Ramblings of a Mad Piggie

let us begin...again

2010-06-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

To finish up on the post below:

AAAAAnd since last year, this very same J-erkward (the boys new name) moved in two doors down from us. How in the world is that even funny? The girl and J-erkward are still friends though. He's dating someone on her softball team so it was awkward at first but they seem to be back to where they were, talking almost everyday. On the phone, not in person. Last week, hubby being gone overnight to Arizona to pick up his brother, she came in and said, "mom, can me and J-erkward take a walk around the block?" I gueeeeesss was my reply. It was only 9:30 but still. Anyways, she came back about 15 minutes later and I asked what they talked about. She said that mostly about nothing other than her making fun of him because he doesn't like scary movies.
I knew I had a good reason not to like him.

Jump forward to the future now and here we are June 22, 2010. Some updates.

Hubby - still not working. Bastard.
the boy - still not working and going to summer school at community college.
the girl - will probably never work and is spending the week over at sis #2 house.
me - the only stupid motherfucker working.

Sadies from hell

2009-03-04T23:57:00.001-08:00

The girl decided to ask her friend to the Sadies dance in two weeks. I said it was ok because she would have been grounded for 6 weeks by then. *using the internet on her phone for 180 in charges.*
She and I made shirts that had spelled out Sadies?. She gathered her 7 friends at the front of the gym and waited. It seemed that the guy had been tipped off and had to have his brother take him there, panic attack and all. He is exremely shy and I think this was too much for him. It turns out that this guy likes her and he didn't know what to do. When he saw the girls there all lined up, he turned heel and ran. The girl laughed it off and they went back to lunch. While there, she saw that his brother was leaning down at him and she heard him ask..."do you want to go?" and he had his head in his lap and nodded yes and then took off like a bat out of hell. He didn't return to lunch. She saw him getting ready to leave and she hopes to god that she didn't see that his eyes looked different. She feels bad. Like she really embarrased him..Don't get me wrong , she's highly pissed too but he is a good friend to her and she thinks that maybe she messed up by doing this.
I gave her permission to give him hell tomorrow and ask him what's up. She said she needed to talk to him but if this is how he acted in front of people, she knows he'll be embarrased to talk to her face to face.
She says she doesn't like him but now that she knows he does, if she gives him the speech "i don't like you like that" then I know. If she doesn't....that's a whole new ball game.
She had a junior friend that she found out thru the grapevine that he liked her. She confronted him and asked him and he said "yeah"...she then said "welli don't like you like that but I hope we can still be friends." That boy doesn't go to school anymore. He's home schooled now. My girl don't mess around. she is not afraid of confrontation and if she wants to say something, she will. NOt mean but she gets her point across.
We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Sadies

2009-03-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

The girl is going to ask a boy....to Sadies. We made shirts last night. Each white shirt had a letter spelling out Sadies ? . She will ask him tomorrow because today he had a baseball game. She doesn't know if he will say yes or not. Ineresting.

The boy practiced with "the band" yesterday. They are called Chasing Tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.

I called in sick today....sssshhhhh don't tell my brother in law. :)

V Day cards

2009-02-19T11:23:00.000-08:00

Before I forget...I made valentines day cards for all the nieces of nephews.
Here was the one I made for the girl. Baby sis got involved and naturally drug me along to make V day cards for a forum that we visit that has to do with , what else, Twilight. so if I had to make complete strangers cards, I sure as hell was going to make them for my family.

letters

2009-02-13T15:48:00.000-08:00

I found this sheet of paper in the bathroom this morning from hubby to the girl.
When I saw it, I started to cry. The girl didn't know what the hell was going on. I explained to her that my dad used to leave us notes for us to find in the morning of things he wanted to say. He didn't leave them in the bathroom but he would leave them on the countertop always in the same place.

Dad worked nights and left around 2:30 in the afternoon and wouldn't come home until 1:00ish or so. If we weren't up at night, he would leave us notes :
"here is your lunch money"
"good game you had today"
just stuff...and he would sign it dad but he would also sign it "D".
So when I saw the note, I started to cry. I found one of those notes out in the garage when cleaning up mom's garage...I gotta go find it now.

smoke 'em if yo got 'em

2009-02-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

did i mention that i stopped smoking? i did? did i mention that it sucks balls royally? i said that too?? ...damn now what else can i talk about. i can't think about anything other than food and smoking...i think about eating and then smoking.
oh well move on ...get over it.

the girl started softball practice monday. she has only been going for 3 days but so far she loves it. the team sucks though. hubby went out there and watched and they are like the bad news bears...literally. the Varsity coach wanted to know if hubby would help out and coach the JV team..now i know they're desperate. he said he would help out but that he has a new job coming up and won't be around too much.

oh yeah...he had an interview for a trucking outfit that would have him driving to LA and San Diego and back. He would be gone every other day and be home on weekends. Be still my beating heart. We'll see. He has to take all his endorsements again and has begun studying for them. Unemployment called and they were just as confused as he was as to how this all got so fucked up. Suffice to say they will be sending out paperwork for him to fill out and then it's all gravy from there. They will cut him a check for back pay. Yada Yada yadda. I'll wait and see what happens next.

I'm hungry.

a slow but sure death

2009-02-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

17 days without a cigarette.....
2 days on a diet...

ugh...a surefire way of quitting before you start. Never try and give up your own two worse vices around the same time. I haven't even finished up with my shakes from the cigarettes and now I'm adding hunger??? Who am I trying to impress?! What the hell is wrong with me.

I'm baaaaack

2009-01-15T01:01:00.000-08:00

oh my lord. it's been sooo long. damn kids and their virus's. My computer has been down and I finally got it fixed. I can post again!!!
um.....now what?

stalking time

2008-11-13T21:34:00.000-08:00

I haven't written in a long time....seems my time have been used up by that movie. I've been working on my nieces birthday present which i will post when she opens it and christmas gifts that have to do with what else but twilight.
Oldest sis and niece, the girl and I are headed off to LA this weekend to camp out.
Now that will be a post and half.
Wish us luck...and I'll be back on Wednesday.
lord help us

It's Alive!

2008-10-20T21:55:00.001-07:00

Another monster created...buh-wah ah ah ah.......she's on the second book ladies and gentleman. We have assimilated.

Question

2008-10-19T02:35:00.000-07:00

Text'd my oldest sis:
"Have you started to read the book yet?"

her reply:
Oh yeah. Ask me anything about it. I have read all five of the books (there's only 4). It's about a girl named Buffy (no, Bella). Who likes this boy named Van Helsing (no that's Dracula) and they live in a town called Bon Tempe (True Blood).

hahahah....now that made me laugh.

She did start to read it tonight though. I went over there and had book #4 and she started the first one. We read out on the deck for about an hour. :)

http://www.ramblingsofamadpiggie.blogspot.com

2008-10-09T19:04:00.001-07:00

sssshhh...it's a secret

2008-10-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

Today at work , I spent about 3 hrs on the net looking for a way to get to "the movie" premier next month.
After hundreds of emails between me and younger sis....we got it. Victory.
We are now booked (thanks to oldests sis credit card) for a one night stay down south for the big day.
oh yeah!
it's a secret until this weekend when little sis comes down and we get to tell the girls.
"I'm expecting a major karma award any minute now" (quote from Buffy, said by Anya)

Updates

2008-10-02T15:36:00.001-07:00

It's been a month. jeez. i suck.

Let's see.....Hubby is going to live. We went to get the results of the bipopsy (haha) and everything was fine. No cancer. They don't know why he's bleeding and with the pain but now they just gave him some pills for an ulcer and off we went. He has now had his lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach, and ass all checked out and he says he's feeling like a million bucks (even though he's like 70lbs overweight). Good for him.

Twilight has hit my house pretty hard. Now I find myself fighting the girl over new interviews and computer time to watch the stupid trailer like 5 times. I will buy her the posters and magazines...so i can go in her room and stare adoringly. Me and little sis were laughing cause she's doing the same thing with her 11 yr old. Freaks, I tell ya.

Last night was Chicago nite. I got to watch Chicago (again) with the oldest sis. We were in row 5 this time (as opposed to the 2nd like last time, the horror). It was hot, sticky and the guy next to me had like 1/2 an ass cheek to sit on. It seems that he was seat #1, me-2, sis-3, big girl #4 and Sophia and Bea Arthur in #5&6. Big girl took up at least 1 1/2 seat if not a bit more, that left my sister hanging over my seat and my ass hanging over #1. By the time the guy got there, he was doomed. funny but uncomfortable. The 4 guys behind me walked out about 1/2 before the show left and i turn to guy in seat #1 and say: Move! Move!, I got out and sat in their seats the rest of the night. Niiiiice. Chicago wasn't bad. I actually like their songs and would've shouted out more names of them if Sis wasn't holding out on me. I had a good time, sis don't worry. It's always fun to make fun of old people. (I still say the keyboardist looked like Dr. Wright without glasses).

The girl

2008-09-01T23:30:00.001-07:00

It's her birthday tomorrow. September 2nd. since i started this blog at 11:30, it's making my post as the 1st. Stupid blogger.

The big 14!

Awhile back when we were cleaning up Mom's garage, I found a letter that I had written and it had all the things that I will remember about my mom when I was 13. I asked the girl to do one of her own about me but I'm sure she hasn't yet. I'm giving her until the end of 2008. She likes to procrastinate. So here I thought I would write a few things that stick out in my head about the girl.

1. She could sleep thru anything as a baby. Music, loud voices, yelling, vacuum's anything.
2. She had a lot of hair (not as much as her brother) and it stood straight up in the back like a peacock.
3. She got the chicken pox when she was 8 months old but only on her head. She had a few over her body , but for the most part, you ran your hand over her scalp and she was full of 'em.
4. She carried a burgundy satin blanket with her from the time she was 1 up until that thing fell apart around 5. She would always hold it up to her nose. Sleeping, eating or just watching tv, she always had it.
5. She was potty trained by friend R at the age of 3 along with her then neighborhood girlfriend who was 2.
6. At the age of 4 she finally went to sleep in her big girl bed that was a cottage.
7. She started Kindegarten at 4, just 2 weeks shy of her 5th birthday. I always wandering if that would hurt her by starting soo young, but she's adapted beautifully.
8. She's a very good eater, unlike her mother. She eats vegetables, fish and will try almost anything.
9. She was in cheer for 5 years and was the very best one out there. She did a little jump everytime she cheered and it made people smile.
10. At 9 years I permed her hair...hey she wanted it.
11. She doesn't drink a lot of milk and isn't much of a sweets person. She always perfered food food, instead of junk food.
12. She's very good with the zingers and can go up against anyone in a smart ass convention.
13. She once called panicking to her Gma cause she couldn't find any sandwich bags for her school lunch (which i didn't pack her that day). To this day, I cry when I think about that.
14. She started putting lotion on and using deorderant before she had to. Like at the age of 8.
15. She began having hearing loss around 3rd grade. Just slightly though. Only about 15%
16. She also had tubes put in her ears that same year.
17. Oh yeah...at 3 months old, she had to have surgery to open up her tear ducts because they were closed.
18. She sang with her 4th grade teacher in front of the whole school and then a teachers luncheon. She sang A whole new world.
19. She also used to sing along with her karoke machine that Gma bought her around then and sang a buffy song, complete with dance moves and all.
20. She is a hell of an athlete. She can play just about any sport you throw at her. A natural.
21. When she was a baby, she was deathly afraid of car washes. Everytime we went thru one, her eyes would bug out and she would scream and cry throughout the entire thing.
22. Her body temperature is like an oven. In the winter, she makes one hell of an electric blanket.
23. She has a beautiful smile that lights up a room and she also smiles with her eyes which I love.
24. She sleeps horizontally on her bed.
25. She is and will always be my baby.
Happy Birthday.

