Dancing

Epic Moment: John Every & Love Shack

Fall

It was a gorgeous day today for the "last mow"


Not gorgeous enough however to revive this.


Spring is in 7 months.

I'm Ready

SO ready for the adventure..

Merry Christmas to Us!

We three ...

Are going here

An Open Letter to Compassion International

I was wondering if you could do something for me. Could you please post an ad similar to this?

RETIREMENT OPPORTUNITY:

Is God telling you that He wants you to work for Him? Is your faithwalk yearning for an opportunity to serve Him in a real way? If you have answered yes, Compassion International may be your answer.

If you will commit to a year of service at one of Compassion's ministries in the Dominican Republic, you will be given a position and [free] lodging. You will be able to work with underpriviledged children (maybe even the child you sponsor!) You will have an opportunity to make a difference in children's lives. You will be able to share the Word of God. And, your life will be Blessed tenfold.

We are especially looking for volunteers who are knowledgeable in computer programming, databases and web design. Older women who love children are preferred. Speaking Spanish is a bonus, but will be taught as necessary. Lodging is guaranteed to be free of bugs, bats, snakes and other reptiles.

If God is calling you, please call us at 1-800-for-kids.

Maybe.

I am thinking about this:

Watching virtual tours like this:

And spending an incredible amount of time doing this:

That is what I am doing.

Who Needs a Truck?

Hi ho, hi ho, it's to GoodWill I go...


4 bags of shoes - 1 bag of clothes.

And then when I get home, I get to work on this:

LB's coming home today!

Tired

I've come to the very sad conclusion that there is nothing for me to blog about. My life consists of work. Work at home. Work at school. Work. Work. Work. I need to work evenings to be ready for the next day of work. I need to work weekends to be prepared for the next week of work. It's only Week 4 and I am t-i-r-e-d.

It's a fact that:

• I have 5 classes this semester
• Each class has 20+ students
• Each class has approximately two assignments per week

Let's do the math... 20 * 5 * 2 = 200!

200 assignments to wade through every week. And 100 students to deal with. And five classes to prep for. Dang, no WONDER I am tired.

Sooooo - maybe I'll talk to you again come December 23rd.

AppleFest 2009: Monday Update

Yesterday was the Applefest Parade - which is also close to my house.

One more night for the beer tent. What a gorgeous sunset, huh?

And today, aside from a handful of port-a-potties, an ice wagon, and one lone carnival food trailer, the party is definitely over.

I will be honest. I am glad to not see that big tent anymore.

Goodbye Applefest 2009~!

AppleFest 2009: Wednesday Update

Generator? Check.
Beer trucks? Check.
Noise level? A tad annoying; not too bad.



Snow fence? Check.
Band Stage? Check.

Bar Area? Check.
Port-a-potties for those that use bar area? Check.

Camper for 'royalty' to hang out in? Check.

-- CG would know exactly what is done in the camper)

People preparing? Check.

-- (although I think they are also using the Bar Area and therefore the port-a-potties as well)

FYI? You wouldn't believe some of the 'happenings' I've seen going on behind the King Apple Tent. To tell you would be TMI.

Tomorrow, the fest begins!

AppleFest 2009: Tuesday Update

Tuesday

10:30 am

the tent arrives

Tuesday

11:30 am

the tent is UP

That tent is three times bigger than my house.

AppleFest 2009: Tuesday AM

7:30 am

The carnies arrived yesterday while I was at work all day.

7:30 am
The garbage cans, some picnic tables and snow fence are here.

9:30 am

This morning, the electricity.

He didn't like that I was taking his pic. And yes, he IS in my driveway.

More changes are coming - even as I "speak".

Project: How Stupid Am I?

Project: How Stupid Am I?

Project Purpose: To inform IT Web & Software Developer students regarding the relevancy of General Studies courses/Soft Skills to our core curriculum

Project Implementation:
This will be a "real life" practical application of the soft skills that are needed in the workplace.

The instructor (me) will do many things wrong SPORADICALLY throughout the semester with the idea of:

a) [hopefully] having students call me on it
b) emotionally involving the students to trigger a serious learning experience
c) involving students
d) providing relevancy to other courses
e) teaching them to be aware and take things seriously
f) exposure to how it FEELS when they are in a room where there is a confrontation - I would love to make them squirm
g)
h)
i)
...

Project Materials: Only 1 so far. A DUNCE CAP that says, "How Stupid Am I?" to don after project idea implementation. Ha!

