Back To Reality

Weather wise this weekend could not have been better. I could have done without the flies and bees but when everything else is going for you why complain about the little things?

I packed for cool fall weather and used only one fleece jacket only after the sun went down. It was a little damp in the morning but the sun took care of that pretty quickly. Mick seemed to attract the largest wasp we've ever seen. We're pretty sure it was the head queen. Didn't take long for all the guys to get on it and make sure it no longer had life in it. Waking up to gun shots and knowing that it's not intended for you is always a plus. From the site we were on we used to be able to see the pond and if we were up early enough could catch a glimpse of the duck hunters. Everything is a little over grown now, but it's a plus in the privacy department.

As usual the food was good. If all goes as planned "D" and the boys should be making us a tad bit wealthy within the next few years with their invention. We spent sometime discussing every one's role in making this a success. This was before the beer took effect on "Ben" a.k.a. "Sweet Ben" a.k.a. "Stagger Lee" and his friend "Barney" a.k.a. "Don't sit by those girls...they'll take you down" a.k.a. "I'm not drunk..I just want to build a 6 foot fire". Ol' Barney even managed to make a drunken phone call to our friend Cleve to express his anger toward his wife putting the kibosh on his plan.

We did make a trip back toward town Saturday afternoon to catch Dylan's game. They are now 4-0. Could this turn bad as they play the Cowboys this week? Let's hope not.

So now back at home, the weekend things unpacked, laundry started, dinner made and showers taken, we await to Packer/Cowboys game. What's the worst that could happen?

It's All In Who You Know

My kids are paying off for me. After all the years of doing for them, it's kind of nice to receive some sort of gratis. Some day soon my bathroom will be tiled thanks to my son. My daughter has kept us in cell phones.

On my way out the door this morning my husband stopped me to show me an issue he was having with his phone. Removing the battery and Sim card did not solve the problem. After a call to my daughter I was told that the phone has a life span of about 3 years. That's just about how long it's lasted. He looked a little panicked when I told him I thought the phone was shot. This coming from a man who two years ago wanted nothing to do with a cell phone. He doesn't make a lot of calls, but he's always got it with him. After work I got a call from my daughter saying that they had two brand new phones at their house and I could pick which one we wanted. The one I chose is an upgraded version of my current phone. With her and her husband both working for cell phone companies there are some perks.

The other perk I have with her is I no longer need to board my dog when we are out of town. They have a small humane society at their home so one more dog isn't a bother to them. So tonight when I dropped Sadie off I was given the new phone and the money I offered was refused. Sometimes this bothers me a little, as I'm not real used to getting something for nothing. Hubbie now has the slightly used older phone (come on, you really didn't think I'd give him the new one). I was also kind enough to take the liberty of downloading a ring tone for him. He is now blessed with a snappy Elvis tune. I'm going to see how long it takes him to figure out how to switch it back to a plain ring.

Some how tonight I managed to get all packed for the weekend, clean my house, do laundry and drop off the dog. I'm a little amazed at myself considering I spent most Of the day at work ready to fall asleep at a moments notice. We had a meeting at 2pm today which I struggled to stay awake at. The only thing that kept me slightly alert was the comments from the girl sitting next to me. She spoke loud enough for my ears only and I was having trouble controlling my laughter. She will be paid back when I am a little more alert. I have to say we have some God awful boring meetings at my workplace.

Here's to everyone having an enjoyable yet safe weekend. I hope the sneezing fits I've been having all day are allergy related verses a cold coming on.

Who Is Ned Yost???

In keeping up with other manufacturing companies, we have now gone to a 4 day work week. This also meant having one shift. There is a little staggering of the hours but we're all in one big happy group now. Today I worked with a girl that I originally trained about two years ago. She's a nice person and works very well. We were chatting away and listening to the morning show on WKLH and I commented on the firing of Ned Yost. With this totally innocent face she turned to me and asked "Who Is Ned Yost"?.

Some people would laugh at this or think her a fool. I didn't. I just simply explained who he was. As I was doing so I hoped in my heart that she would not ask me who the Brewers were. She explained that she's just not that into any sports. No explanation necessary...some people just are not.

For me the change in hours hasn't been really that big of a deal. I now work until 5 which sucks as I can't say I enjoy the rush hour commute home. For the previous 3rd shift people switching from nights to days takes a little getting used to. They commented on being able to go home in the sunlight. That won't last long. Another month or so and I'll be going to work and coming home in the dark. The weekends will be for seeing the sun.

All in all it's kind of nice having enough people to run several lines. Hopefully they won't reduce the work force again. This may just be the chance to cross train some people so not just one or two operators have knowledge of a line. (that could be a dream come true)

I'm looking forward to camping this weekend. The weather outlook looks good. I'd like to see the wasps and bee's stay in their own homes for the weekend. I thought for sure my husband would opt to stay home and work on the porch, but he's set on going. This is a very needed weekend away. The roof is framed in and he's chomping at the bit to take a half day tomorrow and get some more work done. This really needs to get done before the snow flies. My porch serves as an excellent fridge especially around Christmas time. Keeps the Christmas cookies nice and cool.

Crunch

It's that time of the year again. Our yard is already pretty littered with fallen leaves. Not sure if it's because of the lack of rain and everything just dried up or if it's actually that close to the fall season. Funny how they make no sound at all when falling, but someone walking on the sidewalk that is spewn with leaves and it gives off quite a bit of noise. I can even hear the chipmunks running around my yard now. All this means to me is a lot of work. I feel like I just got done planting and now I'll be pulling it all up.

I am enjoying the coolness in the air. I wasn't to much a fan of the hot, muggy summer we had. We're camping next weekend so I'm sure that I won't appreciate the crisp evenings or the possibility of frost in the morning.

Dylan's team is now 2-0. They had a fantastic game the other night that didn't have a dull moment in it. I sat in my lawn chair for the first quarter but then was on my feet the rest of the game. Very exciting to say the least. Let's hope they can keep this up. There were two injuries on the opposing team. I applaud the sportsmanship shown by all in attendance and the concern for the boys well being. This is a very well run league.

Tomorrow marks my brother's 43rd birthday. It marks day 20 since he passed away. The family is celebrating his birthday at a local favorite park of his in the afternoon. And what would this families birthday celebration be with out a cake. Yes, although corny to some, I made a cake for my brother. I've done it for a lot of years and things just wouldn't seem right if I didn't. Of course my family will be over to help eat it. It may be a little bit of a difficult day.

UnSupported

I was called upon today for a Grandma duty. One would think it would be a chore, but I actually enjoy this type of duty. Both parent's working late..could I take Dylan to football practice? I think they both know by now that asking me to take him to any sporting event that he participates in is always a definite yes.

This is a typical 9 year old boy. Get dropped off at Grandma's house, check the fridge for goodies, have a meal, play with Grandma's Wii and watch some TV. Ten minutes before we had to leave I told him to go get ready. Five minutes later he comes out of the bathroom and announces he forgot to pack his cup. After some calls we came to the conclusion that going all the way back to his house and waiting for his step-father to get there would make him 1/2 hour late for practice. He got a bit of a lecture that I'm sure went in one ear and out the other. I told him we'd go anyway and if the coach had a problem he could sit out or run laps instead. He ended up participating in the entire practice. I'm not sure he ever told the coach but I noticed his was a little protective. At the break he came over to guzzle some water and revealed that he had "forgotten" to mention it. Like a dedicated grandmother I sat for the two hour practice and then took the sweaty little kid home. Lo and behold upon arriving at his house the cup was located..exactly where it was this morning when his mother told him to pack it. I think he needs to be a little more responsible, but I also think Mom could have taken a second look around before leaving, knowing that the boy is a boy, therefore scatter-brained.

The Walls Are Up

Last week construction began on the screen porch. The slab was poured with only two mishaps. They cut the electrical line to the garage and when the cement was poured the phone line was somewhat destroyed. That was finally fixed on Friday night.

Friday after work I came home to what appeared to be Menards Lumber Dept. in the back of my husband's truck. He was already pounding away. As of 7pm tonight him and my brother Ben managed to get the walls up (and they're pretty sturdy). At one point Friday night I thought to complain of all the pounding and sawing as I had a nasty headache but then I thought better.

Yesterday was my grandson's first football game of the season (very exciting). It's always a plus when there is a win. To me it was like opening day of football season. Last night we went to Indian Summer, one of the less crowded festivals of the year. We caught the group Burle on stage and as in the past it was a good show. I was a little disappointed in my fry bread taco this year as I opted for chicken instead of beef. I still say the best place to get an Indian Taco is in Badlands, South Dakota. A trip may be in the works.

Today was pretty low key. As I cleaned I could hear the sound of hammers and saws working in the backyard. I wandered out the front door to take a look at the condition of the yard and decided to save that for another day. More leaves and crap are going to clutter the yard, so why clean it all up now. Besides, in my eyes summer is not over yet.

I did catch a little football this afternoon. Had to see if Brett was doing okay. He looked a tad bit nervous during the last few minutes of the game. Watched a little of the Brewers loss. No further comment on that. And, I watched a bit of the Cowboys game (enough to see that Romo's chin was bleeding).

I have one more week of five-eight hour days and then it'd down to a four day work week. I have to keep telling myself that this will be all worth it for a 3 day weekend.

How Rude!

After 11 days I figured it was time to step on the board again. My little Wii person made sure they informed me that I hadn't been around for awhile. I felt good in knowing she missed me. As usual the boxing was right up my alley. I probably should have been boxing for the past 11 days as it does help any pent up anger and frustration that one may carry. In fact I'm trying to figure out how to transport the system to work and use it on my break.

