Guess who I met?

The other night while I was studying for finals with a group from my class, one of the girls came back from getting a snack, saying she had just seen someone that looked just like Santa. She wanted to take a picture of him to show to her daughter, but was reluctant to ask him for it as he looked "grumpy". I said I would do it (with age comes the knowledge that the worse that can happen is that people say "no").
I went next door and sure enough, there was a gentle man wearing suspenders over a red shirt, with a full white beard. He was reading a paper, so I simply said "excuse me, I hate to bother you, but you look just like Santa. A friend of mine would like a picture of you to show to her daughter, do you mind if I take your picture?"
He was happy to pose for a picture and if you look closely, you can see his license.

Yes, that says "Kristopher Kringle". He has credit cards in his name as well. He insisted that I take a picture with him, although I did demure. He was persistent. So....

I went to back to my friends and told them what happened. Heather, the one who wanted the picture for her daughter, screamed "I knew it, I knew it!" It was quite funny. She went back over to him and did get her own picture to share with her daughter.
I don't care how old you are, it's always exciting to meet Santa!

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July everyone! What a great day, the day our country was born and coincidentally, my son. Every year, I reminisce with him about the day he was born, what occurred each hour of that day (my water broke around midnight, so I really do have "birthing" memories for the whole day). I joke with him that he can't have any presents until the exact time he was born (5:15pm for those of you who are interested), that he was the firecracker I saw that night.

Over the years, I've also often quietly reflected on what my life has become, what it might have been if he were not here. In the early days, I did yearn for my old life, that life of little responsibility, of being able to go on archaeology digs, of not having to worry about my choices affecting another person's life. Oh sure, I was married for some time before I had J, but it is a different responsibility, the responsibility of a parent to a child than it is of a spouse to a spouse. I would think of all the trips I could have been taking, of the wild adventures I could have had.
Now, I don't think of those so much. I think of what J will do with his life. I appreciate his honesty and love towards us, his family. I think of the near future when he will not be around as much, focusing on his own independent life. Funny, that carefree life ahead does not look as appealing as it did 13 years ago.

I almost have a teenager

July 4th is just around the corner, and J will officially be a teenager. It is a little difficult to believe that so much time has gone by. I can clearly remember the first few days of kindergarten, when I had to physically carry him on to the bus. Now, he is off and running without me at any chance he gets. He is not yet ready to cut the chain completely (nor am I), but he's getting close.
He's an awesome kid, respectful of his family (most days), doing his chores with very little reminding, chipping in to help out more when he knows I'm under stress.
Don't get me wrong, he has perfected eye rolling, knows everything so there is no need to listen to advice from his parents, and can give sass when he gets fired up; but he is a good, kind child, which I am happy to see. He is growing into a wonderful young man.
This year I see him becoming more independent, as he pursues his social interests more (ie. girls). I hope he continues to gain confidence and to believe in himself.

No interview

I did not get my interview for the program I am trying to enter. Sadly, I truly believe if I had been given the opportunity to interview, I would have been accepted into the program. It did not happen, so now I have a whole year to earn my points to qualify for the program. I'm disappointed, when I took my current weekend job I expected to only be in it for one year, 1 1/2 tops. I don't like working weekends, as that is our family time. However, it is what it is and I have to deal with it. Life goes on, everything happens for a reason, right?

Back out

I threw my back out this morning. Not a good start to my day. No, I was not lifting anything heavy nor was I working out in an incredibly hard productive manner. I was reaching across my kitchen table for a piece of mail, junk mail, and it just went. I've occasionally had muscle spasm in my back before that crippled me for an hour or two, but this has lasted all day and night. Going to class and sitting for hours then trying to stand afterwards was quite a site to see. My classmates took pity on my and carried my books to my lab class for me.
One thing it has done for me - I've learned how to "mosey" very effectively. It is a humorous sight indeed. Hopefully, all will be back to normal tomorrow. Otherwise I might have to stop by the massage therapy class to see if they need any patients.

Unique weight loss tool

I just read a unique method of "motivation" for weight loss. It was in the comments of one of my frequently read blogs:

Inspired by your “Win My Awesome Bike if I don’t lose weight” contest, I have registered at Stickk.com to lose 25 pounds. ...Anyway, every time I miss my weekly goal, the site runs my credit card for $25 and sends the money to the my personally selected “Anti-Charity.” For me, that’s the NRA - for you it might be something different.

Now, that would not be my anti-charity of choice, I would probably give to a political group whose policies I can not stand, or to a candidate who I would hate to see get elected.

What do you think? Would it motivate you?

3 days off

I finished my first semester back at school and now have a whole 3 days off before the next classes begin for me. I don't know what to do with all this free time. Well, that's not entirely correct. I have a list that is a mile long of chores and errands that I have been putting off for the past few months. I've got to work on a Boy Scout fundraiser that I am in charge of (we're selling first aid kits) since no one else was willing to step-up and do anything. I'm also going to get some "pleasure" reading in, since the last 4 months have given me little chance to read anything other than textbooks.

I'm also applying for entrance into my Physical Therapy Assistant program. There is a whole rubric of ways to achieve points for the program, I hope I have enough to qualify. Wish me luck. I really hope I can into my program this September, otherwise I wait an entire year until they accept people again. I have a plan, a delay is not in that plan.

Shark attack

I was attacked by a shark today! OK, it wasn't a real shark, it was my Shark steam floor cleaner. I was happily cleaning my floor when I noticed that the steam had stopped coming out of the cleaning pad. After "pumping" the mop a few times, I decided to take the bottom attachment off to see if steam was even flowing. As soon as I depressed the button to release it, there was an explosive force from it coming off. Seems the steam had been flowing all along, but there was a blockage at its release point. Luckily, I did not have mop head pointed at my own head, since the force was like rocket propulsion.
With this being said, it might be my fault that this happened. You see, in the instructions for this mop, it does say to use distilled water only. Obviously, they know something about mineral build-up from evaporation of tap water. I ignored that recommendation and paid the consequences. I'm now trying to salvage my shark by soaking it in vinegar to dissolve the build-up.

May flowers

May is just around the corner which also means the end of the school year is fast approaching as well. I'm looking forward to it, as this summer I will not be working everyday and I will be able to spend time with J. I have to say, even though school has its own stressed, I am certainly much more relaxed and happy then I was a year ago. Now if only I could win powerball so that I could quit my weekend job - that would make me truly happy.

Unfortunately, with the summer comes drought, and here in TX we are already in a severe drought without any relief in sight. I'm afraid my tomato and pepper plants might not produce much for me. My poor plants do not look happy, even though I water them regularly. I think the dry hard clay-like ground is stressing them out. Either that or they are suffering from some sort of blight, which would not be unheard of, what with me and my brown thumb.

Monday, Monday

You know your day is off to a bad start when you spill wax all over your bathroom walls, sinks, and countertops, then you tear your p.j. as you walk down the stairs to get something to scrape up the wax, and are faced with only a half-cup of coffee to start the day...all before 7 am.

Hoarders in a good way

Our home recently looked like an episode of "Hoarders", but for a good reason. You see, J recently did a food drive in connection with a scout advancement requirement. He was a smart child; instead of going door to door, he contacted one of my professors at school for assistance. This professor had recently had lectures on starvation and how people in our country don't do enough to help out, so J thought it would be a good idea to see if he wanted to join in a food drive for our local food pantry.
The professor was more than happy to help - not only did he had out J's flyers, he offered extra credit to the students who donated to the drive. He also convinced some of the other professors to participate as well, which meant a hugely successful drive for J. We did several pick-ups during the 2 week food drive, with the final pick-up being so large that I had to leave J at the college, because the car was full to the roof! (Luckily, the college is connected to our library and J was able to do some science fair research while I made the 5 minute drive home to unload some of the goods to make room for him in the car)
Want to guess the final tally of items collected?
...

The final total of items was 767.

