Aged To Imperfection

"Hot diggity dog ..."

2009-04-09T20:43:00.006-04:00

Amy, thanks for the Happy Birthday wish!

One of my very favorite bloggers has stopped updating regularly, after years and years of almost daily posting. I'm disappointed, yes. But I totally understand. I don't know why, but this journal/blog has become something I just don't want to deal with.

To quote Plain Jane: "I'm NOT going to write some kind of big farewell message and close up shop. I'm going to let this thing sit until I feel like updating it. That's the way it is. I'm just changing the way I do things right now, that's all. I might return to regular updating at some point ..."

And if she can do it, so can I.

I'm on Facebook now. Although I'm not "blogging" there, I do post new pictures and videos occasionally.

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On to the song of the day ... that damn Mickey Mouse Clubhouse "Hot Dog Song".

It stays in my brain for days on end. But it's OK, because that reminds me of this:

From last month, on a Saturday morning, after spending the night with Nana & Papa...

Today, after her bath ... she's perfecting her footwork ...

She misses her Papa ...

Until the next time ... be well!

"It's too late to apologize ..."

2009-03-13T09:14:00.002-04:00

... but I feel really bad and will say that I'm sorry anyway.

My posts here lately have been for Jimmy, to keep him updated on Miss Squish. And Emilie, too. She misses the bug like crazy. They both wait patiently for new pictures and videos, and this week I have failed miserably.

I don't know whether it was because she didn't stop moving or because I can't take my OWN eyes off of here these days ... but for whatever reason, I didn't take a single picture yesterday.

Hopefully, the new ones posted over at her Daddy's blog will hold you through. I'm sorry.

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I will give a recap of "Thursday With Nana" though.

When I picked her up from daycare, I asked her ladies if she was being taught to say "Yummy, yummy" at mealtimes. She had been quite vocal with the "EAT EAT" when she was hungry, and now all of a sudden that's gone. Now when she thinks it's past time for food, she heads over to the high chair, and says, "Yummy yummy!" The ladies all looked puzzled, and said that they had never used that term with the kids, and then one said, "That S(quish)! She's got a really good vocabulary!"

*Proud Nana.*

When we got here, we hung out in the front yard a little while. It was cool and windy, but not too bad. She walked all around and watched the leaves blow in the wind. A kid went down the street, bouncing a basketball ... and she told him loudly what it was called, "BALLLL!"

We came in, she went straight into the laundry room and got a pair of my clogs ... "Shoes!" and tried to wear them. They didn't work too well, but later she had some success with my faux-Danskos.

When she wants to sit in the breakfast room chairs, she says, "Sit!" ... and that means she wants to spin round and round ... "Wheee! Wheee!" When she wants to sit in the recliner, she says "Up", which is also what she says when she wants to be picked up. (Usually the only reason she wants to be picked up is to see whatever I'm working on in the kitchen.)

I bought some "First Crayons" and some blank paper at Walmart this week. First Crayons are bigger around and shaped like triangles, which is supposed to train their fingers to properly hold a pencil or crayon. Whatever. She colored a bit ... and then, while never losing eye contact, she slowly would put one in her mouth. She was watching me closely because she knew I was going to say, "No no!" She did the same trick with her hair clip. She pulls it from her hair, and watches me while it goes straight toward her mouth ... in slow motion. It's all I can do to keep from laughing.

Same thing at the dinner table. When her tummy was full, she drank a little milk and instead of placing the cup back onto the table, she holds it to the side of the high chair and drops it. I told her, "No darling girl, put your cup here on the table." A minute later, she had the cup in her hands again, drank ... and then looked at me, with the cup dangling over the side of the chair. She never lost eye contact. I gave her "the look", and told her to put her cup on the table. She went for the full dramatic pause ... and dropped it. And still never lost eye contact. I had to cover my mouth and bite my lips to hide the smile. And she knew. She smiled back. (Sorry kids.)

Let's see ... what else ...

She only read one book yesterday. Weird. We did play with the cars in the hallway ... she liked that a lot. As one rolled down the hall, she'd chase it and I'd start another one rolling towards her. At first that made her laugh ... but after we did it a few times, she'd make an unhappy noise and come running back to me, as if she was saying, "WAIT! I want to be here when they start rolling!"

We went onto the deck for a little while. She found some river rocks that I use in my potted plants, and lined them all up at one end of the deck ... and then moved theme to the other end, one by one. Repeat. Repeat.

She said, "Blanket" when she saw her blanket. No, it didn't sound like blanket ... but she was definitely calling it a word. She danced to some songs on PBS. She kissed her puppy. She ate supper. She took a bath, and then afterwards, climbed right back up the stairs and asked to "SIT!" in my chair in the bedroom. (We combed her hair there, while she watched in the mirror.)

The Simpsons were on in the background at one point, and Homer was singing the Batman theme, "Na na na na na na na na, Fishing" (instead of Batman) ... she looked at me and smiled, and started singing, "Nana, nana, nana" .... hehee.

After I took her home, her Mama showed her a cute pink baseball cap she had bought for her yesterday. Squish tried it on, and we thought it'd the same as the hair clips ... right off again. We were wrong ... she liked wearing her hat. Maybe they'll take a picture of her in it this weekend.

The funniest thing she said yesterday ... we were walking around the front yard, and she said (as she does every time), "Da Papa?" ... meaning "Where's that Papa?" I told her you were working far away again, and missing his Sarah really badly (as I do every time). At this point you're going to have to use your imagination because in a perfect little British accent she said, "Da PaPAA." Accent on the second Pa. And then she said it again. Good LORD. She's cute.

I know you're disappointed about the lack of a new picture ... but I had my hands full!

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And now I'm off to pack for Wilmington! Hope everybody has a good weekend ...

"The more I see, the less I know ..."

2009-03-02T16:35:00.008-05:00

A picture from Saturday with The Squish ...

... her cheeks are extra-rosy because she just woke up from her nap.

She spent the night on Friday night, and we had a really nice day on Saturday! Next to her in the chair is her newfound friend, "Puppy". Puppy was a gift for her first Valentine's Day in 2008, and has hung out in the crib here since then. Suddenly this weekend, Squish noticed Puppy. And kissed Puppy, a lot. She likes Puppy.

A dark video from Saturday, after her Daddy came to hang out with us ...

It looks like she is totally bothered by the story her Dad is reading to her ...

... but she wasn't.

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It snowed last night. Adam and Brandy called this morning and said they had been without electricity all night and would like to come and hang out where it's heated. Lucky me, I had heat to offer. So I had a totally unexpected and enjoyable afternoon with them.

Squish and Snow ...

... she didn't bring gloves so we made do.

Hanging out (inside where it's warm) with Puppy ...

Wearing Mama's shoes ...

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Their power is back on, and all is well. Snow melted off the driveway today, and it'll be Spring (70 degrees) on Saturday.

And that's all I got. I'd apologize for writing so little and blah, blah, blah ... but you already know that. Hope your week is a good one!

"Do I want too much? ..."

2009-02-12T22:56:00.007-05:00

And a Happy Friday to you.

Just so you'll know, I sent my phone number to our Charter friend, Eric a few minutes ago. I have little hope that he'll actually be able to lower our cable/Internet bill, and still allow me to watch "The Real Housewives (Hookers) Of Orange County" every week. But I'll let you know.

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This week my "check engine" light came on. Don't you love when that happens? I'll be taking the old car in to the dealership on Monday for some new oxygen sensors, whatever that means. Oh yeah, it means $500.

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I've had the sinus funk happening this week ... really felt quite lousy for most of the days since I was here last. But I lived to tell the tale, and every day I feel slightly better.

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FINALLY got my ring back from the repair shop. I took my emerald ring in right after the holidays to have a stone replaced ... I looked down at my hand on Christmas and it looked like a child who had lost a tooth. One of the emeralds was gone. The repair guy said it might take 2 weeks, but instead it took over a month. But really I suspect it's been sitting in the store, and they just neglected to call me and tell me it was in. Whatever ... they cleaned it, too and MAN it looked pretty when I picked it up.

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And that's about it for my week.

Today, Miss Squish was dancing when I peeked through the door at daycare. She's a really good dancer, too. She has music in her bones. Once here, she was sweet as sugar, and got reeeealy sleepy in the late afternoon. She sat in my lap and watched a Baby Einstein DVD, all cuddled up with her blanket. Cozy! She ate dinner, including some practice time with a spoon when she ate her applesauce. She took a bath, and sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider" a few times, complete with applause and a "Yay!" at the end.

The best part of today: When I asked her for a kiss during dinner, she leaned forward and actually gave me one! A first!

The first video from today will make her Papa smile. She's been working at this toy since we bought it months and months ago. And today she got two, all by herself!

(She actually got three in yesterday, just not on this video.)

She practiced her piano playing ...

And then told me some stuff during bath-time ...

And finally, around Christmas she found my Daddy's old pitchpipe that he used to use when he was singing in a Barbershop Quartet. When I was little, I used to want to play with that thing in a BAD way. He would always say no ... "It's NOT a toy!" Well, unless we let Miss Squish play with it now, there's not much use for it. Somehow, I think my Dad approves.

Last month she couldn't seem to figure out how to make the sound happen. I showed her over and over, and she'd just smile and hold it to her mouth. Then she'd give it back to me again. That all changed today. She'd hold it in her mouth and start to sing and hum ... and every time she got enough breath through the pitchpipe to make it sound, she was SO proud of herself. I bet her Grandpa Stark is proud too ...

Relaxin' with Nana ...

"No complaints ..."

2009-02-07T08:46:00.004-05:00

From the comments:

Hello Dawn,

My name is Eric Ketzer. I am a Communications Manager with Charter, and I would be happy to look at your account to see what the issue is. If you could e-mail me your account information to Umatter2Charter@chartercom.com, I will get it fixed.

Thanks, Eric

Wow. Eric, you are really on top of things, I'll have to give you that. (And by the way, I Googled you back, since you were asking for my "account information" and all.)

But it turns out that there's really no issue here. The nice cable guy came in, took one look at things, and pronounced it his "easiest call of the day". Seems my dear husband, in the pursuit of a simpler life, had removed all the channels we weren't receiving (or didn't want to receive) from our channel lineup, using the handy "check the box" deal on the Moxie.

I didn't even know that option existed, so when HBO was turned on at Charter's end, and didn't show up at my end ... well, the problem HAD to be Charter, right? Oh well, live and learn.

But if you're REALLY concerned about my issues with Charter, Eric, here they are:

The cost is out of control. And in our area, you're our only choice in cable providers. I can't get our monthly bill for cable and Internet service under $100 no matter how I try with your "customer service" people. And for folks who really don't watch that much TV, that's highway robbery.

Can you fix that for me, Eric? (Seriously though, thanks for offering.)

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Now. Let's see if by mentioning my gripes with OTHER companies if I can get such an immediate and helpful response ...

Verizon SUCKS! The new little phone we got to replace our land line (Buhbye Charter phone!) has a battery life of approximately 45 minutes. No really. I charged it on Thursday around noon, talked on it about an hour total, and on Friday evening, it still looked to be at least half-charged, maybe more. Friday night, I got home around midnight, laid down in bed, and heard the "low battery" beep. By the time I picked it up and looked at it, it was flat lining. Dead. That can't be right, can it? I'm taking it back to Verizon on Monday. UNLESS some helpful Verizon guy wants to fix it from here. Verizon doesn't really suck, but that little battery really does.

Phillips Magnavox SUCKS! The 31-inch television in my bedroom has the MOST annoying, high-pitched hum.

Toyota SUCKS! Not really ... my car is just very, very old.

"Give me a sign ..."

2009-02-05T21:19:00.007-05:00

Eh, I'm getting sick. Drippy nose, sinus headache, achy muscles. *yay*

It's been almost 2 weeks since I was here, guess what you missed? NOT MUCH!

Jimmy came home last weekend, and we kept Squish here on Friday night. Nothin' but sweetness, that one. We ate dinner with her Mom and Dad on Saturday night. January ended, February began. Jimmy watched the Super Bowl, I didn't.

Some pictures from last Saturday ...

He was back in Puerto Rico on Monday night, and this week has flown on by. I spent a lot of it on the phone with Charter Communications. Those bastards. In order for me to get our bill DOWN, I had to ADD services. Only in Charterville. So now we have HBO and Cinemax.

Only we don't. So the next day I had to call again to tell them there's no HBO.

"Ma'am, put your television on channel 701."

"I did that already, it won't go to 701, it goes to 345."

"Well, 701 is HBO, ma'am."

*sigh*

I will wait tomorrow morning for a cable guy to come and look at my TV to decide why there's no HBO. I don't even WANT HBO.

Yeah, Charter ... hate.

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Here's the Squishy Thursday update for Jimmy ... can't believe that on Saturday, she'll be 15 months old.

First things first: "Eat, eat, eat!"

"I don't care where I go when I'm with you ..."

2009-01-26T09:30:00.009-05:00

Back home, and back to routine ...

My weekend in Wilmington was so nice. The drive ended up being not as dreary and long as I remembered from six months ago. In fact, since I didn't make any stops, I was there in about 4-and-a-half hours. Not bad.

I had some long-distance drama on my first night there, after hearing from Sister Kay that our Mom was having a medical emergency, vomiting and feeling faint. I was on and off the phone with both sisters until after 2 AM, when they were all headed home from the ER. Mother had a UTI and was low on potassium. And now all is well, except in Mother's words, she feels "weak as a dishrag."

On Saturday, we got out the door to a grand opening of a Verizon store there in Wilmington, where we snacked on chicken nuggets, registered for a free Wii, and picked out new cell phones. I seriously can't believe I put up with that damn Chocolate phone for two years. What a pain in the ass. Anyway, I love my new phone, so far. I copied Adam and Brandy and got the LG enV. More than I really need, I suppose, since I didn't opt for the Internet, and I don't text message enough to even pay for the text package ... but it feels good in my hand, and I like having a real live keyboard for those seven texts a month that I DO send out.

We went to lunch at a place called Fat Tony's. (I think.) It smelled like really old cigarette smoke (in a way that was NOT unpleasant to me) and the food was REALLY tasty.

Here's a good picture of my host and hostess before we ate ...

The remainder of Saturday was: hanging out, looking at the houses up and down Wrightsville Beach (it was raining and cold, so no beach combing), and a little shopping. Jud had to go into work for a bit, and Emilie napped ... and then the torture began. For Christmas, Emilie gave Jud Rock Band (edited to add: Emilie tells me it's not Rock Band, it's Guitar Hero World Tour) for his XBox, and on Saturday night they FORCED me to play it with them. With Jud on the drums, Em on guitar, and me on vocals ... try to imagine the caterwauling the neighbors heard. Oy. I can only imagine how bad I sounded, but I guess the wine I was drinking dulled my hearing a bit. Because I KEPT singing. It was lots of fun, and lots of embarrassing.

On Sunday the rain was gone, so they decided to take me to Bald Head Island for a few hours. We bundled up and before I knew it, we were on a ferry boat. I never knew this place existed until Em told me about it last year. From the website:

"Amid Bald Head Island's 12,000 acres, you'll find 10,000 untouched acres of beach, marsh and maritime forest preserves. The intimate neighborhoods dotting the landscape rise gently and seamlessly, as if Nature herself had a hand in their development. Bald Head Island is a two-mile journey across the Cape Fear River from Southport, North Carolina. Appropriately, you can reach the island only by boat – a transition that prepares you for a place strikingly different from the one you left behind.

When you board the passenger ferry for the 20-minute ride to Bald Head Island, you leave your car behind — along with the stress of everyday life. Transportation on the island is limited to golf carts, bikes, skates and well-worn walking shoes...an accurate reflection of the slower, more relaxed island attitude."

SO. Now I know where I'll build my house after I win the lottery. I LOVED THIS PLACE!

Here's "Old Baldy", the lighthouse on the island ...

I don't think I've EVER been on a beach alone ... not one other person in sight. I know, I know, it's January. (And it was so crazy cold out there!) But the cold and wind could not distract from the incredible beauty of this sight ...

This is before we got as cold as we were gonna get. I know this because the sun is still shining in the picture. After awhile, the clouds got thicker and we we shivering ...

I drove home last night ... again with the no-stops, 4-and-a-half hour trip ... and send my "Thanks for the memories" to Em and Jud. I won't wait another six months before I visit again.

"I couldn't live without your love ..."

2009-01-22T22:03:00.009-05:00

I've had a slight cold. Not enough to make things horrible, just enough to make me feel as if I'm underwater with weights attached. You know the feeling. Eh.

We had Miss Squish overnight last Friday, which was a real treat for Jimmy especially, considering he was home from Puerto Rico and all. Not to minimize the treat it was for ME.

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This week has been a quiet one. (See above: underwater.) I'm trying to get myself organized to get outta town in the morning ... headed to Wilmington NC to visit Em and Jud for the weekend. Should be nice to get out of here for a minute.

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Did you watch the Inauguration? I cried. I think I may even have a crush on Barack Obama. Heh.

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Here's a few pitiful pictures and some dark and feedbacky videos from "Thursday Afternoon With Nana", just to keep Jimmy from exploding. She was sooo sleepy, and had a really runny nose ... but we had fun anyway. (Yes, that's ANOTHER bruise on the same spot on her forehead.)

Rocking in the big chair, trying to stay awake:

Concentrating and learning:

And finally, a video from last Saturday morning. It's far too long, and I had intended to learn to edit, and cut it halfway through. But I didn't. So anyway, here's a good example of what it's like to have a conversation with The Squish.

She was finishing up breakfast ... she loves to put her feet up on the tray of the highchair as she gets full. (The girl knows how to relax.) Jimmy and I were amused (you can tell because we laugh) at the end when she started mugging for Papa ...

"And I laugh at myself while the tears roll down ..."

2009-01-09T08:27:00.001-05:00

From Thursday afternoon, for Papa ...

My first attempt at taking a video with my camera, and posting one online, as well ... it took forever to load using Blogger, so I may play around with YouTube later when I have time. The video isn't that great, and while she was fascinated with the book when she found it, you can see from her reaction that it just wasn't that good a read.

Today includes bill-payng, a trip to Publix for baby-eats, since she will be spending the night here tomorrow night (yay!), and hopefully a trip to the consignment store to make a drop-off. I am SO looking forward to tonight ... a Girls Night Out (or In?) at Kathy's ... it's been long while since I've seen everybody. I may have to volunteer to be the designated driver, should we decide to take the show on the road though ... wine hasn't been my friend lately. Bah!

"It's all love and good times ..."

2009-01-07T09:09:00.020-05:00

It's been so long I don't even know where to begin. Besides that, there's only a couple people out there that even still check in here. So, heyyy you two!

As you well know, my Decembers are usually chock-full of activity, what with the decorating, cooking, and visitors. This past one was no different. Only it might have been a little bit busier. So this blog ... which was already being treated like the redheaded stepchild around here by me ... well, it just fell by the wayside. Lowest priority and all that.

December is quite over.

Happy 2009! I would like to say I'll make a concerted effort to get some regularity back to my posting here. I say that because I know my daughter, all the way off in Wilmington, would like to see an occasional update from home. And now Jimmy is off in Puerto Rico, and he has made it perfectly clear that the ONLY thing he'll miss here in Greenville is our Miss Squish. But still, I bet he'll check here every once in a while for a new photo. So I have a little motivation.

Motivation, I've got. Stuff to write about, not so much. But let's give a December recap a whirl.
The holidays were a whirlwind, as always. But they seemed to include a little bit less stress than in years past. Don't know why. But I did enjoy the majority of December. Yay! (I'm sure my sister-in-law would say "Ahem!" at this point, since my one contact with her was an emergency phone call in tears, needing emotional support to make it through the next hour. Thanks, Patti. xo)

I drove to GA mid-month to get my Mom, for her annual visit ... and spent the night with Laura, Melody, and Baby Etta. Oh Lord, that girl is sweetness!

Back to Greenville, we shuttled Jimmy to the airport for a week in Puerto Rico. We finished shopping, wrapping, and ... uh, I can't remember what else we did that week. On the 18th, Jimmy came home, and that night we got a special visitor. Squish arrived for a special visit while her Mom and Dad took off for Las Vegas. (Their trip is detailed over at Fat Cats Rock, along with better Christmas pictures ... my camera sucks all of a sudden!)

I have to say that Squish's visit WAS my Christmas present. The kids could totally have saved the money they spent on my KitchenAid hand mixer. Because that time in December, when she was here for 4 days, was WONDERFUL! We played, we napped, we made a trip to the mall for new shoes ... and we kissed a lot.

She loved to put Papa's reading glasses on and look cute:

Then she discovered the joy that is wearing Papa's hat:

We played some Peek-A-Boo:

A few hours after her Mom and Dad returned and whisked her back home again, my 2nd round of Christmas visitors arrived ... Sister Kay and Beth on Monday night, Emilie and Allie on Tuesday night, and Josh on Christmas Eve:

It wasn't Christmas for me until THIS came walking in on Christmas night:

Aunt Emilie loves this girl so much ... enough to put up with the Nose-Lovin'. And that stuff HURTS:

Squish came back on the Saturday after Christmas to help say goodbye to all our visitors from Georgia ... and to lay some love on Maggie The Cat. Maggie barely tolerates it, but sometimes I wonder if THIS is the reason Squish likes to come to our house:

Another Spend-The-Night party at Nana and Papa's on New Year's Eve, and thank God. SOMEBODY had to provide the entertainment on New Year's Day during Clemson's terrible performance at the Gator Bowl:

Finally, a smile from Saturday night (1/3/09):

(Now I can say that my MAIN motivation for updating here more often will be so that I never have to include a month's worth of pictures again. Could Blogger make it MORE frustrating to add pictures? I think not.)

"Then I take a nap ..."

2008-11-28T15:25:00.015-05:00

Scenes From Thanksgiving 2008:

Chaos In The Kitchen

"Oooh, there's Daddy with the camera! Pick me up, Daddy!"

"Pick me upppppp!"

