Update or what?

Things are back to normal, or as normal as things can be around here. The MIL went back to the SIL's on Saturday. We had a nice Thanksgiving and the food was good.
Finally got some information from the caseworker and I have to drive out to Reseda ( 30 miles) on the 11th for a 2nd opinion. Considering how painful driving is, this should be an interesting appointment.
Kids are back to school. Quiet days again.
The church's annual smorgasbord is this weekend. I have to spend tomorrow making cabbage rolls. The meat has to be defrosted and then I have to cook the cabbage to get the leaves ready. It's a labor of love.
I am making carrots that have to be steamed, and then doused with some Catalina Dressing and fresh parsley. Sounds good to me. The fumi salad will be a snap.
No decorations yet. Don't know what I want to do. Not very spirit filled.
Changes coming in the music department. Too bad one person can be so spiteful and hateful and cause such antagonism. I wonder how she manages to work with people with that kind of attitude. I guess we all can't be as perfect as she is and I wonder how her interpersonal relationships can be sustained with that attitude. Scary.
Cold at night and breezy and cool during the day.
Today is the doctor's appointment I keep putting off. but since I may not have insurance after december I guess I had better get it done.
Life goes on doesn't it?
Ciao......
-30-

Menu

Here is my menu for tomorrow:

Dill and Bread and Butter Pickles
Black Olives
Carrots, Celery, Mushrooms, Cukes and a Ranch Dipping Sauce
Baby Field Greens with Assorted Dressings
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Boneless Rolled Turkey Roast rubbed with poultry seasoning and butter
Baby Yukon Gold potatoes cooked in organic free range chicken stock and mashed with half and half and butter
Golden Acorn Squash roasted with brown sugar and butter
Green Bean Cassarole with tiny Haricot Verts and Golden Mushroom Soup
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kings Hawaiian Sweet Bread Rolls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
French Vanilla and Extra Creamy Coolwhip
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don Franciscos Hawaiian Kona Roast Coffeee
Amaretto
Baileys
Beringer White Zinfadel
Corbett Canyon Chardonnay

And I wish each and every one of you out there in Blogland a very peaceful and Thank Filled Thanksgiving.

ciao!

IF you can read this; thank a teacher.

make my headache go away

So it was 85º about an hour ago and now it's 78º. But this is November 20th. Something is wrong here. It's been too hot for too long.

The "Nowhere" fire is burning close to where the husband does his gold panning. The news shots were live from the parking lot that we use. Guess he won't be going up there this weekend to do anything. He does have to work Friday, but he can work at home and read the blueprints on the table.

Will be a small gathering for Thanksgiving. Turkey is in the fridge defrosting. I need to get the stuff for the green beans and the organic broth to cook the baby Yukon gold taters that I need to buy. May get those tomorrow.

No news yet from my caseworker. Oh gee. It's the federal government. I should jump for joy,eh? Have you ever wanted just to crack a joint and have it slip back into the right spot? that's what it feels like now. AAAAARGGHHHH.

The low humidity is making my head feel like a stuffed box. Ugh.

The dog and I may take a long nap. I was going to make spaghetti tonight but I think I will do something simpler. Can't decide yet. Monday is usually pizza night but I am a bit short this Monday. Heroes is on so the kids have to watch their program.

Antonia Fraser's book "Marie Antionette" is a good read. I am going to start Phillipa Gregory's book "Earthly Joys". Looked good at the time. I don't know. I will see how it goes. Started watching "Sleepy Hollow" last night. Will watch it some more tonight. Also have the video of "The DaVinci Code" to watch.

Ciao babies!
-30-

So I am a Hippie huh?

I am 62% Hippie.

I am not a child of the 60’s but my heart is true to the cause, man. I realize that being a hippie is not just bell bottoms and tie-dye. It is also about the drugs and smelling bad, too!

Take the
Hippie Test
@ FualiDotCom

Life as evisioned by my I-Pod

I borrowed this meme from Dixie Peach who's a Southern gal living in Germany with her wonderful hubby. D if you read this, thanks!

If Your Life Had a Soundtrack What Would the Music Be?

How this works:

1. Open your music library.
2. Set to shuffle and press play.
3. For every event, list what song is playing.
4. Next event, shuffle to the next song.
5. Don't lie - go with what comes up, just like life.

Opening Credits:
War March of the Priests, Mendelssohn

Waking Up:
Exsultate,Jubilate-Alleluia--- Barbara Hendricks, Soprano

First Day at School:
Livin' La Vida Loca-- Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas

Falling in Love:
Fisher's Hornpipe---- Yo Yo Ma, Mark O'Connor

Breaking Up:
Loved Walked In --- Chanticleer

Prom:
Twice in Every Show--- Monty Python presents Spamalot

Life's Okay:
Ocho Mambo--- Gipsy Kings

Mental Breakdown:
Angel Band--- The Stanley Brothers

Driving:
Jambalaya--- John Prine, Emmy Lou Harris

Flashback:
Oh What A Night--- Doobie Brothers

Getting Back Together:
You Can't Hurry Love--- Dixie Chicks

Wedding:
White Trash Wedding---Dixie Chicks

Birth of Child:
Listen to the Music--- Doobie Brothers

Final Battle:
Stray Cat Strut--- Brian Setzer Orchestra

Death Scene:
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall---- Leon Russell

Funeral Song:
One Way or Another---- Joss Stone & Blondie

End Credits:
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Oh Yuck, Nasty Azz Candles....

This fragrance of Glad Scented oil candles, Delicate Petals has to be the nastiest smelling thing I have ever bought. What a freaking mistake!
I can't imagine anyone liking this awful scent.

I will be throwing out the 2 that I didn't use.
OMG it's awful.
Stinky poo poo awful. My kid walked into the room and said
Geez Mom, what died? Don't be fooled. This is really bad, the Orchid Oasis is nice, the Spiced Rose and Vanilla is nice, but Delicate Petals is anything but. Maybe to keep the cat box odor in the cat box room, I don't know.

Thank God I had other candles to remove the odor.

Rant over.
Back to your blogging.
Ciao.

-30-

5.5 hours at the dentist

Well, the #2 kid had a bad cold and then to compound things, she got a toothache, which really did her in. So I bit the bullet, called the dentists office and took her down there. It's not like the dentists office of old with personalized service, it's more like a stop and shop. Anyway 1 dentist looked at her and did some probing and said looks like a root canal. We knew she was going to have to have another one, just not so soon. Without dental insurance it's not cheap. So I wrote a check for 300$ and redid the balance on her other r/c and she laid in the chair forever it seemed. I sat in the most uncomfortable chairs I have ever sat in from 0930-1350. But she is done with it and now can have some peace of mind. She's got 800mg Motrin and Amoxicillin to take. I am going to drop off her pain meds at the attendance office at lunch for her to take. She has a lot of work in govt and even feeling shitty she did her gov't homework last night.

