Aurora's Musings

2005-09-13T01:45:00.000-05:00

I'm exhausted, in pain, and can't sleep.

I should be posting on the "family-friendly" site, but right now I hurt so bad there is no way I can. This is hurt is more than physical pain from my injured knee. I feel wounded to my very core.

How is it possible that a being, I chose to allow life, nuture, and given ALL I could up to this very second turn out to be such a... heck, I can't even think of the word... creature?

I won't go in to all the details (I'm to hurt and drained) but her behavoir is more than teenage hormones as far as I am concerned at this moment.

As her mother I guess any other time she has turned into a "creature" the mommy gene kicks in and all is forgotten or forgiven. Or maybe it's because I catch a glimpse of my baby girl. Or she acts amazingly like someone that actually loves me so that any pain inflicted is erased.

Not this time. I have had it. AND yes I have I said I have had it before, but my frame of mind is so different right now.

I have had terrible knee pain since April. Due to circumstances at my job I was not able to pursue the exact cause until this last month or two. So I have asked her to do more than her share around here, especially as the pain progressed to the point where now I can barely walk even with the aid of a walker.

I am having surgery Thursday morning to repair it. Now it's not a total knee replacement, it's the scopy kind and outpatient. It will still be done at a hospital though due to me being diabetic (and fat, probably has something to do with it as well) Which makes me feel alot better as I have really bad "white coat" phobia. I have fought off so many panic attacks in the last month I have lost count.

All the tests have been done.(x-rays, MRI, pre-op exam, CBC, huge vials of blood sucked out of my veins, etc... ) I had to do another stress test, even though my GP said my EKG was fine, the Heart Doc (remember 2 years ago when I had to do the treadmill stress test) wanted me to have another one.

Only this time I couldn't walk, let alone run on the treadmill, so I had the kind where they inject you with some foreign substance so you glow in all the right places. The test it self was not so bad, but the ordeal to get to the actual 4 minute "stress" part of it was. For the sake of my fingers cramping typing all of the details right now, just know that "they" provided plenty of stress.

My ride to and from is confirmed as of yesterday which has lighted my level of "OMG I Don't want to do this and I want my mommy". A girlfriend is going with me since my mom is having her own health issues to deal with.

My Mom is having another surgery on her knee around 11 am today to put her knee cap back where it belongs. This was discovered a month after her knee replacement.

I have tried to be "adult" and "the parent" so any fears I have about this surgery does not stress out the "creature". I have apparently done a great job.

Oh and I am also in the process of refinancing the farm. Mainly so I can get the rest of the property taxes paid off. The county has been great about my making payments. The school district wants ALL their money now or off we go to a tax sale to pay them. That is not going to happen as this farm is my "retirement nest egg".

Rant ahead....

Tonight all the "creature" had to do was straighten up, vaccum, do a few dishes, wipe up the counters, sweep the kitchen floor, and finish cleaning out the bathtub (she rinsed it then sprinkled Comet all over it on Sunday) so the house would be ready for the appraiser to come in. Probably an hour, hour and a half tops for an able bodied teenager. There is no way I could do it all in a week.

I went to bed. I wake up at 1 am. Not done!!! She took out the garbage and filled the sink with water, put the dishes in it, and wiped off the stove. Nothing else done!!

So I woke her up. Big Fight!! Living room is now straigtened and vaccumed. In between her going back to bed twice, it was still done in 30 minutes. The rest is left for me to do since appraiser is coming either this afternoon or Wednesday afternoon and she works tonight.

Now this was not the main cause of the "I have had it", just the final straw!

Oh yeah and during her hissy fit cleaning she spats "I suppose this means I am not getting my class ring, tomorrow?"

Amazing how she remembers then to ask about the $60 deposit check she needs today! Me, the money tree, who hasn't worked more than 5 hours since August 24th.

I wanted to tell her to count out her tip money and pay for it that way... $60 worth of dimes, nickels , and quarters.

Earlier when we were going over the time of my surgery, about what time I would be home, and cooridinating our times, as she has an away football game that night and will not be home until 11-11:30 pm. I should be home by 4, they leave the school around 6pm... I ask if she wants to call home then to see if I am home and okay or does she want my cell phone... she says" Mom, I will be too busy to call or get a call."

WHAT??? I am having surgery and you don't even give a damn to see how I made it though and if I am home? Fine, so I guess if I am not home when you get home at 11:30pm you will know I am either in the hospital or the morgue.

And that is still just the tip of the "it's all about me teenage attitude" she has had the last few weeks. Sunday, she was moving out, as soon as the house was clean, because that is all I cared about. Of course as the day went on she was waiting until summer to move out. Summer? Summer 2007, after graduation. No,duh!

There is more, way more. But in the last few weeks I see how much of a self centered "creature" she truly is. This realization on the heels of thinking she was going to "turn out" all right.

So later today as I draft out a will, the creature is getting nothing from the sale of the farm and my estate. It will all go to her biological children when they each turn 21, providing they have graduated high school and are enrolled or graduated from a accredited place of higher education. No children... no money. Maybe doberman rescue.

However, since I plan on breezing through this surgery I am plotting my escape to a tropical beach to paint and write during my retirement years.

With no forwarding address.

Early retirement. Very early. As soon as she graduates or moves out. Which ever comes first.

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks. I feel better now.

2005-07-10T19:08:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm still alive

and actually posting on a fairly regular basis.

All on my blogroll should have received an email with link to my Old/New site.

Anyone I forgot let me know and I'll send you the link.

I will probably be posting some on this blog over the next few weeks. Starting a new medication made from the saliva or poison of the Gila monster.

I don't want to post any rants or raves I may have over there. Still not to sure who all is reading it. Family and friends, yes... but Ex inlaws and people from work Know about it as well.

SO... all those posts will go here.

Anybody talked to Tam, lately? I lost her phone # when I was cleaning/stashing stuff before my Mom came in June.

Still here

2005-05-22T12:31:00.000-05:00

Still here...

and blogging, just not on this site. I set up a family-friendly site along time ago just didn't do a whole lot with it.

Well, now I am. Moved over the "original reads" from my blogroll. I'll send email for new link.

Added a site for my Art as well. Which is in it's very beginning stages. But since the "job" situation I have had to get serious about selling something.

Is Aurora finished then?

No, I love the anonymity of using "her" voice.

But this site will probably only be used for rants and stuff I don't want my mom to rag on me about.

If I know you, as in know you from blogging and I didn't send you new links email me
aurorasmusings(at)aol.com and a link to your blog.

Good Grief, I haven't kept up this site in ages... so why do I feel like crying?

Southern Wench Update

2005-05-22T12:21:00.000-05:00

Southern Wench Update

I called yesterday and talked with "the man" as she was napping. Surgery went well. She slept in recliner for awhile but is able to lay down now and even sleep on her side.

She has some pain in her hip. He said he has to keep reminding her to take it easy as she is wanting to do to much to soon.

Check-up in 3 weeks.Southern Wench Update

Happy Mother's Day

2005-05-08T22:00:00.000-05:00

2005-04-20T08:30:00.000-05:00

Finally...

There ought to be a law that when someone is waiting for test results that the Doctor can't go "out of town".

The enlarged nodule in the upper left lobe that started all this... must have been a shadow.

MUST HAVE BEEN A SHADOW ... 12.9 x 7.6 nodule must have been a shadow.

Sorry, Doc but I am a great believer in the power of prayer and I had many, many people praying for that "thing" to disappear.

Thank GOD!!!

Other stuff that showed up was a nodule in right lobe but he said that looked fine, nice and round and old... probably from having pneumonia years ago. And a little bitty cyst looking something in a kidney... again nothing to be concerned about. But I will have another CT Scan in August or September just to "keep an eye on this".

Other going ons... knee still hurts, still using a cane, today kiddo is sick.

On the job front... Compensation has changed for all of us there. I am out $1000 a month. That's right I didn't do a typo. Although I should be able to make up $400 in commission. So technically out about $600. And that is all I am going to say about that as any will be fired if they "talk negatively" about implemented changes. So just think about what Kat might say about this and mutiply what I am thinking by a 1000.

On the home front... I did rent out the lower barn and big pasture so that will help make up what I am losing so instead of paying down property taxes and saving for a better truck or at least saving enough to fix the truck's air conditioner ($1000) we will we be furiously treading water as always.

Plus the kiddo now has a job and the plan is for her to be paying for her own stuff and color guard. (her job was "school" but she has chosen to fail 2 classes this past 6 weeks which caused her to stay home from band trip which cost me $450... Reason for failing? Not turning in homework) So now she can "see" what it is like to work to pay for the things you need or want to do.

Her job and barn rented happened before "the news" at work so at least I didn't faint when he told me.

But speaking of job I have to head that way. Y'all have a good one and thanks for the prayers.

2005-04-12T07:45:00.000-05:00

No News... Is Good News????

I hope so anyway. I had to go to the Doctor's to get blood drawn so they could check kidney function. The dye stuff that is injected in veins for a CT scan can cause major problems especially for diabetics. So before resuming meds containing glucophage a test is done.

They had not heard from the CT lab people.... and he had said that if scan showed "something of concern" they would call my Doc Friday afternoon. I also told the nurse about the "no instructions" to breathe or hold breath ... she thought if the scan couldn't be read, the lab would have called them.

So.... more waiting. But it should be good news. I really hate the waiting.

I have so much to post about The GOOD THINGS that have happened since my last post in February but since I haven't won a Lottery yet I have to get to work.

2005-04-10T11:50:00.000-05:00

Heck, I missed the entire month of March

Literally!! I had bronchitis, missed a bunch of days at work, one full week which was of course the Kiddo's spring break week. Since the crud was lingering the Doc ordered a chest x-ray. No big deal to be afraid of that... until the Doc calls and says you have an enlarged nodule on (or is it in) your upper left lobe.

Oh good. I have been trying to cough up something. He must have thought I was nuts. So when I asked what a nodule was he said "Oh we see these are the time. They are usually benign".

BENIGN!!! WTF. I have bronchitis, right? Doc wants former chest x-rays to compare the nodule size. I have lived in Texas 25 years. I can't remember for sure but I thought I had one since I moved here. But for someone who has always had a major case of WHITE COAT PHOBIA... I couldn't remember where or when. Of course it didn't matter cause both Doctors, a Son who moved to Sulphur Springs and his Dad, now retired, I couldn't get records from either one of them. Hospital where I thought chest x-rays might have been taken is now a rehab center. And numerous medical center type Doctors or Primacare places when I had sore throats. I don't go to the Doctor. Well, not until I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Been to Doctors more in last 2 years than the last thirty.

So moral of this tale... get chest x-rays every five years and know who has them. Actually it would be a good idea if you made sure all medical records were transferred when you move or change Doctors or they retire. But y'all probably already knew that and did that.

SO this past Friday I had a CT (CAT) Scan. And now I wait. Benign, right? The majority of those are benign he said.

I hate waiting.

Especially when I can't do "active" things. I am using a cane cause I screwed up my left knee. And no I have not been to the Doctor yet for that... It's only been 2 weeks and I have to go tomorrow anyway.

2005-02-05T13:30:00.000-06:00

I still need a laptop

or at least another computer. The Kiddo has all but taken over this one. What with homework and her Girl Scout Gold Award stuff. I am rarely online.

I am still writing though. On my book and some short stories.

Alot of reading, wow, have I been reading. Kat gave me an idea when she talked about a reading list on a Florida Mom's group. Plus I have seen lists on other blogs where they have a link to list all the books they have read. So I am going to do that sometime soon.

I am learning how to knit. I crochet but have not knitted since I was in the 4th grade. I started with a kit, a Christmas gift, from my sister. I still have no idea what I am doing. A woman at work helped me get started although it was HER way and looked nothing like the diagrams in the Kit Book. She left to work for another place last week.

I do have a scarf for the Kiddo going. About 5 inches in to it, the pattern flipped around. I had been doing one row of knit and then one row of pearl.(sp) And before I knew it. Knit was where pearl had been and vice versa... so I came up with a way to remember what was what.

When the smooth side is facing me that is like a smooth back. So yarn is fed from the back. When bumpy side is facing me. I think boobs/bumps in front so yarn is fed from the front.

Dopey, huh? What with starting and stopping all the time to actually work at work I needed something dopey. It'll work for now until I find someone who knows how to knit.

I hope I find someone soon as I am at the half way point. When I am done with it I have no idea how to end and take off the needle.

I was inspired by all the knitting blogs that I stumble upon. I think they are coming close to outnumbering Mommy Blogs. I plan on posting a few pics on my other site, the family friendly one. Maybe tomorrow.

On a sad note Mary Beth, writer, of THE FAT DIARIES blog has brought it to an end. I for one think she has much more to say but a family troll came out to her and that was hindering her writing style. Hopefully, she will take her blog and make it a book. It is still online for now so if you have never checked it out you might want to take a peek.

I hear laundry calling. Y'all take care.

The Most Depressing Day of the Year

2005-01-24T13:40:00.000-06:00

Today, January 24th, was mentioned on WFAA, Good Morning, Texas, as being THE MOST DEPRESSING DAY OF THE YEAR. Huh? That can't be right. So I googled it. It's TRUE.

Well, I beg to differ with that. TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!!
SO THERE!!!
IT'S A GREAT DAY!!!!
REALLY!!!

*I am still in my PJ's.
*I should be at work.
*I have yet to work a 40 hour week this year.
*The kiddo has been throwing up since 1 am, can't be the flu as she is not running a fever. Nurse at Doctor's office said to bring her in if I wanted, but whatever it is will probably just need to run it's course.
*I woke up at 5 am to do some stuff for work that I had forgotten about until 11 pm Sunday night.
*The dog threw up on the kitchen floor about 6 am.
*Then Ate It.
*I gagged and hacked. Yuck!!
*This would have been my 20th Wedding Anniversary if we hadn't divorced. I always thought I would celebrate a landmark Wedding Anniversary. 20th at the very least. I am happy not to be married to that husband, but I would like to be married to a "good man" kind of husband.
*I really would have liked to spend this birthday on a nice hot beach somewhere or on a cruise ship.

THIS IS A REALLY BIG BIRTHDAY!!!

My true age will only appear this one time and only for today. As I desire to stay 39 and holding for sometime to come. You do the math.

ALL LINKS RELATING TO THE YEAR OF MY BIRTH HAVE NOW BEEN REMOVED...