Hubby part II

2008-09-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

Took hubby to his second and hopefully last Dr's appointment. This time a EGD and the scope went down his throat. He doesn't have to feel all violated and cry like a little girl at night anymore. Now he can have dreams of being deep thrroated. Serves him right.
I digress.
Went to the Colons R Us building which is now Deep Throat R Us and got us a really really nice admitting nurse. She actually made the whole thing a lot better for us. She did however inform us (after we told him when he had the IV in him last time it stung the entire time he was awake) that the gal who put it in was a student. Niiiice. Hopefully she didn't assist with hubby that first time.
After he went in, found out that Sis & bro in law were shopping a street behind us, so as hubby was being gassed and rammed, we were making plans to have breakfast when he was out. Hey, he has to eat too.
As the nurse called me back, I found that hubby was quite awake but "buzzing" really hard....but not hard enough to not take him to breakfast. We're talking pancakes man...can't give that up.
I pushed him out the door and held his hand and walked him right over to the Denny's and had a nice breakfast. hahahahaha...i still can't believe he was ok for it. Makes me laugh.
It's not that bad....when he had his vasectomy done two days before new years long ago....me and his friend Art waited out in the car and after he was done, drugged up and all, we went to Denny's to grab lunch.
Something about Denny's I guess is the place for all anthesia to be worked off.
Results come in two weeks.

Love is.....

2008-09-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

Going into the local Blockbuster Video Store to rent Aerosmith Guitar Hero for your sister and kids without a bra on...... :)

oh yeah...Anniversary

2008-08-26T12:27:00.001-07:00

I totally forgot to put down what I did for our anniversary. I mean sheesh 17yrs go by and you think you would remember.
Let's see this years big extravaganza was a night out at our fav steak place for a slab of meat and a twice baked potato (for me not him). We rarely get to go there and when he suggested it, i didn't want to remind him that my fav bro in law and sister took us there at the beginning of the month. Sssshhhh.

So when you get a chance to fill the hump, you fill the hump. Here is what the hubby ordered
Look at the steak. It's practically hanging off the plate! Kind of reminds you of that John Candy movie where he bet he could eat the '69er or some shit like that. If there was ever a contest like there here in town, hubby's signing up.

After that, we went to Wal Mart for toothpaste, toilet paper, and a composition book for the boy. Hold onto your hats, ladies and gentleman, it gets better.

The next day was our actual anniversary. We got up at 11:00 am. Watched TV. he went back to sleep around 1:30 pm and at 2:30 we got up and went to the mall to walk around. We came home to our town for some pizza and good night!

I am loved.

Whatever. One of these years, I am going to have a fantastic blog about what my husband did for our anniversary. If you want a good one (one that i don't necessarily want repeated....once was enought). On sis 25th anniversary, bro in law actually pulled off a renewing of the vows without her even knowing!!! Now that's a blog!

All Work and No Play

2008-08-22T15:43:00.001-07:00

makes me a dull cranky witch.
I always said since I started out in the work force that If I ever have a job where I just don't want to get up in the morning, I would quit.
Let me tell you....I'm getting there.
Oh i know its a bad day and maybe cause I haven't been around much lately but things are pissing me off royally.
I went to gripe about it to one of my boys and he said I can't quit. Where else would I go and get paid for what I do.
I said I didn't care.
I know I'm just mad and hate this new computer system we implemented in March. I know this.
I made up a short list of pros and cons and as my cons list was getting a tad too long, I stopped what I was doing, picked up the phone and over the intercom said,
"It's already 3:23 pm...damn it where's my ice cream?"
A bowl of ice cream shortly then appeared on my desk by a co worker and as I began to eat, I crumpled up the list and threw it away.
Sometimes it's ok here.

hubby part 1

2008-08-20T23:23:00.001-07:00

Hubby went to have his colon checked out. He's been feeling sick and some other problems that I won't go into.
We headed off to the Colon R Us factory for his appointment at 10:00 am.
When we got there, there was a small waiting room and nothing else. No paintings, no pictures...not even some crappy magazines. In the back wasn't better. Once he got called back, he undressed in what seemed like a closet and then got an IV out in the hall. Literally the closet, the the hallway and the door off to the left was the procedure room. We could hear the doc and the nurse talking about the routine colonoscopy they were performing.
After I left him to go to his colon shop, I went and texted oldest sis and told her what the place was like. She typed back "who's doing the surgery, the receptionist?" I said no..the billing clerk.
Twenty minutes later and he was in the recovery room. They had to remove about 10 polyups and informed us that they would go to the lab to get tested and that he had a EGD (throat scrope) on next Friday cause yes, there were polyups but that's not causing all his symptons. Yeah.

And on another fine note....our air conditioner at the house caught on fire.

Bumpers, polyups and air conditioners...oh my.

It's legal

2008-08-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

So it's been awhile since this happened but hey, other things have been going on. The nght that big sis and I went with our girls to the midnight book selling of that stupid vampire book that they're obsessed with.......I got this

My car is saying hello with its bumper. Seems that day I pulled into a parking space and dumb shit me thought to myself..."hmmmm i'm a little too close to that parked car, I don't want them opening their door and hitting me.." so I put it in reverse slow like cause I don't like backing up fast anyways and Wham Bam thank you Maam...a diesel 4x4 GMC truck decided now was the time to come barrelling down the lane AND look for his cell phone. His exact words not mine...but do you think he told the insurance people that? Hell nooo. California law...I was backing up, my fault. Whatever

I am now driving around with the bumper torn off because with school clothes and registration fees I ain't got the 500 deduct to get it in the freaking shop.

We asked our local cops and they said, technically I still have a bumper so it's street legal.

I rule driving that sweet piece of machinery down the roaring freeway!

It's a Boy!

2008-08-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

I am a great Aunt….so my brother in law tells me yesterday while we awaited the birth of his sons baby. “I already knew I was a great aunt now I’m official” hahahaha…man that just came to me right then and there. Damn I could’ve been using that all along.

It’s official little David has joined the world. My littlest nephew was born at 3:41 pm yesterday. MommA and DaddyA welcomed in (well not daddy cause he didn’t have to spit him out) a beautiful (and no, I’m not biased…I‘d tell you the truth) 8lbs 5oz , 21 inches boy.

Get this…and believe me, this shit don’t happen in the real world.

MommA went into the hospital around 8:30 am or so. She didn’t get in a room until after 9:30 am. She sat around hooked up to the saline stuff and at 1:10 they popped her water. No time for drugs…No time for really anything. That baby boy shot out of her cooch 2 ½ hrs later. That shit just doesn’t happen.

They mentioned that they thought the baby was 3weeks early. I guess you can tell by the baby’s sac…don’t know if that is true or not. But anyways, things worked out the way it was supposed to. Can you imagine if she popped that kid out in another 2 weeks? We’re talking over 9lbs and definitely a C section then.

Today is my Dad’s birthday. It would’ve been a nice gift for him to have the baby born today but I’m glad that the baby has his own birthday, even though it means sharing it with older sis anniversary (not oldest sis, just older sis…don’t get them mixed up).

I am a great …no …Great Aunt. I should be named Mildred or Sadie or something like that. I sound like I’m 90 yrs old and they kids are all saying: “Now, don’t make to much of a ruckus, you’ll wake dear old Great Aunt Milicent”.

But nothing sounded better though as we were leaving the hospital as my nephew said, “Bye Gma” to oldest sis…now that was a riot!

I of course shouted out as I left the hospital….”Good job Fornicating!”

beach day

2008-08-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

Man....we went to the beach last Saturday. Out of the blue sis calls up and asks if we were doing anything. She said "wanna go to the beach?" and I of course said "I like beaches".
It was sooo nice. No hot stuffy valley air. No sweat pouring down your legs. Aaaahhhh....relief.
We went looking around at campsites...(we like the one we went to last month better), we did a drive by thru town and then we were off to get fish and chips (none for me thanks...I got a hamburger). Walked around town and I of course made an ass out of myself pretending to be a seal. I'm sure sis has it on youtube somewhere. Here's Gma showing off her tanned legs

After that we mosied on down to the beach where we camped out for the next 3 hrs.

Gma got all worked up that the girls were doing this:

So, she guilted them into doing this:

Guilt...such a powerful tool.

Damn it Jim

2008-07-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

Hubby went to the Dr yesterday. He's been having some kind of stomach ailment and some bleeding. Something that you really don't wanna have.
His brilliant primary dr sent him to a surgeon up in big town to have a look see and that surgeon had no idea as to why the doc did it. Wrong Dr.
The Dr called up the hick and let him know and now hubby has another appointment for Aug 11th.
Hubby must be kind of scared cause he actually called the new Dr and asked to be put on the cancellation list.

I heart Vampires

2008-07-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

I Got a call from the girl while I was at work. It was a somewhat panic call from a 13 year old.

the girl: "MOM!!"

As my heart leapt thru my throat, I hurriedly answered WHAT!

the girl: "The new book is 1/2 about Jacob and his point of view!!!"

JUMPING JO HASSAFRAS (OR WHATEVER THAT STUPID SAYING IS) ..She's calling about the plot of next book she's breathlessly awaiting. (Due out Aug 2nd)

I thought it was "Mom, I broke my toe, or Mom, how do you put out a grease fire. JEEZ..I don't know something, by the sound of her voice.

Nope, it had to do with her stupid vampire, Edward (because as we all know, SPIKE is the one true vampire.) She informed me tht she was going to be quite upset if Jacob gets in the way of Edward nd his true love Bella.....WHATEVER!

Not only is she doing this but her cousin-sister is at it also. I'm sure it's the same over at that house.

Aug 2nd can't come soon enough.

the ride that never stops

2008-07-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

Jesus...the boy just finished summer school on Thurs the 17th and what
do I find in the mail??? Registration packets for both kids. I didn't even get a chance to breathe before they started ramming the idea that they will begin school in 3 more weeks.
Registration is the 6th for both of them. The girl is a freshman (god, kill me now) and the boy is a junior so they get to go on the same day. Not that means anything to them, cause they'll avoid each other like the plague. At school, they are on two entirely different planes of existenece and they like it that way.
Ugh, registration also means a cool 300 clams that has to be paid out. Activity cards, PE clothes, locks, yearbooks & pictures.
After registration , is the school clothes shopping done at the last moment of course and also the backpacks, paper, pens, and the list goes on....
With hubby off on medical leave a couple of weeks means that money is tighter than its ever been....
I saw Fun with Dick and Jane last night on TV...I think it was a sign.

the MRI

2008-07-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

We got some health issues in the familia again. This time (or should I say the 4th time) hubby is sick.
I won't go into icky details, but suffice to say, he will now know how it is to get rammed from behind.
But before that, hubby had go get an MRI for a seperate problem he's been having. Seems as though his left leg alternates between mind numbing pain and just plain numbness. The Dr scheduled it for 2:00 yesterday. At 2:20 I get a call from him saying he was out of there. Please follow:

hubby: I'm out.

me: out? already. those tests are like 30 minutes at least

hubby: well...i was laying down watching my feet go thru the tube and i started saying "stop stop". The tech's were trying to calm me down thinking I was claustophobic "there there Mr. Hubby just relax and breathe". In the meantime, I'm hearing the wheels grinding on the bed that's rolling me thru and I start yelling "I'm not claustophobic, I'm stuck. I'm stuck."

Seems poor hubby wasn't in the "non-human" size of the MRI machines. He was in a normal size one, which is what we have in our mayberry size town.

He now has to go to the big town up north to go thru a tube he can actually fit.

Funny side note: Don't know If i wrote this down here or not but 14 years ago or so hubby did get stuck in a pipe 20ft underground. He had to be air lifted up in one of those baskets by a crane or some shit in front of every local news channel. I'll have to write about that some day.

Books, trains and Vampires

2008-07-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

I saw my friend R in her lovely little town. It was probably only 10 degrees cooler over ther but a way huge difference. I think it's just that is so much "cleaner" over ther. Cleaner as in no humidity. No stuffiness. It was niiiiice.
We picked up the girl in Roseville and headed over to catch the train on Sunday.
On the way, we passed by:

Take a look at this. We arrived 2 1/2 hrs early at the train station and this is what I got from her for the first hour

This is the second hour:

And this is what I got on the train ride:

For six hours I watched her read a fucking book!!! Hey, I'm all for books and reading. I remember the "learning is power!" slogans, but enough is enough.

I brought it on myself. I had bought her the damn book around graduation. I had been hearing about these Twilight series book and the movie had been filming and was set out for Decmeber. It's a total rip off of another vampire/girl love story but hey. I had Buffy she's got Twilight.
It's taking her about 2 days to finish each book.
I guess she is a bit like me. Obsessive personality. Great

leaving on a ...

2008-07-10T23:02:00.001-07:00

no not a jet plane. But how about a jet Train?

Tomorrow at dawn, as in the crack of...well 6:50 am , I will be leaving for my good friends R's place. I hop on the train and will be there by 10.

