Booby

Since painting the family room, we are slowly hanging pictures on the walls and putting other stuff back where it belongs. Right now we have a medium-sized trunk sitting in the middle of the room and on top of it are several stuffed animals; all bears except for one yellow Peep bunny and a Blue Footed Booby. Thus the picture...

The Booby, in case you are wondering, can be found only on the Galapagos Islands (and in the middle of my family room, for now). I really like our Booby, but he is a reminder of the unfinished projects we need to complete. Most of them I am unable to do without Vickie's help. I'm pretty good at scrapbooking and cross-stitching, but you definitely want to keep saws or other plug-in tools away from me. Maybe the Booby will motivate us this weekend...

Feast One Hundred & Fifty Nine
Appetizer

Using only one word, how does grocery shopping make you feel?

Hungry

Soup

What is your favorite part about the season of Autumn?

The leaves changing color

Salad

Have you ever had any bad experiences online?

Not really. I hate when I get all those "enlarge your penis" emails, but I don't think that really counts as a bad experience.

Main Course

Name three things that make you happy daily.

Other than Vickie & Shannon...

1. the birdies and squirrels in our backyard

2. not having to go to my old job any more

3. the touch-lamp on my desk

Dessert

What one household cleansing or organizing item would you not want to be without?

A dustpan and the little broom that comes with it. (I'm always sweeping up kitty litter.)

Karma and School

I'd have to agree with Autumn Zephyr's statement about college; I feel like I've been going since I graduated from high school in 1984 and still don't have any type of degree. I've got tons of credits - probably enough for at least a Bachelor's, but just not all in the same field.

I've been pretty diligent about my latest scholastic endeavors, though. I finally settled on pursuing a degree as a surgical technician and I only have 3 classes left before I can actually start the program! This upcoming semester I'll be taking Microbiology (with lab) and Intro to Windows (yawn). My remaining class is only offered in the winter or spring, so I'll take it then.

I spent all day today doing the "job hunt" thing. I've applied everywhere, including online, but haven't heard from anyone yet. I'm trying to remain positive about the whole thing, and I have been getting quite a bit done around the house and that's always a good thing. I just keep hoping that some of that good karma will come my way soon!

LABOR day weekend

Vic and I spent our Labor Day weekend painting the living room (or the family room, depending on who you talk to). It was an icky shade of pukey tan. It is now a bright and cheery shade of Moonlit Yellow with an accent wall of Blustery Day Blue and Ultra Pure White trim. It looks about a trillion times better now. It would've been nice to just sit and relax, but now that it's done, I'm really glad we painted.

Martha

I went to Michael's yesterday to get a few unneeded items and use my 40% off coupon before it expired. So I picked up some pretty string from the Martha Stewart collection and took my purchases to cashier lady. Cashier lady told me that I could not use my coupon on any Martha Stewart items because Martha doesn't accept coupons of any kind.

Okay, first of all, who even knew Martha started dabbling in scrapbook stuff? I thought she was strictly pots, pan, over-priced magazine and sheets queen. And second, who knew Martha was so hard up that she needed my $1.60 and therefore would not accept my coupon? Bless her heart. I had no idea things were so tough for Martha. I guess once you're an ex-con, nobody will give you a break.

Feast One Hundred & Fifty Eight
Appetizer
Who is the easiest person for you to talk to?
Vickie. Always.

Soup
If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?
Not a clue. Maybe Rome. Definitely a place where I was royalty, though.

Salad
What is the most exciting event you’ve ever witnessed?
Magglio Ordonez's walk-off homerun that sent the Tigers to the World Series. That was on TV, though. In person, I'd probably have to go with Hurricane Ivan in 2005.

Main Course
If you were a celebrity, what would you do for a publicity stunt?
I'd do something good for animals. Maybe I could be the UN ambassador for animal rights. Angelina & I could sit next to each other on the UN jet and I could find out what the hell she was thinking when she wore Billy Bob's blood in a vile around her neck.

Dessert
What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?
Late 20's. I think everyone should have pets first, though.

Odds & Ends

* I decided that my next book is going to be Daisy Fay & the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg. I wanted something light and humorous to occupy the next couple of weeks before school starts back up. I had forgotten about this book and found it on the bookcase while I was cleaning. What a nice surprise!

* I've been trying to exercise more and I think I'm doing pretty well, so far. I've been alternating bike riding and the treadmill. I can definitely feel the difference in my thighs.

* I got my hair cut shorter for the rest of the summer and Vic gave me the Miss Clairol treatment the other night. I'm not sure if we grabbed the wrong box or if the shorter length of my hair makes a difference, but my hair is now a lot darker; it's almost a reddish-brown color. I like it and it's nice to have hair that I don't have to fuss with.

* I've been scouring the papers and the internet for a new job, but no success yet. It's really hard to get a hospital job for some reason. I think it's one of those "you gotta know somebody" type deals. I'm getting a little frustrated. But I must say that I'm really enjoying the time off of work. I've been organizing like crazy and I'm getting almost-finished projects finished. I think next week I'll have to just give in and start painting. I absolutely hate painting! I just suck at it. Why can't I cross-stitch the walls instead?

* You know how you'll discover a food that's been around forever, but that you never really tried and now you eat it all the time? No? Well, I have and it's flavored Twizzlers. Who knew?

Finished

This turned out to be a pretty productive weekend as far as projects go. First I finished our London scrapbook. We took the trip in March '05, so finally getting the scrapbbook of our trip finished was quite an accomplishment. It seemed like there was always something to keep me from working on the book, but at the beginning of last week I decided I was thru looking at it and spent almost every night in the the craft room. Now I can finally get started on the every day journal of our life. I'm only 2 years behind!

I also finally finished the last Harry Potter book. It was definitely one of the best books in the series. Finishing it was kind've sad, though, because this means there won't be any more Harry books to read. I really became quite attached to him and the rest of the gang over the years. I'm not sure what I'll read next. I'm leaning toward either a Martha Grimes book or one of James Patterson's.

Rainy Weekend

I just got home from my bike ride in the park and it looks like I just beat the rain. It's thundering & lightning something fierce outside right now. I'm glad I'm home for Shannon, because when it's thundering out, she gets to be the size of a chihuahua.

If it's not raining in the morning, Vic & I are going to try to do hit a few garage sales. We keep saying we're going to go some weekend, but haven't yet.

Feast One Hundred & Fifty Seven
Appetizer Say there’s a book written about your life. Who would you want to narrate the audio version?
Sigourney Weaver or Stockard Channing

Soup Take the letters from your favorite kind of nut and write a sentence. (Example: Perhaps every avenue needs understanding today.)
All little monkeys open new doors.

