Never a dull moment

Apparently all the rules are off now that Rachael is 18.

Yesterday's adventure was off to get her tounge pierced.

Today's adventure is off to the tattoo parlor.

Gosh this girl keeps me crazy...

I guess there are worse things.

Happy Birthday Rachael

Go June! No really go away.

Good thing June only comes once a year as it has been insane.
June involved me getting laid off from my part time job to which I replied ... seriously???? Only to be rehired within 5 minutes...... Then we moved Nick home from college (he is such a slob), next was awards for Carly's school, followed by 6th grade Olympics at the Junior High, Carly's 12 year old birthday, Chuck's sister Nancy and Fast Eddie coming out from NY, Rachael passing her driver's test (yikes), Rachael's HS graduation of only 681 kids, an Angel's baseball game (Padres so suck) and finally last night - Rachael's graduation party.

“Mom, I'm only inviting 50 (200) of my closest friends” pleaded my lovely daughter. If you have ever lived in a Cali subdivision (think Weeds on Showtime), you will know that the lots here are pretty small. Throw in a 30x26' pool and they are even smaller.

The kids for the most part were great, very polite, very respectful, and even initiated conversations when I went out for my "patrols". The party involved about 8 "dance off" sessions on the lawn, a lot of pictures being taken, a cleverly hidden Tequila bottles and I'm pretty sure there was something being smoked (evident by the homemade Aquafina water bottle bong found in the trashcan at clean up this morning). All in all , the kids were pretty well behaved all 50 (200) off them. Now as in any situation, there is always at least one exception.

A girl named Kylie (not one of the 50 invited ) never even made it to the actual backyard party, just decided to come to our house and promptly vomit all over the bathroom. It was about 11:30 pm and midnight was the cut off for the party anyway so I decided the best thing to do was to call her mom (hello Kylie's mom, I realize you don't know me but could you come and pick up your 3.9 honor student? Kylie had numerous friends willing to take her home but I thought no - not a good idea. Her mom was very embarrassed adding that her daughter had just come off "restriction" and that this was her first night “out”. Apparently restriction just gave Kylie 2 months to “recharge”.

In the commotion, the Po Po arrived, come on admit it, it’s not a good party until the police show up. It’s amazing how fast a party clears out when the police arrive.... Those kids can scurry like rats when badges walk in. We talked with the police for a few moments then they left and Chuck and I had the house mopped and the yard cleaned up by 12:30 AM. Our patrol/cleaning lady shift ended much earlier than I had anticipated. I figured if I said the party ended midnight, I would still be kicking kids out at 1 AM.

After all was said and done I headed to the freezer in the garage and to my surprise I found two extremely cold Rolling Rock bottles that SOMEONE kindly placed in there. Its like someone put those two beers in there just for Chuck and I. I am sure if I asked if they belonged to someone, no one would have fessed up so I didn’t even bother. I just cracked the top and enjoyed.

I have plans started for July – we are off to NY again for a Yankees game and time with family at the cottage but there are still 10 days in June, 1/3 of the month and I don’t have a thing to do… any ideas?

Everyone has a story...

For years I have read the obituaries. I read them in at home, the town where I was born and sometimes, when I'm on vacation, I glance at them. My husband asked me why I read the obituaries pointing out I really know very few people here in Oceanside and if they did in fact die then I would be sure to know about their death therefore I would not have to read about it.


Maybe its because I grew up in a small town and when a "local" died, I would still read their obit even though I probably knew their whole lifestory. My parents did the same, after our dinner while I cleared the table my mom would read the Rome Sentinel out loud for my dad and me. She felt we needed to be brought up to speed on from everything such as home sales, any bankruptcy, who did not pay their taxes - you know the "gossip" . Generally I could care a less about that nonsense but when she read the obituaries, my hearing perked up a bit and I definitely listened a little better. She would go on and say "oh so and so died", did you know that he/she was married to so and so and she is so and so's blank and they live in so and so. Usually her reporting ended with "oh, that's to bad, he/she was a "good egg". A good egg? I used to think that was an odd comparison but non the less, he/she was a good egg.