"OK, crying didn't work ... on to Plan B. "

"Hi Daddy!"
"Never mind. Nana'll do it."

Thankful.

"Thankful for the moment ..."

2008-11-25T13:32:00.004-05:00

It's been a little crazy. Trust me.

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Just in time for Thanksgiving, I'm here with a list of some of the things for which I am thankful. My list is totally random and is subject to change at any moment.

Wanna hear it? Here it goes:

~ Family ... that one goes without saying.

~ My health ... so dear these days, now that I'm a Grandma. And considering the sounds of the coughing from downstairs (Jimmy has pneumonia and an almost-eardrum-rupturing ear infection), I am noting each hour that I feel great.

~ Gasoline that costs $1.69 a gallon at Costco.

~ Precious Squish, who means more to me with each passing day.

~ Wine. Most especially Pinot Grigio. Or whatever's in the box in the refrigerator.

~ Our home. For all my complaining and wanting it all to be new and pretty, I'm aware that I am safe and warm and dry every night of my life. Quite comfortable, even! (But really ... the stove and the kitchen floor have got to go.)

~ The beach. Haven't laid eyes on one since late July, but I know they're still there, waiting for me.
~ My crazy plan to "take a little class at Greenville Tech" is finally coming to an end tonight!
~ Chocolate.

~ Friendly friends, even though it's been too long since I've seen a single one of those beetches.

~ A new (upscale! LahDeDah) Wal-mart, almost next door. Yay, traffic!

~ A space heater that blasts the Heat of Hell right here next to my feet as I waste time on the Internet every day.
~ Speaking of the Internet, thank you, Al Gore. I'll be doing a lot of my Christmas shopping right here with my space heater.

~ Music. What would life be without a soundtrack? (And really, you haven't heard good music until you've heard the Squishy one sing "up above the world so high".)

~ I'm REALLY thankful that I can finally replace my aggravating "Chocolate" cell phone in February.

~ My bed. Seriously, I love it. And I'm thankful for the 600-thread count 100% cotton sheets, and the down comforter, too.
~ Did I mention my family? My kids, my husband, my granddaughter, my sisters, my mother, my in-laws, my nieces, and my nephews ... they are everything to me.

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Are you still out there? Let me know by leaving a comment, telling me what you're most thankful for this week!

"What a difference a day makes ..."

2008-11-07T06:32:00.005-05:00

On this day, last year, change came to our family ...

This is what change looks like now ...

(Pardon the blurriness of the last picture. She won't stay still long enough to get a clear shot.)

Her gift to me this week has been the presence of her company for 3 days instead of our usual one afternoon. Too sick to do daycare, she came and enjoyed Nana's rocking chair for a couple of days. And yesterday, I got to go along as she had her "One Year" portraits taken, and then had the rest of the day to watch her run around here.

I've started calling her our "Demolition Derby Girl" because ... well, because that's how she rolls. No fear.

Change may have come to America this week, but change came to my house on November 7, 2007.

Happy Birthday, My Squish. I love you!

"Steady on ..."

2008-10-10T10:15:00.002-04:00

For real.

And besides, there's no pleasant way for me to discuss the horrendous Clemson - Wake Forest game last night. Ugh.

I did survive my final exam. And I have to go BACK to class on Monday to pick up my packet for my two weeks of clinicals. Still don't know where I'll be assigned.

More fun for next week: Engineer's Poker at my house. Jimmy won last month's game, so yay. I'll be cleaning the house, making lasagna, and then watching TV in my bedroom until the festivities end, promptly at 10 PM.

TGIF.

"No little girl can stop her world to wait for me ..."

2008-10-07T11:03:00.007-04:00

Seriously, I can hardly believe that today marks the 11th month since Miss Squish arrived on the scene. She's packed a lot of growing into those short 11 months, no?

(The picture above was taken on Friday, October 3rd. She was all smiles for her Aunt Patti, Uncle Michael, and Cousin Hallie.)

I totally enjoyed last weekend with our visitors from the south. We hiked around downtown Greenville all afternoon on Saturday, and then rewarded ourselves with beer (wine for me), and fried stuff from Liberty Tap Room. I wish they would come and visit more often ... maybe if I fed 'em better, they might consider it.

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So my class is winding down. Tomorrow night is the big (open book) final exam. I know, I know. Open book, how hard could it possibly be? To tell you the truth, I've been studying a lot. The book is full of stuff that confuses me.

We have one week "off", then for the last two weeks of October I'll be spending my days in an ophthalmologist's office ... hopefully just "observing". I don't feel ready to actually touch a patient. I mean it.

On November 5th, we'll have a little graduation ceremony, and the the week after that, I'll start a quick review class for 8 nights. It makes no sense to me either. But they stressed that it was important. So I'll be there.

Last night, we had a little party to celebrate the fact that we all survived the 10-week class. And I got surprised with gifts. Apparently I was the only one of the 16 of us that made 100 on each and every test we took. (We had a test almost every class.) One of the instructors made me a crown with eyeballs. And I wore it, too. (For a minute or two.)

And one of my classmates made a little cake for me! Is that cute, or what? They really surprised me, and made me smile.

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I lost my voice on Saturday, and it's still not to be found.

-----

The last update I had from Georgia about New Baby Etta said that everything was going well. Melody got to go home on Friday, and Etta is still hanging out with the nurses at the hospital. She's eating like a Stark and no longer under the jaundice lamp. I know it won't be long before she's home with her two Moms and partying all night long.

-----

One more picture of Squish, just for Auntie Em who misses her so much. This was taken last Thursday, October 2nd, on the swings at the neighborhood park. Swingin's one of her favorite things!

(I don't think that the elephant on her shirt necessarily means she's endorsing McCain. She's not sayin', one way or the other.)

"Isn't she lovely, isn't she wonderful? ..."

2008-09-30T11:33:00.009-04:00

What a whirlwind our life has been since ... oh, I don't know, 2007? Seriously though, this last weekend was keerazy.

I was all prepared to go and host the games portion of Melody's baby shower on Saturday afternoon. We packed up, and were heading out to Georgia on Friday morning, when Laura called to tell us Mel had been admitted to a tiny little hospital in Podunk Alabama (where their doc normally delivers). The bed rest wasn't doing the trick, and her urine protein levels had shot up overnight. Her doctor was on the ball, and that's a good thing.

We went on down, and really enjoyed our time there. Squish came with her Mom and Dad, to provide the entertainment for the weekend, and let me tell you, she earned her paycheck! She couldn't have been sweeter and more fun if she tried.

Here's Squish sitting in her new favorite chair at Grandma's house:

And here she is, trying to decide whether to answer her cell phone,

or listen to Grandma read a story:

Jimmy and his brother Michael spent a good portion of Friday evening moving furniture for my mom. And you know that any time spent moving furniture means beer must be consumed. Only Jimmy chose to drink some 40-year-old homemade wine he found at my Uncle's house as they loaded the furniture to be moved. I think it was supposed to be red, but it wasn't. It was muddy brown, and smelled like poisonous death in a bottle. Jimmy loved it. And he lived, too.

On Saturday afternoon, we loaded up our baby gifts and drove to Podunk Alabama, where Melody and Laura were holding court in a teeny hospital room.

We visited as long as we could, and Squish got reacquainted with her Great Aunt Laura:

After we said our goodbyes, the real party started. Mel's protein shot up once again, and her doctor rang the alarm. She was to be transported to the big neonatal unit at a hospital in Columbus GA. Stat. Thank Jeebus.

Frances and I went for a visit there on Sunday afternoon, and while I was thrilled to see them in a much nicer facility, I was worried. Mel looked worn out, and so did Laura.

Jimmy and I drove back home Sunday night (after stopping for a quick picnic at West Point Lake with Michael, Patti, & family) to begin a new week, with exhaustion in our bones.

At 1:22 AM today, my phone rang. Laura was calling to say they'd have a baby within the hour. The baby's heart rate was dropping, so the doctor said, "Now!" And at 2:22 AM, she was born. She's the tiniest baby ... only 2 pounds, 13 ounces, and 14.25 inches long. But she's breathing on her own, crying, and looking around. Her name is Etta Jayne. And I'm her Aunt Dawn. Hee!

I feel so much happiness for this new family.

Isn't she lovely?

"That little spot on the ground is my hometown ..."

2008-09-19T07:29:00.020-04:00

Look, I'm flying an airplane!

Not really ... he was doing all the work.

And I was glad of it too. Look at all that:

This is downtown Greenville,
and I know this because the pilot told me so.

It's Death Valley! (I knew this all by myself.)

I was trying to get a shot of Tillman Hall on the Clemson campus,

and I did. Sort of.
Is that it in the lower left corner?

Lake Keowee ...
where do all those people with the fancy lake houses and boats get their money?

(I'm buying a lottery ticket today.)

This is a scary black-haired lady with her pilot-son.
She's pretty proud.

Thanks Adam. I will always remember yesterday morning. I've added it to the multitude of happy memories of you I store in my heart. In fact, I'm putting it right next to the memory of you, in the driveway at about 2 years old, pointing excitedly into the air, saying, "Heh-cop-er! Heh-cop-er!"

I'm a lucky mom.

-----

So, yeah ... black hair. I was worried that I might scare Miss Squish yesterday, but she didn't seem to notice. She's got good social skills already.

I've had highlights all summer long, and this week I decided I'd tell the hair girl to put me back darker again. Wow. She follows instructions too well. My hair is solid black. Almost blue. And she cut the living daylights out of it too. I look ridiculous. This was at a salon with a great reputation too ... with the reputable prices, as well.

Seriously, I cried. And I spent the entire first day in the shower, trying to wash it out. No luck. Since then, I've pulled it away from my face with a hairband, and pretended I was one of those crazy old ladies who think they look young with blue-black hair. *whimper*

Today, I will try again at yet another "reputable" salon. Please send me some good hair vibes. I have to go out in public again next week.

-----

This weekend, I'll be working on my resume. We have to submit them to the instructor for approval next week. It might take me all weekend to try to make my sketchy work history seem like a good thing to a potential employer. I'll take some happy vibes in that department too.

We also have the big "Medical Terminology" test on Tuesday next week. And it's not open book. We did play a review game last week, split into two teams ... and my team won. The prize was an extra five points on the test. Score!

-----

Speaking of good vibes, I'm using all mine up by sending some to Brandy's Pawpaw (Adam's & Squish's, too) who is in the hospital, dealing with some rough times. He's such a sweet man, and I send love to everybody who is worried about him.

Also, to Sisters Melody and Laura ... Mel was put on bedrest this week, due to some high blood pressure and stuff. I know they're scared, but I have every confidence that they will have a happy ending, just like I did with the whole pre-eclampsia thing when I was pregnant with Adam. Love , love, love ... to all three of you.

-----

And the walking begins ...

There's a video of some of her first steps over at her Daddy's blog, if you want to see the momentous stuff in my life these days.

September 14, 2008

This is her "sleepy face", which totally turns me to mush.

She spent last Saturday night at our house, and I took this just after she woke up.

(She's sitting on the hearth, which I finally covered with an old comforter to lessen the chances of a trip to the ER.)

Yesterday 9/18/08

See? She wasn't scared of Black-Haired Nana.
And finally ... her new face, guaranteed to get her anything she wants.

She does this randomly, and I think it's the cutest damn thing ever!

-----

If anybody knows how to fix the Blogger glitches that plague me to death every time I add a picture to my page here, I hope you'll share the knowledge. When I add pictures, my spacing goes to hell. My paragraphs are gone, and no matter how many times I try to edit and put them back, when I click "publish", everything is all smooshed together again.

Also, why are some pictures "clickable", meaning you can click to see a larger version ... and some aren't? I have looked and LOOKED to find a way to solve these issues, and Blogger won't cooperate. The bastard.

Maybe this means I'm too stoopid to have a blog.

Hush, you.

"Everything old is new again ..."

2008-09-14T18:56:00.004-04:00

The Daddy (10 months old in 1981)

& The Daughter (10 months old in 2008)

... and corn.

(You can click on the pictures to see a larger version.)

"You're young until you're not ..."

2008-09-12T09:40:00.014-04:00

It's Birthday Season again! At least it is in our house. Yesterday, Brandy celebrated Year 29 (for real). Tomorrow, Adam will see #28. And then, before we get all the cake eaten, it'll be November and time to celebrate Emilie, Squish, and Jimmy.

Have I mentioned how much I love this time of year? I crave Fall. It's not here yet, but we've had a couple of days in the 70's, and I am anticipating it like crazy! Of course, the weekend temps are forecast to be back up to the 90's, so whatever. I may go ahead and hang my fall wreath on the door anyway.

-----

Looking forward to my first flight with Adam next week! I had hoped he could take me up on his birthday, and I could get all mushy and sentimental: "28 years ago today, I could never have imagined what a fine, smart, incredible man you'd be ... now look at you, piloting this plane and taking your old Mom for a ride!" Eh, he'd hate that.

Anyway, the plane was all booked for tomorrow, so he has scheduled us for an early morning flight on Wednesday. I'll be waving, so look up on your way to work.

-----

Yesterday, during my regularly scheduled Squishy time, since the weather was so nice, we loaded up the stroller, and walked to the park. She spotted the ducks (geese?) as soon as we got there. Sooo excited! She kept saying, "Duh! Duh!" What a smart little bug she is. I sat on the swings with her in my lap, and she almost fell asleep. She watched a man who was fly-fishing on the mudhole (that's what I like to call our little lake in the park), and she never let those quackers get out of her sight. Later, I put her in the baby swing ... she wasn't too sure of it at first, but loved it after she got the feel of it. Next time I'll take the camera.

She will be walking on her own in the next few days, it seems certain. And she's pretty excited about that!

-----

Still plugging along at the class I'm taking ... still pulling down those 100's on the daily tests. I took the first of three non-open-book tests last week, and scored 100 on that too. I'm a freakin' genius, no? (That was sarcasm, in case you can't hear my voice.)

-----

Today, I'm off to plan a birthday dinner for Squish's Mom and Dad, and then I'll make a run to Publix to buy what's needed. After that, some serious time with the Dyson must be spent. The cat hair is taking over our world.

-----

Here's what you came for:

Taken August 29, 2008

She loves to sit on Nana's stairs.

Only they're off-limits with a gate now.

Looking at herself in the mirror, with her new shades on:

(pay no attention to the scary Nana behind her)
September 7, 2008

10 months old:

If you're a family member, this picture will cause a time-warp in your brain. We have this exact same shot of Squish's Daddy, chewing on a corn cob. One of these days, I'll take the time to scan it and do a side-by-side comparison.

"Ooooh Mama, your hat is the bomb!"

-----

P.S. There are some pictures of her week at the beach over at her Dad's blog. The links on the right, if you need it.

"Breathing just to breathe ..."

2008-09-05T18:52:00.002-04:00

Did you think I forgot about making a "regular" Friday update here? Yeah, well.

How was your Labor Day weekend? Mine was a'ight. A lot of driving, a lot of wine, and a little bit of visiting with family ... we drove to Georgia on Saturday morning and drove back late Monday night.

I was embarrassed that the food I took to share with Michael and Patti was horrendous. I guess the carrots I used to make the yummified carrot cake were old. I can't think of any other reason that they baked in the cake and turned out tough as a chicken gizzard. You couldn't chew those damn carrots.

And then I baked Applesauce Bread from a Paula Deen cookbook, which proved that not everything with her name on it tastes good. Blech. Even Jimmy -- the eater of all unwanted food -- said, "I want to like it, but I just can't."

Maybe I'll give up cooking for awhile. Oh wait. I've already done that.

It was good to see everybody, and I guess I'll see most of them again in about 3 weeks when I head back down there again for Laura and Melody's baby shower.

-----

Thinking tonight about Em and Jud, who will weather their first tropical storm/hurricane when Hanna heads into Wilmington about midnight. Hopefully Ike will keep his distance next week.

-----

No baby pictures ... our Squish was at the beach all week. I think they are making an early drive home tonight, again due to Hanna. I am having Squishy withdrawals!

-----

Didn't watch the pathetic Clemson loss to Alabama last Saturday night ... I was knee deep in a vat of wine and my sister-in-law's swimming pool. Maybe my rapt attention is what they need, and this week will be a better game, with me watching, and all. One can hope!

-----

On Sunday, Miss Squish will be 10 months old. 2008 is flying.

Next week, my first-born baby-child will be 28. My LIFE is flying.

"Sad to say, I miss my friends ..."

2008-08-22T09:01:00.014-04:00

August is determined to fly on outta here, is it not? I swear. I know I was in Wilmington when it began. And when I came home, I started those infernal classes 3 nights a week. Other than that, I can't figure a good reason that the month has all but disappeared for me.

Yesterday would have been my Dad's 84th birthday. I can't imagine him at that elderly age. I did think about him many times yesterday, especially during my hours with Miss Squish. He would have simply adored her. I like to think that some of his love that was left floating around overhead has landed on her.

I miss you, Daddy.

-----

Other than going to class, and ... uh, nuthin', I've been doing the same old, same old since I updated here last week. I did get another nice chance for some time with Miss S. last Saturday when her Mama and Daddy went boating with friends. And then Sunday, we cooked dinner and took it over to their house to share a meal together. Well, I prepared a meal ... Adam did the actual grilling of the meat. It was a nice weekend!

-----

Now that the Olympic games are over, what the heck are we going to do with ourselves? Ohhhh yeah, the conventions are starting. (blech) Somehow I don't think that's going to work for Jimmy's high-def fix every night.

-----

Congrats to Michael and Patti, celebrating (I don't know how many) years of happily-ever-after tomorrow! I do remember that they got married the same August that Greenville had "the big flood" ... I just don't remember what year that was.

Happy Anniversary, you two. We'll celebrate THAT next weekend, too.

-----

MAN. I wish I had something to write about.

But since I don't, let's move on to the newest pictures, shall we? I left our camera over at the kids' house on Sunday, so I missed an opportunity to get some pictures from yesterday. (She was awesome, as usual ... she played hard, she napped hard, and she rang the living daylights out of Daddy's old brass bell that hangs in our kitchen. I thought that was pretty cool, since it was his birthday.)

The first pictures were taken last Saturday ... she was standing at the table beside my chair, and pretty damn proud of herself.

New Trick Alert! If she's in a mood to play along, you can now say, "Gimme a kiss!" And then make a kissy sound ... and she'll think a while, and then kiss right back. It's guaranteed to make my eyes get all misty. Still haven't had luck getting her to actually kiss my cheek, but I have no doubt she'll figure that out soon. I was lucky on Saturday to actually catch her doing it:

(Sorry about the overexposed face on those last 2 ... there wasn't a lot of space where we were sitting, and I had to hold the camera too close to her face.)

"I will not 'kiss' again, Nana! Deal with it."

This was taken on Sunday, over at her house. She'll be walking on her own, soon!

-----

And yeah, I really do miss my friends.

"Why would you care to get out of this place? ..."

2008-08-15T09:44:00.010-04:00

Greetings from The Land Of Denial.

Oh, before I start rambling, I'd like to send some very warm and sincere wishes for a great day today to my brother-in-law, Michael. Today is his *cough*ty-eighth birthday! He is one half of my very favorite in-laws. And I miss them both. Happy Birthday, Michael!

-----

So how's my class going, you ask? Eh. We "learned" to put in eye drops on Wednesday. We practiced. And practiced. My eyes were dripping the next day, even.

Why am I taking this class, again? Someone remind me. Wasn't my life just fine the way it was?

-----

Looks like a quiet weekend ahead. No plans so far. Maybe I'll howl at the full moon on Saturday night, just for old time's sake.

-----

Are you watching the Olympics? Jimmy watches a little every night, and I usually catch up on things by watching The Today Show.

Again, eh.

That seems to be the theme for the Dawn's Summer of 2008: "Eh."

Of course I'm watching Big Brother ... wouldn't be summer without it. For the record, I'm pulling for Dan, but wouldn't be upset if Renny went on to the end, either. She's a hoot. I was pulling for the old guy, Jerry, until he opened his mouth. What an ass.

-----

Oy. I'm so boring.

-----

As always, the highlight of my week is Thursday Afternoon With The Squishy One. The nickname stuck, but she's not as squishy as she used to be. She's growing so tall, so fast! Yesterday, she wanted to crawl, and she was serious about it. I crawled around after her, to make sure she stayed safe from Maggie The Cat.

Carpet-crawling, I can do. Once she hit the foyer or the kitchen though ... ouch. My knees can't take the abuse, so I settled for scooting on my butt behind her. I'm sure we were a sight.

The theme for this Thursday was "LOUD"! She was trying out her volume settings, and was truly entertaining herself by seeing how loud she could talk. Heee! She totally amazes me. I know I'll blink a couple more times and she'll be walking. And then the next day, she'll be moving into her dorm at Clemson.

Some pictures from yesterday:

Everything must be tasted:

Including baby feet:

There's not much better in the world, I'm telling you the truth.

"Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah ..."

2008-08-09T14:38:00.003-04:00

Oops. (I did it again.)

I am here with a quick post out of the goodness of my heart. I made a mistake in the posting of the recipe on Friday, and wanted to let you know ... on the off chance that anybody actually printed it or copied it down.

I typed it wrong. I had garlic salt in there twice, and left out the tarragon. And the tarragon is really quite important in the scheme of Steak Rolly Things. You'll just have to trust me on this.

See how much I like you? I could have just as easily let you go on your merry way, grilling the Rollys with far too much garlic. And you would have said, "Eh. I don't see what the big deal is about these Rolly Things."

But no. I care. I care about you, and I care about tarragon.

(The recipe below is now correct.)

"And nothing else compares ..."

2008-08-08T09:48:00.005-04:00

Nope. I'm not going to go through the whole "I can't believe it's been so long since I updated, and here's why" routine.

You're welcome.

-----

First things first:

Rebecca wanted the Steak Rolly Thing recipe, and so I shall share. Actually, I can't remember now whether Adam called them Steak Rolly Things or Beef Rolly Things, so I guess that'll be up to you, Rebecca. The true name is "Grilled Beef Rollups", and the recipe comes from my copy of the Greenville (SC) Junior League cookbook, "Uptown Downsouth". I got this book in 1989, soon after our move to Greenville, and have used many of the yummy recipes in it.