39 and holding, again

I am a Generation Joneser, not a boomer. So there.

*I have a sore throat, tea is not working.
*Since the kiddo is ill we will not be going out to eat tonight.
*Not to a movie either.
*This is the second time I have written this post. I accidently clicked on the X
*I will be cooking and taking care of her most of the day and night.
*Except for those few hours I go to work and try not worry if she is alright.
*Hot Chocolate is not helping either.
*I don't have a cake.
*Probably won't have candles.
*If I don't go in to work how will I know if anyone sent flowers.
*I think I want to cry, now.

Oh Wait this just in... The Most Depressing Day of the Year is in England.

Thank goodness I don't live in England.

*This is the third try to post this. Computer crashed. Thankfully I had saved it to a draft about 3/4 of the way through.
*Blogger is not responding.
*I think I will go clean something. Kitchen would be a good place to start.
*Now blogger says I have a html tag error in the blogthings.com copy/paste code
*clicked on the ignore code error for this post.
*AOL knocked me off online with a shellmon error.
*Checked Texas Lottery in the interem
*Didn't win $54 Million, but neither did anyone else.
*Fixed Kiddo Chicken Noodle Soup
*She is still holding it.
*I'm still in PJ's
*But need to go to the store... I'm going to make meatloaf and buy a sugarfree cake mix and "get well" stuff for kiddo.
*I give up on going to work today.
*I started posting this at 9:30 am, it's now 1:35pm
*Using FireFox now.

This will be my last attempt to post today.

2005-01-08T13:24:00.000-06:00

WHAT A WEEK

And I sure hope this is not any indicator as to what 2005 will be.

Of course those in the DFW area know what a wild temperature ride we have been on this week. In the 70's plunging to the 20's all in a 36 hour time period. (With temps supposed to be back to 70's by this Sunday or Monday.)

Back to work for me and school for the kiddo on Monday. In the building that houses my workplace the "chillers" were out. Okay, so what does that mean? We were fricking roasting to death in there. It had to be at least 85 or 90 degrees. Boss said we could wear shorts and T-shirts on Tuesday. Yep, it was that hot. SHORTS in January. The heat caused my right ankle to swell up like a grapefruit. So I went home early on Tuesday. And took diuretic on Wednesday and Thursday. TMI?

Wednesday night I had a few friends over for the Season Openers of Lost and Alias. We had a blast. We had lasagna, garlic bread and all the other high calorie goodies I had in the house. What better way to clean out your environment like Dr. Phil says than to feed it to your friends.

One of my friends has finally started blogging. She is a hoot and a really, really, really got it bad golf fanatic. Waaaayyyyy More than me. She gets to travel as part of her job so she sees a lot of rounds while I have to settle on watching the kiddo hit balls at the driving range. Anyway say hi to her if you would or can, she has those blogger comments, but I think she has anonymous comments enabled on her posts. Musey's Hole in One and guess what she posts everyday. What a concept.

Thursday my ankle was still a little swollen and I had the beginnings of a cold. So when my truck door wouldn't open due to being frozen shut, from the rain that fell as the temps did, I took that as a sign and went back to bed. In new flannel sheets that I got for Christmas from my mom. Northern Lights brand from OVC. They are heavenly.

Friday I did go to work. Chillers still out but no one cares because of chilly air temp outside. Of course the heat didn't work the best either.

New Year's Resolutions. Eat less, Move more, and keep working on my book.

Oh and find out what happened to the boyfriend I wanted. See January 2003 I can't believe that was 2 years ago. Where did the time go? Oh and comments have all disappeared, those back then were on klinky.

2005-01-01T03:29:00.000-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!
Many blessings for you and yours in 2005 !!!

2004-12-30T19:48:00.000-06:00

Bloggers, PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

DUH, I really have to pay better attention to the news. I can only multi-task so much before I melt.

Oh and the graphic image they used to portray the Bloggers?

Blogger

Ha, all you independents and typepad, salon, moveable type, xanga, etc.

BLOGGERS !!!

Just goes to show you, they still have no clue.

Kudos to Dylan Verdi, for a job well done. As our blogging representative to the world. The young do it well.

You go, Girl!!!

2004-12-30T19:09:00.000-06:00

Bloggers, Pat your self on the back

ABC Nightly News announced that Bloggers are their pick for People of the Week

Cool.

Wait don't they choose Person of the Week on Friday? Maybe because tomorrow is New Year's Eve they announced it tonight.

ABC even said Time almost choose Bloggers as the Person of the Year, instead of George W.

So why doesn't ABC's Person of the Week show Bloggers? I want to know whose graphic or face they use.

Nevermind I must have dreamt it. But if I didn't you read it here first.

2004-12-30T18:49:00.000-06:00

Cleaning and Sorting. Still

It would probably help if I would stay in one room till I was finished with it. Instead I go from place to place and even start something in another room. And of course take breaks to procastinate...err do research on the computer. And I am addicted to Spider Solitare and Pinball. One game turns in to several.

Plus laundry, cooking, taking a nap, reading a book, chatting with the kiddo, amswering the phone, and all the other things that happen in a 24 hour day.

And it's Thursday already. Good Grief, I have to go back to work on Monday where did the days off get too?

Oh well those closets didn't need to be cleaned out right now anyway.

2004-12-28T15:47:00.000-06:00

Over 52,000 perished and number expected to rise

I only thought about a tsunami when one was advertised in some blockbuster movie.

I just can't get all those images out of my head. I can't even image the terror of that moment. We went through a Tornado with no warning, which was bad enough, but a huge wall of water...

And the continuing stories that are coming in... The total devastation.

Nate Berkus, interior decorator, of Oprah show fame is a survivor, but his friend,photographer, Fernando Bengoechea has not been found. Petra, super model, clung to the top of palm tree for 8 hours with a broken pelvis. She is in a hospital.

And the many other people the news services are talking about. A man from Germany was interviewed with his two young daughters, they were swimming when the waves hit them. He thought he lost one of his girls. Both his girls were safe but there was no mention of his wife that I heard. Another man from Canada is looking for his girlfriend. He found his sister alive. Both of those stories are of people who don't live there.

The residents of all these countries who have lost... Family... Friends... Everything...

Most people that I know are broke... But $1.00, $5.00, or even $10.00 can go along way with all of us giving something. Do what you can. I suggest starting here: Network for Good
or if you don't want to donate by Credit Card. You can donate to the Red Cross at a local Coinstar machine... Here is a link to locate a Coinstar machine near you. We all have change laying around.

2004-12-28T08:08:00.000-06:00

At Home for the Holidays

I am off work until the 3rd of Jan. So I am cleaning, winter cleaning... and sorting out stuff on my computer. Yesterday, I did a bunch of laundry and put almost all "My Pictures" in organized folders. I just figured out I could do that... duh.. with a point and drag. Great Fun. I really should take a computer class someday.

And so far this motning I have folded socks, towels, and signed up at Bloglines and PubSub. The PubSub was thanks to a daily link by Kevin Donahue. Of Course it wasn't a direct link to PubSub, but you know how that goes. Follow one link. Find another.

The Dobie is whining and I my stomach is growling.

2004-12-25T22:16:00.000-06:00

Blessings to y'all

2004-12-24T20:05:00.000-06:00

HAPPY MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE

Santa is on his way and if you want to see how close he is to your house... go to Norad Santa Tracking This is the 50th year Norad has been tracking him. Now how cool is that.

A couple of other fun things for the kiddos to do while waiting for... or while I am scorching the potato soup, the kiddo just said it's becoming a family tradition for me to leave burnt potato on the bottom of the pan.

Anyway back to the fun... Speedy Santa my best time so far is 11.019, but I have a handicapped mouse

or if you are in a more agressive mood you can Whack the Penguin my best yardage so far is 553.6, hint whack him in the head...

Post your best times and yardage in comments if you decide to play... alot more fun than wrapping presents.

and my favorite from last year Snow Globe Fun. I am not really sadistic. Really I'm not.

Well time to eat soup and finish the tree... yes we are just now decorating the tree and the mantel, it's been a busy December.

oh and one more thing... don't eat sugar free peanut brittle, you have been warned!!

2004-12-11T11:39:00.000-06:00

December already???

Today, we are cleaning house, then putting up the tree. We have been real busy... Football playoffs, Christmas concert, parade, and plays. Football team lost last Saturday so no more weekend games. Great season though.

Trying to get presents wrapped to send to family out of state. Cards need to be finished wanted to do those tomorrow, but the temp is supposed to 71 degrees. And great weather today, as well. So we will be working outside most of the both days.

Horseshoer came this morning, so all three horses got their nails done.

Roofers are supposed to be back today at some point to finish the roof on the first barn. Finally getting that done. Hopefully next week they will do the second barn. If weather cooperates, forecast calling for much colder temps. I want to run an Ad soon to get the lower barn and pasture rented out... I need the money.

Work is good, we got a nice Christmas bonus and a gift certificate for Outback Steakhouse... I have not been there, so we are looking forward to going there at some point over our Christmas break.

I am still going to the Writer's group and still editing ALL those words into some resemble of a novel... I will be better prepared to next year's NaNoWriMo month.

We need to do teacher's gifts(doing the rewrapped candy bars, again. Kroger has them 10 for $10)and I have to make peanut clusters and breads, pumpkin and zucchini. All this weekend.

Another plug for Kroger's... the new location in Plano has gas for $1.69.9 and I had a promotional 10 cents off of that... Gotta love that... I haven't paid $1.59.9 for gas in ... Too long to remember.

I want to catch up on blogs this weekend too... I need more hours or days.

Well back to work for me... Happy Holidays!!! and no STRESSING, absolutely none, from anyone.

2004-11-28T23:33:00.000-06:00

Throwing in the towel...or shell, as the case may be. I decided on the setting... Northeast, probably off the coast of Maine. I had debated either there or the Northwest coast, but too many rainy days off Washington.

I will not be making the 50,000 required word count this year, but I still consider myself a winner. I have the beginnings of a good start to a novel that I will enjoy writing and hopefully someday others will enjoy reading. I met a kindred spirit, at a write in, and together we jumped right in with a great group of other writers that meet weekly. Plus I have been "hooked up" with several online places to submit stuff. etc... (I'll post if and when I have anything accepted)

So all and all I am a winner in my endeavor to do the marathon NaNoWriMo, even with my WC hovering around 30,000.

Well, my computer is acting up so before it boots me offline...

I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving and I will be around to catch up on reading tomorrow or Tuesday.

2004-11-13T10:22:00.000-06:00

Way Behind on my Word Count...

I am up to around 7000 not sure exactly because I have been writing a lot in a composition book and today I hope to add it to my word doc. Then I can do an official word count update. I should be at 25,000 words by Monday and I have regular housework to do and laundry and blah, blah, blah.

I have been using the comp book because after sitting at a computer all day it is hard to sit at one all night. And since I don't have a laptop to carry around with me or to use while in bed I have been writing long hand when and where ever I can. We got a hour lunch on Thursday so I wrote 320 words while at Cheddar's eating lunch.

Thursday night I went to the Write In at Starbucks to meet some other people, 3 of us showed up, but then the neatest thing happened other gal who just happens to be from my same town suggested we check out the North Texas Writer's group meeting in the attached B&N (as the promoter of this Write In got a call from his wife and had to scoot.) So we did and it was awesome!!! Didn't get home till after 11pm.

This will be the best thing to help me get a novel actually written. The group meets every week. And helps each other in various ways. That night several read a chapter, poem or whatever and the others graciously critiqued it. Most of the "readers" had made copies so we the "critiquers" could mark on those copies any suggestions we had and when the "reader" was finished the "critiquers" in a round the circle order took our turns...

For those of you laughing cause you know this is how these groups work.. Good for you (grins) I had no idea, but I am very glad to have met this other gal and found this group...

I can do this now without a doubt. Have a great weekend!!! Oh and if anyone just happens to have an old laptop laying around they would like to donate to the cause email me... it doesn't have to do much just let me use Word and have a good battery and power cord and working plug in thingy to download to a disc or thumb drive, which I don't have either.

2004-11-04T12:12:00.000-06:00

More Words, 2243

Still plugging away. Amazing how much I type and I only have 7 pages. It's About Time was the working title, but I have officially named it now.

Came up with a lot of great ideas at work today, even if my day started out a bit bizarre. Straight up 9am I get a page that I had a call, I answered and it was the assistant principle at the High School. Kiddo was in his office for fighting!! After I sat there in shock hearing him but not comprehending a thing he said. He asked if I wanted to hear what happened from her. aaaa yes!!!! Still had trouble hearing what she was saying still in shock with mouth gaping wide open I am sure.

Kiddo was walking down the hall, she thumps, pushes, whatever, this boy, a friend she thought, on the shoulder, while saying " Hey (his name) How's it going? he turned and pushed her back and then got in her "space" (her words) "you want a fight?" he repeated several times while walking forward still pushing her shoulder, with her stepping backwards, she saying "no just saying hey,.. back off, I don't want to fight, get back, stop... or something close to that... he doesn't, she got scared and KNEED HIM at which point he punches her in the stomach.

She doubles over, the wind knocked out of her and is crying, he runs into the bathroom, a teacher sees Kiddo, asked what happened, while a friend of Kiddo's a varsity Football player, went after the boy in the bathroom, the teacher goes in to get boy which thankfully prevents the friend from thumping the boy to bits... and both kiddo and boy are taken to the assistant principles office.

Where I get a call and so does the boy's dad, who thought his son over reacted. Duh??? I'd say, but then Kiddo should keep her hands to herself... while in office they both apologized, boy realized he shouldn't have done what he did.

Anyway I am tired so ... They both spent the day in ISS (in school suspension) with a 14 others already there for whatever reason, who Kiddo didn't know and both her and the boy where definitely out of place. And she couldn't talk at all ... ALL DAY!!! TO DANG BAD I say... she said that was the worst thing ever. Good Grief!! and I still have to figure out what consequences she gets from me... I believe in torturing her with the uncertainty. I have never gotten a call from the principle or assistant either, unbelievable...

2004-11-02T22:57:00.000-06:00

1454 Words

Oh yeah baby I am doing this... Check out IT'S ABOUT TIME , my NaNoWriMo novel,(click the link button on the left)

I am worn out and going to snuggle under the covers and watch the election results.

I sure hope y'all voted. I did, early, last Saturday. I use to say that if you didn't register to vote you weren't untitled to an opinion, about the state of anything in the US. But if you choose not to vote then that was your prerogative.