New years resolutions

One of my New Year's resolutions was to take care of my health, to go make those appointments that I had been putting off for literally years. I already went to my physical, where my doctor gave me several referrals, one to a GI doctor. Seems that it is not normal to suffer severe pain whenever you drink something as simple as water. I did go see the GI, who set me up for a 'scope, with is almost 2 months away. In the meantime, I've been given a restricted diet; no tomatoes, no soda, no coffee, no tea, no chocolate, no mint, no citrus, no spicy food, no onions, no fatty foods. I believe it leaves me with gruel as my choice of foods!
I am going to try to follow this diet, but I need my cup of coffee in the morning, it gets me through the day. The last two days have been horrible, I have had severe head attacks and migraines (caffeine helps prevent migraines). I'm going to stick it out for another day, if my headache is still there, I'm going back to my coffee.

My new volunteering gig

I've really gotten into the swing of things, with school, work, and now my volunteer hours at a physical therapy office. Although I'm not too fond of one of my classes (philosophy and I do not mix), I do enjoy my time at the PT office. We are required to do at least 40 hours at a PT office before we are even allowed into the program, because they want us to be sure that this job is our true passion. I can say, as of right now, it is the path for me. The patients are wonderful, from the young woman with the brain injury to the elderly stroke victim. I've had a few things revealed to me that I had not expected (Patient: I can have sex without pain, my back doesn't hurt then, ME: (in my head) TMI, TMI! ).
It looks chaotic from the outside but from the inside you realize just how much work the PT's are doing. The office runs like a well-oiled machine, with each patient getting the care they need and deserve, 4-8 patients at a time, it is amazing to me.

When you're in a funk...

Winter, especially this winter that seems to the beginning of a new ice age, often lends itself to funkville, ie. the being in a rut. New year's resolutions have gone by the wayside and folks are looking for something more in their lives. I really like list on the website I've got listed below, it really does have some create ideas to get the creative juices flowing.

http://writetodone.com/2010/06/28/201-ways-to-arouse-your-creativity/

School started

I started school this week, one face-to-face class and two online classes. I admit, I've had several panic attacks this week, with the thought of "what have I gotten myself into". I was telling this to my hubby, and he couldn't quite grasp why I was panicking. I believe it is my fear of the unknown, as I have not had experience with online classes, and the need to set my own deadlines is throwing me off. I'm afraid I'll forget a date when something is due, or that there will just be too much work for me to do and I'll fall behind. Luckily, I've been somewhat consoled, as a friend of mine happens to be in my face-to-face class and she too admits to the stomach-clenching knots. I know I have the knowledge to complete the classes, but emotionally I'm still not sure.

Bucket list

The other day, as we sat around not doing anything yet again, I asked my husband if he had anything planned for his day. Of course, it was his usual of just working out. I realized that both he and I are in a terrible rut when it comes to change in our lives, and our son sees it as normal to "do nothing, accomplish nothing". So, I "went fishing" for ideas for what we could do, maybe something on hubby's bucket list. Only, he does not have a bucket list. "Well then," I said, "what did you want to do as a kid?" He listed several occupations, all of which (besides astronaut) he had done at some point in his like. "No, no, what else? Other than a job?" Again, he listed items, items which he can still accomplish and will probably. Once of them, the advanced degree he is looking for, we've discussed before. It is something he will go for as he gets to retirement, to make it a more marketable viable degree. He wants to run a marathon - no problem, he is already running everyday, he can do it.
He didn't ask me what I had on my bucket list, as I had caught him between his run and weights workout. Besides, what I would like to accomplish are goals that are a bit unrealistic. I still want a Nobel Prize. I know, you have to have expertise in some aspect of your life to qualify, and I do not have that, but it is a dream I've had since I was 8. That novel that I am not writing could possibly accomplish this; of course, it would have to be written, which means I would need some idea about what I was to write.
I'd like to be a hero, like one of the people who tackled the shooter in the AZ shooting. I know, another odd, unrealistic goal. I know I would react in the situation, I just don't think I'll ever be in that situation - it's not like I am a hostage negotiator.
I'd like to save a life, which goes along with the hero thing, although it could be as simple as performing CPR, the Heimlich manuever, of applying pressure to a gushing wound. As an EMT and as a medical assistant in an emergency clinic, I have dealt with life or death situations, but I don't think that my efforts alone ever "saved" anyone, it was always a team effort.
So, what's on your bucket list?

What to do?

Folks who stay home all day, what do they do? I'm not talking mothers of small children, I know they're playing clean-up and catch-up all day. No, I'm talking about folks like me, who have their children in school full-time. Ones who are not volunteering their time for good causes.
I'm guessing they have pretty clean homes. If I was a good mother and wife, I would be vacuuming every day, mopping, dusting, etc. I guess I'm not, since I figure my once a week standard for most things should work, as it has worked for the past 6 years. My husband does not see dirt, as we confirmed last night when he "helped" me clean-up a mess I spilled up the floor. After he was done, I looked down and saw the food still on the floor. He literally did not see it all he swore it must have appeared there after he wiped up my mess. My son is the same way, so if they don't care, should I stress over it? I'll end up being cranky when they do drop crumbs on the floor or don't put their laundry away as soon as they come home.
We'll see how it goes. For now, I think catching up on some of my reading is an ideal use of my time. That and scheduling all those annoying maintenance appointments that I usually don't have time for (ie. carpet cleaning, car tune-up, dentist cleanings, haircut, etc). I've already got the appointment set for my truck recall.

So this is what my blog looks like...

Hi everyone, if anyone is still there. Yes, it has been very long since I blogged. I allowed my life to take over my enjoyment in writing, and I had stopped making time for it. This has changed, as with the new year I have made many changes.
My job of 6 years is no more, I turned in my keys at the end of December. I realize this may seem counter-intuitive when you consider the state of our economy, but it was a necessity for my sanity. I knew it was the right choice when I told my boss I was leaving - instead of asking me to stay, she simply asked me to please put it in writing. This is a job where I have received numerous awards of recognition for my work, so it was a bit disheartening to not be at least asked to reconsider my decision.
I do have another job, one that is weekends only. It is mindless, but at least I know that going into it. Yes, I may not enjoy the time away from the family; however, I do need to fund my new endeavors, one of which is going back to school. I am heading back to become a physical therapist, with the 1st step being me getting my physical therapist assistant certification. I may be making a change, but I do have an eye on our bank account and know that I need to get back full-time into the workforce sooner than later.
In the meantime, I am greatly enjoying my time off. I love the freedom during the day, the peace and quiet of the house. I am jumping through hoops trying to get my plan in place (20 year old transcripts don't always transfer easily), but I am OK with that. Life is good.

Quote of the day

‎"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." - Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Losses and gains

My dad has a serious woodworking accident this morning, cutting his hand so badly that three fingers were amputated. I, living thousands of miles from home, came home to this message on the machine, "Hi Dawn, this is Mom, I need you to call me. Things are O.K. but they are not O.K". Why the odd message? Well, my family does not normally leave messages unless there has been a death, it was my mom's way of letting me know no one died, but that something had happened.
They have spent the entire day at the hospital, with consultations and surgeries. Family members have tried to be supportive, with one comment that almost sent my mom over the edge "it's not so bad, at least it's only his fingers". Luckily, mom held her tongue, and did not lash out with the response that she really wanted to say, which was "oh yeah, lets chop off your fingers and see how you feel".
My poor dad, he is a woodworker at heart; every room in the house has some piece of furniture that he has built. Either that or he has built the actual room (one "family bonding" project we had as children was building the addition on the house). To take away his ability to hold a hammer and nail is devastating.
Do you know what worried him more? It was that they had to cut off his wedding ring. In the 40 years he has been married, he has never removed it. I think that action really brought home the seriousness of the injury more than anything else.
My mom, well, she was forced to face the fact that she may lose my dad some day, and it may be sooner than later. It scared her, a lot.
Dad, in his attempt to make us feel better, told us to tell the grand kids that he would not play rock, paper, scissors any more since he'll only be able to throw rock. I told this to Jman early in the day, in the evening he asked me if Papa had cut off both hands, I said no. Jman responded, "well, then he can play with his other hand". He's trying to process it too.