I can't recall exactly when I first made the Rolly Things ... but when I did, Adam let me know pretty quick that he really loved 'em. They are a little time-consuming, but most of the work is done the day before you plan to eat them. And one word of caution: I made them one year at Christmas time (when my house was full of Lees and Starks), so I doubled the recipe. Whoa, Nelly ... plan to have half a day and an extra refrigerator available if you ever do that.

Without further ado ...

Grilled Beef Rollups
serves 6

2 0.6-ounce packages dry Italian dressing (Good Seasons)

Olive oil

Water

Red wine vinegar

3 pounds top round steak

Unseasoned meat tenderizer

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 pound bacon, partially cooked

4 Tablespoons dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

Prepare Italian dressing according to directions, using olive oil, water, and red wine vinegar. Pound steak to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Use tenderizer according to directions. Sprinkle meat with garlic salt and pepper. Place partially cooked bacon lengthwise on top of steak. Combine parsley and tarragon, and sprinkle over bacon. Roll up meat, beginning at narrow end. Secure with toothpicks at 1-inch intervals. Cut into 1-inch thick slices using a serrated knife. Marinate in Italian dressing for 24 to 36 hours, turning meat several times. Grill over medium coals until desired doneness. (Don't overcook!)

-----

I went to Wilmington last weekend to see my girl, and had a really nice time. We ate out, and shopped, and played XBox with Jud ... and spent the entire day on Sunday at their beach house on Topsail Island. (Well, it's not really theirs, but I can call it that if I want to. It belongs to the family of one of Jud's school friends from Ohio, and they just leave it sitting there for Jud and Emilie to enjoy.) The beach was perfection ... not crowded at all, and it was only hot until noon, when the breeze changed and the temperature was ideal. You know I wanted to stay.

But I behaved and came home on Monday. Thbbt. I'm already wondering when I'll be welcomed back.

-----

I started my class this week ... and information was quickly crammed into my head concerning the anatomy of the eye. We also started learning some of the things that can go horribly wrong with it. I now know that my horrible sty (or external hordeolum) was a thing of little consequence, compared with a detached retina.

On Monday, we will take our first field trip, to Jervey Eye Group, where one of the doctors will talk to us for about an hour. We are supposed to be "in uniform" for that, and I still have to shop for some white shoes. I've already bought my white lab coat and pants.

I've made all 100's on my daily tests so far. But people, the day I make less than 100 on a damn open-book test (that covers material I've read already) will be the day I know my brain has turned to mush. It's not that hard. If I had to do it without the book, then yeah ... hard.

-----

Look who turned 9-months-old yesterday at Nana's house:

Isn't she something? We celebrated by eating some bananas and peaches with granola, and taking 2 naps, in between lots of crawling and cat-chasing.

The celebration was topped off with a giant goose egg on her forehead, thanks to a fall onto Nana's foyer floor. I could hardly stand to look at her afterwards, it broke my heart! (Just in time for her weekend trip to see the other Grandma who loves her more than life itself, her MawMaw.) Hopefully, it looks better today than it did last night.

-----

So yeah, I'm off to buy white shoes. Everybody try to enjoy the weekend!

"Excuse my manners if I make a scene ..."

2008-07-13T16:09:00.004-04:00

A quick Sunday entry here, to say "haaaaay" to you, and to show you this:

See those new pearly whites she's sporting? Breaks my heart, how fast she's growing. But as long as she stays the squishy angel that she is, she can do just about whatever she wants ... including grow a little.

She's crawling a little bit now too! (A few tentative inches forward with a break to sit up and reassess the situation is how it goes for now.)

It goes without saying that my week with her, while her Mom and Dad were in Jamaica, was heaven for me. We played, and we kissed, and we napped ... and then we did it all over again. I did take her into daycare for about 3 hours every day, per her parent's instructions, so that she would stay in a semi-normal routine. That gave me a little while every day to run whatever errands I needed to run. She slept great every night, and woke up grinning every morning. I wish her Mama and Daddy could take a vacation every month!

-----

Brandy and I kicked some butt last night in Trivial Pursuit. First time we've played a board game in ages, and I enjoyed it.

Adam and Brandy cooked a tasty dinner for us last night: a beautiful crisp salad, hot baked potatoes, and the ever-popular "steak rolly things". That's what Adam called them the first time I made them, years ago. I guess the name stuck! I'll share the recipe one of these days, they are YUM.

-----

Jimmy was all packed and ready to go through airport security this afternoon, on his way to Puerto Rico for the week. And what do you know, yet another flight cancellation. It's raining here, and between here and Atlanta, but I was under the impression that those big planes could fly in the rain. What do I know?

He's back home again, and we'll get up before Gawd in the morning and drive back to the airport.

*sigh*

-----

Looking forward to some "Sister Time" coming up this week, with Kay due to arrive from GA sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Clean sheets on the guest bed: check.

Bathrooms scrubbed: check.

Plenty o' chips and salsa: check.

Wine chilling: check.

I think I'm ready!

"To better days ..."

2008-06-30T12:25:00.013-04:00

Welcome to the monthly edition of "What's New In My World". In other words, I'll be posting a few new Squishy pictures and calling it a blog entry.

For real though, I apologize for the lack of content here. I don't pretend to know what my issues are. I just know I can't think of a damn thing to say anymore.

Here's what's happening anyway:

Looking forward to a good weekend coming up ... Emilie, Jud, and the beast will be coming in on Friday mid-day, and we'll celebrate the 4th with something on the grill, and the fridge in the garage is already full of beer. Yay, America.

I'm already aware that the main reason Emilie is making the 5-hour drive is to do some major baby holdin'. And I can't blame her.

Miss Squishy was as sweet as always when we saw her on Saturday night, but she's not feeling 100%. We're calling it "teething" unless something else shows up with another name. Her bottom two chicklets are already poking through!

On Saturday AM, bright and early, Squishy's Mom and Dad will jet off for almost a week of fun in the sun and relaxation. I can't even tell you how much I'm looking forward to taking care of Miss Squish while they are gone! I hope they enjoy their time away, and won't worry about us.

Then, at some point during the week of July 14th, my sister Kay will actually take some time off work (gasp!) and drive herself up I-85 for some down-time with ME! I'm so happy!

Between now and then, I've got some housecleaning and grocery shopping to do. That's my specialty, right?

-----

Here's what else is new:

I have registered at the local technical college for a class in "Ophthalmic Medical Assisting" ... to begin on August 4th. It'll go through the end of October, when I hope to be hired by an eye doctor who totally overpays his employees, and works 3-day weeks.

Yeah, I know. I don't have a great track record with the whole job thing. But now I really AM bored around the house for the majority of my days, and I'm wanting to feel like I'm a real part of the world. So let's all think positive and maybe I'll be a real, live money earner for my golden years. Heh.

-----

Without further ado, here's the latest of our sweet one. She'll be 8 months old next week!

This was taken last week on "Thursday Afternoon With Nana" 6/24/08:

That same day, she discovered the Yummy that is teething biscuits ... she was intense about it!

Last Saturday, we went to her house, to help her Daddy celebrate his new Pilot's License! As I said earlier, she wasn't herself with the teeth breaking through her gums, but she was still as sweet as she could be:

"Teeth hurt."

(Edited to add: Blogger always screws up my spacing and paragraph breaks when I add pictures. I tried to fix the mess, but was unsuccessful. Sorry about it!)

"Never forget who you are, little star ..."

2008-05-23T08:21:00.006-04:00

Is everybody ready for their nice, long, three-day weekend? I'm just hoping I can get something productive done, instead of letting the old procrastination thing win, once again.

Look who is sitting up, all by herself, these days!

Papa's hand is back there just for show ... she really can sit up and play with her toys. See?

I know I'm all about the babeh pictures these days ... but I have to show you a couple more. (All of these were taken yesterday, by the way.)

After I picked her up at daycare yesterday, we came in and sat in the rocker to catch up with each other. Emilie soon called to say hello, during her lunch break. I put her on speaker phone so that they could talk to each other, and so that Emilie could cry a little. (MAN, she misses that baby!)

Well, after a bit, the Sweetness started chewing on her "caterpillar" ... a toy she's had over here since Day One. She sank lower and lower, until her head was on my arm. I looked at her and smiled ... she smiled back, her eyes rolled around a couple of times, and CONK. She was out like a light, still hanging on to the bug. Of course I had to snap a picture:

If THAT doesn't melt your heart, you've got problems.

"Remember to always think twice ..."

2008-05-22T11:08:00.004-04:00

Count me in among the David Cook Fans. I thought all along that little David Archuleta would be crowned the new Miss American Idol. And that was OK with me, since he was deserving. (And cute as a buginarug.) I knew that David Cook would end up with a nice, fat recording deal anyway ... and not be tied to the AI bigwigs in the process. Hell, if it could happen for Clay Aiken, surely someone as talented as Cook would be a star, even without the crown.

But in the end, Cook won. Now my hope is that the big American Idol machine doesn't kill his career before he gets started.

Because I lurrve him.

"For Emilie, whenever I may find her ..."

2008-05-16T14:32:00.010-04:00

Yeah, I know. Simon and Garfunkle spelled Emily with a Y.

But this is my blog. And my Emilie, too.

Not a lot of time today ... but I wanted to post these new pictures of Miss Squishy for her Auntie Em, who I know is missing her some babylove this week.

Em's move to NC went about as smooth as it could possibly go ... and she's hopefully "enjoying" her first week at work as I type this. I miss her, that goes without saying. But knowing that she's where she wants to be, and happy ... well, that goes a long way towards a Mama's happiness.

Without further ado, here are a few pictures from my weekly "Afternoon Of Love" with the Squishy One :

(Emilie, stop crying! I know you are. Now stop ... and smile over the fact that you have such a beautiful niece who will love you forever!)

"All I got is 4 minutes ..."

2008-04-30T08:54:00.007-04:00

Crap, I suck at this, no? I don't know what my problem is.

If you had asked me 15 years ago, when Adam was going on 13 and Emilie was almost 11, what I thought my life might be like in 2008 ... I'd have pretty much guaranteed you that I'd have "more time". Certainly being a Mom in 2008 with a (nearly) empty nest would mean some down time, when compared with the carpooling, laundry, errand-running, and general Mom Duty associated with my life back in 1993.

Would I have been anywhere near correct? Er, no.

Problem is, I can't really put my finger on what's filling my days. All I know is, the day is half-gone before I know it. And there's always something else I need to be doing.

Currently, the Project Of The Week is "The Big Move". Above, I mentioned this nearly empty nest of mine ... in nine days, Emilie will be moving to the beach in NC. Which will make my nest officially empty. And you know me, I'm not too happy about that. Although, I do realize it's what needs to happen. She's MORE than ready to fly away, and everything is working out so perfectly for this move, that it's obvious it's the right thing. Her true love has taken a marvelous engineering job there, and she was hired by a bank after her first interview. Her new job is literally a 2-minute drive from their new apartment. I'm so happy and excited for them both.

But damn, my house is going to be so quiet. (Glass half empty.)

But that's why there are grandchildren, right? (Glass almost full!)

Now I'll have more time to hug this little droolbug!

"So much more than I deserve ..."

2008-04-07T08:31:00.007-04:00

She's five months old today!

Every time we get to see her, I'm always struck by how it just keeps getting better. She's interacting more and more; and now she watches us with such interest, you might even start to think we had something interesting to say. I have so much love for this little girl, it hurts my heart sometimes!

I know every grandmother since the beginning of time has said it, but you're just going to have to trust me on this one: She's the BEST baby. No, really. She's good.

And she's getting better every day.

Here are some pictures from Saturday evening ... not especially good ones, but they are the latest we have ---

She slept in my lap for awhile after I gave her a bottle:

Here she is, practicing her new trick of "standing up", using Papa for balance:

And finally, putting the "Nom nom nom" moves on her Daddy's head:

-----

I'm off to get my aging eyes examined. All the better to see you with, my dearies!

"How do you sleep while the rest of us cry? ..."

2008-03-26T08:05:00.004-04:00

I am not one to bring up politics. Period. It usually ends badly in this house, since my husband and I are on opposite ends of the whole spectrum. But I just had to make sure everyone saw this. If you watch any TV at all, you've already seen it. But just in case anyone missed it, here's our pompous vice president, Dick, living up to his name. Once again.

"I read People magazine cuz I'm hip ..."

2008-03-25T08:48:00.009-04:00

Obviously, there have been times in the last several years when keeping up with this blog has been fun. You can tell because I did it with regularity.

Also quite obvious, I'm not in one of those times right now.

-----

Yesterday, I turned forty-freakin'-nine. I can't even tell you how sad it makes me to think of the number 50 that looms. Perhaps in the coming year I can find a way to come to terms with it. Perhaps not.

I got some really cool gifts this year ... although not as tear-inducing as last year, when I was told about the baby-on-the-way.

Emilie made me a beautiful scrapbook with pictures of herself and her brother when they were little ones. And that DID make me cry. I just didn't throw it across the room and burst into tears the way I did last year when the pregnancy news made it through all the layers of my brain.

Em also sent me 2 dozen roses, all different colors. Adam and Brandy took us out to a yummy dinner last night, and also gave me a certificate to my favorite pedicure place. Perfect! I had told Jimmy that the new washer and dryer could pass as birthday gifts this year, and I really meant it. But before he got on the flight to Puerto Rico yesterday, he presented me with a gift certificate to a nearby spa. I'll have to peruse the brochure to decide what I want to use it on.

Here's a picture of my roses, with all the cards I received:

Yes, that's an Easter card on the far right. My mom wrote "Happy Birthday, too!" inside. (It's the thought that counts.)

My favorite part of yesterday? Kissing these cheeks:

"Forever young ..."

2008-03-19T09:40:00.005-04:00

Just added to my "Saved" list on Netflix: "Young @ Heart", a documentary about a chorus in Massachusetts made up of senior citizens. I know what you're thinking. I know! I admit it though, my heart melts for the babies and the old people in this world. What can I say?

Netflix says, "Coldplay, the Clash and Jimi Hendrix will never sound the same once you've heard the Young@Heart chorus, a group of Massachusetts senior citizens who thrill audiences worldwide with their unusual -- and unusually poignant -- covers of rock songs. Stephen Walker's humane and heartwarming documentary, which premiered at Sundance in 2008, follows the elderly ensemble as they prepare their new show."

The documentary will be released in theaters next month, but I have no idea if it'll be shown in this town ... so it's already in my queue, waiting to be released on DVD.

The trailer:

They sing The Ramones!:

"Stayin' Alive"/"I Will Survive" (FABULOUS!):

Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews Band have just moved down a spot to make room on that list of my favorite music-makers (and if you don't click on any of the other videos I posted here, you MUST watch this one):

"I think I'm moving, but I go nowhere ..."

2008-03-11T08:34:00.002-04:00

Monday was a semi-productive day around here. I worked a bit upstairs, getting the bathrooms cleaner. Also moved some dust around in the bedrooms, and ran the Dyson. Go, me.

I also caught up, a tiny bit, on a few of my DVR'd TV-watching. One of the things I watched was "The Real Housewives of New York City", and ... yuck. So far, that pretentious gang only makes me miss the gals from OC. At least the OC Housewives aren't trying so hard to be something they're not. They are perfectly happy with their weekends at Lake Havasu, cocktails with the girls at the strip mall, and planning their next "cosmetic procedure". The NY women are frightening with their teeth bared at anyone who might stand in the way of that social ladder they want to climb so badly. (Grammar lessons, anyone?) Eh, I'll still watch the season ... if only to hate.

Today, I hope, will contain more of the same. Downstairs, and minus the DVR-watching. For some reason, I always dread cleaning the lower level of the house more than the top one. The kitchen, maybe? I need to clean the fireplace again today too. Fun times.

But first, I'm out of here to run a few errands: post office, grocery store, dry cleaner, and the frame shop. I am dying to see the pictures of Squishy ... I had 3 of the "3 Months Old" pictures matted and framed together. I'm sure it'll take half the day to decide where to hang it.

"I don't know why they suntan nails ..."

2008-03-10T09:22:00.002-04:00

Y'all know I love me some Pearl Jam, right? So the other day, I was wasting time on YouTube, seeing if there might be something there I haven't seen yet. And while I've seen a few funny videos about the unintelligible lyrics to "Yellow Ledbetter", I had not seen this one. Maybe it'll make you laugh like it did me.

My son shared his knowledge of the lyrics of this song with me a few years ago ... he said it really doesn't HAVE lyrics ... the the band was just jamming in the recording studio and Eddie was making things up as he went along. And it really does sound like that's what was going on to me.

You can read the official Wikipedia opinion behind it all by clicking here.

Anyway, the video contains my favorite, as of today, version of the lyrics of that classic song. Heh. "Make me fries."

-----

Our Squishy Girl had another immunization for her 4-month birthday on Friday. And then she had a really rough Saturday. She had a fever and everything. Emilie and I went over to give her lots of love while her Daddy took a flying lesson and her Mama was getting some work done. I was glad to hear that on Sunday she was feeling a little bit better.

-----

Other than that, it was a pretty routine weekend around here. Except for the fact that a whole HOUR went missing sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Ugh. Although I do love the fact that it's light outside at 7:30 PM now.

Em and I shopped a little bit on Sunday. We hit Babies R Us, Target, and Off Broadway Shoes. I came home with 3 big bags of baby stuff ... including a few things for an Easter basket, and a Bumbo seat. I was able to score the attachable play tray for the front ... I got the last one at Target. The lady at Babies R Us told me they were unable to get anymore trays. It certainly looks as if they available online through Target though. I'm beginning to get a bad taste in my mouth for Babies R Us. Every single piece of clothing I liked, I could not find in the size I needed. Bah!

We grilled some burgers for dinner last night, and they were quite tasty. It's going to take me until the end of summer to learn to cook properly on our new grill though.

-----

Best News Of The Weekend: Sisters Laura and Melody are expecting a baby in late-November/early-December! :-D <-- that's my face.

-----

Off and running on another week ... hope you and yours have a good one.

"She gives me presents with just her presence alone ..."

2008-03-07T07:52:00.010-05:00

Shamed into writing, here I am.

No excuses, unless "February" is admissible as evidence. If you know me at all, you know I can't help the black funk that seems to settle in over my head in the 8 weeks or so that follow the holidays. This year was no different. Well, that's not true. It WAS different. This year, I had a baby to hold every so often. And believe me, that made a HUGE difference.

And now, here we are in March again. I feel the weather changing, even though it's raining today ... and cold. But I know there are sunny days ahead, and it won't be long before it's warm enough to open a few windows around here and let the soft air inside. Ahhh.

-----

So today she is 4 months old. Here's a picture I took yesterday that illustrates the precious way she gets herself to sleep. She wiggles and "growls" and rubs her little face and eyes ... but when those two arms go up near her face, we know she's almost in dreamland. To see her do it in her crib will melt my heart to mush, but yesterday she slept in her bouncy seat. And guess what? My heart melts that way, too.

Yesterday, the kids allowed me to go and get her from daycare in the early afternoon and bring her home with me until dinnertime. I'm hoping that can become a routine, at least temporarily for the next 20 years or so.

My daughter-in-law is working some incredibly long hours right now, which is hard on everybody. It's killing her, I know. Not nearly enough sleep, and working every day for 12 to 15 hours will wear anyone to a nub pretty fast. And my son misses his time with her, that goes without saying. But it's got to be hardest for our Squishy One. She has so little time with her Mama. One more week, guys. Hang in there.

Anyway, I hope that my "Thursday Afternoon With Nana" can be a regular thing ... it'll give her Daddy a break from picking her up one day a week, and he can do whatever he wants for a few hours that day ... and it'll give me some time to have some serious heart-to-heart talks with the most important person in my world.

Apologies if you've seen these pictures on my son's blog or on my MySpace page, but here they are again ... a few shots from her "3 Months Old" photo session ---

I know, right? How could we be more blessed?

-----

Hey! I have a new washer and dryer! Sadly, doing laundry is still just doing laundry. Oh well, it's a little more incentive to (one day soon) start the massive task of cleaning and organizing the laundry room. Oy. That'll hurt.

So, what's new with you?

Hello?

Is there anyone still out there?

Aw crap. I'm talking to myself. It serves me right.

"I really don't think you're strong enough ..."

2008-02-07T15:44:00.000-05:00

Add this one to my Life List:

*** I want to go to Vegas and see CHER this year!

-----

And if you have an adequate supply of insulin, go here and and look at my gorgeous granddaughter as she celebrates being THREE MONTHS OLD.

I love you, My Squishy.

"Another day, another drama ..."

2008-01-29T07:21:00.000-05:00

Yes, Dear Reader, I'm still alive. I'm just more boring than you could possibly imagine. For example, the highlight of this week is that the upstairs bathrooms have been cleaned. How am I supposed to make THAT interesting?

Let's see ... I did not watch the State Of The Union address last night. So I'm a bad American, as well as a bad blogger.

I do wish Heath Ledger's family would hire someone to rough up Nancy Grace. She went on and on about how pills were "strewn" around his dead body; when the police commissioner, and anyone else who has half a brain, were quick to make clear that pills were NOT "strewn" anywhere. (There were bottles of prescription medication with his name on them in the apartment. I think the same thing could be found in Ms. Grace's home.) Arrrgh! I believe she's usually on the right side, but is she not the most obnoxious, self-righteous, crazy-bitch drama queen you've ever seen? And she will never admit it when she's wrong.

And enough with the baby congrats, caller-people. She acts like she's the only woman in the world who ever had birthin' complications and ended up with healthy babies. My eyes hurt from the rolling.

Why am I watching that crap? I have no idea. Well, really I do. I watch her just so she can make me mad, and then I send all my hate to her via ESP. I watch her show because I can't stand her! Simmah down, Nancy!

