back. I know this is a time to "catch up" and let feelings be known, I watched my dad do this. It's a time to get in every last thing that you want to before it's too late and there are regrets, when your time has come. It's a time of fear, and pain, and I'm sure, many many prayers. I wish him well in his battle, and will definitely have him in my prayers.

On that note, I'm going to give my kids a little hug and to tell them that I love 'em.

Must be blooper day!

Lastnight, Brian, his mother and I, all made the 1 1/2 hour trek to Timbuktu, where his children live, to go to their new school's open house. On the way there...I was trying to tell Brian something, when he interrupted me...I put my hand up and said, "Can I finish you?" To which his 68 year old mother replies, "I'll close my eyes if you want me to!" Oh, it was definitely another classic moment!

Most embarassing work moment ever!

So today is my first day back to work in almost a month. I got here at 8 am sharp. I was well rested and ready to start my day. Getting the kids off to their first day of school, went off without a hitch, and all seemed good.

It was about 9-9:30, I answered the phone here at work. A patient was calling and asking for directions. Here is what I said...."From the Lodge Freeway, you can take I-94 to Southfield, and you want to make a rt. at the second street...take that past the next main "intercourse", and we will be 3 blocks down on the left." Now, as soon as the word came out of my mouth, I was just appalled! I couldn't believe that I had said that, of all things. I look over at the nurse, who is just crying by now. I'm cracking up, can barely get any words out...oh my goodness, I just wanna crawl under my desk and die! LOL Of course, it doesn't get by the patient either, she busts out laughing. I said, "oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, this is my first day back to work after almost a month, and apparently I wasn't quite ready to come back, after all!" LMAO

How do you even excuse yourself for that one???? The patient came in about 45 minutes later, and not a word was said about it. I still wanted to crawl under my desk but, oh well, shit happens!!!!

That had to be my biggest embarassing moment at work! I'm sure we will have many laughs over this for weeks to come! So, hopefully this will brighten your day as well.

Home sweet home.

Hi everyone! Hope this finds you all doing well, and enjoying your Labor Day Weekend. I just got in last night, around midnight. Still trying to recoup. I missed my kids desperately...had never been away from them for this long, but it was very sad to leave, at the same time. It was honestly the best vacation I've ever had! As I told Peanutt, I couldn't have been happier had I been vacationing in the tropics...this was truly paradise!

The first day was lots of work, with loading the boat full of enough rafts, life jackets, clothing and food for 6 couples for 9 days on the water. We also had to drive the 16x80 foot boat to our first location which, at 6 miles an hour, takes a really long time. LOL We finally found a nice cove and parked it, tied up, unpacked, and got in some time for some wonderful food. We played some euchre and watched some movies and then it was off to bed. The next morning we all got up really early and I actually caught a beautiful sunrise, right over the mountains. (Pictures to come later today or tomorrow). The weather was a little iffy for a while there, but we got a few hours of sunshine each day, for the first few. I was also pretty sore from the long drive, but I did make my way to the waverunner after a day or so of recouping.

The lake is just miles and miles of unspoiled beauty. You are surrounded by mountains, beautiful coves, beaches, and a ton of slate. There were blue herrons and cranes everywhere, and Brian and Terry even spotted a bald eagle, right at the end of our cove. There were also many many islands, some with sandy beaches, others strictly made of slate with a few trees on top. There were no houses down near the lake, only a few scattered way up on top of the mountains. It was so tranquil.

The houseboat itself had a living room and kitchen, 2 full bathrooms and 6 bedrooms. Not all of the bedrooms were of the same size, and we actually lucked out getting one with a closet and drawers, and one that you could actually stand upright in. (Well Brian could almost stand upright...LOL) The front of the boat has a large deck where we barbequed and had all of our coolers. The back was where we stowed all of the life jackets and rafts. The upper level had a slide and a 6-8 person jacuzzi. It was wonderful.

After the first few days of limited sunshine, we did have lots of rain. It was mostly at night, but it drizzled and was gloomy for about 3 days. The last 4 days or so were just picture perfect. We took the jetskis about 30 miles away, to the dam and basically just did some exploring. We also got to see the Kentucky/Tennessee border, which was awesome. There were cables and markers above the water, red on one side, green on the other to indicate which state was which.

One of the couples also brought their boat and we took a ride at sunset one of the nights we were there. We had our hearts set on dinner at one of the marinas, but we hit 2 of them and they were actually closed, due to preparations for the holiday weekend. The third marina had really good pizza, so we settled for that. On the last night there, we also hit one of the marina's for dinner. It was pretty good. However, the best part of it was the little trick that they played on me, telling the waitstaff that it was my birthday. I had my back facing the kitchen and waitresses, so at the end of dinner, someone comes and throws a hat on my head (little did I know at the time, that it was a Dr. Seuss type of hat, only with purple and white stripes), and they all start singing "Happy Birthday", to me! I could have died of embarassment, but it gave us all a good laugh and I got my meal and dessert for free! LOL

It was a wonderful escape, and one that I needed desperately. I'm glad to be back home in alot of ways, but I still miss Dale Hollow Lake. Counting the days until we go again next year!

Pictures to come soon...just downloaded them!! =)