Project Ideas:

• send email with typos (written communication)
• steal company supplies (ethics)
• show and discuss a bogus website (critical thinking)
• Facebook inappropriate materials (ethics)
• stage a confrontation with a student (psychology)
• comment re women: "you know guys, there is a good reason there are no women in your classes. We just don't Have It when it comes to math/programming." (sociology)
• come to class late looking like I just got out of bed with a BAD attitude (psychology-bad attitude affects everyone)
• more
• more
• more

Friday Fill In

[stolen] From Violet:

1. I cannot stand you and your boneheaded ways
2. You're headed in the wrong direction if you cheat in my class.
3. meat or cake are two very different food choices.
4. Beef stew reminds me of fall.
5.if you don't ask you will never know.
6. She loved sitting on the porch, looking out over a field of beautiful and colorful flowers.
7. When I drive my car I am escaping from my life, sitting, driving, talking to myself, and not counting the miles, if I don’t stop I may end up being able to dip my toes in the Gulf of Mexico!

bees (1)

My life is nothing but exciting. Truly. Can't you tell?

A few weeks ago as I was mowing, I got stung by a bee. QUICKLY I ran in the house and had LB remove the stinger. It hurt. A lot.

When I settled down a bit, I went out to finish mowing and saw more bees. Upon further inspection I realized I had discovered [da da daaaaa] an u n d e r g r o u n d b e e h i v e. Quickly I had LB google what to do. Gas? Fire? Bleach? Ahhh, let's think about it.

Meanwhile, my sting was feeling like someone was continuously sticking a pin in my arm. I applied a poultice with baking soda and water. I SHOULD have had meat tenderizer to take the venom out.

That sting swelled. And it swelled. And swelled. And it got hot. Very hot. That thing was hot for 5 days. And it swelled to at least five times it's size. Thank heavens LB was there to quickly remove the stinger or I am sure it would have been much worse.

Well, I don't go out in the back yard much now that I don't have a dog, so I kind of forgot about the underground bee hive. Until Saturday when I mowed. The hole had doubled in size. Bees in and out, in and out all day. I didn't mow near it.

The time had come to take action. After more research I decided to forgo the gas/torch method. Oh how I would love to see them burn. But the nest is about five feet away from my bedroom window and I was afraid I'd torch the house. What next? Well, it seemed the simplest solution I found was just placing a glass jar over the hole. I guess the glass makes the bees think they can fly so they won't dig. And within a couple of days the trapped bees are supposed to DIE.

Last night was the night. Never EVER try to deal with bees during the day. Wait until night time when they are not flying around, and when they are all in their nest (waiting to die bwahh ha ha ...)

So, here I am - armed and dangerous:



I expected to wake up this morning hearing a LOUD buzzing noise outside my window. At 7:30 AM, there was no activity at all. I guess too cold and too dark. What a disappointment!

When I came home this evening, here's what I saw:


They are trapped, although I had visions of a bee-coated jar. This just isn't as exciting as I imagined.

Maybe tomorrow ?

Labor Day Weekend

Updated 9/7/2008 (6:15 PM) - ugh it's been a busy weekend. I am tired. But PRODUCTIVE~!
Updated 9/6/2009 (9:00 PM)
Updated 9/5/2009 (4:50 PM)
Updated 9/4/2009 (5:20 PM)
Updated 9/4/2009 (1:50 PM)
Updated: 9/3/2009 (8:36 PM)

I will be laboring on Labor Day weekend. To be honest, I cannot wait to:

1. clean myroom
2. clean LB's room (this isn't gonna happen)
3. clean CG's room
4. clean kitchen
5. recycleables
6. mow grass
7. weed wack
8. kill underground bee hive (IN PROCESS)
9. [resurface driveway?] (this isn't gonna happen this weekend either)
10. garden
11. get two weeks ahead on class 152-144 (one week?)
12. get two weeks ahead on class 152-155 (one day?)
13. get two weeks ahead on class 152-114 (one week?)
14. prepare packages for Ingrid
15. send one package to Ingrid
16. get the notary signature I need
17. laundry (lots and lots)
18. stuff to Goodwill
19. dig into the basement. Ugh. This will be baaaad. (maybe later on this month?)
20. redo the bathroom:

• paint
• new shower curtain
• new flooring (purchased)
• new ???
• decorate

Wish me luck?

Happy 20th Birthday LB!!!

Here's the Question:

How did this cute little baby girl ----

Grow up to be this beautiful young woman?

The story is below....

....

....

....

....

She didn't start out with blonde hair. As a matter of fact, when LB was born on August 15, 1989 her hair was brown and curly.

Obviously, that changed.

LB has always been a curious little nature girl. Bugs, worms, dead animals - not a problem.

This pic was taken during LB's "Michelle Look Alike" stage.

Dang - that sensitive light skin has always been somewhat of a problem...

Here's a classic LB expression - "I think I can, I think I can."

Her favorite food? Peanut Butter and Jelly. All. The. Time!

The tom boy type who also liked to foo foo.