Just found out that her choir will be the entertainment for our 48th annual Church Smorgasbord. That will be great. They are good kids and this will be a tune up for their Christmas concert.

Got all domestic today and stripped my bed, threw everything in the washer and soon will go down and empty the dishwasher and reload it and run another load. Then get the slug up and have him empty the trash out of all the rooms downstairs. Needs to do something to earn his keep.
Book alert:
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn. Victorian Historical Romance/Mystery, coming out in 2007. Great read. Check it out or buy it. Won't disappoint at all.

Time to go play Suzy Homemaker!

Ciao.
- 30 -

The Doc says.....

What does this dog think when the cop holds up those briefs???? I had to share this picture, it's just too good not to.

My mutt is downstairs being tortured by the children watching Heroes which is their new favorite show. He does not want to be ignored and he tells them this.

The PT called me today and said she spoke with the doctor. No more PT for me. They want me to do the pain mgmt thing. Well that's all well and good but the doctor needs to have it approved by the powers that be. Has he even sent in the request? I wrote to my case worker and asked if there has been any request. If not, then I guess I get back on the doctor's case and holler at him. Nothing like living on Vicodin ES and Naproxen for pain relief. Crapola.

#2 kid is sick. She really feels like yuck. I emailed her teachers and she will miss tomorrow too. Between the sore throat, her wisdom teeth coming in, and her voice being gone, she is miserable.

#1 kid is okay. He and his friend went out to the drug store for me and did an errand. I bought them pizza. They were happy about that.

Life goes on, doesn't it? I like this :

The winds of God are always blowing, but you must set the sails.

Time to go to bed.
Ciao.
-30-

Ya gotta wonder sometimes....

I made a list for the husband to use when he went to Costco yesterday. Why wouldn't he think to look at the gas gauge too? He knows to get fuel in his truck but he drove my car around for the last 4 days and now I need gas. Oh gee. Guess I will do some transferring of funds and go get gas tomorrow.

Kid #2 is really sick. No voice, coughing and just miserable. In bed asleep. Best place to be in my opinion. I took a cold pill, which means I can take a pain pill later. I have a stuffed nose and a minor sore throat.

Last night I was in the bathroom and I had this awful shooting pain in my arm and shoulder. It was enough to make me yelp. Don't know what it is from. Will have to watch and see I guess.

The big kid is home and he can sweep out the fireplace and we can load it up with some wood and sit down there tonight and be warm. That will be nice.

The husband ordered a laptop for himself because he needs to be able to check his email and do his time cards online. He got a good deal on it and it will be able to be taken places when we go on vacation and if he gets a new job and has to travel. I'd like to be able to check my email and stay in contact when I go on vacation too.

Not too cold out and thankfully not too warm. The dog is outside lying in the sun. He went to see one of the outside cats, who could not be bothered. The inside cat just plays with him and gives him grief and he loves her all the more. They run up and down the stairs and through the rooms having fun.

Well that's about it for today. Blue sky above me.

Ciao.

-30-

No church for me

I feel like I am stuffed up to the gills. My nose is just all stuffy but nothing is coming out. I am going to take a hot hot shower soon. Sent the kid to church but I decided to stay home. And it's cooler today than it has been in a while.

Yesterday we had a fire going most of the afternoon and evening. And that made the downstairs nice. We've got a lot of broken up pallet wood to use for fire. Just have to keep the hearth clean.

Now we don't know what is going on for TDay. My stepbrother wants my mom and stepdad to drive to his house out in Acton. Mom does not want to go.(They are dry). I hope that something will work out one way or the other.

I am going to steam my lungs right now.
Ciao.
-30-

Saturday Night Shuffle

1. Uncle John's Band==========Grateful Dead
2. Long Ago and Far Away=====Joni Mitchell and James Taylor
3. Both Sides Now============Joni Mitchell
4. No. 50, Air, If God Be For Us==============The Messiah
5. No. 39, Chorus, Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder===The Messiah
6. All Over Again=============B.B. King & Mark Knopfler
7. Jamboree=================Echoes of Nature
8. Love Walked In============Chanticleer
9. All She Wants to Do is Dance=====Don Henley
10. Sonata, Op. 2/1:Aria Amorosa===Red Priest

Cool and windy tonight. The fireplace is burning. The kids are watching movies down there. Baked an apple pie. Pot pies for dinner.
Things are as usual.
Saw some cute dogs today.
Aching too. But pain pills help.
Ciao,

-30-

Sheesh

Friday, finally got the rent paid and the BG is going to get a laptop. That will be handy when we travel, as if.
<--------This is the way I feel
Kid #2 slept in. She is out seeing Borat tonight. EEEK.
I didn't go to the funeral and didn't go out to lunch. Woke up with a cold.
Still need to go shopping for some more food for Thanksgiving.We did get some booze at BevMo. That's for dinner and apertifs and all that.
I am aching even though I took pain pills.
Am reading a Anne Rivers Siddons book called "Sweetwater Creek", neat book.
Will update more when i have more to say.

ciao.!

-30-

Vote Today- Then You Have the Right to Bitch

I am going over to the polling place around 11 and cast my vote. Today my son will vote in his first election, the first of many I hope. I have voted since I was registered in 1971. Gives you an idea of how many presidents I have voted for, governors and propositions. Sometimes I won, sometimes I lost, but I did do my civic duty and felt good about it. I need to instill that in the kid. It's more his future now than it is mine and he needs to know that he has to take charge and make a difference in the country he lives in.

Hot again. Didn't sleep well. Pain still at a 6+++ or better. If I said 7 again, you'd just think I was bitching. Well I am. I HURT and it makes my life shit. There is no if and or but about it. It affects my daily life and my reactions and dealing. How'd you like it if you couldn't open a can without pain? Stir a pot without spasms going up and down your shoulder. And then have a doctor who says he doesn't know what is wrong. I am waiting on a 2nd opinion authorization and the damn doctor hasn't sent it in yet. This is so freaking frustrating. This is my life. Workers Comp stinks too. Rant Over.

The pumpkin candle smells good. That is nice.

I am driving my mom to the doctor. Need to get going.

Ciao !

-30-

Geez it's Hot Out!

Geez it's hot doesn't even cover it. It's 1PM and it's 92º here. I have the blinds drawn and the windows open because there is a breeze out there, but this is November. I want November weather by God.

Been reading all this stuff about the pastor in Denver who's been "fighting these impulses" all his life. Does that give a clue that being gay isn't a choice and does actually come with your birth? The guy gives me the creeps anyway. Most of the pastors of the mega churches make me nervous anyway. And then the Governor of Texas agrees whole heartedly with his pastor, John Hagee, that any one who isn't Christian is going to hell with a hot ticket. So much for religious tolerance in the nation, eh? We just have to choose between Ah-nuld and Phil. I might just vote green, I don't know.

Husband is back at work. Yahoo and Amen. He's got a lot of work to do and that will keep him busy. They did hire someone to replace him, so much for the contract being cut. They just didn't want to pay him what he is worth. Still haven't heard back from the other company. That makes me nervous. But if he's working, he's making some money and some is better than none.