I'm sitting here now waiting for the AT&T repair man to show up. Our phone has been messed up since Tuesday. My phone will ring once and go dead. No voice mail. The line is very static . I called right away Tuesday when I got home and discovered the problem. It's taking some people a while to figure out there's a problem before finally calling our cell phones. This can be annoying as some people have called back three or four times before giving up and trying the cell. So the repair man called about 1/2 hour ago and his call went through. Said he was on his way. He then called back about 10 minutes ago to let me know he was on 92nd & Good Hope and his van broke down. He is awaiting a tow truck. He noted that he didn't think he'd make it tonight and was trying to get someone else to take the job. Certainly there will be a credit applied to my bill for waiting for service. Of Course!

Things are getting somewhat back to normal. I'm still waiting to wake up from the horrible nightmare I had 12 days ago. I'm still trying to make some sense of this. Maybe in time I'll be able to justify the "He's in a better place" or "He's free now" statements, but for now I can't. I'm grateful to all my friends who have been so understanding and caring through all this.

On a lighter note...It's about time we got some rain. Although the day has been gloomy we did need some rain. My grass may not feel or look like a Brillo pad tomorrow.

Getting Back To Normal??

After over a week of taking care of business & sorting through my brother's things, it's back to work tomorrow. I don't think I'm ready. In my mind I know I have to get back to a normal life, but in my heart I don't want to let go. My parents head back to Arizona tomorrow morning and saying good-bye was difficult as usual. This is a time when I do not wish to trade places with them.

I've been told over and over again by many people that in time life will get better. I think what makes it so hard is seeing the girls. The younger one is hurting and showing it in ways a ten year old would. The 15 year old is hurting and shows it like we do. Little things set her off. Her mother sets her off. They have a strained relationship. She had an out with her father. They had an excellent relationship. I think the last time he had to yell at her she was probably around 5.

In two weeks we start a four day 10 hour day. I will now be back to having Fridays off. This will allow me to catch up on things around here. For over a year now I've been putting off organizing and cleaning up the spare rooms. Every time I tried to do it in the past David came to live with us. I think in the back of my mind I put if off thinking he'd be coming back. I may just have to hold that room for his daughter now. Maybe fixing it up in more of a girlie fashion is the answer. She would have a safe haven here. If she could cook that would be a free ticket in.

Getting Better

For a complete recap of the past weeks going's on you can visit Gambino's blog. She summed it up pretty good. The floor thing is pretty good. I'm not sure what's going on there but I have had to wash the thing every day this week. Part of the problem is the construction going on right outside the back door. It all gets dragged in the house.

I thought today would be the first day I could hold it together and I was doing pretty well. I noticed that my dad was very quiet tonight and the few times I inquired he just brushed it off. It must have finally gotten to him right before we were eating dinner as he told me he was upset over a dream he had. He thought it was odd as he never dreams. At first he didn't want to tell me as he didn't want to upset me. My first thought was to leave it alone, but being the caring (yet sometimes stupid) person I am I convinced him to talk about it. He dreamt that my husband and I were walking across a parking lot and feeling down when my brother, Dave came up to us and put his arms around me and told me that he's okay and not to worry. My pizza then became somewhat soggy.

It's been really good to have the family all around each other for the past week. Almost as if no one wants to let each other go. Tomorrow will be another day of sorting through things. I think the more personal items are almost all done. I have found that my brother did value little things in life. Yesterday I found a ton of birthday & Christmas cards. I also found letters that I had written to him in 1987 when he lived in Florida. The closing on my letter was "I miss you". Twenty-one years later I still feel the same.

What Would David Want?

My family made the dreaded trip to the funeral home today. We met outside and all walked in together. I keep trying to hold it together for my parents as they lost their child. They keep trying to comfort us. We managed to make it through all the arrangements without an argument. There were a few areas of disagreement about a certain thing but others were willing to listen in the end we were able to reason things out.

I found today that I've taken some things for granted. This is not the first funeral that I've been along for the arrangement part, but it is the first where I was actively involved. We all lost it a little when picking out prayer cards. I thought I could read it, but half way through thought that this could have been written specifically for my brother. I've picked them up and funerals before and have kept them for memories but I never really read the wording on the card. As I sat there reading it I found a new appreciation for anyone who has ever had to do this. I thought we'd make it through the flower selection without a tear being shed. Mom didn't do to well in this area, which in turn makes the rest of us shed a few.

Since my brother did not have any laid out plans we were forced to take matters into our own hands. This involved a trip to the basement. In the phase that some of us are going through now there were some comments made to "lighten " everyone up. This did help to keep the edge at bay for a few more minutes. Some day maybe I'll be able to write them all down.

We saw a minister in the afternoon to plan the service. We were prompted for good memories. This brought a lot of laughter and tears. We stressed the importance of him speaking to Dave's girls of how much their father loved them.

Tonight was picture board night. I think this helped some of us ease up a little. None of us knew that Dave had so many pictures. His pictures reflected a good life.

With everything we did today I feel that we all had one goal...to try and do what Dave would want.

Ode To Dave

I've had some sad days in my life but today will rate as the saddest.
My brother who had been in the hospital for two weeks passed away at 345 this afternoon. He went in about two weeks ago with difficulty breathing. He was diagnosed with ARDS. On Tuesday this week they induced a coma and put a trachea in so he would be in complete rest and his lungs would be able to oxygenate. There was a routine of turning him every six hours from his back to stomach to see where the better results were.
My other brother and I were at the hospital this afternoon for a visit. Even though he was heavily sedated we'd go visit and leave notes to him and each other. This past two weeks I've how much care and love my family has for each other. My parents should be proud!
We left the hospital around 315 and I went on my way. I decided to call my parents for the daily update and made a stop at Kohl's. I no sooner had a cart in hand when my phone rang. It was a call from the hospital saying he was coding. The nurse though we were still in the hospital. Panic set in to say the least. Not sure how many people I pushed through to get back to my car. I made 1 call to my husband and asked that he make calls to get my siblings up there. Upon entering the hospital I could hear them paging doctors to MRICU stat.
When I got to the floor and saw the nurse in tears I knew something was not good. I was allowed to stand outside his door and saw a group of people desperately trying to help him. By the time the rest of my siblings arrived they had been at it for over 15 minutes. My thanks to the Chaplin who stood by my side. A doctor then came and told us that he had had no pulse for 1/2 hour and even if they could revive him now he had been without oxygen to his brain for 1/2 hours. We had no option but to tell them to let him go.
As I sat in a room with my siblings, children, Gambino (who really is my sister) and my husband I couldn't help but feel all our pain. There was anger from some, which is a way to release sadness, there were questions, there was more crying when thinking about his girls who he loved so much. I made two calls..one to my parents which was hard and one to his ex.
There's a big blur for awhile as we were talked to by the doctor, we thanked the team that tried so hard and we were allowed to say goodbye to our brother. Then it was like everyone kicked it in. We removed his personal things from his room and big brother Ken started to make some arrangements.
The next hardest thing was to tell his girls. His ex did not want to do this alone so I asked her to meet at our house. They pulled in right after us and as I watched them walk up the driveway I was at a complete loss for words. All I could keep telling them was how much he loved them. Fifteen & ten are to young to loose their dad. The youngest one had to be reassured that they would still be coming to family functions.
This past 8 hours has been an emotional roller coaster. I've cried, been angry, tried to get my mind off it and completely lost it several times. My husband's tee shirt is sopping wet and there are not enough kleenex in this house to gather the tears shed by all of us.
I had to make calls to his two jobs and landlord. All three of these people expressed their sympathy and then went on to say that they'd never seen a man that loved his girls more.
I started to think about him a lot tonight. I remember the day he was born. I remember at 14 having to watch him all the time and as much as I whined about it, he was never a problem. He was a fun and silly little kid. He got in his share of trouble and my parent's dubbed him the problem child. My kids loved him. He was their babysitter for a long time and I never worried when he had them. He used to tell me that one goal in his life was to have a family. He tried hard to hold things together when his wife and him had problems, but things just didn't work.
Dave (aka boarder brother) did fun things with his girls. It wasn't a bother to him to take them places. The guy had a heart of gold and would always be there in times of need.
We lost our brother today and in my heart I truly want to believe that God had a bigger plan for him. I know in time the pain will subside but what do you do in the mean time?

Yikes!

This morning I was awoken by the sounds of digging. I didn't intend to sleep to late but this was around 8am. I'm an early riser even on the weekends so this just meant "Up and at 'em " for me. I have some (a lot) of errands to catch up on as the week has just been busy. One of the first things was to tackle the laundry. Second was to clean out the fridge. The fridge is not pretty damn empty, which means a trip to the grocery store is in order also. #3 was to visit my friend the Wii. I walked into the living room with every intention of a 45 minute work-out. I happened to sit down in the chair and look over a new program I had purchased. It was then that I glanced out the window and spotted "The squirrel". It was one of those nature scenes that you just can't look away from. Seems this guy was having a bit of a dilemma in crossing the street. Traffic is not that heavy on our street but between the walkers, joggers,cars and bikes he was having a problem.It got a bit funny as Iwatched him get 1/2 way across and high tail it back to the other side several times. I was almost ready to go out and block the flow so the poor little guy could make it across, when I thought "This is probably the little bugger that's been reeking havoc on my yard". Don't get me wrong, I didn't wish any ill fate on him but what's the worst that could happen?. He may have to take up residence in the yard on the other side.

This little scene went on for about 10 minutes. Run to curb, run to middle of street, yikes...here comes something..scurry back. Each time he would get a little further before heading back. I get the feeling that he had some coaching from the squirrels in the tree, because finally he let loose and really tore butt across the street and into the tree.

That was the end. Now I was going to flip on the Wii and get going. Phone rang which was another 5 minutes and then since I was on the phone sitting by my computer I decided to post. I am on my way!

Oh and here's to a victory by the Brewers, Packers & Cowboys (that's my plug for my friend) last night.

"We're Going To Heavily Sedate Your Brother"

I received the call at around 11am this morning from my brother's nurse. Last night there was talk of inducing a coma. After calling the hospital upon hearing this rumor it was well explained to me. My brother has ARDS. They cannot put their finger on the source of the infection and it's not something that happens overnight. At first they thought his leg wound was it, but after finding no infection there they moved on to internal organs. Nothing found there either. So it's a mystery now.