Cleaning

I decided today's task would be cleaning out the spare bedroom's closet - stuff in there has never been unpacked from our last move 7 years ago. I think it is safe to let it go. Of course, I did have to go through every box first, just in case. I find plenty that I had no use to me any more: old school papers on archaeology that I would not be referencing any time in the future, give-away totes that needed to be given away themselves, old textbooks (whose info is quite outdated), etc. I did find a few treasures too: hubby's watch from our first anniversary together, missing for over a decade; part of my fountain pen collection that I thought had been lost in a military move years ago, and lots of letters from hubby during his many deployments plus a few from his squad members, one of which still touches my heart to this day.
Back when we lived overseas, the wives had a "birthday club" that made sure that every soldier got a card for his birthday, no matter where he was that day. We drew names, and would often send a cake as well if possible. I sent a card to my soldier while the company was deployed in Bosnia (this was the initial deployment, tents only, no showers, no rec area, bare minimum everything), making sure it was sent out in time to arrive on his birthday.
The dear boy actually wrote me a letter back, telling me how his card brought him happiness for his birthday since no one else had taken the time to send him a card or to acknowledge his day. He commented on how he felt that we wives appreciated him and his fellow soldiers and that we a good support for them and that we brought a smile to his face in place where that was not happening very often.

Do I need to say that that letter got tucked back into a box, to be saved for another 15 years?

How do you know if you make a difference?

I wish there was a way to know if you made a difference in someone's life, something like the sound of a bell ringing, like in "It's a Wonderful Life". It would help so much to know that your actions really do make a difference to someone.

Summer

Summer in Texas is hot, there is no denying it. It is also humid, and this summer, incredibly rainy. However, I love summer. It gives me the freedom to enjoy my time with J, without having to fight over things like homework and project due dates. He has grown into such a remarkable young man. I know that I can trust him and that he will help around house without complaint, all I need to do is leave him a list. When I come home from work, he is brimming over with thoughts from the day, and he wants to share them with me. I am treasuring this time, because I know soon enough, he will not want to talk to me at all. It'll probably start with the new school year.
I am so appreciative of the fact that I've recognized this, and that I am taking the time to be grateful for this.

Teaching the boy to drive

Lately, J has been asking us to teach him to drive. I'm not sure why, but my almost 12 year old has go it into his head that now is the time, and honestly, I don't see why not. My husband took him out tonight to practice in a local church parking lot.

Are we crazy? No, we have a standard 1995 Neon that we are using to teach him to drive. We hold this theory - the passenger can throw the car into neutral and pull the emergency brake. Plus, he is not allowed to shift out of first gear. It is an easy car to handle, and honestly, if he burns out the starter or the clutch, well, it is a 1995 Neon, it is not much of a loss. As it is, to quote hubby, "he turns like the Queen Mary" (does a demonstration of hands at 10 and 2 o'clock, primly turning a pretend steering wheel). Also, J is still young enough that he is actually listening to us when we explain things, unlike an older teen.

J came home very excited, he told me he "parked" the car all by himself . He told my husband that he is pretty sure that he is the only (almost) 12 year old practicing to drive in the neighborhood. He also informed me that I get to take him out practicing next time. Not sure how I feel about that one...

Serious talks about depression

This weekend we searched for a missing teenager, a teenager that disappeared a month ago. They don't know if she was abducted, murdered, or even if she wandered off to commit suicide. There is absolutely no trace of her. I was searching side by side with this poor girl's grandfather, for who the process of searching was his only hope of recovering his granddaughter. Of course, while searching for someone else's lost child, I could not help but think of my own.

So this afternoon, I sat my son down for a serious conversation. My family has a history of depression, on my mother's side, so I thought it would a good time to talk to J about it. When I was younger, my sister was suicidal and spent time in a psychiatric hospital. She had a chemical imbalance, and she needed counseling and medication to help her get better. I also remember something my brother once said to me as an adult, that he wished someone had noticed how depressed he was as a kid. It was hard, to bring about such a "taboo" topic, but I don't want him to ever get to the point where he believes life is worthless, that no one wants him, that he should just "disappear". So I told him that it would crush me if he ever disappeared like this poor teenager, that it would also shatter his grandparents who love him more than you would think possible. I mentioned that it is o.k. to be sad, but that sometimes, that sadness just does not go away, and that sometimes we all need more help, such as talking to someone ( not necessarily me) or even medication. I wanted him to know that he is worth something, that his life has purpose, something that he would not necessarily believe if he was depressed.

As a parent, this is not a topic that I was ever warned about that I would need to discuss, but with cyberbullying so prevalent these days, and it's evil effects, I had to broach this topic. He is a very "sensitive" kid, and more isolated than some. J's reaction was interesting, he told me it made him feel like he needed to draw or to write, I'm guessing to express his feelings. When I checked him after bedtime, his light was still on, and he was writing. Instead of my normal reaction of turning the light off immediately, I simply closed the door to let him finish.

Proud mother

J had his court of honor tonight and moved up in the Boy Scout ranks. It was interesting watching him interact with the other scouts. He was so mature and attentive. At the ceremony, he was accidentally given an award he had not earned. He spoke up immediately and said he did not earn it. As far as his troop was concerned, they had already logged him as accomplishing the task; he could have said nothing, but he didn't. He is an virtuous boy and would never accept reward for something he did not achieve completely. It made my heart swell, knowing that I have raised him to be an honest individual with good morals and character.

Household repairs

Quick survey - who here has ever set about to do simple household maintenance and had it take as long or less time than planned?
If your luck is like mine, the answer is never. Yesterday was a perfect example of this. Now that the weather is warming up, I decided it was time to tackle some of our plumbing maintenance items, that even if they took longer than expected, it would be OK, since the warm weather would make it so hot water was not an absolute necessity. My list of items mainly centered around J's bathroom and the water heater. I needed to purge the heater (get rid of the sediment on the bottom of the tank to help extend its life and keep it working well"), auger the tub drain (it has been a very slow drain for a while), clean out the sink pipes, soak the shower head in vinegar to get off the mineral deposits, clean the exhaust fan of its years of dust, hair, and whatever build up. The other goal was to get rid of the awful smell coming from that bathroom, which was yet to be determined exactly what it was and from whence it was coming.

I started with the sink, first trying to remove the drain trap (the u-curve pipe under your sink). Normally there are two rings you unscrew to remove this. However, on this sink, there was not. It seems when the sink was replaced three years ago by an "expert", instead of putting the rings on both ends, he only did it on one and sealed the other end. I was not about to try to remove the other end, since this surely result in a trip to the local hardware store for some new piping. Instead I did the old dissolve any gunk in the drain by using boiling hot water and hoped for the best. This actually worked well.