My tummy is on the binge today. I was driving back from picking up #1 son at school and boy did I have cramps. Could be from nerves. Don't know why I'd be stressed would you?

Then the #2 kid text messages me and asks me to make cornbread. Girl, it's 92º outside and you want me to fire up the oven and bake? I baked Friday for her, 2 loaves of pumpkin bread- for her tailgate party. For Sunday I baked 2 batches of brownies, one for the kids and one for the husband to take to work plus I made meatloaf, baked beans, smashed po's and gravy and heated my kitchen up to an unGodly temp all for them? No fricking way am I making cornbread that I don't even get to enjoy because she wants to take it to her friends. I don't feel like feeding the neighborhood this week.

I am going to lie down and hope my stomach simmers down. No pain pill till after I get the kid, even though the pain is a 7+. Don't want to take chances.

Have a great day out there in the world.
Ciao.,

-30-

Sunday Lazy Sunday

It's 12:55 pm and it's 85º outside. We're having that oh so thrilling last gasp of warm before the jet stream dips and brings us back to normality. At least we hope so. I am sitting here in my tee shirt and shorts listening to the Dolphins smack the Bears back into reality. Who would have thought it? Painwise, for those who are keeping track, it's about a 7+. Not exactly what one wants is it?

Husband is off at his friends, putting another coat of rooftop weathercoat on the roof of the motorhome. Just to make it weathertight in case there is weather a coming. He leaves tomorrow for 4 days of 10 hours each and because Friday is a national holiday (which screws up banking and mail) he is off for 3. Then he goes back for 5 and home again. Hopefully he will hear from the other company he interviewed at. He would be very happy to have that job, not to mention having the benefits. That's the biggest bitch of all, benefits. We still have medical, but no dental and no vision and both of us need new glasses.

I have to email my mom the menu for thanksgiving. I need her recipe for the stuffing. I am making this as easy I can for her. All she has to do is show up and drink coffee, sip wine, eat a good dinner and relax. I am going to look for disposable cookware. I already have the plates so that is done. They look like china but are heavy plastic and can be tossed. Better than paper, no soak through.

Adventures in living. That's all I can say.

Ciao.

-30-

Saturday Night Ipod Musings

Galactic Vision is shuffling like this tonight:

1. Diva's Lament Monty Python presents Spamalot
2. Crazy Old Soldier Johnny Cash and Ray Charles
3. No. 47, Recicitive Handel's Messiah
4. Itchycoo Park Small Faces
5. Milk Cow Blues Tyler Hilton
6. You Are My Sunshine Norman Blake
7. Some Kind of Wonderful Joss Stone
8. Amanda Jewell Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder
9. Listen to the Music The Doobie Brothers
10. Cocaine Blues Joaquin Phoenix

So that's what's shuffling tonight.
Husband back to work Monday... can the choir say A-MEN?
USC is smoking Stanford, Wisconsin beat Penn State and a Penn State player took out Joe P in the 3rd quarter. Bet his ass is grass.
Big kid home safe from SFO. Drank a bit but had a great time. Bought himself a new laptop with his scholarship money, better than what the school offered and less money too.
I am planning my Turkey Day dinner. Just need to get the $ so I can buy the food and get things ready before the big day. My MIL is coming to stay with us that week. Fun. She's a cool lady.
Bad pain day. Was cranky and yelling at husband who had some idiot thought in his mind to drive around and look for dead bikes at the curb. When I was hungry and in pain. And then subjected me to listening to Pete Townsend being interviewed. I DIDN"T ÇARE and I still don't.
Might sleep in tomorrow, I don't think the kid is working. She is going to the homecoming dance tonight as a superhero. Whee. Looks cute. Other kid might go rock and roll bowling. Argh they are getting older and I am getting older than dirt too.

Later kiddos.
Ciao.

-30-

I am a monster or so this says....bwahahahaaha

Your Monster Profile

Wild Beheader You Feast On: Grass You Lurk Around In: The Ocean You Especially Like to Torment: Groupies

What's Your Monster Name?

my kid is making me a myspace

So yeah, I am going to have a myspace that actually has friends. It's a hoot but I will keep my blogs going rather than hassle all the time with that.

Kid #1 has alohaed himself away to SFO for the weekend. I told him I wasn't going to bail him out so he had better be good. I can't imagine HAlloween with a bunch of art school students in SFO, he's gonna have a blast.

Kid #2 is doing the myspace thing. I am sooooo cornfused.

Temp seems to be moderating. I think tomorrow it will be damp. My knee is telling me that though my neck and arm are aching too.

Church tomorrow? Depends on how I feel. Kid #2 has to work. She can make my excuses if need be. Especially since one person will be all pissy if I don't show up.

Husband is cleaning the garage. Whoo doggies. What a plan. Actually he's looking for stuff and we should have done this months and months ago. First time in 2 years we are seeing some of this stuff. Not good. Lots of trash going out this week.
Dog thinks we are going nuts. We found the desert booties for the big brown dog. Sniff. Sniff.

Not much else that I can think of. Having some small other physical symptoms. I will live. Just harder than hell to sit and be comfy.

USC lost !!!! ::: runs and hides from neighbor who hangs the flag and buys the beer for the big games :::

Ciao babies!

-30-

How Come???

It's supposed to be fall here. It's 82º outside and the sun is warm. Doesn't feel much like fall. I am glad that this weekend we turn the clocks back. It will be nice to gain that extra hour. And it's Reformation Sunday so I have to find something RED to wear. That shouldn't be too hard.

They make wraps for every part of the body except for the shoulder. Why can't icyhot or thermal wrap or those guys make one that you can slide on your shoulder and wear to get some relief? Even my ice machine wrap is kinda strange. I sure could use some relief and quick. Last night I rolled over and fell on my shoulder and geez louise, I hurt. Can't remember the last time I slept on my right side. Okay enough bitching.

It's nice and cool downstairs. I think I may cut some slices from last nights ham and make a sandwich, or just have some with some beans. I should cut some slices and take it over to moms too. Share the wealth. After that, dissect it and save the bone and make some pea soup when it gets cool again. I love my pea soup. My dad who's been gone 42 years now made the best yellow pea soup and I inherited the family recipe which is in my head. Not written down anywhere except a bare bones outline in a folder on my harddrive. But no GREEN peas, they give ya the wind something fierce. 8-)

So life is going on and on and on......
Peace.

-30-

Life goes on

I surely do hope that the husband goes back to work soon. He is making my routine go all out of whack. Prayers are going up that something clicks soon.

Last night I sat down stairs in my clean family room and switched between the World Series and Discovery Health. I watched a documentary on a man transitioning from being a man to a woman and having the surgery at a very expensive clinic in Montreal. Then I watched another show about a woman who was 350 lbs and had the bariatric surgery and 3 years later she had lost over 200 lbs. It was not the most riveting TV but there wasn't much else out there. I do have some stuff on DVR that I should probably watch and erase.