That hair kept getting lighter and lighter, and those eyes bluer and bluer.

Bib overalls were a great way to "catch" her as she was always running.

And now changing fast from the toddler to little girl stage.

Here is evidence of LB's love for music - even from a very young age.

And, could this pic be any more precious?

LB - very athletic from the get go. And brave. And risky.

LB's face covered in mud. A tom boy moment.

First day of school.

Every girl goes through those awkward fluffy years, right?

Oh geez - and getting glasses didn't help matters!

Ahhh - a few years more and gorgeous again!



LB's classic dreamy-eyed "I am boy crazy" look.



LB has gone through several "looks" through the years.
And, several bad hair days/moments as well.

But she always emerges a beauty!

Then came, bad hair + ATTITUDE!

Here's the classic LB "You are sooooo annoying" look.

Along with the, "I am really a nerd" look.

And then the discovery of her super powers. Please note the "ROCK STAR" fake diamond necklace?

In her teen years, LB became a bit of a pain in the patoot. I know that is my hand. And I know it was there for a good reason.

More High School teenage-ness.

... and less makeup! No more blue mascara and blue liner. ha!

Prom.

Graduation.

Happy 2oth Birthday to my LB.

You will always be REMARKABLE to me.

And, you will ALWAYS be my baby.

xx oo

Mom

denial

I am in denial ~

• that summer is ending
• that school is starting
• that LB is leaving
• that I will no longer be able to sleep in
• that I will no longer be able to stay up as late as I want
• that I cannot take off on a whim to go anywhere I want
• that soon I will be owned by 100+ students
• that my evenings at home will be spent responding to emails and correcting assignments
• that I haven't learned JAVA good enough
• that the days are getting shorter
• that fall is coming and my flowers will wither and die
• that I need to get a new furnace asap

de⋅ni⋅al  /dɪˈnaɪəl/ [di-nahy-uhl] –noun
1. an assertion that something said, believed, alleged, etc., is false: Despite his denials, we knew he had taken the purse. The politician issued a denial of his opponent's charges.
2. refusal to believe a doctrine, theory, or the like.
3. disbelief in the existence or reality of a thing.
4. the refusal to satisfy a claim, request, desire, etc., or the refusal of a person making it.
5. refusal to recognize or acknowledge; a disowning or disavowal: the traitor's denial of his country; Peter's denial of Christ.
6. Law. refusal to acknowledge the validity of a claim, suit, or the like; a plea that denies allegations of fact in an adversary's plea: Although she sued for libel, he entered a general denial.
7. sacrifice of one's own wants or needs; self-denial.
8. Psychology. an unconscious defense mechanism used to reduce anxiety by denying thoughts, feelings, or facts that are consciously intolerable.

Here's for my very CONSCIOUS anxiety-reducing defense mechanism - denial.

Denial? Today you are my friend.

Not all are paved

“I love your hands, Ga-Ga,” I said.

She looked at her hands and laughed
quietly. “Do you know why my hands look like this?” she asked me.

“Arthur Itis?” I asked. It’s the kind of joke only the daughter of an
orthopedic surgeon appreciates.

“No,” Ga-Ga answered. “It’s because I’ve
been down many a road in my life. And not all of them were paved.”

Then
I laughed. Then I hugged her.

I couldn’t possibly love a person more.

from: The Pioneer Woman

blech

BLECH - that's all I have to say.
BLECH!!!

back home

Goodbye Holiday Inn #1000 ~ and thank you.



Goodbye San Antonio Airport and bright blue sky (and dry air-not so much).



Yum - HELLO huevos rancheros! Had to have this at least once before I came home. It did not disappoint.




Goodbye flying in the air and seeing the landscape,clouds, and cloud shadows.

Goodbye Rocky Mountains (in the distance)



Hellooooo again Mesa Verde restaurant. And thank you to Frontier Airlines for my free supper and $100 airfare voucher.

Good bye Denver - you sure look different than when you were Stapleton Airport.


The best thing about being home? Without a doubt - HUMIDITY!!!!

When I arrived at Mpls and walked outside I could breathe at last. The air here is thicker, richer, fuller - and the breeze actually "cools"! Love it.

After sleeping the day away while CG worked, we left for home. This building is in downtown St Paul - I thought it was very cool.


CG pretty much insisted on driving me home. This was a good thing - I believe I was on a 24-hour NyQuil high and driving felt like 'floating'. Thanks CG - she became quite an expert driver while she had my car for a week.

LB kept the house great while I was gone and my plants/flowers are still flourishing. Thanks LB.

Thank you God for non-turbulant flights and for keeping me safe.