On to the tub, where the drain plug seemed not to be working correctly, like it had become unattached to the actual part of the drain lever that plugged/unplugged it. I tried the simple solution first, scalding hot water down the drain to dissolve possible clogs. This was a strong possibility because J seems to dissolve a bar of soap a week, and we can't quite figure out how he does this or where the soap is going. While I let the hot water sit, I moved on to the water heater.
First, I tried to turn off the main water source to the heater, since it does no good to try to drain it if more water is still pouring in. I needed a ladder for this, since my heater is approximately 2 feet off the ground, tucked into a little closet area. As I got to the top ladder, to the end of my reach was the turn off valve, which had been spray textured! It seems the builders must of have forgotten to finish this closest before they put the heater in, and sprayed the wall texture on later. If you have ever dealt with an old painted-closed window, you know how difficult it can be to open. Imagine that difficulty x 10. I'm already on my tippy-toes, and now I have to attempt to whack the water handle into its closed position. After some sweating and swearing, I succeed. On to the next part.
On the bottom of most water heaters is a spigot that can be used to drain the heater. In theory, you should be able to connect any hose to this spigot and then put the end of the hose out the window or lead it to a drain. I found a length of hose for this job, attached it, ran it to the window...and found it was 6 inches to short. Argh. I then jerry-rigged the hose to go across our hallway, over a banister, and into J's bathroom, with the hose barely making it to the sink. I clamped the hose in place, a tricky balancing act of not too tight since then it would stop the flow of water and not too loose since then it would fall off, and headed back to the heater. At the heater I started to drain the water, only to hear a "clunk" as the clamp released and the hose fell to the floor. Quickly turning the water off I head back to the sink to reattach the clamp and hose.
Back to the water heater, I turn the spigot on, only to have the water overflow from the connection where the hose meets the spigot. For some reason or another, my hose connector is too big for the spigot.
After grabbing a larger towel than I already had to clean up the mess, I decide to drain it once basin at a time into a large bucket which I will dump as it fills. After I fill this 10 gallon bucket 6 times or so, the tank is drained and I ready to relight the pilot light. I turn my gas back on, dial the knob to pilot, depress the red button which releases gas and hit the ignite switch. Nothing happens. I click the switch again, still nothing. I continue to do this for about 20 minutes. By this time I am frustrated and getting a blister on my pointer finger from holding and click the switch. Thinking perhaps the pilot light area got wet when I emptied the water, I decide to move back to the tub, to finish that job.
The tub, it is not draining still, even after trying to dissolve whatever it is in the drain scalding water. Time to auger it, which means removing the overflow plate to run the piping. I do this, find some resistance, get through the resistance and remove the auger. In theory, the tub should now drain. Only it doesn't. What might help it is running that scalding water again, to flush out the dislodged "whatever" in the drain. Only, the pilot light is out on the water heater, and I don't have hot water with which to flush the tub.
Back I go, click, click, click, no success. I am tired and frustrated. What can I do? I certainly do not want to call a plumber out on a Saturday, can you imagine the expense? Then a light bulb goes off, I'll call my Dad, he has talked me through many a repair in the past. I call, no answer. I wait, I try again, this time Mom answers, Dad is not home, he's visiting their neighbor, his brother. She'll get him to call me back.
In the meantime, while I wait for the phone call, I decide once and for all to remove the excess grout that was dripped onto our tile floors when the house was built. We did not notice it when we moved in, but over the years it has gotten dirty and always looks like there are spots on our tiles, even after a fresh mopping. I get the Dremel tool, with a sanding stone attachment and get to work. Within a minutes time, a fleck of grout ends up in my eye. Realizing that I would like to maintain my current state of vision, I take another trip to the garage for safety glasses, and come back ready to sand. I must say, this was great. I was able to get off all the excess grout without damaging any of the tiles. I was even able to get off the lacquer that was dripped on the tile from when the lacquered our banister.
My father does call back, and I try to explain to him what the problem is. He agrees I'm doing what needs to be done, but now we need to take it a step further. I need to remove the safety plating. I explain that there are wires and tubes and such that I am afraid to just dislodge. Then a great idea hits us - Skype! We'll video conference. I bring my laptop to the computer, he talks me through the removal option, I get the casing removed, I look inside, and ...the pilot is actually already lit. Oops! It seems that the little glass opening that you usually look through is unusually opaque. The pilot was not bright enough to shine through it. Luckily, Dad taught me a trick for times when I think the pilot might be out but I don't want to unscrew the front plating. If I lightly tap the thin tube leading from the pilot dial, it sends debris into the pilot light, which causes it to flare and burn orange instead of blue, which is more visible.
I thank my dear father, who is truly a resource of knowledge that I do not want to ever lose, and go on my merry way. Shower head gets reattached, and water gets run through the tub, on extra hot. Hallelujah, my repairs worked, the tub drain looks like there is a whirl pool going on, the drainage is so good.
These little projects, which I thought would take me at best 2 hours, took me 5 hours. I had to go up and down my stairs (these projects were on the second floor) more times than I want to count, with multiple trips to our garage because the tool bag was lacking in the tools I needed.
Happily, I did get them done and I fell better checking off some items on my list.

Beautiful day for a bike ride

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and I decided to jump start my workout plan by digging my bike out of the garage for a short ride to our neighborhood fitness center. I had joined a "100 miles to nowhere" race to be held in May, so I really needed to get back to riding. I dusted off the sawdust, brought the water bottle in to wash it and fill it with clean, cool water; pumped up the tires, put my cell phone, some change and an ID into the bike pouch and took off.
About 2 miles into my ride I looked down to grab my water bottle and was greeted by the empty cage. My nicely cleaned bottle was not there, in fact I knew where it was, on my counter, at home, right where I left it after I dried it off. No bother, I would be at the fitness center in another few miles and they have water there. As I rode, I realized that I really need to ride more often, my legs were tiring easily. I was having to ride with my mouth open, to get enough oxygen to my lungs. You know what else gets into you mouth when it is wide open? Little bugs. The tiny black ones that stick in your throat, that are so small you really can't cough them up, but still are big enough to annoy you. The one that flew into my mouth reminded me of a piece of popcorn kernel skin stuck in my throat. If I only had a drink to wash it down.
I approached the center, with one more turn to make, and heard a loud "pop". Yup, my tire blew out. No worry, I have a repair kit and tools in my bike pouch for this type of emergency. Only one thing could stop me, a hole at the tube stem. You can't patch those. I peaked under the tire to see if I could see or hear where the hole was. I saw neon green ooze bubbling out of ....you guessed it, a hole at the tube stem. I'm not sure what the green stuff was, possibly "self-sealing" material to fill small holes. All I know is it was not able to stop the air from escaping from my tire. In defense of my tire tube, it had done an admirable job of holding air for the last 15 years. It was the original tube, so I really am not surprised that it did pop. I think the rubber just weakened over time at a point of stress.
Luckily, as I stated before, I had packed my cell phone. I called hubby for a ride and waited patiently in the shade. I hadn't had plans for my day before, but I'm thinking I might now, a stop at the local bike shop.

Ms. Fix-it

Something odd just occurred at my house. My son just walked downstairs to tell me that his shower needs fixing, something about the water pressure and temperature. Nothing unusual about that.
The odd part - he walked right by my husband (who happens to be home this week) to ask me.
I'm not sure if I should be proud that he recognizes that his Mom can fix many things around the house or saddened that he did not even think to ask his father to fix it.

quote of the day

Don't knock the weather. If it didn't change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn't start a conversation.

Kin Hubbard (1868 - 1930)

Memories for my son

I was speaking with my father, who is now retired, and we were discussing different things he could do to keep busy in the winter months, when he is stuck inside due to the poor weather. Some how or another, we got side tracked, and he started to tell me about how he and my late uncle would go on Mondays, when our family business was closed, to their gun club for shooting practice and this led to other memories. As he was recalling some of his adventures, I realized that there is so little that I know about his life, especially as a child. I had given him a book, years ago, on Father's Day, which was titled something like "A Father's Memories". It is a journal type book that has questions that prompts you to write down various events in your life. My dad said that he "was not a writer, that he wouldn't know what to write". Personally, I just want any link into his past, I don't care about the grammar or the spelling. I want the history.
After getting off the phone with him, I went to file some papers and I found one of those same books on MY bookshelf. I did not even realize I had one.
Mine is organized by months, with the idea that you write down one memory per day. Some of the prompts are rather silly, like "When did you get your first bible? Who gave it to you?" , others are more along the line of the memories I would like to record, like "What is one of your favorite memories of your sibling/s?"
Since I saw this as a hint from powers greater than me, I sat down and wrote, and wrote, and wrote. I did about a months worth of memories. I want my son to have my history, to have the answers to those silly questions that I might not recall later on in life. It is also a good tool for my nephew, since many of memories are tied into memories with his mother (my twin). I'm hoping that I continue to fill it out, for his sake.

Shopping does not always involve common sense

Jman and I went to the grocery store today, to do our bi-weekly shopping. Jman wanted to buy a pack of gum and had brought his own money, so I told him to go ahead and pick some out. My shopping cart was rather full, my cashier was a wee bit slow, and I did not want to have to wait for him to be rung up after me, so I told him to go over to the self-check out lane to pay for his gum. I noticed that he had a pack that was on sale, but he needed my shopper card to get the sale price, so I gave it to him (it was on my key chain).
I finish getting rung out and notice that Jman still has not returned. I can see him at the self check-out, which now has an incredibly long line all standing behind him. I wheeled my shopping cart over as I see the attendant walk to speak to him. As I get into hearing range I hear them ask "where's your mom". I speak up, and they explain to me that he is trying to pay for his gum with the shopper card. I laughed, since it did not even occur to me that I would have to tell him what it was used for, since he has been shopping with me since he was a baby and I always use a shopper card. Of course, how would he know, as he explained it, he doesn't pay attention when I ring out my groceries. Yes, he has seen me use the card, but he did not realize that it was not like a credit card. "You should have told me Mom, I didn't know!". Of course, I bring up the fact that when he walked over the lane he had his money in hand and why would he think that I was going to "pay" for his gum with my "card", and why would I send him to another shopping lane if I am going to pay for it anyway, wouldn't I just add to my cart of groceries?
I did feel bad for him, since he was embarrassed that he did not know better, but honestly, would you have thought that you needed to tell your child how to use the shopper card? What other "common sense" things do I need to tell him about?