Salad If you could go back in time and spend one week in another decade, which decade would you choose?
The late 1800s, but only if I was very rich.

Main Course Name a song that brings back memories for you.
"Rock Me Amadeus" It was very popular while I was living in Germany and whenever I hear it I think of my time spent overseas.

Dessert Do you prefer to wash your hands in cold water or warm water?
Cold, I think.

Life of the Unemployed

I wasn't sure what life would be like after I quit my job, but now that I've been a kept-woman for just short of two weeks I must say that it feels like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. Of course a different "oh my god, how are we gonna pay the bills when the money runs out" burden has taken its place, but that's for a different blog. I was sooo incredibly stressed out by my job ~ not just the hours and the people, but I think I finally reached that burned-out point where you just can't take hearing about another person who was raped, or kids stealing cars, or people screaming at me that they need the police to discipline their children. I had become so jaded and distrustful of everyone I met. I really needed to get away from the whole law enforcement arena.

I've been actively looking for another job, preferably in the medical field, but I've also been putting this "down time" to good use. Since I absolutely suck at painting, I've been concentrating on organizing; getting rid of stuff we don't need, creating better accesability to the stuff we do need, and trying to keep the house tidy (and somewhat clean) on a daily basis. I've also started exercising more and really working on trying to catch up with the scrapbooks. I know that eventually I'll find a job, even if it's just something short-term, so right now I'm just enjoying not having any work-related stress to deal with.

The Unsuccessful List

Mount Everest
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265

Since I am now at the tender age of forty-something, I have come to realize that there are some things I'm just never going to achieve success at in my lifetime. Although a little disheartening, I'm still pretty much okay with this realization, because there are a lot of things I'm capable of doing pretty well. But still, wouldn't it be great if I didn't have a list like the following at all?

Stuff I Will Never Do Successfully
by: Casey

1. Climb Mount Everest
2. Compete in the X-Games
3. Paint the bathroom trim without backing into it before it's dry or finding drip marks after it's completed
4. Pee while standing up (without dribbling on my shoes)

A Splash of Nice

Shmoosh
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265

The picture of Vickie shmooshing her nose against my Jeep window has absolutely nothing to do with this past weekend, but I really thought it would be a waste not to share her weirdo-ness with everyone I know. This past Saturday was a beautiful, breezy day...which turned to cold and rainy by the evening. It's been raining non-stop since about 7pm Saturday night. This is actually a good thing because our grass really needed it and rainy weather is good for studying for finals. It's also been cold (ish). We've been wearing sweats all weekend and it's been kind've a nice change of pace. I'm sure we'll have plenty more hot days, but this little splash of Fall is a nice surprise.

Today was my last day of class (yea!) until the Fall quarter begins at the end of September. I think I did pretty good on my final, but won't find out for sure until later this week. I hate having to wait for my grade. I think they should be able to give it to us the next day. School twits!

Feasting

Monday is my last day of class, so a major part of this weekend will probably be spent studying for my final. I really want to get an "A" in this class. I'm looking forward to school being over; my plan is to begin the various painting jobs I have set up around the house. We really need to paint the living room, so that will probably be the first room I tackle.

Feast One Hundred & Fifty Six
Appetizer
Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day?
I usually wait until the laundry basket is full and then I'll start washing clothes. I really try to get all the laundry finished in one day.

Soup
In your opinion, what age will you be when you’ll consider yourself to truly be old?
I'm not sure. It'll probably be when I have to start wearing Depends.

Salad
What is one of your goals? Is it short-term, long-term, or both?
To get into better shape. I've set a series of short-term goals in the hope that this will make it easier to achieve my long-term goal.

Main Course
Name something unbelievable you’ve seen or read lately.
The Tigers have optioned Omar Infante down to their AAA Toledo club. Infante is an excellent utility player, capable of filling-in at just about any position. I think that was a real bonehead move on the Tigers part.

Dessert
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how happy are you today?
A solid 10. There is a wonderful breeze out, I don't have to go to work, and I'm looking forward to studying this afternoon and watching the Tigers whoop the Yankees this evening!

The Week In Review

Celtic Festival
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265

Thursday - Thursday was my last night at work and it seemed like that night lasted a week! I thought 11:00pm would never come! But it did, and now I am a "kept woman." Our friends, Steph and Dee, drove up from TN and arrived shortly before I came home and we spent the remainder of the evening catching up on stuff.

Friday - We got up earlyish and the four of us headed north to beautiful Ontario, Canada and the Celtic Festival in Goderich. We took the ferry over, instead of taking the Bluewater Bridge, and took our time driving thru Ontario. The route we drove took us thru some beautiful farmland and into some quaint little towns. Along the way, we stopped for a quick swim at Ipperwash Beach on Lake Huron; I've now swam in two of the five Great Lakes. (Erie was the first.) We arrived at our motel in Goderich early that evening and settled in with a few beers and Mike's Hard Lemonades.

Saturday - We spent all of Saturday at the Celtic Festival. What a blast. We heard some great music and just spent the day relaxing and enjoying a few more adult beverages. That night, we made friends with our motel room neighbors, a couple of Canadian women who leave their husbands behind and have come to the last 8 festivals. They were really fun and we agreed to meet up again for next year's festival.

Sunday - We took our time driving back home and when we got to the border found we had a 3 hour wait at the bridge! So we took a detour and headed for the ferry...where we had a 3 hour wait. At least we weren't stuck on a bridge and we were able to get out of the car and wander around. Conveniently, there was a souvenir shop and an ice cream stand right near the ferry departure point, so we kept occupied.

Monday - Monday night we all went to the Tigers game. This was Dee's first ever major league sporting event. Unfortunately, the Tigers lost. The girls drowned their sorrows in MANY beers.

Tuesday - This was Steph and Dee's last night, so we grilled a few steaks (I set the table) and played cards (and drank) all night. This was a great way to end their vacation before their 12-hour drive on Wednesday. Vic & I always have a lot of fun when they visit. Steph and Vic went to school together, and I think she is trying to talk Dee into moving north. The Summers are just too unbearably hot in TN.

Wednesday - Today was spent catching up. I visited with Vic's mom for a few hours in the morning and have spent the remainder of the day doing laundry and studying for my final next Monday. The idea of not having to go to work hasn't really sunk in yet. I think I'll really feel it next week, after class on Monday morning. I'm looking forward to getting some stuff done around the house and just not stressing about that dumb job anymore. I'll keep you updated.