And now? SLEEP. I've had a terrible horrible rotten cold for the last 6 days and feel pretty awful. The only thing I did NOT do while in San An though was make my way to a local Wal of Mart. For some reason only known to me (?) I just need to walk my way through the aisles of a Wal of Mart to get the "true" story of a place. Ha! Oh, and the Buckhorn? That was an intentional miss. Kind of a 'hallowed' place if you will - one to be shared with a specific someone.

Goodbye Texas and San Antonio. I was good to live my dream.

And now, it's back to reality.

San Antonio Day 7

Here's to my last day in San Antonio ~ and what a perfectly gorgeous day it was!

After a leisurely morning at the pool, sunning, swimming and floating, I prepared for my last San An adventure. By the way, I actually talked to someone today. Two people as a matter of fact.

Off I go to catch the Yellow Bus ...

note to CG and LB: even though I have a blister, I did NOT wear the dreaded
$3.00 crocs. They would have been a lot more comfy but WAY too hot.

I have to say, this last day really made my stay here complete. As I walked the river, every bend seemed to have something new and beautiful to admire. I walked and sat - tried to take it all in.



It's difficult to picture, but the entire river walk is like San Antonio's "basement" - all under ground level. To get to the riverwalk, you have to go down steps. Like these:



And going down to the river level, it looks like this. Here's where I started.


And following are scenes that captured my eye.



Those steel beams are supporting a road overhead.

Green, green, green !

There were several waterfalls on the way.

I liked the ivy climbing on that building.

Lots of different types of foliage.

I could imagine living in a place like this:

I love how the branches hang low over the river.

Remember Coyote Ugly? Here's the bar!

More waterfalls...

There are places along the Riverwalk to go up and down - loved the ceramic on these steps!

I actually took about 80 pics along the way - I just kept snapping and snapping. Everything caught my eye. It was beautiful and a perfect way to end my stay.

Oh, and I fine dined tonight here:



And shared a table with the gentleman below. He is 80, and he was on his way to work at the Alamo. He was full of stories about the town, the people, and also about football (Cowboys vs. Packers) back in the "glory years". Nice old guy!

Today, I officially retired my green floatie. After all, I am surely not going to bring it home with me. But it looks like I left my mark on San Antonio. See here?

The green floatie will live on!

San Antonio Day 6

My second to the last full day here! Ohhhh what to do? What to do?

Well, first and foremost, try to NOT look like a tourist.


Then, walk to the store to buy provisions (vitamin water, DayQuil, Pringles) and something else that is sure to be $3.99 worth of fun!

And,


It


Was!

Doesn't take too much to make this girl happy. Just give me some sun, a pool, and an airmattress to float around on and I was/am happy as a clam!

Tonight I was hungry for seafood but I didn't want to go all the way downtown. So I walked here:

Unfortunately, I am not in the mood to drink alone. But look!

YUM!!!

I've been walking the same path "home" all these days and tonight was the first time I noticed this:

The men on the ladders, in the wheelchair, painters, etc are not real; they were painted on.

Oh and PS - the lions aren't real either. hehe

San Antonio Day 5

After yesterday's haitus just hanging around at the pool, I decided to go adventuring today.
Trying to not look like a San Antonio tourist, day #5.



I hadn't been to a zoo for 18 years (last time was LB's 2nd birthday in Milwaukee) so today was the day! After taking the yellow bus from the hotel, I spent awhile here at Streetcar Station waiting for #7. By the way, the Alamo is just a block down from here.

It seems like I waited a looooonng time, so I amused myself by taking some photos of the pretty mosaics.

Finally the bus came, and I arrived at the zoo. After waiting so long for #7, I had considered walking. That would have been a bad decision.

Pretty, huh? I think I am a foliage lover.

I also think I have a sick fascination with snakes.

See?

Here's a secret - the snakes were the main reason I wanted to go to the zoo.

In real life I am scared to death of snakes. They are right up there with bats.


But, when they are behind glass, I become very brave.

And the deepest darkest secret of all? I dream about the kind of snakes below. Ewww. I know, I know...


Okay, enough of the reptile house!



I also knew that today at 1:30 they were publicly feeding the crocodiles.

Well, these little guys weren't even close to 1000 pounds or 9 feet long, but it was interesting to watch.

Another very cool thing? These are bamboo reeds(?) - like the little bamboo shoots you can grow as houseplants. When the wind came through them, they made the most awesome sounds; a pleasant hollow clacking sound. Like a wind chime. Only trees.

I think this guy was giving me the "hairy eyeball".

When I was on the #7 going to the zoo, I saw something from the bus I missed previously. So I went back.

This is a monument called The Alamo Cenotaph to honor the sacrifices made at the Alamo.

A hotel - by the Alamo. Like I said, there's history and then hotels and shops on the same block. Weird.

Back waiting for the yellow bus --- yes, those are my feet. Thought I'd provide some proof that yes, I actually AM here. ha!