President's Day

Many years ago when we lived closer to family, my folks came out to visit us on President's day. My dear son, who had to be about 4 at the time, happily greeted my parents, and said to them that it was President's day, weren't they excited. My mother was amazed that my son had any concept of this holiday, and was in awe that he actually was excited about it. He reached behind his back and gave my father a gift and then my mother a gift. He then asked if they had anything for him. They were confused (rightly so I might add), asked him why and he said again "It's Present's day".
You never know what little ears might hear or think they hear...

Weather

The weather that is swamping our nation right now is just crazy. I am so glad that I currently live in an area that is not prone to snow. True, we've gotten a bit of rain, but I would be very tired of shoveling out from the snow this winter. Another blizzard is set to strike the central states and the Northeast. Stay warm friends and family. I'll be thinking of you as I walk to work this morning.

What would you do if you were not in your current life?

Everyone I know has wondered once or twice, what would my life be like if I didn't get married, have kids, etc. It does not do much good to wonder, but I can't help but do it. I would not change my life now, but what if I took that other path, where would I be?

Well, if I did not have a child, I would probably still be an archaeologist. It was raising my son that stopped me from continuing my career, I decided to stay home when he was young, and to get a job which works around school hours as he got older. Even though we moved around a bit when we were first married, I was able to keep finding archaeology jobs, so I have confidence that I would be doing that if I did not have a child. It never paid much, but I know how to live frugally. Plus, my last archaeology gig was with the government, which would be a guaranteed salary, unlike some of my other archaeology jobs which relied on grant money.

If I had not gotten married and if my parents had steered me in my education choices instead of letting me randomly pick what I wanted to do, I believe I would be working for Doctor's Without Borders. I truly love the medical field (it was my alternate choice when deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up) and I would be "making a difference" which matters to me. Without having to worry about spouse or child I would be willing to place myself in more dangerous situations. I still contemplate this idea, or course there are few barriers, not the least being that I do not have a medical degree. I am contemplating correcting this, weighing my options, debating my fears, we'll see.

What would you do if you did not have children? If you were not married?

2010 - tough year so far

Sheesh, I was optimistic for this year to begin, but it has been a rough one. One friend had his son die over the holidays due to icy roads, another just lost the baby she was carrying (5mth along), hubby is possibly switching into a more dangerous job, sister has major surgery scheduled, and I have my abnormal test results to deal with...
What happened to 2010 being a good year,the start of the upturn? I can try to be positive, both hubby and son have their health, Jman has actually had his artwork submitted for competition again and has moved up a level in gymnastics, and I am still employed. I can appreciate the little things, like how listening to Blue October puts me in a peaceful mood, the weather is turning so that I can start walking to work again, and I am loved and supported by family and friends. Positive thinking, I have to maintain it, otherwise life will get the best of me, and I am not going to allow that.

Shark floor steamer and cleaner

So, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I received a Shark floor steamer/cleaner for Christmas, about which I was very excited. This little machine claims to steam sterilize your floor as cleans, absorbing all dirt into terry cloths pads on its head, which can then be laundered in the washing machine. It is for use on all solid sealed surfaces. No cleaning fluids are needed, it is just hot water dissolving the dirt.
This is a very light machine, easy to use, and fun to use (at least for me). It took a moment to warm up, but once it got going it was great. I could see it cleaning my floor by looking at the dirt on the cleaning head. The floor itself, didn't get wet like it does when you mop, just damp (this is a positive, I have tile floors and it is very slippery when wet). I had just mopped three days ago, using a traditional mop. When I finished with the Shark, the cleaning pad was very dirty, so it is picking up dirt that I had not known I was missing.
I was having so much fun that I decided to steam clean some, shall we say areas that it was not necessarily originally designed to clean. With a fresh pad, a cleaned my counter tops. What better area to have sterilized than the counters on which we prepare food? I had just Fantastik them less than a half hour ago and you would not have guessed that by looking at the cleaning pad, they were that dirty. So, since the Shark comes with 5 pads (2 rectangular, 2 triangle for hard to reach corners, and one terry-loop one), I decided to delegate one of them as my counter top cleaner by marking it with a permanent marker (Can you imagine mixing them up and using the bathroom one on your counters? Eww).
It is so easy to use, that I am going to let my child use it. I'm not worried about the steam burning him, since I'll change the head for him if need be (when you change the heads, the steam releases from that opening). It actually make floor cleaning fun, and I wanted to mop every other day, something that I would never want to do with a regular mop.

New Year's Resolutions

A new year has come and with it so many folks have created resolutions. Now, as loyal readers know, when I make a new year's resolution, I truly strive all year (if not permanently) to achieve it, so this year's resolution is...nothing. My hubby jokingly said "you don't need resolutions because you're perfect so you don't have to change anything".
That's not quite it. I have a feeling that this year will be better for many, but that there will be challenges that may prevent me from doing any of the normal resolutions, so I will not make them just to break them. I'm already on a fitness plan, so I don't have "work out" as an available resolution; we don't eat junk at my house, so "eating healthy" is already in place, and "spend more time with the family" was something I strived for and achieved this year. No, I really do not have any resolutions that I can think to do this year. Well there is one - I could go with a simple one, the one my hubby chose, which is to floss more often, but you know what? I probably would not keep that one either.

Happy Holidays

Whew, it's been awhile since I posted, I was caught up in holiday preparations. Our holidays have gone quite smoothly, almost surprisingly so. I decided to just make my homemade cinnamon rolls (made a few weeks in advance and frozen for Christmas morning), wine biscuits (easy recipe for a traditional Italian biscuit), and our traditional gingerbread men cookies, which we put out for Santa each year. This year we cut it close, making them a 7pm Christmas Eve., but we were not stressed over it, in fact, it made the evening go by quickly.
J man got everything he asked for on his list (he only asked for 6 things, and those were provided for by his relatives). We decided to get him a digital camera as our gift for him this Christmas. I was his age when I got my first 110 film camera. I remember taking picture after picture, then having to wait for the film to get developed. Jman gets instant pleasure from his. He loves taking photos and then modifying them on the computer, it is his artistic side coming out, and we like to encourage it. He did not ask for one, but he has been very excited using it. We did not realize that it did not come with a memory card, so he was panicking on Christmas when he could only take a few pictures. Luckily, memory cards are relatively cheap, and he was able to buy one with some babysitting money he had earned the day after Christmas (yes, if we had realized that it needed a card, we certainly would have bought it for him as part of his gift, but since it was after the holiday, we figured it was a way for him to realize that electronic items often have extra costs associated with them).
I got several great items, one of which was the Shark floor cleaner, which steams and sanitizes as it cleans. Yes, I am a dork and get excited over new cleaning tools. It started very early in life; when I was 7 I started asking for a dust buster every year for Christmas (never got one, I think my parents could not rationalize it in their heads).
We were able to Skype my family Christmas morning, and my folks "watched" us open presents, which is nice. It was the next best thing to being at home for the holidays. In fact, that was what they wanted for Christmas, to be Skyped each month, mostly so they can see how Jman is growing and stay connected in his life.
I hope everyone else had a blessed, peaceful holiday. Here is to a new year full of growth and promise.

"Brothers"

*Caution* Depressing post ahead...don't read if already feeling miserable.