-----

What else am I watching, you ask?

I just finished up "The Real Housewives Of Orange County", and as always, I was sad to see the season end. Lucky for me though, Bravo has hatched a new series called "The Real Housewives of New York City". I watched the preview show, and Lord. I'd hang out with OC housewives any day, in favor of those NYC biatches. Pretentious much?? I'm already hooked though.

Also hooked on VH-1's "My Fair Brady" ... with little Peter Brady all grown up and *MY* age, married to 24-year-old Adrienne Curry of "America's Top Model" and "The Surreal Life" fame. In fact, they met when they both appeared on Surreal Life. I fear for him, really I do. He's in over his head with her.

I watch "Jon and Kate Plus 8" on TLC every week. Her sarcasm and his sweetness ... plus all those screaming kids equals good TV!

A&E provides me with excellent TV time with some "Intervention". Although I always wonder, after several seasons, don't these addicts watch TV at all? You'd think they'd catch on when they are "being filmed for a documentary about addiction" and asked to state their name and SPELL IT, that they were headed for a rehab facility on the coast!

"Amazing Race" just ended ... and happily, in my opinion. Those two hippies just floated their way to a million bucks on good karma alone. Yay for them.

How excited am I that the stupid writer's strike has forced CBS into throwing together a winter season of "Big Brother"? Pretty damn excited, that's how. "Big Brother 9" starts February 12th.

But even MORE exciting that that ... "Survivor: Fan Favorites" begins February 7th. James is back! But so is Johnnie Fairplay. Oh man. I can't wait.

Need even MOOORE excitement? "Lost" returns THIS WEEK! Yes. Only I can hardly remember what happened on the last epidode. Lucky for me, I found this. After the ad plays, a video pops up that tells you everything that's happened on "Lost" in 8 minutes. (I had to take notes.)

----

So you see dear Reader, life at my house in January is painfully quiet and slow. And it usually revolves around the big-screen TV.

How's it goin' with you?

"The world will turn if you're ready or not ..."

2008-01-15T08:44:00.000-05:00

Halfway through January already ... I'm running behind and what else is new?

-----

My daughter-in-law and her family have suffered a terrible loss, and my heart goes out to them as they now deal with the aftermath of losing a loved one. Grief is personal, and everyone deals in their own way ... and the rest of us feel quite helpless in wanting to make things easier for the ones hurting the most. My hope is that they find some peace in their memories of happy times together, and that they grow even closer as a family as they find their way through the aftermath of this tragic accident.

While I worried over everyone this weekend, I had the most happy distraction of all: I was asked to stay with Miss Squishy while her Mama and Daddy dealt with everything else. People, there are no words. My Friday, Saturday, and Sunday flew by in a blur of diapers, bottles, bouncy seats, and rocking chair time. And let's not forget the "nose buried in the baby's neck" time.

She is amazing. She is precious. She is beautiful. She is a miracle.

And when she smiles in my direction, I melt into a big old Nana puddle. I knew before she came that I would love this child. What I didn't know was how big that love would be ... and she hasn't even hugged me back yet.

(I had no idea that every blog post after 11/07/07 would be "Squishy-oriented", and I never intended for every post to include a picture of the baby ... but for now, that's the way my brain works, y'all. You'll have to deal with it until it passes. I figure it'll take about ten years or so.)

"Chasing the years of my life ..."

2008-01-07T08:57:00.000-05:00

It's the first Monday of 2008 ... the official END of the holiday season. (And not a moment too soon.)

It's also a momentous day in our family. Miss Squishy is two months old today! Seems like SO much has happened since two short months ago, when we all met over at the hospital to welcome her into our world. It has definitely been a busy couple of months. She's even more beautiful today than she was on the day she was born. She's growing like crazy. The biggest change, to me, is her ability to focus on faces and things ... she looks and studies, and now you can see that she's really seeing everything. She's also beginning to "talk" ... those first sweet ooohs and ahhhs they make that are just the sweetest sounds you've ever heard. That, and the smiles. Oh, those heartbreaking smiles.

This picture is from Friday night, when she came to stay with us for a few hours while her Mama and Daddy went out together. I had laid her in the crib and turned the mobile on ... she laid there for a LONG time, totally entranced by the lights, the music, and the stuffed animals going around and around over her head.

Two Months Old!

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Emilie made it home last night from her week in Ohio, safe and sound. Her "in a nutshell" review of Skybus Airline: "It's cheap! Expect delays."

-----

Back to routine here today. I'll be at the grocery store momentarily ... getting back to the cooking dinner every night routine. Time to start exercising as well. I'm tired of just talking about how I'm going to be fit one of these days. Gotta start somewhere and today is the day.

Arrrghhhh ... I'll be FORTY-freakin'-NINE in less than 3 months. That really hurts.

But then I just look at another picture of Squishy, and I don't even care how old I am or how many gray hairs I'm covering every month. She makes me happy to just be here. She makes me look forward to the "next time" ... the future. That may be the BIGGEST change seen in the last two months. Thank you, Miss S. <3

"Let's take it from the top ..."

2008-01-03T11:10:00.000-05:00

2008.

It'll be September before I write it anywhere without having to stop and think, "What year is it?" ... hell, my natural instinct is to write "1998"! I'm TEN YEARS BEHIND!

Like that's news to anybody.

-----

Shall we discuss Clemson's loss to Auburn in overtime at the Chickfila Bowl on New Year's Eve? No? Good.

I just wish they had played with some heart. It felt like they were only half into it. Bah.

Here's Miss Squishy's reaction:

(She was not impressed, Mr. Bowden.)

-----

Mary, Kathy wants to be Eddy. Besides, as familiar as I am with a vodka bottle, I've always assumed I was closer to being Patsy than Eddy. I'm not blonde though. And I don't own any designer clothes. But I am older than God.

"Been looking forward to the future ..."

2007-12-31T11:21:00.000-05:00

Whoa. Sorry about that. I really didn't intend to take so much time away from here. But once again, the holidaze just about got the best of me. I'm beginning to think I need to REthink some "traditions" as I get older. But probably, I'll just forget the hard parts by next year, and repeat everything, as usual.

The highlight of this year's Christmas festivities was one Miss Squishy. If she was in the house, I was having a hard time doing anything besides staring at her squishyness. But of course, there were always a zillion other things I needed to be doing, so I ended up feeling grumpy because I couldn't sit with her constantly and soak up what is now past: her First Christmas. But isn't she lovely?

I got some incredibly nice gifts, some of which require brain power to use:

Sisters Laura and Melody gave me a Bluetooth thingy for my car ... brain power needed to "link" it with my phone.

Adam & Brandy gave me a lovely digital photo frame, complete with Squishy pictures ... brain power needed to add new pictures.

And Jimmy gave me a GPS system ... brain power needed to drive and watch the GPS map at the same time.

Em helped me get the hang of the GPS stuff on our drive to Greensboro NC on Saturday. (I went along to keep her company on the drive to the Greensboro airport ... she caught a Skybus flight there to whisk her off to Ohio, where she'll spend the first week of the New Year.) It may take me a few years to get the "newest" gadgets ... but I'm really loving that British woman in my GPS that tells me to "Exit left and take the motorway"! I've decided to call her Patsy. (Extra points if you know why.)

-----

Happy 29th Anniversary to us. How HOW HOWWWW can we have been married for 29 years today ... if I am barely over 30 years old???

Time, she's a BITCH.

-----

I'm looking forward to the coming year ... looking forward to time with my Granddaughter, watching her grow and become who she is ... looking forward to time with "my girls"-- I've spent so much of my life without close girlfriends, but I'm totally enjoying making up for lost time ... looking forward to becoming a healthier me, preparing to totally commit to an exercise/fitness program ... looking forward to a new kitchen?? (A girl can dream!) ... looking forward to a blessed and happy year for my family and friends.

I love you all!

"She dreams in color ..."

2007-12-15T23:38:00.000-05:00

So sleepy, and yet I'm here.

Just wanted to do a quick update to share Frances' official "I really AM a great-grandma" moment.

Squishy came to stay with us for a couple of hours while her Mama and Daddy attended a Christmas party. The best part of the night for me: Squishy Smiles! ("... the grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day.")

We weren't able to catch the incredible smiles on the camera, as we were far too involved in conversation with Miss Squishy at the time, but I'm sure it won't be long before we have it preserved on ... uh ... hard drive.

"The weather outside is frightful ..."

2007-12-12T04:56:00.000-05:00

Because, really, who wants to Christmas shop in SEVENTY-NINE DEGREE weather? Not me, thanks. As much as I can complain about "freezing" once the air is cool, I prefer it when I'm hearing Christmas music at the mall.

-----

Let me apologize (or 'pologize, as the song that regularly gets stuck in my head goes ... oh yeah, it's too laaaate ... ) for the lack of updating. It's just that I've been so busy. Or boring. Or both.

It's not likely to get any better either.

I'm leaving today to drive south for about four hours, spend the night with my Mother, and then turn around to bring her back home with me for some Holiday Time. If you're a long-time reader, then you know that this year The Visit has been cut dramatically, compared to past years. It normally begins on Thanksgiving and by now, she is usually PAST ready to go home, but not about to admit it. And by now, I've usually developed several facial tics that even a bottle of Pinot Grigio can't make disappear.

This year, sanity will prevail. She'll be here about two weeks.

-----

Last weekend, I made a big old check mark on my Life List. If you have never toured Biltmore House, and you're a history addict like me, may I suggest you plan on doing so? I was totally fascinated by the whole thing. (Not to mention open-mouthed and amazed at the garish display of Filthy Rich. And I couldn't fight the feeling that I was walking around in my REAL family home. Heh.)

They don't allow photo-taking inside the house, but here's us on the outside. I loved it.

We drove up in the late afternoon on Saturday, and decided to stop at a charming little place on the side of the road in Hendersonville, NC called Cedar Creek Lodge for the night. We were sitting outside our respective cottages, for a last little bit of conversation before we conked out for the night, when someone pointed out the "art" in the wooded area just next to where we were planning to sleep.

Uh, yikes?

It was then that I noticed the eerie resemblance between Cedar Creek Lodge and the Bates Motel.

Naaa ... we all woke up the next day, and headed out for Asheville, as planned.

Patti and Michael, I enjoyed it SO much ... let's plan Charleston or Savannah for next year!

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One-Month-Old Squishy Update:

It's official. That baby girl owns me. The minute I see her, I forget to breathe for a few seconds. It's craziness, this whole grandparenting thing. How did I live without her?

She takes after me, too. The other day, while holding her after she ate, I heard a familiar gurgling noise. And I was unable to tell if it was her belly or mine making all the racket. Also like me, she can rage against the machine if her tummy is empty ... and then the minute the problem is corrected, she is totally relaxed, happy, and ready for a nap.

Here is a picture of One-Month-Old Squishy with her "After I've Eaten" face on, when she came over to visit us on Saturday:

If you need more All Things Squishy, head over here where my sleep-deprived kid has posted a short video of hiccups. Don't ask me how many times I've watched it, OK?

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Melinda! Your comment made my whole WEEK brighter! I am so happy to hear from you! Pleeeeeease keep in touch! :-)

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"I'm holdin' on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground ..."

What did I tell you? It's in my head for the day now.

"Next thing you know ..."

2007-12-05T09:52:00.000-05:00

The only reason I'm here typing is to let you know I'm breathing. Life is lots of routine, with the added craziness of holiday shopping and decorating.

The tree is up.

The Santa collection is unwrapped and in place on the mantle.
The rest of the house is in chaos, waiting patiently for my attention. I'm good at ignoring, obviously. I'm hoping my live wreath for the front door is delivered today, so I can finish the little bit I'm doing for the outside of the house.

-----

Weekend fun ahead ... we'll be staying up late on Friday night, awaiting the arrival of Michael and Patti. Unsure of the itinerary, but I'm almost positive it involves lots of talking, laughter, and maybe we'll drink a beer or three. And I'm finally going to see the Biltmore House!

Just like that, I can check two items off my Life List. Last weekend, I went with Kathy and Melissa and their girls to see a production of The Nutcracker. (Mary tried her best to teach me to knit when she visited a few weeks ago, but it's apparent that I need more instruction. Come back, Mary!)

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By now, everybody has probably seen the "Elf Yourself" toy on the Office Max website. I've seen at least a dozen ... mostly of folks I don't really know in "real life" ... computer friends, if you will. When Emilie sent the link to this one last week, I discovered that, if you actually KNOW the elves, it can be pretty damn funny. Click here to see what I mean. Jud did the work and sent it to Em to make her smile, and when she forwarded it to me, I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. Love how the Allie Elf is slightly off the beat in most of her dance. I wish I could make it our Christmas card this year.

"Because you're standing still ..."

2007-11-29T08:13:00.000-05:00

I've been sitting here a while this morning, surfing around trying to find things to cure my blues ... you know, things that will induce some laughter or even a smile. I found this:

Dancing Machine

Add to My Profile | More Videos

... and now I have a crush on the guy in the video. But he made me smile. And laugh.

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Jimmy is dying again. This time, it's not his back, it's the flu. Or a cold, disguised as the flu. (I suspect the latter, since we both had a flu shot 3 weeks ago.) He stayed home from work yesterday, and looks to be doing it again today. yay.

Oh yeah ... Happy Birthday, Jimmy! And Mary, Happy Birthday to you, too! Here's what Astrology.com thinks about the both of you:

Your personal ruling planets are Jupiter and Moon.

You are tolerant and forgiving, always ready to overlook mistakes and give others a second chance. You expect the best from people and draw it out of them, and you enjoy making others comfortable and happy. Because of your emotional generosity, your life is rich with friends, and often financial blessings as well.

You have a buoyant, cheerful disposition and reach out to others in a warm, open, friendly way. Your emotional generosity and lack of pettiness is well known among your circle of friends, and people often seek you out for help, sympathy, or advice. You are always willing to overlook others' faults, and you sometimes overdo your charitableness.

You are easygoing, agreeable, and tolerant, willing to overlook others' mistakes, forget the past, and begin again on a positive note. You enjoy making others comfortable and happy, and sometimes overdo your generosity. You often feel that "everything will turn out all right no matter what I do", and so become lazy and lackadaisical.

Your lucky colors are cream and white and green.

Your lucky gems are moonstone or pearl. Your lucky days of the week Monday, Thursday, Sunday.

Your lucky numbers and years of important change are 2, 11, 20, 29, 38, 47, 56, 65, 74.

Famous people born on your birthday include Amos Bronson Alcott, Louisa May Alcott, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. John Mayall, Jeff Fahey, Cathy Moriarty, Kim Delaney and Andrew McCarthy.

I have to say though ... parts of that don't really seem to fit with Jimmy's personality. The whole "emotional generosity" and "overlooking others' faults" thing ... not so much. But it DOES fit Mary, so maybe Jimmy works hard to hide that side of himself from me.

I wish he'd work as hard to cover his mouth when he coughs in the kitchen. *sigh*

Happy 49th, honey .... it's all downhill to that coveted AARP membership from here!

-----

A survey seen on MySpace this morning:

1) Are you an Aunt/Uncle?
I am - I have two nephews and two nieces.

2) Can you do a cartwheel?
I doubt it. I haven’t tried in centuries; and my upper arms are so weak, they'd probably crackle into a zillion pieces if I were to try now.

3) What was the last movie you saw in theaters?
I can't remember ... maybe "Evening" last summer?

4) Do you eat vegetables regularly?
Ashamed to say, not nearly enough.

5) If you were going to get a body piercing, where would you get it?
I wouldn’t. No, thank you.

6) Do you ever hang out with someone of the opposite sex?
I hang out with my Jimmy occasionally. And my son, too.

7) What is the weather like right at this very moment?
Sunny and cold.

8) What is something you can’t wait for?
I can't wait to be finished with my Christmas shopping and decorating, so I can sit down and enjoy it.

9) How many times have you been to Canada?
Zero.

10) Have you ever had a reptile as a pet?
Hell to tha NO!

11) What is your favorite fruit?
Right now, it's oranges ... we bought a big box from the Riverside Band. But I'm having hard time coming up with a fruit I don't like.

12) What song is on your MySpace profile right now?
"How Far We've Come" by Matchbox Twenty. Yes, I'm over 35 and I have a MySpace page. Shut up.

13) Who was your last missed call on your cell phone?
Kathy.

14) Where are you most ticklish?
The arch of my foot, I think.

15) How many hours a week do you normally work?
Zero!

16) Who’s your number 1 on myspace?
Emilie. I'm her number 137. Go figure.

17) Do you have deep dark secrets?
Who doesn’t?

18) When was the last time you were sick?
I guess the last time I was reeeealy sick was in August, when I was dealing with the whole twisted intestine thing.

19) What color is your car?
White. With black scratches.

20) How many siblings do you have?
Two, both sisters. Unless you count the half-brother I've seen twice in my life, and the half-sister I've never met. In that case, it'd be four.

21) Have you ever gotten caught sneaking out?
Nope. Frances wasn't too strict with the rules.

22) Did you ever try running away from home when you were younger?
Nope.

23) What makes you the happiest?
I'm happiest when everything is going along smoothly in my kids' lives.

24) How do you feel when you see a child at the store throwing a “Tantrum”?
Glad it's not my kid.

25) Where do you want to be right now?
Here is OK. Although I wouldn’t mind being on a warm white-sand beach with my toes in the blue water, either. In the recliner with Miss Squishy might be a nice place to be, too ... if her tummy's full and her diaper is clean.

26) Have you ever finished a Rubik’s Cube?
No.

27) When is the last time you drank too much?
Friday, November 16th. Somebody kept buying rounds of Lemon Drops. It was not my fault.

28) When was the last time you rode a bike?
I cannot remember.

29) Do you have any vacation plans for this summer?
This summer? As in 6 or 7 months from now? I hope to be vacationing on St. George Island, along with Michael and Patti again.

30) Where were you 1 hour ago?
Sitting here, clearing the sleep out of my eyes, and looking for something to read.

31) Who will be your next kiss?
Jimmy and his germs are off-limits. I may kiss his cheek when I tell him "Happy Birthday" later. But it'll probably be when I kiss Emilie goodbye on Friday. I don't get many kisses.

32) Do you kiss a lot of people?
Just family. And the computer monitor when I find a new picture of Johnny Depp online.

33) Are you wearing socks right now?
No - I’m wearing warm slippers, but my feet are cold anyway, and the ceramic heater is blasting away, 12 inches from my feet.

34) When was the last time you went out of state?
In October, I went to North Carolina for the day with Laura and Melody.

35) Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?
I have not.

36) What was the last thing you had to drink?
Water.

37) What are you wearing right now?
PJ's and slippers.

38) What was your last purchase?
Yesterday I bought a sweater at Ann Taylor Loft, miscellaneous crap at Target, and a few groceries at Publix.

39) Last thing you ate?
I had a bowl of chicken & dumplings for dinner last night.

40) Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?
See above: Sweater at Ann Taylor Loft. I also bought a hoodie and some "Happy Pants" at Target. On Tuesday, I went to the consignment store to pick up this month's money, and I found a Gap sweater, an Eddie Bauer hoodie, and an Ann Taylor sweater ... all looked brand new, so all came home with me. Score!

41) Are you a sexual predator?
NO, I am not. Unless your name is Justin Timberlake.

42) What is in the backseat of your car?
A CVS bag with pink tissue paper in it, bought on that fateful "too much to drink" night I wrote about earlier. It was a friend's birthday party, and I stopped on the way there to wrap her little gift. And an umbrella. And probably the windshield thing that blocks the sun when I'm parked, which I hardly ever use.

43. Three words to explain why you last threw up?
Gastric By Pass.

45. What was the last movie you watched?
My last Netflix choice was a documentary called "Wordplay" ... about people who love crossword puzzles. Zzzzzzz. I'll be watching "Capote" in the next few days.

46. Do you think Barbie is a negative role model for kids?
No. I think Britney and Paris are.

47. What kind of car does your father drive?
When he was alive, he drove a clunker truck ... I have no idea what kind. He loved it.

48. Do you like scrabble?
I do.

49. Where did you attend high school?
Hardaway High School. Columbus, GA.

50. Favorite scent?
Clean Baby.

52. Last television program you watched?
South Park, last night ... a re-run about Mormonism (Dum dum dum dum dum). I was too sleepy to watch the 10 PM episode. If it was new, the DVR got it for me.

55. Does your family own any boats?
Nope.

56. Something you can’t live without?
My family and friends.

61. Where were you when 9/11 happened?
Driving to Garden Ridge for a job interview. They could only offer a seasonal job and it paid minimum wage. I didn't accept. I came home and watched the news coverage the rest of the day.

62. How often do you read books?
Every day.

65. Describe the computer you are currently using?
Um. It’s a Dell computer. It’s about a year old, except for the monitor, which was made in 1710.

66. How long does it take you to get ready to go out?
About an hour, from the shower to the car.

67. Will you donate your organs after you pass?
Sure!

68. Have you been outside of the USA?
Yes, to the islands we visited on our cruise.

69. Would you ever get your nipple pierced?
HAIL no.

"Save it for a rainy day ..."

2007-11-26T10:10:00.000-05:00

Was that just ONE weekend? My God, it felt like several. At least.

Rainy Monday here, you? I'm dog-sitting today, and she has some intestinal distress happening. Not sure whether it was her trip to the kennel over Thanksgiving or what ... but her tummy is not happy. And that means lots of trips out to the yard, in the cold rain. Ah, Monday.

-----

Sooooo ... the weekend. Thanksgiving was everything I imagined ... lots of work getting the meal prepared, incredible mess in the kitchen, and it took 4.2 minutes to eat "The Meal". Everything tasted great though. (Kay and Kathy, I wish you had been here!)

One last-minute change to the menu: I decided not to do the Gooey Butter Cake and made a recipe Emilie brought home from work instead. They had a Thanksgiving meal at the office on Monday, and someone brought this dish that everybody loved. The recipe was shared, and we decided to give it a go. It was definitely a hit, even the Non-Food-Person (Jimmy) had more than one helping. It came without a name, so we have christened it:

Pumpkin Pie Cake

1 16-oz. can pumpkin

1 12-oz. can evaporated milk

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix this and pour into a 9 x 13 baking pan that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray.