Well after last year, my opinion changed, you don't vote, I don't want to hear your whining later... MY VOTE COUNTED said the sticker this year.

2004-10-31T18:25:00.000-06:00

More Halloween

Found this over at Kat's blog, it's the neatest thing!!! Scroll down to hear The Raven.

Kid's in Flower Mound head over to Kevin's house, he has lots of candy!!! But make sure it is new, fresh, this year's candy!!!

We don't get any trick or treaters 'cause they would get splatted on the road getting here. Major Road, house back off the road, no sidewalks along said road. Sigh... I miss the little creatures.

Off to go do laundry, the kiddo is not the only procrastinator in this household.

2004-10-31T17:50:00.000-06:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

No, the kiddo didn't go trick or treating this year. These pics below were actually taken last year. The band had a costume dance.

This year they are having a costume skating party, which the kiddo is not attending because she choose to wait till the day before a 75% graded biology project is due to even start it. So she is frantically working on that.

Good thing I had at least 4 white poster boards on hand. She needs 6, but with the truck broke down I can't go get anymore. Every one we call is out and about some where. Or not answering their phones cause they are handing out candy or taking their little ones out to trick or treat. It's time like this I wish I was closer to family.

Have fun and stay safe.

2004-10-31T17:26:00.000-06:00

And my favorite, the garlic got her...

2004-10-31T17:24:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween!!!

2004-10-30T14:20:00.000-05:00

Maybe I have lost my mind...

I know I haven't been posting regularly for quite sometime, so maybe this will be a effort in futility, but I signed up and created a blog for this....

NaNoWriMo, Really!!!

and signed up at the Official Blogger NaNoBlogMo Site, my submission was posted on Qct.29.

So I will need lots of encouragement from y'all to complete this. 50,000 words, not quite sure what I was thinking, except I really do want to write. And since the Kiddo and I will be spending the month of November not cleaning I am going to do it.

IT'S ABOUT TIME

So in preparation I have updated My Photos and My Silly Stuff Pages. Check them out. Fun coloring project for your kiddos and links to some other kid-friendly fall craft projects.

Who knows I may post more here, or at least a daily word count over here, on the NaNoWriMo blog.

Life Updates

I have great eyes, no damage from being diabetic, instead of having my eyes diltated, he did a new procedure that actually takes pics of your eyes then you view the images on computer screen. Awesome!!! Plus the Dr. now has a record to refer back to from check-up to check-up. My vision was pretty much the same,since my glasses were 8 years old and to celebrate I actually bought new glasses and sunglasses. The Kiddo and Co-workers said I look 10 years younger. GOOD!!! So that means I can continue to be attracted to younger men. Gotta Love That!!!

Also I bought an optical mouse. What an incredible difference it makes especially when building pages for a friend's jewerly site and for my artcard site, mine is not ready for public yet, but working on it.

The truck is in the Truck Hospital again. Broke down yesterday at one of the busiest intersections in town. Fortunately my prepay cellphone had minutes and bars, so I was able to call said Truck Hospital, Craig's Car Care. Hopefully, they can look at it and fix it on Monday. I would highly recommend them even if you don't live close by. Honest and Dependable guys!!! Bad thing though I was on my way to get a perm. So no curly locks for me this year.

After the waterline break in the bathroom, we thought we had all the water sucked out of the carpeting fast enough, but I had been smelling a moldy stink for a couple of weeks. I imagined black mold ready to spread up the walls and kill us in our sleep for days. Finally we lifted up the carpet, tore out the heavy pad, where I did find some white spots, more of a powdery mold, maybe. The Kiddo vaccumed it up, we stuck the carpet back down,sans pad, and I lit a great smelling candle. So far, so good. No mold attacking us yet.

(I thought I had posted about that, must have dreamed I did, cause I couldn't find a post for it. Not only did we have a big leak in the bathroom, that had water about 3 inches deep which spread out into the hall carpet,it was a break in the same repair from April. In August, I think it was, we had a leak outside. I still have a hole to fill in leftover from that big leak. It holds water so I pretend it is a little lawn pond. Always wanted one.)

Ok that about does it for now. More of life happened. But doesn't it always.

Wonder how many words this post is? OMG, how does one count words, surely Word has a word counter thingy. Right?

2004-10-28T13:59:00.000-05:00

Miss Me???

Dang Doctors!! I went to a new one on Sept.23rd, who gave me new meds... samples without the directions and side effect pages that go with them.

Soooooo this has been a very interesting month to say the least. Longer Rant later.
Short version, if I wasn't sleeping (and I mean sleeping all the time) I was mad, since I didn't know why I was mad, I cried. And had other symptons you don't want to hear. They are in the TMI category.

Of course did life stop, oh no, just got crazier, between the Kiddo's biology teacher, the Kiddo, the Contractor that is still working on barn roofs, the Insurance Co who is supposed to be paying for roof replacement, my job, my boss, my co-workers, etc... Oh yeah and one big kick butt panic attack!! Haven't had one of those since I was married.

I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown.

Said this would be short version.

I am better, talked to boss worked out arrangement to get healthly without the "unfounded" (his word) fear of being fired, told the Contractor to deal with Insurance Co, and asked the Queen Mum (my mother for those that just stumbled in here) to do me a favor and not come for Thanksgiving! My thought was to get rid of everything I could that was causing me added stress.

And I was finally awake and lucid enough to google new med.

Yep, you guessed it. Every dang thing I was feeling are side effects. Plus the one med I was to take with food and full glass of water. All the sites said most side effects would wear off eventually and it would take about 14 weeks to feel full benefits of this med. (Will link med in another post or edit this one.)

Duh? You would have thought the Doctor would have told me that when I called and saw him in a follow-up visit. He just said there could be a number of reasons I was experiencing extreme fatigue and mood swings...etc. Here try this dosage and we will change this one... GGGRRRgggrrrhhhh And I pay how much to be a freaking guinea pig.

Okay that is enough for now. I have to go pick out a new glucometer based on who my Health Insurance approves of so I don't have to pay $40 for test strips vs. $25 if I use their approved meter. I spent over 2 hours on the phone yesterday with them getting the list and then another hour or two trying to find info on them online. And now I am going to Walgreen's to look at them since internet looking wasn't much help. Health Insurance Co. will only send out one for free per lifetime. So I am stuck with it as long as we are with Insurance.

Guess this is long enough so there will not be a longer rant.

Y'all take care!!!

2004-10-01T23:07:00.000-05:00

October is...

National Awareness Month for Domestic Violence... T.D.Jakes, Movie adaptation of his book,"Woman, Thou Art Loosed" is released today.

In early 1996, shortly after I filed charges against my husband for physical assault, I was in a Christian Bookstore trying to find the section that dealt with Domestic Violence... I looked and looked, only to finally ask the nearest clerk where that section was located. This was 1996, surely there is a huge section dealing with the issue that affects so many. Nope, no section... clerk asked another clerk who asked another clerk. None of them had even heard of a Christian author that had written anything on Domestic Violence.

I couldn't believe it, but I continued to search through the Divorce section, hoping to find answers to the questions I had, answers from a Christian perspective. There was one title that jumped out at me "Woman, Thou Art Loosed". I would love to be loosed I thought. Free from all the pain and mental anguish that had held me prisoner for so long, even if the source was from the one I promised to love. I pulled the book out of the stack, read the back cover, and a paragraph or two. At first I thought this was a book written for the "sistas" but I bought it anyway and read every word. It is a book for the "sisters", every woman, of every nation.

An awesome book and movement, one that deserves every bit of attention that it is getting, finally.

October is... Breast Cancer Awareness Month which means it is time for the annual, now third annual Boobiethon... My boobies are in.. Are yours???

2004-09-26T17:56:00.000-05:00

Template Test...

I still have some tweaking to do. Font colors and other little tweeks. I had this idea for a hotpink color template and I adore Mary Englebreit.

Since I couldn't find any templates I liked I decided to try to DIY it. Now it has taken me all day cause all I have to work with is PAINT... yes, all you PSP users I did this with PAINT.

Someday I want all the goodies, maybe it won't take all day.

2004-09-23T07:15:00.000-05:00

OOPS...

Forgot to Ping Blogrolling and weblogs for that last post. I thought I had the setting for blogger to ping for me. Guess not.

Hope to catch up on reading everybody's blogs this weekend.

I have a Doctor's Appt. this morning and a Eye Doctor appt. tomorrow afternoon. The company I work for is changing insurance carriers at the end of the month and the new plan is horrible. $40 copay up from $15... with a cap of $250 per Doctor visit, any charges over that goes to the new $1000 deductible up from $500... so trying to get everything in before new insurance takes over. Except OB/GYN office won't call me back for appt. and I am tired of setting on hold for them to set up an appt. Guess since I haven't gone in 2 years I am out of their system. Oh well any insurance is better than no insurance.

Keep me in your prayers. And pray for my Kiddo, she is really having a hard time in biology. She may fail this 6 weeks which will take her out of Color Guard competitions for the rest of this year. She is devastated. Me, too. And I am out $450. I am so thankful I am not in High School.

2004-09-23T06:18:00.000-05:00

Still here

Just very busy... who knew that the Kiddo would require so much time on the computer.

I have been working on my "art cards" greeting cards I make to sell. Also working on a website for that and a webbie for a girlfriend that sells jewelry and her photography. Hopefully will have those both done soon.

ALright the Kiddo is saying "Come on, Mom... Let's Go!!!!" I am tired and it is only 6:30am. I have to take her to school for band practice.

Take care!!! Be back sometime in the near future.

2004-07-21T22:38:00.000-05:00

Beware the Chicken nuggets...

Apparently the nuggets at the church potluck on Sunday were laced with bad things... Several of the youth group were stricken with projectile vomiting, including my kiddo. These said nuggets were homemade so we can't even file a class action law suit against anyone.

I was no help at all while the said vomiting was taking place. It seems that the yucky gag reflex that goes away when you are a new mommy comes back when they are teenagers. I couldn't get any where near her while she was in the throes of chunk spewing. Eck!!! Still makes me feel all queasy.

Must be another way Mother Nature has of untying the apron strings. I did stay home from work, bring her Sprite, water, and chicken noodle soup at her request, but couldn't take the barfing.

All of that happened yesterday. Today, I went to work, wrote out checks to pay the contractor for my new "black" roof. I am broke and now I am going to go to bed.

2004-07-19T21:20:00.000-05:00

QUICK UPDATE ....

the rest of my vacation was spent sorting through many boxes, hauling bags of stuff to the donation trailer. Hauling stuff in and out of the garage depending on the amount of rain we were getting... that was about all we did.

Is the garage/studio out cleaned out and all the "studio/art and craft stuff all organized, out of the living, dining, and out from under the kitchen bar?

No, but I have until Thanksgiving to get it all done before my Mom and Step-Dad come for their annual visit.

Then the week of the 12th week got the new roof... black... it's looks awesome. Makes the house look like a Million bucks. We still don't have a new corragated fiberglass roof on the covered patio, but it should be done by the end of the week. We have been taking pictures of all that was being done. And thanks to Hello.com I will be able to post pics. Of course that means I actually have to take the film in for developing. I have saved $75 towards a good digital cam.

I had planned on posting over the weekend but I got sidetracked with the meme over at Kat's. I finally came up with all 7 and their alternates, kept changing the bullpen. Then the thought of looking up all those pic links... ugh!! I will just keep them in my dreams for now and do it some other time. Want to know what I am talking about? Go check it out at Kat's it is great fun.

Well, back to sorting out boxes for me.

2004-07-18T23:35:00.000-05:00

An Apple a Day....

2004-07-09T20:55:00.000-05:00

What I did on my Summer Vacation...

Ha!!! Some vacation. My place of employment decided this year to close the week after the 4th of July, with only Monday as a paid holiday, and we could take ourvacation time, use it now or not.

Anyway, I had these big plans to do a "Clean Sweep" or "Clean House" of my garage/studio, that has been more of a dumping ground the last few years than of room to use for my creative side.

I have been planning this for a couple of months, cleaning out the real storage shed so I could bring home the stuff in the pay by the month storage shed. The kiddo and I accomplished that over the Memorial Day weekend. Of course many of the to be sorted out boxes got shoved back in the garage. Cleaning out our closets and cupboards, etc... wanting to accomplish so much that week off.

The best intentions of course went awry. Friday found me working till noon and errands the rest of the day... Plus it rained.

The kiddo worked a Girl Scout Booth at Celebration Freedom on the 3rd, I cleaned the house, work that she was supposed to do that previous week. Rained in the morning.

Sunday, the 4th, sun shining no threat of rain, but it was too dang hot after church to even think about starting then, delivered a lawnmower to a friend in Garland, received the deposit from the guy that is renting the barn and pasture, and the man showed up a day early to mow the 2 lots by the barn...$60. Around 9pm drove over to the Firework's Stand near our house, what a zoo, dropped her off with $20 told her to get what she wanted and I would be back. What a ordeal that was, but finally made it back to get her and she only spent $10.

So on Monday, the 5th, I went to get 2 day laborers to mow, weedeat, trim trees, etc. While the kiddo laid out the tarps, one for Keep, one for Sell/Donate, and no tarp for the trash pile.

I got the day laborers, picked 2 from the mob that surrounded my truck, no handler was there as it was a holiday ..."You speak English?" "Si Si" "You know how to run a weedeater?" "Si Si" Well, one did and one didn't, to both questions.

About the time I thought I was going to pull my hair out, trying to explain how the bladed, brush cutter would not cut grass, only thick weedy things, while holding up my little finger.."this big, no grass, this thick"... the renting the barn guy showed up with the chainsaw to do the falling down limbs from that storm we had.. leaving them with him, I went to get a young man from our church to help the kiddo, dropped him off and went to Home Depot for a limb saw among other thimgs.

By the time I returned, about an hour later, the tree limbs were still hanging in the backyard, only part of the weedeating was done, and the day laborers were helping the rentbarn guy work on the sagging electric line.. WTF.. I am paying these guys by the hour and the rentguy was supposed to be fixing the electric line as part of his rent the barn deal.

Got them lined back out on what they were supposed to do and headed to the house to check on the kiddo and her friend's progress. Well, they had removed alot of stuff from the garage, but not quite in the way I had hoped so I worked with them, sorting boxes, bins, and sacks of stuff to various piles. Amazing what good stuff looked like donate stuff to them.