This afternoon they induced a coma. This will put his body completely at rest and they will be able to oxygenate his lungs and pump him full of antibiotics to see if they can clear the infection. They also moved him on to his stomach which is supposed to aid in filling his lungs. Apparently this is a common practice in very ill people. The only risk involved is that he won't be any better. They'll try this for 1-3 days depending on the results. My siblings and I have become very good at leaving notes. We've come to the conclusion that we all have crappy handwriting made worse with the wearing of gloves.

Yesterday they removed the tubing from his mouth and put a trachea in. The first thing he asked for was ice chips and then a sucker. Not just any sucker, he had to have a lemon-lime sucker , which his younger sister got him. All we can do is hope and pray for the best.

The Fun Continues

I have to say that this is the closest I've been in ages to throwing my hands up in the air and just screaming until nothing more will come out. I think the problem is, I haven't boxed yet today. I'm afraid I'll throw the remote right through the tv screen.

Work Sucks! All the guys who on Monday said they'd be out on the line helping us as we're short handed have drifted off into the sunset. Big talk..no action. It's not my problem anyway. We try to keep lines running but when you run out of supplies and the person you're supposed to call to stock you up is busy doing other tasks..well then you shut down. It's best that they stay in their offices anyway as all they do is whine about how boring or hot it is out on the lines.

Brother is still in the hospital with tubes running out of him all over. At least today he was able to communicate with me a little. He's got a pad of paper and purple crayon to write notes with. Today has been the first day that he's been awake long enough to write something to me. As of right now we know that he has ARDS (adult respiratory distress syndrome). His lungs are full of fluid and they come in to suction him once an hour. It is also possible that there is an issue with his gall bladder and pancreas. Still waiting on test results for that. I've made a ton of phone calls since I've gotten home to his supervisor, boss and other misc. places. Then to top it off I find out today that there is something medically going on with my mother. This is why they have to leave and come back. Nice...
I must just keep telling myself that everything happens for a reason and what don't kill us makes us stronger. Over and over again.

I think I hear my Wii boxing trainer calling...

The Storm After The Calm

I felt a little guilty about going camping this weekend, but after being assured by my siblings that Loria & Ben Sr. would be entertained and in good hands off we went.
I was a little out of sorts as this is probably the first trip in a long time where I had to work a full shift. I felt like I was robbed of a half day of camping. It was nice and very appreciated that things were all set up and basically all I had to do was put my stuff in the camper and settle into a chair for a nice cold one. The weather was great and the company was good also.

On the way home I decided to check my home voice mail. Much to my dismay I found a message from my father asking me to call his cell phone. I immediately knew there was something wrong. I opted to call right away rather than wait until I got home. There is a little history is this. My brother (a.k.a. boarder brother) had had an incident on Tuesday with his leg again. He ended up in the ER but was patched up and sent home. I talked to him on Thursday and he mentioned he was feeling a little faint and very tired. I told him to call his doctor and let him know. This he did but maybe didn't stress how bad it was. On Saturday afternoon he called my parents and asked them to take him to the hospital. He was then having problems breathing. He was taken in and through ER was admitted and procedures were being done to check him for several things. On Sunday morning when my parents went back they could not wake him. This turned into Loria calling for a nurse and a lot of commotion. By the time I called Ben he said they were still working on him and he was going into ICU. I got up there about 2 hours later to find him in ICU with an oxygen mask on and tubes all over. He had some type of infection they were beginning to treat. At this point he was awake and very scared. We left there around 9 Sunday night and he was resting but in some distress. At 5:30 this morning they introbated him. They said he was setting alarms off all night because of his inability to breath. As of 3pm today they put a feeding tube in, he had no clue what was going on, and he has a serious blood infection that has spread to his entire body including his lungs. He is not in good shape and they expect his stay to be at least 4 weeks. We now have to gown up to go see him.
I was there a few hours by myself yesterday and today and sat and thought about how all this happened. We can blame it on his weight, his procrastination of things he should take care of, his depression or whatever we want. The bottom line is he needs help. Whether this comes from his families urging or himself, it's needed. I thought about what a good hearted guy he's always been, as much as a pain in the ass he can be. He'd give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. I thought about the little kid that always tagged along behind me and even though I whined about having to babysit him, I never really minded that much as he was a good kid. I though about how excited my kids would be when he'd come around. I think all he ever wanted to do was have a family. He loves his girls and does everything he can for them. He hated that his marriage ended as it made him feel like a failure.
I could say it's crappy that it takes something like this to pull a family together, but that's not really true with my family. We are pretty close knit and kick it up a notch when there is trouble. I'm not at all shocked by anyone in my family's reaction to their brother being sick, as it's the same with any one of us.
This isn't going to be easy..he has a long, tough road ahead of him in healing. We have a long tough road ahead of us in helping him. In the words of Annette "Everything always works out in the end".

Mom is Here...I repeat...Mom is here

My parents landed in Milwaukee on Tuesday afternoon. As a nice gesture my siblings and I decided to stock their room with a few items. It was also to keep Mom from hitting the local Pick & Save five minutes after she landed. They've made it a habit at staying at an Extended Stay place in the area. Offers have been made for them to stay here but we're answered with "Your father and I just like to relax at night". This is usually met with a gawk from Dad, because I think he'd rather stay with one of his kids and their families. He just goes with Loria's flow.

We fixed them up with numerous items...water, soda, snacks, lunch meat, bread and some condiments that aren't available for quick fingered Loria to steal from the hotel. She got pretty excited about the cushy toilet paper and then showed me that she managed to get two rolls from home (to tide her over until she got to the store) into her suitcase, along with bathroom cleaner and coffee. What can I say? Gotta love her for her crazy ideas.

I phoned them this morning to see what their plans were for the day and was told they were going apartment hunting. Huh! Did she finally cave? Did she finally realize that their getting up there and might want to move closer to their family? Did Ben Sr. finally get through to her? If this is the case and they do decide to move back, even for part of the year, I will be a little more at ease. I would love for them to live their later lives doing what they want but Ben Sr. has had some health issues and as strong as Loria is, I'm not quite sure she can handle anything to stressful on her own. I'd love to make the move and be closer to them to be able to help out, but that would mean leaving my own kids & grand kids. I'm just a little to attached to them and I remember the feelings we all had when Ben & Loria hit the road in 93. As they pulled away in their fully stuffed Saturn I had this unexplainable feeling. Now that there's talk of them maybe returning I'm starting to feel a little hopeful.

As for now the alert is out. Loria will hit Pick & Save at least every other day, she will hit Kohl's a few times, Sara Lee is on the list and of course Kopp's at least 3-4 times( I sent her gift cards) . Funny how we take those places for granted, but she gets a big thrill out of them.

Wii Says I Need to Get Fit

After a two week hunt I finally found and ordered the Wii Fit. With shipping I paid 30.00 more than the store's were advertising but sometimes the grasshopper just can't be patient. It arrived on my front porch today. I was like a kid at Christmas. I'm loving it so far (except for the part that told the truth and told me I was fat). I did Yoga, I ran, I managed to somehow not fudge up on the stepping thing to bad (had to do it 3 times for perfection), I attempted to dodge some soccer balls and I skied. My favorite so far : The hula hoops. I can see this going on for 30 minutes a day, or shall I say "I must do this for 30 minutes a day". My goals are small.

I get a kick out of my husband standing in the room telling me everything I'm doing wrong. I offer to let him check it out and he makes some silly excuse about his back hurting. Just wait until I can golf better than him. Bring it on buddy!

On a different note, I am loosing my faith in our health care system. My sister's husband went in Tuesday for a simple gall bladder removal. He came home Tuesday night and ended up back in the ER at 5am for intense pain. After 6 hours he was admitted to the hospital and they were attempting to control the pain. On Thursday his doctor finally decided to do a scan to see what the problem was. He had bile leaking into his system. Today they corrected that problem. He's usually a very good natured guy, but his comment today was "This mess may warrant a letter".

Mom & Dad are coming to town Tuesday. Won't they be a little shocked at my combat zone of a back yard. We now have a dumpster in our driveway for the broken up cement. It's making it's way into the dumpster little by little. I think I've thrown a stone or two in there since Tuesday.

More Up Then Down

This baseball season hasn't been very good to us as far as getting to a game. "A" can usually score on some tickets through work but they've been few and far between. We managed to get tickets to last nights game. They were the usual seats he gets, 8 rows in back of the Brewers dugout. I love the view, but I have to tell you, the people around that area suck. Every time we've used these tickets it's the same shit. The row in front of us and our row is like a revolving door. Do you think you could take all three of your kids to the bathroom at one time? You don't need to stand up for the entire beer transaction when you are sitting in the 3rd seat off the aisle. These beer guys are pros's, they will get your beer to you when you are seated. I love the game, love the seats, appreciate that they were free, but people just need to be more considerate of those around them. We spent more time standing up to let people in or out then sitting. I felt sorry for Barney as he's a little sore from the porch project.

The best part of this trip was the sites we took in while leaving. If you want to be a big girl and drink, then learn to handle it. At least puke in privacy not on the curb of the most used exit. There she was, some guys perfect girl in all her glory with puke dribbling all over her. I think her boyfriend deserted her, so I'm sure she's up for grabs now.

The next best part of the evening was a stop at Leon's. I think that was the plan for most Brewer fans heading that way as the team shirts were in abundance. My nice husband bought me an ice cream. What a guy!

Update on the porch....Ben and Barney are both pretty sore. Quote from my husband "It was fun for the first hour or so". The cement slab is all broken apart. Now it just needs to be hauled to the dumpster that will be ordered soon I hope. Not sure how long it's going to be until he stops moaning with every move he makes. Growing older sucks!

Buckwheat is Alive!