In between watching that and St Louis decimate the poor Tigers, I also enjoyed the quiet. The dog was chasing his stuffed toys, came in and out of the door and was just nice. I had made dinner and everyone but me went upstairs to their computers and their caves. I need to have a meeting with the family though to get some things out there in the ether. Doubt if it will make a difference but it might make me happier.

Nearly time to go read and watch the news.

ciao.

-30-

Itunes ate my music and Meteors a Go Go

I went to check on something I thought I had on Itunes. Yes I admit it, I had been bad, but it was a long time ago and I didn't inahle. But strangely enough, nothing was there. Not even the tv show that I had bought and paid for, the free preview TV show, and my audio books and paid stuff was gone too. Poof no more. I hooked up my Ipod and it had all my stuff on it as well as the purchased stuff. I imported the purchased stuff back but I can't add anything else. I am really pissed off about losing my episode 200 of stargate. I may have to spend the 1.99 and get that again. Blech. I got over it though and uploaded about 6 cds that I wanted to put on my Ipod. From Yo Yo Ma to the complete Messiah to Red Priest. I am okay.

Still no job for the husband person. Had 2 good interviews or so I thought. Has a contract one pending and we are waiting for that. Even if it's only a couple of weeks, he'll make the car payment and we can buy groceries. Wonder if me being on disability and him on unemployment we can get food stamps? I've never ever applied for them, can you do it online? At this point, any thing would help.

Trying to get my mom to decide about Thanksgiving. I told her I would do all the cooking if we could do it at her house. I can do the ham the day before and all the sides, and do the turkey that morning, since we do a turkey roll not a real bird. Less mess, more meat and easy clean up. The only thing I'd do at her house would be the rolls and the mashed po's.

The boys cleaned up my family room. Now if we could get the kitchen done and the dining room to lose it's cat smell, life would be a little rosier.

I saw meteors Friday night (actually EARLY) Saturday morning. Parked in a lot at the end of the road along the East Fork San Gabriel River near the trail head to the Heaton Flats campground. It was awesome. I only saw a few because those darn eye lids kept closing. After sunrise my husband packed up his gold mining gear, hiked down the trail and went to his spot. 6 hours later he was still there. Today he is still aching. But he loves what he does and even if he whines, he did have a great time.

So life goes on. Kids come in and go out of this house in frightening numbers sometimes. But they are pretty good. I just want to know who drank my lemon vodka and put water in the bottle to hide the consumption? I keep it in the freezer and liquor doesn't freeze kids. Oh well.

Later alligators.

-30-

An Enchantress , eh?

Are you a Princess, Enchantress, Faerie, Mermaid or Toad?




You are an Enchantress, somewhat an enigma, you would love to change the world. You hold strong views and, would love nothing more, to use your magic to change the world around you. When in conversation, you listen, take on their comments, and fantasise how you could improve things. Quite the idealist, you think you have all the answers, whether for right or wrong. You hold your intellect high, and believe you can change the world! In a relationship, you need a partner of high intellect.
The world and you, often seems at odds, with you frequently seeing things from a different point of view.

You have a connection with nature, often stating, that things will take their natural course. Nevertheless, secretly, you would like to use nature to your own ends.
Your good points are that you are intelligent, instigative and thoughtful and your bad points are, you can be single-minded, misled and remorseless.
You feel that your superior knowledge should astound everyone around you; and you wish for respect from your peers.

What's going on?

Helllllllo out there in cyberspace. Here's what's been happening in the hills of Redundant Beach:

• Let's see. Husband lost his job on the 29th of September as his contract wasn't renewed. He's sent out a lot of applications and has a phone interview coming up soon.
• Went to a trade show and talked to some contacts, evidently the person who's supposed to be doing both sides of the job is overwhelmed, and things are falling behind at a massive rate. Not good.
• Went to Disneyland and CA Adventure. It was interesting, it was Gay Days at Disneyland. And there were lots of couples just out for a day at the park. All ages too. Middle ages and up for the most part. It was a lot of fun. But boy did I pay for it the next day. Way too much walking and I thought the shoes I had on were comfy. I was wrong.
• Had a wonderful time at the EG in late September. Met some awesome women who really made me feel like I have friends ( hello DS... how's the black trash bag packing going?) Laughed a lot. Needed that to be sure.
• Tried on and then ordered some awesome shoes. LL Bean Coastal CLogs. I love em! They are so comfy. Seeeeee:::::::: You can't believe how nice they feel on my feet. And I can wear them with sox too . .
• The dog is still being nutso. He hasn't figured out that the trash can is not his personal smorgasbord. The thing is only 10 lbs but he can jump 4-5 feet straight up and get on the counter. HE loves FRESH BREAD in the bag. This does not make me a happy camper and he has had more than one come to Jesus meeting. Not that it helps. He's not the sharpest lightbulb in the fixture.... knowwhatImean?
• Got some books yesterday from Amazon. Looking forward to reading them.
• It's after noon and I am still in my jammers. I really should take a shower and get dressed but I am not going anywhere or doing anything. Tonight is frozen pizza and beer night for dinner. I have some DiGiornio garlic bread 4 cheese pizza and I will throw some sliced olives on it and maybe open that nice bottle of white that I have in the fridge and forsake the beer. Make a green salad and that's dinner. Sounds good to me.

So my friends and compatriots out there in cyberspace....
If you can read this, thank a teacher.

Driving with Mom

I love my Mom but she sometimes doesn't think when she is driving. Overall she's a good driver, but she has some moments. I prefer to drive but today I am having a bad arm day. We went to the Mall to look for a pair of pants for the stepdad. This Sunday is the Parish 50th anniversary celebration. Need to look good. I already have a dress to wear but I am going to check out Ross and maybe Marshall's to see if there is anything age appropriate for me and perhaps the kiddo. She can wear a nice skirt and top.

Almost time to get some more ice and sit for a while. Didn't have to pick up the #1 kid, he got a ride home.

Waiting on my LL Bean coastal clogs in ocean blue. They are just as nice and comfy as crocs and a little bit less. Of course shoes and purses are my downfall. They are purty too! I wore some this past weekend and boy they were nice. I love the colors too!

Off to see the wizard.
me

Wow Wow Wow

There is not a lot I can say about this weekend except wow. 9 women, over 50, enjoying each others company. Laughter, tears, meeting and bonding. It was truly one of the best experiences I have ever had.

I need to keep up with this journal more, but lately I have been a bit lazy. Not anyones fault but my own. There are a lot of things that go into writing on a regular basis, but sometimes, the pain of typing overcomes the need to publish.

Anyway, old Pasadena in the bungalow district is charming. Block after block of houses that exist 60 years after being built. No demo to build McMansions. Fruit trees, back yards, parks, and people. A nice place to visit, but 35 miles from my house here in the beaches of redundant. LA has so many different areas, different ethnicities that I think I could live here another 40 years and not see it all. I want to save some money and take my daughter down to Santee Alley and go purse and shoe shopping. She will enjoy it. And perhaps find a shop that has cool clothes for the not anorexic young woman.