And of course had to keep checking on the DL's, one seemed to think if he stood there and attempted to start the bladed weedeater over and over I would think he was working... or if I couldn't see him, I would think he was working... so I put him to work mowing the front yard where I could see him and I have never seen anyone walk so slow in my life. Around 12:30pm the tree limbs where down, a falling limb,smashed chainlink fence was bent-back and wired together, most of the weedeating was done and half the front yard was mowed and that DL was hungry and walking even slower.

Oh and before I forget to add this... the male friend, helping the kiddo, was scared of spiders, so everything he touched or picked up he had to inspect to make sure there were no spiders on it. When picking up fallen bark and smaller limbs and branches, he would poke and inspect them with a "spider free" stick and he also had disappeared for a bit (he went to the bathroom). The kiddo kept checking on him, he was gone about an hour, I kid you not.

So I took us all to lunch, 45 minutes and $38 later, we came back and kept at it. Mowing to finish, more tree trimming, the DL hard worker on a ladder, sawing off small limbs as high as he could reach, with the slower DL hauling them to the flatbed trailer. Then on the Crape Myrtle with a Hackberry tree growing in it. Plus me running, okay walking, back and forth to see what the kids would doing.

Plus, the man came to mow the 10 acre pasture. So we had to stop and move hay rings. By 4pm I was pooped and out of the alloted DL money, so I took them back to Plano... Slow DL got $50 and DL hard worker got $60. And I paid for lunch and paid them through lunch.

Then back to get the kiddo and her friend, they were to pick up shingles and other debris left in the yard and around the barns. The Friend apparently saw a spider and went in the house as soon as I left. Took him home and we went to Home Depot to buy 3 hanging baskets for $10 to brighten up the front porch. Came Home, took showers, drove over to pay the mowing guy...$134.06,gave him $140, back home to collaspe.

The Farm looks great, but alot more work to do.

Tues, 6th-Fri, 9th ... To Be Continued....

2004-07-02T00:44:00.000-05:00

Good Grief... can this week get any worse? Forget I just asked that or karma will kick me in the arse or somewhere.

Last Friday while we (me and the kiddo, I do not have a mouse in my pocket)were driving to and from McKinney to get the CS check, a little force of nature struck my neighborhood. And no I didn't take pics cause I was to busy trying to find a man (novel idea that is) to put a tarp or many tarps on my roof as about 1/3 of my shingles were all over the farm. Since it won't stop raining. And I have tarps in my Living room for when the ceiling falls in, so far just a few big brown spots.

The orginal roofer that redid my roof 10 years ago,found someone who works for him, to heavy felt and tarp the roof.

SO I have been dealing with that all week, cause my roof settlement from last year's hail storm (that wasn't settled till Sept.) paperwork had a clause that said work must be completed within 365 days of occurance to get the rest of the money...

Crap, that was April 5th. And I hadn't been able to reach my contractor as he wasn't returning my calls and now his numbers are disconnected... and it had been raining or storming or something all year.

Anyway an extension should be approved and the roof is being replaced either Monday or Tuesday...

But the worse, the very worse, almost unspeakable worse thing that has happened this week, heck this year even is... THIS...

Say it isn't so, I can't stand it, never to hear his sleepy voice on the Ticket ever again... wait I'll email the Hardline or the Musers and have them do a weekly call in from Az. But to not see him and Dirk running up and down the floor in the same uniform... well there are dreams....

What is this world coming too, Keep Shaq, I want Steve

2004-06-24T20:27:00.000-05:00

I need a curler for my eyelash...

Not an eyelash curler, I have one of those. I want a curler, a teeny, tiny one. One that I could use on my left eyelash. I am sure it is impractical, as I couldn't really wear one to bed. But I would like to.

I sleep with the left side of my face squished into a pillow and my eyelash on my left eye lays flat all night, well as long as I am asleep, which isn't much most nights. But long enough that I have permanently ruined my left eyelash.

When I use the conventional curler, my right lash looks awesome, but the left just can't get it right. Some lashes comply and others stick straight out or head south again. Then I put on mascara, again the right eye could be in commercials... the left, a haunted house. It looks like a multi-legged centipede or some other yucky thing from a clogged drain.

I have tried to prevent the ruining of my eyelash with a satin pillow case, it was supposed to prevent or at least slow down the formation of wrinkles on the side of your face that one buries in a pillow. Why not eyelashes, too. Could be working on the skin, I don't wake up with these big, dark pink, lines on my face. And I have become to obsessed with my eyelash to notice any new wrinkles, anyway.

Anyway, so here and now I state that I want to invent, develop, a smaller version of the standard eyelash curler. One that will allow the curling of just a few lashes, preferably, heated to help those little buggers stay in place. My idea!!!

Unless there is one already on the market, if so where can I get one?

Otherwise... I have had a headache in the back of my head for days... bloggers I care about are having some awful (can't even think of a word for what they are going through). Just keep us in your prayers.

2004-06-14T21:27:00.000-05:00

WOW....

the most exciting thing... I have a GMAIL "invite a friend"
and since Kevin already has one.... and I need to pay off the plumber

Anyone want to make me an offer?

Alot going on lately, still cleaning out boxes and sacks of stuff/junk, getting ready for the big "clean sweep" of the garage/soon to be studio that we are doing the week after July 4th... I might even take before and after pics.

A week ago tonight we had a major leak in the bathroom, about 1 1/2 inches of water on the floor and into the carpet in the hallway... thank goodness I woke up at 12:30 am instead of my usual 3 am. Had to take Tuesday off to wait for the plumber, took everything out of my closet just in case he had to go under the house into the crawl space.

It was a big comedy of errors, I turned on all the cold water in that bathroom and in mine... hey it was early... and when I went back into my bathroom to get more towels, water was running on to the floor in there due to a slow drain... the kiddo used the wet/dry vac to suck up the water out of the carpet and the next morning dumped it over and spilled about 1/4 back into the carpet... she cried. Poor baby

About 2 hours after that, I drove her to the GS day camp, a summer thing her Senior GS troop does and on the way back I stopped at my church...

Good thing too, as there was steam/smoke coming out from under the hood... it turned out to be a papertowel... ON FIRE... the kiddo had checked and added oil and left a papertowel on the engine... alot more happened to but as always...

Just another week on the farm!!!

Happy Memorial Day

2004-05-31T10:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Memorial Day... Thank you to ALL in the Armed Forces.
My Dad served in the Korean War.

And today at 3pm the Kiddo and I will be observing The National Moment of Rememberance, pausing for a moment to to honor those who have died for our country.

For now though we are off to see the movie "13 going on 30", then running shoe shopping, for the kiddo, not for me... then grocery shopping, home for laundry and all the "maid" things I have yet to do. We spent the last 2 days, 3 for the kiddo, cleaning out 2 different storage sheds, one here on the farm, the other one I actually paid rent on for several months. 15 empty boxes, pick up bed full of junk, and 1 king snake later we are all done with that chore.

Have a good one!!!

Title Test

2004-05-21T22:50:00.000-05:00

Well, I have spent to much time investigating the new blogger stuff and reading neat links and generally surfing around... so now I am tired of sitting. Oh but the places I will go... soon.

But before I go for those of you who might be missing MARTHA....

Look what I found Martha Stewart Living Television ... Her SHOW ONLINE. Now you have to love a woman who can do that!!! I hope the link works. IF not click on Martha's link to the Left and click her link for online television.

I have been taping her show on the FOOD NETWORK for my daily Martha fix.

I just hope "they" let her have a new trial, egads, the expert witness for the prosecution LIED about the INK on the paper that had the "60" notation to sell on it....

sorry you will have to Google it to find the story, but butt is telling me to get up now or suffer the terrible consequences.

2004-05-19T20:30:00.000-05:00

OH MY GOSH...

I knew Blogger had a new look but I have not had any time to play with it...

And I don't now either(The Bachelor is on, the finale you know) but I will soon.

We can photoblog now and blogger hosts the pics,and according to Kat's blog we can Audblog, and I hate typing... that will be fun as soon as I figured it out.

And I even have the conveted Gmail Account

Tra La Tra La, off to see which blonde the hunk picks.

2004-05-09T13:19:00.000-05:00

Have a Happy one for all the mothers I know.

2004-05-04T19:59:00.000-05:00

Okay so I can't count... been 7 days again between posts.

the kiddo has had alot of research do to and has been using the computer.

Great Weekend, Saturday, the 1st of May, cleaned a little in every room, so I have a house that is part clean.. so next Saturday I get to start over and maybe I will get the entire house done.

It would help if I would stay in one room and finish it before moving on the another room, but I go to put something away and then start cleaning that room.... till .... I leave that room to go put something away and then resume or start in that room... really get side tracked going to and from the laundry room or when I hear an IM chime on the computer. And I don't dare open a cupboard or I start cleaning that out.

I need a maid service.

I was able to finally connect with Tam on Sunday, had a great talk. I have an idea of something I want to start. So I am pretty excited about working on this new project. I ran the ideas by Tam, who gave me the seed idea in the first place, she gave me some others things to think about.

Then on Monday I shared with a friend from work and she shared some other ideas. Now I am thinking of even more things to do with this idea. This could really be a blessing to alot of people. I'll share with everyone as soon as all my ducks are in a row.

Bye Cynthia's blog link...

I did add and remove some links on my blogrolling reads... alas I don't think Cynthia of Cynposium.com is coming back any time soon... She replied in an email that she loves to blog but then spends too much time online reading others and posting, you all know what she means.

She will be missed, it is not the same in emails that forward cutesy stuff or
mail that has to be read with my brain focusing on every word in between bites of the insanity that swirls around my computer.

I want more stories of her High School age son wearing pink shorts that were washed with a red sock, the searching and moving of the horses to a new barn, tales of riding lessons, pics of new craft projects or a new painting, are the kids driving now, and all the other life stories she choose to share with us.

But Cynthia if you are reading this please keep sending the email that way I know you are still there.....

Well the kiddo is pacing back and forth "Mom you said only 5 minutes.. Do you want me to fail?"

Oh and the kiddo lettered in golf this year, her first year... YEA!!!! she will get a letter jacket in the fall.

2004-04-27T21:52:00.000-05:00

Wandering around blogland....

Chris is trying a let's all be Chris day ... in his comments, so if you ever wanted to be Chris Pirillo .. go go go.... be Chris for a comment moment.

Now if he was really brave he would do what Kat does on more than one ocassion and let people post right on her blog!!!

I, however, couldn't help myself and commented as Chris to play the game... you wanna guess wish comment was mine?

Hint: I have always hated wearing pants on any day. And since I have to work all day on Fridays now, I only go panty bottomed in the late afternoons and evenings....

and for one of the funniest things I have seen on Ebay in a while Check this out.

Oh and I am going to try a novel idea... posting almost everyday... I think it might be the coming thing... (ha ha tee heee tweedle dee dee)

it might work as long as I remember to post first and wander later....

2004-04-25T11:55:00.000-05:00

Happy Blogger Love In Day,

Found this at Kat's this morning. Who got it from Snazzy Kat, who started this last year.... Spread the Love

SO to all of you that continue to check on me here's a big ole kiss have a wonderful Love In Day!!!

Oh and don't faint as this is 2 days in a row of me posting something... I also added a new email button that I made (with a button maker, link is somewhere, will find it later) and a link for Project Gutenberg

2004-04-24T22:44:00.000-05:00

Ok Ok... so I didn't post today,

but I added a weather pixie!!!

and did laundry, cleaned alittle and played with the dog... new dog, a 16 month old, full grown, doberman, black/tan and beautiful. He was given to us last friday... AKC registered, too, I got the papers. He is doing well, so far he has only eaten 1 shoe (it was an old shoe, the kiddo's), 2 bras (mine, were hanging on the line along with 6 others), a nylon leash, and today a rubber barn boot. Oh yeah and the beta fish food. I have to remember to buy the fish more food. And many dog toys, about $15 worth so far. And that doesn't count the numerous things we have had to get from him. But we are all adjusting and the house is getting cleaner and more organized... Big dog proofed.

He is crate trained and we have the biggest crate you can imagine, hunter green to match my decor, Martha would approve. He really is a sweetie!!! We just love him, well I do. The kiddo wants a purse dog, little bitty doggie. But the dog just adores the kiddo. ~cheesy grin~

Well that is enough for now.....

2004-04-23T20:17:00.000-05:00

I am alive, still having allergy problems... but then so is everyone else I know

Alot going on in the last month... I will post tomorrow... really!!!

2004-03-26T19:13:00.000-06:00

Just when I think it is safe to come out from under the covers...

I have a sore throat... no talk, no work....

So I snuggle back under the covers after whispering to the boss that I will be in Monday...

next thing I hear "Mom .. Mom, I missed the bus...."

now we live less than 2 miles, probably, from the high school, there are no sidewalks and very hazardous major roadways to get there, so making her walk is out of the question (like I did when she was in 2nd grade and the school was about 8 miles away and no I didn't make her walk all 8 miles)... so I throw on a denim shirt over my nightie slip on sandels and take her to school.

Now remember the short distance.... I get back home 30 minutes later due to the traffic.... grrrrrgghhh

back to bed, little nap, upon waking I head to the bathroom, the rug in front of the sink felt a little wet to my bare foot, but thinking the kiddo spilled something I don't let it register as to why it is so wet...

Just before leaving to get her I make a stop, again in her bathroom and then
I realize the rug was really wet.... like sopping wet, as were the kiddo's clothes she had left in a pile.

Opening the doors under the sink, everything is wet under there and a spray of water is coming from the valve that would of shut it off, of course that didn't work anyway... so I drag everything out from under there... throw a towel in and put a plastic trash can under there.... then throw the wet stuff outside.

I head off to pick up the kiddo cause by now it is 3:45 and I have always picked her up on Friday afternoons... well the traffic is backed up past the last turn to get off that road and we wait. And wait, cars start turning around, little cars and I have a big old extended cab pickup and can't do that. More waiting... now cars are coming from the other direction, but we are hardly moving.

A woman slows to tell me there is a school bus broken down and we won't be going anywhere anytime soon.... then the police come from behind us and I know they will direct traffic and I will get to move at some point...

Yep took me 45 minutes to get to the High School!! That's it I tell her no more you are riding the bus on Fridays from now on. You would get home faster than I can come get you.

Insert Deep Breathe here.

