Should I have posted this last night? Maybe.... it's never too late to wish someone the best of luck and joy in the new year!

We went to see Alonzo Boden. The first time we saw him was during bike week in Virginia Beach. We were walking down the sidewalk and were given free tickets to a comedy show. My husband loves comedy shows but it was about to start. There was no time for running back to the hotel and changing so we went, I in my T-shirt and he in his tank top, went to the first comedy show I'd ever been to and what luck!! We were seated up front!

Luck, it turns out, is rather subjective?? The first comedian was funny but spent considerable time pointing out that my husband's dress was less than satisfactory. The second one came out and she was sure he he spent his days stoned and he could identify with what she spoke of.

The last one, a very tall man... walked out, picked up the microphone and said, "I'm leaving you alone! You look like an axe murderer and I want you on my side!" This was a joke on occasion through the show and has never been forgotten. So, when I saw he was appearing for New Years Eve I got my husband tickets as a Christmas present.

We have never been out on New Years Eve. My husband doesn't like being out when other people are out drinking and driving. For someone that wasn't fond of being out there driving over two hours.. did I mention that? It is a two hour drive? He certainly had a good time and I am not sure he stopped laughing. As we got in the car he said he was glad I'd gotten the tickets! YES!

Then, I sent my daughter a text message telling her Happy New Year. She actually texted back, several times. Seems the event she had been invited to was formal and she hadn't been let in on that tidbit of information so she was under dressed. A few months ago there would not have been an actual exchange of text messages with her. At best I could have hoped for was... "Ok." I missed her last message and didn't see it until this morning.

The year, despite all of it's downs, a few ups, and lots of stress ended on a really good note. I think this bodes well for the year 2009 my family and for yours as well.. I do wish you all the best!

This was supposed to be saved as a draft and not published as I got called away and didn't get to finish it!! Yes.. I admit.. I'm a dork!

I shopped for him for Christmas. He got three pair of jeans. One pair, which have not yet arrived, are fleece lined for when he's on the bike in the winter months. I also got him tickets to a comedy show on New Years Eve. Nothing exciting but he is very hard to shop for. He wants only tools; which equates to buying me a vacuum cleaner. Or.. he already has purchased anything you can think of that he may want. So, I was stumped this year and we don't have much money so we tried to make Christmas for the children.

He too shopped. I had two neatly wrapped gifts that he set next to him on Christmas Eve... Dang, I can't shake them without him knowing!! The first one was this watch to replace the one I broke when I forgot to take it off before getting into the pool with the Kiddo. Uhm.. I better NOT forget this one!

The second one is one I had for many months read about, watched commercials, and basically drooled over but I would never buy. But, hey.. a person can dream can't they? It was too costly especially when I can go in and get a phone for fifty bucks or less. A white iPhone. I was going to call Friday to make sure I had her number right but I can't talk! Well, I squeak and people can't understand me so before I call anyone on my new phone, I better wait till the bronchitis is gone.. darn. But, eh.. I can play on it alot!

The best Christmas present? The total cost for both items??? Apparently around $250.00. He said he's known what he's going to get for months and for months he's tucked away money, he's collected coupons and he's learned how to sign onto an account I once made then never used so I had no idea what the login information was. Less than fifty dollars was put onto a credit card.

I think that's just... awesome. Even more awesome... is that while I have these two items he swears to me he loves his Levi's. It's okay.. really, I know they are only jeans!!

I can make entries from my iPhone!!
merry Christmas everyone

I started going through old blogs. I didn't find a lot so far but what I did find I hadn't yet saved. My daughter got on the computer and now it's gone... just... gone. So I have to start over.

Insert Appropriate Cuss Word Here!

I don't feel good. I'm putting Vicks on the bottom of my feet 'just in case' it works. Pretty bad, huh??

That's how I woke up and it went downhill from there. The worse ones were my daughter showing up with news. It seems the baby's father has taken up with a new female. One that is a carrier of the MRSA, often pronounced mersa. In short it is a staph infection that is pretty much resistent to most antibiotics and can be fatal. The baby of course has now been exposed to this person.

Now, it seems that the father tried to throw in her face a person she's met that ONCE had it and was treated for it. He has no insurance and went to the hospital to be checked, at his expense to ensure he was clear of the illness. While he was there they gave him an IV of the antibiotics that had worked for him. He has been declared and deemed healthy and safe to be around. This other woman apparently is not.

While she's telling me all of this I'm thinking to myself, 'baby exposes us, we pass it each other. Each of the men pass it to different people they work with which adds up since they are at different job sites all the time. But the bigger numbers come in when I think of the Kiddo.

Imagine all those children, their friends and their families and you see where I'm headed? I've got an epidemic going on in my head and we don't even know for certain that he's contracted MRSA.

Kiddo made it all day in school. However... Yes, there is a HUGE however; something must have happened at lunch? Her mood went downhill and she got sent to the office. For once they let her calm down and sent her back to class but she was not happy the rest of the day. So, for the first time in two weeks she got a yellow or red..not sure which but it's not a green.