This weekend the parish that I attend has it's 50th anniversary. A big dinner and service. On Sunday, my oldest child, the tall one, turns 19. I think about the last few years and everything that has happened and I praise the GOD above for giving me the blessings that I have.

More later when the arm doesn't feel like the bone is coming through the skin.

me

Random thoughts

Have you wished that fall would hurry up and get here? Fall in CA is nebulous, it's just a bit cooler, but still sunny with occasional hot days where the fires break out and ash floats in the sky.

I miss the midwest type of fall with the crisp smell of leaves and that touch of cold temp in the morning that promises winter to come. I miss the few days where the colors explode on the trees and you know that God has a plan for all of us. We get leaves falling off trees but it's not the same.

My little dog is attached to me. I can't go downstairs for a glass of water without him trotting at my heels. If I open the garage door, he is standing at the door waiting expectantly. I grab his leash, hook him up and let him in. He loves to go bye. Tonight if I am feeling 1/2 way decent I will take him for a walk. We walk 2 blocks and it takes 1/2 an hour since the blocks are log. And since he has such little legs, he gets worn out and sleeps all night.

I liked House last night. I thought the season opener was a little odd but last night was pretty good. As an old Xfiles fan, I thought it paid some odd homage to that.

Football is back. The PACKERS SUCK! Good Lord where was their offense? The Chargers on the other hand are terrific. But then I hate the Raiders so anyone who spanks them has my praise. And it's on 4 days a week now. Go NFL.

PT tomorrow and I hope I am feeling better. I am running a low grade fever, taking pain pills, anti inflams, antibiotics and drinking a gallon of water. Could very well be stress. Will let you know.

Ciao!

Let me be me

Ah well this is me today. I had PT again this morning and it was brutal. I don't know why I hurt so bad. Must be getting better.

The younger kid and her bestest friend and DAD are heading up to the mountains to go camping. They will wilderness camp which means they are on battery and no power. Someday we will get a generator for the motorhome.

Had an interesting week. Saw Johnny Depp. Kid took the picture. Ain't he a cutie? He was signing autographs down by the King Harbor Marina. A really nice guy. The young kid screamed "Johnny I Love You, and he winked at her and said thank you. This guy knows who goes to see his movies and who pays the bills. Unlike other actors.
Time to take a pain pill, a shower and head somewhere quiet. I hurt really badly tonight.
Later.

Monday Night Shuffle

Monday Night Shuffle
from the mind of me:

1. Jambalaya----- John Price and Emmy Lou Harris
2. Once You've Loved Someone----- Dixie Chicks
3. Cocaine----- Grateful Dead
4. One Way or Another----- Joss Stone and Blondie
5. Better Days----- Robbie Seays Band
6. End of the Line----- Traveling Wilbury's
7. Rescue Me----- Melissa Etheridge & B.B. King
8. Way Down Yonder in New Orleans----- Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford
9, Caribbean Amphibean-----Kermit and Jimmy Buffet
10. I Feel the Earth Move----- Carole King

Have a good night. Catch y'all on the flip flop.

Ciao babies!

What a pain ....

PT has started and like the PT of old, it's not very pleasant. I had to take a pain pill when I got home and use the ice machine as it is my friend. I go on Thursday. In between I do my exercises and try like mad to be a good person and not use my right hand. No No No.
But I have to. I need to. I must. I must.

Other than that, I've been reading a lot. Driving is awful, but I have to go and get the kid today. Need to pick up some laundry detergent at Target and some other things. He will drive home.

Pizza tonight. Sounds good. Actually anything sounds good. I figured out that if you don't drink Coke on a regular basis and then have some you'll have a good chance of the caffeine reacting to your intestinal system. Yep, thank God i wasn't worse than it could have been.

Oh well. Life goes on.

Friday Shuffle.....

It's Friday and I thought I'd fire up the Ipod and see what gets spit out:

1. Habibi ya nour el ein Gypsy Kings & Alabina
2. Scarborough Fair Simon and Garfunkle
3. Who Are You? The Who
4. Give Me the Beat Boys The Doobie Brothers
5. Amazing Grace The Dixie Chicks
6. Hummingbird B.B. King & John Mayer
7. Thing Called Love Bonnie Raitt & Melissa Etheridge
8. I Ain't Never Ricky Skaggs
9. Elmo's Got a Gun Weird Al
10. Cold Hard Bitch (live) Jet

Still in a major amount of pain and discomfort. Heat has gone down, but I feel like crap.
Big kid is in PHX little kid out spending money on clothes. Husband heading south on PCH after a week at the base.

Later y'all!

Sling time, Sling time, oh it's so much fun time

Well I am doing okay, but it's a lot more painful than I could have imagined. I am taking Rx pain pills and thank God they do the trick.

Have been catching up on my reading and being a good person. Tomorrow I will go out with the kid and do some errands.

Time Warner took over our cable and will also take over our email. That means another email address down the line. Joy. Joy. Joy.

Need to go and get some more Dasani Raspberry, I really like that flavor. Have been drinking Propel but I prefer the Dasani. Costco sells the Propel but not the other. Boo. I might check Smart and Final tomorrow just for the heck of it.

Not much else. I am waiting for another Kris Radish book to devour. What a great author.

Ciao babies!

Yep, this is what I am dealing with

This is the result of the surgery. I have 5 incisions in my arm, and tomorrow all the stitches are going to come out. Ain't the bruise lovely? And today, to add to all the fun stuff, I am having numbness in my fingers on the right hand. I have become great friends with my ice machine, imagine a cooler with ice and water that is attached to a hose that circulates cold water through a shoulder cap. When I settle in to read tonight the machine will be on and I will have some comfort.

And I came out of anesthesia sounding like a gravel truck. Nerve block made my salivary glands stop and I had no spit. Sore throat and then some.

It's been hotter than hell here with humidity to match. I don't like humidity. I have problems wearing the sling since it itches and I can't deal with the damn itching. And somehow along the way today, I picked up 2 bites. I used my spray on bandage and I hope that deals with that. I d have aloe/lidocaine and can use that on the bites if I have to.

Had spaghetti tonight, I was so hungry for pasta. Filled the need. If I get to the market tomorrow, I will get some chicken and grill that with some rice.

Wow there are clouds out there. Does this mean that it won't be so damn hot tonight? We had quite the lightning show Saturday night, and Sunday whilst I was at church we had thunder and lightning in the morning. But very little rain. The deserts are seeing much more rain than we are.

2 hours of House tonight. Yeah.

Later! Ciao!

Surgery 930 AM tomorrow. What fun.

Well tomorrow is the day. I have to be at the hospital at 730AM. It is now 1317 and no one has called to remind me, tell me how long this surgery will take, or anything. Makes you feel real confident about the surgery doesn't it?