Yesterday I was checking who was searching for what and getting me .... and I got a creepy feeling... "auroras musings + monet" then another "auroras haven" weird.. thinking oh well maybe it was someone who lost my link, so I clicked the search, but it looked odd, a german search...

WTF I thougt I as on the clicked on the link and found my blog in German...Aurora's Deutsche blog

Why? Does anybody know? and How? Pretty odd....

then I thought well German was my minor in College and I have forgot most of that, good way to brush up I guess.

Still creepy though that someone in Germany would search on my exact name like that...

okay on a better note I found Zombie Kittens at Anessa's and had the most fun

equally addicting for me is mini golf

Okay finally got a hold of the friend that does my HELP ME major and minor man type things... he will be here after 9 pm.

Still trying to find a neighbor to shut off the water... outside at the box, the water dept box.. don't ask, but now you see why I am finally ready to put out the FOR SALE sign

Then I am either hiding under the covers again or going to shoot more Zombie Kittens... take that google!!

2004-03-23T20:14:00.000-06:00

Buzzards and Buffalos

Yes, it has been that kind of month.... And I really did see a buzzard and the biggest herd of buffalo outside of the movie "Dances with Wolves".

And you can, too. Take Hwy 78 North out of Farmersville to Blue Ridge... Turn right on this FM road (Farm to Market road for non natives) towards Celeste and on the left, past the turn off to Merit .... There are rolling, cedar covered, hills... Okay, maybe not hills, more like swells, with all these buffalo... at least 100 if not more. I about ran off the road.

And what was doing way out there you might wonder... Why I was driving my truck to warm up the engine so it would pass that darn emission test.

And did it pass you might ask. NO!!!

and after a new EKG or EKR or EGR or whatever that cost me $243, it didn't pass again then either... although it did pass all but one test.

It fails the stinky oil burning in the engine test.

And the Aircheck people won't call me back, so I am driving around with an expired sticker. AND you know what?

There are a whole lot of people driving around with expired stickers. Funny how you don't notice that until you are also one of the stinky car club.

Still no word from the Supr*m* Court on the EX case. And he filed suit to lower his regular child support and then I counterfiled to raise it. We don't even have a court date for that yet.

I almost quit my job, but instead took the new PTO, personal time off, (we call it Pretty Ticked Off) for 3 hours that afternoon and took the kiddo to see the movie "Fifty First Dates". We had the best time, funny movie. We laughed, we cried, we consumed two Large buttered popcorn Tubs, 2 boxes of raisinettes, and one enormous diet coke.

That was the highlight of my month, time with the kiddo.

She went to Florida for 4 days with Color Guard, back for 3 days, then to Ft Worth with her Girl Scout troop to see the Cowgirl Museum.

My mom always told me if you didn't have anything nice to say,don't say anything at all. Usually I have ignored that advice till this last month.

It sucked!!! SO I didn't post at all. Heck one week I didn't even turn on the computer. Life is so much easier when you hide under the covers and wait for the boogie man to go away. With chocolate and lots of books and magazines.

I have missed reading all my regular reads and hopefully I will get caught up soon, but right now I feel the need to get in my PJ's and pull the covers up again. I would come out for a pity party, anybody want directions?

Hugs to all that still pop in to see if I am living.

2004-02-22T15:19:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to my Kiddo

She is 15 years old today..... although she says she still feels 14 ... ::giggles::
Yes I told her birthdays do that to you.... but before you know it you will be 40

That is why I stay 38....

And speaking of 30 somethings.... the girls last episode is on tonight...
Sex in the City... my absolute all time favorite cable show.... the only reason I have HBO....::sigh:: They will be missed and especially Samatha's new hottie!!! Wish HBO would do a spin off of the Men in the City.... ::sigh::

I have new, well new Last Saturday, pics on the pic page... click link on the left
and I have played with the Haven page too. Worked on those on the 14th.

Spent most of the week working with my attorney on the case for the Supr*m* Coourt.... really working, we stayed at her office until 3:30 am on Wed, I was back at my job at 8:30 am, went home at 4pm to work on my computer, she doesn't have DSL, till Midnight, up at 2 am, then 4 am, then on computer checking on legal stuff and proofreading what she was going to turn in.... took a nap at 1pm then when in to my job at 3pm.... My Attorney got to her office at 8:30 am Wed and was there round the clock till 1pm Thurs and she had to be downtown for a hearing at 1:30... We spent hours on the phone, too.... but I tell you there is not a thing I don't know about cont*mpt and divorc*. And hopefully "they" will find for my side.

If "they" do, it will change lives..... if not, then this State will continue to be in the dark ages in regards to prop*rty s*ttlements and the courts ability to *nforce orders.

Well, that's all about that for now... The Ex's attorney has until Tues to get his rebuttal filed... then we wait for the decision. Either way I will blog all about it.

Time to take the kiddo out for her Birthday Dinner.... btw her father has not yet called... unless we count when he called last Sunday and sang Happy Birthday to the Answering Machine.... then called back and said he knew that the 15th really wasn't her birthday..... duh ... can we say _ _ _ _ _ _ _?

(((hugs)))

2004-02-14T14:53:00.000-06:00

WE have SNOW in Texas... Yipee!!!

Time for snowmen and snowball fights.... this gif was swiped during last year's blogger snowman from Solonor.... it was the best!!!

sending out Valentine's in a bit... after I get you ALL.... with snowballs!!!

2004-02-08T15:27:00.000-06:00

Working and Sleeping X 1000...

Finally found out why I have felt so bad. I have acute sign u sinus, whatever...

when I did a spell check it said change to sensuousness ... now that I can already do!!

anyway I have had a sinus infection since the first part of January!!

So besides my regular job and helping my attorney and making handmade cards to sell and hauling the kiddo everywhere and selling girl scout cookies. I will have plenty of extra boxes, too!!! Ordered more thin mints.

I now have a reason for being so incredibly tired. And for my BS to be out of whack as much as it has been.

SO now I can clean the messy house and do ALL the piles of laundry, etc etc...

I will be catching up on blogs tonight and tomorrow...

Also I am reposting the update on the EX it is in secret code but I know you all can figure it out and he has paid 2 full weeks of CS since out, guess he didn't like it in there... ya think?

Ok the e's are now *... s*creT Cod*....

There is a lot going on with the *X ... but I will not be updating in detail on this or the other site till this matter is finally s*ttled... but I will tell you that he is out for now while the SUPR*M* C0URT of the State in which I reside waits for his attorney and my attorney arguem*nts or whatever they are called ... all paperwork and r*buttals to be in by a Monday, the last one in F*B, then the court will rul*.... this will be Cas* Law... Forever... How incredibly weird is that....

Well back to watching the Hockey ALL Star game.... and folding clothes.
I need a slave boy.

2004-01-29T16:24:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Oprah....

The party's started....

Oh and if you haven't heard the article is out on the Boobie-Thon in Self Magazine.... go Here or Here to access it... And be sure to give Robyn a pat on the back!!!

2004-01-29T15:25:00.000-06:00

Can't find my voice....

Can't talk today so I am at home. Also my BS was a little too low this morning, too. BS=Blood Sugar. I know what you were thinking.

Had a big surprise yesterday. I got a money order for child support.... maybe all the time he spent In, helped him remember the right thing to be doing. Nah what am I saying. Had to be the time spent in the Big House, well maybe not so big... the county house.

It was only for one week, but it was needed. The kiddo needs $225 for the first payment on her "winter guard" trip to a competition in Florida.

And she has started golf. There are only 2 girls on the team... so they will have to compete as individuals, they needed 5 girls for an actual team. Of Course with golf the school doesn't provide any of the equipment. She can get by this year with the clubs she already has. We pay $29+tax a month for unlimited range balls and lessons on Sat and Sun, no green fess after a certain time, etc. Plus we rented a locker for her clubs, so she doesn't have to carry them on the bus. Thankfully there is a bus that will drop her off right at the club. Otherwise she had to find her on ride there.Mon through Thurs the golf team gets free practice... well free as long as you sign up for the $29+tax plan. Not like playing the other sports.

I have been "playing maid" and fooling with the blog. Klinky comments have finally bit the dust so I am hoping I have Haloscan coded in right.

2004-01-24T19:50:00.000-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME... 39 and holding!!!!

And to Aaron Neville....

And to Bri.... a friend's daughter

A day late to THE TICKET... 10 years old

A day late to Justin Boots .... 125 years old.... Got to love those ropers!!! GO there to register for a free pair!!!

I am alive and finely just about over this horrible cold... I have been busy at work, doing work for my attorney, making handmade cards to sell, and many other things to earn extra money. TAM, I am working on somethings for that idea I wanted to talk to you about... hope to connect with you soon.

Ok the e's are now *... s*creT Cod*....
There is a lot going on with the *X ... but I will not be updating in detail on this or the other site till this matter is finally s*ttled... but I will tell you that he is out for now while the SUPR*M* C0URT of the State in which I reside waits for his attorn*y and my attorn*y arguem*nts or whatever they are called ... all paperwork and r*buttals to be in by a Monday, the last one in F*B, then the court will rul*.... this will be Cas* Law... Forever... How incredibly weird is that....

And yes I know there are tons of cryptic typos for the net crawlers... do not want to let any thing out of the proverbial bag till this is over.

One thing I can tell you all is the $$$ will still be owed this is just over if he should be "IN" till he pays up...

Ok if you want the scoop and I know you already, email me for the details.

I do plan on writing a book about all this, too. Making the other site in to something that can really help others. My attorney and I have talked about starting a n0n pr0fit to help others so that the amount due won't get so high.... the only reason mine did is I couldn't find an attorney that didn't want $2500 up front.

Hey, does anyone know how Aliana from the Pap*erB*nt.com is doing? I hope I got her first name right... I read her sites, but she stopped posting and now I get errors when trying to access them. I know some of you read her blogs, too 'cause that's how I found her.

2004-01-08T20:43:00.000-06:00

Unbelievable or maybe not....

Instead of coming up with $860 to be current on child support and the payments on the arrearage, the Ex choose to hire an incompetent attorney.

If he would have paid the $860 there basically wouldn't be a reason to ask the judge to revoke the suspended sentence and have him put in jail till he paid ALL the amount ordered on Sept 3rd.

Anyway he didn't and the judge revoked the suspended sentence so now he sits in jail till he pays ALL plus $2300 in additional fees to my attorney.

ALL the details to be posted on the "EX" blog this weekend. I still have a killer cold and need to go to bed so I can go to work tomorrow.

I was so terribly congested that after the judge said the EX was going to jail, as my attorney and I left the courtroom, I was trying to ask her questions and I couldn't get my breath. We got on the elevator, made it to the first floor and I really couldn't breathe then. As my lungs closed up and I was gasping, I started having a dang panic attack. Had visions of an ambulance and oxygen masks, started breathing into my cupped hands telling Lora, my attorney I needed a bag.... it's funny now, but not then.

She ran into the District Clerk's Office and came out with a Hallmark card bag. SO there I sit on the first floor breathing in and out of a yellow gift bag, while the Ex is hauled off to jail. Thankfully I had it under control and was not using the bag when the EX's attorney came out of the elevators.

What a day...

Tomorrow starts the sale of GIRL SCOUT COOKIES... I can get you as many boxes as you handle.... you pay shipping of course... :) or if in the Dallas area we will meet you. Since the kiddo is a Senior Girl Scout she actually gets 60 cent per box she sells paid back to her account for her trips and camp, much better deal than a stuffed bear. Of course now that she is older it's harder to compete with all the cute little Daisys and Brownies...

Anyway BUY cookies from your local scout, the money goes to a very good cause...........

2004-01-06T19:26:00.000-06:00

Just a quick hello and then a be back later.....

I survived the "slumber party" with the girls all leaving about noon on New Year's Day......

but had two male friends that called in the wee hours of the morning, with one talking about being "unstable" .... both are now as well as can be expected without their respective significant others....

My Ex spent New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and Day after, in jail for failure to comply with the orders of Sept 3rd.... we go back Jan 8th to see if the judge will send him to jail till he pays all owed or if the 3 days was a wake up call for him to pay regularly and not with bad checks.

The kiddo and I gave his (the Ex's) wife a ride to the courthouse to get his truck. She and I talked for 2 hours. She said she was sorry.... for all the pain she caused,(they had an affair while we were married). For how far behind the CS had gotten. I really will post more about this later.

The kiddo went on a Girl Scout weekend, left on Friday, the 2nd, returned Sunday...

I went to bed with a cold soon after I dropped her off and I am just now crawling out of bed.... so I have missed 2 days of work....

I have continued to be an ear for R. as he comes to grip with the end of a two year relationship..... telling his side as I sneeze, cough, and blow my nose... we have talked more in the last 6 days than when we were a "whatever we were" thing. We have remained friends.

Somehow I didn't imagine 2003 ending or 2004 starting out like this....

2003-12-31T23:40:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, Everyone!!!

The kiddo has 4 friends (14 year old teenage girls) over to celebrate. We just got home from eating dinner, renting videos, buying snacks, buying sparklers....

So time to PARTY

as soon as Midnight happens and they twirl their sparklers in the front yard, I am heading to my room to watch the Sex in the City Marathon and talk to friends on the phone.... I know a lot of single parents.

Wishing everyone a healthy and prosperous New Year!!!!!

2003-12-24T22:05:00.000-06:00

Do you know where Santa is ?
Ho Ho Ho... I do, I do, and you can too.

Tracking Santa

And if you have not had enough tree decorating.... check this out Decorate this Tree

and finally for those warped minds (like mine) this will entertain while you wait for the little ones to drift off... Shake the Snow Globe and I mean really shake it, use your cursor to pick it up right off the table...

Well everything is done, except a few more presents to wrap... fill the stockings, the kiddo's and mine.

Yes, Santa still fills my stocking, of course he has yet to give me what I really want... but then I don't think "Mr Right" would fit in my stocking...

Santa, baby... I have been really, really good this year!!!

2003-12-24T15:06:00.000-06:00

Happy Christmas Eve ....

I'm still baking peanut butter cookies, still making my fabulous peanut clusters, presents still need wrapping, potatoes for the traditional Christmas Eve potato soup need to be peeled, the Christmas day bunch needs to be made, so it can rest overnight in the fridge, and Christmas Eve Church service starts at 6pm... oh and the one girl still here from the Kiddo's last night's slumber party needs to be driven home....

this the season... Merry Merry

Oh yeah and we are having VENSION for Christmas dinner....
just kidding!!