Then, she started having a temper tantrum on me. I kept trying to pick her up and put her back into the corner and then she started kicking. I was getting angry because she's FIVE she shouldn't be acting like this. But I did not know anger.. no, not even anger so much as pain until she kicked me in the temple with her heel.

So, I'll get it worked out and my son called and guess who was coming to pick her up? So, she doesn't get punished, there's no problem.. kick Grandma and leave with Mom. I didn't tell mom.. but I did forget to send home this collection of school papers she wants. Oh well. I hope the mother isn't at the meeting tomorrow because I really don't want to get into why I changed the address the Kiddo lives at. That was her fault for registering her wrong.. and I didn't know she did that so I stepped into something that got fixed. She however will be angry I'm sure.

I tried to take a picture of the Kiddo to show why I had hoped her mother would let me take her to get her hair cut, maybe get some bangs but I don't think it turned out. Suffice it to say.. yesterday it was a screaming match because the knots were so bad in her hair. Today.. she took the hair ties out and she looked like Cousin It. She deserves better than that.

I need to figure out how to get this car seat back in and go get the baby cause I GUESS I'm supposed to pick him up. She said she was going to tell his dad I was sick but knowing him, that's not his problem.

Sometimes I don't want to do this anymore. Sometimes it's not the children and it's not my kids that are a problem it's dealing with the OTHER parents... the ones that complain if I might have a pair of pants that only the little girl can fit into, (which I don't) or that doesn't give a rat's bottom if someone is sick... one day I needed off for work and the baby's father was off. He had "things" to do that day so I had to work with the baby in tow. This... and getting kicked in the head is why I'm tired. But for MY kids, and for MY grandkids I will plug along but I wish the other parents would use the bathroom or get off the pot cause I don't have time for their stuff and neither do their children.

How can you know someone has a contagious but potentially fatal "illness" for lack of a better word, and bring your child around said person? That's chlid neglect if I ever heard it.

For some reason I packed my notebook so I could write down all those thoughts, reminders or humorous moments that popped up while we went to Pennsylvania. So, there it was in the trunk rather than the front seat of the car and the small things I've long since forgotten.

It was peaceful, it was quiet and we saw some friends we don't often see. We got some Christmas shopping done, we got the Kiddo her first porcelain doll. Yes, it was a cheap one but my husband figures she'll want to play with it. She pretty much leaves my daughter's dolls alone so maybe she'll be okay with them.

Actually, every year we'd made this ride to Lancaster to a doll shop and bought our daughter one. Now she's moved out and grown. So, I think my husband is planning on seeing what the Kiddo does with this cheaper version of a doll and if she takes care of it then he won't mind paying for the collecting kind.

But, the really funny thing is a phone call I got. I had sent a picture to the son of my husband's cousin. Husband's cousin doesn't get pictures on his phone. My husband tried to call both cousin and son... and didn't reach them. When my phone rang later in the day I heard the gravely voice with that mischievous laughter, more like a giggle, say, "Hello, Judy!"

Judy is not my name but for some reason the cousin always thought it was Shirley. Me, not feeling comfortable correcting him the second and third time just simply answered to him. This was three years ago. One day someone finally reminded him that Shirley was another relative and reminded him of my name. At that point he just laughed and I became whatever name he happened to think of at the time. I've answered to Jane, Mary, Mildred, Gertrude.. you get the idea.

So, today I was apparently "Judy" and this threw me off but for some reason he told me "This is Bill." Bill of course is not his name and actually I used his name but there was that hint of a giggle in his voice and I went with it. There was the usual idle chit chat, the how are you's, what are you up to and finally 'Bill' spit it out. "I got a phone call about the accident you were in last night."

Accident? Uhm.. and the laughter was gone from his voice replaced with concern and I knew something was wrong. "You were called that I was in an accident?" When he remained serious I quickly told him I'm sorry he has the wrong number.. the wrong Judy. And "Good luck I hope she's okay."

I hung up the phone and looked rather perplexed as I told my husband who quickly pulled his phone out to call his cousin and tell him. Laughing the whole time until he hung up again still unable to reach his cousin.

After that was the long ride home. Traffic was horrid today. A three hour ride took more like five or six. I slept and coughed. He sniffed and drove. Seems I do the ultimately gross thing.. in my sleep I cough and often times on him. I was about to pack up my pillows and blanket and sleep on the couch but he would rather I stay there in the bed.. so now he's sick too.

The only glitch in this is that all day I've thought it was Sunday. During traffic I tried to pull up the football scores. When my husband realized what I was doing he once again reminded me it wis Saturday. Then, I came downstairs with every intention of watching Desperate Housewives only to be reminded that it's been Saturday the last twenty times I questioned it.. it's still Saturday.

The question now is.. what will my name be if his cousin calls back and what day will I think it is?