I had the bus drop me off at Market Square so I could look around again. I like the atmosphere at Market Square. It's fun! And I thought these pashimas were beautiful.

On my walk back to the hotel -- I really love the white of this building against the blue of the sky.

Back home, safe and sound.

Oh, one thing I've learned is to always bring a sweater. The buses are FREEZING as are most of the shops. Sheesh!

Below, is a pic I took from the deck of my hotel room. You can see that white building in the distance. I picked a GREAT hotel ~ verrrry lucky move.

And, at night. This pic doesn't do the view a bit of justice!

San Antonio Day 4

I am gonna lay low today. Probably right here:

San Antonio Day 3

San Antonio - Day three in pics.

Here's me trying not to look like a tourist again. But, I have a feeling that taking 93 pics today pretty much gave me away.




Today's adventure was to see the Alamo again.


Now, I tried to capture the spot in my memory that I was looking at all those years ago, but am not sure I found it. The Alamo is in a weird spot. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens as shown here. I walked through all of the gardens ~ it was lovely.



So, yes it is in a weird spot because right across the street is a mess of buildings, restaurants and stores. Here is where I ate lunch.



And within the Alamo block is a shopping center. Here's the path I walked to the RiverCenter Mall.



And, it was just a mall. Same stores as we have and nothing at all exciting about it. That was until I found this:

The mall is now in the background. I walked over the bridge and found what I'd been looking for...

Ahhh... they built the mall around the RiverWalk. Very cool.

I saw a lot of gondola type of boats floating around and thought it looked like fun. I walked just a few blocks down to the river, purchased a ticket and here I am - ready to "ride the river".


I took many pics on the route.

The 5 bells represent the five Cathedrals (I think) in San Antonio.

As you can see, everything is built around the river.


Very peaceful and nice...


More miscellaneous on the river pics to follow:

See where we are going? To the RiverCenter Mall (where I had been before). Much much nicer on the boat.

One thing I will be sure to do before I leave here is to walk the route the boat took. It is sooo pretty!

And here is my favorite pic of the day. I took the bus home (back to the hotel that is) and saw this. It says, "Dedicated to the Memory of Rosa Parks".

It surely made me smile.

Oh, I didn't really feel like shopping, but I DID buy myself a T-shirt. After all, 9 is my fav #!


As tomorrow is Saturday, I haven't made a plan yet. I am wondering if everything will be much busier on the weekend and if I should perhaps lay around the pool all day? Gee whiz - tough decisions, huh? :-)

San Antonio Day 2

After a good night of sleep and a quick dip in the pool this morning, I present...

The day in pictures...

Here I am trying to not look like a tourist:

Lunch which was very yummy:

Authentic Mexican Food and atmosphere:

Here is The Farmers Market where I thought I was going to purchase fresh produce.

Here is what was actually sold:

I did find a couple of T-shirts for LB though (te he):

Okay --- on to Market Square:

Market Square pretty much looked like this:

... and most stores sold stuff like this:

And now for the unbelievable! Lookey lookey what I found in San Antonio!!!!!!

Pretty incredible, huh?

All of this was well within walking distance of my hotel. Very hot here today and I loved it. I think tomorrow is The Alamo!

I made it

It was a lonnnng day, but I made it!

First to Denver - here's the airport:


Then to San Antonio - here's a cool sunset pic I took from the plane.

And best of all, I am PLEASANTLY surprised by my room. It is LOVELY!!!

Let's hope for some more exciting pics as my vacation progresses... these are way boring. But...

I'm HERE! :-)

Home Again

Brat Days 2009 was a success!

We had a good time, but for CG who wasn't/isn't feeling well at all. Poor girl.

We liked Sheboygan! If I go again, I'd like to stay here:

Let's just say it is many steps above where we actually stayed.

And let's just leave it at that!

anonymous

Okay, so I really have spent way too much time reading blogs this summer.




I always thought I could 'write' - as it turns out, I can put a sentence together and usually spell correctly. But 'write' I cannot.




The bloggers I have read certainly have a gift. Some for humor, some for prose, some for stories, some for their shining examples of faith, and others for taking the mundane and making it interesting. I am wowed daily by the creativity, imagination, honesty, incredible wit and heartfelt feelings I read.




But I guess that qualifies me as a 'lurker' because I seldom leave comments. And when I do comment, I pretty much learned another valuable lesson about the power of words (or in my case one word.) I am definitely not ready for the blogger big leagues!



Carry on bloggers! I am learning so much and enjoying being a lurker. It's a yellow M&Ms worth of fun!

Road Trip!

I am heading out this weekend on a road trip with the girl children, and I just KNOW it's gonna be exciting because we are going to...

How it all began...