2003-12-17T20:56:00.000-06:00

Decking the Halls, the Living Room, the kitchen...

Anybody Know how to get a reindeer out of the Living Room?

Be Back to posting and updating and blog reading on Saturday....

Here Dancer.... Prancer..... hey you dumb deer get off my sofa!!!

2003-12-07T17:58:00.000-06:00

These Things are down right uncanny... how can they me so accurate? Well, except I prefer red as a accent....

you are violet
#EE82EE

Your dominant hues are red and blue. You're confident and like showing people new ideas. You play well with others and can be very influential if you want to be.

Your saturation level is lower than average - You don't stress out over things and don't understand people who do. Finishing projects may sometimes be a challenge, but you schedule time as you see fit and the important things all happen in the end, even if not everyone sees your grand master plan.

Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Found this at several sites, think I finally clicked on it at Theresa's

So now I have to get busy and get the tree up or my master plan will be off and it's kinda hard to have Christmas parties with the tree in pieces... or I could have the kiddo invite some friends over to finish setting it up.... or not.

Since tomorrow we have to go buy her a formal type dress to wear to the ROTC Military Ball... yes, she is going with a Junior... a new one, that I haven't posted about, he seems nice and I will be taking and picking them up... at least he doesn't drive. And he was coming over for chili tonight, but I have to much to finish so we will pick him up on Thursday for a McD's coke or something

The Kiddo then has Girl Scouts on Tues, we have Church on Wednesday, Meet the boy on Thursday, she has a overnight Christmas party for Girl Scouts on Friday, and then her first formal dance on Saturday... okay I'm tired.

Anyway off to work on the tree and cards... oh and watch the Wizard of Oz with the kiddo... with a nice fire in the fireplace. It is a Wonderful Life.

2003-12-06T17:56:00.000-06:00

Shot out of Luck

No Flu shot for the kiddo, which of course doesn't bother her one bit. She feels since she already had the flu she shouldn't have to get one. I, on the other hand want her to get the shot to protect her from getting another strain. But no vaccine to be found. The local pharmacy said to check back the middle of next week. But according to local news reports the vaccines may run out before everyone who wants a shot gets one....

We have been busy working on Christmas cards and gifts, putting up decorations, too.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day either a the courthouse or with my attorney (see update on Ex blog)... Last night the kiddo went to the high school's production of the Christmas Carol. Tonight we are going to our little town's Christmas parade and the lighting of our town's official Christmas tree.

Tomorrow hoping to finish the decorating... and getting handmade cards ready to be assembled. Next weekend candymaking. The weekend after that hosting parties on Friday and Saturday nights.

I love this time of year, but it is also the time of year I most miss not having a significant other.... really miss the kissing... so for those of you that have a S.O., remember to kiss them in between all the holiday busyness

Note to AOL users: when posting your blog, if the blogger spellcheck feature doesn't load right away, click the refresh button on the top AOL taskbar and spellchecker will pop right up everytime.

2003-12-02T22:08:00.000-06:00

Back to semi-regular posting

The queen mum and her king (my awesome stepdad) where here for Thanksgiving. We had a great visit. Really... Really, I mean it.

Although I did go through the cleaning count down before her arrival. I tried something different this year, instead of hiding the boxes full of papers and whatever, in the bathtub or wherever (see last Nov. posts if you have no idea how neurotic I can be regarding her visits)

I piled them all in the middle of the living room. LOL... I should have taken a picture, y'all wouldn't believe it.

Then I spent Wednesday night and most of Thanksgiving morning sorting stuff out, while the turkey cooked. She had no idea what to say, it was great and I have all my stuff cleaned out and not stuck somewhere to drag back out. We visited while I sorted or she worked on her Christmas cards. The king watched football of course.

Friday we went to the Texas Stadium for the kiddo's high school playoff game. They lost, (sigh) and I took 4 digital pics, but do you think AOL will cooperate and let me load them... no and I spent 45 minutes trying so before I am totally pooped I figured I should just post something. I made her color guard crafty things for each playoff game so I have been busy.

Saturday we worked on other craft projects and Christmas stuff.... then hung the lights outside and put up the greenery around the windows and hung a wreath in the middle of each.

I scanned a whole bunch of slides from my childhood that they had bought with them. That takes forever so the plan is that she will send me a tray of them and when I am finished, I send them back and she will send another.

Well that is enough to let any one still checking in that I am alive and well. I need to update the "ex" blog it looks like he will be going to jail, I'll try to get to it tomorrow. I also need to update my blog roll again, that Survivor thing is pretty lame. But check out Life on the Ice, she updated on 11/30 and has posted some awesome penguin pics.

2003-11-12T05:33:00.000-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AURORA'S MUSINGS

WOW my little blog is a year old today!!!

It is hard to believe it's been a whole year!!!

Many Thanks to Tam, aka "Snarky, who helped me get this started and hosted my images for a very long time, Kim, the "Diva" for those early morning IM supports, how she understood my babbling I will never know, Robyn, for not thumping me when I messed up in her comments, and Kevin, and Merrin for the their moral support. Even when there are times I have no idea what Kevin is talking about on his blog when he gets all techie.

And thanks to Scott of the disappeared AirFoster.com for making me my little button. Now he made it awhile ago but it has taken me this long to figure out how to get it on here. So for those who like buttons here you go.

isn't it the cutest thing?

Thank you ALL for reading this, leaving comments, and putting up with me this past year!!!

2003-11-11T17:49:00.000-06:00

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY.... THANK YOU!!!

The kiddo is still sick, but at least she is eating some this afternoon. She had jello for breakfast. With chicken noodle soup and she really wanted a PB&J sandwich for lunch. She ate them both. And did not get sick.

We watched the second Harry Potter movie on TV. I have done more of her laundry, cleaned out some papers and took a nap. I just hope I don't get this, with 2 days missed this week I can't afford to miss anymore.

Her temp right now is 101.... more generic tylenol for her and another tamaflu. She takes those till Friday night. Hopefully she will be ALL better then. They have their first playoff game that night.

One other blog I added to my blogroll is The Fat Diaries, Mary Beth has lost way over a 100 lbs and this is her story. I have been reading her almost from the beginning. And she is real close to her year anniversary of the surgery. Amazing story...

2003-11-10T16:00:00.000-06:00

The FLU comes early this year

No, duh... the kiddo woke you this morning with a temp of 104.
I took her to the DR. right away this morning. Yep it's the flu. One good thing was that there is a new drug or maybe it has been around called Tamaflu, supposed to knock it out pretty quick. DR thinks she will be back in school on Wednesday or at least Thursday.

SO that means I miss work, kinda hard to leave the kiddo when she is throwing up and wanting to sleep on the bathroom floor. I did leave long enough to get my flu shot... we had planned on doing this today anyway.
Now I just hope I don't get it.

While surfing around today and last night I found that Gillian of Life in the Freezer, now called "Life on the Ice" is back, yea!!! She has the neatest site. Go check it out if you missed it last year... she does have archives up from last year though.

And somehow I stumbled upon a Survivor Game for bloggers.... I think I found it in comments from Madpony you can find this new game HERE...

Or I have added both to my blogroll.... which I finally updated. And well probably be changing again and again. There are a lot of blogs I try to read regularly, but until I can afford the upgrade I am trying not to put them all on.

I had to delete Scott of AirFoster.com, I still IM with him and send mail once in awhile. He is busy doing "sites" for his base. Some really cool stuff and lots of auto tech support stuff... So he is to busy to blog and his site is down. When and if he comes back I'll add him again.

Well time to go watch Oprah.... Release your inner sexpot... is the show today!!! I don't have a problem of releasing my inner sexpot, just need the right man to release it on....

2003-11-09T19:10:00.000-06:00

Sunday Mustgos

I started doing a "mustgos" Sunday once, maybe twice, but I think it would be good to try that again. There are things I want to post but they really never seem to tie in to anything else.

I have been amazed at the number of "home redecorating" shows I try to watch... it's becoming a ridiculius amount... besides all the "Trading Spaces" and their spinoffs, including the orginal "Changing Rooms" on BBC and the "Mission Organization" that I found earlier this fall or was it last spring?

Anyway here's a list of some of this type of show I try to catch when I remember when they are on....

Surprise By Design... Discovery Channel
Rally Round the House... Discovery Channel
Merge.... Lifetime
Sell This House... A&E
Makeover Mamas.. A&E
Clean Sweep*..... TLC
Clean House*... Style

and one that I watched once then couldn't find again, thought it was on TNT or TBS... and now that I found it... it is almost finished.

House Wars.... USA

* these the Queen Mum keeps saying she wants to call and have them come to my house.... Nooooo I much as I like their results, I don't think I am ready to get rid of as much stuff as they do... except I really do not have as much as those people do... really!!!

There are probably more I just can't remember them, caught a couple new ones but I can't even remember their names and then Courtney is supposed to be starting one soon, also.

Good thing I don't have TiVo.... I would never get anything done.

2003-11-08T20:01:00.000-06:00

Whew!!!

Finally got the last several days posted... thanks to blogger I can change the day and time of a post even if they were all posted today!!! Which they were...

be sure to read Tues, Oct 28th post... I am really excited about that!!!

The kiddo had her last regular football game... away... on Thursday night. They won 35-0

Sure wish they could have beat HP last week... oh well Playoffs here we come.

She was supposed to go to the Sadie Hawkins/Masquerade Dance tonight, but she sits at home not going.... she had 2 "e.scorts" now she has none.

How you may ask... well E, a freshman asked her to go to homecoming (where... I don't know 'cause they sit with the band) she said ok and then he dumped her for his former girlfriend... then R asked around if she had a boyfriend... so they talked at the band party and she agreed to go with R to the Sadie Hawkins dance.... until Wednesday when E asked her if they could go out (again I wonder where either think they are going)... sure she says.... so at lunch E asks if they are going to the Sadie H. dance together... yeah you have already guessed the rest .... she dumps R for E, who then stopped talking to her... I am glad I am not a teenager.

We had a long talk about this kind of behavior... and R is a Junior, anyway she says, but he is a nice guy says I. I have known his family for years.... just didn't keep up with them. Thought R was a sophomore.

So now we are watching 102 Dalmatians on ABC. And listening to the rain!!!

Oh and in my posting marathon....

I forgot to post about her Homecoming Mum... Any Homecoming Mum... Oh my gosh if you are not from Texas you just wouldn't believe it and my freebie digital camera won't work anymore so you will have to wait till I get the photos developed.

CLICK HERE and HERE just to give you an idea of what I am talking about.

This year as a freshman she wore a single mum.... Cost $38.25 .... I said we would buy the first and learn how to make them from now on.... I have heard that Senior triple mums can run $80 - $200+. And of course there is a criteria on what color combinations you wear every year with ALL white and silver reserved for your senior year. Big Bucks!!!
Unbelievable!!!

2003-11-05T19:42:00.000-06:00

I wish I could stay home and Paint... Create... and earn a good living!!!

Found this at Kat's

Fantastic!! You are GEORGIA O'KEEFE.
You are a true spirit of nature, and it shows in
the flowing floral paintings for which you are
most famous. You feel the beauty of all things
around you, and your friends appreciate you for
your ability to share that extraordinary beauty
with them.

Which famous artist most reflects your personality?
brought to you by Quizilla

I love Georgia.... I love Monet.... all the Impressionists... I want to get my studio finished!

SO at work I sit and color with my colored pencils the handstamped cards I am making and selling so fast to the women at work I can't even send samples to Tam like I have wanted....

2003-11-03T19:46:00.000-06:00

Busy weekend

Got alot done... doing the "Queen Mum" is coming count down... this is where I started this blog!! Her and her King will be here the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Since I am having a "care group" in my home for the "40 days of Purpose" the house is pretty clean.

Also been a busy in my RPing Game ... so that is why I haven't been posting... just alot going on.

2003-11-01T09:35:00.000-06:00

Hope you all had a safe Halloween

We were at the kiddo's homecoming game.... now when I was in school it seems to me we always played the team we knew we would beat....

Not her High School... they played the team that they have not beat in 10 years!!! Ok make that 11 years... but what a game.

I was in the nosebleed section of the new stadium... 10,000 seat stadium. Both teams were 7-1 with 4-0 in the conference... score at halftime 0-0... and that was after the fight where both teams were given unsportsmen like conduct penalties with the opponents having a player ejected over the fight he started...

We scored first .... at the end though... 14-3. Both teams already had a spot in the playoffs.

The kiddo has a costume party for band tonight... her first High School "thing"
Sadie Hawkins dance next week!! They don't do a dance after the game and the homecoming parade was held Monday night, Oct. 27th.

2003-10-28T19:35:00.000-06:00

Wow

I had the most interesting email in my other blog's mailbox... from a writer for a national women's magazine....

So now Robyn won't be the only one in print this spring.

It was fun doing the phone interview on Monday, the 27th. Hopefully I didn't embrass myself to much.... Guess I will know next year. I did have to give her my real name and age.... Now the name wasn't so bad but I sure didn't want the real age to be known.... darn, but I did tell the truth.

SO that's why only very trusted friends and dear readers will know what magazine!!!

She writer had been an Editor with Ladies Home Journal, living in New York City ... after Sept. 11, 2001 she decided to follow her dream and move to Maine with her children and dog...

When I was telling a friend at work about her... how neat she was... He says "I have read about her".... "Yeah Right" says I, as I look up to this 6'4'' 29 year old semi hunk.... "No I really have" .... and on Tues he brings in this Reader's Digest that has the article written by her about her choice to make the move... She is cool!!!

NEWSFLASH.... Blogger is soooo GREAT!!!! I was searching for a link to add and of course I pushed the wrong X and knocked myself off AOL ... now normally I would have lost everything that I had written .... not anymore.... an IE box popped up about the time I said ...."oh Sh*t" and asked if I wanted to save my post.... major kudos and lots of ((((hugs)))) to blogger developers... Guess this means I need to upgrade or at least find the tip jar.

Alrightly then on to the next post.

2003-10-24T17:55:00.000-05:00

Tupperware is the best

I am trying a feature of blogger to change the time and date of a post.... I needed to catch up this past week so I will see if this works.

I had several of the women from work over... we had alot of fun.

Closing out the party(on Nov. 3rd) with catalog orders ..party total about $400.00

I served mostly finger foods from Sam's Club... plus a fruit tray with this yummy fruit dip that was the easiest to make:

Fruit Dip

1 package of Light Cream Cheese
1 large jar of Marshmellow Creme

Bring the Cream Cheese to room temp, to soften
then fold in the Marshmellow Creme... Blend well or
use a mixer.... Blending until smooth and creamy.

