A Fitting End to a Crazy-Hazy Day

I am killing time waiting for Oldest Child to get home from church with her friend. I'm learning the hard way I have to be very literal with OC. I've known this since she was an infant...why is it taking me this long to get it right?? She wanted to go to visit evening church with a friend who was doing a presentation on a mission trip to Romania she went on this summer (the friend, not OC). OK, if we're home from the going away party at the State Park on the hottest day of the year, you can go. We just made it in the nick of time. I dropped her off, the friend's mom was going to bring her home. That was at 6:30. It is now after 10:00 and I'm still waiting. Of course there was a "get together" at the youth minister's house after church. One last hoo-rah before school starts. I know, I know...I should be glad she's at a church function with her church friends and she is making good choices, etc., etc. And I am. I am. I promise I am. But that doesn't bring her home any quicker when I'm tired and want to go to bed and have to get up for school tomorrow and I turn into a pumpkin at precisely at 9:30 every night. But if I hadn't been up, I wouldn't have been checking out blogs. And if I hadn't been checking out blogs, I wouldn't have found this.





This song has been one of my favorites since the first time I heard it on the radio. But today has been a day. I found out in Sunday School this morning that a dear, sweet friend has been admitted to a treatment center for anorexia. She has a husband and two small children at home.

Then on the way to the going away party, my assistant principal called me and told me that one of the teachers new to my school this year had been shot and killed by her brother Friday night. Impossible. I just met her Friday morning. Impossible. She was in my small group for our activity. Impossible. She has a husband and four children at home. Impossible. She is so young, so full of life. Impossible. These things happen to other people, not people I know.

So say extra prayers tonight for these two special friends. And go hug your babies just a little tighter when you tuck them in tonight.

** Edited to add...I should have known...as I was finishing up this post, just as I was publishing it...OC came home and had a great time. I'm going to bed; good night!

My Summer of Accomplishments - A Recap

The sun was beautiful; the sand was refreshing; the airplane ride was horrendous; the painting was long; the book was exciting; the water was wonderful. That, in a nutshell, sums up my summer. Hard to believe I start back to school tomorrow. I had so many plans for the summer. I had so much I wanted to accomplish this summer. I accomplished some of the "to do" list; others will remain on the list until, oh, probably Christmas vacation.

The beach trip was great. I could live at the beach and be a bum. Period.

"Leaving on a Jet Plane" is not my theme song. My feet are meant to stay on the ground. But once I got there, I had a great time. Las Vegas was very glad to see me leave, thankyouverymuch.

My living room is completely painted and looks great. Now I'm just trying to find the right finishing touches for my mantel. If you have something in your garage you'd like to send, feel free.

Didn't quite read as many books as I'd have liked to. I tried. I really, really tried. But every time I sat down to read, I had a problem...and woke up fifteen or ninety minutes later. But if I try really, really hard today and tonight, I can finish my first book by the time I start back to school.

Stay tuned. Pictures of the living room and trip to Las Vegas coming soon...promise!

I'm Home : )

If you came here looking for pictures and details about my weekend in Vagas, check back in...oh...six months or so. I may be caught up on my sleep by then. If you want an instant version, go here. It's obvious that Lynne doesn't require as much sleep as I do, as her highlights are already up and running.

We had a great time, the weather was great, the company was great, Dramimine is my new BFF and I'm still tired.

Christmas in July

With the uttering of one single sentence, my entire Christmas shopping list was completed...and it's only July. "We're going to Orlando...on New Year's...to the Capitol One Bowl!" Only Oldest Child had a few more explanation points in there; and I think possibly her's could have been written in all caps; possibly with a quotation mark or two thrown in for good measure.



Perhaps you will recall the OC is the typical, driven, oldest offspring. She can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. I merely sit back and hang on for the ride, not afraid to tighten the reins when necessary. I stopped asking, "How bad can it be?" long, long ago with OC...because she will set out to show me. Another phrase I refuse to use: "What are the odds?" What were the odds a freshman would make the high school dance team?? What are the odds that said dance team will finish in the top three at dance camp this week? Because the top three teams get a "chance" to compete at the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando on New Year's Day (perhaps, could it be, that my ALL CAPS button isn't working...hmmm...). Notice I used the word "chance". As opposed, to...oh, say, "all expense paid trip to the Orange Bowl".



So now my Christmas list is made. Gas cards will fit so nicely into the stockings hung by the chimney with care. Hotel vouchers will be quite heavy if I put them in a box with a couple of rocks. And I will look so nice in a bathing suit on NEW YEARS! Wanna hear the real kicker?? OC thought I was joking when I said we were turning this into a family vacation! Merry Christmas to all. And to all a good night.

I Really Do Need To Get Our More

I'm trying to get my ducks in a row so I can pack what I need to take to Las Vegas this weekend. I'm trying to figure out what I can take that will be stylish yet cool, because it's supposed to be 187 degrees in Las Vegas this weekend. And in doing this, I'm realizing that I am totally out of my league.

I have been on a plane exactly twice in my entire 42 years of existence...once from West Virginia to Atlanta and then back again. I got up close and personal with the throw-up bags both times. Part of me thinks it has to do with being a control freak; if I can't drive my car there, I don't need to be there. Part of me thinks it has to be with my dreaded vertigo.