I will pray tonight, ask my friends on my boards to pray for me and deal with everything 1 day at a time. That is all i can do and what I wish to do.

The damn heat is making things that much worse. I slept through a hellacious thunderstorm last night as did my family and the dog. That is unusual. And I was not medicated either. Just plain worn out from the heat and the humidity that has been lingering over the area. We've had some warm days. Right now it's 81º and that has come down since the breeze picked up. I hope against hope that it's not too miserable tomorrow after the surgery, since I have to be in a sling for 4-6 weeks.

I took a pain pill and I am going to lay down after I post this. My shoulder really hurts and typing aggravates it more than you can imagine.

Ciao babies... when does football start? I needs me some PACKER football!

Later.

museroooooo

Duffy got a chipmunk toy today. He's happy. I miss my Scully. But life goes on. He gets his first real groom on Wednesday. I am happy to do that.
I am tired today. Achy too.
Finished The Kite Runner. What a great book. Have a couple on my stack I should really get to and start. Will have plenty of time to read once I am housebound. Eek.
Husband is working on his motorhome. Kids are doing their thing. I have chicken defrosting. Italy won the world cup.
Other than that, not much.

My dog died

My baby died yesterday in my arms. She was 8 years old. We had her since she was 8 weeks old. She had twisted gut and she went very fast.
We are trying to recover from this but it's so hard. She was the best dog I have ever had in my life. She loved the river and looking for water bugs. She could spend the entire day just walking around the shallows. And sleep like a rock at night. She was my best friend, my companion and my heating blanket when it got cold at night. She picked out her new friend at a rescue and they were best buds. We are so sad.


God Bless You Scully and may you chase all the rabbits you want in heaven.
momm

Holiday weekends Ugh

Anyway. We didn't do anything I would call exciting. The errant husband lost his cellphone. And he discovered this at 1115PM in the evening. Why???Why not get everything packed and ready to go in the afternoon since you had 4 fricking days to do laundry. I got my laundry done in 2 hours. See what going off your meds does? Messes up everyone else's life because you think yours is perfect. Bahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

::bangs head against wall::

Didn't venture out to see the fireworks. Had one dog sleep through and the other needed a doggie valium which I didn't have. I just held him. He was scared.

And now North Korea launches missiles. And they are pointed at the west coast. Wonder if that missile defense stuff works? After seeing the news yesterday I kept hearing "I'm so rornery" from Team America. Sheesh. This is not a good thing.

Italy v France. Vive la France! Will come straight home from church and see it.

I pray for kids and over the last 5 days, 3 kids have passed on to heaven. I cannot imagine the grief these parents are bearing. I can't imagine what they are going through. There were 2 little boys, one 23 months and one 2 months who had heart problems, and a little girl who just turned 3 who had Alpers Disease. Such sadness.

Have my preop on Friday. I am kind of nervous about this surgery. It's more complicated than the last one. But since I am having much more pain now, it only can get better,right?

Well it's time to think (operative word is think) about eating something. I just don't have a real appetite. Could be the heat. But that has calmed down since the humidity and warmth over the weekend.

Ciao. Babies!

Heat Humidity Aggravation God and Country

Another long weekend. I've got ceiling fans and fans blowing up here with the blinds drawn. Hopefully it will stay cool. Last night was way too warm. Of course pain pills give me hot flashes and that is not always pretty.

Went to church today and that was good. We sang 2 patriotic hymns which in our congregation is nearly unknown. And we closed with How Great Thou Årt. I have sung that at so many funerals and it says a lot. Sermon today was on God and Country. How to reconcile being a good Christian and a good Citizen. I need to read more Martin Luther. I surely do appreciate the fact that my God encompasses the entire world, broken and sinful as it is, and not just these United States as some might have us believe. And I think that God weeps over the mistakes we make as we as encourages us when we do the right thing.

Been watching the World Cup. Wow, Brazil is gone. I am going to cheer for Germany. I like Germans. Being of German descent it's only fitting. Geht Deutschland!

And England... good old England. I see Beckham has resigned as captain. I read somewhere that he is thinking of coming and playing in America. Bringing robowife with him. Would be something to see. My kiddo would love to see the spice girls get together again. Oh my, that is sad.

Husband is home for 4 days. Maybe something will get done around here. I doubt it. He's not that motivated. But he will play poker for hours and hours online.

I had fun in Laughlin, even though it was 113º and we had a monsoon blow through. Found a great outlet store and had fun. Gambled a little, swam a little and just relaxed. A good way for a birthday to be experienced. Getting up there.

July 18th I have surgery. Then slinged for 4 weeks. I am going to have to learn to do things left handed. That should be fun.

I was thinking if I was ever lucky enough to win the lotto ( a dream so many have), I would buy a home in my hometown, and make sure there were plenty of trees, yard, and a porch I could sit on. I'd have it screened for the summer and winterized for the winter so I could enjoy watching life. Wonder if that would happen?

Life as we know it....
Ciao!

Dixie made me remember this..

I remember being able to run back and forth between houses separated by the alley. Playing olley olley oxen free and red light green light during the summer. Big back yards with lots of kids and big ole trees that were good for hiding.

Up north where the days lingered long and you waited impatiently for the sun to finally set so you could light your fireworks on July 4th.

Remembering the dog days of August when the lakes "bloomed" and you didn't go in the water until someone drove their boat through it to break it up.

We'd go with our next door neighbor who was our sitter in her Tbird to the River singing Johnny Angel at the top of our lungs. ( Her dad bought a brand new 1962 Tbird that summer).

We'd laugh and ride our bikes with no helmets, swam in the water or at the pool. Sat in the car without seat belts ( my brother fell out of the passenger seat of my dad's brand new patrol car while he was making a left turn...I got a spanking when I laughed), and were kids.

When I saw the house I lived in when I was a kid last summer, it looked smaller than I remembered. Then it seemed the front yard was huge and shoveling the driveway took forever. I don't think it would now.

Summer memories.
What fun.
CIao.

July 18th is the day

Blogger: another one to write in :: Create Post
Well the date is set, I am pre-registered at the hospital and all I have to do is get my pre-op visit at the doctorss and things will proceed.

After 3 years, so much pain you can't believe it and dealings with an incompentent human resources department, a sympathetic OWCP and a doctor that finally listened to me, I am going to have a surgery that should help this shoulder. I do hope so. I am so tired of the pain. When you have pain 24/7 you get to the point that you really don't care about anyone anymore.

In the meantime, the kid and I are making a trek to Laughlin. My bday is next week and I am getting old. It's going to be HOT but that's ok. I can deal with HOT. We have a/c and the car is fine.

Ciao. Babies.

World Cup Soccer or ER Reruns?

Hmmm, what a choice to be made. And guess what. Soccer won again. Even though England was a bit lackluster, they did manage to score against Trinidad/Tobago. I actually liked the Germany/Poland matchup better. I will watch the USA on Saturday against Italy. This is much more fun than baseball. Of course I always thought going to a baseball game was an excuse to drink and flirt. Way back when. Now at least with the NFL something is going on most of the time. No biggie, I just don't like baseball. When my kids were in little league I used to tell my son to use zen to hit the ball, and he made allstars. Amazing how those dingers added up.