My husband and I saw "Brothers", the movie, starring Jake G. (don't ask me to spell his name), Tobey M., and Natalie Portman, . If you do not already know, it is a movie about a soldier (Tobey) who is going back to Afghanistan, leaving his wife and brother, (Jake) newly released from prison at home. Tobey is reported killed in action, Jake becomes part of Natalie's family life, Tobey comes back and tries to readjust to the world.
The acting was very realistic in this movie. So much so that I would strongly recommend that anyone in the military, married to someone in the military, or even someone ex military should not see it, it cuts that close to home. I cried almost the entire time.
As we left the theater, I looked at my husband, waiting for his response. It took him a bit, then he said "well, that was certainly not a comedy". He also agreed that no military person should see it, nor anyone interested in even joining the military, again, because it was too realistic.
It got me thinking. I've asked my husband before, who would they send if he was killed in the line of duty, would they wait until I came home from work, or would they come to my work. Way back when he first joined the military, I broached this topic, he was taken aback, but now, he understands it is my way of coping of what might be. I've asked that he arrange to have certain members of his squad come, since I would recognize them (I don't know all of them and really would not want this news from a "stranger"). I've debated whether or not I would stay in Texas, where my son has lived over half his life or if I would move back east to where most of our family is located I've mentioned that I would get a dog, since we can't have one now since he is allergic to them. He gets insulted at the thought that he could be replaced by a dog, but it is more that I would need something to distract me, to love me unconditionally without expectations during that trying time. Back when he was just coming out of basic training and they were deciding whether or not to send him to Iraq, Italy, or Germany; I remember taking long walks with my dog, since no one around me was involved with the military, so they could not offer me the comfort I needed. It was my dog who kept me strong.

Insurance runaround

My insurance company and I like to play a game every year, it's called "how many times does Dawn have to call the insurance company before they pay a claim".
My insurance company likes to keep me on my toes by denying my son's claim every year, even though it for my son's preexisting condition which they know about. It's quite frustrating, since every time I call, the rep will look at our account and agree with me that it should be paid, but she can't fix it, it has to go to her supervisor. OF course, none of the reps. give out their full names, they always insist their comments will be saved in the file. They never are, and I have to explain yet again what the problem is the next time I call.
It's funny, because when I call, I get the "you've been selected to respond to a customer satisfaction survey" request. One of the questions is whether or not I believe that the insurance company is responding in a quick and a caring matter. Sure they are, in fact, they care so much about him, they insist I fax them his medical records for the past x number of years (working on year 6 now)., just so they can review them and get to know him all over again.
I don't know where they are putting the old copies, perhaps they are using them as alternative fuel for their fireplaces; money's tight all over, even for them.

Quote of the day

“I know God would never give me more than I can handle, but sometimes I wish He didn’t trust me so much"

-Mother Theresa

Thanksgiving day jingle

"Turkey Day, Turkey Day, Turkey Day is only days way. Turkey Day, Turkey Day, Turkey Day is only days way."

This is the song my son was singing to himself as he was reading the paper today. It made me laugh out loud, he really loves all the food and family that Thanksgiving brings.

Lime tree

Last Christmas I received a gift card to a local nursery, since I wanted to plant some fruit trees in my yard. I bought a key lime tree, with the thought that it would probably produce fruit in 3 years. Jman was in the yard yesterday and he discovered our first lime, almost ready to pick, with another one just starting. I'm so excited, since I use lime in Thai dishes that I cook, and several of my baking recipes call for them as well. It is an item that I never have on hand, or buy and forget in the crisper of the fridge.

Key lime pie here I come!

Good news

Yesterday we had to take J to a specialist for a health problem that seems to run in my family. Last week we found out my 5 year old nephew would be going for surgery for a very similar problem. I was afraid while we were at our appointment yesterday that we would be told that J needed surgery as well.
J has had surgery once before in his young life, and I did not deal with it well. He had a difficult time coming out of the anesthesia, not waking up, vomiting as he was unconscious, with hubby and I not able to do anything to help. As I stood by watching his small, tiny body (he was 2) on that large sterile hospital bed, I was struck such pain in my heart from my powerlessness to help him that I almost fainted. I said to my mother at that time that I could never go through that again (obviously that statement was from an emotional standpoint, realistically I would be sure to get the health care he needed).
So, when I found out that he might have to go for surgery again, I was rather distraught. This last month of waiting for his appointment with the specialist has been one full of stress. As we got closer and closer to the date of his appointment, I became more and more nervous.
Luckily, the doctor determined that J does not need surgery. We will watch his condition and reevaluate next year, but it looks good that he will not need the surgery ever. Whoohoo!
Now I need to focus on giving my sister the support she needs to get her son through surgery.

Blue October

I thought I might share some music with you. This song just seems to describe my life to a "T" right about now. "Life's like a jump rope, up down, up down, up down"...describes a lot of folks lives right about now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7eyqCQYBGY

I'll go into more detail after tomorrow, lots of meetings, doctor's appointments, etc. whose outcomes may be good, they may be bad, we shall see.

Swine Flu

Swine Flu has struck hard in our neighbor hood. One day alone last week, 43 children went home sick from the elementary school. 2 of my neighbor's children came down with it, and within 48 hours the oldest was diagnosed with pneumonia. Poor kid was admitted to the hospital yesterday, and they gave him massive doses of antibiotics in an attempt to turn it around. They released him from the hospital today, with things looking a little more positive than they did yesterday. Unfortunately, his poor mother, who has been nursing both boys to health, is not doing so well. While at the hospital by his bed, she became ill, and was rushed to the emergency room herself. She too had become infected.
Her husband, who is not used to dealing with all 4 kids by himself (they are all 8 and under), was looking rather frazzled when I saw him this afternoon. I felt so bad for them, so I brought over a home-cooked dinner. I had told his wife earlier that I was going to do that, but that was before she became so ill and I guess she forgot to tell him because when I came knocking at his door at 6pm he seemed overjoyed to see me. He said he had just told the 4 children that they would have to go out and get something since he had nothing ready for them (in his defense, he normally is the one who makes dinner at there house, but he had to leave the house this afternoon so that realtors could show it to possible buyers). Hopefully they liked it.

Advice anyone?

We are at a tough spot with J, he has no desire to do any of his school projects; when he does work on them he either does the bare minimum or claims he "does not know" or "can't think of anything", which is bull, since we've discussed the projects in detail at dinner or in the car to make sure he does know what he needs to do.
We are at our wits end with him, and have no idea how to get him to do his work. His normal homework has him working into the evening, so he has no outside time as it is. He does not watch TV during the week, and he has lost weekend TV whenever he has not done his projects. He has lost gymnastics each week he has not done his work. Nothing we say or do seems to get through to him. When we try to sit with him and ask questions to get him thinking, all he responds is "I don't know" even if it is a simple question such as "do you want to write this report on paper or on the computer?" I've offered to type as he dictates, so that he won't be frustrated trying to type or write. He answers no to that suggestion. I'm tired of fighting with him, I'm tired with fighting with my husband over him. I'm just tired.
Any suggestions?

Fall memories

When I was a child, my family would choose a crisp October day to go pick apples from an apple orchard. We three kids didn't necessarily like apples, but apple picking was a different story. We would grab a bucket and race out into the orchard, each looking for the perfect tree weighted down with ripe apples. It had to be a good climbing tree, one that allowed a child the ability to walk out end of the branch if need be to pick that fat crisp apple. We would also spend some time on the ground looking for the most rotten, oozy apples we could find, not to take home, but to throw at each other.
Once home, mom would take the 10-20 lbs of apples to make applesauce. Dad would help peel them, and we would marvel at how he could get the peel off in one piece. Each of us kids would also be put to peeling, or washing, or cutting duty as well; although if recall correctly we never did last the whole process. After hours of simmering on the stove, mom's applesauce would be done. It would be a rich cinnamon brown, sweet and tender. We would eat bowl after bowl and make applesauce sandwiches as well.
To this day, when a crisp autumn afternoon rolls in I think of that applesauce. I've never been able to duplicate it, there was no recipe, it was always just to taste, so mom can't help me out in that department. Not that there are any apple orchards around here, it is just too hot.

Writing blahs

Hi folks, I've got the writing blahs and the end of weekend bitters so I'm not going to write much, since my new focus is to be more positive.