1 box of Duncan Hines Yellow Butter Recipe Cake Mix (dry)

1 and 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Sprinkle these over the top of the pumpkin mixture.

1 and 1/2 sticks butter (melted)

Pour this over the dry cake mix and nuts.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until lightly browned.

Frost with a mixture of:

1 16-oz. box powdered sugar

1 8-oz. cream cheese

1 8- oz. Cool Whip

Goodness.

Oh yeah, the turkey brining ... I ended up using a cooler with ice to house the turkey in the brining bag. I used a huge plastic bag I bought at Williams-Sonoma to hold the turkey in the brine, but after I got it all in there, I was worried that it would leak overnight ... and it was incredibly unwieldy, all that liquid in a bag ... so I used the cooler instead of the fridge. I roasted it slow and covered it with foil, until the last hour or so ... then I uncovered and basted it with butter until the temperature was over 165 degrees. It rested for about an hour while I finished the rest of the meal, and yes. It was moist, very full of flavor, and everything "they" say about brining is true! I'm even thinking about doing another one for Christmas.

-----

Miss Squishy brought her Mama and Daddy over to watch the Clemson/Carolina game on Saturday night. Won't say too much about the game, other than "Whew!" That was a close one. Can't tell you how hard it is to watch those Tigers play sometimes.

On to the BABY ... she is not quite 3 weeks old, and this marked her first visit to Nana and Papa's house. She was awake for about half the time she was here, and for a good bit of her awake time, she was concentrating on the chatter coming from my mouth. When her head was on my shoulder, she leaned back a little bit so she could see my face, and pretended to listen intently. Way to melt your Nana's heart there, Squishy.

Love. Love. Love.

-----

Yesterday was dreary and cold. Em and I took a walk with The Beast and came home with runny noses and frozen ears and hands. That, and seeing a few houses with the Christmas decorations already up made me want to come home and decorate. Laziness prevailed though ... we'll do it next weekend, I think.

-----

Today is "Cyber Monday" ... the biggest Internet shopping day of the year? Whatever. I think about Christmas shopping and I start hearing white noise in my head. I can't focus. I have no idea what I'm doing ... or when I'm going to get around to doing it. Ugh. I hate it. I may or may not shop on the Internet today. I may or may not shop on the Internet tomorrow.

What I am doing today is laundry. And a lot of standing in the rain, holding a dog on a leash.

"Turkey lurkey doo ..."

2007-11-21T08:44:00.000-05:00

I can't muster that old Thanksgiving Spirit. With only three of us around the table tomorrow, I'm fearing it will feel like any other weeknight meal ... only I'll be really tired since I just cooked for 2 days. I miss my family very much. When Dad was alive, they'd make the trip us here on the day before Thanksgiving, somehow surviving the terrible traffic between here and Atlanta ... and as soon as they came through the door, it was Holiday Time in my head. Daddy loved to eat, so Thanksgiving was a happy time for all.

Jimmy doesn't enjoy food. Period. Emilie hates all the traditional Thanksgiving dishes. And here I am ... with my bypassed gastric, still loving the idea of food but unable to eat more than a few bites of anything.

Still, I'm starting the food preparation as soon as I finish up here this morning. Traditions die hard around me.

I'm brining the turkey this year ... a first for me. I bought the Turkey Brine from Williams-Sonoma. It has all the spices and flavors mixed together, and all I have to do is dissolve it in boiling water, and then cool it. I'll let you know how it turns out. I had planned to skip having a ham this year (see above, only 3 of us here), but on my last grocery run, I gave in to tradition and bought a small one. If nothing else, I love the smell of a ham baking. And it's protein ... yay, protein.

What else am I cooking? I do love to talk about food ...

=== Dressing: Grandma Owens' recipe ... made with homemade cornbread, Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix, broth, celery, onions, spices, and LURVE, baby.

=== Giblet Gravy: Again Grandma Owens' recipe, but tweaked around a little this year ... hopefully improved and not ruined.

=== English Peas: Jimmy's favorite food on the planet. He'll be the only one eating these. I guess it says a lot about whether or not you're a food-lover ... if, when asked what your favorite food is, you answer, "little green peas", you're probably NOT a foodie.

=== Green Beans w/Bacon & Tomatoes: New recipe.

=== Collard Greens: Call me weird, but I love to smell these simmering away on the stove. I'll be doing this one today.

=== Mashed Potatoes: With butter, cream cheese, AND half & half. Oh, baby.

=== Black Eyed Peas: So Emilie can have a veggie on her plate.

=== Strawberry Pretzel Salad: We may be the only family in America that uses this as a "salad" instead of a dessert, which is what it really is. We serve it with all the savory food.

=== Deviled Eggs: Along with olives, and bread & butter pickles on a relish tray. Have you tried Wickles yet? If you love bread & butter pickles, and if you love spicy stuff ... you should see if you can find some ... Publix carries them here. I'm the only person who likes them in my house, but MAN they are tasty.

=== Yeast rolls: Yay for more carbs.

=== Gooey Butter Cake

=== Pecan Pie

=== Sweet Potato Pie

Yeah, that's right ... three desserts for three people. Shut up.

-----

Happy Thanksgiving. Take a nap tomorrow ... it's the law.

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens ..."

2007-11-19T07:21:00.002-05:00

A couple of Christmases ago, Jimmy gave me/us a Sleep Number Bed, also known as a Select Comfort Bed. I think I loved it from Day One, although there may have been a few nights there at the beginning when we had to get used to the change. His Sleep Number is as high as he can crank the thing ... mine is a 40 (I think), and I'll occasionally let the air out and go to a 35 when I want to sleep in mashed potatoes.

Several months before we got the Sleep Number bed, we purchased a pricey little Ragdoll kitten. Two years later, she's not so little anymore. The Ragdoll is a large breed, and Adam and Brandy's Ragdoll is proof of that fact. Their Bubba The Cat is over 20 pounds of pure sweetness. Our Maggie is a female, so she's a bit smaller ... in fact, I can't remember what she weighed at her last checkup. I think it was around 14 or 15 pounds. But I can tell you what she weighs in the middle of the night.

How can I know this, you asks? I'll tells you.

Every single night lately, I wake up between 2 and 4 AM with FIFTY POUNDS of dead-weight sleeping Ragdollness on top of my legs. She used to sleep, all curled in a furry ball, NEXT to my legs at the foot of the bed. That was fine. Hell, it was wonderful in the winter ... my own purring foot warmer. But now?

Now I wake up, realizing I can't feel my feet anymore. Her dead-weight on my shins has cut off the blood supply to my toes. I also can't MOVE my feet. I can't express to you how heavy she feels as she's dead to the world, snoring and having kitty dreams. I move my legs, trying to make her MOVE ... she never even notices. Last night, I finally managed to wiggle enough that she toppled off my legs onto the bed ... and she kept snoring! I never woke her up.

I woke up an hour later ... and she was back on top of my shins. What the hell!

That cat is ruining my beautiful relationship with my bed.

-----

Mary, here's the Gooey Butter Cake recipe. I'm surprised you don't have this one, it's been around for years and years. It's always a hit, wherever I take it ... and I take it everywhere. My sister Kay shared this recipe with me at least 20 years ago, and it's slightly different than the one made famous by Ms. Paula Deen (Paula's has more butter in it!), but Jimmy says this version tastes better to him.

Gooey Butter Cake

The Butter Cake Layer:

1 box yellow cake mix, dry

2 eggs

1 stick of melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla

The Gooey Layer:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

16 ounces powdered sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan with a non-stick spray.

Combine the ingredients for the Butter Cake Layer and mix with a wooden spoon. This batter will be too thick for a mixer. Drop in spoonfuls all over the bottom of the baking pan, and pat into an even layer that covers the bottom of the pan.

Using an electric mixer, combine the ingredients for the Gooey Layer. Mix until smooth. Pour this mixture on top of the Butter Cake Layer.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Center of the cake should be a little "wiggly" when you remove it from the oven ... it'll firm up as it cools.

-----

Here's Miss Squishy this weekend as she showed support for the Clemson Tigers, despite the efforts of Mr. Bowden and the football team ...

I hope her little hand will hold mine for the next 50 years ...

Her Mom and Dad started the whole "Squishy" business ... and for now, it truly fits.

"I shall call her Squishy and she shall be mine ... and she shall be my Squishy" -- a paraphrased Dory quote from "Finding Nemo"

"Same old story ..."

2007-11-15T09:06:00.000-05:00

TV Talk ahead:

My DVR erased Survivor before I could watch it. The nerve. I'll read the recap online today at some point, I'm sure.

I've said it before and I'll say it again ... if that damn writer's strike messes with Lost in January (or whenever it's supposed to air again), I'm going to ... well, I'll bitch really loud to the wall. Nobody else cares, I think.

But yay, Real Housewives of Orange County is back. And y'all, when I watched poor Vicki worry about "downsizing" and giving up her 5000 sq. ft. home for a TINY little 4000 sq. ft. shack, my heart hurt for her. Awwwww. They'll be so CRAMPED!

Then I heard her tell the contractor that her budget for putting in a pool in the back yard was TWO. HUNDRED. AND. FIFTY. THOUSAND. DOLLARS.

No pity for you, Vicki.

Gawd, I love that show. It makes me feel so ... normal.

-----

Jimmy spent a few days in Puerto Rico this week, but he's home again safe and sound. Just in time for some winter, by the sounds of the forecasters. The next few days will only reach the mid-50's for highs. And that's cold enough for me, thankyaverymuch.

-----

Saw Miss Squishy on Tuesday evening ... she's prettier every time I see her! It's a very difficult thing for me to stop sniffing her neck. She smells like heaven.

-----

I've been putting off having blood drawn for my 18-month checkup appointment with my surgeon. Imagine that. Me, procrastinating! If I don't go tomorrow, I MUST go on Monday. Otherwise, the results won't make it back to him in time for my appointment on the 30th.

-----

Today I am baking a Gooey Butter Cake for Jimmy to take to work tomorrow for their Thanksgiving office celebration. That'll hopefully put me in the mood to finally start planning my Turkey Day menu. I did buy some stuff to make a brine for the turkey last week. But it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving to me, so I'm slow with the plans. Looks like it'll be a low-key and quiet holiday here this year. Brandy and Adam aren't totally sure of their plans at this point. And we did consider driving to GA to see everyone there, but then we realized that Em must work on the Friday following Turkey Day. So that plan got scrapped. Oh well, when it's all said and done, we'll eat some good food, watch some TV, and be lazy. Sounds lovely, actually.

I'll miss "family" though. BUT ... there's always an Open Invitation, people. If you can see your way clear, come on up. We'll have plenty.

"It's getting better all the time ..."

2007-11-10T06:56:00.001-05:00

Happy to report that Friday was a good day for the new family. At least that's what they tell me ... they still seem awfully worn out to me!

But it was a quiet, low-key kind of day, and they rested in between L'il Bit's mealtimes.

Best news of all: When she nursed at about 6:30 PM, she did so without the help of "The Boob Tube" (as her Daddy had started calling it)! Don't know if the trend continued, since I left before the next feeding ... but I have my fingers crossed that they didn't have to mess with that anymore last night.

Did she get MORE precious and beautiful on Friday? Why, yes. Yes, she did!

-----

In other news:

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Well, imagine that. There IS no other news in my world.

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Planning for Homecoming today, where hopefully Brandy and Adam can relax and get some more rest. I'm headed over there in a bit to run the vacuum and put some dinner in the crock pot for them.

Happy Weekend!

"My mind is on the blink ..."

2007-11-09T06:27:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update ...

Baby, Mom, and Dad are all doing just great. Although Mom and Dad are especially tired. Li'l Bit is in the hospital room with them 24/7, which leaves very little time for rest. I'm going to try my best to convince Adam to take a few hours and go home to lay down today. He's "resting" in a chair that pretends to be a bed ... for what looks to me like an average of 3.2 minutes at a time. He admitted yesterday that his back was hurting.

(Her name will continue to be "L'il Bit" for blog purposes, in keeping with her Mom and Dad's blogging anonymity. Yes, I know I've used their real names here ... and they never yelled at me about it. But I plan to respect their wishes on the baby name matter. Besides, if you're a family or a friend, you already know it. And if not, pretend her name is L'il Bit ... at least until another nickname sticks.)

She's beyond beautiful. And I swear I'm not saying that using my "Grandma Eyes". She really is. And I had totally forgotten how soft a baby's skin is. She is totally edible.

As of last night, she was working hard to frustrate everybody ... she's hungry, and getting quite impatient for her Mama's milk to come in. The hospital's lactation specialist came in late yesterday afternoon with a temporary solution ... a complicated tube system that allows the baby to nurse, which stimulates the milk production; and at the same time allows the baby to drink a small amount of formula, to fill her belly up. After the first go-round with this set-up, L'il Bit was one happy camper. She laid on her back and stared at the world with happy thoughts for about an hour. She even got the hiccups.

Emilie came home last night, and reported that the next try didn't go quite as smoothly, but hopefully during the night they had better luck. I know it's frustrating.

Especially when the whole "tired" thing is still so new.

I'm so proud of my kids, I can't even tell you.

"You're the poet in my heart ..."

2007-11-08T07:22:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the world, Precious One.

May the sunlight find your face

Even when the rain does fall

And get back on your feet again

Every time you slip and fall

Keep your heart wide open

And always taking in

And even when it's broken

Be strong enough to fix it up again

Oh, little baby girl

Sweet little baby girl

I wish I could hold your hand in this great big world

Oh, little baby girl

And I hope your hands are steady

And never need to make a fist

And I hope that when you're ready

You get one never ending kiss

And I hope that deep inside of you

There's a sweet eternal song

And I hope the words are pretty

And that you'll always sing along

And I hope your friends are many

And your laughter's always loud

To help you when you're lonely

And pick you up when you're down

I hope your eyes shine bright, love

And learn to see the light

Take the time to listen

Decide yourself what's wrong or right

Oh, little baby girl

Sweet little baby girl

Be strong in this great big world

Oh, little baby girl

("Baby Girl" by Will Hoge)

"In the end, it's right ..."

2007-11-04T10:04:00.000-05:00

She's 25 years old today. I was 23 when she was born. She's so much wiser at her age than I was then.

My birthday wish for her is the same as it's been every single year for the last quarter-century.

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow

And each road leads you where you want to go

And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose

I hope you choose the one that means the most to you

And if one door opens to another door closed

I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window

If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile

I hope you never look back, but you never forget

All the ones who love you, in the place you left

I hope you always forgive, and you never regret

And you help somebody every chance you get

Oh, you find God's grace in every mistake

And you always give more than you take

But more than anything, more than anything
My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish

(Rascal Flatts, "My Wish")

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl. I love you.

"We'll leave the big door open ..."

2007-11-02T07:24:00.000-04:00

Busy day ahead today ... and it started again at 4:30 AM. What's up with that? Yesterday, I was wide awake at 4:30, and the same today. I ended up just coming in here to the computer and reading for a couple of hours.

I should have put on my shoes and gone outside to walk. Duh.

-----

Emilie shares this picture of Halloween, 2007: Hansel and Gretel ... sorta. These two aren't brother and sister.

The only thing missing is a beer stein in his left hand. Too cute.

-----

Did you watch The Office last night? I heart Jim Halpert. He seemed miserable last night, which made him even more human to me. Although I didn't quite understand the whole Finer Things Club ... it felt very out of character for Pam, in my opinion.

Best line from last night: "The eyes are the groin of the face." It's true, you know.

Yeah, yeah, yeah ... it's just TV.

-----

It's almost Baby Time!

"Center of attention ..."

2007-11-01T09:07:00.001-04:00

Holy crap. It's November.

-----

We had about 3 or 4 groups of childrens at our door last night, begging for candy. A disappointing Halloween, for sure.

Grumpy Old Lady Moment From Halloween, 2007: The kid from across the street made a 2nd appearance at the door, with a different group of friends around 8:30 PM. He pushed his way to the front of the group, and loudly announced, "You'll let me have more candy since I live across the street!" Then the little punk stuck his grimy hand in my candy basket and grabbed a fistful of chocolate.

The smile never left my face, but inside I was calling him and his Mama a few choice names.

Punk-ass kids these days.

-----

So I worked a little bit and finally finished moving all my older "LiveJournal" posts over here. They are not quite as fun to read as I was imagining, but at least now I'm all in one spot on the Internets. In the archives, everything before November, 2005 is the old LiveJournal fluff.

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I wish my husband would tell me my hair looks nice when I go and spend money to have it trimmed and un-grayed. I realize there's not much nice to say about my hair, but a half-truth like, "Your hair looks nice, honey," beats, "You got your hair cut again? I thought you wanted it to grow out," any day of the week.

-----

There's a small seed of thought, wayyyy in the back of my head, that I want to start running. Jogging, if you will. I'll give you a minute for the shock to wear off.

-
-
-

You ok?

I know. It's CRAZY. But my friends have started it. They've already run a 5K without me. And last week, one of those afore-mentioned friends actually ran a 26-mile marathon. At this point, I can't imagine doing a slow jog for more than about 30 seconds. But if I start ... and keep trying ... it's bound to work, right? I mean, I don't THINK I was born without a Running Gene. I just can't remember ever running. That's sad, really.

Anyway, I think I'm going to give it a shot. Maybe.

If I can find a good bra.

"I don't feel so bad ..."

2007-10-30T08:40:00.000-04:00

I hit the ground running today. Then I sat down in here in front of the computer. And screeched to a halt. *sigh*

I'm not giving up though. I have plans to get a lot done today. Yes sirree. First on the agenda: PAY THE DAMN BILLS. I've been putting that off for so many days, it's embarrassing. Why why why??? Procrastinating is evil. Procrastinating looks a lot like "lazy" to the untrained eye. But it's not. At least that's what I like to tell myself.

Ah hell. I'm lazy.

-----

Have you heard of Freecycle? From their website: The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,142 groups with 4,013,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them's good people). Membership is free.

I joined the Greenville Freecycle group a few months ago, and have gotten rid of a few choice pieces of "junk" ... all to grateful folks who acted like I was giving them a great gift. Yesterday I was on the receiving end of the whole process.

I had been planning to use Emilie's old crib mattress in the crib for Miss L'il Bit to sleep on. But when I looked at measurements, I discovered that new crib mattresses are slightly bigger all around, and the result is there are no gaps between the mattress and the crib for the little ones to get body parts wedged into. I really didn't want to spend another $100 on a new mattress, so I was planning on getting some foam and cutting thin strips to fasten to the mattress with packing tape, and then covering the the whole shebang with a zippered mattress cover. (Can you tell I live with an engineer?)

Over the weekend, I opened my E-mail to find a Freecycle offer of a crib mattress. I replied like lightening ... and heard back from the lady! (Which is sort of like a miracle, because things go fast.) I was able to pick it up yesterday ... she lived right around the corner from me ... and now I have a mattress that fits! I listed my old mattress last night, with the disclaimer that it wasn't going to fit tightly in a crib and shouldn't be used for an infant. Within half an hour, Emilie's old crib mattress had a new home. A lady wrote that she needed a newer mattress for her 2-year-old, who wasn't ready for a "big boy bed" yet. She'll pick it up later today. Cool!

Anyway, if you've got lots of junk ... or want some ... check out Freecycle. I'd recommend using a spare E-mail address when you sign up though, since it does generate a lot of mail.

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It's COLD this morning! My thermometer outside said mid-30's when I woke up today.

-----

I have so many things on my to-do list, I can't even think straight. Gonna go now and see if I can't get some of them OFF the list. Y'all have a good one.

"Yesterday's been laid to rest ..."

2007-10-29T09:25:00.000-04:00

How was your weekend?

Mine was alright. I spent money. Cooked. Cleaned. And now it's Monday again. If memory serves, tomorrow it'll be Saturday once more. That's just how fast my weeks are going.

On Friday, I did the majority of the money-spendin'. Had to go by Whole Foods for my yogurt ... it's been weeks since the Publix near my house has had Fage in stock. I found one lone little carton on Friday, and they had marked the damn price up 20 cents, from $1.79 to $1.99! Those bastards. I'll be getting them at Whole Foods from now on, where they've always charged $1.69.

And I bought a crib! I'm having more fun preparing for the arrival of Miss Li'l Bit than I did when my own babies were on the way. I guess that's because we have more money now. Hell, when I think back to the pitiful array of supplies I pulled together when Adam was born, there's no comparison. We used Jimmy's old crib and mattress, I had an old "infant seat" that my Mom used for Sister Laura, and whatever clothes he had were gifts or hand-me-downs. And there weren't a lot of those. I remember I bought 2 crib sheets, a couple of receiving blankets, and a crib mobile that were "brand new". I also bought a plastic changing table ... because I found one marked down to $24.95. My sister threw me a little baby shower a few weeks before Adam arrived, and that's where the car seat came from, if I remember right. Most of those supplies were used for Miss Emilie too. Although Emilie lucked out in the clothing department, since Jimmy's "rich" uncle had a baby girl 2 years beforehand, and they were generous with the hand-me-downs.

Proof that it doesn't take "things" to raise good kids, I guess ... but I sure am having fun shopping for my granddaughter.

-----

If it weren't for the Internet, I'd have no idea the World Series happened this year, and that Boston won it yesterday. Thank GOD for the Internet, huh?

-----

I've had my little space heater on already, and it won't be long before I'm forced to turn on the "real" heat. I think there's a possibility for frost tonight. (Note to self: Bring in the Christmas Cactus!) It's CRAZY to think that by the end of the week, it'll be November. Last time I blinked, it was March, wasn't it?

-----

Thanks Jimmy, for working so hard to get that damn guest room painted and finished up this weekend. Maybe we'll be in Assisted Living before it needs it again.