Highland Games

Kilty Vic
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265

Saturday was hot, hot, hot, but a great day to be out at the Highland Games. We partook of some great music and some great games and occasionally just found a shady spot to sit and people watch. A lot of people dress in their family kilts and really get decked out. Of all the pics I took, I thought this was the one most of you would be interested in seeing ~ Vic looking spiffy in her Macdonald plaid, complete with sporran (little purse thing in front) and sock flashes (little red flag things hanging off her sockies). This is one of those annual events you always try to make because you know you'll have a good time. I hope I can say the same for the Celtic Festival we're attending this coming weekend. It sounds like it should be a blast.

The Weekend Ahead

Finally...it seems like it took forever for Friday to get here! This week has absolutely dragged for me. I guess knowing my last day of work is in sight makes the days before seem like an eternity. It's also been very hot here. All week we've had "ozone days" where the local TV stations run those little scrolly things at the bottom of the screen telling everyone to stay inside. Luckily, we don't have any outdoor house projects planned for this weekend.

I'm hoping Saturday will cool off a bit, though, because Vic & I are going to the Highland Games early that morning. We went last year and had a blast! A lot of great pipes & drums music and highland games like the cabre toss and the haggis hurl. And this year Vic will be wearing a kilt! She's spent all year outfitting it and this will be the first chance she'll have to wear the whole ensemble out amongst the public. I'll be sure to include a picture.

Next weekend our friends from Tennessee are coming up for a visit and we are all heading up to Goderich, ON, Canada for the Celtic Festival. (Another kilt-wearing opportunity!) Goderich is about 2 hours north of Detroit. I'm looking forward to a nice, leisurely drive up. Maybe we'll spot some Canadians along the way, eh!

Hairy Potter

HairyPotter
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265

This turned out to be a pretty full weekend ~ so full it carried into Monday! Some of the weekend's events included:
* Vic & I finished the patio stones. It looks 100 times better than those stupid lava rocks (which hurt bare feet). It's not perfect, but neither are we, so it turned out great!
* I finally finished my term paper for my online course (I got an A!), which means...
* I finally started the last Harry Potter book. I've read them all and so far this one is shaping up to be one of the better ones. Vic read the last two pages and has been doing the "Ha Ha, I know who dies dance", but I just ignore her and eventually she goes away.
* We also saw the latest Harry Potter movie. Vic & I don't go to the movies much; the last movie we saw in the theatre was The Queen. Interesting how they both take place in England. This Harry Potter was my least favorite of all the books and I felt the same about the movie, too. Both were good, but not J.K. Rowling's best.
* When I went to work on Monday, I gave my two-week notice. I don't have a permanent job lined up yet, but I'm not worried. I'm going to concentrate on school, getting stuff done around the house, and working on making me a healthier Case. Needless to say, I'll have some free time on my hands...anybody want to come for a visit?

tweaking

It was a long day, but I finally got my report finished. Mostly. I just need to look over it later this week to do some tweaking to it. I'm really glad that part of my week is over. Now I can concentrate on starting Harry Potter and getting some stuff done around the house. And watching some Tigers games!

Muddled

The front porch is finally painted, but I think we should've went with a darker green than Windy Pines. Maybe Dark Dark Green Pines (or any tree, for that matter) would've been a better choice. But it's done and I will fret no more. We also began laying patio pavers at our back porch. We are about a dozen pavers short and will hopefully complete this project in the next couple days or so. It's going to look great when finished.

I haven't started the new Harry Potter book yet ~ I wanted to finish the book I'm currently reading (less than 70 pages left) and I need to work on my research paper that is due next Monday. Actually, I took off work all this week so I could tackle that paper. Yea, no work!

Vic is spending the night at her mom's so she can take her to her doctor's appointment in the morning. I miss her. I had to cook my own supper. Actually, Vic made a nice pot roast and left it simmering in the crock pot for me. I had to put it on my plate, though, and that was pretty traumatic for me. I'm usually in charge of drinks and table settings, not putting food stuffs on plates. I somehow muddled thru, though.

Porchy & Potter Weekend

I have a midterm Monday and a research paper due for my online class due next Monday, so I took the next week off from work. Yea!! I really am going to do school stuff while I'm off. I spent all day today studying and finishing up all my online homework. I'll tackle my paper beginning Monday and work on it all week. I'm also going to decide some time this week whether or not I'm going to quit work. Busy week.

This weekend Vic and I are going to finally get the front porch painted and I'm going to lay down some pavers by the back porch. It'll be a "porchy" weekend. I'm also going to receive my copy of the last Harry Potter book in the mail (or so Amazon promises me). Since I have to study, I'll have to do my best to avoid "spoilers" on the Internet and TV. I have no doubt that Vic will probably read the last couple of pages and then tease me relentlessly all weekend. Maybe I can start the book Monday, after my test and while working on my paper.

Friday's Feast
Appetizer
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how much do enjoy watching sports on television?
Baseball ~ 100,000 Golf or Bowling ~ -100,000

Soup
If you could completely memorize any one work of fiction, which one would you pick?
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Salad
What is your favorite breakfast food?
Farmer's omelette.

Main Course
Name something fun you can do for less than $10.00.
Play cards with friends.

Dessert
How long does it usually take you to fall asleep?
Immediately.

Azaleas

We planted azalea bushes this weekend. Right now they're just cute, little, and green. In the Spring, however, they will be cute, not as little, and a lovely shade of lavender. We put them on either side of the front porch steps. We still haven't gotten around to painting the porch, but we bought the paint Sunday - Windy Pines. Maybe we'll finally get around to doing that next weekend.

Still no word on a new job, although I've applied to just about every place in two counties. I re-vamped my resume, so why aren't these hosers calling?!

Yea!!!

This has been a good two days because I've been attending some training class for work, which means I don't have to go to work. Yea!!! It doesn't really matter what the class was about, the important thing is that I was not at work. This will be a good weekend, too, because the weather is supposed to be mild (& non-rainy), so we are going to paint the new porch and hang a ceiling fan. And not go to work. Yea!!!

Feast One Hundred & Fifty One
Appetizer
What is your favorite fruit?
Strawberries or Dutch Apple Pie w/crumbly things on top.

Soup
Who is someone you consider as a great role model?
Brittney Spears.

Salad
If you were to spend one night anywhere within an hour of your home, where would you choose?
Ontario.

Main Course
Name something you do too often.
Work.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I really like ___________ because ____________.
I really like weekends because I don't have to work.

The Complexities of Vic

In case you were wondering, I have compiled a short list of just a few of the things that annoy Vickie.