Lynne keeps checking on me making sure (1) I'm doing OK and (2)yes, I'm still going. I keep promising her I'll try not to do anything to embarrass her in the security lines. You don't have security lines at the campground. You don't have checked baggage vs. carry-on baggage at the campground...throw it all in the camper and off you go.

I went to the store this week to get Coke and snacks I know I can eat when I start to feel vertigo coming on. Can't take 'em. I keep changing my mind as to what carry-on bag I'm taking on the plane. Can't decide. There are too many decisions to make when flying.

I promise, promise, promise, I'm trying not to embarrass anyone, but this trip is sure to be a case of The Clampets Come to Town.

Short but Sweet

I saw this over at Melanie's and it sounded like fun. But one-word responses are very difficult for me, so I may have to break the rules.

1. Where is your cell phone? Truck
2. Your significant other? Amazing
3. Your hair? Curly
4. Your mother? Deceased
5. Your father? Deceased
6. Your favorite thing? Beach
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your favorite drink? Coke
9. Your dream/goal? Beachhouse
10. The room you’re in? Living
11. Your church? Amazing
12. Your fear? Fire
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here
14. Where were you last night? Fireworks
15. What you’re not? Fake
16. Muffins? Absolutely
17. One of your wish list items? Demdaco
18. Where you grew up? West Virginia
19. The last thing you did? Hang pictures
20. What are you wearing? Shorts
21. Your TV? Nascar
22. Your pets? Many
23. Your computer? Lap
24. Your life? Comfortable
25. Your mood? Depends
26. Missing someone? #6
27. Your car? Blue
28. Something you’re not wearing? Make-up
29. Favorite store? Target
30. Your summer? Short
31. Like(love) someone? Hubs
32. Your favorite color? Purple
33. Last time you laughed? Yesterday
34. Last time you cried? Thursday
35. Who will repost this? Amy

She's a Maniac

Just a quick update of the BooMama challenge...the painting is done. Looks good. Great actually. But when I got the new paint on, the baseboards looked shabby. So I had to paint them. When I got the baseboards painted, the door facings looked shabby. So I had to paint them. When the living room trim was painted, the hall trim looked shabby. So I had to paint it. Will it ever end?

On the agenda today? Finish the baseboards and door facings in the hall and put the pictures back up on the wall. Wish me luck!

The Calendar...

...it's a terrible thing to waste. That noise you heard last night around 10:00ish Atlanta time was me screaming...in Lynne's ear nonetheless. We've had this trip to Las Vegas planned for her "big" birthday for awhile now. We toyed with several dates trying to get three couples together for the weekend. But between lining up babysitting, schedules, etc., it ended up only DH, me and the birthday couple were going to be able to go. Bummer.

When I turned my calendar from May to June, I realized I had written the wrong date. I had penciled in June 19th as our departure date. I knew that couldn't be right because we were leaving in July. So I rescheduled it for the third week in July - depart on the 17th, return on the 20th...happy birthday Lynne. Had babysitting all lined up; DH had vacation all lined up. Taking it easy until time to pack.

Last night, Lynne and I met at the park to walk (or play...). She called when she got home and got the crabby four in the bed. The best laid plans went a-rye when their neighbor was outside when she got home and they talked in the driveway until 9:30...which just happens to be an hour and a half past the babies' bedtime. Oopsie!

So we're talking on the phone and she's telling me about her neighbor having to transfer to Ohio because of work and he has to be there on July 14th, which is the day after we get back from Las Vegas. "No, it's the Monday before we leave for Las Vegas," I reply. "NO, it's the Monday AFTER WE GET BACK FROM LAS VEGAS!" "NO, WE LEAVE THURSDAY THE 17th". "UH NO..."

It took us a couple minutes to realize that neither of us was kidding. Oh, brother. DH is sitting on the couch listening. Then he realizes what I've done...planned around THE WRONG DATE! But the real kicker...there is no way, no how, notta, nuttin doing he can get off work next week. It's the one week his plant is shut down and he works doubles all week fixing all the machinery that breaks during the year. Geez. Panic starts to set in.

Of course, he's fine with me going without him...go, have a good time...see ya when you get home. But there's a little issue of a plane ticket with his name on it that he's not going to be able to use. Having flown ONCE in my entire 42 years of existence, you know why I didn't make the arrangements. So Lynne and I start racking our feeble little brains trying to figure out who can be the fourth person to go on the trip. Juju immediately comes to mind. Juju is the wife of the third couple we were trying to get to go with us. Their only hold-up was getting babysitting for four days. If she goes and hubs stays home, she only has to find babysitting for two days. Hello? Oldest Child? What are you doing on Thursday and Friday of next week? Yes, the day after you return from DANCE CAMP...Have I mentioned lately that I have been carting you back and forth to dance team practice this whole summer? And I provide a roof over your head 365 days a year? And I will pay you handsomely if you go move in Juju's house and babysit for me (I mean her...) for two days...great, I knew you would!

So guess what I've been doing today! Rearranging babysitting for OC and YC. Starting to think a little more seriously about what to pack because I got a week cut off my plan time. And, of course, charging the batteries in my palm pilot and making sure the calendar is up-to-date.