Keep refrigerated. Yummy!!!

I served strawberries, grapes, and pineapple chunks, all in my tupperware Serving Center... the one that has the removable cup with lid in the center.... perfect... I use this all the time.

I also cut up several granny smith apples. also putting the them in a tupperware serving piece... with caramel dipping sauce the middle and chopped pecans in one of four serving slots...

The women kept teasing me as I bought out more of my "antique" tupperware.... pieces that you can not get anymore or they have a new color or updated shape....

Tupperware will last forever or they replace it.... My Grandmother even left me most of her tupperware...lots of good pieces too.

And no I do not have time to be a Tupperware consultant/distributor

It was fun and the kiddo was at an away game .... We won and have a secured place in the 1st round of the play offs.

2003-10-22T12:45:00.000-05:00

Stress Test Results.... Everything is looking good....

And for all those people who were telling me when they did the stress test
"they thought they were going to die" ...

I'm thumping you right upside the head....

I was scared thanks to you, but I relied on a lot of prayer and my faith to even get me to the Doctor's office and believe me I was wanting to cancel right up to walking in the door.

So here is the scoop, at least this was my STRESS TEST...

You go into a regular sized room, there were 3 women with me, one to do the sonogram machine, one to run the EKG and blood pressure machine and between those two machines was the treadmill... the other gal was there to ... not sure... there is also a Heart shocker with paddles machine and oxygen in there... which was a little scary, too.

anyway, you remove your blouse and bra, then put on a very generous sized paper top, open to the front, for us gals... not sure if the guys would bother with a shirt... (the 3 did leave the room for that)

Then you lay down on the regular looking examine table, at that time the 3rd gal cleans your chest with alcohol or something... then she takes a sand paper kinda of thing and rubs it around on the areas where they will stick the little round things that the wires attach to send info to the EKG machine... that was weird feeling

Now in my case they had decided to run an IV to send some kind of die into me so they could see my heart better... that was not something I was prepared for, as I have a bad needle phobia, besides the "white coat" doctor phobia... put it in the inside of my lower arm, not the back of the wrist... must be serious stuff

They also attach a machine run blood pressure cuff that squeezes the heck out of your arm... while I was laying down they attached it to my right arm, the same arm as the IV.. (which didn't make a lot of sense to me, squeeze the arm cut of the flow of IV in veins...Whatever)

And at the same time all this was going on, one of them was attaching the wires from the EKG machine to the round pads on my chest... there was 4 of them I think....

OKay that all takes a few minutes... then the Sono lady had me roll over on my left side and put my left hand under my head... then she takes the about silver dollar sized sono-thing and rubs it just a little to the left side of the center of my chest.... the next set of sono pics is taken from your left side

Wow you can you see heart on the sono monitor, she takes a few still pics, asks you to hold your breath, let it out... anyway she tells you when, nothing to be frighten of...

Now for the treadmill... you sit up and taking all the cords, you stand on the treadmill... you also go over what you do when the treadmill stops..

Ask if you are not sure, I even practiced... I only wanted to do this once

I thought the paper they gave me about the test, met you were to sit on the floor and roll over on your left side for more reading to me taken... It even said STOP, DROP, and ROLL .... the gal laughed and said "I wondered why all these other people were thinking that they had to sit on the floor, we'll have to change that" ... No Duh!!

Now she attached the blood pressure cuff to the left arm, closer to the EKG machine and the treadmill starts ... the purpose is to get your heart rate up to a certain rate based on your height and weight, I think... I asked what the target was so I could watch the monitor on that...

I think the more you know, the more prepared you are, the less anxiety...

You start out slow and the treadmill goes faster gradually, except you hear it speed up and I think it inclines, too.... the EKG gal asks how you are doing ... you can answer until you get going faster then you will be thinking about breathing and not flying off the treadmill....

My hip bothered me a little which was a surprise, because I thought it would be my calf (I had an injury to my right leg... Long story)

By the time I saw my target number, the gal was saying can you do 10 more seconds.... nodding, I keep going... by now I am gasping for air through my mouth... and this is not a level of exercise I would push myself too.... then she asks for another 10 seconds... I keep going.... when she asked for the next 10 more I shook my head... no

(you can stop this at anytime... but if you don't do the treadmill stress test, there is another way to obtain what they need to see, but that one is a chemical one and I didn't want to do that one, everybody told me that one makes you feel like you are going to die)

Immediately the treadmill slows down, but before it stops they want you to sit back on the table and roll over on your left side, left hand under head...

I was breathing pretty hard at this time, I think it is harder to catch your breathe laying down like that....

oh one more thing, the sono gal had put little black marker X's on the spots where she put the sono thing to look at yout heart.... that way she can find the spot fast... Apparently quick and fast is the key at this step.

They were also trying to take my blood pressure but the cuff had come loose... found out this is a normal thing that happens, so don't worry there either... when the gals are saying "I can't get a blood pressure" several times....

So then it is over.... they leave, you get dressed and wait for the doctor.

My EKG is good... he turned down the lights and we watched my heart... looks great a rest (the laying down part) and looks huge after the treadmill part.... Which is great... Just what he wants to see he said

When your heart gets bigger after exercise it means the heart is not all clogged up...

I did not think I was going to die at any time, you wussies...

was it something I want to do again. No thank you...

the worse after effect that I have is my throat... since I apparently have some sinus thing I had to breathe, okay gasp, though my mouth towards the end... think how your lungs feel in the very cold air... down in you wind pipe and I coughed a lot for awhile after the test and every so often now even 2 days later...

So that is my layman's saga with a stress test...

A girlfriend asked me did they have you running? ....

No, but that treadmill was going fast enough to have started running.... I was run-walking and my left foot was hitting the treadmill pretty hard....

So why didn't you just run or jog? ....

I laughed... At that point I think my knees forgot how to bend...

It is hard, but not impossible... the fitter you are the longer you will be on the treadmill.... but the ladies said they have not had anyone on as long as 20 minutes even....

I made it about 6 minutes, but it felt like a fast 3.... :)

I know this a really very long post, but I hope it can help someone else facing a stress test and wanting to know what goes on behind the door.

2003-10-15T10:39:00.000-05:00

Doing Well just busy as usual.

The church I attend is doing this for the next 40 days...
started Sunday...

I am hosting a small group in my home... I may not be posting regularly... I saw that, no giggling or eyerolling.... I know I don't post regularly, just seeing if y'all were paying attention.

I will post updates on the Stress Test and I still want to post the explantion I was given for that "C-Reactive Protein" test and results. The search for it doesn't help answer many questions for "real" people.

Anyway, I'll pop in and read y'all as I can. oh and I maybe posting pics, but I'll ping so y'all will know when something new is here.

(((hugs)))

2003-10-10T07:50:00.000-05:00

So Far... So Good

EKG... Good... all the stethoscope listening... Good.... extra weight.... Bad

Great Doctor....

stress test scheduled for 10/20

Running late this morning... will post more later.

2003-10-09T05:32:00.000-05:00

I have a GOOD heart... I just hope the doctor thinks so too.

Last Tuesday I got a "pending" test result back from my every 3 month diabetic blood work that was out of range...(every thing else is good)

It was the first time for this test.. C-reactive Protein and it came back high... I think my doctor said for diabetics the number should be .8 or lower (O for healthly people) and mine was 1.46 .... figures

Anyway, I go to a cardiologist this morning...

Dear Heart,
I am so sorry that I have taken you for granted. I have been busy paying attention to the kidneys, even though on occasion, I abuse them, too. And liver has taken my focus away from you for years. Please forgive me. You, dear heart are now my top priority. Do not give up on me yet, we have alot left to do. I will work very hard to give you a better home.
Love,
Brain

2003-09-29T21:27:00.000-05:00

Too nice to work inside today but I had too.

Well, at least till 1pm then I left for a Doctor's appt... my last one with this doctor, due to an insurance change on Wednesday. She isn't on the new plan and the out of network doctor fees are riducilious... any way I enjoyed the time away. I was back by 3pm. And with Monday being a short day I was off work by 4:30.

The kiddo and I ran a few errands. We were back home by 8pm so I have been catching up on a few reads.

I will be changing up my blogroll sometime this week. I have alot of blogs I read, so I will change the roll from time to time and have a link page for more of the ones I read.

Last night I was catching up on my newspaper reading and found out that Donald O'Conner died... I don't remember him being in "Singing in the Rain" (I remember Gene Kelly, right?)...but I do remember watching Francis the Talking Mule movies...reruns, apparently, since I was not even alive in 1949...

I was just a horse crazy kid and a talking mule that was quite the smart jack*$$ was very appealing to me.

There was a TV station in Iowa that played those movies all the time, there were alot of them if I remember right...

this station also showed alot of Roy Rogers' movies... my hero.. still... really... I have a life-size cardboard, Roy in my bedroom with his guns drawn to keep away the boogie mans... I'll have to take a picture.

2003-09-28T08:21:00.000-05:00

A topdown weekend if I only had a convertible... ~sigh~

We did alot of yard work yesterday. Half of the front yard was mowed before the tire fell off the rear wheel... I finally found one thing that duct tape can't fix. I trimmed the front hedges, but I really want to tear them out. I really do hate them. I weedeated all across the front with my new electric weedeater... I couldn't believe how light it was compared to the monster weedeater we have. I bought it a the hardware store on the other side of town that is closing due to the new Home Depot. Great bargains... It was a $39.00 weedeater for $21.00.

At 2 pm the kiddo left for a girl scout overnight "planning retreat" at a nearby hotel with a pool.

I just love the quiet. (of course if she is gone more than overnight I miss her alot...)

oh and I had planned on singing the praises of the new and improved again, blogger.com.... HA I knew it was too good to be true .... my archives have been eaten again... bah... And no, Tam, I didn't copy and paste them to WORD like you told me too.

Well it is time for a quick shower then an omelet ....

2003-09-26T18:42:00.000-05:00

High School Football in Texas... is THE event...

and I am running late, so now I will have to park so far from the stadium, it will look like a minature version... dang I would rather have my toenails pulled out... but I am going to watch the kiddo do her thing with the flags and rifles are added this week and a routine with 7 foot flags... she was stressing when she left...

2003-09-23T22:00:00.000-05:00

Surprised ? Yes, here I am posting again...

I updated the E.X Blog... the bank will honor the check...

The kiddo is amazing .... We changed the kitchen fluorescent light bulbs last night

( after 2 trips to Home Depot.. Hint: take one out and see what wattage and what the little tips look like before buying replacement bulbs)

... they had been blinking like a strobe light for days, when we would forget and turn them on. So we had been using a desk lamp to navigate the kitchen.

She stood up on this table I have in the middle of the kitchen and did it... Woo Hoo ... cause I sure wasn't going to get up on a table or chair... I'm afraid of heights, well just the height from a chair or table not from way up there heights.

Well, it is time to watch the GILMORE GIRLS We love that show....

Can you spare $5, $10, $20...

Please check out Kat's blog and you can read up on her ordeal HERE and the easiest way to donate is HERE

Please scroll down and read my challenge .... Just for a day, a week or 2 ... Come on and help her and her boys...

For Heavens sakes... People helped what's her face, oh yeah, Save Karyn get out of credit card debt... $20,000 in 20 weeks....

Let's HELP KAT ... Is it that y'all need an amount ... Okay how about... $20,000 grand in 20 weeks.... What do you say?

2003-09-23T07:23:00.000-05:00

Happy Fall

I love this time of year... updated the Ex blog... you are not going to believe it. Or maybe you will.

My kiddo is so cool,I wish I had a tape recorder last night. While we were driving home from "his" bank and the errands we had to do she just had the neatest attitude about the lastest ordeal in CS collection. I wish I could remember everything she said. But the main thought I had is that she is "okay" or self esteem is higher than ever. She finally gets that whatever her dad does is not a reflection on her.

Anyway got to run....

Oh and please send some money to Kat she needs it more than you need to eat out at lunch today... if each guy that comes here checking out my yahoo profile would send her $10 she could pay some bills. Come on guys.... I'll send you a link to this year's BOOBIE-THON if you do...

Thanks.

2003-09-21T20:51:00.000-05:00

A pleasant day....

I did a few things in the yard and then forgot to take pics, read the paper, watched some of the shows I tape during the week... just a pleasant day.

The kiddo worked at the Girl Scout booth at the Plano Balloon Festival, painting faces and putting on removable tattoos.

When reading
Kat's blog yesterday and today... I thought about everything that I have gone through. I remember when I was waiting for test results in '95 to see if I had uterine cancer... that's when my (then) husband decided to move out.... I was flat on my back with my feet elevated and ice packs on my abdomen, trying to stop the massive bleeding.

You will never feel so hopeless as you do when you are not physically able to be mobile. I was ill for months.... but was not without some funds.... (I learned that lesson from the first time we separated, that time I only had $45)

Kat does not have that luxury.... and then I thought about the Tupperware I had purchased....

(yes, I know I have property taxes to pay... I have a plan and have made arrangements for a payment plan with the county... the school district may possibly be a problem... though not imminent....)

Anyway, Kat could have used that money to buy groceries or to put towards paying bills.... so I challenge myself and anyone else that reads this ... for the next 2 weeks... whenever you go to buy something, or to order pizza, or to run through the fast food drive thru, stop and ask "Do I really need this" and then go to HELP KAT or her blog ... she has a donate paypal button...

Time to go hug on the kiddo and girltalk.... tonight's topic: the 16 year old Senior, who seems to like her.... arrrgghh.. I want to talk like a pirate forever ... maybe that would scare all those bilge rats "boys"away.... har har har... me, matey.... Arrr I'll make em walk the plank I will.... har har har....

2003-09-20T23:29:00.000-05:00

Childless... Well, Teenless...

I have been home alone since last night

Have I used my time alone to my best advantage?... Probably not.

I dropped the kiddo off for color guard practice at 6 pm. After practice all the girls were spending the night at one girl's house in order to get up and be at the school at 7:45 am Saturday... to go the football game, a 4 hour drive away. They take charter buses for trips that far away.

I headed over to a friend's in Plano for a Tupperware party.

The drive shouldn't have taken long, but since the Plano Balloon Festival started at 4 pm the traffic was far from normal. The Festival is also on Sat. and Sun.