It all began in the 19th century when sausage found its way to
Sheboygan through German settlers. Over the years the ancient Roman tradition of
cooking them over an open flame has been kept alive by the people of Sheboygan.
Though, no one will ever understand the phrase "Brat Fry", because they are
grilled. Brats continue to be the focal point of the community.



The first festival was held in 1953 in downtown Sheboygan. Back then it was
a common sight to see streets renamed Bratwurst Boulevard and Seemel Strasse.
Horse drawn wagons were also seen in the annual parade. After holding it for
more than 13 years, the decision was made to cancel it because the crowds had
become too big for the city's downtown to handle.



In 1978, the festival was revitalized!
http://www.bratdays.org/index.php

... and thank heavens for that I say because how else would the girl children and I do this?






(you have got to enlarge this photo so you can get the story straight from Fritz and Helga!)

"Ya hey - we sur are dem big eaters on da block and for sur wanna have us
sum o that clean holsum fun with der little bit a gluttony. Ya sure, yu
betcha! "

I hear that the serious brat eaters stuff the brat and bun in a glass of water so it gets all mushy and then stuff down as many as they can. Ewww. Only in WI, eh? Uffda.




Oh, and just look at the variety of good and nutritious offerings from the Brat Days Menu:





Brat on a Stick


Single Brat


Double Brat


Turkey Brat on a Stick


Single Turkey Brat


Double Turkey Brat


Original Festy Single Hamburger


Original Festy Double Hamburger


Cheddar/Bacon Festy Single Hamburger


Cheddar/Bacon Festy Double Hamburger


Brat Lasagna


Brat Jambalaya






The REAL reason we are going is this.














Now, this is LB's second fav band. And I'm just thinkin' that she must be pretty darn loyal since they haven't made an album in FIVE years and the cost to see them is a $5.00 General Admission fee. Ahem.



I'm looking forward to spending time with my girls, and I LOVE road trips. LB will be so excited for Eve 6 that she'll be in a good mood. LB in a good mood is a Good Thing. CG is 90% of the time in a good mood, so that is another good thing. And CG and LB always have a great time together. Me? Well... I have fun watching them together (lots of sisterly love going on) listening to them laugh outrageously, and wondering if they are laughing at me.

Why would they ever have cause to laugh at ME?

"I mean I raised dem der girls to be honst and respecful don'tcha no?
Uffda!"

This is Serious

http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

San Antonio

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE:
I did it. I booked airfare and hotel.
I am leaving Wed, Aug 5 and coming back Wed, Aug 12.
My name is now "Lolita San Antonio"!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



For a long while, I've had a memory. I am about nine years old, and standing on the bricked patio area outside of the Alamo. I looked to my right and remember this breathtaking-to-me vision of a gently flowing river with trees draping over the river's edge. In my nine-year-old mind I said, "I need to come back here when I am older." I've never forgotten it; the vision or the thought.

So, here's the thing... do I live out my dream or not? Let's try the Pro/Con angle:




PRO

• I want to fulfill my promise to myself





• the cost for 7 days and 6 nights is about $618.00 which seems like a great deal. Aside from food, I don't think I will spend a lot of $ when I am there





• It will be HOT. It is July and I am sitting here in pants and a sweatshirt. I want summer!!!





• It will be a "working" vacation. I will play during the day and work on my JAVA class in the evenings. Truly I will. I have no desire to do the bar scene. Plus, I feel more comfortable being all snug in my room after dark. Free WiFi.





• I can relax by the pool and soak up some sun





• Even though there are cheap trolleys to catch, I can walk a lot if I choose. Good exercise





• there are many free things to see and do there. The Riverwalk. And, I want to go to the zoo.





• there is a day bus trip to a HUGE outlet mall (shopping!)





• I really love being in a new town and being totally anonymous





• I love exploring and I think it will be REALLY beautiful there





• I have often wondered if I might relocate to Texas after I retire





• could it qualify as a 50th BD present to myself?





• I really want to "get the heck out of Dodge"





• the timing is good for myself and for the girl-children (I think) - CG can have my car for a week.

CON

• it costs money that I have, but feel guilty spending





• I hate to fly





• it seems like the prices change every hour and I am worried that I am not seeing any hidden costs





• who will make sure my flowers don't wither and die?





• I hate to fly





• I don't sleep so great in a hotel room. But big deal.





• I have to admit, I am slightly anxious about doing this alone even though I've successfully done it before





• what about the Swine Flu?





• I hate to fly





• what if I find GREAT deals all over the place and spend, spend, spend?





• I could die on the plane. But really, if God wants to take my hand and welcome me to Heaven, I am pretty much ready to go.





• I should save this money for a trip to the Dominican Republic to meet Ingrid.