* Cleaning the litter boxes
* Washing the dishes
* Discussing my or anyone else’s poop
* George W. Bush
* Anything having to do with illegal aliens
* Tracy from work
* Drivers who cut her off, drive too close, or don’t signal. Actually, anyone who happens to be driving on the same road and at the same time as Vic.
* Speaking to her before her first cigarette and cup of coffee of the day
* Spiders
* My comments during stupid All My Children
* Doing the laundry
* Monthly visits from Aunt Flo
* The screaming kids who moved in 2 houses down
* Duncan sitting on her head at bedtime
* Not being able to find Frosted Rice Krispies any more
* Having to use coupons at restaurants

I’m sure there’s tons more that I personally do to annoy her, but I just don’t have enough blog space to write about it. Who knew she was this complex?

Fest Free

This weekend I did not drag Vickie to one the many many festivals I usually drag her to on weekends. Instead, we stuck around the house and did house stuff. She stained some shelves we are going to eventually hang in our bedroom, we cut & whacked the lawn, took Mom for a trip to the store, and finally got the front porch done. Vic & I attached the steps and resecured the awning ourselves ~ next weekend we'll paint it a lovely shade of "front porch green."

Oooo! Aaah!

Tiger in the Sunflowers
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265

Wednesday night's Tigers game was perfect! The weather was perfect, the Tigers won, and we had some great fireworks after the game. I love fireworks! (I don't love it when the moron kids across the street shoot them into our yard, though.) I think this is the first game that Vic and I have been to together when the Tigers won. Yea! Because they're having another great season, we seem to be spotting Tigers everywhere ~ even in our own backyard! Vic snapped this shot of the elusive garden Tiger earlier this morning. Note it's ferocious face and huge foam-like claws. Small kitties, even though they are descendants of the same family, scurry at the sight of the menacing claw. Big black dogs, however, roll over for tummy rubs.

Yesterday was a pretty productive day. I called off work and finished my homework for the week for my online class. I also finished my book and Vic & I finished the front porch (almost). We just need to do a few touch-ups to the cement and paint it. Maybe we can tackle that project this weekend. I absolutely dread going into work today. If I didn't have a dental appointment in 2 weeks, I'd probably just go in today and quit. Of course, if I keep calling out sick, they may just take care of my quitting for me. More on this in the coming weeks.

Hump Day

camel
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265

This morning I got up early and got my hair cut. Linda, a friend of Vic's mom, cuts hair in her basement. This is a good thing because she only charges $5. This is also a bad thing because most of her clients are old ladies who like to talk about "those damn grandkids" ad nauseam, thus making me wait lost past my appointed apppointment time. But today I got in before the blue-haired rush and got my trim in record time.
Vic and I are going to spend the first part of this overcast, rainy day at her mom's. She had a kind of bad night last night, so we are going to visit with her for a while before we head out to the Tigers game. Weather guy now says it won't rain until late night, but weather guy is notoriously wrong most of the time. I hope this doesn't ruin our fireworks.

Current Events

* Our sunflowers are starting to pop up in the backyard. The birdies planted them for us this Spring when they knocked the sunflower seeds out of their bird feeders.

* We have tickets to the Tigers game tomorrow night and we're both very excited because it's also fireworks night. Weather guy, it seems, wants to rain on our night. We'll see...

* Our front porch is still not finished. This is day 18 of what started out as a weekend project. John, who from this point on will be called "Loser", was supposed to finish it yesterday after work. So when I got home at 11:30 I called and left him a very nasty message. We'll see where this goes.

* Work still sucks.

* I can't wait for July to be over so that we can move on to August and the Celtic Festival in Windsor. I'm really ready for a short trip away.

* Vic's mom had another minor surgery to clear some stuff up, and she's doing great. This has really been a long Summer for her.

* Shannon got a bath and is soft and fragrant. I also bathed and am fragrant as well.

Weekend & Feast

I think this weekend Vic & I have a whole lot of nothing planned. I'd like to paint the porch and plant a few veggies, but otherwise, a whole lot of nothing. I applied for a job today, at an oral surgeon's office, that doesn't require experience, so maybe I've got a shot. I used my Workplace Communication school book to revise my resume and also typed up a pretty cover letter, so they should be beating down my phone soon! Wish me luck.

I can't believe it's almost July. I have about a dozen a appointments listed for July in my little calendar book. Maybe all this running all over town will make the month go by a little faster.


Feast One Hundred & Fifty
Appetizer
How many pieces of jewelry do you wear most days?
If my watch counts, 3 pieces every day. I used to wear earrings, but they made my left ear hurt when I answered the phone and I thought it would look weird if I only wore one, so I wear none.

Soup
What is your favorite instrumental song?
Anything Celtic.

Salad
Who has a last name that you like?
Susan Sarandan. When I hear it, I think of Susan Saranwrap & that always makes me giggle.

Main Course
Name a popular movie you’ve never seen.
Moulin Rouge, Dreamgirls, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blazing Saddles

Dessert
Fill in the blank: Nothing makes me ___________ like ____________.
Nothing makes me more yakkish like going to work does.

Just a Little Venting

When did we become a society of It’s not my fault and What can you do for me? When did people stop taking responsibility for their own actions? I am so sick of these clowns calling the police to solve their problems for them. They want us to raise their children, yell at their neighbors, find their car when their loser sister trades it for crack, take their husband away (not arrest, mind you) when he’s been beating on her for the umpteenth time, find them someplace to stay when their baby daddy kicked them to the curb, the list just goes on and on. Since I’ve been a dispatcher (almost 9 years) I’ve become so cynical and untrusting of people. I think everyone is lying or guilty or not to be trusted, or at the very least, everyone is scheming to screw somebody else out of something. Everyone is so worried about being politically correct and not offending anyone’s sensitive nature that people have just taken for granted the fact that society now owes them something. Just once I’d like a day without 911 calls for stupid shit. I’d like to see someone be an adult and take responsibility for themselves. Then again, these losers are ensuring that my dog has a steady supply of Kibbles n Bits.

On a more positive note...our front porch is finally done. Almost. It is now in the "few days for setting" phase. Hopefully the "reattach the awning and replace the really heavy steps"phase will take place this weekend.

Nopa!

Well, we didn't make it to the Opa! Festival, but we did go to the St. Clair Arts Festival. We both seemed to remember last's year's artsy stuff being better than this year's artsy stuff, but the location of the festival itself is beautiful. It's right on the boardwalk that runs along one of the most bluest bodies of water I've ever seen. It was nice just sitting by the water and relaxing.

My Pathophysiology class started today and the first day wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Of course I was expecting the absolutely worst possible scenario, so "not so bad" is actually great. I've got 9 more Mondays to make a final determination.

And our front porch STILL is not finished.

Opa!

I am sooooo looking forward to this weekend. We don't have anything definite planned, but just the fact that I can sleep late and not have to go to work is good enough for me. There is a Greek festival this weekend, so maybe I can talk Vic into taking me to that. Pensacola had a good one every year, but I never got around to going ~ I either had to work or it rained every year it was held. I'd like to check out some Greek music & dancing. I'd also like the opportunity to say "Opa!" as part of a large group.