On my last leg of my route to work this morning I noticed the funky hairdo of the driver in front of me. I then noticed that in the passenger seat was something about the size of a soccer ball but I couldn't make it out. It looked as if the headrest was covered with some type of furry round thing. As we turned the corner I got into the lane next to him and glanced over. Had I been drinking anything it most certainly would be splattered against my windshield at this point. The driver had a Buckwheat thing going on. Dreds all askew. The passenger is what made me laugh the most. This woman had the brightest clown colored perfectly round Afro that I have ever seen. I'm wondering if they were headed for some costume party, buy why at 6am. It made my hair thrown into a ponytail look pretty good.

Remodeling Update..........the walls of the old porch are completely down. Tomorrow the rented jackhammer will be picked up and the breaking of the cement will begin. I figure by the time I get home from work my husband will be unable to stand without jiggling or speak normal for a few hours. HaHaHaHaHiHoney.....HaHaHaHaHaHow was your day? I give him credit, he's taking on a big chore.

Go Brewers!

Coming Of Age

I finally made it into this decade by purchasing a Wii yesterday. What I need to find now is the Wii fit. Appears that everyone is out of them. Can't find it online unless I want to pay nearly double the price. I think my friend Skinny K should sell me hers as I'm fatter than her and need it more. Think that little ditty will work?

I have some kind of bite on my arm that I don't think came from a mosquito. I've managed to keep the itching under control but it's now developed a red blotch around it. I don't feel weak or faint yet so it must not have been anything to drastic. It just looks pretty ugly. This was the result of the weekend of camping. I wasn't bothered much by mosquito's, just flies and nasty earwigs. Those little suckers were hiding every where. We had a good time. The weather was a little muggy but nothing drinking 60 gallons of water didn't cure. I have to say my intake of beer was not much. I figured the water was much better for me than downing 8 or 10 beers. Now I know someone might disagree with me, but it was just to hot to drink beer.

We did manage to keep the fire tended but probably not as well as Stb would have. It was 80 plus degrees outside so we saw no need to huddle around the fire. I think we basically had it because it's what you do when you're camping. The rain did not put much of a damper on the weekend as it rained one night while we were already sleeping and not again until Saturday night around 10 pm. It did help to cool things off a little and make sleeping a little more comfortable.

The trip to the Casino was somewhat profitable for me. T was walking past me and rubbed my arm for a little luck. He couldn't have been more that 10 feet away when I hit $250.00 on a slot machine. I took that out and went to another machine and within a minute or two hit $125.00. That was the end of my streak for this trip. It did keep us out of the hot, muggy weather for a few hours.

As usual the food and company were good. The steaks on Saturday night were good. Bonnie made her infamous crappy coffee cake which was eaten just out of pity for her horrible cooking abilities. (yummy once again) Sorry stb I was unable to save you a slice for fear of being accused of harboring the goodness.

The only thing bad about the weekend was that it ended.

A Long Way From Home

My drive to work every morning is usually spent thinking of random crap. For some reason my imagination seems to run wild in the morning. I think it's the boredom of the ride in.
This mornings focus was on the one lonely mosquito flying around my car. Did it spend the night in my car? Did it get in when I got in? Did it attach itself to me and hitch a ride? Should I kill it? It wasn't making a run for my blood, it was just sitting on the drivers side window. I didn't notice if it had a full belly of blood. I started wondering about the mosquito and if it needed the blood to fertilize it's eggs. Was it the male sent out for food for the not yet hatched eggs? If so he was going to find out that Wauwatosa, where I was getting out, was a long way from my back yard. Or maybe he got in with me last night. I chuckled as I thought about his other half impatiently waiting at home for him. What if he stung and sucked up some blood from a drunk. Would he then come home and be accused of being at the bar? Would she fall for the "took a wrong turn" or "You are not going to believe what happened" story. Should I give the poor fellow a break and open the window and let him out? From where I was as that point he wouldn't have far to go to get back. Should I put him out of the misery of his nagging partner and smack him now? My mind switch directions and went off on some other thought. A few minutes later I felt it. The sting. The smack. That was the end of the worries of the fate of the lonely mosquito. Until that is...

I got home from work and for some reason thought about it again. It intrigued me so I did a little research on the mosquito and found that it wouldn't have mattered where I let HER off. The female is the blood collector and she doesn't use the blood to fertilize her eggs. I didn't spend a whole lot of time on the subject, just enough to know that no future mosquito's were harmed in the swatting of the free loader in my car this morning.

I Need To Dust

I left for the store yesterday morning and returned to find that A and Ben had been working on tearing down the porch. The porch sits on the west side of our house which is where the kitchen and dining room are. It was mostly the width of the dining room. The boys had succeeded in removing the roof and doors. I walked in the house and was shocked by just how bright my dining room was. This was nice, except for on small thing. You could see every speck of dust and you could see dog hair on the floor that I just vacuumed hours before. You could tell that I hadn't dusted the rarely used dining room chairs in a while (not as bad as Stb's). Crap! Now there has been a can of worms opened which is going to just mean more work for me. I am liking the afternoon sunlight hitting the room.

The second problem with having this room under construction is our dog. She has never been on a chain, except for going for walks. She is not a very happy camper right now. Apparently a temporary fence is under construction. Last night I got the lecture on making sure I don't just open the door in the morning and let her out. "Duh" was my reply (I will admit it was a bit cocky). What do I do this morning? You got it, I opened the door, let the dog out, headed for the bathroom and realized my mistake.
I went back outside to find her just sitting on the deck. I'm not quite sure she realizes there is freedom for the taking.

We had a trivia tournament Saturday and although we didn't win big, I think we did okay. The questions were a bit harder than usual and we seconded guessed some of them but out of 26 teams we came in 6th place. We had a substitute player, while Stb was off on a roof top in Chicago. Thanks to Clete and his memory of song lyrics. My husband who was accused of usually being in la-la land was on it with the 3 second sound bytes from TV shows. I watched him scribbling away on his scratch paper as they were being played. I think he's now gotten over us replacing Great American Hero with St. Elsewhere. Oops..sorry honey.

After a long day at Trivia we went on to a small church festival where my husband and brother made their usual haul. Let's just say to all the fellow campers that it better rain a lot as they are stocked up with Jack for a long time. If Bonnie's nice she can probably get one just for sitting in her chair looking pretty. We also have about a years supply of hard salami. After the festival it was a sad goodbye to some great friends who have been visiting from Virgina. We'll miss them. Here's to a safe trip home.

Naked

My husband finally got the drawings together and made the trek to City Hall for the building permit for our porch. By the time I got home from work the demo had started. I didn't even get to say my last goodbyes before he started ripping it to shreds. There must be some kind of sick joy a man gets when ripping something apart as there he stood with crowbar in hand and a scary smile on his face. I know what was running through his head "I'll get you for all the times I had to fix the damn leaks. I'll show you".

By 8pm tonight the entire inside, the windows and the siding on two sides of the porch were gone. Part of the shingles on the roof are off. He had to call it quits as the bugs were getting to him. In a different situation I think he would have been out there with flood lights. Funnier was the guy next door looking over in pure admiration. He wanted in also.

I'm excited about getting a new screen porch, but I'm also a little sad. I can remember coming here when my kids were babies and sitting out on the porch with them and my younger siblings and parents. Many a family dinner, birthday celebrations and holidays were spent on the porch. The playpen was tucked in the corner so the kids could be out there and see out all the windows. Many poker games and board games where played out there. There were a few sleep overs on cots on the screen porch. Many TV shows watched and just chatting around the table. Most of all, my dad built the porch. There have been renovations over the years but it remained the original structure he built. To many good memories.

I know my husband will do an excellent job rebuilding the porch and I'm sure there will be many more memories to come. It's just a little sad right now. The back of my house will look naked for awhile and hopefully will not become a mud hole. Maybe we'll find some rare fossils or coins when digging that could bring us new found wealth.

And Three Makes it "Enough Already"

Late last September our AC took a poop. We had had a service guy over for yearly maintenance and he had discovered that the Freon was low and filled it. They suspected that there might have been a leak but wasn't to concerned about it. At the time we had inquired about the repair costs and replacement cost as the unit is going on 20 years old. So who thinks about these things in the winter when you're more concerned about getting heat in your home? Last week we decided to make an appointment for service. Husband called several places just to get more than one option. Guy #1 shows up yesterday. Not really worth it to fix it as it is at it's life expectancy. Gives us a figure of $2700.00 to replace the unit. After our jaws hit the ground we were able to ask a few questions. This is nothing more than pulling out the old unit and putting in a new one. Some electrical permit is involved. Not sure why. We tell him we'll let him know. In the mean time we borrow a room AC from Ben & Annette (thank you) to put in our bedroom to allow us to sleep.

Did I forget to mention that when I pulled in the driveway after work yesterday that I saw the hood open on my husbands truck? I should have just kept driving. He replaced the water pump today ($80.00).

Guy # 2 shows up today. I was at work so I got the information second hand. $2300.00 and they'll replace the furnace also for $1400.00. WTF? (knock on wood) nothing is wrong with that. He then tells me that the guy said there is a recall on our furnace. It's also 20 years old. I call bullshit as the people that serviced our furnace in March this year would have told us. I think it's a plot. My guess is that now in October when I turn the heat on it will go out. Then I'll get the AC for $1400.00 and the furnace will jump to $2300.00.

So, as if that wasn't enough...I decide to do laundry tonight. Go to put the first load in the dryer, turn on the dryer, the heat comes out but the drum does not turn. "Oh no, this is not happening" I calmly reach inside and turn the drum by hand, close the door, start it up and it makes this terrible clunk and begins to turn. I'm thinking the belt must have slipped. I then got a little nervous that it would stop and just burn my clothes so I went downstairs every few minutes. The old gal held on for three loads. I told Mr. Fix-It when he got home and all I saw was rolling eyes. Poor guy took vacation this week to begin working on the screen porch and has done nothing but fix things so far. I could put money on the fact that it won't get looked at.