• did I mention I HATE to fly?

July Garden

Here's where I've been...

... right outside my back door.

I love summer!

PSA

Public Service Announcement (#2)

PSA

Public Service Announcement for all women who ride bikes (the pedal kind) and end up feeling "uncomfortable" - aka a 'hot' feeling akin to a UTI.

Meet the Women's RX Saddle!





It's pretty obvious from looking at it why it alleviates that certain friction, right? I gave the ole RX it's first try today and I am happy to report, so far so good!



This is a very GOOD thing because I emphatically do NOT want to resort to being seen in these.

After all, I DO want to ride my bike in public!

Vacation?

Today's "vacation project" - the garage.


Almost as bad as the "dreaded basement".







I had accumulated a lot of junk.

Here I am on the way to the dump.

I am channeling The Clampetts.

The local dump. I spend a significant amount of time/money here.

And here's the garage ready for a spray down bath.





I don't have a "finished product" to show you. It's still drying. And after all, who wants to see pics of my garage?

Oh Man - I Crack Myself Up!

So, LB gets her haircut today. She comes home and says, "I look just like CG!"




hhhmmm.... not so much.









well, MAYBE???









Sorry girls - I think I might have too much time on my hands!





But I gotta tell ya ~ I haven't laughed this hard since I first heard Gladys.

Prophetic

Guess who had a rummage sale LAST weekend? That would be LB and friends.






Guess who still has tables in her driveway and cannot park her car in the garage? That would be me.






Guess who has to maneuver an obstacle course to get to the basement door?






Guess who takes her life into her own hands when walking to the laundry room?

Guess who comes upstairs and trips over even more rummage?

Guess who's living room is a trashed mess?






Guess who's bedroom is ALWAYS a trashed mess?

And guess who is a prophet?

That would be me with this post who said, "I don't see this going away anytime soon."


Is it August yet?

MIA

Who says teachers don't work in the summer? Curriculum development. Due June 1. Did you know that WIDS is a 4-letter-word?

Summer Vaca - Day 1 (the jungleS)

It was a jungle out there...

Otherwise known as: "A single Woman Who Didn't Mow Her Grass Until School Was Done"

(you really must click on these pics to see the gloriousness of the weeds)

Obviously, there was a lot of work to be done.

... and very nice that I could smell these while I mowed (and mowed, and mowed...)

Can you tell how long the grass/weeds are?

This is where I had to stop and put MORE gas in the mower.

And finallty, after about two hours, I was done.

Don't look too close at this o
ne... there are still a lot of weeds-even going over it twice!

It is also a jungle IN HERE.

Guess who's moved home for the summer?






This is an example of LB's "stuff" that was moved from her apartment.


It doesn't even include the other "stuff" that is laying all over her room.

I don't see this going away anytime soon.

I wonder if I could mow this too?

I am SO done!

Can you see how happy we are?




Here are my peers and I at graduation last Friday.



We'd have been EVEN happier if our grades were in.









Here's my favorite NTO student.



We are both Women in Non-Traditional Occupations (NTO).













And this? I don't even know what this is aside from the fact that RED is my favorite color!















GOOD BYE SPRING SEMESTER 2009.






I AM SOOOOO DONE WITH YOU!!!

Susan and I are Swinging on a Star!!!

Susan Boyle ~~~ I think she is LOVELY and verrrry talented!

In any other year, at any other time, it’s possible that Susan Boyle’s story would just be a nice Cinderella type of tale that reminds us you can’t judge a book by its cover. However, this year, in the midst of a global recession, with so many hard-working people unemployed and out of luck, Susan’s story transcends the cynically colored glasses by which we now view humanity’s successes.



Yes, she has an incredible talent most of us do not have, but if someone with a story like Susan’s can overcome what she’s lived through to become an instant star, then perhaps each of us can persevere and make good on our dreams.



If ever we needed Susan Boyle, we needed her now.

Taken from http://societrends.com/2009/04/15/our-dreams-boyle-over/



Yeah, I WISH I could sing as well as Susan. But recently I've been trying to sing again. A friend introduced me to this site: http://www.singsnap.com/, and it is a LOT of fun! It's like online karaoke. But private. So I can sing into my computer with no one around, and then I can listen when no one is around. Perfect!




I recently recorded this little ditty for my daughter LB (it used to be one of her favorites). I am going to try to post it here so maybe she can listen to it. Don't expect any more singing from me though... I tried to sing Susan's "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables and it was MISERABLE for sure!


Let's see if this works:(push "A" to see the lyrics)

Not Me Monday - May 4

"Not Me Monday" is a blog carnival that is hosted (on Mondays-ha!) by MckMama over at My Charming Kids.