Kathy, Mary, & Melissa: You're good friends. Only good friends will fake an interest in irritable bowel stories. (And then they gag when you look the other way. Heh.) Love you!

-----

Plenty to do today, and I should get started!

"So far it has not been fun ..."

2007-10-26T08:32:00.000-04:00

Bleh.

Haven't been around much this week because all I have to talk about is my irritable bowel. See how I think about you and your happiness? It's all I do, really ... think about you.

But oh, my intestinal woes this week have been mighty. My schedule yesterday was entirely dictated by "Bossy". Yep, that's what I've named her. She's a grouchy old girl.

-----

In other news: Nope, no baby yet. But tonight's the full moon. I have full faith that she'll come when she's supposed to, but I'm also thinking that I really would like to hold her. It's a predicament, no?

-----

Jimmy has today off work, and I'm hoping he'll get a little more painting done in the guest room. Sure would be nice to have it finished before the weekend is over. Last weekend, I agreed to "help", and it wasn't long before my brain exploded. I don't know how to say it any clearer: I HATE PAINTING. After totally screwing up the door, he allowed me to use the roller to cover the walls. My dental cleaning yesterday was WAY more fun ... and my gums were bleeding.

-----

So today I've made a grocery list, and I'll be heading out for "the errands" soon ... that is, if Bossy says it's ok with her. That cranky bitch.

"Tomorrow might be good for something ..."

2007-10-19T08:44:00.000-04:00

Friday! I know I say it every other time I'm here, but damn. Time flies.

-----

I saw this one coming from a mile away: Amy Winehouse: Arrested, Fined In Norway Drug Bust. But after reading the details, I'm SHOCKED. There was no crack pipe? No crystal meth to be found! It's scandalous, don't you agree?

In other useless news, Britney (or as one of my favorite gossip websites likes to call her, "Unfitney" ... love it!) ran over the foot of a paparazzi yesterday just after she got her lips blown up with collagen. And once again, she left the scene of "the accident". Somebody needs to tell her that she won already. Forever and always, her name will be synonymous with "Crazy Bitch". The contest is closed.

-----

Homecoming at Clemson tomorrow ... hopefully the little team from Central Michigan will play nice and let the Tigers win. Emilie and Jud have game tickets, and it looks like it'll be a nice day for some football fun.

-----

We are in the final countdown for BABY here at the castle. Brandy says she can't imagine much more. She's not sleeping well, and her feet are being a pain in her ... uh, feet. They are swelling a lot, and I can understand how that would be no fun if you're having to dress in a professional manner and go to work all day. That, and the whole "I can't bend over anymore" thing. I know it's miserable. And even though she feels like it'll be soon, I know it won't FEEL like it's soon to her ... even if the baby comes next week. Those last few weeks of being pregnant felt like months and months.

When I was pregnant with Emilie, I was certain that labor was only hours away in mid-October. On Halloween, my mother-in-law showed up at my house, saying, "There's a full moon tonight! Get in my truck, we're going to find us a bumpy dirt road ... you're having that baby TONIGHT!" And I'm so stupid, I got in her truck. Oh, the bumpy road when you're carrying an almost-10-pound baby. That's probably the reason RIGHT THERE that I needed a "bladder hammock" last year.

And Emilie was born on November 4th.

Hang in there, Brandy. (And call me if you want to find a bumpy dirt road on Halloween. There's a full moon! Whooo!)

-----

Are you watching The Office on NBC every week? If not, you should be.

"Once I rose above the noise and confusion ..."

2007-10-15T09:55:00.001-04:00

Back in the day, 1971 to be exact, I took my Richards Junior High yearbook and located every single picture of David Ragsdale. I took a marker, and lovingly drew a heart around his face in all those pictures. I was in 7th grade, he was in 8th. I was a dork, he was a cool guy. I was 5'10" already, he was ... short. But he knew how to dress, his hair was long and oh, so beautiful -- and so there was nothing else for me to do. I had a Crush. With a capital C.

(I think that was the beginning of my fascination with "Men With Hair", and why I ended up falling for the man I live with now. Jimmy used to have some dreeeeeamy hippie hair ... WAY back in the day. His brother Michael did too!)

But time marches on. There were babies to raise and houses to keep; and through the years, not much thought was given to my junior high school Crush. In fact, except for the time in the 80's, when I heard he had made the bigtime and was playing in Louise Mandrell's band (Ha!), I hadn't given him ANY thought at all.

Not sure when he joined up with the old band, Kansas ... but his webpage says he has spent at least 7 years playing with them. Jimmy heard that they would be performing in Greenville on Saturday night, so herniated disk be damned ... we were there.

For a bunch of old guys, they put on an awesome show! That was a little joke there. I enjoyed it a lot. Especially when the lead singer said, "Hey, tonight's really special for me! This is the first time all 3 of my grandchildren have come to see us perform!"

*sigh* All we are is dust in the wind, y'all.

You have to skip ahead to about halfway through the video to see a little concert footage (and David with old hair).

David, with new hair, on Saturday night:

And finally, if you really need proof that time marches on ..

"I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone ..."

"Let the sun illuminate the words ..."

2007-10-11T08:01:00.000-04:00

Several of the bloggers I read on a regular basis have recently posted their "Life Lists". In case you haven't heard of the concept, it's simply a list you make of the things you would like to do or accomplish in your lifetime. They say that once you start the list, things actually begin happening ... whether it's you making the effort or there's some "magic" in actually stating to the universe what you'd like out of life. I think there's something to this. About 20 years ago, I made a tiny list in my journal: "Things I Want". (Hehe.) At the time, they seemed quite unattainable. In looking back, years later, I discovered that almost every single thing on the list could have been crossed off. (Except for the ones that only applied to the house we lived in at the time.)

With that in mind, I decided to start my "Life List". Wanna hear it? Here it go:

* Go to a Dave Matthews Band concert.

* Go on a "Sisters Only" weekend trip with Kay and Laura.

* Sell this house and move.

* Live in a house that has good natural light ... windows! Big rooms. And grass in the backyard.

* Grow tomatoes and a flower garden in that sunny backyard.

* Exercise DAILY.

* Invite friends for dinner, or drinks and conversation ... in other words, stop worrying that my home isn't "nice enough".

* Visit Hawaii.

* Go to a Madonna concert.

* Organize all my photographs.

* Find a way to visit and reconnect with my old friend Leslie White Adams.

* Clean out all the junk in the garage and basement. Too much STUFF!

* Visit Greece.

* Travel around the U.S. in a motor home. (The closest I'll go to "camping".)

* Grow my hair until I can be happy with a haircut again.

* Learn about wine.

* Learn to knit.

* Learn to swim.

* Become a person who is thought about often, in loving and positive ways.

* Floss every day.

* Get rid of the remaining wallpaper in this house, and repaint the 1st floor rooms.

* Redecorate the kitchen and laundry room, floor to ceiling.

* Read more books.

* Be supportive and helpful to my adult children. No smothering. No guilt.

* Learn to dance the Shag.

* Find someplace to volunteer.

* Straighten out my recipe notebook.

* Get a new deck built for this house.

* Win the lottery. (Can't hurt.)

* Be the kind of Grandmother that I always wanted for my own kids.

* Spend more time outside.

* Make a trip to the beach, any beach ... at least once every season.

* Ride a bike again.

* Ride a roller coaster again.

* Sit and talk more with Michael and Patti.

* Plant a magnolia tree in my yard.

* Say more "I Love You"s.

* Stop settling for less.

* Model self-confidence and humility for my grandchildren.

* Spend less money on "things".

* Start every day with "I'm grateful" thoughts.

* See a performance of "The Nutcracker" during the holidays.

* Visit the Biltmore House.

* Learn to play the flute again.

* Grow old gracefully. But with spirit.

* Nurture friendships with other women. Spend time with my friends.

* Keep my kitchen clean.

* Have a front porch with rocking chairs. And maybe a swing.

* Be present. Now.

* Own a vacation home at the beach.

* Take care of my mother as she ages.

* Get new bedroom furniture.

* Visit Italy.

* Take an Alaskan cruise.

* Take a trip with no itinerary.

* Learn to play the guitar.

* Take a cake decorating class. Or two.

* "... the rest is still unwritten."

"Because the drugs never work ..."

2007-10-10T07:47:00.000-04:00

I am living some crazy busy days this fall. It's so unlike me!

Saturday was unusually fun ... I drove to Traveler's Rest, parked my car at a Sleep Inn, and rode with Sisters Laura and Melody to North Carolina. First stop was Hendersonville, where we rode around for several hours, looking at homes for sale. (They are hoping to sell their house in GA, and move to the mountains ASAP. I have to say, I think it's a marvelous idea!) We stopped at an apple orchard and tortured Melody by making her pose for pictures. Then we headed to Asheville and found more houses for sale. Now that may sound like a recipe for a very boring afternoon, but I was with Laura and Melody. Never a dull moment! When the sun went down, we headed into downtown Asheville and found some food and wine. I love spending time with my long-lost sister. Wine or no wine.

On Sunday, I tried to sleep late and talk to my other sister, only she wasn't answering her phone. I ran some errands, and saw Adam and Brandy for a little while. They celebrated their 2nd anniversary on Monday! I went to bed early, but spent most of the night awake ... Jimmy had a terrible time with pain that night. The spasms in his back were horrible, and seemed to come one after another for several hours. At one point, I dressed to take him back to the ER for some pain relief. (He let his pain meds get low by not calling the doctor's office on Friday. He was warned. He chose to disregard my wisdom and experience in this matter.) He decided to take his last dose around midnight, and see if he could tough it out until the office opened Monday morning. I made him take a double dose of the muscle relaxant, and we did sleep a little bit.

I spent Monday being Nurse Dawn ... well, except for that one hour when I was locked outside, being eaten alive by global warming- sized mosquitoes. After picking up new narcotics and drugging the man, I spent some time outside planting a few fall flowers. That was right about the same time Jimmy decided to fire up a few podcasts of Bob & Sheri and doze off.

And yeah, I was locked out. I looked around for a key in the basement (Which is NEVER locked. Heads up, burglars!), checked out the garage windows and decided that IF I cut the screens to climb through the cobwebs and grime, I'd likely break my neck trying to climb over all the hoarded crap he stores beneath the windows. Forget THAT. And yeah, my cell phone was in my purse, as usual. I had only one option: I had to ring the doorbell a million times, hope he'd get aggravated that I wasn't asnwering the door, and then he'd somehow stand up and make his way downstairs to let me in.

This part took close to an hour. I'd ring, ring, ring the doorbell ... then I'd pound, pound, pound on the door, or the window next to the door. I'd sit for awhile, admiring my new flowers. Then I'd do it all over again. I started to wonder if we might miss the 3:45 MRI appointment, since I'd not even had a chance to tell him it was scheduled.

It's a good thing I didn't have to pee.

I'm typing this, so you already know I did make it back inside. I heard him laughing as he made his way down the stairs to let me in. (The humor was lost on me, at this point.) He said he thought the doorbell was sound effects on the podcasts he was listening to, and he thought all the door and window-banging was me, "hanging pictures". I said, "Where did you think I might be hanging 40 pictures??!!" His answer, "I guess THAT'S why you didn't answer the phone when it was ringing just now."

Dur. He claims all the narcotics have NO EFFECT on the clarity of his mind. I will save this little episode for proof otherwise.

Anyway. We made it to the MRI. Still waiting on results, hopefully today. He's back to work, walking like a pretzel. He says as long as he takes the oxycodone every 4 hours, the pain is manageable. Between the back issues, and Emilie's head cold and cough from hell, I will carry on as Nurse Dawn for at least the remainder of this week.

To be continued ...

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Kathy & Emilie: That personality test captured you both PERFECTLY. Wow.

"Everybody's got insanities ..."

2007-10-03T09:11:00.000-04:00

This is fascinating in its accuracy!

The Quick And Painless Enneagram Test

My Score: 2 - the Helper

I chose CX - my Enneagram type is TWO (aka "The Charmer").

"I must help others."

Helpers are warm, concerned, nurturing, and sensitive to other people's needs.

How To Get Along With Me:

* Tell me that you appreciate me. Be specific.
* Share fun times with me.
* Take an interest in my problems, though I will probably try to focus on yours.
* Let me know that I am important and special to you.
* Be gentle if you decide to criticize me.

In Intimate Relationships:

* Reassure me that I am interesting to you.
* Reassure me often that you love me.
* Tell me I'm attractive and that you're glad to be seen with me.

What I Like About Being a TWO:

* being able to relate easily to people and to make friends
* knowing what people need and being able to make their lives better
* being generous, caring, and warm
* being sensitive to and perceptive about others' feelings
* being enthusiastic and fun-loving, and having a good sense of humor

What's Hard About Being a TWO:

* not being able to say no
* having low self-esteem
* feeling drained from overdoing for others
* not doing things I really like to do for myself for fear of being selfish
* criticizing myself for not feeling as loving as I think I should
* being upset that others don't tune in to me as much as I tume in to them
* working so hard to be tactful and considerate that I suppress my real feelings

TWOs as Children Often:

* are very sensitive to disapproval and criticism
* try hard to please their parents by being helpful and understanding
* are outwardly compliant
* are popular or try to be popular with other children
* act coy, precocious, or dramatic in order to get attention
* are clowns and jokers (the more extroverted TWOs), or quiet and shy (the more introverted TWOs)

TWOs as Parents:

* are good listeners, love their children unconditionally, and are warm and encouraging (or suffer guilt if they aren't)
* are often playful with their children
* wonder: "Am I doing it right?" "Am I giving enough?" "Have I caused irreparable damage?"
* can become fiercely protective

"Wondering if we had spent our living days well ..."

2007-10-02T08:59:00.000-04:00

Good golly, life seems extra busy these days. And I'm spinning my wheels most of the time. Ugh.

-----

Hey, look what I ate on Sunday:

I didn't eat the whole thing, but wow. The few bites I DID eat were pretty darn good. I attended a lovely shower for Brandy and Adam and the new baby in Charlotte on Sunday afternoon. They got a truckload of beautiful gifts. I'm sure they're trying to find a place to put them all now.

And let me just take a moment to say that I adore my daughter-in-law's family. A warmer, more loving group of folks you will not find anywhere. They always make me feel welcomed and comfortable. It really makes me wish we all lived in the same town.

-----

Happy Birthday to my sister Kay! (Speaking of another person I wish lived closer to me.) She's 47 today, and I send her all my best wishes for a HEALTHY, happy year ahead. I wish she could take some time off to do something for herself. She works seven days a week at two jobs, and her time off work is spent getting ready to go to work the next day. I worry about her health, and I worry about her happiness. I hope someone makes her smile and feel loved on her birthday today.

Happy Birthday, Sissy. I miss you.

"Gonna see if I can't unwind ..."

2007-09-24T20:14:00.000-04:00

Aww crap, I'm home again. As expected, the week at the beach FLEW on seagulls' wings. Also as expected, my kid put up some vacation pictures faster than I did.

-----

What I Did After My Late Summer Vacation:
I drove my husband to the ER on Sunday night after he crawled to the car, unable to stand or walk. Yeah, he threw his back out while doing some yard work. There was talk of doing an MRI today, but his doctor settled for an x-ray. It showed no damage to the disks or vertebrae, so we're calling it muscle strain for now. He's all dopey on Vicodin and Flexeril, the lucky dawg.

-----

We did have a marvelous time with The Gang at the beach. My sister Kay and her kiddos Josh and Beth were there, along with my Mom ... Adam & Brandy, Emilie & Jud, and me & Jimmy made up the rest of the crowd. We all took turns cooking and cleaning the kitchen, which made for a really nice vacation. The weather was perfect, cool and comfortable humidity ... except for the day of rain on Thursday. And some of us even claimed to enjoy the forced "stay inside and do nothing" of that whole business, although I was not one of them. I totally enjoyed the sunshine! The beach was uncrowded, the house was huge, and the company made me smile all week long.

Oh here, let me let the pictures do the talking ...

First evening ... everybody (except the photographer and Beth (who was probably off sending a vital text message) outside on the main level porch/deck:
On the first evening, the house next door was the site of a beach wedding. My goofball husband pretended he was the Secret Wedding Photographer and hid in the sea oats for a few snapshots of strangers:

The Mother of my Soon-To-Be-Born Granddaughter, looking especially pretty:

Everybody enjoyed the pool:

Niece Beth and I, enjoying a late afternoon walk by the ocean. (Is she texting again?!?)

View of the Cherry Grove Fishing Pier from our "front yard":

We had so much fun at Medieval Times:

Nephew Josh and Jud, hobbling back home after being maimed on the Killer Skimboard:

Em, relaxing on the beach while Jud tried a little surf-fishing:
Dick's!:

The week's motto: "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere":

A group shot before heading home again:

Thanks for the memories, y'all.

"We'll make the great escape ..."

2007-09-14T06:40:00.000-04:00

If I was organized at all, I'd take a picture of my dining room table right now. You should see the chaos. I've been piling things there all week in preparation for our vacation week, planning to pack and organize it all ... soon. So today's the day, I guess, since we leave in the morning.

This is the point in time when procrastination no longer feels good. The payback. The price. The overwhelming list of "things I need to get DONE".

There is a pot of gold at the end of the chores ahead of me ... and that is a (hopefully) long and stress-free week of ocean breezes, sand between my toes, laughter and time spent with family members we don't see often enough ... and all that jazz. And tonight, I have Dianne's Big 5-0 birthday party to look forward to!

But between me and the prize, I've got work to do, people. There will be no updates here from the ocean, although I will probably have Internet access since I'm going to the beach with my husband and my son. I just won't want to put down my glass of wine long enough to type. Hehehe.

So I'll see you on the other side. Hopefully I'll have a story or two to tell.

Oh! FYI, from yesterday's entry comments:
AWUAFEN? DYTTPOACP? = "Are We Using Acronyms For Everything Now? Did You Type This Post On A Cell Phone?" My kid, the smartass ... I love him.

"The rest is still unwritten ..."

2007-09-13T07:15:00.000-04:00

An Open Letter To My Son:

It was on this day, 27 years ago, that I first met you. (I was nine years old.) You were a beautiful little thing. And I was totally clueless.

Clueless about many things, the least of which was how much I didn't know. Whether my lack of maturity and knowledge damaged you in any way remains to be seen. You seem like you survived alright. But I hope you made it through to adulthood without permanent scars from my lack of experience.

We sort-of grew up together, you and I. My childhood was just a little bit further along than yours. From the day we met, you owned my heart and soul. We didn't have a lot of money or material possessions back in those early 80's days. We lived a very simple life. We spent our days together, just the two of us. We took walks. We read stories. We talked. And we were best buds ... at least until you were old enough to know that Moms aren't really supposed to be your BFF. Oh, but while it lasted, it was awesome.

When your sister was born, you learned to share your time with me. And you did it the way you did almost everything ... with very little fuss. You seemed to love having a baby sister around the house. You were so happy to help entertain her, and later the two of you became the best of playmates.

I was a very lucky Mom, that's the truth. I had two beautiful children ... both of them smart, sweet, healthy, and unbelievably well-behaved. Looking back, I realize with all honesty, that this had very little to do with anything I did. I was flying by the seat of my pants. And the two of you were teaching me everything I needed to know.

I've been button-popping proud of you since the day we met. From the funny things you said as a toddler to the crazy sense of humor you developed as you grew (you can make me laugh faster than anybody I know) ... from the days spent singing Sesame Street songs, and playing your plastic snare drum to your days on the Clemson drumline ... from your first tricycle ride to the day you parallel parked at the DMV ... so many cherished pictures in my mind. It all went by so fast. Too fast.

And now, in a matter of a couple months' time, you will be meeting your own daughter for the first time. I wonder when she'll realize that she totally lucked out in the "Daddy Department". You are going to be so incredible in that role. And I know I'm blessed to be able to be around to see some of it. Add it to the long list of things I'm so proud of.

I love you with all that I am. I hope, after you hold your baby girl in your arms for the first time, that you understand how big my love for you is.

Happy Birthday, Adam James. Thanks for letting me grow up with you.

xoxoxo,
Mom

"Find some inspiration...
It's down deep inside of you."

Some random YouTubeness that makes me think of you, on this day of yours:

There's a comment on this video at YouTube that says this game video is not from 2006, but from the Wake game in 2002. If that's true, you're down there drumming!

"Take a cha-cha-cha-chance --- Birthday! ..."

2007-09-11T08:41:00.000-04:00

Today is my daughter-in-law's 28th birthday, so this one's for her!

Happy Birthday, Brandy!!!

Since I can't top the gift you're giving ALL of us this year, I'm not even going to try. Hehehe. Dinner out at the beach next week is on me. (Well, it's on Jimmy ... but you know what I mean.)

I hope your day is as beautiful as you are.

"Don't act like I never told ya ..."

2007-09-08T12:31:00.000-04:00

I've been telling myself to get in here and write some stuff, and then I remind myself that I don't have anything to say.

When has that ever stopped me before, you ask?

Smartass.

-----

One week from this very moment, we will be hitting the road. Long-overdue family vacation, here we come. It's been since the year after my Dad died since we all gathered at the ocean for playtime together. How different will this time be? Last time, Adam was about to turn 15, Emilie was 12, Josh was 13, and Beth was 9! Now they're 27, 24, 25, and 21. Ay yi yi, I'm elderly.

Not to mention, we're adding our daughter-in-law, plus Emilie's sweetheart to the mix. All adults, unless you count the precious one in Brandy's tummy. It will be different, to say the least.

I'm planning to attempt to slow the passage of time, once we actually arrive at the beach house ... in an effort to make the one week feel like about six weeks instead.

-----

Even though it's not really fall yet, my head is on its way there already. I took a load of stuff to the consignment store yesterday, and ended up buying more Halloween stuff for the house. I love October with all my heart.