No driving, no gas, no stress from having to drive up north (which for some reason really really scares me). Friend bought me a ticket so that I can come to visit finally.

The girl is up at middle sis's place which is only 1 1/2 away , so while up there, we might make plans to pick her up and both of us will take the train home. I say maybe, cause middle sis has said they are awaiting a call from a job interview that they may have to come down here for next week. As in Tues, Wed and Thursday.

We'll see what happens.

Back at it

2008-07-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

June has come and gone and its July. I can't go back and write about things...I can't remember them well enough, so I'm starting yet again.

July 4th was depressing. No big BBQ at my house. No firework spectacular. No competition. Nada. No money, honey's.
We sat around oldest sis backyard and reminised about the "old days".
Gma B, Cat, Gma, Middle Sis and family and me and mine sat outside, ate some good BBQ dogs and waited for darkness so that we may begin to cry.
Hubby came over but left before dark cause he was down in the dumps.
When he left, I told everyone he was gonna cry in the car.
As poor as we all were this year, we actually each gave $20 bucks and got us a box of pathetic looking fireworks and some whistling petes (to light off in memory of Dad).

To put it in perspective, here is what our fireworks display has been in the past. me and sis have a competition to see who has the best display. If you head on over to hers, you could probably read about it. I think i did one too...can't remember.

And then this is what we had for this year.

Big difference.
Officially, the trophy will have 2008 - Winner: Recession. Cause face it, it kicked our asses this year.

In between party stories, here's a little quiz for ya.

2008-06-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

1. You just received too much change. What is the most that you would feel obligated to come clean about it..if at all?
If I catch it there, fine I’ll squeal. But if –a I’m out the door, you snooze you lose cashier clerk.

2. What is the last present you regifted?
Nothing exciting. Some dishes about 4 yrs ago.

3. You're puking your guts up from the flu and are delirious, who do you call to take care of you?
Not the hubby, he sucks . Anyone but him. Hell, I’ll take the mailman next to him.

4. It is 4am, you're at Dennys (or any 24 hour diner like establishment) after a night of drinking. What did you just order?
Toast. Plain White Toast. Always made me feel better.

5. You were just handed $2500 and must spend it going away for the weekend. Where are you going and are you going to ask anyone to come along?
I’d ask anyone but the hubby. Probably big sis and we’d sneak off to see the third and final blow-hole over in Australia (if we pack light and don't eat, we could do it for $2500.00)

6. Who shared your first ever romantic kiss and do you know where that person is now?
Kiss Kiss Smooch Smooch like would be back in the 2nd grade or so and he is over in the coast last I heard. Now full on spit and tongue that would be in the 8th grade and I have no clue where he went to, probably jail.

If your reading this, you have to play.

Grad....i mean Promotion Nite

2008-06-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

She did it. The girl has graduated...or "promoted" I should say. They aren't allowed to say graduate. It's a promotion ceremony to initiate them into the big bad high school.
One of my kids walked. I'll take it.
June 3rd was the big day. She got dropped off at the school around 5:40 and me and Gma and Deanna went to go wait in line for seats. It was concert atmosphere to say the least. All walks of people standing in line with umbrellas, water and sweat. Niiiice.
Towards the time of the gates opening, "security" walked around and said there would be bag checking for any food or water. Gma got nervous cause she had water and pretzles. She was going to either toss them or pony up to the fact that she had contraband. Nu-uh. Give me to me I said and i proceeded to stuff food and water all over my body. It's a big body, so it worked out nicely.
Once making it past the water Furher, we sat down and waited for the rest of the family. Aunie M, Uncle D, R, R's friend Ch, Daddy, brother, friend Nic and Auntie Raq. 13 total.

The girl of course was on the sunny side. go figure.

The ceremony was short. They rambled off those names like an auctioneer. At the call of the girls name, we of course all stood up and cheered our loudest. R, and her friend and I all stood up and held up the sign I had made with big glittery letters. Tru to form the girl didn't even look over. Brat.

After the last name was called , the family and friends were then corraled into the baseball field to find their offspring. It was actually pretty smooth. Each grad, dammit i mean "promotee", was given a number 1 - 6, so that we could find them easily.

Gma cried, brother was non chalant, Dad was proud, aunts/ uncles all smiles. It was a good day.

The girl couldn't stick around too long cause her week of celebrating started at 8:45 that night. The first of many parties, limo's and get-togethers. First night out was a limo ride around town for 2 hrs. with 13 of her friends.

the life!

The Big Night

2008-05-31T00:44:00.000-07:00

The last dance of junior high finally happened. The girl got home around 11:30 and was very happy. Evryone had a good time and it was fun.
The dance was from 5:45 to 8:30. After the dance the girl and her friends all hopped in a waiting limo and they drove around town for the next couple of hours. Where did they go eat? Jack in the Box. Faaaancy.
Hubby and I went riding around town seeing if we could find them but we were on one side of town and they were on the other. They were driving by all their houses. Cute.
The boy who asked the girl to go even wore a matching tie. That's why he wanted to know what color she was wearing. Whew! She took some pictures but not a lot. I got one on my phone....

Since her dress had spaghetti straps and not the rule enforced 2" straps, she had to wear a shawl. You tell me wear you can find a dress with 2" straps. It's impossible. The dress was really really cute.
Before the dance, we rushed over to Gma's to take pics and ever being the Gma, she started to cry.
the girls in bed now and has to get up early so that her leadership class can go to Magic Mountain.
Now that the dance is over, there's just 4 more days until Graduation and she's a free woman until ........high school!
Jesus wept.

Dance part II

2008-05-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

I'm sititng in my computer room and I hear the girl groggily getting up from bed walking over to me.
"mom, what color is my dress?"
why i asked
"X wants to know"
um...it's not white, I would say cream
"ok"
why does he want to know?
"cause he wants to match I guess"

OH OH.....so now we're matching? will there be flowers involved?
i thought this was no big deal...me saving 7.00 dollars.

standby

dance fever

2008-05-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

a text from the girl....

"i got asked"
You did i replied..who?
"who do you think"
who?
so and so....her best friend.

yep..its official. the girl got asked to go to the formal dance. he's even buying her ticket!
what does "going to the dance" mean?
nothing.
he's not picking her up...cause hello he's 14 and has no liscense let alone a car.
they aren't taking pictures

really all it means is that i got out of a whopping $7 for the price of the ticket.

A Riddle

2008-05-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a riddle for you.

Riddle: What kind of man will call you up and tell you he's leaving to go out for the night and you have to come home from your friends house that you haven't seen in a month because your daughter can't stay home alone, even though your 4 houses down??

Answer: My fucking dickwad of a husband.

mothers day

2008-05-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

I won't be going into what we did on mothers day...I'll let big sis do that!

What I did get was a nice surprise from the boy this year.

He came home one day and said somebody had come by the school and chose him to do a survey. It was "something about mom's" he said and I asked for which paper son? "I don't know".

When our local newspaper came out yesterday, Gma called to tell me tha he was in there. I went and bought a paper that morning and sure enough on the second page was this.

A pic of the most beautiful kid I've ever seen. I can't figure out to scan a newspaper in and besides the quality is crappy but this is what it says:

Why is your Mom special?

"She's very supportive towards me and all I do. And more importantly, we're friends"

I showed it to him and he said, Cool, it was for the local paper and then turns and gives me a hug and says, "Happy Mothers Day mom".

The next time I want to throttle him (which will be in one weeks time cause that's when final grades come out) I will have to look at this picture and I'm sure I will be able to breathe again and put a smile on my face. :)

softball softball

2008-05-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

YEP....Softball time. The Spartans coached this year by hubby, Danny P, Danny W and Tony are all at it again. Same team colors (except the crappy white visors), different girls. We didn't get a single girl from last year. We did get our 3rd base from 2 years ago which is a very big plus for us, considering at tonights game she hit a homer with bases loaded. The girl is starting pitcher this year. All year she's been complaining that she didn't want to do it but let someone else do it? Not on your life. She's fighting for the position now with another girl and that's what she likes. Competition. First game was Monday the 12th. They lost. First loss in 2 years. 6-1. First time jitters hopefully. The girl is the oldest on this team. All the girls are between 11-12 yrs old. Good thing is that they all know how to play at least. We weren't teaching girls how to catch this time around. We took our loss and we will meet this team again later in the season. We'll get 'em next time. Needless to say we had a very grumpy Daddy Coach that night. Tonights game was better. 11-4.Our Mondays and Wednesday are booked again. All I get to hear when I walk thru the door on those days are, "Get the ice for the coolers"..."where are all the freaking chin straps!"..."Boy go get the balls and bags in the back of the truck"...."where's the first aid kit?"..."where are the jalepeno seeds"...and on and on and on. Good thing that in this weather all but 2 of our games will be the 8:00 pm game. Niiiiice. No heat for us this year!

Computers

2008-05-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

for reference only so that when I look back at this and read up on things.
Our new computer system sucks. What was supposed to streamline our shit now has triplefied (is that a word?) my workload, my stressload and my smokingload.
We implemented it on March 31st and it's now May 2nd and it ain't getting any better.
the suckier thing is is that I've been dicking with this since January 11 because I'm what's called a "sub-champion" and i've been in the teaching trenches for all 16 branches since then. So now that teaching is over, i'm supposed to jump right back in and do my work that's been left waiting and try to figure this new shit out.
ugh!

May Day

2008-05-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

So I skipped a few months.

Today is May day. And I forgot about the flowers. Called LA sis to ask her not to remind mom, but I was too late and she and the girls already called this morning! Damn her. she's one the to blame for all this. It's usually her job but since she's left for the bright lights in the big city, the job has fallen to me. What job you may ask? the tradition of leaving flowers on the doorstep for mom on May 1st.

"May Day is celebrated on May 1st. In some parts of the United States, May Baskets are made. These baskets are small and usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. When you ring the bell, you are supposed to run away. The person receiving the basket would try to catch the person running away. If they caught the person, a kiss was to be exchanged."

this tradition started while me and LA sis were in elementary school. And she more than me kept the tradition going strong.

Last night I remembered May 1st, but didn't get out of my house into the cold cold (unusally cold)night to go put them on the doorstep. "i'll remembe tomorrow, I said to myself" yeah right.

I called dear hubby and said "whatever you do, please please call me when you get out of work" why he asks, because I tell him its May Day.
"what the fuck is that? you and your family's made up traditions"....i said it's not made up...see above.
"where am i supposed to get flowers?"
-go pull them off someones yeard, (that we know of course, no strangers). we used to do it as kids and we still do it to this day. no store bought flowers for us, we actually just go pull a flower or rose off a bush...sssshhh don't tell anyone.

He just called and told me his day for the last 45 minutes.

"babe....i went looking for stupid flowers but I can't find any. I went by Jess's, then to Josephs, Alfreds, and finally tony's but no one has any flowers."

so what does my hubby do? he sees an old man watering his lawn and pulls up next to him and asks "sir, would you mind if i took one of your rosebuds?" the man was polite and said "so you just wanted to stop and finally smell the roses, huh?" hubby started laughing and explained the whole May day tradition (which this little ol man had never heard of it either, what is it with some people!!) the man laughed again and said go ahead. as he got into the car, the little ol man said he was thinking that "he was that way" until he mentioned that it's for wife and his mother in law. hubby got a good chuckle out of that one.

Happy May Day!!

vALENTINES

2008-02-17T00:24:00.000-08:00

I didn't write on Valentines day cause I went home and went to bed.
We did the pizza thing with the boy and the girl. Waited for an hour inside the place and had a very good xtra pepperoni and canadaian bacon family size pizza for dinner. Very nice.
Candy was also up on the TV this year.

Here's a text that hubby sent over to me on Valentines day which is perfect cause I really was on it too....poor bastard:
Flowers - $20
Dinner - $70
Movies - $25
Drinks - $30
Hotel -$115
.....the look when you tell him your on yor period....PRICELESS!!!

Happy V Day all.

oH yEAH, i WAS sICK

2008-02-13T12:38:00.001-08:00

Besides the fog post, I forgot that I was sick last year.
AFter all the hub bub and my mother feeding my "cancer" late last year, it turns out I'm going to survive after all.
Everyone now may put back their death shrouds and continue on with life.
It turns out that I have a "tearing" a "hole", some kind of "rip" around the liining of my bladder. When bad foods get thru there it causes the pain. go figure....here I was taking all these pills for a UTI and drinking all this cranberry juice for those weeks on end and at the end, the cranberry juice was making it worse. It's on the list of things that I should'nt have, along with aspartame, alcohol, fruits, and lo and behold chocolate and peanuts.