This is my bad things happens in threes. I consider myself free and clear for awhile now. I can now go on living my life a little easier until the next thing comes along.

If this is the worst that's going to happen I feel pretty fortunate.

I Really Need To Carry A Camera

When I left the house yesterday morning for Summerfest there was a little chill in the air. Local weatherman said cooler by the lake. Using my better judgement I left the jacket in the car. There was no need for the extra baggage to carry around. The weather was great! A few of the guys managed to get a little pink in the face.

The day was interesting. Anytime there is a large gathering of people there are some that really stand out. I'm pretty sure it's the ones that want to stand out. This is where the lack of a camera is felt. People watching is a great thing! There were the usual Mohawks but what I found strange was the 50 plus year old woman with the red, white and blue one. There must have been a sale on black fishnet stockings somewhere as they were worn by many early 20 girls. The best outfit has to go to the girl with the thigh high fishnets made really fashionable with the furry boots. I spotted a girl that appeared to have lost her shorts or pants as she was just sporting boy shorts undergarments. I can pretty much say they were of the Hanes collection. We stopped to listen to a band (I am bad with band names) who had a good following of the "charlie Brown Christmas Special Dancers".

It was a good day. The bottled beer was chilled, the fried eggplant was better than last year and the company of friends was good. We left around 6 ish to be driven to the Park & Ride on a very empty bus. There was a little bit of silly singing for every one's enjoyment on the trip back. We were then able to enjoy a minute or so ride in STB's car back to Ben & Annette's house for a dinner of Gold Rush chicken and pizza and the best fries in Milwaukee.

It's A Vacation Day That You Can't Go Home

The tittle of my blog is a quote made by a co-worker on Tuesday. It was pretty dead by us for three days. We were on a repetitive, yet boring job. Around 8am Tuesday I made the comment that this could be a long two days. After joking around a bit I said "It's like hell with no fire". A few minutes later he came back with his comment. For some reason all three of us found it funny at the time.

Fortunately my company gave us a four day weekend. I'm thankful for that, as our weekend has filled up quite a bit. Today my daughter, sister and I took 6 kids to the Racine Zoo. I haven't been there in about 20 or so years. It's very small but very well kept and the kids seemed to enjoy it. There's quite a few animals with no lines or people mashing into you to get a view of the gorilla that moved an inch. The view of the lake is great. Racine has a very well kept beach area which I've been to before for air shows. And here's a plus...it doesn't smell at the beach.

The weather is promising to cooperate for the weekend. I'm glad it won't be sticky hot as walking around Summerfest sweating your ass off isn't all that appealing to me. We're looking at mid 70's which, if it happens could be perfect. I'm not really into the fireworks thing so we'll be heading to Ben & Annette's house after Summerfest. Sounds like a good day is in order.

Happy 4th To all of you and remember to say a little prayer for all those protecting our Country right now.

It's Raining Again.....

I think the only thing that would have cut through the humidity Friday & yesterday was for it to rain. The clouds that were coming toward my house yesterday afternoon did prove to be a little nasty. And the cooler dryer air that came with it was a relief from the humidity. Today I was able to shut off all the fans in the house and let nature take it's course. It's cooled off quite nicely.

I ventured out with my friend today to our first visit of Strawberry Fest held in Cedarburg. We were meeting up with some others and were warned in advance to get there early as it does get a bit crowded. They were planning on arriving at 7:30 am for the start of the Strawberry Pancake Breakfast. We were not going that early. We arrived around 9am and the crowd was pretty scarce. That is until we walked the the main road and saw "the line". The line for the pancake breakfast went down the block and around the corner. Sorry but no pancake is worth that wait in line for me. We opted for the $3.00 Strawberry Shortcake which proved to be possible the best I've ever eaten. We met up with our friends and strolled around a bit. By around noon the crowd was getting thick. It was that shuffle, shuffle, kind of walking. I was constantly looking for a spot to break free. Then I took a look at the sky and noticed the dark clouds. We decided to leave around 1230 and as we got it started raining. Had it been a little warmer and not so crowded we may have stuck around as there were a few bands playing but seriously beside the small vendor tents there was no where to go to not get soaked. That and the fact that the two public bathrooms I saw had lines longer than drunken Opening Day.
All in all I did accomplish the shuffle. Now I should be all set for Summerfest.

Future File Tape

My husband has been working some long hours the past week due to his company having a booth at Summerfest this year. Yesterday he came straight from work in time to catch the ending of the first inning of Dylan's baseball game. He looked pretty worn out. After a few minutes he casually mentions to me that his mug may be on tv later. He was interviewed while setting up at Summerfest and told to watch the 10 pm news. I walked in the bedroom after Trivia last night to find him sound asleep and caught him on the news. His infamous words while unloading the back of the work truck "Yeah, it's been a rough one". End of his fame. When I told him about it this morning he laughed and remarked that they had talked to him for about 5 minutes. I also had to ask him if he knew this was coming as his hair was looking somewhat good. Not the usually standing on end or combed back look. Perhaps they caught him early in the day.

This is not the first time he's been on the tube. His company was on the Gus Tour show about a year ago and he's all up in the tube. They were also on about 3 years ago and he was on for a quick second. I think he may have gotten over his camera jitters. Wonder what's next?

Free Food?

I don't usually touch on news items to much as I like to keep my opinions of some things to myself, but today I feel compelled to voice my thoughts.
Is this the way we want Milwaukee portrayed in the news? I know it's a touch of reality, but is it that we are that needy of a city, or that we are loaded with free-loaders? Did the city bite off more than they could chew? Did they not think that the offer of $542.00 in food vouchers for a family of 4 would not cause near riot scenes? The sad part about this is that probably only 25% of the people who stood on the line were actually flood victims. Having some of your kids clothes that were in the basement get wet does not make you worthy of receiving free food vouchers.
Openly admitting on camera that you're just there to see if you can get them, and don't really need them does not make you anything more that a free-loader.
Then to have the alderman and Mayor speak about how they were so shocked at the amount of people that showed up (1/2 of them not even knowing why they could get these vouchers) and say they didn't realize that our city had that many hungry people. Yes, we have hungry people. We have a lot of people who need help and cannot get it. They don't have enough people to process these applications, so many of these vouchers will get into the wrong hands. Your penalty for lying on the application: a $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison. If they bilked you into getting the vouchers, they will bilk their way out of any kind of retribution for lying. They will be let go as "Uneducated victims who didn't understand what they were applying for".
I've been in the down and out position in my life and did stand on the cheese line once and also received WIC for 6 months. I was fortunate enough to have parents who, without me asking, helped out. I would come home from mom's to find a few food items tucked in the diaper bag. In the words of my father "Where there's a will, there's a way". Sometimes we are all guilty of not getting our priorities straight but one with responsibilities soon will learn from their mistakes. I am, however not guilty of ever being a moocher. I can always find someone that's in a worse way than I am and help out if needed. The people that I saw on the news yesterday and this morning were nothing more than guilty of trying to get something that they do not have coming. The one's that really had the help coming were probably at the end of the line. Why do our news stations only show the idiots?

Polka Dots, The Monkey, A Fashion Show & Prizes

Apparently dousing yourself in a vat of mosquito repellent wasn't enough to ward off the pesky little varmints this weekend. I guess it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that mucho rain=standing water=eggs=hatching=mosquito's=biting me.
The back of my legs, my ass and my back has the appearance of measles. Fortunately, not many of them itch yet, but I'll be taking the generic anti-itch medication I picked up just for this occasion.

Other than that minor problem the weekend went well. Once again there was way to much food, plenty to drink and the company of good friends. This year the task of Pudgie Pie cook was handed over with proper ceremony to Stb, who did a fine job. You can probably read about it in his blog if he is not to modest to gloat a little.
We had a few sprinkles of rain but for the most part the sun was present most of the weekend.

Our guest this weekend was "monkey". He came flying in shortly after dusk of Friday night. My husband "scored" on this furry little creature with rubber band sections of legs & arms. You pull this thing back like a sling shot and when it lands it makes this annoying, yet funny screaming noise. "Monkey" survived the weekend being annoying, yet never being tossed into the fire.

I know the motto "What Happens At Camping, Stays At Camping" but I cannot hold back on the Saturday morning fashion show. Some one's father disappeared into his camper and reappeared moments later wearing a striking pajama ensemble made lovingly for him by his talented seamstress bride. These pj's will hold sentimental value as they were crafted from the very own "rainbow" collection of sheets that C & R used to tuck J and baby Precious into at night. And as if C didn't work hard enough on that project, she managed to (while sometimes under the influence) whip out 16 scrubbies in a vast assortment of colors. Time was a ticking away and that needle was going at a steady rate but she finished in time to award the prizes for those who earned them. The contest: when making the potato salad C found that some of the potato's were to small to cut up so she left them whole. Those who wished to partake in the contest were required to find the whole potato's. I think there's one still hidden in the bowl of salad so R could earn himself a scrubbie.

All in All it was a good weekend. For the next few day while I am scratching away I will have fond memories.

Blame The Cook

I think that Jesus has a personal liking for my husband. Every time we go to a church festival the man makes a haul. His booty for the recent visit included:4 cases of brats, a bottle of wine, a 12 pack of beer, a sausage and a ham. I went over to the paddle game that he was winning on and they knew him. They knew that he wanted to purchase the last paddle each time..and when he did , he won. I think he needs to purchase the last lottery ticket to ensure a win also.

Yesterday when putting all these brats away in the freezer I came across a box of Italian sausage that he won last September. They were all wrapped in freezer wrap and protected very well. I decided that we should have them for dinner. I gave him several options-spaghetti with Italian sausage, bombers or a little dish called Polish Chop Suey. He opted for the Polish Chop Suey. As I was putting it together I had second thoughts as two of the ingredients are sauerkraut and mushroom soup. "How bad can it be" I asked myself. It turned out pretty good and he must of thought so also as he went for seconds. About an hour after we ate I was outside painting the fence and the end of our driveway and he was loading wood in the truck for the weekend camping trip. It was then that I noticed a stank odor in the air. I stood up and looked at him and as our eyes met I said "Was that you? Oh my GOD!" By the look on his face I knew it was. He then says "Phew, that dinner you made is hitting me hard". This is my fault. This continued throughout the night. Why do I do these things? Last night he put E to shame.