So here's my second not me Monday:

• I did not spend (waste?) 3-4 hours singing into my computer screen after I was told by a friend about this site
• I did not go into the "dreaded basement" to find one inch of water soaking the floor of my basement bathroom and the adjoining carpet
• I did not drill a hole in the ceiling and watch water pour out for one solid hour
• I did not go without water and everything plumbing related all weekend because I wanted to wait until Monday to call the plumber, because I am NOT cheap (aka frugal)
• I did not do yard work until I could do no more and leave a mess like this until after school is done
• I did not buy pumpkin bars and eat them all because I was depressed about not being able to wash my hands and take a shower
• I am not a comfort sweet eater
• I am not considering renting an apartment so I can call the landlord and say, "excuse me but could you please come and fix ______", and then go shopping
• I did not spend over 20 hours correcting last week and do not still feel that I didn't work enough
• I did not "whatever" my daughter because that would be just plain rude (even if she did deserve it)
• And I am certainly not a bad homeowner because I failed to discover the basement water leak two months ago.

My thumb doesn't look too green, but at least it's clean now

Isn't it amazing how this (as it looks today)...



...will become this (in a month or two)?



It was a great day for gardening today. But I did miss my PJ Man who used to be my outside companion.


And thankfully I have a very nice bro and sis-in-law who let me take a shower at their house tonight. I have no water. BUT - that's another story for another time. All I can say right now is I am so very thankful for soap, water, and a nail brush.

this

As I was driving home tonight I saw this.

(yes, I took this while driving 65mph down the Interstate)







This may not seem like much to you, but I wait for this ALL WINTER LONG!







What's this?


It's the Mississippi River finally saying that spring is finally here.


It's the buds that have turned into leaves.


It's the green hue on the bluffs.






This makes me smile!

A lot!!!

Well, as a matter of fact I do!

Yes!


As a matter of fact I DO have another daughter!





Lest you all think I have forgotten, I will introduce you to her.



Here is my youngest girl, LB.







She's a beauty, huh?






I call her LB because of this:







... and because it really tees her off! Ha!




Let's hear you everyone. Repeat after me ... "Hi BEAN!!!"






You will need to wait for her birthday to see how cute she was when she was a little girl.



Aw shooot, here's a sneak peak! Wasn't she a cutie?











So I've been remiss as a mom.






But today I sent something to LB.

It has a little something to do with this:











And perhaps something to do with this:











And hopefully when she gets it she will do this:










I am reasonably sure she reads my blog.



So, be looking for a box, ok Bean?



xx oo,



Mom

Happy Birthday CG!

April 28, 1987 (the prettiest baby in the nursery- that's what they said!)

Cute, sweet little baby girl!

Here's CG at three.

She only gets cuter!

And, here is the middle school version. Still cute, just a little different.

Then, she became a princess.

Ahhh - high school and thinking of living in Germany for a year~!

CG meets Joan Collins (prom 2004)

Graduation pic






And now...

But, you will always and forever be my baby.

My CG.

My little Rosebud.










Happy 22nd Birthday and lots of love.

xx oo Mom

Eight Things

Purejoy tagged me and I have never been tagged before, so I am gonna do it.

Tag. I'm it.

Here's how 8 THINGS works:- Mention the person that tagged you.- Complete the lists of 8's.- Tag 8 of your wonderful bloggy friends.- Go tell them you tagged them!

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO:

1. school ending
2. hot summer days
3. gardening and yardwork
4. thunderstorms
5. driving with my top down
6. sleeping until whenever
7. staying up until whenever
8. summer sunsets

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY: (boring enough?)

1. slept kind of late
2. worked from 1:00 pm to 11:3o pm
3. prepped SQL ALTER code
4. prepped SQL DROP TABLE code
5. prepped SQL UPDATE code
6. prepared 2 big SQL handouts and an assignment
7. graded 25 exams
8. graded 25 assignments

8 THINGS I WISH I COULD DO:

1. I wish I could sing like I used to
2. I wish I had enough cash on hand to pay for 85% of my girls' college tuition
3. I wish could lose enough weight to weigh 120 pounds
4. I wish I could never have another panic attack
5. I wish I could decide to do something and then carry it through
6. I wish I could travel down the Mississippi from here to the gulf of Mexico
7. I wish I could easily quit smoking
8. I wish I could live Happily Ever After

8 SHOWS I WATCH: (I don't watch TV now, but I used to watch)

1. Leave it to Beaver
2. Bewitched
3. My Three Sons
4. Wild Wild West
5. The Big Valley
6. I Dream of Jeannie
7. As the World Turns
8. Little House on the Prairie

8 BLOGGERS TAGGED: (I don't know 8 bloggers, but here goes...)

1. Jennisa
2. Lee Ann
3. uummm... that's about it!
   

it was a quiet conversation