Vic's mom had surgery yesterday and is at home and doing fine. Hopefully this will be the end of the surgeries until her final one in September.

Feast One Hundred & Forty Nine
Appetizer
Name a funny habit you have.
I play with my hair alot at work. I think it's a nervous energy kind of thing.

Soup
If you could instantly know how to play a musical instrument, which one would you pick?
Guitar. Or piano.

Salad
How long is your hair?
Shoulder length. I've thought about getting it cut shorter, but I think I look weird with short hair.

Main Course
When was the last time you forgave someone, and who was it?
The concrete guy, today. He still hasn't completed it, even though it was supposed to be finished by today. I'm not sure if it counts, though, because he probably didn't even know I was mad at him.

Dessert
What is your favorite kitchen appliance?
The refrigerator crisper. I like how it perfectly holds my bags of shredded cheese.

Back To School

Today is the first day of my online class in Workplace Communications. It seems like it should be a relatively pain-free class, but after reading the syllabus, I have a feeling the instructor is going to try to make this a lot harder than it has to be. I also found out that my Path class, that starts next week, is being taught by an ogre. Not the lovable Shrek kind of ogre, but an opionated, obnoxious woman who is rude to her students and flings out D and Fs like they're frisbees. Should make for a great Summer, dontcha think?

John is supposed to finish the front porch today. He was also supposed to finish it yesterday or the day before, but that didn't happen. He's a nice guy and does good work at a great price IF you can actually get him to the house to do the work. I'd like to include before and after pics of the new porch, but if he takes much longer you may be treated to just the before ones.

We had to take Vic's mom to the ER Tuesday afternoon because she kept vomiting. Remember, her esophagus is still not attached to her stomach, so vomiting esophageal fluid is a pretty big deal. Her doctor said he wanted to take a look at her and told us to bring her in. Twelve hours later, they finally admitted her to the hospital just for overnight observation. So today, day 3 in the hospital, she is scheduled for some type of surgery to clean out her esophagus and widen the stoma (little hole in her neck). Hopefully she won't have another long hospital stay. I know she's tired of hospitals and Vic is just a mess the entire time her mom is admitted.

Nothing Much

This week has really seemed to fly by for some reason. Concrete guy has finally started working seriously on our front porch and we should have a new addition by the end of next week. Or so he says. Nothing else new or interesting. I think Vic & I are both really looking forward to the weekend. We need to get a few things done around the house and it'll be nice to just sit and relax on this, my last week off before school starts back up.

Feast One Hundred & Forty Eight
Appetizer
Fill in the blank: The best thing about where I live is _________________…
...eventually everything makes its way thru Detroit. We have all the major sports teams, concerts, festivals, and we live close to the water. I'm really glad we moved north.

Soup
Create a new name for a deodorant (like “Flower Fresh” or “Shower Scent”).
Puppy Breath. In a gel, not a spray.

Salad
What was the last piece of software you installed onto your computer?
A program called SAM which enabled me to take all my online classes.

Main Course
If you were to receive a superlative award today beginning with the words ”Most likely to…”, what would the rest of the phrase say?
...retire at an early age. I really hate working and am planning on not doing it for much longer.

Dessert
What two colors do you like to wear together?
Blue and grey, which coincidentally is the color combination of most of my Tigers tshirts.

Crying & Breaking

No Hitter
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265

You know how there are certain goofy things in life that make you cry? For me it has always been sports. Most of the time I'll just get a little weepy, but there have been some occasions when it seemed like my eyes just sprang a leak. For instance, I cried like a baby when the US Hockey team won gold in 1980, when the Tigers clinched the AL Division Championship last year, and when Ernest Byner fumbled the ball in the end zone and cost the Browns a trip to the Super Bowl in 1987. Yesterday was just a run of the mill trickle, though. Justin Verlander pitched the first no hitter for the Tigers since Jack Morris did it in 1984! I'm sure this is very underwhelming for most of you, but I really love baseball and try to watch all the Tigers games, so this was monumental for me. Not to mention the fact that when Morris pitched his no hitter in '84, the Tigers won the World Series! This is definitely a good omen for the Tiges!

Breakage Update: the lawnmower worked great, and I pushed the rake out of the way of the garage door eye, so now it closes properly. Our front porch, however, has seen better days. The porch fixer guy came by last night to make a few small repairs to the concrete and it turns out that a lot more is wrong with it than we originally thought. We are going to have to have the whole damn thing replaced. So right now, our porch is a crumbled broken mess. AND he broke the tip off my porch gnome's hat! Luckily, I have some Gorilla Glue and fixed him right up, but I'm pretty certain that our porch is going to need a lot more than some Gorilla Glue to make it better. < heavy sigh >

I Need a Break

This has been the week for broken stuff and it's only Tuesday! First the thing that makes water come back into your toilet after you flush broke, then my favorite bail bondsman pen came apart, then it was the lawn mower and today the garage door. Vic fixed the toilet thing right up (she's handy like that), so now we are back to flushing in comfort. I got a new pen from work, so that trauma has been solved. The lawn mower is my fault (I think). The engine blew due to the fact that there was an insufficient (i.e. none) supply of oil in the engine. We bought a new one at the Home Depot and I'll test her out tomorrow. And now the garage door is sticking. It starts to close and at about a quarter of the way down it just stops and goes back up! We have ghosts in our garage, which I have no problem with as long as they let us open and close the garage door! I can't wait to see how the rest of the week goes!

Relaxing Weekend

I'd like to say that this past weekend was full of exciting fun-filled stuff, but it wasn't. Vic & I did explore the St. Clair Shores area not too far from our house and ate at a great new restaurant, but overall, most of the weekend was spent just relaxing in the backyard. Sometimes those are the best weekends. I did finally get my grade for A&P...an A. Yea!! My Pathophysiology class starts up in a couple weeks and I hope I have similar success with that. Still no success on the job front, but I keep hoping and searching and applying and calling, so maybe it won't be too much longer. Geez, I hope it won't be too much longer!

Tornado Kitties

My tooth feels great, so I guess I'll be going in to work today. (Bummer) Vic has to work on Sunday (another bummer), so I think our Saturday is going to be filled with house and yard work. Nothing major, just a lot of small stuff we keep putting off. I decided on which book I'll start next ~ "Puss 'n Cahoots: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery." I really need something that requires no thinking and I this sounded like the perfect book for the job. Nothing else really new ~ I've applied for about a hundred jobs at about a dozen hospitals, but still no word. If I don't find another job soon I'm going to just scream. Loudly and all thru the house, scattering kitties to the four winds! It'll be like a little kitty tornado!