What brought about this little complication is a boy and his wrestling.
One of my co workers son was raising money to go to some werestling tournament in Chicago. He would bring in candy and sodas and sell them to us.
Now, I'm a charitable person and I wanted to see the kid go to Chicago, so I helped him out best I could. That meaning I bought a bag of peanut M&M's daily for about 2 1/2 months.

My specialist said that was what triggered the attacks and how we found my little problem. So I got two deals out of that ....I not only gained 20 lbs from all the fucking chocolate but I found a tearing in my bladder. Yippppeeee.

It's not a big deal. Here's my thing though.

When I tell people I can't see at night due to my RP, they immediately follow with "oh, I'm blind as a bat at night too!" Um....no your not. I on the other hand have a bitch of a time seeing at night because as we all know, RP's symptons is night blindness. So when I tell them this , they poo poo it and say I can see you just have to conentrate more..yada yada yada. Now I tell them that I have a tearing in the lining around my bladder, and they hold out their rosary's and start ironing their black trousers. It's not a big deal. I have to stay away from certain foods or else I want to feel like a bowling ball is in the lower half of my stomache. Now the RP, that's the disease that really sucks. I don't wanna go blind. A tear in my lining, no biggie. Losing my sight...a big biggie.

lETS pRETEND tHAT i'VE bEEN wRITING aLONG

2008-02-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

Since Saturday, there has been nothing but fog. Fog - fog - fog - fog and more fog. It's been awhile since there were so many days in a row that there was this bad of fog.
The kids have had foggy day Mon, Tues and today and unfortunately I, like my bro in law, nephew, and hubby alll have had to drive in. sucks ass. Today I called in a foggy day schedule for myself at work. If busses won't drive in my hometown, then neither am I.

Here is a pic I took while driving (yeah, i know how stupid) and this wasn't even the bad day!!

update

2007-10-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

man its been awhile

when i last left off, i was still in pain and i had an appointment for the uriologist.
Friend R and big sis went with me to the very nice dr appt. Peed in my cup. Urine clean...no signs of infection.
Went to the Imaging center to go get my first pelvic ultrasound. ewww..man lying there with a stick up in you with a full bladder is not fun. Had forgoten what it was like to have a fulll bladder while they ultrasounded you. They did the outside scan and then up inside. She actually said that she had to move some things around to get a pic of my left ovary. What the hell? Move things around. When she said that , I think i actually felt her MOVE things around up in there. Not nice.
Waited over the weekend and got the results on tuesday.
Family Dr called and said all things looked normal. Ovaries looked good...yada yada yada. Cool, right? Wrong.
She then said...."there does seem to be some small cysts on the lower uteran wall. Damn...there was someting that was causing all this pain. No need to panic...not a major thing, but lets get you to another specialist to have everything checked out.
Got off the phone and called big sis and then hubby. Hubby listened patiently and then said "i don't know what to say"...which doesn't sound like a whole lot, but for him that was the nicest and best thing he has ever said in a sticky situation. Usually he's there going on and on about not to worry, it's nothing, don't go all psycho...shit like that. It was really really nice to hear.
I found out later that after he hung up with me, he called my dr's office and wanted to talk to my doctor himself so he can get the straight story. That was even better.
He did good this time.
It's now 2 days before I go see my other specialist to see if they can figure out what this is all about.
The dr's appointment is on my mom and dads anniversary, I've just started my period *nice*, and I have no idea where my paperwork is.
I guess I will know what 's going on soon enough.
Good thing is that mom has been taking this relatively well except for the fact that she insists that I eat and she's been cooking my whole family dinner for the last 3 weeks. Even when I go to big sis's house to watch our weekly show Weeds, she calls and asks if I'm eating. I have a running joke that when she calls, I tell her its not
"starve a cold, feed a cancer".
cyst-boom-bah!

hOW dO yOU sPELL rELIEF?....

2007-09-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

Not...D - A - R -V -O -C -E -T
Went to my dr appt..got the cold clammy hand stuck up in me, peed in a cup, pressed on my stomach... and nada...zilch..
No extended bladder, no uterus falling, no urinary tract infection.
Nope, clean in all of those. Gave me a prescription for Darvocet, which so far has made me feel sick and loopy but still didn't take my pain away, even though I told mom it did (for emotional/mental reasons for her , I lied)
Still having problems with the actual peeing, still have the fucked up pains/pressure. Shit.
Now I get to go have a pelvic ultrasound on Tuesday. Wonderful.

Funny side note: While laying on the table and Dr pushing on my stomach, you know the deep pushing down that a Dr is so good at, she says out loud, "Oh my God".
What? I say. What do you mean.
She said "oh nothing nothing, not you. I uh forgot I had a dentis appointment today."
Jesus, you can't be poking and proding a person and then exclaim "oh my God"!
Not cool.

wHAT'S uP dOC

2007-09-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

It's that time.....I'm sick.
Have been since Friday. Well actually before Friday, but we'll count Friday as my first onset of problems.
Called the Doc after hours to get some Cipro (for those who aren't in the know...Cipro is for UTI and for those who don't know UTI , that is Urinary Tract Infection). No problem, go to my local drugstore and pick it up. Took my pill, and went to beddy by so that I can wake up with no more pain or infection.
Got up, felt much better. Took second pill. Actually went shopping with the girl and Gma. There was still some pressure but at least I could pee normally. Sunday rolled around and we went to my "semi" family reunion on Sunday...semi as in they're actually my brother in law's family, but me and the girl go to everything anyways. All good on Sunday.
By Monday morning, I was ready to shoot myself.
Called in again to have them either get me more antibiotics or up the dosage or whatever dr's do for my pain.
They called in Bactrim (another UTI drug). Hasn't done a thing.
Still in pain but still peeing.
Something tells me that it aint no UTI and I'm in for something else.
So I'm waiting here for my 1:40 appt to my Dr all nicely clean and shaven and preparing for the words "Now, your going to feel something cold and some pressure". NIiiiiiiiice.
Good news, (I think) is that I did have a 2:50 appt not with my Dr and they called to tell me if I wanted to see my regular Dr an hour earlier. yeah.
Wish me luck.

a nIGHT wITHOUT mILK

2007-08-30T22:40:00.001-07:00

Let's see...everyone look at their stopwatches please...we made it a whole 11 days without a breakdown from me about the boy and school. We have a winner, ladies and gentlemen.
11 days into the new school year and the boy has brought home his first F. Oh, he didn't actually bring it home, I found it.
It all started with me wanting a nice little snack...a bowl of Special K Chocolate Delight *my new favorite ceral*...I got up put some in a bowl, grabbed a spoon and opened the fridge up for the milk......you guessed it, no milk. The boy had drank the last bit about 1/2 earlier.
So I told him to go get me his school binder and I can go through it to pass my time since I didn't have no cereal to eat.
Lo and behold, the boy seemed nervous for some reason. Why you ask? Because he hasn't been doing his homework. Shock...disbelief...?? I think not.
I sent him to take a shower and then I went thru his backpack that he hid behind his bed. At the bottom of the bag, all crinkled up was his US History progress report that I was supposed to have signed YESTERDAY.
HOmework: F
Test SCore: C
to average out to a big o F.
Nice.
And so my nightmare begins people.
Wish us luck.

And to think, all this happened because there wasn't any milk left.

aNNIVERSARY pOST

2007-08-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, it was my anniversary on Friday. Did I not write anything about it because I was on some fantastic trip planned out entirely by my loving and adorable husband? did I not write about it because in the commotion of such a marvelous day I was to busy to write about it?
Fuck no!
I didn't write about it cause we didn't do a fucking thing so why write?
I came home early that day because it was my anniversary, my 16th mind you. Yes, hard to believe such a young at heart 36 year old can say that she's been married for 16 out of the 36 years she's been on this earth. Anyways, came home early cause we were going to the movies to go see the new Jason Stratham *hunka hunka hunka* flick, War. Hey its Jet Li but who cares, it has Mr. Transporter himself in it. Don't know what happened, but we didn't go. What did we do? We went to Cho's Kitchen, a chineese restaruant with the girl, ate, left to go home and went to bed.
Ugh...can you get more depressing?
I guess after 16 yrs of marriage, its a dinner, some TV , a slap and a tickle and good night!
I'm going to remember this next year.

Not a great pic, but really the last one we took. This is in our hotel lobby in Hawaii after a day of snorkling.

lETS gET cAUGHT uP aGAIN

2007-08-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

And I haven't donet the camping post. I can't upload the pics and its frustrating me...sooo off to the subject of school we go.

School Time:

The boy is a sophmore this year and the girl is 8th grade. Two kids that know the rules and have been around the block in their schools. I'm hoping that it helps and it helps out a lot.
So far its been 1 week and 1 day. Not bad.
The boy has actually been gettting up without me having to throw a bowl full of water at him and the girl as usual sets her own alarm and is up before me sometimes. Amazing.
The only thing so far and i say this with a grain of salt...so far....cause you know there's gonna be drama....is that their school food sucks and they're not eating.
I remember when I was in school, I got in line, got me a pizza and a soda or went in the hot lunch line and grabbed me a plate with whatever happened to have mashed potatoes and gravy (*cause I LOVED me those tatoes and gravy), sat down and actually ate lunch and had time to bullshit.
Not so says my kids. The lines are soo long and even if they did get up to the front they either sold out of most things or didn't have time to eat it. What's up with that??
The boy doesn't even bother to get in line anymore and the girl has stopped also because her new principal took out all the "good" ie: unhealthy stuff. Granted I don't want my kid to snark down a bag of cheetos and pepsi for lunch, but something's better than nothing. All they have is gatorade, propel and baked chips. That's it for the snack bar.
Needless to say, I went to the store and bought the cheetos, granola bars, pop tarts, popcorn, fruit roll ups and told them to stuff them in their backpack and bring 'em out for lunchtime.
That's the biggest problem. Who knows though by the end of the day, drama could unfold and my perfect little school world will come tumbling down.
Keeping my fingers crossed.

A pic of the boy on first day of school, a tradition that we've done since I went to school. The first year that they didn't take one together, the girl had to be in school at 6:45 am to help decorate the school for the students.

the girls pic is on her phone and I will edit in later.

oN THE 1ST dAY oF cAMPING

2007-08-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

which to some said would be their last....NOT, we got to our campground and headed straight to the back of the sites. We weren't near the water, but that was ok. Less people, so that we can make noise. Turns out tho, way in the back, that there were no flushing toilets (only the dreaded hole ones), they were uphill, and quite a walk for us fat people. Still...not a problem for me. The fire ring was actually on a slant and we had to be real careful when we put the dogs on or they rolled off. And yes, my family ate hot dogs, chicken, ribs, & tri tip off a grill who god only knows what or who did to it out there in the woods! Ha! I knew they would.

Here's a pic to get me started on my camping trip adventure.
More to come.

Happy Birthday

2007-08-07T23:09:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my Dad. He would've been 71 yrs old today.
The family went to the cemetary tonight to light his Virgen de Guadalupe candle this year and sang Happy Birthday.