Crushed

Game 2 of the inter-league tournament. Dylan's team (Yankees) won 5-4. They played a good game and were told that they were on to game 3. The coach instructed them to go home, shower, eat a protein filled lunch and return to the ballpark at 1 pm for their next game. (BTW-Dylan had a great hit into center field which tied up the game)

A & I took off with a plan to return at 130 ish. We were walking out the door and received a call from my son (who was very irate mind you) and told to sit tight for a minute as there was an issue with the game. I wish I would have not listened and went anyway. A few minutes go by and he calls back to let us know that they had to forfeit the last game. WHA...WHA...WHA..What? They won. It appears that after the game ending cards were signed off by the coaches that the coach from the other team had a question. This question came up in a game a few nights ago. The opposing team had a pitcher in for one inning, he then returned 3 innings later to pitch again. According to the Ump that night, who claims he called the Little League commissioner this was okay. They could return, but had to be out for at least two innings. So, today the Yankee's had a pitcher in for the first inning and pulled him out. In the 5th inning they put him back in. The coach walked over to the ump and opposing team coach to notify them of the pitching change and to give him the boy's name. The boy pitches, they win the game. The score sheets are signed and nothing at all is said. Nothing, until all these kids left the field and went home for their hour rest. All hyped and geared up for the next game.

The kid's come back only to find out they won't be playing. The coach's are all trying to get a hold of the commissioner who they find sitting at a picnic table with a bunch of other guys drinking beers. They question this whole mess and are told that it's in the rule book. No one can find it anywhere. The ass wipe goes on to tell the coaches and parents that the Ump made a mistake the other night in telling them it was okay. Well, then the coach wants their loss from the other night wiped off. To late the guys says...you had to do that before the next game played. so they try to get this gripe fixed as the next game hasn't started yet and the guy tells them his decision has been made. "Take it up with the committee". They ask that the game be postponed until they can get a straight answer. He contradicts himself several times in the conversation and lets the next game start. They are still talking to him when he brings up the point that they had to protest before the start of the next game. Ass wipe. Not sure what is going to happen next as there is a meeting this week over the whole issue. To bad for the kids on the Yankees team and way to go for the other team's teaching the kids that they lost...but won.

Here's a good one also. When the tournament rules came out it stated that there could be no alcoholic beverages in and around the diamonds. Someone questioned the commissioner about his beer. He had a permit. This is supposed to be the best league in the City. But, I guess there's no use crying over spilt milk.

A Welcome Weekend

As long as the rain holds out or even stays to a minimum this could be a good weekend. I planned ahead and got all the little piddly things out of the way yesterday so I could actually enjoy the next 2 days. Dylan has baseball tournaments tonight and if they win, will go on to play 1 to 3 games tomorrow. Guess we'll be camping out for the day at the local park. Then it's on to the local Church festival where I can observe my husband playing every paddle game in site. This will stock up his bar with cheap booze and possibly a case or two of brats and Italians. He tried to bet me that he could make it through the festival without playing any games but I felt bad knowing that he'd loose the bet.

Work was a disaster this week. I think that's all I'm going to say about that.

My daughter had a surgery today that is supposed to relieve the pain she's having in her legs and back after having a back fusion over a year ago. I stopped at the surgery center on my way home from work as she was just getting into recovery. Funny thing is I know my kids embellish in drink here and there but I've never seen either of them in a state of drunkenness. She was a little dopey from the pain meds and it was hard for me not to chuckle a bit. They had given her a soda and crackers to munch on prior to letting her go and she was looking at these crackers like they were some sort of foreign object. Studying each and every one of them. Her choice of drink was an orange/pineapple drink which she went into detail about how WE used to get them at school. A puzzled look came over her face as she looked at me and realized we did not go to school together. After about 30 minutes she was released and I very sincerely wished my son-in-law the best of luck for the evening.

Slish-Slosh

Prior to the sky opening on Saturday I was on a roll with yard work. I managed to get in a little on Sunday before the second wave of storms blew through. Yesterday I took a quick look around to survey the effects of the monsoon like weather we had. It didn't look to bad at a quick glance. So I dug it in tonight and continued on my trek toward the summer yard. I figure if the porch is going into demo stage then at least our yard can look somewhat nice. I filled up two P&S plastic bags with those freaking whrilly bird things that fall from our tree. Anyone know of someone with a tree farm. I guarantee they will grow because if we don't pick them up the little buggers are sprouting up all over.

When I got to the far back yard I discovered that it was a big soggy. I'm not quite sure how the hubby cut the grass as it was soaked. The grass is lush and green. I started planting some flowers that I had bought and figure it'll be a few days until they need water. Although we don't have any standing water it's very wet. I feel very fortunate that we did not sub stain any serious damage.

When I ventured to the front yard there was a squawking bird up in the tree. This thing would not fly away. It was then I made the discovery. She was homeless and her babies had suffered the effects of the storm. It seems that the birdhouse that was hanging in that tree was blown to the ground. She squawked louder when I picked it up. The nest was still intact and I could see eggs. I guess I could have easily gotten rid of the birdhouse but I got it back up in the tree. Last look she was sitting on top of it....very quietly.

"Good Luck With Your Basement"

That little ditty seems to be the phrase of the day. Shows you how friendly the people in Milwaukee and surrounding areas are. Sure, we're all in the same boat.
We were fortunate to only have a small amount of water in our basement, but what do you expect when you get dumped on with 8 plus inches of rain. Our little sump pump could only handle so much but we're glad for what it did.

Our yard, on the other hand is a mess. All the bark and mulch I had out is washed away somewhere. The helicopter things that fall from our tree are covering our yard and decks. The best bet there is to wait a few days until things dry out and then suck them up. All in all I can't really complain, as there are families in much worse condition then we are. I just watched a home in Lake Delton floating down the Wisconsin River. People just need to be a little smarter and stay out of the swollen rivers and not send their kids out to play in the raw sewage pond that is now their backyard.

My new computer is all set up and operating. I'm loving it. I have a lot to explore and get used to but so far so good.

My weekend sucked except for Friday night when I went with Annette to the unveiling of the Pink Harley. Had two Cosmos and a few munchies and proceeded to the local pub where we met up with some friends. Being that STB was in Vegas, I was able to collect the winning tickets off the Miller Lite bottles several times (4). Saturday and Sunday were emotional crap days spent trying to convince the brain surgery brother-in-law to seek some help. He's currently on a roll to self destruction. Very sad situation, but people are wearing thin trying to help them out.

I'm back to the normal shift now and happy as a lark. It's a little quiet due to lack of employees, but I'm sure we'll get used to the change. We're on our way out to catch Dylan's baseball game. They had to switch the location due to the original one being now under water.

Hope everyone weathered the storm well

What The #@$%^!!!

Yesterday was quite the busy day around this house. I was up bright and early to start the yearly chore of cleaning out all the gardens and replanting. I figured I'd better hit the greenhouse as early as possible to avoid the rush. By 830 am I was at the first one. Now I'm a pretty good cipher-er and totaled up my purchases. Imagine my shock when I got to the checkout and she rang up almost $90.00 less than I had purchased. I asked her if she was sure and her reply was "No, I got it all".
I was trying to be honest after the 12 pack of coke incident in Rhode Island. I asked again and she asked if I thought she over charged me. "No, just the opposite" I said. "No, I got it all" was repeated. When I got to my car and checked the receipt I was very under charged. Score. Not so much luck at the other stores. I'm hoping that the plants & flowers I wasn't charged for will live for at least a week or so. We managed to get quite a bit cleaned up and I did start planting some stuff. We have nothing going on this weekend so hopefully the weather will hold out. A see a few beers in the picture also (it will help to ease the muscle pain).

I finally took the plunge and ordered the new computer (well kind of) I am currently on hold awaiting a Customer Service Rep. as my order was kicked out the first time due to my debit card having a purchase limit. I forgot about that prior to placing the order so this is partially my fault. We're going on 15 minutes on hold right now. This doesn't include the first time I was on hold for 10 minutes and was cut off. The recorded voice is telling me to stay on the line as my call is important to them. Hopefully I'll get the English speaking person for my final call.

So here's what it's like to go back to work after being gone from the place for 6 working days. 5 people were let go and there was some shuffling. We're back to 5 of the original people from 1st shift. We thought we'd have a meeting this morning explaining why as only the shift leader and I knew somewhat of what was going on. I'm not quite sure anyone was expecting this as it was a little shocking. I'm on my last week of 3rd shift and looking forward to getting back to a normal shift next week.

Still on hold...my call is still important to them. She's thanking me for waiting. I just hope the doofus who's taking my call isn't on break or something. If so, most breaks are only 10-15 minutes so they'd better quit gabbing at the coffee machine or water cooler and get back to work. Maybe they're chatting about their weekend activities or something.

I'm giving them 5 more minutes and they lost my sale.

The Long Way Home

After what seemed to be forever we made it home safe and sound. For some reason it seemed that we got there a lot quicker. Maybe it was the straight through drive on the way there. I don't think any of us got more than 2-3 hours of sleep on the way out. I have problems sleeping in a car. I did note some people nodding off here and there and being awaken by their own snores. It's always funny to witness this, but funnier when it happens to you. A sudden snort will jar you out of complete sleep and you look around to see who made the noise and then realize it came from your own nose or mouth. I also noticed that sleep talking is not only Annette's thing. Interesting speech will jar anyone awake.

Interesting but funny license plate on the way home today "WHUZ HIZ". On the Illinois turnpike.