Life in the big city is not exactly over the top. I heard the explosion on 2 June 2006 when the AA 767 decided to end it's usefullness as a transport carrier when it's port engine blew up and sent debris across 2 active taxiways, 1 active runway and most of the AA maintenance area. I used to hang at the TWA hangar when I was a nonrev. To catch the bus across the runway to terminal 3 to get a flight. Oh the good old days before kabuki security and all that. With an airline badge, you came up the stairs at gate 33 I think, and into the terminal and to your gate. Not any more.

Well the dreaded spectre of hunger has attacked me so I guess I will mosey downstairs and find myself something filling.

ciao. babies!

An IPOD interview!

Put your music player on shuffle.
Press forward for each question.
Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn't make sense.

1. How am I feeling today? Hummingbird- BB King and John Mayer
2. Will I get far in life? Play that Funky Music White Boy- Average White Band
3. How do my friends see me? Face Down- Kate Todd Band
4. Where will I get married? All She Wants to Do is Dance- Don Henley
5. What is my best friend? Last Night- Traveling Wilburys
6. What is the story of my life? Go Rest High on that Mountain- Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Ricky Skaggs
7. What was high school like? Always Look of the Bright Side of Life- Spamalot Cast Album
8. How can I get ahead in life? Reelin' and Rockin'
9. What is the best thing about me? Tear Stained Letter- Johnny Cash
10. What is today going to be like? Uncle John's Band- The Grateful Dead
11. What is in store for this weekend? It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere- Alan Jackson
12. What song describes my parents? Jambalaya- John Prine and Emmy Lou Harris
13. To describe my grandparents? Who Are You? - The Who
14. How is my life going? Diva's Lament-Whatever Happened to my Part?- Spamalot Cast Album
15. What song will they play at my funeral? Baby's Got Back - Sir Mixalot
16. How does the world see me? Appalachian Stomp- Alison Krauss and Union Station
17. Will I have a happy life? Habibi ya nour el ein- Gypsy Kings and Alabina
18. What do my friends really think of me? Black Water- Doobie Brothers
19. Do people secretly lust after me? Tu Quieres Volver- The Gypsy Kings
20. How can I make myself happy? Something in the way She Moves- James Taylor
21. What should I do with my life? Marriage of Figaro/Overture- W.A. Mozart
22. Will I ever have children? Keep Your Hands to Yourself- George Thorogood
23. What is some good advice for me? Save A Horse, Ride a Cowboy- Big & Rich
24. How will I be remembered? Walk Out the Door- Lyle Lovett
25. What is my signature dancing song? Inspiration- Gypsy Kings
26. What is my current theme song? There Must Be A Better World Somewhere- BB King and Gloria Estafan
27. What does everyone else thing my current theme song is? One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer- George Thorogood

LA Times Festival of Books and 3$ Waters!

Yesterday after church the NSO and I hopped into his little blue sporty car to go on an adventure. We did some errands he had to do and then we headed up to UCLA to go to the Book Fair. It was packed and it was also late in the afternoon on the 2nd day. Had we been organized (which in our world is not apt to happen) we would have been there right after church (dogs be damned) and seen some of the good discussions with authors.

I could have seen Craig Ferguson discuss Between the Bridge and the River, Teri Garr and Speedbumps, Jackie Collins, Tab Hunter, and Michael Connelly, the author of The Lincoln Lawyer. But as usual we got there late. I did however meet the author of The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell, Lorraine Despres. She was very nice. I told her I tried to get the book as an advance read from Random House, but I didn't get picked. That was neat. We saw the people from KPCC and I also talked to one of the people behind Gather.com. It was really a lot of fun. Lots of walking and people watching. My one and only complaint was THE HIGH COST OF FOOD! Unreal. We should have held out and gone to somewhere else in Westwood to eat. But we didn't.

He dropped me off at my house, exchanged pleasantries with the husband and the dog and I came in to find my fridge had been emptied and cleaned out. God only knows what science experiments were growing in there. Ha.

So life goes on. Today's the great brown out day. Glad I am peach. And we've got June gloom. Life at the beach, what else is new?

Ciao. Babies.

A flower of another color

You Are an Orange Flower

An orange flower tends to represent boldness, energy, and warmth. At times, you are courageous, like a poplar tree. And at other times, you are hopeful, like an orange iris. And more than you wish, you bond too quickly to people, like a honeysuckle.

What Color Flower Are You?

Perhaps yes, perhaps no.

Life is going on. Today it's quiet here. The dog is outside, the skies are clouding up. Rain perhaps. You can't be sure.
The LA Times Festival of Books. I am going Sunday. Maybe I will buy a book or two. I just ordered 2 used from Amazon. I LOVE BOOKS!

THINGS ARE GOING TO BE OKAY. I know this but as with all things, I have to believe it. Sometimes it's hard to be patient.

Lord make me patient and I want it right now!

Gotta go.

I don't know why you expect me to be cheerful

"Sometimes it's all you have energy for."

Church, Costco, Costco gas, Chevy dealer.
You wonder why these people are there. Sell me the car and then don't tell me who is financing. Put me behind an 8ball 30 days later?

White Album rocks. Norwegian Spring.

Musings indeed.

Wanna run away and go somewhere where the sun can warm these bones of mine. Maybe even warm the tendons and ligaments that have done me in.

Shoes were at the Getty. Walking the stones and looking at the masterpieces. Seeing the vistas and the vineyards. Indeed what trace do we leave on this planet? Who will care in 100 years? Where do we keep you after we burn your body to ash?

Ciao."

Back at it

Okay here I am again.

Saw the doctor, need a referral back to ortho. May have damaged a tendon at the bottom of the thumb. Guess who will be wearing a brace?

Enchilada night. Was good. Made spanish rice to go along with it. Will be good for lunch tomorrow if the kid doesn't have it as a midnight snack.

Dog is sacked out on the bed. She looks so peaceful.

Not much else going on. Fog is back. Weather changes. No rain on forecast.

Propel is good. Dasani Raspberry is even better. Gotta lose 10 pounds at least. Goal for my birthday. Maybe I give up Coke and have 1 cup of coffee in the morning. Or a Diet Coke. Something. And of course walk 45 minutes a day. Guess I get those new earphones to plug into the Ipod. Time to take charge. And I need new clothes anyway. Ha.

Ciao!

Wednesday wipe out

Seeing the doc tomorrow about my right thumb.. I think it may be broken or something. It’s been hurting for a long time and it moves funny too. It can be physically moved into place.

Long day today, went to Upland to the groomer. That is 65 milles to get the dogs all nice and purty. No doggie angst in the car today. That was nice. Came home and had 2 glasses of wine and some pizza. Learned how to order online. Cool.