7 dAYS eXACTLY sINCE i lAST

2007-07-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

used my ATM card.
That's right. I said it. Have not used my charge card (my best friend MC) nor my bank ATM card.
I gave it to my good friend Chuck and haven't asked for it back yet. He even put a sticky note on the back of them saying "Julie's Cards Rec'd 7-24-07". When I ask for help in not spending moeny. They help.
Chuck is on vacation right now and I had to call him at home to get the hiding place of said cards. He wouldn't tell me. I explained that I did not want to go shopping but that I had to deposit my check or else I'm coming to live with him (house payment due). He asked for Tom to get on the phone and I had to leave the office and shut the door so that he could tell Tom where it was.
I don't need willpower...I have them!
I'm going to see if I can make it a whole month!
Wish me luck.

iT wAS a gOOD rUN wHILE iT lASTED

2007-07-29T22:54:00.000-07:00

I remember a time back in the girls life when things were not so great for her. She had friends problems. So bad that she would cry some days. Friends leaving her out of things. Talking about her. Laughing at her. All do to a girl that shall remain nameless. Said girl went to another school after all the backs were turned on her and the girl and the others stayed close. That was in 5th grade and by 6th grade she was cool with her pak of friends. Then came 7th and it was even better. She had a really close friend that she did everything with. She lived over there at her house and then she came to live with us. It seemed that way anyways.
At the end of school, said friend got grounded for a 600 dollar phone bill. We haven't seen her since middle of June. Understandbly, her parents were upset and of course said friend said that most of the textes came from the girl. What the parents didn't know that was not all were from our girl but boys, but said friend would never tell her parents that of course.
Well, it turns out that my girl is now the bad seed amongst them and they have decided that maybe they shouldn't be so close of friends. The girl got a call from said friend and has been told that she should no longer call the her. What a blow. She's strong but not this strong.
I told her not to worry. They'll see each other in school just not after shcool or weekends. Needless to say I'm in crisis mode with her. I told her that the parents will wake up and realize that she was the one that kept said friend in check. She's a little wild one that one is and they will realize that my girl was indeed a good influence. We'll wait it out and see.
The good thing is that my girl will be so busy what with sports and student body and constitution and all that comes with being an 8th grader that she will hopefully not feel soo bad.
I cannot interfere cause this is her fight and if the paretns don't want my daughter over there, so be it. We *being said friends mom* always said we would not interfer with the girls friendships unless necessary. I cannot come out and tell the parents that her girl is the little hellion and boy crazy and a real talker who one day is going to get herself in trouble with some of the not so nice girls. You can't tella parent that and then have them turn on their daughter which in turn will turn her against my girl.
The good thing is that she has a cousin who she adores and spends a lot of time with and her other cousin is coming to town this week for the big camping trip. All that should keep her mind busy for awhile.

Lord help me, I think I'm in for a ride of my life though.

sINCE mY lAST pOST

2007-07-25T15:42:00.000-07:00

was way over a month ago, I think I'll pretend that whatever I'm going to talk about just happened.
Soooo..
The girls softball team, The Spartans!! finished their league. 9-1-0. Won 9, tied 1, and lost none. We had an excellent pitcher and awesome infield. What can I say. I'm bragging. The tie came when the girl had to get up and pitch the entire game. Our star pitcher was out and it was up to her. She did an awesome job. I didn't think so at the time. I was rough on her, I admit it. I was so frustrated. I was soo used to our other pitcher striking everybody out that when the girl piched and ended up walking 3 in a row, i was out of it. The coaches all said what a fantastic job she did and that I didn't understand softball. I guess I would agree.
Coach Dad already has her ready to start winterball out of another town to get her ready for the spring for when she will be the pitcher. She's thrilled.

Here's the girl, looking all sportslike!

dISNEY

2007-06-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

It's been forever and I have to write in this or I'm gonna stop.

So...let's go back to the weekend of the 8th.

Oldest sis & hubby, neice, Gma and me and the girl went to Disneyland for neices' graduation present.
We went to dinner at REd Robin and then off to downtown Disney for the night. Tesla was playing at the House of Blues!! Didn't go though. I like the atmo at downtown. I could totally people watch there. Which in part we did. Red Robin and walkie walkie don't mixie.

The next day, we were early to start the day at Disneyland. We arrived at the gates by 8:20 or so I beleive.
And let the walking begin!!
Holy shit...I've forgotten how long its been since D world. I was 4 yrs younger and about 35 lbs lighter than last time.

Very first ride....Space Mtn. Now, I luv roller coasters or at least i did. It's been awhile since I last went on one...oh say 1995 or so?. A roller coaster that loops around and around and around first thing in the am was not such a bright idea. Needless to say, after that ride I didn't want to go to Tower of Terror with big sis.
We did something better....we began the Food-land part of the day.
Big sis hubby went and got us a chili dog, some chips and water and we sat down on the sidewalk and waited for the ride to be over. After that we went and hit up the Mission Tortilla factory to get a free tortilla. Next stop...PotRoast-Land , ice-cream-Land, Popcorn-land and Chimichanga-Land. IN between the food-lands, we did actually get on some rides.
One of them was the haunted mansion......
NOw anyone who's gone on this ride, knows its dark in there. A person with RP, doesn't stand a chance in there.
So , what do I do? I'm about ready to get off the tram into one of the buggies and I missed the chair completely and stood on the tarmac in between the two buggies. The nice disney employee came running and grabbed me in time to not get my foot chopped off by the moving floor. Wonderful.

We got there in the morning and left at 12:15....!!
Needless to say, we were tired and sore.
Well worth it though. We all had a blast.

gRADUATION dAY

2007-06-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

Niece R graduated last night. She was soooo pretty in her dress and her hair and that coat....oopps line from a movie. Her hair was perfect except for the STRIP!!! but if you looked around all the girls were pretty much the same. Hair up with tendrils or strips hanging in their face, spaghetti strap dresses and shawls. I liked the ceremony even though mom kept getting mad that I was clapping for every single person. Hey...."no child shall be left behind" damn it. I'm gonna clap for every student they had whether they could hear me or not. At this school, you could actually walk up and take pictures of your child graduating. For my kids, they're on a football field and your in bleachers and you can make out their faces with binoculars. Sucks.
Afterwards, we went to sis's house for cake and cough syrup punch. My tummy hurt all night.
All in all it was perfect. We were all soo proud. Another graduate down. From here on out, it will be a graduation every year up until 2014 or some shit like that.

tAKE mE ouT tO tHE bALLGAME...

2007-06-04T22:35:00.001-07:00

yEP...It's that time again.
Softball has started.
Tonight was the girls first game. This year the coachs decided to put her pitcher for the first round of batters, so that she can get a feel of the game for next year. She'll be pitcher then. Our ace of a pitcher is graduating and will not be able to play. She's something. I'll have to get big sis to video and link her on this thing. Very very very good for a 13 yr old. The girl is nowhere near her, but with practice, she'll be good.
The Spartans...yeah, I named them after seeing 300 cause it was such a kick ass movie that I loved just yelling out SPARTANS!!!....won. 7-0.

Tomorrow is R's graduation!!!
Can't wait to see the shoes!

i fREAKIN' dID iT

2007-05-28T00:04:00.000-07:00

OMG OMG OMG OMG.....I did it.
I finally passed the stupid tile game. 364 losses and 1 win. just now. 12:05 am.
It may not sound like much to you guys, but after 364 losses in over 2 months...it is now complete. I can rest.
Thank you.

gAME oF tHE dEVIL pART 2

2007-05-22T22:44:00.000-07:00

317 TIMES AND STILL UNBEATABLE!!!

oVER tHE mOUNTAINS aND tHRU tHE wOODS

2007-05-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

A camping we-a-go!!!
There are 3 sites that are reserved for a family of 16!!! I cannot wait!
Others in the family (hi sis) are not as excited as I am. Oh i know it will have its problems, but its time we go.
We've never been a family of campers. There are groups of us that go. Middle sis lives in the mtns and actually vacations in other mtns. Little sis goes at least once a year. Nephew goes camping in at the beach...and myself??? I've been camping probably 4 times in my life.
This oughta be interesting.
Mosquitos, bears, sleeping bags, fire roasted weenies....I mean come on...how can that all not be fun!
This is soooooooooooooo going in my blog when we get back!
Mark the calendars folks....In August we be campin' fools!

tHE wEEKEND

2007-05-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

I just sat down. Left work at 4:00 today and 5 hrs later, I can actually sit down and relax.
I dropped hubby off at the airport. He's going to Vegas, that bastard. He got tickets for a closed circuit event at the MGM to watch the DelaHoya fight. Whooopeedooo. Not a fan. Can skip it. Not my thing.
He called right now. He's STILL in the airport. He was supposed to leave at 8:00. Not a good start.
Friend R is going too....she'll be on the same flight. It makes me feel a little bit better, cause hubby always looks lost in an airport.
Hopefully he wins big!

tHE bLEEPING yANKEES

2007-05-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. The girls softball is upon us. That means Coach Hubby and his two amigos get to take 12 girls out to the field to show them how to hit, catch and throw a ball. Fun times people. Fun times.

I go out there and make sure I know all the girls names and say hi to the Mom's. I butt in when I'm not supposed to most times but hey...my hubby's team lets me say whatever the fuck I want.

So here's the first practice. The usual "hey good practice girls" or a "things are going to be fun this year" and as always the obligatory "we have one heck of a team"
Let's put this in perspective. First of all: 4 of the 12 have NEVER played softball. Ok...breath. Can do. Can do.
And secondly and most important: We've had our first coach to parent meeting.
It seems that one of the Dad's thought that he had Hank Aaron incarnate or some shit like that and he came up to us after practice and the convo went like this:
Dad: Do you guys have the other coach's numbers?
me: "Oh yeah, I have all three of the girls coach's cells and home numbers. I'll pass them out at the next practice.
Dad: No, I mean the other league's coach's number.
(I of course get what he means, meanwhile, hubby just stands there)
me: "Why, what's up. What do you need?" (that's me cutting to the point)
Dad: (looking at me and then to hubby) Can I have a one on one with you? (looking at hubby)

WHATEVER!

The next 20 minutes was the dad with the golden softball player telling my hubby what horrible coaching there was last year and he wants to trade his girl to another team. The *(%^** nerve. Hellooooooo. This aint no world series. Our league doesn't even keep a running score for christsakes and you want to vent that we didn't teach stealing or sliding? Hell, 1/2 the team last year couldn't even run to 1st base! ( We had some large boned girls last year, mind you). Hubby was really good and explained to him the rules of coaching and that you couldn't yell at the girls to do what they wanted them to do and blah blah blah. Your welcome to try and trade...blah blah blah. The other coaches are the same blah blah blah.

Needless to say ol'"Ruth" is staying on the team and they'll see us at the next practice.

Oh boy!

tHE gAME oF tHE dEVIL

2007-05-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I"ve posted. I can't believe. And what do I decide to come out of retirement to write about? Freakin' Mah Jong.
I'm obsessed. I go to my regular siteS and then I sit for hours trying to solve the stupid little tile games.
I decided to defeat all of them at least once. I have 4 left. The one I'm on currently is Destruction. I've played (and lost) 134 times! I mean come on!!!! 134 times and I can't beat the fucker.
It's crazy.
It's insane.
It's Mah Jong.
If anyone out there has beat this one. Please Please Please tell me. If it's unbeatable. I'm stopping now.

If she isn't posting then I will have to do it for her

2007-04-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

Because she hasn't changed her password and I can still get in here. Ha Ha!

Its her birthday today!

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear sister
Happy Birthday to you!

wHOAAAA...wHERE hAVE i gONE?

2007-03-18T22:28:00.000-07:00

Nowhere!
Can't belive how long its been since i've written anything.
Let's see an update is due:

The girl started her school softball. She's second base and she is good! Not just another braggin mama...well..yeah that's what I am. She doesn't let a ball go by her. She throws like a boy. No loopy looped but a hard straight right at you kind of throw. I like that.

Hubby bought a new truck. More on that tomorrow with pics.

Nephews b-day is today!

Wow is that it? I guess so! I'll go and see what everybody else is up to now.

a bETTIN' fOOL

2007-02-26T22:05:00.000-08:00

I know ...I know. I must be really bored. I've become somewhat of a better. Nothing big. Just small things.
It all started with me and my co-workers betting on one of employees on his habits.

A quarter says what time he gets in late. A quarter says what's the first thing he says in the morning. A quarter here. A quarter there.
Then the superbowl came. 4 squares at a $100.00 bucks a pop. We won one thank God and got $500.00. Pretty cool.

I'm in a Survivor pool and I don't even watch the damn show. $10 bucks in and you draw a survivor. My guy is 54yr old Yau-Man Chan.

The oscars pool (no money) on MSN. I came in 23,117th place out of 62,000 people. Not too shabby for a person who really didn't even watch any of the contenders.

What's next?

March Madness (basketball)

Then I think its time to stop.

eVEN bETTER tHAN tHE dIAMONDS

2007-02-22T12:24:00.000-08:00

Whoah! Better than the diamonds.
I'm sick right now. Cold sick and I hate being sick. I stayed home from work on Tuesday and was asleep by 5:30 pm. Yesterday I came home from work and went straight to bed. No "hi hubby", "what's up hubby"...nada. Straight to bed.
About 8:15 hubby walks in and says he went to the grocery store, fed the kids and broght me a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of orange juice.
What the fuck?
I'm speechless. Waaaaaay to nice. Don't get me wrong, I aint' knockin' it, but hmmmmmm.....

