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.