We have found the perfect high sierra backpacks for the kids to use come the last week of August when they all go back to school. It’s hard to believe that their summer vacation is coming to a screeching halt here real soon. As much as they can get on our nerves when they are out of school when they get either a bit on the hyper side or when they loudly proclaim “I’m bored!” I really do find myself missing them soon after they have gone back. And these are just my brothers and sisters, I don’t have any kids of my own, yet.
Good Old VHS
After rummaging around in the basement for a good while this afternoon I finally found the tv rack that I promised Macina that she could use to put her two year old’s tv on in her new bed room. It is a small tv combo VCR that they can play all of the old children’s movies that we had on VHS. It works fairly well, but it sure makes a lot of noise when it stops and rewinds itself and I can’t find the remote.
A Whole New World
Due to so many people urging me to, I have gone ahead and started an account on Facebook. It is a whole new world to me and it will take me a bit to get it all figured out but so far so good. It’s only been a few weeks and all ready I have a ton of “friends” and several people that I’ve known from years ago have contacted me through it’s search features, you gotta love it.
Just last night I found that a friend from elementary school had found her way to my account. She provided me with her phone number and we talked for over an hour on the phone last night. Thank goodness for my unlimited long distance that I currently have on my land line. She is living in Denver Colorado, married with children and living the life, which is so good to hear. Both she and her husband are secure in their jobs, are in good health and live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood.
Her biggest news was that she and her husband were both experiencing weight issues so they decided to go over to the U.K. where she received the tummy tuck surgery that has become so popular these days and her husband had liposuction done on him. They incorporated a vacation away from the kids and had the surgery done at the same time. She sent me the before and after pictures of them and I have to say that I’m impressed. It’s good to know that the economy hasn’t played havoc on everyone that I know.
Wrestling
Been taking some time looking at Suplay wrestling gear that my son will need in a few weeks when school starts and he gets back into his favorite sport of wrestling. Last year he did pretty well for it being his first time. It surprised me to see that he did so well considering he really isn’t what I would consider the wrestling type, but he seems determined and I will back him all the way as long as he keeps his grades up and doesn’t get seriously hurt in the process.
Judge Judy
I don’t know about you, but Judge Judy really gives me the creeps. All of the other day time television court room judges I can handle, but Judge Judy is way over the top. Just the sound of her voice sends shivers down my spine. I can’t imagine every consenting to air my dirty laundry on national TV with her on the bench, no way, no how!
Neighbors and their gardens
Most of my neighbor’s here, seem to have a vegetable garden that they are tending to and I love that every now and then there is someone at my door with a basket of healthy garden goodies that are being given away, due to the fact that they are growing more than they can handle on their own, which is good for folks like me that love freebies and too lazy to grow my own garden.
I love this time of year because I now have a good supply of green beans, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, and several nice, large Beefeater tomatoes, that will taste so good on a sandwich, with lots and lots of mayo!
Hitting The Nail Right On The Head
Can’t tell you how happy I was to see how my Father’s face lit up when we gave him the hypertherm powermax 65 that he had been hinting about since last Christmas. It isn’t easy buying gifts for men, especially ones that really have just about everything that they need or want at this point in their life. So once in a great while one of us in the family will hit the nail on the head and get it right, much like what happened yesterday afternoon at the folk’s place for Father’s Day.
Now we have to start thinking of what to get for his birthday which comes up in late September, and then right after there is of course Christmas……..
Annie and Her Dogs
I have a dear family friend who lives alone across the river and I try to call her once a week or so to check on her. Annie lost her husband several years in a freak accident, and now she just has the family dog to keep her company. Without going too far into her personal life, I don’t think she will mind if I share this story with you.Annie needs assistance with mobility. She has a chair lift to help her with stair at home and when she goes out of the house she uses an electric scooter. Over the summer she decided to start talking her dear dog for a walk around the block, although that means that the dog is doing the walking by trotting alongside her scooter on the sidewalk.
Although she knows everyone on her own street, by walking around the block she was venturing into uncharted territory, and unfortunately as she rounded a corner with her dog, one of the neighbors from the other street has just chosen to let her dogs run outside without benefit of a leash. Of course, as soon as the neighbor’s dogs saw Annie and her little pooch on the sidewalk they ran over to protect their territory. Poor Annie was frantically trying to rescue her dog and fend off two large rottweilers running full speed at her.
Now that had to be a terrifying moment for both Annie and her little dog. She had no idea how to defend herself and her dog against a vicious dog attack, although she now has read an article about using pepper spray against an animal and knows what to do in the future. She told us later that night that her screams for help were heard throughout the neighborhood and several people did come running. The owner of the rotties as able to drag them back into the house so Annie could safely head back home. However, the owner was not the least bit apologetic and threatened her with obscenities to stay off her street. Now, that is ridiculous – the street is public and the dog owner has the obligation to keep her dogs on a leash or safely contained on her own property.
So Annie has bought several pepper sprays that come on a keyring to carry with her and defend herself in case those same dogs or any strays might come down the street while she is walking her dog. But she will staying on her own street now and we worry that she will be safe.
Get It Together Dude
A former boy friend got pulled over for drunk driving a few weeks ago. It wasn’t the first time, I’m sad to say, that was one reason that I stopped seeing him, the drinking would get the best of him much of the time, sigh… This time I believe that if he doesn’t get a good Criminal Defense Lawyers to represent him, he may be spending some time behind bars. I’m sure he was driving on a suspended license so I’m sure that this whole episode will cost him a chunk of change as well.
He moved out to California shortly after our break up, which ended pretty badly. His sister and I became fast friends and keep in touch via email on occasion. His latest misfortune has the whole family pretty well shook up, I wish him the best of luck in getting his life in order once and for all.
Airport Phobia
Wow it has been such a long time since I had anything to do with airplanes and airports, since 911 air travel has become such a hassle that I have completely shied away from flying, as so many other people have done since then. So when my BFF just announced that she will be flying in from Alabama for her niece’s high school graduation and that she needed me to pick her up from the airport, I almost fell over.
Don’t get me wrong I would do anything for my long time BFF (best friends since the 4th grade and still going strong after all these years) but just the thought of all the issues that go along with airports just gets my tummy all in knots. I mean let’s face it the jfk parking issue is enough to get me all in a tizzy much less finding the right terminal. What really freaks me out is if the flight is delayed then what would I do in the mean time? If it was just for a short time, like an hour or two, I could handle that. I would of course bring a book, but I can only sit and read for so long.
What ever it takes I’ll do it, don’t mean to sound like I’m boo hooing about it all. After sitting here thinking and writing about it it does sound pretty petty, never knew I had such an airport phobia……