Recent goings on included a well visit for J to the doctor's that turned into a 2 hour appt.
(wait time included), 4 shots, and a referral to a specialist for something that may be nothing but that the doctor wants to be sure about. So, if I seem preoccupied, this will be the reason why. Hopefully, it will be nothing, we shall see.

While at this same doctor's office, I decided to test the doctor. A little background: every year when we go for our well visit, the doctor addresses me as "mom" and normally does not address J by first name. So this year, after waiting an hour, I told J that I was going to ask the doctor "without looking at the chart, what is J's last name". Yes, I was all piss and vinegar, but I was tired from work, tired from waiting, and bored.
Anyone want to guess if the doctor passed the test? He did not, in fact, he was apologetic, stating that he was a "face person, not a name person" which is why he also calls all the mothers "mom". He admitted that it was not a good trait, that it was good that parent's called him to the floor on it every once and awhile, it keeps him on his toes.
I've noticed that when I do this to the doc, it makes him slow down and really pay attention to us, rather than his mind being 2 patients ahead. Sure enough, it was this appointment that made him decide to refer J, rather than our last appointments where, on hindsight, this same problem existed, but was not as noticeable. I'm not going to go into detail, since I choose to think positively, but I'm glad I listened to the devil on my shoulder this time.

Tribute

I remember the falling buildings,
I remember the sense of everything being lost,
I remember "the all circuits are busy" telephone tones,
I remember the worry,
I remember the tears,
I remember.

What would your super power be?

Growing up I always wanted to be a super hero, I wanted mutant powers. I remember reading comic books, with Marvel comics being some of my favorite. There was a comic called "Misfits" I believe, where there was a school of mutants, some with super powers not so great, like acid sweat.
That would be the type of super power I would get. Actually, we joke around my work place that my super power is the ability to render computers inactive, the ability to find every glitch in a new computer program. It is useful if you are a tester of computer programs, but not so useful when trying to get work done.
I think I would like the ability to turn into a fly. I could fly, always a positive; I could cling to a wall, be practically invisible in a crowd; all positives. I would have to avoid fly swatters, but I think it would work.

What would your superpower be?

I should be sleeping but...

I realluy should be sleeping but...
there is a bird outside peeping away. Well, it sounds like a bird, but what bird is up at midnight? All I know is that just as I drift off, I am startled awake by a "peep-peep".
I keep checking my facebook page, playing silly games like Yacht (similar to Yahtzee), Farkle, and the like.
reality television plays in the background, and it keeps catching my attention just as I am about to turn it off.
the floors need sweeping, the counters need to be wiped down and there is laundry to fold.

I really should be sleeping.

Mornings

My child is not a morning person, never has been, probably never will be. Therefore, the earlier morning school wake-up (middle school starts an hour early than grade school) has been difficult, to say the least. It usually results in several alarm clocks then the mom alarm clock yelling up the stairs for the boy to "get your butt out of bed". This works with very little success.
The other morning, after doing this, I checked in on Jman to see how his progress in waking up was going. He was folded in half like a Swiss Army knife, with his middle draped over the edge of the bed. When I asked him what are you doing, he snickered, "look, my butt is out of bed, isn't that what you wanted?".

Quote of the day

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.

-Robert Frost

I'm in need of some more education, that's all I'm saying.

First Day

Today was Jman's first day, which may not have seemed that long to him, but to me it was an eternity; which could be because I had so much nervous energy last night that I stayed up baking 6 dozen mini-cupcakes and then frosted them from scratch (my co-workers appreciated the results of my stress). It didn't help that Jman's new alarm clock, which was set for o'dark early, worked too well, waking up the entire household; well, almost the entire household, Jman was still asleep under the covers 10 minutes later when I stormed into his room to turn it off (disclaimer: I am a bear when awoken early in the morning, especially after a night of tossing and turning. I need(not want) my coffee to make myself civilized). After a short, terse discussion on alarm clock etiquette, Jman got out of bed and readied himself for school. He was still in good spirits, the fact that I made him his lunch cheered him considerably (I had been telling him for months that with him going into middle school he would have to make his own lunch since I would not be getting up that early).

I got home from work after him, so I had to interrupt his intense concentration on Lego ship building in order to get the details of his day. Me: "Did you switch your locker?: Him: "nope, I figured out if I stand to the side a little and stay on my tippy toes I can do it, I did it like 5 times today" ME: Any homework? Him: "No, but you have homework (referencing the oodles of paperwork that comes home the first week). He told me about the kids in his class that he already knew (luckily, they are ones whose parents I know, who are in scouts with him or were in his class last year), how they really did not do much during the day, and how everything seems like it will be ok. I am breathing a sigh of relief. Now, I know we'll have our trials and tribulations during the school year, since we always do, but I am a little more relaxed today.

Middle School here we come

The new school year begins tomorrow for Jman and he is headed to middle school. He has no worries about it, but I am a quivering mass of fears. Why? Well, we went for orientation yesterday, and Jman was given his locker, books, gym clothes etc. When we went to his locker, we found that his was the one on the top and he can't see the combination on it since it is too tall for him. It was almost comical as you looked down the line of students; it seemed as though cosmic forces were at work since many short kids were stretching to see their top locker combos while the tall kids were bending down to reach their low lockers. No switches were allowed for that day although it was mentioned they might be able to switch the lockers the first day of class.
Jman is so naive and innocent. When I mentioned to him that if he was lost he should ask a teacher not a student where a class was located, he wanted to know why. When I explained to him that sometimes upperclassman will send the new kids of the school to the wrong place (my day it was the pool on the third floor - no pool, no third floor), he didn't understand why someone would do that.
He is smaller and younger than many of the kids in his grade and I am afraid he will get picked on. The gym uniforms they have don't even come in a size that fits him. The shorts are extra loose, and I can picture him getting "pantsed" in gym class. Why am I imagining all these bad things, I do not know. It could be because Jman does not hide his emotions well. If he is upset, you will see it on his face. It often looks like he is ready to cry when he gets angry, and he has a great deal of difficulty controlling those emotions. I see it as a red cape waving in the wind for bullies to target.
In Jman's defense, he has a confidence when it comes to new situations that I never had. He thinks middle school will be fine, it'll just be school, which he does not enjoy, but it does not have any extra worries for him. His homeroom class is his art teacher, and he could not be happier about it. In fact, she is already talking about taking the students to the NY and Washington, D.C.

I just want to protect him, to have things run smoothly for him. I know that the teenage years bring angst and upheaval for children, but can't I protect him a little longer?

Cookbooks

Most folks know me as a practical person, someone who is frugal, one who does not purchase things on a whim...but I have a weakness, it being cookbooks. I'm likely to buy a cookbook based on one recipe that intrigues me, with the thought that if the author was smart enough to include that recipe then there must be many more where that came from.
I have an entire wooden cabinet filled with cookbooks. In my defense, it is a small cabinet, about 3 1/2 feet tall, so it is not too full of cookbooks. I've got cookbooks on my counter top and even a "cookbook" I created. It is a photo album that I have placed copies of family recipes, recipes from friends and just ones from magazines and newspapers that have caught my attention over the years. The clear plastic protective layer prevents food splatters from destroying the recipe and it's binder format gives me the opportunity to add more sheets as needed. I even have my collection of the cooking magazine "La Cucina Italiana" on my counter top for quick and easy reference.
Yet, out of all those books, I barely open them once I get them. I use my "Joy of Cooking" most, and my homemade one next. I'm more likely to peruse several cooking websites I've come to love than to open my cookbooks. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that I don't usually have the ingredients on hand for the recipe that catches my eye or I do not feel like spending the time to prep it for that night's dinner.
I've made a new resolution, that with each new cookbook (and the old ones as well) I need to take 1 recipe per week. This way, our dinners will be more varied (or our desserts, I have several dedicated to chocolate, cookies, etc) and I will have gotten my monies worth from them. I can plan ahead, so that the ingredients will on hand. In fact, I can even prep most of the meals on Sunday so that the hectic work week will not be quite so hectic.
Luckily, Jman cooks dinner once a week and he is not afraid to open my cookbooks, to choose something completely different every time. Some of the recipes he has picked have seemed odd, but all have come out deliciously. I guess I do know how to pick a cookbook, even if I don't use it myself!