We all were born, we all will die. My father used to say nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. . I know, he stole the line from Ben Franklin but he ALWAYS used to say it like he was the original author.

About 6 years ago, I went home to visit my parents for the weekend before they started school the next week. I remember sitting at the kitchen table reading the local paper while my dad enjoyed a cup of coffee. My dad had had a rough ride lately and he was trying to regain his strength from a stroke he had a year prior. I looked at my dad and said that there was "good news" (in the paper). He asked what the good news was and I said I was reading the obituaries and he wasn't in it. My dad laughed and replied that yes indeed that was good news. Three days later, my dad died and 5 days later my his name was in the obituaries. I read his obituary even though I so knew his "story".

My point is that for 100% of the people I read about in the obits, they ALL have a story. They all were born, some of they were given a silver spoon, some of them got a plastic spork. One of the things I notice most often when I read the obits is if they were "young" and when I say young, I mean younger than me (obviously that criteria changes yearly). When I see someone who is 90, I actually feel very happy because I feel that they had a long life and they must have had a lot of fun living it or at least I hope they did. Not everyone gets that chance, some die long before they get that chance.

I like to believe that everyone has a story and each and everyone of them loved and was loved by someone. Someone who will miss them very much so. Have you ever thought about writing your own obit?

I remember sitting with my Mom and brother on dad's bed trying hard to "sum" up his life in 4 paragraphs. 19 weeks later, I remember sitting on the same bed with just my brother trying to do the same for my mother. It was very hard, and I'm sure I missed quite a few "key" points that should have been noted.

All I know is that I loved them very much as someone does for those strangers I read about. Everyone has a story, I sure hope mine ends with "she was a good egg".

Improving my skills....

Wow, its been such a long time since I've poured my heart out to anyone who would listen.
Between accounting, taxes and everyday bullshit, I hardley have time to do anything fun or exciting anymore.
I have however been improving my skills in some departments due to the educational opportunities that youtube offers.

I'm the type of person who likes to share, you know better the community so they might possibly also learn along life's path.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBkR09sP4T4

If I was smart enough to be able to post in in my blog, I would but thats another lesson.

Hey Mom, did you even graduate college???

That was the question my brainiac spawn asked last night after he returned from the lab last night. In fact the answer is yes, I did graduate from college.

My path to college was somewhat not a planned item. I had no desire to go to college. I had no desire to leave my small town, I was perfectly happy to keep asking my parents for money. I mean they had supported me all my life, why should things change just because I would graduate high school? I had it good and saw no need to go to college.

One day in 1982 I came home from school and my mom threw me a couple college application books informing me of her decision that I go to school somewhere. After much thought (about 8 seconds), I came to the conclusion I really did not have that much going on after I would graduate high school so I would appease her and take a gander at the books . I then opened the course selections books for a few of the college even though I had no idea what I wanted to "be" when I grew up. I quickly came up with a solution that would solve everything.

I started the selection process with any two year college within two hours of my house. I then proceeded to read the degree options. Factored in that was the amount of money that one would expect to make with that degree. Basically, I went down the page and found what paid the most money for a two year degree. I figured hey, I can do this... “Medical Laboratory Technology” - sounds obtainable right?

First semester came and I managed to hold on to decent grades. Next semester involved chemistry and dang that was hard. Of course the hot guy “Nate” sat next to me in Chem and I admit, sometimes I would daydream about him for that 1.5 hour lecture. Needless to say, I failed chemistry so I decided I should change my curriculum to something more suited to me and my “style”.