Not much new on the home front. House was still standing, grass is long, no water in the basement and the fridge and freezer were both running. The fridge has been re-stocked after a visit to the local P&S. There must have been something big going on there earlier today as they had stands set up all over the store. Most of the signs were for Roundy's food items. Guess they're pushing the Roundy's brand this week.

Things I learned on this trip:
Rhode Islander's are very friendly people. All you have to do is step off a curb (not even in a cross walk) and cars will stop and let you cross.
Boston sucks
The entire New England area is windy-forget about any hair styles out there
Croc's are popular nation wide.
There are some wealthy people out there. Newport & Jamestown make Bay Shore & River Hills look like pauper land.
Rhode Islanders are very laid back.
Flatulence is everywhere
A Cozy Cab is a cozy cab
My husband cannot read a map.
Toll booths suck! Wisconsin needs to start charging for road usage
There's a whole hell of a lot of road kill out there.
We have the worst radio stations in the nation
All Super 8's are not the same
Minor League baseball is quite entertaining
Fast food is fast food, no matter where it's from.
Lobster continues to gross me out. (Lobster splatter on the dining room window is even grosser)
When traveling always have beef jerky-it hits the spot
Cosmos are yummy
Someone told their son that I indulge in Bloody Mary's-had to save face
The worst part of a vacation is the end.

It's Raining On My Parade

We've been pretty fortunate with weather so far. Yesterday we went to a Pawsocks game which was enjoyable. The hot dogs were a little weak, but the beer was tasty. Stopped at the Warwick Hooters afterwards for wings, a passport stamp and some tee shirts. Wings were good, service sucked. Our service was slow because "our waitress was in a meeting" then "she was outside". We couldn't figure out if she was fired or what. It also seemed strange to hold a shift meeting with tables full of people waiting for service. Never quite figured it out. One girl served our drinks and took our order. Food came, no plates. Things were a little amiss. Then when a waitress finally did appear I almost chocked on my wing when she stood next to me and yelled in a very thick Jersey accent "Is everything all right here" Scared the crap out of me. I'm trying to figure out why everyone yells around here. At the stadium a young girl selling freeze pops just about shoves them in your face while screaming "Freeze Pops" at the top of her lungs. Gave J & I something to laugh about for awhile.

Woke up this morning to cloudy,cold and raining. It's off to Boston and then Maine as soon as we all start hauling ass out of bed. Guess who's still laying in bed? Give you a hint- I'm blogging, J's showering, K's upright and eating left over Hooters Wings.

It's All In The Family

After a 20 hour road trip we arrived safe and sound in Rhode Island. I was impressed at the Travel Stations along the way. I'm pretty sure we missed a few as my husband seems to have developed an adult bladder now.

J's family was generous enough to stock our room with a few necessities ( beer was a total score). We then went on a little tour of Middleton/ Newport over to their house. Yesterday was just a hang out and relax day and pizza which was yummy. This brought on a little gas from everyone. You'll all be happy to know that the flatulence in this family starts at Bonnie and Mick and goes right on down to little Tizzy. However I must say the Mick II has beat out everyone in the oder department.

Today it's off to the waterfront if we catch the bus. I'm in search of sea glass and the souvenir spoon for the mother-in-law, then it's over to the family for a barbecue. The sun is shining it's probably in the low 70's, I'm on vacation and life is grand.

I did score on a 12 pack of diet coke yesterday. Walking through the store parking lot with J on our way to a little pampering at the local nail place when I saw it. In the cart coral on the bottom of a cart was one lonely 12 pack of diet coke. I looked around to assure that no one was driving off without it and then snatched it up. I was on my way back into the store to turn it in when I ummm.. forgot and carried it into the Nail place with me. I meant to take it on the way back to the hotel but totally forgot. Lugging it up the hill to the hotel was a chore. Maybe I'll take it back today...if I have time.

Yep..You Guessed It-1 More Week on Third

The part that broke on our machine has now been semi-fixed. I was able to begin training associates on 3rd shift last night. There are still some kinks to work out with the system but I got through it pretty well. The problem is 1 night is not enough time to get everyone trained and comfortable. They are not running the line next week, so when I return from a much needed vacation I will be working the shift for one more week.

I mentioned to my husband this morning that it was very quiet on 3rd and you don't have people bugging you or constantly walking through the line. There are no trials, except that trials are a huge learning experience. The night goes by pretty fast as it's busy. He got this frightful look on his face and asked if I was thinking of staying on 3rd. Not for .35 per hour I'm not. Not for the constant tiredness and inability to sleep during the day.

When working days I average about 6 to 6 1/2 hours a sleep per night. On third it's about 5 hours of very broken up sleep. One guy that works on 3rd was telling me he sleeps from 8am to 2-gets up for lunch-sleeps again from 3-9. When I mentioned that he was getting 12 hours of sleep a day he looked a little shocked. "Wakes up for lunch" What a kook.

So J's family has got to be proud of her brother making Commander. I'll bet Bonnie had to let all the buttons out of Mick's shirts to allow for the pride. I'm happy for all them. This is a big deal. I'll have 17 hours to think of an appropriate gift.

So long all, for now! Have a good Memorial Day and remember to log on to WKLH.com to pledge to the Childrens Hospital.

It's Gonna Be A Long Ride

It is one more day before we leave on our trip to Rhode Island. The plan is to depart around 8 pm tomorrow night. I need to pack. I have things piled up and ready but they need to make their way into the suitcase. I have a mental checklist of what to bring and if something should be forgotten, I'm sure RI has stores.
Has anyone ever made a list of the absolute essentials for traveling? I jot things down but leave the notes at work or crunched up in my purse. I truly think that because we camp so much that some things are just a natural. Camping is different though as the stores are sometimes a bit out of the way. Therefore I have made a list of things that I never want to forget.

Toothbrush & toothpaste- you can borrow toothpaste, but not a toothbrush
Undergarments- nuff said
Soap- I simply refuse to use my husbands bar soap. Hotel soap is sticky and as much as I rinse I feel like there is a film of soap on me.
Money/wallet/purse-Ask J about this.
Tampons- so I don't have to send my husband, K & R to the local store for them.
A change of clothes until I can get to a store and buy more
Hair bands so when I forget my blow dryer I can just put my hair in a pony tail
Hat-so when I put my hair in a ponytail I can cover it with a hat
Lotion-My use of lotion is for dry skin
Makeup-something else you don't want to borrow.
books or magazines- so someone else can read them to me as I can't read on a plane or in the car.
My phone-so my kids can call me.
Cigarettes-a nasty habit.
I'm fairly sure I could survive a day or so on the above items. I'm sure that I better not forget anything that's essential for the car trip as the trip Nazi does not like to make unscheduled stops. The only relaxing part of this may be that he will sleep for a portion of the ride. We may be able to pull off a smoke/pee stop without him waking up. I wonder if there's a CD we can purchase with sounds of driving or traffic that we could put in while we stop.

A Value Meal For a Home Run

I've come to the conclusion that I will need to spring for a new computer after our vacation. I'm a little outdated and funky things are starting to happen. I'm just glad that the bitch hung on as long as she has. (Isn't that what men do? Give a name to items.) She's 9 years old now and in computer years probably 90. She is unable to be upgraded or have any more memory added to her. I believe she is gracefully fading in senility.

My first clue that there was a problem was when I started getting lines across the screen whenever I scrolled down. Of course once you clicked the cursor on something the lines would disappear. Tried another monitor and the same thing happened. Well now the lines aren't always going away so when I'm reading emails I'm feeling a little like Steve Martin in the jerk. Something just don't make sense. I tried to cut and copy them and low and behold the little lines appear on the copies. I have now lost the ability to change my fonts and sizes. Don't get that one at all. Probably within a week or so I will be typing minute size in wingdings.

I have begun to seriously check out PC's and compare prices and packages. With the help of my son-in-law I should be able to complete this task within the next two weeks.

Like the loyal grandparents we are we sat on the warm bleachers (I remembered the blanket) and watched yet another interesting Little League game last night. In the past few weeks Dylan has had a little problem connecting at the plate. Not so true last night. Of course there was a little bribing game going on. "Get a hit, get a burger after the game". His first at bat he hit a line drive that got him to 1st base. The not so fast kid running from 2nd to 3rd was a little confused and was tagged out well after Dylan was safe. I say give him the burger still. Before his second at bat I told him if he hit a home run I'd upgrade the burger to a value meal. He hit well into right field and drove himself and two runs in. He wanted to know what a grand slam would get him. This is where I drew the line and pulled one out from the past. "It will give you the satisfaction of knowing you did well". I was shocked when there was no face, no comment, just a pumped up fist.

They were up 15-0 going into the 3rd inning. That's when all hell broke loose. Is it possible to walk 23 people? That was the coach's comment to the home plate Ump. "I call um as I see em sir" was the Grizzly Adams Ump's response. Immediately after that the pitcher who couldn't throw a strike was striking people out. The final score of the game 15-15 with exactly one hit made by the other team. These games are to say the least, exciting.

Keep Your Rain

The weather this weekend wasn't as cold as we thought it would be. Friday afternoon was actually quite warm but the chill came when the sun went down. It was a tad bit windy but the rain held out. The carefully tended campfire kept us all warm. Saturday afternoon was a keeper, but the evening put a damper on things with the rain. Had the rain been steady it would have been less frustrating. Old Mother Nature couldn't decide whether she wanted an annoying drizzle or a little steady rain and stop, rain and stop. I say either poop or get off the pot. The good thing was there were no pesty bugs. A few spiders here and there and some ants in the bathroom but they're harmless.

I think the next time we have pizza on the menu I may take a trip to the local tavern and purchase my frozen pizza from them. We had an assortment of pizza's but none of them tasted as good as the DeRangos from the tavern. Once again we were not lacking in the food or alcohol department.