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

2007-02-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

I luv it.
I never paid any attention to it when it came out last year. I wasn't standing in line for hours on end for a chance to buy one. Not even a blip on my radar. Couldn't care. Oh how wrong I was.
Little sister's girls got the Wii system for Xmas and they brought it down with them this weekend. All Sunday night we played Tennis. That was so much fun. Me and little sis would get up in the middle of the living room floor and play like we used to back in high school. We'd start a best of 5 and then after it was over, we would quickly re-start it before any of the kids had a chance to see.
I knew my arms would ache this morning. We played too much for them not to. I haven't moved my arms in 10 yrs in any kind of sporting activity so I knew it would be bad. Brother, let me tell you....it was. I sit here with my arms by myside only moving my fingers cause I don't have the ability to move my arms. It's going to be a lot of TV watching for me today. No heavy lifting, no strenuous arm movemnts....hell, no moving for me.
It was worth it though.
I'm trying to see if I can get that damn system for my Birthday.

hAPPY vALENTINES dAY

2007-02-13T22:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day.
Hubby came thru tonight. We couldn't wait for presents so we opened early. Hubby and I really don't share gifts on this day. We usually just go out to dinner either pizza with the kids or the local steak house for just us.
This year I thought I'd one up him and actually get him something he wanted. Around xmas time, all he said he wanted was a boombox for the garage. We found one at Sears for 150 and at the time with our big hawaii trip, I never pulled it off for him. So today I went out and bought it for him and wrapped it up in bright red wrapping. I put it in front of the TV for him to see tonight when he came home (from drinking what else is new). He came home early and wanted to open it so I let him. He liked it. Really liked it so score one for me. Then about an hour later he asked if i wanted to open up my prezzie. I really thought he didn't get me one and I was fine with that. It felt good just to get him something. Lo and behold he told me to close my eyes and hold out my hands. He laid a small box in it and I opened it up to find 1Ct diamond earrings. He soooo won the gift exchange. Score 1000 for him.
I had been without one of my diamonds for about a year now and I just recently lost the other one while we were in hawaii. He decided to replace them with some bigger ones.
I'm speechless.
The ol man dun good this year.

hI....mY nAME iS j aND i hAVE RP.

2007-02-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

Retinitis pigmentosa, or RP, is a genetic eye condition. In the progression of symptoms for RP, night blindness generally precedes tunnel vision by years or even decades. Many people with RP do not become legally blind until their 40s or 50s and retain some sight all their life. Others go completely blind from RP, in some cases as early as childhood. Progression of RP is different in each case.

RP is a group of inherited disorders in which abnormalities of the photoreceptors (rods and cones) or the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the retina lead to progressive visual loss. Affected individuals first experience defective dark adaptation or nyctalopia (night blindness), followed by constriction of the peripheral visual field and, eventually, loss of central vision late in the course of the disease.
That's what I have. My oldest sis, my mother, my Gpa and I all share it. It sucks. It's a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. The day (or night) that I will no longer be able to drive. Tonight was an eye opener.

My neice was chosen to be in the Honor Choir. Program started at 7:00. I needed to get there earlier cause I didn't want to drive at night to somewhere I've never been. I hate that most of all. If I had to choose the greatest fear of mine, it would be "driving to a new place." Let alone driving to a new place in the dark with the rain. That's a double catastraphe. My poor sis had to get me threre with her directions and needless to say I got upset. Not only could I not find the fucking place I had my mom and the girl with me. I kept yelling out...do you see any people? do you see any street signs ...do you see anything remotely looking like a high school?!! I finally found the place and turned left onto the road, though I couldn't tell you if I had turned into a freakin' parkiing lot or an actual road by then.
We arrived in an hour. The drive should've only taken 20 minutes.
I was exhausted. Mentally, physically, spiritually...you name it, I was there.
I knew tensions were high amongst our little group, cause when we sat down, no one spoke, which in our family was odd, cause we always talked. I felt bad that I had caused this. While looking up the RP definition, no where did I find that RP affected the nervous system or mood changing hormone. Fuck...it's all me then.
I'm glad we went though. Niece put on a good show. I see why they were the Honor Choir. While she was waiting to get off the stage, me and the girl kept waving really big and embarassing her. Her friend next to her said she had a weird family. There's that word again...weird.
After her performance was the high school group and I kind of phased out of that one, cause all I could think of was getting back into my stupid car and making the drive home (and par for the course, with an empty tank).
Bro in law drove in front of us and to tell you the truth, I couldn't tell if I was on the left or right side of the road. All I concentrated on was the tire tracks he made in the rain. I followed those all the way home.
After we dropped off Gma and the girl went home with sis, I drove home and sat in the driveway. My fucking head hurt. My collarbone hurt (don't ask me why), my arms were all tensed up. EXHAUSTED.
Tonight was the first time I could really really say that I was worried.
Sorry sis if I upset you.
I love you.

i wANT tO gO bAAAAAAAACCCKKKK!

2007-02-08T12:32:00.000-08:00

bIRTHDAY bOY

2007-02-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

Jesus wept. I am now the mother of a 15yr old! Where does the time go! 15!! Holy shit, I'm getting older. But enough about me...let's talk about him.
Here is a pic of the boy.

Let's do a 15 things about me thing for him, shall we? Sure , he doesn't know this site exists, so lets.

1. He hates his mustache. Wants to shave it soo badly, but hubby won't let him? Why you ask? Cause the boy doesn't comb his hair, or iron his clothes, or generally takes care of himself. This is hubby's only bargaining chip with him in those regards. He's told him, wanna shave your mustache? Show me for one week you can go with combing and grooming yourself and I'll let you shave. This pic was taken 2 weeks ago...as you can tell the 'stache is still there.

2. He has very low self esteem. He's very self conscious about his body. Is this normal for a boy? I know girls go thru this, but does a boy? He won't take his shirt off ever. He zips up his jacket to the neck and won't ever wear shorts out to school or in public.

3. He's 3/4 mexican and 1/4 white. Looks more white, but has mexican features.

4. He's funny. He can recite almost any comedian's act that he enjoys and makes them sound great. We trade off Mitch Hedbert, Ron White, Christopher Titus jokes.

5. He plays the electric guitar. He was self taught. He's no Eddie Van Halen, but for being self taught, he can actually play some songs.

6. He has excema. I had it as a kid, but mine went away around the 4th grade. His isn't very active, but he still breaks out really bad 3 or 4 times a year. He gets it above his belly button, behind his knees and on his arms.

7. He got his first girlfriend this year. Around October he "got with" (the term nowaways) V and 4 weeks later (on her birthday in fact) broke up with him and returned the necklace he gave her. they have since reconciled and have been together since.

8. He listens to almost anything (like me). His tastes can run from System of the Down, red jumpsuit, Hinder, wolfmother, Korn, swing ballads (yeah, i said it), heavy heavy metal, some bubblegum metal, and a little bit of sublime, falloutboy, etc.

9. He wears black. He wore black so much that I had to actually take away all his black shirts and not let him wear them. He still insists on wearing his Volcom sweatshirt zipped up though. Drives me crazy.

10. Whenever he tries on new jeans he always does a little "michael jackson'ish" move with his feet. Not moonwalking, more like a crisscross-ish move. It's funny. I don't even know if he's aware of it.

11. He can sleep. If you let him, he can sleep until 1:00 in the afternoon.

12. He and his sister actually get along quite well for being siblings. They take care of each other. Don't get me wrong, they still fight, but for the most part are great with each other.

13. He has a very open relationship with me but his dad's is somewhat strained. Someday I hope that all changes.

14. When he grows up, he wants to be a writer of animae.

15. He's a good kid and very respectable towards his elders. He's always got along with adults better than his own peers.

gRAB yOUR tICKET....yOUR oUTTA hERE

2007-02-04T02:25:00.000-08:00

The girl went to the movies last night for the 7:00 showing of The Messenger ( I really want to go see that). The hubby and I went for a snacker (KFC) and for a drive thru town like we used to when we were teenagers....and then my cell phone rings.

Girl: Mom? Hey, I just sooooo got kicked out of the movies!

Me: What! Where are you?

Girl: I'm in the lobby they kicked me out.

Me: We'll be right there.

Driving up to the movies, we see the girl and a couple of her friends in the lobby. Figured they all got thrown out. Nope...just my girl. Seems they got sssshed before the previews even came on and as my daughter eagled eyed the usher coming towards them, the girl that WAS doing the talking kept right on. The girl (my girl) tapped her on the shoulder and said she's being watched and then proceeded to open her phone to see what time it was. BAM! Mr. "I still live with my parents in the basement and never kissed a real girl" Manager pointed to her and said get up and go call your parents.
So when we got there and got out, hubby went to "talk" to the manager and I listened to the other girls give a play by play and call oldest sis at the same time.
Hubby and manager convo went like this:

Hubby: Was it soo bad that you had to throw a little girl out of the theatre?
Manager: I have a 150 people inside to watch a movie.
Hubby: The credits hadn't even finished yet. I know how it is to work in a movie theater, I've worked one before.
Manager: I've worked in the business for 13 years and...
Hubby: Listen guy, I'm not here to compare theater working with ya. I just want my daughter to go back in and watch her movie.
Manager: Here's your ticket and get your refund at the front window.
Hubby: (turning to the girl): You see, there's assholes working everywhere daughter.

I'm glad hubby went in, I think I would've been more sarcastic and make a scene.
10 yrs, no even 5 yrs ago, hubby would've handled it much much different. We're talking guy on the floor with a bleeding face different. I guess he has evolved somewhat.

So the drive that started out like we were teenagers ended up with us being parents after all. Damn....i guess its true....you can never go back.

wEIRD.

2007-02-01T22:29:00.000-08:00

Each player of this game starts with the 6 weird things/habits about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird habits/things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

Well that's the name of the game. I got this off of Jager's site even though its a tag free zone, I told him I'm playin'. And since I've seen it on Tai's already, I can't tag the 2 people I read religiously, except of course OLDEST SIS!!

Here goes:

1. Since little, we girls have grown up with "superstitions" of certain things that our mom passed onto us. Here's list that we all abide by:
-Never iron at night
-Silverware always gets put last into the dishwater
-Only wear new pajamas if your on a trip
-Never sing at the table (you'll go crazy)

2. I do not write with black ink. Blue, green, red, purple...etc are all fine, but you will never ever see me write with a black inked pen. It goes against my nature.

3. I drive with one foot up on the dash. Not all the way up on top or anything, but I like to put it up against by the steering wheel. I think I started this years and years ago, cause I learned how to drive with 2 feet (thanks mom). One on brake and one on gas...this is pretty dangerous, so I lift the leg so I only drive with one.

4. Not too weird, but unhealthy.....I do not eat any vegetables. Not a one. Don't like 'em, I don't think I ever did.

5. I only have cigarettes at night. Never during the day. Mostly habit now.

6. I never go to sleep with my bedroom door closed. Never have. Hubby did, and I had to break him of that habit after we got married. Even when we were living in my parents house for awhile would I let him shut the door. I remember when me and youngest sis would share a bedroom, my dad would come in at night and leave the closet light on for us and the door open. He did that way after we were at an age that we didn't have to have the light on. We never told him not to do it. As an adult with her own children, I still leave the bathroom light on for them, well at least for the girl who is now 12.

bLOWHOLE?? mORE lIKE hELLHOLE.

2007-02-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

Take a look at this. You might not be able to tell all that well, but these so called "steps" were really steep. This is little sis and nephew trying to navigate their way down/up the Trail to the Blowhole!. Actually the "fake blowhole". Seems that oldest sis/ hubby kind of remembered the way to the blowhole and took us thru a neighborhood of homes that according to the nice pool man that we asked, was the location of the blowhole. Does this look like a one of only 3 blowholes in the world kind of trail? Does it look like hundreds...nay thousands of people partake in this natural wonder? HELL NO! Now imagine, 18 people, ranging from 5 - 70 trying to get down this steel trail. We were like a human ladder with some of us scooting down on our ass, while others, like my poor daughter, slamming down 1/2 the way against a fence. This little trail was smack dab in the middle of a well to do neighborhood and in between 2 peopls homes. Don't quite think that this was the right place. That statement was confirmed when we heard my older sis's 2 kids say , "Stop...there's a steep drop off and Andy looks as though he has to climb down some kind of cable to get down".....yep, definately wrong place. The two nephews made it along with hubby, not quite sure who else made it.