-----

Allie the Dog left our care this morning, as Jud arrived on the Red Eye from Vegas. (We kept Allie with us while Jud attended a "conference" (likely story!) in Las Vegas all week.) The pup was overjoyed to see her Dad, and was in the car with Em and Jud headed to Clemson, grinning from ear to ear, before I had a chance to tell her how much I enjoyed having someone to talk to and hang out with every day this week. Having her here with me opened my eyes about how much muscle mass I have lost, especially in my arms. (Not that I didn't already know ... I can barely get my shirt off at night, when I have to pull it over my head.) But having Allie's strength on the other end of the leash really showed me how weak my upper body is. She's a strong girl!

Maggie the Cat is glad to be "large and in charge" again. Can't you tell?

"The days are dull, the nights are long ..."

2007-08-31T08:06:00.001-04:00

... "Goodbye to you", August. So there.

Wow! I have comments! You'll never know how much I appreciate all you (three) readers. Especially considering the horrible lack of content over the course of the last ten years. Soon, I will plan a "Commenter Appreciation Party" here at the castle. Then you will have no doubt how much you are loved.

And Melissa, girl. "Big Brother" is how I get through the summer! For the last eight years, I spend 3 nights every week during the summer, glued to my TV, totally addicted to each competition, every argument between "houseguests", AND to see what Julie Chen is wearing. The first year, the live feeds were through AOL, and they were free. I could watch the crazies 24/7 on my computer! I could watch them sleep! I could watch them trim their toenails! I could watch them use Q-tips! (Only I had dial-up back then, and couldn't watch crap.) Nowadays, you must "subscribe" and pay to watch the unedited crazy.

Eh, I wouldn't watch the live feeds even if I could. It's the editing that makes the show so fun. That whole Waaamber Prayer below never made it to the TV show ... the producers make her look even loonier than THAT! Loved how, last week, they had her talking about how people tell her she could be "a model", while she stuffed her mouth with snack food. She's precious.

Last night's show was aired at 3 AM or something close to it, so CBS could do some football. I hope my DVR got it ... and I do hope Waaamber wasn't evicted. If so, I'll have to save all my eyerollin' for Daniele. (Yes, Brandy ... her whining makes me want to go through the ROOF!)

The finale of the show will be the week of our beach vacation. Good thing most of the family watches the show. Not my husband though ... he saves all his Reality TV Love for "Dancing With The Stars". Oh honey! They announced the "stars" for the new season yesterday ... did you see?

From the official website:

MELANIE BROWN - "Mel B.," a.k.a. "Scary Spice," is best known as a member of the Spice Girls, the hit British music group that put "girl power" on the map and took the world by storm in 1996. For the first time in six years, she reunites with her four bandmates to embark on a world tour this December. Brown is also a mother, entrepreneur and actress who starred in Rent as Mimi on Broadway, in The Vagina Monologues in London, and hosted the British TV series This is My Moment. She is partnered with MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY, who returns for his fourth season.

SABRINA BRYAN - Actress and recording artist Sabrina Bryan starred as a member of an all-girl singing group in Disney Channel's original movie, The Cheetah Girls. The hit movie translated into musical success for the girls, who went on to release two albums and toured the U.S. as The Cheetah Girls. Bryan is set to star in the upcoming The Cheetah Girls 3. She has also starred in The Bold and the Beautiful. Bryan is partnered with newcomer MARK BALLAS.

HELIO CASTRONEVES - The two-time Indianapolis 500 champion began the celebratory tradition of climbing the racetrack fence in 2001, racing for Team Penske. A native of Brazil, Castroneves is partner and owner of the NasrCastroneves racing team, which competes in the Brazilian Stock Car V8 Championship. He has amassed twelve wins and forty-nine top five finishes during his IndyCar career. Castroneves teams with reigning champ JULIANNE HOUGH, who returns for her sophomore season.

MARK CUBAN - Cuban is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball team. He is the highly successful entrepreneur who founded HDNet, Broadcast.com and MicroSolutions. Cuban went on to sell Broadcast.com and Micro Solutions to Yahoo! and CompuServe, respectively. He is partnered with KYM JOHNSON, who returns for her third season.

JENNIE GARTH - Garth rose to stardom in the popular television series Beverly Hills: 90210. She since starred in the sitcom What I Like About You for four seasons. Over the course of her career, she has produced and starred in several made-for-TV movies. Her most recent project was a lead role in Lifetime's Girl, Positive, which was the network's highest-rated movie this year. Garth's partner is newcomer DEREK HOUGH, brother of Season Four winner Julianne Hough.

JOSIE MARAN - Model/actress Josie Maran has graced the pages of some of the biggest magazines, including multiple covers for Glamour and appearances in Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue. She's also been featured in national ad campaigns for Guess and Maybelline, and has appeared in such films as The Aviator and Van Helsing. Today Maran is a busy entrepreneur, activist and new mom. She launches her eponymous eco-chic cosmetic line, Josie Maran Cosmetics, this fall, and is a spokesperson for the national environmental organization Global Green. Maran is paired with Season One winner ALEC MAZO, who makes his third appearance.

CAMERON MATHISON - Mathison joined the cast of All My Children in January 1989 as Ryan Lavery. After leaving the show for a year, he returned in 2003 to reprise this fan-favorite role, for which he has received an Emmy nomination. He is also presently hosting the fourth season of SOAPnet's reality series, I Wanna Be A Soap Star. His television credits also include The Drew Cary Show, CSI, JAG, What I Like About You, F/X: The Series, the television movie Any Mother's Son, and ABC Family's See Jane Date. Mathison's partner is EDYTA SLIWINSKA, the only professional dancer to appear in all five seasons.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER - "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather is a six-time world champion in five different weight classes and the current RING and World Boxing Council Welterweight Champion of the World, with an astounding undefeated record of 38-0, with 24 knockouts. He is universally recognized as pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world. Mayweather teams with KARINA SMIRNOFF, who returns for her third season.

WAYNE NEWTON - The Legend, Mr. Las Vegas, is enjoying a career that few dare even dream about, having performed more live shows than any other single performer in Las Vegas history, with no signs of slowing down. He has been mentored by such talents as Jackie Gleason, Lucille Ball, Bobby Darin, Jack Benny and Frank Sinatra, which has inspired him to great success in motion pictures, television and recordings. As Chairman of the USO Celebrity Circle, Newton recently said, "I want to use my head for myself and my heart for mankind." He is partnered with two-time champ CHERYL BURKE.

MARIE OSMOND - Osmond won the hearts of fans as co-host of the popular variety program, The Donny & Marie Show. She has since starred in several made for television movies, co-hosted Ripley's Believe It or Not, achieved success as a recording artist, performed on Broadway, made the New York Times bestselling authors list, and established herself as an entrepreneur with her highly successful Marie Osmond Collectible Doll line. She is also the co-founder and co-host of the Children's Miracle Network. Osmond will be led by JONATHAN ROBERTS, who returns for his fourth season.

ALBERT REED - Model Albert Reed has been featured in national ad campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch, Diesel Clothing, Arrow Clothing, Rayban and Reebok, to name a few. The free-spirited 22-year-old has walked the catwalk for Chanel, Levis and Michael Kors. Growing up in Miami, Reed surfed competitively into his late teens, winning several titles. He is also an actor, musician and artist. He teams up with ANNA TREBUNSKAYA, who returns for her second season.

JANE SEYMOUR - Actress/artist/author/activist/designer and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning British born Jane Seymour is a star of motion pictures (Wedding Crashers, Live and Let Die, Somewhere in Time) and television, ranging from her six-season Western drama, Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, to her reign as 'Queen of the Mini-Series,' so dubbed by critics and the media. In addition Seymour is a bestselling author, widely successful artist, designer of her own line of homewares and accessories, and an activist on behalf of underprivileged and abused children around the world. Seymour is paired with TONY DOVOLANI, who returns for his fourth season.

Personally, I think that show stinks. Although I might watch to see Ryan from "All My Children" a time or two. He's hot. Jimmy only watches to see the women in the skimpy clothes. If he was truly interested in the art of DANCE, he would have watched "So You Think You Can Dance" all summer with his daughter and his wife! BUSTED!

-----

So it's ten years today since Princess Diana was killed in the car crash. What were YOU doing when you heard the news? I think I've written about this before ... maybe when I was over at LiveJournal though ... I was sloshing around in a box o' wine, playing online with my AOL chatroom buddies. As usual. (What a monumental waste of time and energy THAT was. I wish I could have a few of those years back. I know, I know. You told me so.)

I was so sad when she died. But then a box o' wine makes pretty much everything seem really dark and depressing. Staying up all night long, talking to "imaginary friends" online doesn't do much for your mental health either. Duh. Live and learn, baby.

-----

Clemson Football ... Monday night ... Season opener against FSU! GO TIGERS!

"Let the choir sing ..."

2007-08-29T10:31:00.000-04:00

Hopefully I'm not the only one watching Big Brother who thinks it's pretty damn nutty to tell God, "God bless you" during prayer. Amber (Waaaamber) has done this twice by my count. I'm imagining that God is listening, and then rolls his eyes and says "Oy!" when she whines, "I love you so much God ... God bless you ... bye." It made me laugh so hard that time she coughed in the middle of praying, and then told God, "Excuse me."

I'm going to hell for making fun of a Christian cocktail waitress/former drug addict. I'll save you a seat.

"Someone said count your blessings now ..."

2007-08-27T08:57:00.000-04:00

Let's talk about me, shall we?

Surgery went well last Tuesday. The hospital actually called to see if I could rush over there, about an hour earlier than I was scheduled. (I think Dr. Bour cancelled someone else's surgery.) We rushed, and I was in and out by 4 PM. The first day home was fairly easy, thanks to the drugs I had in the hospital. At the time, I thought I was "in pain", laying there in my bed on Tuesday evening. Hah!

The pain started on Wednesday, and didn't leave again until mid-Saturday. It was bad. And I'm usually a trooper (I think), as long as I have my oxycodone. I stayed medicated, but this pain was constant, with periods of "You Think THAT Was Pain, Missy??" thrown in for good measure. I called the surgeon's office on Friday, afraid to let the weekend begin without checking to make sure this was normal. They said it most certainly wasn't, and asked me to get over there before they closed on Friday.

So he felt around and looked concerned. And told me he had no idea what was going on. He sent me home with three new drugs, and asked me to call if things got worse. And the plan was to go back for a CT scan Monday to see what was causing the hurt. Only on Saturday, it just stopped.

I felt, all day Saturday, like I had been in a really good exercise session ... you know, the kind of sore you feel after a big workout. But nothing like the breath-stopping, take-God's-name-in-vain, tears-in-my-eyes PAIN I'd been having. Sunday felt even better.

I'll call the office today and leave a message, telling them I'm fine. And I'll go in on Thursday for my post-op appointment, and hopefully he can tell me what he thinks was going on. Last summer, when I had so many complications after surgery, he called me their "enigma". I have a feeling the nickname will still apply.

-----

Beach Countdown begins in earnest today. 19 more days! I laid awake half the night, making lists in my head ... I need to get some started on paper so that won't happen again. Man, I hope we have good weather that week. I can't wait to get there!

"We don't need no education ..."

2007-08-26T13:34:00.000-04:00

Adam wrote about this yesterday ... and I'm still laughing about it today. Why is this so damn funny to me?! The correct reaction should be horror and disgust. But I can't stop laughing at her ass.

"It doesn't make much sense ..."

2007-08-20T08:40:00.001-04:00

It's already August 20! How did this happen? It's the first day of school here ... still strange to me that this doesn't affect my life in any way these days. So many memories of getting the kids down the street to Buena Vista Elementary School ... and the first day of school meant that fall is just around the corner. Why, even today we are having a cold snap ... 95 degrees for a high. Brrr!

-----

I had a lovely weekend, you? I drove to a suburb of Charlotte, NC on Saturday to attend a bridal shower, given by my very own daughter-in-law in honor of her sister. I'd like to go on record and join the rest of you who maintain that "Mapquest sucks." It has never messed with me until now. I felt I could depend on it. But wow. If I had followed the first messed-up instruction it gave me, I'd be in Cleveland Ohio, looking for the next turn to Amy's house. Pffft.

Anyway, the shower was beautiful ... loved seeing Amy (my faithful commenter), and other "in-laws" ... some of whom I hadn't seen since Adam and Brandy's wedding! Here's the scrumptious table of food that Brandy prepared for us to munch:

Beautiful!

Sunday, I slept late ... then got to work, unpacking boxes and replacing all our STUFF that had been moved around during the floor fiasco. I'm finally finished! Not really, there's still a box of books in the upstairs hallway, waiting to be placed back on the shelf. And the closet in this room ... the computer room/exercise room/guest room/junk room (ah hell, I'll always call it Adam's room) ... it needs some major help. But for the most part, we can go back to the business of living here.

-----

Today I am looking forward to a lovely menu of clear liquids! I am planning to enjoy some hot tea (see above, cold snap), some sugar-free popsicles, and ummmm ... some water! This will take great effort on my part, just so you know. There is leftover pizza in the fridge. And quiche. And lots of Fage yogurt, which is my new favorite food. It's only one day. It's only one day.

My surgery is set for tomorrow afternoon at 1:00. The anesthesia guy told me I could drink water up until 7 AM. I may set the alarm for about 5 AM, so I can get up and hydrate. I know by the time 11 AM gets here, I'm going to be whining for a sip of water. And everybody knows if your surgery isn't the first one of the day, it's going to be later than what they tell you. Sigh.

It's outpatient surgery though, so I'll be back at home tomorrow evening. Everybody come over for a Lortab party!

"Breakfast table in an otherwise empty room ..."

2007-08-13T08:51:00.000-04:00

At the castle this weekend, it was pretty darn quiet. But quiet is good. Sometimes.

Here we are at Monday again, and I'm doing what I do best: Procrastinating! I've got tons to do in preparation for the carpet guys tomorrow. I'm sure, before the end of the day, I'll have done it. It's just scary to me to admit just how long I can put things off. I guess after you practice something for over 40 years, you get really good at it.

I never heard from my surgeon's office last week, so I'm hoping the phone will ring today. Seemed like every thing I ate this weekend caused pain. (Except for an omelet on Sunday afternoon.)

So. The china cabinet and bookshelf in the den are waiting to be emptied. I don't even want to think about the closet floors. Maybe that's the secret ... I won't THINK about it. But I really do have to get busy. Tomorrow I will finally have new floors (or the beginnings of them)!

'Kloveyabye.

"Those flashing lights come from everywhere ..."

2007-08-10T08:52:00.000-04:00

In today's "Dawn's Latest Drama" segment:

As predicted by me and my awesome Google skillz, Dr. Bour confirmed yesterday that I am the proud owner of an "internal hernia". Niiice. It certainly explains the off-and-on pain I've had since July 22nd.

Basically, it means my bowel is showing up in places it's not welcome. The changes made to my intestines during the gastric bypass surgery last year have made it possible for my bowel to get kinked and slip in and out of "empty pockets" in my belly where there used to be fat. This is a very rare complication of the surgery, and one that could potentially cause major problems ... left untreated, I could have a bowel obstruction. Uhhh ... no, thank you.

So I'm waiting to hear from the surgery scheduler today. I trust my doctor, and he says he can fix it.

No worries.

"A little too ironic ..."

2007-08-09T14:25:00.001-04:00

I just read that Amy Winehouse is considering entering rehab. Ouch.

"And I said no, no no ..."

-----

Once again, sorry for the lack of updates. I'm censoring myself before I even type things out nowadays, deciding most of what I would be writing about is far too boring for human consumption. I'm thinking of YOU, really I am.

-----

Quick Update:

~ Emilie got a job! Yay! And the best part of all, she likes it. (So far.) The other best part: it's 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday thru Friday. The other best part: She doesn't have to stand all day. The last best part: Benefits!

~ New flooring arrives on Tuesday.

~ I see the doctor this afternoon for the results of this week's CT scan. Details to follow, when I know more.

~ God, it's hot outside. This week is brutal. Every day I pray for our 18-year-old AC unit to live another day.

~ I swear I'm going to write more often.

"Oooo - what a funky lady ..."

2007-08-02T13:47:00.000-04:00

Hmmm.

This is almost WORD FOR WORD what I said to myself in the mirror this morning.

"My MySpace page is all totally pimped out ..."

2007-07-24T11:52:00.000-04:00

I promised Sister Kay I'd post this video for her to see our childhood crush, Mr. Donny Osmond. What the hell am I talking about ... I STILL have a crush on him. His dancing is HOT. Might as well accept the fact: I like 'em white and nerdy.

"Care to share your time with me? ..."

2007-07-24T10:53:00.000-04:00

Good grief. I forgot my username and password to get in here. My bloggerbrain is broken, y'all.

We had a weekend. Emilie headed to Myrtle Beach to visit her college roommate. So then we stared at carpet samples, and discussed the insane notion that we could add a shower to the half bath downstairs before the new floor gets installed. Saturday evening, we grilled some brats and enjoyed dinner and Canasta with Adam and Brandy.

Sunday was the polar opposite. I woke up sick. And got sicker. Ended up in the ER, but left before I drank the contrast for a CT scan. I was feeling better, and decided it was stupid to pay for a test I probably didn't need. (I would have gone back in a split second if the symptoms returned.) I was sick enough for most of the day that, 2 days later, I'm STILL appreciating feeling OK. Bad Sunday.

Yesterday, I drove to Spartanburg to place the order for our $$$new floors$$$. They said it would be a 3-day installation, starting on August 14th. Whooo! I'll have to remember to take "before" pictures to document the incredible improvement this is going to be.

-----Rest in peace, Tammy Faye. I knew she wasn't long for this world when I saw her on Larry King last Thursday. I believe she was as genuinely sweet and silly ... and full of love ... as she appeared to be.

In other celebrity news: Lindsay Lohan was arrested this morning and charged with DUI, as well as narcotics possession and driving with a suspended license. Now THAT'S a shock. (Not.)

-----

Granddaughter-In-Progress Report:If we had a baby cam, we'd be able to tell exactly who she will look like. That beautiful face (though still tiny) is almost fully formed. She's gaining about 6 ounces every single week! Take a look at the checklist for this week: 1) ears: done; 2) fingernails: done; and 3) lungs walls: secreting “surfactant”... a surface-activated fat whose main purpose is to assist her little lungs during inflation. She's still breathing in amniotic fluid, preparing her lungs for an oxygen-filled life outside the womb. By the end of this week, she'll be weighing around 2 lbs and 14 inches long.

"But all the colors mix together - to grey ..."

2007-07-19T08:18:00.000-04:00

Ugh. Another case of "Blogger's Block" here. They're coming far too often lately, mixed in with thoughts of "Why don't you just stop it altogether?" ... eh. It's totally turned into a "What I Did Today" sort-of thing anyway. Yawn. Sorry.

-----

I'm waiting on a 2nd quote from some carpet people ... to compare to the EIGHT. THOUSAND. DOLLARS. that the first carpet people want to re-do the floors in our house (minus the kitchen and guest room). I have a feeling the second quote will be even higher. *sigh*

-----

The Happy Announcement has been made ... it's a GIRL! We are more than thrilled and excited. And I'm trying hard not to buy everything I see in pink. Em and I are in the beginning stages of planning a baby shower for early October. Sounds like lots of girly fun ahead! I feel as if I never get to see the parents-to-be anymore. They're so busy with jobs and other projects ... and I guess me being in Columbus for a month didn't help matters much either. But that's another reason I'm counting the hours until ...

"If I had it all ..."

2007-07-11T10:05:00.000-04:00

It feels so weird to sit in front of the computer and type again. I'm thinking if I ever do win the lottery and buy my oceanfront house, I won't even need a computer.

Did you miss me?

St. George Island ... how nice was that? Small, quaint, and not too crowded, despite the fact it was the weekend following July 4th. It was hot, to be sure. But the heat didn't really bother me, and besides ... there was an ocean breeze that would knock you down on Monday. The wind was calmer on Tuesday, and it did feel like July in Florida. The air conditioner worked well though, and there was a pool in which to splash. No problem.

So enjoyable was the time with Jimmy's brother, Michael; his wife, Patti; and their family (including Patti's ex-husband, his current wife and kids!). Not many families can pull that stunt off ... but they do, and they make it look easy. I hope their kids realize how lucky they are with that arrangement.

Good food, good beer, good people. And there was beach sand, too. Can't beat that.

I can't wait until it's our turn in September!

"And you don't have the time ..."

2007-07-04T09:26:00.000-04:00

Quick update to wish everybody a Happy Holiday today. Hope you all enjoy a nice day off work, cook out, nap ... enjoy it!

We're off to see some sand & water for a few days ... See you next week!

"I've got so much left to say ..."

2007-07-02T08:21:00.001-04:00

Rainy Monday mornings always make me feel sorry for everyone who must get up and go to work. On the rare occasion when I have had to do it though, getting up and going to work on a rainy Monday morning made me feel like a part of the human race. So I guess it's not all bad.

And oh boy, do we need the rain.

-----

Hey, today is my nephew Josh's 25th birthday.

ACK! Time passes much too fast for my liking. Happy Birthday, Joshua D. I'm thinking about you today, and I hope your birthday is a good one. (I say that as if he actually reads this stuff. I know he won't. But maybe his mama or his sister will tell him I said "haaaay".)

-----

I had a marvelous Saturday, thank you for asking! Two friends (Mary & Susann) from Charleston came to town, and brought a third NEW friend (Kelly) ... and we spent most of the day gossiping and shopping. (my 2 favorite pastimes) Kathy and I had to laugh when, after a few wine samples at Whole Foods Market, we got a momentary little buzz ... gastric bypass patients are truly the world's cheapest dates.

Saturday night, we all met again at our favorite watering hole to celebrate Kathy's 29th (to the 5th power) birthday.

Pictured above: me, Marcey, Kelly, Kathy, Mary (half of her, anyway), Susann, and (standing) Debra

(I wish we had somehow managed to get a full group shot of everyone!)

Everybody who is anybody was there ... Jimmy even graced us with his presence for the last few hours of the party! Awww! He choked down the smoky bar atmosphere, and put up with the loud music to come and meet some of my buddies ... and he even DANCED with me for one song.
I know. Miracles never cease.