Feast One Hundred & Forty Seven
Appetizer
What do you consider to be the ultimate snack food?
Chips & dip. I just love dinking things.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 as highest), about how popular is your last name?
I'm sure its very popular in Ireland and somewhat popular here ~ maybe a 6.

Salad
Who is your all-time favorite sitcom character, and why?
That's a toughie. The first character that immediately came to mind was Laverne. She and Shirle always made me laugh.

Main Course
Do you shop online? If so, name some sites you like to browse for goodies.
Amazon, Lens.com, Scrapyourtrip, Petshed.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I think ___________ should be ___________.
I think I should be in a financial position where instead of working, I spend my days out on my beautiful yacht with the Sweet Baboo sipping Pina Coladas and basking in my not-employedness.

Sick-ish

I stayed home sick from work today. (Yea!!) I had a dentist appointment this morning and she was just supposed to replace a filling that had come out, but ended up giving me a root canal instead. She told me that she might have to do that, so it wasn't a total shock or anything, but I was still dreading the drilling down to the root of my tooth. (It's even worse since we just studied the tooth in A&P. A little bit of knowledge isn't always a good thing.) Turns out that the worst part of the whole procedure was the shot of novacaine at the beginning. I actually never felt her digging or drilling or scraping at all. She showed me the dead nerve she took out and it looked just like the eye ickies I pick out of Shannon's eyes all the time. So I really didn't need to call off work, but I really thought it best if I gave myself some time to recuperate. After recuperating for 10 minutes, I tidied up the house, cut the grass, and am now doing laundry. I'm going to head out to the drug store to pick up my prescription for Vicodin the dentist wrote out for me. That pain may creep up at any time.

Fluff

Quite a bit has been going on since my last post. Vic's friends left early this A.M. and I think they had a pretty good time ~ I know Vic & I did. Steph went to high school with Vic (a hundred years ago!), so she was familiar with the area, but her girlfriend Dee had never been north of Tennessee, so we all got the chance to play cruise director. We took a drive over to Windsor where we had lunch at a simply wonderful Irish pub and then we gambled a bit at the casino. We also took a trip to the zoo and a jaunt thru downtown Royal Oak, a very gay-friendly town. But I think the best part about their trip was the time we all spent just "chillin" at the house. They all drank many many beers and I had a few pitchers of Pina Colladas and we sat around playing cards until the wee hours. It was great. I think they're going to come back up in August and go with us to the Celtic festival I wrote about a few blogs ago. Should be a fun trip!

This was finals week, too. I'm pretty sure I got an A on my lab test, but it's up in the air about my lecture final. I feel pretty good about that one, too, but I'll have to wait until the grades are posted on Monday to see what my final grade is. School starts back up in a couple weeks and this time I'll be taking Pathophysiology and Workplace Communications. The Workplace course is only 5 weeks and I am taking it online, but the book is more expensive than the Path one! Geez! I need to open up a school bookstore.

I'm looking forward to reading something fluffish and will probably start a new book in the next day or two. I think it'll either be the new Maeve Binchy or the new Rita Mae Brown (she writes a series of books where the main characters are a crime solving kitty and dog). And the new Harry Potter comes out in a few weeks ~ I'm really looking forward to that! So I'm expecting the next couple of weeks to be filled with fluff and cross-stitching.

Visiting Michigan

We are expecting out-of-town guests today. Vic's friends from Alabama are supposed to arrive late tonight and stay until the middle of next week. She hasn't seen Steph since high school, so Vic is really looking forward to seeing her again. Weather guy is calling for rain almost the entire time they'll be here, which sucks, but I'm sure we'll still be able to find stuff to do. This will be the 3rd time we've had visitors since we moved almost 2 years ago. I wish I could convince more of our friends to make the trip north because Michigan is really beautiful in the non-snow months. (It's pretty in the snow months, too, but it's also a bitch to get around.) In August, Vic & I are going to drive over to Goderich in Ontario, Canada (about 2 hrs away) to check out their huge Celtic festival they have every year. Musicians come from all over the world to play here. We missed it last year due to Vic's surgery, but we've already got room reservations and plan to make the trip this year, no matter what! So, if anyone wants to take the trip with us, we'd love to have you! The Celtic festival isn't technically in Michigan, but you'd be based here and can tell all your friends you traveled internationally! Think about it...

Detroit & Cleveland

Did you see me & Vic at the game last night?? When we awoke yesterday morning it was drizzly and overcast and we were both kinda bummed ~ nobody wants to watch a baseball game in the rain. By game time, though, the sun came out and it was an absolutely beautiful evening for baseball. Not for the Tigers, however. Both the Tigers and the Pistons played Cleveland last night and both Detroit teams lost. Vic and I had pretty good seats and we had a great time, but it would've been nice to see the Tigers win. I guess if they have to lose to somebody, though, the Indians are my choice to lose to. I'll always be an Indian, but for right now, I'm first and foremost a Tiger.

Tobey

As I sit here waiting for Vic to get all dolled up before we head out to the Tigers game, I thought I would introduce you to the newest (and smallest) member of our family. We have a spider living in our bathroom. This doesn't bother me in the least ~ when you already share your home with more than a dozen animals, what's another little spider or two? Vic, however, hates spiders and I know that the first chance she gets, she'll be whacking away at it with a shoe (mine, probably). It's for this reason that I didn't name my new 8-legged friend Charlotte. I'd feel just terrible knowing that my girlfriend was the homicidal maniac responsible for the murder of Charllotte the spider. I've instead named him Tobey after Tobey Maguire who plays Spiderman in the movies. I was going to name him Peter after Spiderman's alter ego Peter Parker, but I feel funny about calling anyone Peter, so Tobey it is!

A Day of Case

Today is yet another "Day of Case." I took today off so I could sort out my schoolwork and prepare notes to study for my final test. I picked today, especially, because it's supposed to rain. Shitty weather helps me study ~ if it's nice out, I want to be out. I did go by Home Depot today and got about half the things on Vickie's list. Vic loves Home Depot, but sending me there to get stuff is like me sending her to a craft store for scrapbook and cross-stitch stuff. I must've called her a dozen times to see what size doohicky she wanted and what color thingamabob we needed. One of the things she requested was yet another hanging plant (we have 200 already). So I picked out a nice full one with hangy down flowers and everything, brought it home, introduced it to its new siblings, and then took out the receipt to record it in the checkbook. $27.99!!!! That's how much this hanging flower pot thing cost! I have a feeling it's going back to the motherland tomorrow. Never more. I'm going to spend the rest of the day on school stuff now.