My husband wants to make rocking chairs for four children. We were talking about getting someone to help and we could set up a factory out there and get them all done. Not sure what I could do I offered to put a decal for each child on them. Then my husband said I could paint them! Paint has been off limits since I stepped in a paint can and I get to paint!
Maybe

Just what part of "PLEASE give me a list for Christmas is hard?

My son said, "I know I should write a book [diary] about all the stuff going on but I don't write very good." I nodded and before I could say anything he asked if I'd start one.. he knew it might be kindof late.

Thanks to Friday and my penchant for venting I did recently start putting prudent things in here. I bet I also have in old blogs posts where I "vented." I will have to search and hope these old blogs are still there for one and start moving those posts here!

I have a friend too that we used to talk back and forth.. I can see if he saved anything but I do think he's long since deleted it. Speak of the devil.. D.. I miss you!!

There was the couch stuck in the doorway of a house we were moving out of. Realtors were trying to show the house so potential renters/buyers had to duck around the couch and broken glass from the window in that had once been in the door.

There was the office I painted with paint bought off the clearance rack in Home Depot. A buck a can for paint that is wrong and nobody in their right mind would purchase. My office is now yellow.. like working in the middle of a Lemon Drop. Which is kindof okay but the trim is BRIGHT yellow! Not only the trim but also the carpet where I tried to get off the ladder and stepped into the can of paint.

Caulking on the floor from trying to add the finishing touches to the upstairs bathroom remodel. Only it was not the kind of stuff I was used to and made a mess of the place.

The list goes on and I've been told, asked, pleaded with to quit trying to "Help save money, or just please quit helping." It seems when I try to help ESPECIALLY if it involves something messy I end up making more work for my husband than he would have had if I just left well enough alone.



Last night I saved thirty dollars on a new stamp for our business. Of course it cost the business WAY more than that if I were to charge for my time. Yet, I oddly feel rather accomplished even if my hands are black!!

My son said he needed a break and my husband told him he'd have Thanksgiving off. Son was telling me this and seemed as if he didn't quite find this amusing. Okay, I know it's only one day and what I knew that he apparently didn't know yet is that they had the weekend off.. though they do have to work tomorrow. Is he that worn out?? As I do with all of the kids I started to worry.

Then he spilled it out. At 8:00 am on his only day off he has to go to I-Hop for breakfast. "Mom, it's with my room mate and his woman, my best friend that's helped me alot and I can't turn him down." I understood him to be saying that he really wanted to sleep in but he'd do this for his friend.

However, he wasn't done. He has to go to my ex-husband's house from two to four this afternoon for Thanksgiving dinner. Ahh.. yes. Him again. I did not say it I just should know the man has absolutely no regard for the fact that we may want to spend a Thanksgiving with the kids. When they were minors it was a given that they would spend Thanksgiving with us but then he re-married and the rules changed. Civility went out the door and in stepped in selfish behavior.

I gather my son knows that too because he said, "Write this on your calendar.. I am YOURS next Thanksgiving." I smiled softly and told him to just enjoy his day.. we will see him at 11:30 am...

You see, for the last several years we've gone to Cracker Barrel. There we meet up with another family and have an early dinner. We enjoy each other's company, talk across each other and over the table. We laugh and have a good time and then every one scatters. We know they all have my ex to go to, and significant other's families. It gets to be more of a chore than I remember Thanksgiving.

My son said he'd come with us though I told him I understood if he didn't. He'll try to come and have coffee. "I can sit and have coffee and talk with you all Mom!!" He could go home and catch up on some of that sleep he's lacking too but he's going to try and come with us. What he WANTED to do was come here and have smoked turkey. My husband will smoke him turkey for him another day.

My daughter will come. I did not think, now that she is an adult she was fond of the other family. But she kept pestering me to know if they would be there and finally I asked her why she asked, she said, "Mom, they are always there.. it wouldn't be tradition if they weren't there!"

So... here's to Cracker Barrel and all of those that will be with us even if only for a cup of coffee. Here's to all of you that stop by here and read all of this, and here's to the parade cause at the end of it Santa Claus will ride in on his sleigh and THAT is when Christmas starts!! Not in October! We have another son, technically my step son.. my husband's one biological son. Last year was my husband's birthday on Thanksgiving. Last year and this year this son goes out of state with his fiance and her family. I think since he sees us every day and can't see her family very often this is a wise choice. Kindof bummed me out last year since it was his dad's birthday too.. but this is what happens as children grow up.

My oldest daughter lives a couple hours away and works today. Then she'll go home and have dinner with her children. My oldest son, heck, I haven't heard from him in a couple years.. I only know that he's still back and still okay but unemployed. But he's okay!

So it is once they become adults. Pushed and pulled because as they become involved with other people, and have children they are pulled ever tighter. I remember DREADING the holidays because the dickering started over where we'd spend what holiday. I don't want to do that to them but now that I'm an adult myself, a parent myself, I understand why my parents and my in-laws pushed and prodded us.. They too wanted to spend special times with us.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of you!