My roommate Mona had made a great choice at college. All she did was break and train horses, take care of the four legged friends and ride them. Wow, what a coincidence, I actually owned a horse and I was sure that would be much better than some overpaying Medical Laboratory Technology degree. Why didn't I think of that before? I could be carefree and the horses wouldn't care if I skipped a shower or two. Long story short, I have a degree in Animal Husbandry - Equine which happens to be an AAS degree. Do I utilize my degree? Um, no but I did graduate from college.

Flash forward to last night when my son (who was feeling smart as he had just spent the day at the organic chemistry lab) asked if I even graduated from college I piped up and said yes in fact, I did graduate from college. I went on proceeding to toot my own horn bragging that I am a smart person and that I had graduated, received that diploma, and walked down the path to greatness.

I then went on informing Nick that the degree I received was actually a dual major because not only did I graduate with the "Animal Husbandry-Equine" degree, I also met “my husband”, their dad, Chuck in college. Therefore, I have the Animal Husbandry-Equine degree and a “Husbandry” (the MRS degree)

At least I use one of my degrees on a daily basis. See Momma isn’t such a dummy after all.

Note to self.....

Note to self - Guinea Pigs do not like the sun, they do not like to be warmed by the beautiful California sunshine in January.
Note to self - Do not place a cage with two guinea pigs outside to enjoy the warm air, they would rather be stuck in a dark garage and bypass this special feeling.
Note to self - Don't try to do nice things for animals or people, you just get fucked.
How do I know this?
Monday I got up, took a shower, came downstairs.
Let the dog out, opened the garage doors and said "wow, it is beautiful outside, I bet the guinea pigs would love to stay out and have a wonderful day in the neighborhood". So, I rolled them out, gave them fresh water, lettuce, some carrots and put a blanket on the cage - just in case the sun was to bright on them.
Went to work, pretended to work - came home and called my friend in Wisconson bragging about how warm it was in Sunny California.
Got home, guinea pig cage was still there, blanket still on the top and I go over to say "hi" to the boys.
They are dead - yup dead.
Apparently I killed them because the sun was to warm for their bodies.
Do I feel like shit.
Absolutely....
Note to self..... I do not like this much guilt.....
I'm sorry boys... I am so sorry.....

Even though you were crazy, I still miss you.........

The day was January 5th 2003. 19 weeks after Pa died, 10 weeks after I was diagnosed, 12 days after Christmas, a day before Chuck's birthday, 12 days before your birthday, 5 years and 18 days after Kelley died. It was 6 years ago today but it hurts and feels like it was yesterday.

Its a Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood

Chuck and I were actually up this year to ring in the New Year not once but twice!

Since we are originally NY'ers we rang in NY style with Dick Clark and then again later with Carson Daly. I am so proud we were actually awake.

The neighbors had a party, we walked down around 10pm with a few other neighbors. I actually was surprised that I had a good time for the 1.5 hours we were there. Could have been that immediately after we entered the door we were literally staring into the rim of some Lemon Drop shots? Generally, I am not a shot person but hey it was my first shot of the New Year so why not? Well, one shot led to two shots, two to three etc.

Then Mom mode kicked in and we walked home with ten minutes to spare, we snagged some party poppers and tooters for Carly and the three of us let them rip all over the house. Gosh, I hope the maid works on New Years Day!

Ugh, I've been tagged

Thanks Barb, you've forced me to post due to your "tag" http://www.halfpastkissintime.com/2008/12/theres-one-way-to-feel-warm-again.htm

Non the less, here I go because I'm competitive and don't want to seem like I'm a poor sport.

This picture was taken in the summer of 2007, on the left is my son Nick who was 17 at the time standing next to his "little cousin Taylor age 14.

The picture was taken on our annual NY vacation back to our cottage on Cayuga Lake (one of the Finger lakes).
I took the picture to see just how long before Taylor catches up to Nick's height. As you can see, it won't be long! Now I have to tag someone else in blog land so here I go (my apologies in advance).
Mike at http://unravelingmysteries.com/
Corrine at http://mommahasmonkeytoes.blogspot.com/. Lets see if they take the bait.