I purchased a 7 inch flat screen color TV for my husband for Christmas. I could give a rat's ass about TV when I'm camping. This guy sat for a couple of hours playing with this thing to get it "set up". Saturday night I was a little peeved at him for having his TV on while some of us were attempting to listen to the Brewer game. I myself found it a little rude. I don't think it enters his mind or he can completely block out a radio. At home I'll have the radio on in the kitchen and he'll walk in and flick on the TV. I give up , I've been trying to figure him out for 24 years.

I got to work tonight only to find out that the part we're waiting for which will enable us to run and enable me to train people has still not arrived. Apparently as of Friday they still had no idea when it would be in. I figure by the time I get used to 3rd they'll put me back on 1st.

Last night was rough, but the first night usually is. I don't feel so bad as everyone on the shift looks about the same. I think they're on the buddy system to keep each other awake. Speaking of sleeping...I'm gonna go get me some.

13-1

I have to remember to bring a blanket to watch Dylan's games. The new metal bleachers are a tad bit cold on the butt. It was an interesting game. They won 13-1. In the 2nd inning they scored 10 runs. I felt comfortable with that much of a lead as when I looked over to the other two diamonds the scores for those teams were close. Slugger does have to learn to relax at the plate and not try to kill every ball pitched to him. He did get on base on balls twice which means he's paying attention but at his 3rd at bat he struck out. Got a piece of two but not enough to make them fair. It's off to the batting cages this weekend. I'm impressed by the coaches on this team as they treat the kids good. They're called off to the side and told of their mistakes rather than signaling them out. We were watching the coach from the other team (The Cubs) ream out every kid that made a error. I also noticed last night that the bleachers for Dylan's team are filled with parents and family members. The other team had more kids on the team than parents in the bleachers.

I am spending my morning baking cookies for my fellow camp mates. One special order of oatmeal/choc. chip is currently in the works. I seemed to have gotten my second wind after my tiring ride home. I think it was the price at the gas pump that shocked me into awareness.

Right before I left work today I have my annual "This is how much your raise is " meeting. Needless to say I didn't expect a windfall and although we always want more I can live with this. I think it was the added bonus of a $50.00 gift check that made it all good. The raise itself was 3 1/4 %. Once again, although I'm grateful it's not covering the cost of everything that's going up. Maybe that part-time job at Steins is looking better.

I smell burning...I better go.

The Chili (Chilie) Is Brewing

Yes, that's my assignment for this weekends camping outing. A big slow cooker chock full of chili. I came home from work this morning and started the concoction I call chili. I think I have just the right amount of ingredients in it however will have to check after it cooks for a few hours. I hate the smell of food cooking when I'm sleeping so I'll be keeping the window open and the bedroom door closed. Since my husband was robbed of his chili at Brat & Beer the other day I may allow him a small bowl. (I made extra)

The weather forecast looks to be nice during the day but chilly at night. Hopefully the boys have remembered to fill the propane. There will be plenty of warm clothing packed. The first time out is always the hardest in getting used to the cold nights. The fire master will keep the fire hot but as he said the walk to the bathroom may be a little nippely. Hopefully by the time it gets cold I'll be numb to it. Warning!! It's been a while since I've had more than 2 beers.

I fear it's going to be a long spring/summer unless we put the kabosh on the neighbor kids. Last year we went through fetching their ball from our backyard quite often. I mentioned before that if Sadie is outside the balls are pretty much toast. We've warned the kids and father of this fact. I'm not replacing balls that she gets. Yesterday afternoon my doorbell rings and here stands the younger kid asking if I can get his ball. I think the older one sent him over. I got the ball and threw it back over the fence. Ten minutes later, the same thing. When I threw it over this time I watched for a few minutes to see how they can possibly be getting this thing over the fence all the time. Well it appears that they were using the fence as a target for practicing pitching. As the ball came over the third time I got it and walked to the fence and nicely said "Use your dad's garage for a target, not my fence". I then "nicely" explained how if they used the garage it wouldn't fly into my yard and the dog won't get it. The little kid looked really scared. The older 10 year old had this smirk on his face that I wanted to wipe off.

When my sisters were younger the old neighbors would yell if they stepped on the grass. My one sister led the younger one astray in smearing dog crap all over this woman's garage as they were sick of her bitching at them. The woman came to the door to tell my mother of this caper as they were caught in the act. Of course the girls were punished but my parents then installed the privacy fence which still remains standing. I'm wondering how long it will take them to smear dog crap on my house since I talked to them yesterday. Mark my words, one ounce of crap on my house and no more balls for them.

Day Two

I knew I'd be tired at work last night. I have a problem sleeping at night so the day time sleep just doesn't fly. I did manage to sleep but it was very broken up. We must have the loudest garbage men in the city and I'm not sure if anyone works in this area as I heard lawn mowers several times.

We went to Dylan's game around 530 and it started out being warm enough for just a sweatshirt. That changed rapidly when the wind shifted a little. Even sitting facing the sun wasn't helping. I need to remember to bring a blanket to sit on as the metal bleacher seats are a tad bit chilly on the ass. They lost last night. I know bottom line is they lost but they had went into the last inning down by 6. They did not allow any runs after the 3rd inning. They scored 3 runs in the 6th and had the bases loaded with 2 outs and the tying run at the plate. The kid hits a nice ground ball into center field and two runs score. The Ump made a terrible call in calling out the runner going to 2nd. The kid clearly was safe. The coach goes out to argue and the Ump calls time. The games are supposed to last 7 innings or 2 hours. It started at 530. At 720 they decided to let them play through the 6th inning as there was no other team scheduled to take the field. What was sad was walking past the other teams dugout after the game and hearing the coach say they got a break. I know it happens all the time but it's frustrating that you cannot challenge an Ump's bad call.

As we were sitting out there freezing I asked my husband if he was sure he wanted to camp this weekend. With the stern look I got I figure there's no backing out.

In answer to STB's comment regarding Brat & Beer. The only brat item I saw on their menu was the brat pattie special.

A Strange New World

You know when you leave work and you're hyped up to do things? Like make a quick stop at the store or run an errand that is on your way home. Or you think about things that you need to or could do when you get home? This is all good when you're working a day shift. Not so true when you're coming home at 7a.m. Beside Walgreens, a few fast food places, doughnut shops, P&S or gas stations, not much else is open.

When I work days I have this small time span when I'm very tired but once 3pm rolls around I'm awake and ready to tackle things. Not so on the night shift. I started getting tired around 5am and by 7 it was worse. The drive home was chilly as I left the heat off and drove home with my window 1/2 open. About 1/2 way home I got my second wind.

I was asked to work 3rd this week for training the current 3rd shift people. This worked to my advantage for the weekend. The night did go by rather fast which I was thankful for. Hopefully the remainder of the week will go as fast. I just have to get a sleeping pattern down pat as I hate the broken sleep. Ahhh, it'll be over before I know it.

My husband and I tried out the newly remodeled Brat & Beer yesterday. This was after we drove to Night Owl only to find out it was closed. I had a taste for a good burger , which doesn't happen to often. I would not recommend the Brat & Beer to anyone. First downer was the chili is not in season. I chuckled when the waitress told us and I remarked that it was 50 degrees outside. We opted for the Turkey noodle soup. This consisted of two noodles, a small chunk of turkey and broth for $2.95. The burger itself was good but the fries were so salty I was beyond thirsty the remainder of the night. The service sucked and they were a little under staffed. I found this odd as they advertised a Mothers Day Buffet and Brunch. Gone is the brat link special and California Burger. We were also trying to figure out why the had Metro's outside. Couldn't have been that they were so crowded that there were lines to the bathrooms inside. We were both a little disappointed as this used to be a place we'd stop at once in awhile for a quick bite.

So I'm not sure if I'm supposed to watch the weather for the weekend and if it's over 50 not make the chili for camping. Could be that it's not seasonal.

Strange Dream

I used to have a dream book that every once in a while would look up what a dream I had meant, but sometimes I didn't like the explaination so I tossed the book. Unless it said I was going to prosper and be rich I usually ignored the explaination.

Last night I had a dream that my mother and father came for a visit and my mother's belly was huge. At first the family was polite and didn't say "God Mom, you're pretty fat" but I think it got to us so we asked. She explained that she was pregnant. "It's lonely in Arizona with just your father and I so we opted to have another child". There was only one problem. They didn't think the baby could take the summer heat in Arizona so they were going to leave it with me for the summer. The dream goes on to me shopping at Target for baby items and finding wads of cash in my purse when I was trying to figure out how to pay for all the stuff I had to buy for someone else's child. On our way home from the store my husband says "Your parents are not going to come back for this kid. We will be stuck with it. What's your plan?. This kid will live with us just as every family member of yours has lived with us at one time or another." I woke up in a bit of a panic and before I would gather my thoughts I felt a little sad knowing that he was right but I couldn't turn my back on this kid. Time to fully wake and shrug this off.

My husbands family is now having some issues with Mom and the sister downstairs from her. Not so much ths sister as her kids. Just as in the winter when not one of those lazy kids would go out and shovel, we are now faced with the lawn mowing issues. His mom wants to pay some guy to come and mow the lawn. I feel those kids should pay it. This is their home, and they need to kick it up a notch or get out on their own. My sister-in-law in stressed from being in the middle. She needs to lay down the law to them or it's going to be another long summer. In my childhood years it was just a natural that if dad said "the grass needs cut" out we went. We didn't have a weed whacker so this involved trimming the fence lines on your knees by hand. Shoveling in the winter was a given. You live here you get your ass out and shovel. Mom's home with groceries, you get your ass out and help carry the bags in. These chores were also expected of us when we got jobs. This is a constant battle with these kids and when we step in and try to lay down some ground rules we are told by their mother to back off, she'll handle it. I have no love lost for disrespectful kids (I should say adults as the two worst ones are 19 &21) so I've already said my peace to them which is probably the reason that they don't talk to me much. It just burns my ass that anyone would treat their mother or grandmother the way they do. My husband is slowly developing the balls to go over and lay down some rules. In the mean time caller ID is a wonderful thing.