This is the two newphews who finally made it down to ....wait for it......The Spitting Cave! Not no fucking blowhole for all to see and gaze at...it was supposedly some fucked up spitting cave!! We risked life and limb and not to mention, someone falling off into the ocean and rocks to their deaths for some cave that when the water goes into the cave, it sprays out and looks as if it's spitting. Now that was hilarious. Poor sis felt so bad, she just imagined someone falling or getting hurt and all because of the directions. Oh man we all had a laugh on that one.
Wouldn't you know after we all got up out of there, we got back in the car to head towards Hanama Bay and 1 1/2 miles down the road a huge opened up parking lot and
tourist site set up was in front of us. BING! Blowhole !!

vACATION sUMMARIES

2007-01-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

The gang (minus me)await their bus ride to begin the vacation!

Pearl Harbor. Up early in the morning to go see Pearl Harbor. Oldest sis's hubby made arrangements for the shuttle ride $8 person. Once there, we were in group 3 and wandered around the museum before our "movie" started. It was really informative and even narrated by Ms. Rizzo (Stockard Channing) herself. The short boat ride out to the memorial was a little on the quiet side. Once there, pics and videos were taken. You can actually really see the boat really well under the water. A little bit un-nerving, but on the same side, not. Can't explain. Knowing that the thousands lives that were lost that day and didn't make it out of that ship is something. Definately a something to see kind of thing in your lifetime.

The point of land that extends out into the ocean is called, "Laniloa". According to legend, this pennisula was originally a "Mo'o" or lizard standing upright ready to kill any intruder.

After Kana, a lengendary warrior had rescued his mother from Molakai and reutrned her to Hawaii, Kana set out on a journey to kill all the Mo'os in the islands. He arrived in Laie where the Mo'o had been killing scores of people. Kana easily defeated the Mo'o. He took the Mo'o's head and chopped it into 5 pieces and flung them into the ocean.
That's what at least the legend is out there. The actual rock we're standing in front of according to a book about the island is the head of the lizard but the hole that is in the middle of it was caused by the 1946 tsunmai.
That's a pic of me , the boy and the girl!

On Friday, we all rented mini-vans and toured the island. Stops were Haunauma Bay, the "fake" blowhole, the "real blowhole" (story and pic to come later), Giovanni's orignal famous shrimp truck, Chinaman Hat, Laniloa rock, and Dole Planation. Here is our people in our van. That's Gma, baby sis and her 2 girls and me. We had a nice ride. Can't say that everyone else did though :)

On Sunday, we all went snorkling at the bay. Now that was fun. So much fun that hubby went back on Monday by himself to snorkel for 4 hrs. I've never snorkled so when my head went into the water I started to almost hyperventilate. i was almost gasping. It was strange but I got the hang of it. My kids were like fishes. They really liked it. Gma wasn't going to get into the water but figured she'd have time to get dry by the time we left. And boy did we dry. At the end of the day, not a one escaped severe sunburn. We all had lotion on , but by the tiime the two whitest of the white kids got back to the hotel, they were lobster red. Not red, more like purple, the rest of were all red. While we were there, we heard a big "thump" and looked up to see that a big ol whales tale was slapping the water. It was sooooo big and loud. That was really cool. Not sure if anyone got pics of that or not. I know I got it on video though, but hubby was taping so i'm sure it's a Blair Witch video of the tail.
Here's a pic of Gma looking for fishies the ol traditional way! She didn't want to put the snorkle on at all.

qUICK...tIME fOR oNE mORE

2007-01-29T10:28:00.000-08:00

fIRST pIC oF vACAY!

2007-01-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

Here's the first pic I'll post. Haven't gotten around to journaling yet....that's to come later.

aS uSUAL....sTILL nOT rEADY

2007-01-14T23:29:00.000-08:00

It's almost midnight on the night before we leave on our big Hawaii trip. Am I ready?
Hell no!
Hubby just walked in and asked if I'm still at it?
"Of course, I am. "
"Why is it taking so long?"
Why?....Why?....cause I'm packing for 4 people for a week and no one is lifting a finger to help. I hate being disorganized, but I hate it worse if they DID help cause god forbid, they forget something and I get on a rampage. My one suitcase per person rule has been shot to hell, and it looks like beyond our carry on, that we will have 6 pieces of luggage to haul around and worry about.
I"m tired, cranky and am about to start the red wave any hour now and I'm not HAPPY.
If hubby dares complain that he has to pack the trunk or haul the luugage around at the airport, I may have to kill him.
It's a possibility.

bUFFY lIVES

2007-01-11T22:32:00.000-08:00

Oh, in the midst of all my sadness for the week and the big Hawaii trip I leave for this Monday...this announcement....
Buffy The Vampire Slayer -Season 8!!!!......in comics.
Hey if it continues where season 7 left off and they add Spike not going to see peaches in LA...I'm all for it!

2007-01-10T22:23:00.000-08:00

I told my sis that if she had to she can use my funeral fund to bribe people to show up at my rosary.

tonight's rosary was packed. Wall to wall people to pay their respects for a wonderful crazy fun loving mom, friend, sister. I was so glad to see so many people come to support my friend. I saw a lot of her other friends there and felt good.

While walking out sis and mom were talking that they would never get that many people. That's when I told my sis to start bribing for me.

She saind, "I'll bring a date".................that's at least 25 people then.

I may have said this somewhere, but at my wake, I want lots and lots of pictures of me with friends and family and the songs:
Another one bites the Dust
Who wants to live Forever
and lets round it out with
The Show Must Go On.

Iffn' I go, I'm going with a bang!

fRIENDS.

2007-01-09T21:58:00.000-08:00

Man, I hate being under organized. I have a pile of clothes that I'll have to iron before Sunday. I have a rosary, and two funerals this week, and get thru the rest of the week of school clothes, homework, and things to do up the ass to get ready for vacay. Yeah...never gonna happen. I'll be packing til Monday right before we leave. Typical.

My best friend R's mom's rosary and funeral are Wed and Thursday. I'll be a wreck. She's being so strong. I feel bad taht I'm not with her more, but it eats me up inside. Knowing now that she is alone with no parents or family support. i mean she has family but not close. Not like my sisters. If ever anything was to go wrong, I know I have my sisters love and guidance thru anything. She really doesn't have that. She had her mom and dad...and now both are gone. What's going to happen for holidays or sundays breakfast...or anything really. Where will she go? How will she feel? She really doesn't have that close knit of family. I told hubby at the begininning of her mom's illness that she is and will be invited to all our family functions. He agreed. Her friends have always been her family and I know she is very thankful for all of them. She will need us more than ever now.

It's going to be tough the next couple of days.

2007-01-07T00:41:00.000-08:00

Today my best friend R's mother passed away.....that's all I have to say about that.

fA LA LA LA LA -LA LA LA LAAAAAAAAAAA

2006-12-29T23:37:00.000-08:00

Ok....they're over. Well almost over. The holiday "ripping of presents" is over and New Years is here...almost. And since I don't drink as much as I used to, I've been spending that holiday at home.
So with the holidays behind us (0h by the way, I got a new straightner, blow dryer, some pajammies, gift certif and The Office second season)...it's now time to concentrate on Hawaii!!!!!
I started my list of things to check off to pack.
I got journals for everyone to write in every night so that we may all remember what really went on and get 18 other views on what Hawaii meant to them.
Started to get batteries for the cameras.
Printing out all the damned rules that we'll have to follow in order to get on the plane.
Checked in with the hotel reservations to make sure they're all still there.
and on and on and on and on.....
Lots of things to do.
Hope Xmas was good for all and New Years is a safe one!

Merry Xmas

2006-12-25T00:37:00.000-08:00

Merry Xmas to all you bloggers out there and a Happy New Year!!!

mY tHROAT iS iTCHY!

2006-12-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here at work right now, with what feels liks a large "talon-y" creature used the back of my throat as its personal scratcher. It hurts soooo bad. I hate being sick. I'm a bitch when I'm sick and I certaintly don't want to be at work when I'm like this.
I don't want to be sick for Xmas.
This sucks

a lITTLE wEDNESDAY dRIBBLE

2006-12-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

Time for a quick update while I'm "working".

- The boy went to church youth group with his cousin A. He seemed to enjoy himself. He's been in such a better mood. Not so drawn and down. A said that at first he was kind of stand-offish but warmed up quickly. On the way home, A asked how he liked it and the boy expressed to him that he "felt shocked cause people actually conversated with me". Is that a show of low-self esteem? And if it is....how does one get "self-esteem"!. I don't have any freakin' clue. the girl has it coming out of her butt. I never had to worry about her. But a boy? A 14 yr old boy at that. I'm gonna have to work on that one.

- Our Queen Meow Meow got out last night!! While I was talking to oldest sis (cause my fucking computer wouldn't work......heh...you have to pay the bill by the way in order to sign on....AT&T is funny that way I guess) , we realize that we haven't seen the cat anywhere. My cat is an indoors cat. I don't want my cat getting ran over nor do I want fleas or any other "problems" that arise when cats are outside pets. I like my nice, clean warm, non-flea cat inside. We think when my brother-in-law, wife, and kid came over, they left the fucking door open and out she went. She was gone just over an hour, but man.....that was an awful feeling. I cried to oldest sis that "she's never been outside, she won't know how to get home!". Cats are smart , I found out. She was in our neighbors driveway sitting there patiently for us to come get her.

- Ever play the rubber band snowflake game? I have. It's where you sit at your desk and shoot rubber bands at all the snowflakes that you've hung up in your office for the season. Very fun.

hE'S gOT a gUN

2006-12-07T22:29:00.000-08:00

What the hell.
So hubby and I decided that we would go to the local Taco Bell (yeah, Ecoli, didn't even register). So the four of us go to have a quick bite before the ritual of Wal Mart shopping that needed to get done.
After finishing the last bite, we hear sirens. Lots of them.
We shrug and think "yeah, someone was probably jay walking and our local finest were out in full force".
Thru the windows we see that the red and blues surround Taco Bell and stop right in front of it. That's when we hear a lady go, "He's got a Gun!" and she and her 2 older kids run to the back and into the bathroom.
um....okaaaaaay.
The employees are hiding behind the register. Some others hide behind the taco bell sauce counter. Some stand up in their seats to get a better look. What do we do?
If you know me by now, I do what I do in any "weired" situation.....I sit there.
Hubby gets up by the door, in case the moron makes a run into Taco Bell to hold hostages or some shit and me and the kids sit in our chairs waiting for shit to hit the fan.
While at the door, hubby waves to me to get the kids back and I get up then to have them crouch behind the counter while I stand behind it.
What the hell, man...we're at Taco Bell in "middle America" not LA or New York.
The cops, all eight patrol cars, surround the guy and he gives up and lays on the ground.
Crisis diverted.
So now were their for 40 minutes while the cops search the car and hand-cuff the fucker. I know this cause the petty crime fucker decided to screech into the parking lot and park right behind my vehicle!
I called oldest sis to let her know we're trapped in this hell hole and let her know what's going on. She luvs shit like this. I bet she wished she was there.
After the 1/2 hr, we all four go outside and stare at the guy being taken away and start beeping our car to let the coppers know that we want to leave.
In the meantime, local news show up and I call mom to watch the news that night.
Aaahhhhhh....home town shenanigans.....gotta luv it.

mR. lEARNING dIRECTOR......i lUV yOU

2006-12-05T22:45:00.000-08:00

What a guy. He was really really good. He talked to both hubby and I with the boy in the room and he's straight forth. He didn't coddle and he didn't let the boy think that if he continues this path, that he will graduate. Y our allowed 4 F's for the entire 4 years your there at high school. The boy has 3 at the moment. Not good.
He asked the boy if that is what he wants, cause if it is, with our permission, he'll write him up right now and let's not waste any of our time.
He told about his life story and his growing up and college. About his 2 brothers that are in high school right now. About the hundreds of kids just like him that he's talked to in his 7 yrs there at the school. We were in there for 2 hours!
He gave us some advice but he really said it was up to the boy to make a decision. If he's going to graduate and get better grades, then its not up to him or us, but to the boy himself.
Maybe hearing it from someones else will perk up the boys attitude and let some sunshine in. A ray of hope maybe.
In the meantime.....he will walk to Gma's and do his homework until I get hom from work to pick him up.
Ugh......I hope this passes. 2 1/2 years of this stuff and I'm starting to go crazy.
I won't give up...but man, it sucks.
He has 2 weeks to at least get 2 of his F's up to D's. He's at a 59% in english and a 42% in science (which, by the way he's in an accelerated science class I just found out. Only 10% of freshman take this class.) Time to remove him and put him in Biology where he belongs.
Hopefully that helps.