-----

This is the week that Brandy will have an ultrasound to determine the sex of the littlest one! I can't even express how excited I am!

By now, the baby is about 7 inches long, weighs about 11 ounces, and is tumbling around like a master gymnast. It's hard to believe that Brandy's pregnancy has already passed the halfway point, and in a matter of a few months we will have a new person in our family!

-----

Today the countdown begins for NEXT weekend. BEACH!!!!! BEACH!!!!! BEACH!!!!! We're heading to St. George Island, Florida to spend time with the best brother and sister-in-law in the world ... Michael & Patti! Whooo hoooooo!!! (All those exclmation marks means I really am looking forward to it.)

I want to leave the house clean though, so today I must focus on the chores. I bought a little plaque last week that says: "All work and no pay makes ... a housewife." It makes me chuckle a little, but I'm fully aware that my pay comes in the form of being able to do what I want, when I want. (I ain't stoopid.)

"Diet Coke and a pizza, please ..."

2007-06-29T08:17:00.001-04:00

I love Mika ...

"Back to life, back to reality ..."

2007-06-29T07:18:00.000-04:00

Remember me?

Really, I had every intention of updating here while I was in Georgia. I took the old laptop, Michael hooked me up with some Internet access, and God knows there's not much else to do at my mother's house. But I had no idea how incredibly frustrating it'd be to sit and wait on that old laptop to decide to follow whatever command I had just given, and then do it using a dial-up connection. Sit and wait, sit and wait ... and if you knew how uncomfortable my mother's kitchen chairs are, well then you'd REALLY understand.

So I looked at my e-mail every few days, and that's about it. Sorry.

(I also had a plan to post a picture or two today, but I can't seem to remember how to operate THIS computer now. Grr.)

-----

So I left on June 3rd, and Mother's surgery was on Monday the 4th. They kept her in the hospital until that Friday afternoon, because she was really nauseous for some reason. The nurses all kept telling her that it was residual anesthesia in her system, and sometimes it takes awhile to get out of there, especially in older folks. She was miserable, and completely distracted and worried by the fact that she didn't want to eat.

She got some relief from all that on the day after she got back home, and really ... she's had a good recovery, so far. She's a most impatient person, and wanted to be "normal" the week after surgery though, so she's not been a very happy camper. But the nurse that comes to see her once a week, and her physical therapist that comes three times every week both tell her regularly how well she's doing.

I could go on for days and tell y'all all the stories ... but let's just leave it at this: I had some EXCELLENT life lessons on "How NOT To Behave As An Elderly Person". Now all I have to do is remember that shit after the Alzheimer's kicks in.

I'm so glad to be home, you would not believe.

"What's the big idea? ..."

2007-06-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Shhhh. It's a rare Saturday entry. We don't want to frighten it.

-----

Em and I were accosted in Wal-mart yesterday, further cementing my opinion that time in that store equals the loss of brain function. We were minding our own business in the hair products aisle, when out of nowhere, a Jesus zombie attacked us. I may have brought it on myself, since I smiled at the whack job when we passed her in the previous aisle.

She got all up in our space, and started in. Her eyes had this weird "I've been abducted by aliens" look, and she was wearing Bob Jones clothes. She started out with, "I just want to tell you ..." I thought she was going to say, "I just want to tell you ... you look MAHVELOUS!" Or "... you need a different hair color." Or even "... Girl, your butt gettin' big!"

But no. "I just want to tell you that Jesus Christ died for your sins. Blah blah blah ... blah de blah blah." Emilie snorted and laughed, which slowed the bitch down for a split second. But I think my entertained smile encouraged her. She talked for a good 2 minutes about her man JC before I could break the alien eye contact she had on us, and run the other direction.

I hate this about me: I spent the entire ride home thinking of things I WISH I had said to her.

Freaking Wal-mart.

-----

From the comments:
"Hey, I got a pedicure last weekend at the place by Bloom. The ladies there were in a great mood. They made me laugh soooo hard. Talking about dating and boyfriends and boob jobs and stuff."

Kathy, I didn't see a single lady anywhere in the place on Thursday afternoon. That's what I meant by the bad vibe I felt ... there were a couple of men working, and they were playing Cher on the CD player. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

He asked me if I wanted the hot towels on my legs ... I said yes ... then I think they charged me an extra $5 for the experience. The sign said "Spa Pedicure: $25", and he charged me $30. Oh well.

You made me laugh with the clacking dog toenails visual. Heee!

-----

Alright, here's the plan:

I leave tomorrow for Georgia. I plan to stay, initially, for 2 weeks. If, in that time, Mom's unable to get around her house safely, I will come back here for a weekend to pay bills and regroup ... then return for another stretch of however long it takes. Surely, between my two sisters and my niece, they can cover me for a weekend, right?

I'll have my laptop, and Michael and Patti are being generous with their Bellsouth account, so hopefully I'll be able to get online. Internet Withdrawal is not a pretty sight on me.

I fully expect this to be torturous. My mother does not have a good track record for handling pain like a trouper. I know this'll be really hard for her, and in turn ... hell for me. (And isn't it really ALL about me?)

I'll update here when I get the chance. Send me all your positive thoughts ... I will be needing every single one.

"Say a prayer but let the good times roll ..."

2007-06-01T09:08:00.000-04:00

Random and disjointed thoughts:

***I love love love my new bathroom paint. 18-year-old wallpaper is nasty, but pale sage paint is beautiful.***

***I finally watched the 2-hour season finale of "Lost". Fan-freakin'-tastic, I thought. I heart Hurley. Big time.

***Had my 1-year blood work done yesterday. My vein rolled on the first stick, and she just kept trying to make it cooperate by moving the needle around and re-jabbing in the same spot. I'm really surprised I'm not bruised today.***

***We need rain.***

***Tried the new pedicure place next to Bloom on Hwy. 14. My toes look alright, but I didn't like the "vibe" I got from the people who worked there. I'll stick to Tips & Toes next to Whole Foods.***

***I watched season one of "Weeds" on DVD this week. Good show!***

***Just exactly how long does a 7-night cruise last anyway? I feel like it's been months since I've seen Adam & Brandy.***

***I need to up my protein intake. I've been slacking.***

***Can't even express how I dread being away from home for weeks. I'm such a baby. I hope someone will water my plants.***

***Must. Concentrate. On. Organization. For. Trip.***

***Get. Up. Get. Busy.***

"Drive until you lose the road ..."

2007-05-30T10:51:00.000-04:00

Grandbaby-In-Progress Report:

Tiny bones in Baby's ears are in place this week. The backbone (along with the back muscles) is stronger now — strong enough, in fact, to enable Baby to work on straightening his or her head and neck even more. Baby's crown-to-rump measurement is between four and five inches in length, and weight is hovering around three ounces. Eyebrows and eyelashes, fingernails and toenails are all growing. In the next few weeks, Baby's movements will be felt by Mom! More developed facial muscles may lead to various expressions, such as squinting and frowning.

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It took 3 painters about 4 hours to completely paint the master bedroom and bathroom yesterday ... walls, windows, doors, and trim. It feels great to have it done. Now I'm forced to wait until I'm finished with helping my Mom before I can get started on replacing the carpet.

Hurry up and wait ... story of my life.

Went out yesterday afternoon and got new blinds for the windows, towel rods, faucet, light fixture and drawer pulls for the bathroom. Updates are good, especially after 18 years of the same old stuff.

"I just need time to walk it off ..."

2007-05-29T09:34:00.000-04:00

I need another weekend to recover from my weekend.

We made it to GA in time for the visitation at the funeral home. It was good to see Laura ... and a bit surreal to see my cousins. How they've aged in the last 15 years! Meanwhile, I have stayed exactly the same. Yup.

The funeral on Saturday was as nice as a funeral can be. Even more cousins ... even more aging.

We drove home Saturday night after lots of hugs from family members we won't see again until the next funeral.

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On Sunday, Emilie and I spent a couple of hours at Freedom Weekend Aloft. We went mainly to see the Disc Dogs. We also saw lots of people spending money on worthless crap. And we got really hot. (89 degrees and sunny plus a crowded, un-airconditioned shuttle bus between parking and FWA fun equals My First "Eww I'm Hot And Sweaty" Moment of Summer 2007".)

Memorial Day was a flurry. Emilie joined me at Friend Kathy's house for a cookout. Lots of friends came, and the tables overflowed with food. Very nice time ... although, between the hike in the sun on Sunday and the time in the sun at Kathy's, now my scalp is red. It's so charming when it peels, too.

Did a little shopping after the cookout, came home and cooked out some more. The food was better at Kathy's. My grill needs an exorcism. I had 3 great steaks, and within 5 minutes (on low!), they were blackened beyond recognition. Ruined.

I spent the evening preparing for the painter. He called yesterday to say he'd be here early today. Whoo hoo!

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And so, today I have 3 painters in my bedroom. Happy to report, they are working like mad.

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I forgot to mention that Jimmy is suffering through a bout with the flu. He spent yesterday in bed, and would probably be there today, if it weren't for the painters. He's infecting the kitchen now, but will hopefully spend the good part of the day in the guest room. Emilie is planning a trip to the lake house in 10 days, and my Mom is depending on me to be there for her knee surgery a week from yesterday. Neither one of us wants to deal with the flu! We've begged him to keep his mucous to himself. We want him quarantined.

"Things we cannot change ..."

2007-05-25T08:51:00.000-04:00

Irene Payne's obituary

Em and I are heading to GA in a bit. We'll return after the funeral tomorrow. Jimmy's flight arrives from Puerto Rico tonight, he'll be forced to fend for himself until we get back.

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Still no painter. I spoke to him on Tuesday, and he said he'd "try" to get out here in the next few days. Whatever.

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Safe and happy cruising, Adam & Brandy. Yes, I'm jealous ... but I'm also really happy that you both have a chance to get away. I hope you love the Glory as much as I did! Emilie and I will take care of the Fat Cat while you are gone, so no worries about home. See you when you return!

"A change would do you good ..."

2007-05-24T00:35:00.000-04:00

What a difference a year makes.

All week long I been doing the “This time last year I was…” thing.

This time last year I was in a lot of pain. I had no idea I'd be in ICU before the night was done. Emilie was telling me last night about how she felt that night a year ago, when they came back from dinner to find me unconscious, with a blood oxygen level of 20. I'm incredibly lucky that my surgeon was there in the hospital that night. I owe an awful lot to the man who rerouted my digestive tract. I believe he also saved my life. (I hope I can still say this in 25 years ... I hope the long-term effects of malabsorption don't prove to be a deal-breaker.)

The fact that I spent almost a month in the hospital ... the fact that I had to make it through countless days of "NPO" (Nothing by mouth. Nothing.) ... the fact that I had to endure IV nutrition, a chest tube, pneumonia ... none of those facts change THIS fact:

This time last year I weighed more than 300 pounds. And today I weigh 179. (Hopefully on my way to 168 or so.)

It might take years for my brain to get used to this.

-----

Of course, I was told before the surgery that at, or around, the one-year mark is where the REAL work would begin. I'm talking about the fight against regaining. The body is remarkable in its ability to adapt. My intestines will begin-- and probably have already started -- to absorb more calories from the food I eat. I will have to practice portion-control, because my "pouch" will get bigger as time goes by.

In other words, the further out I am from the gastric bypass surgery, the harder I will have to work to maintain the weight loss.

Just like everybody else.

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No news about my Aunt today. She's in a lot of pain. I know her children are, too.

(Thanks, Amy. xo)

"Clarity, peace, serenity ..."

2007-05-23T07:57:00.000-04:00

(The pictures on yesterday's post were taken during Emilie's trip to Ohio last week.)

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I got a new cell phone yesterday. This happens about every two years, as I become eligible for a much-reduced price to replace my current phone. My husband HATES this ... he thinks everything ought to last forever. But after two years, it's fun to get the latest bells and whistles.

Only it takes this old lady months to learn how to use new bells and whistles.

My New Toy:

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Mom called me late yesterday afternoon to tell me that my Aunt Irene is dying. She's been in the hospital or in rehab since just after the New Year, recovering from heart bypass surgery ... and it's been a grim picture since then. But really, none of us were prepared for the news the doctors gave my cousin yesterday ... that my aunt's organs and systems were shutting down, and there's no hope for a recovery. She's on a respirator, and my cousin made the decision yesterday to keep her there, until the other kids could make it there to say goodbye to their Mom. I'm thinking it's only a matter of days now.

My mother is worrying about Uncle Charles (Mom's brother). He has Parkinson's Disease, is in his 80's now, and is about as feeble and frail as you can get. I know that losing his wife of over 50 years will hit him pretty hard.

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When I was a child, Aunt Irene always made me feel inadequate. We were the Poor Relations of the family. They lived in a much nicer home and neighborhood than we did, and my cousins got to do all the activities that we did not: tennis lessons, horseback riding, gymnastics, etc.

But we were always together on the holidays, and sleepovers at my cousins' house were common. She gave a bridal shower for me when I married Jimmy. She kept up on Family News, and has never failed to send me a card when I was sick or in the hospital.

I know now that most of my feelings of inadequacy came from my own head. While Aunt Irene came across as snobby and judgemental, she really was just dealing with her own demons. Aren't we all?

Our family will be a lot smaller without her.

-----

I realized last night that I have nothing to wear to a funeral. My wardrobe consists (literally) of several pairs of jeans, and a couple of khaki crop pants. Today I will find a decent dress.

"Everything around her is a silver pool of light ..."

2007-05-22T08:12:00.000-04:00

"Born under a bad sign ..."

2007-05-21T09:18:00.000-04:00

If there are any Canadians lurking aboot, Happy Victoria Day. (I'm so glad my son isn't there to help you celebrate.)

Speaking of traveling family-members ... Jimmy arrived safely in Puerto Rico last night. Living near the airport has definitely been a convenience over the last 18 years of his travels with his job.

Em's flying in from Ohio tonight. Sounds like the wedding was unbelievable, and I can't wait to hear all the details.

-----

Yow. Last night's Sopranos episode had me in tears. I may have cried over a scene or two before, but I don't remember it. AJ's suicide attempt was some powerful acting, for both Gandolfini and Iler. When Tony said, "You're alright, baby", I was wrecked.

Of course, there were the usual chuckles -- Little Carmine talking about T's "alteration" with Coco (ouch, that hurt) ... and "... on the edge of a precipice at a major crossroads" ... Sil reading "How To Clean Practically Anything". Classic.

Carmela wins the title of Queen of All Hypocrites with her line, "Do you know what it's like to spend day after day with someone who is constantly complaining?" Sheesh, Carm. Dur.

Sad that there won't be an episode next Sunday. Sadder still to realize I'll be in GA when the final two episodes air. And apparently, they don't offer HBO in Columbus GA.*** I will have to drive to LaGrange to watch it with Sister Laura, I guess. That, or I'll have to pay my husband to NOT ERASE the DVR before I can get back home to see it. Crap.

(*** Of course HBO is offered in Columbus ... it's just that neither Sister Kay or my mother subscribes.)

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The usual mundane Monday activities are on tap for today. You?

"She's got the power to be ..."

2007-05-18T13:57:00.000-04:00

10 FAVORITES
Favorite Color: I usually say green, but I like blue, too.
Favorite Food: Shrimp. Or steak. Or carrot cake.
Favorite Month: October
Favorite Song: Right now, it’s "Love Today" by MIKA.
Favorite Movie: Shirley Valentine. It's FINALLY been released on DVD. Yay!
Favorite Sport: College football ... Go Tigers!
Favorite Season: Fall
Favorite Day of the week: Wednesday. (I picked that one out of the hat, can you tell?)
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Coffee. Or Butter Pecan. Or Blue Bell Banana Pudding.
Favorite Time of Day: 3:24.

9 CURRENTS
Current Mood: Anxious.
Current Taste: Peppermint aftertaste.
Current Clothes: Blue jeans, lime green shirt (Talbots size 3x, and yeah, it's too big).
Current Desktop: The blue, blue sky with the green, green grass that came with my computer.
Current Toenail Color: Some hot pinkish-reddish stuff from my last pedicure at Tips & Toes.
Current Time: 2:42 PM.
Current Surroundings: Adam's Room ... will we ever stop calling it that? It's really now a guest room/computer room/treadmill room.
Current Thoughts: "My digestive tract is so screwed up. I should probably just stop eating altogether."

8 FIRSTS
First Best Friend: Andrea Corman ... the first Jewish person I ever knew. I thought she was SO lucky to have matzo bread in her house.
First Kiss: Jimmy LaPaz. Ew.
First Screen Name: Zora59.
First Pet: Tico, the Siamese-mix kitten ... who was smooshed under a car tire, after Andrea Corman's parent's party guest left their house one Saturday night in 1966.
First Piercing: Ears, in 1971 or so ... a neighbor did it for me. She numbed my ears first by having me clip a clothespin on each ear until I couldn't feel my lobes anymore. Then she poked a sewing needle through them, and put a pair of earrings in. It's a wonder I didn't die.
First Crush: Bobby Sherman, 1970. Actually I had a crush on Batman, as played by Adam West, several years before that. Yikes!
First CD: I don’t remember. But my first 45 RPM record was "These Boots Are Made For Walking" by Nancy Sinatra.

7 LASTS
Last Coffee: I haven't had coffee in a few weeks. I have no idea why.
Last Drink: I have a huge glass of ice water right here next to me.
Last Car Ride: Yesterday. I drove to the tanning bed, and back home again.
Last Kiss: I haven't had my last kiss yet.
Last Movie Seen: I woke up at 3:30 AM today and couldn't go back to sleep, so I went downstairs and watched Notes On A Scandal. I thought it was scandalously good.
Last Phone Call: Emilie called from Ohio this morning.

6 HAVE YOU EVERS
Have You Ever Dated One Of Your Best Guy/Girl Friends: Nope.
Have You Ever Broken the Law: Yep.
Have You Ever Been Arrested: Nope.
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: Nope.
Have You Ever Been on TV: Yep.
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn’t Know: Nope.

5 THINGS
Thing You’re Wearing: Did we not just cover this one up there in the "9 Currents" section?
Thing You’ve Done Today: Laundry.
Thing You Can Hear Right Now: "Hung Up" by Madonna, on my earphones.
Thing You Can’t Live Without: My iPod (of course I could live without it. I just don’t care to try.)
Thing You Do When You’re Bored: Catch up on my DVR'ed stuff.

4 PLACES YOU’VE BEEN TODAY
1. The bathroom.
2. The family room.
3. The laundry room.
4. The deck.

3 PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ANYTHING TO
1. Jimmy.
2. Laura.
3. Kay.

2 CHOICES
1. Black or White: I love black, but man ... the cat hair really shows.
2. Hot or Cold: Hot (First time in my life, I prefer hot to cold now. I have lost my insulation.)

1 THING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE
I'd like to attend my grandchild's 40th birthday party.

"Don't burn the day away ..."

2007-05-17T11:17:00.001-04:00

My week is disappearing at warp speed. Whatever that is.

I returned the rental contract for our week at the beach in September today. I tell you, it's the carrot that is dangling in front of my nose lately ... the idea of a whole week at the ocean with my favorite people. September 15 can't get here soon enough. And there better be no damn hurricanes that week.

Does this not look like a little piece of heaven? It does to me ....

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Still waiting on a darn painter to e-mail his estimate. How long could it take?

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Poker night for the engineers tonight. This has been a week of "no cooking" for me, and I have to admit, it's not that bad.

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More lyrics from a Dave Matthews Band song that spoke to me during my treadmill time this morning:

Come sister, my brother

Shake up your bones, shake up your feet

I'm saying open up

And let the rain come flooding in

Wash out this tired notion

That the best is yet to come

But while you're dancing on the ground

Don't think of when you're gone

Love, love, love, what more is there?

'Cause we need the light of love in here

Don't beat your head

Dry your eyes

Let the love in there

There're bad times

But that's okay

Just look for love in it

"Wake up in the morning, stumble on my life ..."

2007-05-16T11:00:00.000-04:00

I'm so sadistic. After an entire week of daily posts, I decided to leave you hanging until Wednesday afternoon for your "What Dawn's Worrying About Today" update.

Sorry 'bout that. Where were we?

Oh yeah ... quiet weekend. We had dinner at Adam & Brandy's house on Saturday night, to celebrate Mother's Day. Sunday, Jimmy and I got a few extra pieces of furniture out of our bedroom, down the stairs and OUT of the house. That felt good. Then I sat my ass in front of the television and watched "The Queen" and "The Pursuit Of Happyness". Enjoyed both of them, but I think I liked "The Queen" a little bit more than the other one.

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I've had two painters come by to look at the bedroom and bath ... still waiting to hear back from one with his estimate. My hope is that maybe the painting will be done by the end of next week.

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Em's off in Ohio this week ... and I miss her! She's called a few times, and is having a really nice time though, so I'm happy she was able to make the trip. She's in love with the town of Dublin, Ohio. And a particular young man who calls that his hometown.

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Got a call from my Mom this morning ... her knee replacement will happen on Monday, June 4th. I guess I need to start making arrangements now ... I told her I would come for the surgery, and stay for as long as she needs me to be there afterwards.

... I will survive.

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Baby Update:

Head to bottom, the baby is about 3 1/2 inches long — about the length of a lemon — and weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. Baby's body is growing faster than its head, which now sits upon a more well-defined neck. By the end of this week, the arms will have lengthened and will be in proportion to the rest of the body. (Baby's legs still have some growing to do, though.) Baby is starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair all over its body (called lanugo). The liver starts secreting bile this week, a sign that it's already functioning properly, and the spleen starts contributing to the production of red blood cells. Baby's also producing and discharging urine into the amniotic fluid, a normal process that will continue until birth. Mom still can't feel the baby's movements, but the hands and feet (which are now half an inch long) are more flexible and active. Thanks to brain impulses, little facial muscles are getting a workout as Baby squints, frowns, and grimaces. Baby can grasp now, too, and may be able to suck a thumb.

I wonder if Little Bit has any CLUE how much he or she is already loved.