One other note: Vic & I are going to the Tigers/Indians game Sunday night and not only is it floppy hat night, but the game is going to be televised on ESPN. So look for us! We'll be the ones in floppy hats!

Feast One Hundred & Forty Five
Appetizer
Name a sound you like to hear.
The sound Shannon makes when she's stretching after a long nap. And rain.

Soup
What is your favorite kind of cheese?
Mozzarella.

Salad
Do you sleep late on Saturday mornings? Why or why not?
When I used to work mids I would sleep until about 2pm. Now I'm usually up by 9ish.

Main Course
When was the last time you forgot something? What was it, and how long did it take to remember it?
I forget.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I notice ____________ when _____________.
I notice it's harder for me to study when it's nice outside.

4 Things

Nothing new and/or fascinating going on in my life right now, but I wanted to blog anyway, so I'm borrowing something from Shawn's blog for today.

4 Things to know about me
I'm moderately humorous
I love to travel
I hate to work
I love to read (I used to read about a book a week before I started back to school)

4 Things that may surprise you
I'm very distrustful of strangers (due in large part to my job, I suspect)
I'm afraid of being alone in my old age
I'm mildly afraid of the dark
The belt loops on my jeans make me crazy (I'm always pulling on them until they finally rip)

4 jobs I have had
Communications-Computer Operator/Technician/Supervisor (dontcha love military titles?)
Pet store employee (I quit after 4 weeks - I constantly felt sorry for the animals)
McDonald's cashier
Police dispatcher

4 places I've lived
Ramstein, Germany
Washington, D.C.
Los Angeles, CA
Pensacola, FL

4 favorite foods
Pepperoni pizza
Fettucine Alfredo
Chips & dip
Flavored Twizzlers (I've just recently developed a craving for them)

4 favorite TV shows
Grey's Anatomy
Ugly Betty
Hustle
Tigers baseball

4 places I'd rather be right now
Ireland
U.K.
On vacation anywhere
Outside (It's beautiful out and I'm going right now)

Trip Report

We're back from our trip to Cleveland and I must say, we had a wonderful time! I was expecting the worst, but Vic & I both had a great weekend. We started our trip on Thursday morning ~ my plan was to be up and on the road by 8am. We pulled out of the driveway at around 10:30. A little behind schedule, but it was no biggie because we were in no rush.

The weather was a tooch overcast when we crossed the state line, but no great gobs of rain or anything, so we actually had a nice drive.






Almost immediately after we crossed the MI/OH border the farms started popping up everywhere! The drive thru Ohio was beautiful. We had a lot of rolling hills and farms along our ride. I had been to "Amish country" in Ohio a long time ago (a 2nd grade field trip, I think), but Vic had never been, so our first night was spent in Berlin, OH.

The closer we got to Berlin, the more buggies we saw. There were even some with headlights and turn signals! I thought there would be more Amish people riding bikes, but we only saw one. And they worked in all the stores we shopped at. I guess I figured they only worked on their farms.

Here is the picture we take on all our trips. I like to think of it as the "We really need to take someone with us so we can get pictures of us" shot.

This is just one of the many beautiful farms we saw along the way. Ohio's countryside is just breathtaking!

Even though we only spent one day in Berlin, all of our pictures are from there. I just forgot to bring the camera with us to the church or the reception! What a maroon! The church service was small, but very nice. The reception was also kind've on the small side, but also very nice. Some of my cousins that I hadn't seen in over 20 years were there and it was great catching up with them! (I really wish we had taken the camera with us!) Vic enjoyed the open bar and finally got a chance to meet my mom. We've been together 9 years and this is the first time they've ever met! Probably a good thing we had that open bar. It was really nice seeing my brother again, too. I hope that since we're only 4 hours away from each other, we can get together every once in a while. I'm going to really try to work on our relationship.

In all, we both had a great time. It's always nice being back home, though. I really missed Shannon and all our stuff. I think this coming weekend we're going to work on getting some stuff done around the house and preparing for Vic's friends visit. They are going to be here next Thursday and stay thru the weekend, so I'd like to get a few things done before they arrive. We've also got tickets to the Tigers game on Sunday ~ our first game this season. I can't wait for the weekend to get here!

Tests & Packing

Looking back over the past weekend, I see I got very little accomplished. Vic & I are leaving for the "weekend in hell" tomorrow morning and I really wanted to get all our stuff packed by now. I've got most everything we need together, now I just need to pack and organize. The weekend was spent not packing, but mostly studying for the two tests I took this week. (I know I got an A on today's test, but it's iffy on Monday's test.) So now I have a lot of little stuff to do before we drive off in the AM. I'm actually looking forward to getting away for the weekend, but I'm going to miss Shannon-banana a heap. We've got a babysitter for the kids, but I'll still spend at least a small part of this weekend worrying about them. I'm also looking forward to the Amish village we're spending our first night in. I'm not at all looking forward to the Cleveland part of the trip. At all. Maybe my mom won't be there. More on this Monday...

Hibert

Hibert
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

Vic bought me a lovely hibiscus for our anniversary and he's just opened up one of his flowers today. Last year we had a really pretty coral colored one and this year's Hibert looks to be a little on the orangey side. We should be planting ground cover flowers soon. I'm not sure if it'll be this weekend, though, because we have a lot of stuff to do before leaving for Ohio next weekend. So the "festival of flowers" may have to wait until Memorial Day weekend. We had a sort've snow storm here yesterday. About a bajillion little white fuzzy things started snowing down on us from nowhere. Our grass is still covered in them. They looked just like snow on Shannon.

Feast One Hundred & Forty Three

Appetizer
Tell about a time when you had to be brave.
When I had surgery a couple years ago I was really really scared, but I tried to be brave.

Soup
Which upcoming movie are you excited about seeing?
Vic & I hardly ever go to the theater, so I guess tI'd have to say the new Harry Potter movie. We recently got "Notes On a Scandal" on DVD, but can't seem to find the time to watch it. I'm really looking forward to finally watching that one.

Salad
Name an item you try to always have on hand.
Diet Pepsi. Whenever it goes on sale, Vic & I stock up.

Main Course
Imagine the most relaxing room you can think of. Now describe it!
It would be outside, but covered to shield the sun's harmful rays. There would be a slight breeze blowing in off the water and classical music playing faintly in the background. And I'd be relaxing in an adirondack chair with an umbrella drink.

Dessert
On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest), how spiritual or religious are you?
Maybe a 2 or 3. Vickie is much better at the God stuff than I am.

Rain, Rain

It's raining here in the great state of Michigan, so I'm guessing that'll mean no Tigers game tonight. I'm just a tooch miffed about that, but just a tooch. Although it's raining pretty hard here, it's nothing compared to other parts of the country, so I guess I'm not complaining. Actually, I like the rain. It makes for great napping weather (which I just did) and great studying weather (which I'm about to do). The biggest drawbacks for us is that too much rain floods our backyard and too much thunder scares the bejesus out of the Sweet Baboo (she shrinks to about the size of a chihuahua).