Weather is perking up. Was over 80 in the inland empire. It wasn’t too bad. I had my water.

I am beat.

Ciao Babies!

Idol on Fox or NCIS? The trauma of choosing

It's not that much of a choice. I like Mark Harmon and I don't like Ryan Seacrest. So NCIS wins tonight. I wish they would go up to the base and film again so the errant husband could get an autograph for me. Last week 24 was being filmed at the base.

Things have settled down into routine again. Easter came, church was attended , songs were sung, and dinner was made and enjoyed.

This week the trek out to the hinterlands is due so the dog can get groomed. We take 3 dogs 65 miles to get groomed. That is loyalty. And my pretty puppy looks so good when she is groomed.

Killed my old keyboard. They don't react well to Coca Cola. Got an apple key board, but I have to get used to it and get my nails cut down. It's just a matter of relearning the touch of this keyboard. But it will be fine in the end.

Didn't hear one thing from the inlaws before the holiday. Usually they call and say are you going to do dinner at your house for your side or come out and eat with us? nothing at all this time. I told my husband he should call his mom once a week. She needs to hear from him, even if it's the same BS he always spouts. I know, I could have called too, but I was dealing with enough around here.

Made real burgers tonight. None of that preformed burgers from a bag. I used ground round and seasoned it and the bigger kid cooked them. The kids decided no more American Cheese. They want cheddar. Ok by me, I use swiss on my burgers. I bought the meat at Costco so I divied it up and there are 2 packages to use in the future. Meat loaf here we come.

Also have a lovely hambone to use to make some soup and a lot of ham in the freezer. Will defrost it and make scalloped potatoes and ham for dinner one night this weekend.

Well it's just another Tuesday night in paradise. Time to get some dessert and relax.

ciao babies!

Hi Ho...Hi Ho....

Tomorrow I am trooping up the 405 to the Getty. Can't get tickets to the villa till next year, so we will make do with the castle on the hill. I'm putting new batteries in trusty camera and taking pictures of the kiddos too.

Today was the FIRST DAY OF SPRING BREAK. I was supposed to have a meeting with an environmental atty but you know what, I needed to sleep in. He got his information in an envelope and I will see him in a couple of weeks for lunch and the hey how are you. ( He's a big shot in environmental law...and he does good for the world). But today was my sleep in day with the kids at home. It's nice being a peon.

I have no idea who is going to finance this car. The dealership has to get it done now since it's been more than 3 days and my old car is sitting on the lot with a sticker that says 7991$ on it. Azzhats gave me 3000$ for it and it is worth 5400$. But I know that it is the ticking time bomb of cars. How many Cadillacs have to have a rebuilt transmission at 43000 miles? And it's not because I drove it like a bat out of hell. I was good to my Catie the Catera. Now I have Maxx the golden Malibu. I name all my cars. Weird science. I know.

I have 3 book reviews to do before the 1st of the month. 1 fiction and 2 non fiction. I just have to get back into the game of reading. Monday nights are good because there is absolutely nothing on television that keeps my attention. I don't like 24, there are no sitcoms in my future. Tuesdays are better NCIS and House with occaisional ventures back over to AI. I like my discovery channels though. Seen a lot of babies being borned. 8-)

Here's my Monday Night IPOD Shuffle for y'all:

1. Blinded By The Light Manfred Mann
2. Shake That Thing Vincent Giordano's Nighthawks
3. Riding That Midnight Train Earl Scruggs/Kentucky Thunder
4. One More Saturday Night The Grateful Dead
5. If I Had a Boat Lyle Lovett and Jimmy Buffet
6. Respect Aretha Franklin
7. Surrender to Love Ray Charles with Lauren Hill
8. Danny Boy Johnny Cash
9. Crystal Stevie Nicks
10. Soy Gypsy Kings


Catch ya on the flip flop......

Ciao!

Rain, Wind, and the Lemon Tree Across the Fence

Well the long promised storm has hit. I had an appt scheduled with the cable people today, I have some problems with some channels, but I called them and rescheduled for tomorrow. God only knows I don't want someone traipsing in with wet boots and having to deal with wires in the rain. I can't get CNN and SciFi clearly. They seem to be having sunspot problems, but alas, where are the sunspots? I can live another day without Anderson (sigh) Cooper.

The new car is nice. Has some get up and go. I have to put some gas in it though. This one tells me how many miles I can go without running out. How cool is that?

Finally got some decent pain meds and outside of being a bit nuts, which is normal to my kids, they seem to be working. Now mind you I am taking 500 mg of Naproxen 2x a day, as well as Darvocet N and the Zantac to protect my tummy from whatever. Thank God for pharmacueticals. Yessireee.

My galley proof a new book to review just showed up on my doorstep. Hooooray! Something new and good to read. I am also rereading DaVinci Code to refresh my poor memory.

Not much else. Everyone is getting better from their assorted colds, coughs and maladies. I have firewood and matches for the fire. AI is on tonight along with a new NCIS and HOUSE! What more could a girl want? Except someone to clean my house, do the dishes and take care of the cat box.

Ciao.

Oops I Forgot Something....

I forgot to update on the stepdad.

He spent 24 days in the hospital, we thought we were going to lose him and he turned a corner. The doctors were baffled. He went to a transitional care unit, learned to walk with a walker and he came home.

My husband put in handicapped railings from the kitchen to the family room, and in the bathroom for him. He is sleeping in a hospital bed in the living room but is doing better.
HE's a pretty tough old bird. 85 and beating the odds. Whew.

A bad day above ground is better than the alternative.


ciao.

Mid Week Service tonight

Well it's Lent and there are services every Wednesday night along with a soup supper. I think we will miss the supper but go to church. And after church is choir rehearsal. My kiddo is going to join the choir again this year. She has a lovely voice, has a good voice teacher and should spread the joy. I am hinting to her that she should consider doing the Andrew Lloyd Webber Pie Jesu for Good Friday. She has the range and the timbre to do it.

We have our services around the labyrinth in the back of the church. We have a small altar in the center and go to communion in front of it. Here is a visual of what the labyrinth looks like.
It's based on the one at Chartres Cathedral in France.


What a memory of the meetings and words that went flying when the church thought about remodeling and creating this space in the back. Our congregation was dwindling, from 500 members to 150 and we needed someway to revitalize ourselves. Now we have the indoor one and a garden one. Open to the public and a place to find a quiet peace in your head.

More later.

Ciao.

Thursday Ipod Things

"1. I Wish I Could Fly by The Kinks
2. What is Life by George Harrison
3. Stardust by Vince Giordano's Nighthawks
4. Lonesome Valley by The Fairfield Four
5. Big Spender by Bette Midler
6. Mr. Wonderful by Better Midler
7. One More Day by Keith Ward
8. House of the Rising Sun by Eric Bourdon and The Animals
9. Free Your Mind by En Vouge
10. Arabic Dance 6 by The Gypsy Kings




Of all noises, I think music is the least disagreeable.

Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784)"