mEETING tIME

2006-12-05T12:57:00.000-08:00

I leave work today to go to a meeting with the boy's learning director and pricipal (who sadly enough was once my tennis coach....yeah I know).
We're going to switch around his classes and see if he can get in a different science class and drop his stupid digital animae class that he's getting a 12% in.
Talked over with Gma today and maybe the boy going to live over there is a bad idea. I don't think mentally she can handle it. Hell, I can't, so how can she.
I think the boy will just walk over there after school and stay there until I get off of work.
After a day of hyperventilating and crying , I need to start thinking a little more clearly.
I also went to the school supply store and bought a book on cursive handwriting. The boy has serial killer writing and is so hard to read and see.
Maybe if he sat down and thought about what he was doing and writing and can actually go back and read some of the stuff he wrote, could somehow help him.
I'm grabbing at loss straws people.
I'll try anything.

a lITTLE bREAK

2006-12-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

I got the update on the boys progress. Wasn't good. Fail. Fail.Fail. D. Fail.
Off to continuation school he goes.
Report cards go out next friday and if he doesn't bring some of those up, he goes.
So after my nervous breakdown with crying and screaming all the way home, I spoke with the boy and it was decided that the boy would go live with Gma for awhile.
He actually told me that it would probably be better because he feels "cramped" and Gma would make sure she was there to make him do his homework.
I was the to say the least floored. It was either this or quit my job and make sure I was there when he came home and hold his hand while he did his work.
Now, its not a permanet thing. It will be a semi-move.
He will get dropped off at Gma's house Sunday night and go to her house Mon-Wed. Thursday after school he will come home here and stay until Sunday.
Maybe he does need a break and quite sadly, maybe I do too. After today, I know I lost it (not in front of him, but I'm sure he heard the wailing thru the walls) and it was upsetting the girl something awful too. The hubby actually tried to make things better and he spent the better part of the night on the phone with Gma and with the boy in his room. Maybe if he steps back and hubby steps back and see that they actually do have some sort of relationship, things may get better. Hell for me too. He told me that we're too much alike and that's why its not good to be around each other too much.
I failed.
The person who usually knows the answers and can help out everyone with their own problems (except mine of course) has failed her only son.
I feel like shit. I hate myself right now and I can't get over the feeling of such failure.
I dont' care what people say or how they're going to look at it. I only know that I'm trying to do anything and everything to make sure that the boy gets his education and goes on with a productive life. He's only 14 years old for christ's sake. If he's ok with this...from being away from his sister and mom ( I can't include Dad, cause it probably is good that they don't have too much interaction anyways) then I'm going to be fine about this. It's not like he's moving to another city or anything.....Gma lives like 5 blocks away for fuck sake. But knowing that he won't be there to say "goodnight" or yell at him in the morning to move his butt out of bed in the mornings will be hard.
Good news is that he's only 2 weeks away from xmas vacation and then he will spend those 2 weeks with us. AFter that its one week at school and then its off to Hawaii.
I'm hoping this will work. I'm hoping that he doesn't think I'm trying to "get rid" of him. I'm hoping a lot of things.
When saying good night to him, he asked if I was ok with this and I told him that if he thought this was what was going to help him , then I was fine with it (of course crying while saying it probably didn't reassure him).
I just can't belive that we're doing this.
It will be temporary. If I see my mom not being able to take this, then I will think of something else.

I'm tired and my eyes hurt and my head is pounding. I haven't stopped crying since 4 this afternoon.

TBC

2006-12-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

Ok...so I'm home now.

What I did at work today....by J

Today I watched a whole episode of The Office on youtube. I then found some more amusing short videos there and continued to watch for the next 1 1/2. So officially, I was online watching tv for about 2 1/2 hrs. I then drove to our other office 20 mnutes away and preceeded to "work" waste another 2 hrs. So far that's half my day. Lunch covered the other 2 hrs, cause I go to lunch first and then when evryone else is gone, I continue to have my "second" lunch. 6 1/2 hrs now. That leave 1 1/2 hrs left to work.
I love my job!

wORKING hARD...oR hARDLY wORKING

2006-12-01T11:58:00.000-08:00

It's time to talk about work. I don't know if I had let anyone in on all the important goings-on here on a daily basis......know what?
I think I'll write this one at home and not on the work computer.....u just never know.

.....................tbc

pAID!!

2006-11-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I went and made the final payment for our big Hawaii trip in January.
All done and the master card even survived the large hit.
Now is the time to start thinking, planning, shopping for all shit that is Hawaii.

Hubby laid a bombshell a couple of weeks ago that he might not be going
me: "And"
him: "Nothing, I'm just thinking that I might not go."
me: "Aand"
him: "You guys are all going to get washed out with the next Tsunami." (hubby's biggest fear are waves. Since a boy, he's always saw himself being overcome by a huge crashing wave...hey its his thing. He's allowed one fear I guess)
me: "Aaaaaannnndddd"

You get the drift. I wasn't going to argue with him. If he goes, fine. If he doesn't, that's all fine too.
I see it this way. If he goes, they'll bound to be trouble between him and I and when we fight, we fight. We don't care who's around or what we're doing. If he's going to start yelling, I'll be fucked if I'm going to stand there and let him continue to yell. Not that's what we do all the time, but truthfully when the shit hits the fan, it HITS the fan. So with the kids going and mom, AND middle sis with us on vacay, it just seems inevitable that he's going to start shitting.
If he doesn't go.......um....oh well, I guess.

But I paid for him to go anyways. Now we'll just see if he gets on the plane. There's insurance so if he doesn't go, I lose $100 or so. Well worth the headaches.

I think the next month or so, I'll be renting some movies: Titanic, Poseidon, The Perfect Storm, Deep Impact, The Day After Tomorrow, Point Break.

That should do it.

sNIFF sNIFF....yEP, wE'RE aLL bREATHING

2006-11-28T22:25:00.000-08:00

Well well. Guess what I got woken up to this morning at 5:30 am. A hubby screaming that the stoves been on all night (since 6:00 pm mind you). It seems when I was warming up dinner (in the microwave, not the stove), that i must have somehow turned on one of the burners. LIke no flame burner, just the gas.
I know I smoked a cigarette or two in the house around midnight. Guess there wasn't enough gas to go boom...lucky for us.
So hubby is going around opening up all the windows and dorrs to try to get the gas out. I go and see if the kids are ok and they get in bed with me. Guess what we do then...we all go back to SLEEP.
What dumbasses. But according to the genius that is hubby, he said, "everything is fine....i got it out" and like a dumbshit, I listened and went back to bed. Around 6:30, the kids and I get up to get dressed for the day.
As i dropped off the girl, I didn't feel very feel and I called the boy who was still at home, to get out and go to school.
They were both fine, I think I just had a headache from all the stress and crying ...yeah crying cause we could've not woken up this morning.
I refused to talk to hubby cause he yelled at me, but I did text him to let me know if the cat was dead when he got home from work.
What can I say!?

mY mY...hOW tIIME fLIES

2006-11-21T23:46:00.000-08:00

Man, its been forever since I posted.

Let's see:

Happenings:

The boy broke up with his girlfriend of just over a month. Jesus wept. He says its because she said that he just got together with him to get back at another girl that he had harbored feelings for over the past year. It seems (as i told the boy this would happen) that this girl all of sudden realized what a great guy he was After he was taken. I told him this. I said these words exactly, "Son, now that your "taken" you watch, the girls will all of a sudden realize what a great kid you are and they'll start trouble." Sure enough, trouble started to follow him. He even told his friends that that's what my mom said would happen. I should know, cause I know I've been guilty of that back in the day. Soooo, I'm in "suicide watch"....not really suicide but for a 14 year old, this is devasting. His dad of course said, "So , you lost one...who cares. This is where you go, "You wanna leave? Fine leave. (Turning to the next girl) Hi, my name is (the boy), what's your name?" That's typical cause that 's what he did back in the day. I think between us, the boy will be completely screwed. I actually told the boy to go "play" the girl that started trouble for him and get over the old one.

The girl is fine. She went to a black and white dance on Friday and she said she only danced once with a boy. I asked fast or slow and she smiled and said "slow". She told her dad that , and you should have seen his face. Priceless. I asked her today on the way to school , who she "likes' right now and she said no one right now but as soon as she finds one, she'd let me know. Awwwwwww.

As far as I am concerned, all is well ......for now. :)

wEEKEND uPDATE

2006-11-13T12:10:00.000-08:00

Went to see Nightmare before Xmas in 3D again this friday. Middle Sis, me, little N, the girl, the niece and the boy all sat in a row (well the boy sat in front of us) and proceeded to watch the magical event. I luv the movie I really do. Sometimes though it's hard to have another person (no names mentioned) who sings along with the whole movie and recites most of it word for word, and who has to point out everything out to everyone else, even though everyone can plainly see the shit themselves.
I don't know why I'm trying to be all cryptic. It's stupid really. But oldest sis and I's biggest fear is that one day "the psychic" will find these blogs and all hell will break loose.

I say as long as it happens after Hawaii, I'm OK with it. :)

Anyways, I digress.....what else happened?

- The girl had her best friend spend the night on Saturday.
- Went shopping to Costco on Sunday
- Bought a gift for the boys first girlfriend. Her birthday is this Thursday.
- Went to a rosary on Sunday. It was packed. It was for a woman who was only 40 years old and was a friend of ours thru hubby's second family. She was shot 4 times in a "drive-by".
-Played Mah Jong till my arm cramped up and I was getting bleary eyed. (2:00 am)

Oh I could go into more detail with the weekend. Like how many times one can say "umbrella" in Italian (7 times in under 5 minutes).....or how many seconds it takes a person to ask for some photographs that I didn't pull out of a drawer to look at (14 sec).....or how many times can a person bring up a new color of hair before someone comments (3)....or......like I said I could go on, but it's all just tooo discriminating.

A's

2006-11-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

Holy shit...I think the girl may just pull it off. Last year the girl said she was going to get all A's in junior high. I patted her on the back and said, "you just go ahead and do that...I know you can. and if you do, I'll get you anything you want." Her answer: a sidekick. My reply, "ok"
What a moron.
The girl is not dumb. Far from it. But I happen to know she sucks at math and I thought no way would she ever pull an A in algebra.
You guessed it. She has a B plus.
I'm quietly crapping my pants now cause I can't get a sidekick cause its a T-Mobile only phone and I'm verizon who just started a new 2 year contract in June of this year.
Full price for a sidekick is 329.00 plus tax.
Be careful what you promise.

tHANK yOU iNTERNET

2006-11-03T23:24:00.000-08:00

Man....how the times have changed.
Once upon a time, if you missed a show, then you missed it. You'd have to wait for the re-runs.
Then came DVD sets. If you missed one of your favorites, then you could always rent or buy the DVD season once it was done.
Then came Tivo and DVR....not there when the show came on? No problem, tape it and watch it anytime (which is what I did all season with Weeds. Oldest sis would DVR and I would come over usually on Sunday to catch up.)
And now the internet finally.
There's a show out there called Jericho. I really wanted to watch this at the beginning and sis and I said it looked good. Well sis started to watch it and would tell me I gotta watch it, but it seemed I was never home on Wednesday night or I would forget.
Well, I'm all caught up.
Went onto the CBS website and got to watch all 6 episodes I've missed.
Fucking fantastic. I'm so glad I got a new computer and was able to do this.
It's really a good s how. I recommned to anyone.
Now I can't wait until the next one.

tHE pARADE cOUNTDOWN

2006-10-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

It's 8:15 pm....only 6 more hours to put out the chairs for the big day.
Chairs out at 2:00 am in favorite spot.
Arrival at parade route 6:00 am
for breakfast.
3 hrs until parade begins!