Only ordered one more thing, than what I had planned on, and it was on sale. I already own almost every piece that was ever made, I am always surprised at the new things Tupperware comes up with.

I did book a party for my friend for October.

Yes, I would love it if any of you would like to order for my party... Heck I can even have an online party.. We have come sooo far.

Couldn't convince anyone to go to a movie or sports bar or karaoke... bunch of fuddy duddies...

SO I come home and what to I do? Yes, I call the kiddo. She had left her coat and tennis shoes in the front of the truck. Plus I really thought she needed her sleeping bag, rather than just sleeping on the floor.

Okay so I wanted to check on her... This was her first BIG sleepover... with older girls... Seniors, Juniors, and I just wanted to be sure "the boys" weren't over there preventing them from getting any sleep.

I spent the remainer of the evening signing up for comments at Haloscan and chatting on the phone.

Today I woke up late, did a few chores, talked to the Queen Mum on the phone, then headed out to the bustling town of Farmersville to get my hair restored to it's proper color.

I returned to my little town, went to the Feed Store, then came home to wait for the feed store guy to deliver a round bale of hay for the horses. I have to open the gates and keep ALL the horses in their respective pastures.

Then I worked on my flower boxes for the front porch. I'll take pictures tomorrow if it is not raining. It was too dark by the time I finished. I still have to weedeat around the front of the house.

A friend called and we chatted until the kiddo called for me to come pick her up. That was about 9:30 pm.

So now I am not alone and I didn't even get to go do anything. Well, anything exciting anyway.

2003-09-16T21:07:00.000-05:00

Ack, I thought I lost Martha Stewart Living...

Yesterday, I was checking to be sure all was good to go for taping the season premiers of Martha, Dr Phil, and Oprah...(even though I would probably fast forward though "the terminator for govenor" stuff)

And Martha was not on Channel 11 at 9 am like she was supposed to be....

No this couldn't be possible, first my favorite magazine, Victoria, and now Martha... heck she isn't even in jail and Channel 11 bumped her for some stupid whatever....

Pulse pounding, forehead getting dewy, I started looking in the guide to see if Martha was on anywhere... somewhere...

My mind heading to the deep end... I am still searching as I pick the phone to call Directory Assistance for Channel 11's number...

Oh YES, there she is over on Channel 21, KTXA.... I was even 6 minutes late for work... Had to have my Martha fix...

so now I am off to watch yesterday and todays shows...all tucked into clean sheets...

you know, I learned how to make a bed the "neatest way" from Martha... all my life I had put the pretty side of the top sheet, on the top, then covered it with a blanket.... Martha's way was to put the pretty side on the bottom and then when you crawl into bed or fold part of the covers back... YOU get to see the pretty side... duh... I wondered how long it would have taken me to figure that out... :)

Now the Queen Mum tries to tell me we made the beds that way for years... sorry I don't remember doing it that way... I do remember learning from the Queen Mum where every piece of silverware that was ever invented went in a place setting... even fish forks.. okay I need sleep now...

Maybe I should start a page for "ALL the things I learned from Martha" ... okay so it would be alot of pages or I could put one thing on each week... hmmmm

I finally posted the most of the details over on the Ex Files...

And I thought I had a troll, turns out he isn't such a bad guy...

2003-09-14T19:31:00.000-05:00

Keep Frozen Until Ready To Eat or something like that... Apparently "they" really mean that!!!

Last weekend was a blur, football game, serving papers for my attorney, frantically coming up with ways to make money....

so I was looking forward to starting the "SOUTH BEACH DIET" on Monday.... Monday went well and so would have Tuesday if the kiddo would have put the salad shrimp in the freezer....

I found the small bag in the refrigerator section, it had only been in there since late Friday night... I thought it would be ok.... at lunch time I rinsed it, smelled it, tasted a couple, had a co-worker taste a couple.... put the entire bag on my salad of romaine lettuce... yum yum

All good till about 2 pm and by 3 pm I was in real trouble, left work and barely made it home before "Montezuma's Revenge" hit.... okay so not in Mexico, but you get the idea.

I was home Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning from work. Drug myself away from the porcelain throne to go have Jesse do his thing with my hair... He didn't show up and no one knew where he was (he has since been found, having a minor meltdown, he's okies now)

Missed the football game and all the local festivities my little city had on Saturday....

Of course during all these days I was still the kiddo's chauffeur. AND I made it to school and back EVERY time, just in time,

Hey the diet is working great. I have lost 13 pounds. :)

Will update the Ex-File soon and I am trying to catch up on reading everyone's blogs. Y'all have a great Monday.

2003-09-05T07:51:00.000-05:00

WON Down and One to go

Quick update.... the Judge was awesome, my attorney was great, the Ex is still an idiot.

However, as in alot of things there is Good news and then the BUT.... the not so good news.

Will provide complete details tomorrow.... I have to work this morning, then do a "Process Serve" ... yes, I am now officially working part time as a process server...

And tonight is the kiddo's first football game at home.... If I had the right kind of video camera I'd show y'all her "color guard" routine but I have the old one the Queen Mum bought when those cams first came out. It must weigh 8 lbs. It looks like I am filming for the evening news...

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.... Please don't stop, I still have to get through the "property tax" thing.

2003-09-02T23:59:00.000-05:00

Court Tomorrow 9 am

Keep me in your prayers!!!!

I am still up doing paperwork..... ack!!!

2003-08-25T23:19:00.000-05:00

DANG IT.... note to BLOGGER.COM

You have really got to do something to protect us idiots who enter in an entire post ( a very long one) and then like the idiots, we are...(or is it just me?) We (I) check a website link and forget to shrink the blogger.com window and then..... and then.... dang it... we (I)lose the entire post and can't back arrow click to get back to the unposted post.... COME ON, can't you ask me if I want to save the post before you let me go to a different web address? PLEASE!!!

Well I can't stay up and rewrite it now.... (deep sigh)

2003-08-24T10:57:00.000-05:00

The E.x H.usband F.iles

finally started posting on that blog. A little wordy, but I wanted to do some background info and insert some of my humor.... go look... Here or from my blogroll. Thanks.

And if anyone has links that they feel pertain to c.hild s.upport c.ollection, let me know.

And now for the rest of the day, I need to gather, type, and print more stuff for this case. I knew I should have been a paralegal.

Tip: the dots are supposed to keep the search engines from finding this blog....we shall see.

2003-08-23T16:23:00.000-05:00

Always Count the Money

We got a child support check, for 2 weeks, we did the happy dance... amazing, maybe it was the talk he had with my attorney on Wednesday... will be posting on Here about that in a little while.

So we jumped in the truck to make it to his bank before it closed. I can't deposit his checks in my account at my bank because his checks usually aren't any good.

I counted the money... WHOA... it was $100 dollars short... so back in the chute it goes and we wait and wait... the teller had to balance her drawer to make sure she really didn't give me the $100.... geeze the heat is getting to everybodies brains.

I stumbled across a couple of neat website/kinda journal things, sorry I can't give credit to where I was when I found them... (see above brain frying phenomena)

anyway here they are... cool and refreshing The Island Chronicles and then the story of 4 teenagers and their dad sailing around the world 5around

And when you really need to cool off go visit Life in the Freezer, yes I know she hasn't posted since November but the site still works and she told me in email that she would post again when she goes back to the Freezer....

So where is your favorite blog that refreshes? Cools you off?

Let me know... well back to cleaning for me or maybe I'll go hose off the horses with the kiddo.

2003-08-23T09:08:00.000-05:00

Noise on phoneline when using Verizon DSL

In past postings I ranted about ALL the noise and static that I was having on my phones since I got DSL. Actually I sparred you ALL the details as I was close to going postal.

Since at one time I had been a installer/repairman for GTE, I knew I was hearing a "ground" or short, especially since the noise/static would happen primarily early morning or later on a night... (moisture/dew/high humidity will find the exposed wire, anywhere from the office to the phone) now since this noise will come and go it is a hard problem to find.

Because of the DSL signal, or whatever it's called, amplifies any little "ground" you may hear static/noise that normally wouldn't have annoyed you.

THEY have to come out when it is happening.... which THEY rarely do, btw, so prepared for a battle about that with THEM saying it is an "inside problem" and then bill you for the trip.... (stopping to breath deeply... many times... having a "THEIR customer service people are IDIOTS" flashback)"

Anyway I'll skip to the solution... have THEM put a splitter at the protector on your house/apt... then run the DSL to one jack, and your phoneline to the other jacks... this can be done because all phone jacks have at least 2 pair of wires and most houses/apts wired in the last 10years or so will have 6 pair.

You will not have to use the filters on your phones doing it this way...

*best to wait till the noise starts cause then THEY have to fix it as an outside problem, should not be a charge unless THEY have to add a jack. And with Verizon you will have to call back and forth between the 2 divisions, Phone Repair and DSL Repair (even though THEY don't send out 2 guys,only one) and of course the numerous calls to get credit on your bill.... *Unless THEY are coming out to install the DSL for you then have THEM do it right then.

Anyway I decided to post this cause it seemed like a few people,Kat and Chris are having DSL trouble, maybe not this exact one yet, but they will someday.

SO for now I love my Verizon DSL...now if I could just get them to fix some of THEIR homepage,login,sitebuilder,web gems,and other issues...oh well I'm working on that too.

2003-08-23T08:50:00.000-05:00

Hosting Images on AOL

Yes it can be done and if I can do it so can you.... works best using 8.0 or 9.0...set up a page in Hometown,use Easy Designer, title it "images", upload images, save the page, open the page, right click on the image, chose properties and then copy the "code".... paste into your blog template... (short version, this process could take hours... days even)

Now the hard part... I have no clue where your put the code in your template... (nervous giggle) Tam, the snarky, blog template queen has been hosting my images since the beginning...(thank you, hon) so all I had to do is find where she put it in the template and change it to the new code.

Now I did have to do my own letters on the title... AOL Easy Designer will not let you overlap images... since I only have Paint, my choices were limited, but it worked.

Soon I will attempt to add images to places I have to code to change... should be fun.

One more thing, My FTP, is where you go to delete images from your image files, otherwise you will run out of space for new image uploads... it took me forever to find out how to do that.

2003-08-22T07:40:00.000-05:00

AOL is a good thing, Really!!!

the other night Tam tried to put images in the blog template using the copy/paste properties that I got from images hosted on AOL pages and Verizon pages... well AOL will host... woo hoo... but Verizon will not...darn....

anyway I am in the process of changing the blog images from Tam's host to my AOL thingy.... thank goodness all I have to do is delete where Tam had the code for each image and paste in the ones I copy of the image properties...

SO excuse the construction, hopefully I will have this all done by Saturday...

I am in awe of how quickly Tam has moved everybody's images from host to host... I started at 5 am, of course I did take a break to drive the kiddo to school at 6:35 AM ...

she is nuts, to go that early,and there were even more parents dropping off their kids than at 6:55 am... they are all nuts... came home ate a quick breakfast and now I have to get dressed...

I won't be able to participate in Chris' No Pants Friday until later... I wonder if he is still having a No Pants Friday...

2003-08-20T22:04:00.000-05:00

Posting in your sleep

had to dream about doing that since Verizon had left me without phone service yesterday. I couldn't get ahold of the kiddo, the phone just rang and rang. I figured she was tired and fell asleep without calling me... well, she was napping ,but we had no dial tone which of course met no DSL, either.

Seems like that is going around, Kat, way over in Florida, is having the same problems... now I know they have been working out front replacing aerial lines, but guys don't you think you should make sure all the little wires are hooked up before you go home.... how does that go red, green, blue, yellow,black, white.... heck I can't remember any more... but I used to be an outside installer/repairman for GTE years ago. I had an OPEN.

They had us back on today by noon. Thanks, but I really needed it last night. I had all this stuff to email to my attorney as she thought I may have to go to court today...

I speaking of the "ex" I decided I didn't want ALL that negative crap in this Blog so I will be posting the child support/save the farm from the tax sale or foreclosure saga at it's own blog.... Located here, but for now all that is there is a "test" post. I am too tired to post today's news right now. (Funny I thought that name would have been used by now)

Now for the kiddo's experience in 9th grade( Day 2).... just when did guys/boys, well specifically a Junior, (a very popular one, actually, like that matters) decide that it was okay to tell anyone that they "shaved down there" and "now it is itching" ... Yes, that is what he said to my sweet kiddo... She told him that was way too much information, but then she ended up asking him why he would do that....

OMG I thought as I listen to her tell the tale.... I didn't think I wanted to know his reason...

He said, because when they march in band practice he gets all sweaty down there and he didn't want it to stink like his hairy underarms do. Well she throws her hands up and wiggles her fingers making this face and going eewwwwwee and told him she didn't want to hear that either cause she had little virgin ears.... Oh great, I think, she had to bring that up...

Anyway it led to a great talk with her deciding that even when she turns 16 in Feb. of her Sophmore year she doesn't want me to allow her to date Seniors.... then she said she didn't think she wanted to date at all... OKAY, say I, can I have that in writing....

Oh and please excuse the red X's ... I am going to get a bongo account or whatever that is called and will probably switch to Haloscan for comments... just alittle construction for a short while.

2003-08-18T23:35:00.000-05:00

The Kiddo started her Freshman year...

She seemed so in control, so poised, so calm, so cool... she got up at 5:30 or maybe earlier, she started waking me up at 6am... we live 2 miles from the school if even that far.

"Come on Mom, wake up" "Baby, you don't have to be there till 7am
then 15 minutes later... "Come on Mom, you have to get dressed" "Baby, I am not getting out of this bed until 6:35, I am wearing my nightgown, then I will come home and get dressed for work" "Well you better hope the truck doesn't break down or anything" "Okay, fine, I will wear a robe, too. Happy now"

We get to school, I give her a sterling silver horse ring from Avon that I had bought for this occassion. I prayed for her (with a silent one for all those boys something about ripping their heads off in they mess with my baby) and then with my stomach in knots and wishing I was dressed so I could walk her in (and follow her around for the day) ....

I ask her "Aren't you little nervous?" "Yeah, Mom, I think I am going throw up" "Oh good, I thought it was only me"

We blew each other a kiss, as she was already outside of the truck, unloading her stuff. "Have a great day, baby" "You too Mom" and with that I had to get moving as the other moms were lined up behind me.

As I watched her for just a glance, remembering her first day of kindergarten, I smiled and managed not to cry till I got to work.... only 3 minutes late.