Hiking

We've also done some hiking this summer. Even in 100 degree weather we still have been able to enjoy our selves.

Plymouth Rock

We visited home in July and decided to take in some of the historical sites while we were there. One of them was Plymouth Rock. As you can see, it is smaller than most would think. In fact, the rock was not recognized as the landing point until years later. I think even the colonists back then realized what a tourist attraction could do for their local businesses.

Reviewing the past 5 years

I just finished reading all my posts from the past 5 years, along with their comments. I noticed several consistent themes in my blog: I rant about work, cancer, hot weather; hubby is gone a lot and J's progress through the years. Several of you have stayed with me through the years, almost from the start. In fact, Envoy and Wally are my oldest "internet friends". :)

I'd like to add some more fun to this blog. How, I am not sure. I'd like my posts to be more positive as well. Just because I'm having a tough week you should not have to read my complaints, or at least they should be peppered with some humor and inspiration.

I'll have to think some more about it. For now I need to get ready for a new day: Hubby's gone again, temps are in the 100's, and have to rebudget based on the 2% raise I got rather than the 1o.7 % I was promised. ;)

A little prayer to give you strength

Saint Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing,
Dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Prayers

“People die in character. A person’s attitude about his or her death and the degree of affection shown by the family and friends who have gathered are often the summation of all that preceded that moment.”
- Rodney Smith from “Lessons from the Dying”

A fellow blogger friend ( www.fatcyclist.com) is going through a tough time right now; his wife is in the end stage of fighting metastasized breast cancer. Please send your prayers out to him and his family in this difficult time.

I'm watching you...

Work ethic rewarded?!?

Have you ever noticed in the workforce that seems that those who do not do their jobs properly get rewarded and those who do their jobs well just get more stuff assigned to them? I have a story that will refresh your memory if you have forgotten.

Recently, a coworker (who we'll call Slacker), who had had two previous incidents of reprimand, was to have her final written reprimand. This was to be done last Wednesday. My boss was coming in from her vacation to speak with this individual. That morning, Slacker was to open the store. Instead of opening, she called another coworker 10 minutes before we were to open asking if he could come in and if he would put her in for two personal days - two unapproved personal days, two unavailable personal days. She was taking an unauthorized vacation, taking advantage of the long weekend.
What would you do in my boss' shoes? Well, as she told us today, after speaking with Slacker, she allowed her to take tomorrow, Thurs., Fri. and Monday off as "sick days" (normally you need a doctor's note to take 3 or more days off as sick days). Where does this bother me? Well, I'm already doing the work of another coworker who was sent out of town for a week, and now I'll have to do Slacker's job as well, one which coincidentally was going to be rather tedious this week since we expected about 80,000 worth of books to come into the store and have a end of summer session rush. Lucky me I get to wear three hats this week.
My boss' comment? "Well, you can come in on Friday (we don't work Fridays in the summer) to get your paperwork done". Oh lucky me, don't I feel special.

Vacation planning

Whew, I just got done planning our trip home to visit family. What a chore. I had to book a total of 8 different one way trips, since Jman stays back to visit longer with the relatives and Papa has to fly back out with him (Continental "lost" 2 kids within the past month, no flying alone for Jman) and then Papa flys home himself. It took over an hour, with a brief break to call the credit card company to explain that my card was not stolen so could they please reactivate it (I'm not complaining, I like that my credit card companies recognized that my charges did not reflect my normal spending habits).

I was able to plan J's trip around my mother-in-law's annual vacation with the grandchildren to N.H. J loves this trip, he gets to play with his younger cousins (whom he adores), he gets to spend time with Grandma, and she is always fun. They go hiking, to beaches, to quaint small tourist attractions., etc. Because we live so far away, any chance I can give him to create memories with the family are ones I strive for.
We'll get to go home, visit with my grandmother (she is 96), see his dad and my ever busy step mother-in-law, laugh with his sister and brother-in-law, and maybe even do something touristy, like visit the beach or Plymouth Rock.

Livestrong challenge

I'm not sure if any of you have noticed or wondered why about the Livestrong challenge bar I have on this blog. For those who do not already know, the Livestrong Organization is foundation that not only wishes to find a cure for cancer, but provides the support and resources for those currently suffering from cancer (as a patient, as a family member, etc).

I'm supporting it for several reasons:

1. Look in my sidebar, see the link for fatcyclist, click on it, read some of his posts, then come back here and donate. (his wife is in the end stages of terminal cancer, yet he is still able to bring humor to his life and to ours).

2. My family has been affected by cancer many times over. My dear, favorite uncle passed away not too long ago cancer (he had all of a month from diagnosis to death).
My mother has had skin cancer. My grandmother, my aunt both have had breast cancer. My paternal grandmother died from cancer. My identical twin sister has had cervical cancer.

3. It is for self-preservation. See #2, with those genetics, I am sure to have cancer, one way or another.

So, if you can donate please do.

Time flys

Tonight was J's elementary school graduation. Next year middle school, how can that be? It was hard to believe that I knew so many of those children when they were only 5, and now they are young adults. I was getting a little teary eyed, I admit it.

Quote of the day

The universe may not always play fair, but at least it's got a hell of a sense of humor.

Michael Patrick King, Sex and the City

Grateful

In a few weeks, hubby and I will have been married 14 years, and together..17? Whatever it may be, I have to take a moment to appreciate what we have. While neighbors and friends are divorcing left and right, we're still together. I asked him the other day if there was something wrong with us, since we seem to be one of the few satisfied, happy couples around us. I still look at him everyday and think "I could not possibly love him more than I do today". I'm not saying we do not ever disagree, I'm saying that I truly appreciate the love I have in my life and can look past those occasional disagreements. I think it is necessary to stop on occasion and appreciate and acknowledge these gifts.

Grey's Anatomy

As far as I am concerned, there is very little quality television on right now; but last nights Grey's brought my faith back for quality TV. If you have not followed Grey's this season, you catch up either through abc.com or hulu. ABC.com offers the episodes free.

Getting old is no fun

So, I had great plans for this spring. For once, the temperatures have stayed mild and, up until today, the humidity had been low. I wanted to plant some new flowers, get a small garden going, and train for a bike race to raise money for the Livestrong foundation. Only my body decided it did not want to participate. So, by some unknown method, 2 weeks ago I managed to sprain my left shoulder ACL . This is the joint that surrounds the rotor cuff. How do you do this? Normally it is from a severe contusion to the shoulder or from repeated overhead lifting of heavy objects. But I did neither of these, all I did was go running in the morning. I blame it on getting old. Either way, I was unable to move my arm above my waistline, and was unable to move it backwards either. By the following Monday I was able to move it some, but could not do simple things like push open a door without really putting a lot of thought into the action behind that movement. I went to the doctor's that same day, and he prescirbed physical therapy for at least 5 weeks, nexium, then possibly a steroid shot.
So here I am, unable to mow or edge my lawn, unable to weed, unable to lift my arm straight above my head. It is getting better, but too slow for my liking. I need to take advantage of the cooler weather before the heat really sets in.

Earth Day haiku

I am in sorrow
from loss of forests back home
chopped down for wood

- by J

Quote of the day

Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.
- Jerry Garcia

The 10 year old does April Fools

Yesterday was April Fools day, one of J-man's favorite days of the year. He always wants to pull some sort of practical joke on us, and usually half-way succeeds. One year he salted our morning coffee. That did not go over well, and he soon learned there are boundaries to practical jokes, certain areas are off limits, one of those being our morning coffee!
This year I gave him a heads up the night before that the next was April Fools day so that he might have some planning time.
His jokes this year were rather tame. He took box of tissues, pried open the side, replaced them all with a roll of toilet paper and retaped the box. The idea of the prank was that I grab for a tissue, instead of one tissue I would have this long roll of paper following me. It didn't quite work since I grabbed it from the side and it tore.
He also managed to scare the bejeebas out of me as I came out of my bedroom in the morning, hiding not in his usual area when he tries to surprise me. He did not do it to his dad, since the last time he tried that, dad reacted in a defense manner and almost knocked him out (its the military training).
All in all, a very peaceful, safe April Fools day.