I've been making the rounds of area hospitals trying to land a job, but still no luck. A couple of the HR people seemed very nice, but they said that it can take up to 2 months before anyone even interviews for the open positions! In the mean time, I go to work sporadically. I called in sick yesterday & today. Not a smart move, I know, but going in is making me physically ill. I have a feeling that I'll be unemployed (either by my choice or theirs) by the end of the month. I've decided to take Pathophysiology this Summer. I have to register by Monday and I was still debating on what, if anything, I would take, but 2 of the girls in my A&P class are taking it so I figured I'd go ahead & get it out of the way. It's always better to take a hard class with someone you know. Mary and Laurie are both pretty helpful, too. Wish me luck!

Yard Stuff

This was the weekend of yard stuff. We finally got around to cutting the grass and we also bought some really pretty flowers in hanging baskets to add a splash of color to place. We had a beautiful flowery yard last year and we hope it'll be that way this year, too. It's still a bit early to plant, though. Everybody says to wait until after Memorial Day to put anything in the ground. We still have just Dafne (none of her siblings have popped thru yet), but it looks like our hyacinth is ready to bloom any day now. I also repainted the hammock stand and touched up the Adirondack chairs. I think I got more paint on my hands then I did the chairs. Vic & I also got the garage cleaned out and finally took all those cans in for recycling. Remember blogs ago I mentioned that our bags of cans for recycling were taking over the garage? We've been tossing them in there since last Summer and just kept putting off taking them in. We had $160 worth of cans out there! More, actually, because we overlooked two bags! We're going to put it right into the vacation account. So, our weekend was spent mostly tidying up the yard & garage ~ nothing exciting, but we still had a good time doing it all together.

Mom Update

Vic's mom has taken a turn for the worse. She had to be taken from the home to an area hospital because her temperature wouldn't go down and her blood count was out of whack. Seems she has pneumonia and will be spending at least a few days in the hospital. I know she's pretty upset about this because the doctor had told her she would probably be going home next week. And poor Vic is just stressed beyond belief. She called me to meet her at the hospital less than an hour before I was supposed to be at work. I'm happy for any excuse to call off from work, so although spending 6 hours at the hospital isn't the most fun you can have on a Friday night, it still beats going to work!

Feast One Hundred & Forty Two
Appetizer
Name something you would not want to own.
A white car. We've had two and I'll never buy another one.

Soup
Describe your hair (texture, color, length, etc.).
It's shoulder length and in desperate need of a little Loreal. Vic does a really good job coloring my hair, but she hasn't had any time lately so I'm looking a little greyish.

Salad
Finish this sentence: I’ll never forget ___________.
The day Shannon found us. She was skinny, hungry, and scared. She's now chubby and sleeping soundly at my feet.

Main Course
Which famous person would you like to be for one day? Why?
J.K. Rowling. Not only would I get to spend her bajillions of dollars, but I'd also have access to the last Harry Potter book and would know how it ends before all the other kids did.

Dessert
Write one sentence about yourself that includes one thing that is true and another thing that is not.
I love to travel and simply adore it when there are screaming children and snitty flight attendants on my cramped plane.

Happenings

Current events...

* I still hate my job. As a matter of fact, I spend the entire 8 hrs I'm there thinking of ways to not be there & things I could be doing if I wasn't there.

* I am currently getting a A in both my A&P class and lab. Both classes require a ton of studying, so I'm kinda proud of my A's.

* Shannon is absolutely fucking obsessed with the "monster under the house." Vic saw a small mouse or mouse-like thing scurry from under the house one day and, unfortunately, Shannon also saw it. Now whenever she goes outside, she spends the entire time looking for the monster. She forgets to pee and then does the pee-pee dance after she gets back in the house. She is just unbelievably stressed about it.

* Vic's mom is supposed to be moved from the assisted living place in the next week or so. Vic gets NO sleep and is even more stressed than Shannon is about her monster.

* Our grass in the backyard is as high as an elephant's eye. Stupid rain.

* I need new shoes for my "wedding outfit." I think we should just send a nice card & spend the weekend in the U.P. Vic is looking forward to seeing me in agony.

* Did I mention I still hate my job?

* The Summer class schedule comes out tomorrow, but I'm still undecided as to whether or not I'm going to take anything. I'd like to catch up on some fluff reading, so I may take the Summer off.

* We desperately need a new weed whacker.

* I've started drinking grape kool-aid again. It makes your poop green. I like that.

The Extended Weekend

Daf & Gnome
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

As you can see, I finally got around to taking a picture of our only flower. We planted something like 90 tulip and daffodil bulbs and so far this is the only to have poked thru the ground. I've named her Dafne. And I've given her a buddy to hang with ~ his name is Gnome. This past weekend we had beautiful weather, but the grass is still pretty wet from all the rain we've recently had, so I was only able to cut the front grass. The back will have to wait at least another day before I can take a sickle to it.

By the way, today is day 3 of The Extended Weekend of Case. Being totally sick of work, I decided to give myself a few extra days off (today & tomorrow). During this time I have small "around the house" type stuff planned for myself. After class this morning, I took Shannon to the vet for her yearly dose of expensive shots and I'm planning on switching out some of my Winter/Summer clothes. I finally found something decent to wear to Kenny's wedding, but I still have to get shoes, so I might do that tomorrow. Or I might just sit around the house all day smiling because I won't be at work! Perhaps Dafne, Gnome & I will listen to the Tigers game on the AM radio.

Feast & Weekend

I made a reservation today for our one-night stay in the quaint Amish village of Berlin, Ohio, just a stone's throw from the villages of Walnut Creek and Sugar Creek. I have a feeling this is going to be the best part of our trip to Ohio next month. Too bad it's only for a day. I am soooo looking forward to the weekend, even if all I do is study. It's becoming a daily struggle just to get ready for work. Vic is applying for a manger position at work and if she gets it I am going to become a housewife. I'll even learn to cook. I'm sure there are plenty of ways to serve macaroni & cheese.

Feast One Hundred & Forty One
Appetizer
How fast can you type?
My last typing test was a little less than 2 years ago & at that time I typed 55 wpm.

Soup
What is your favorite online game?
I rarely ever play online games. Vic did, however, download Slingo & I play that every once in a while.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 as highest), how intelligent do you think you are?
7ish

Main
Course
Name three of your best teachers from your school years.
There weren't any.

Dessert
What are your plans for this upcoming weekend?
Study for my quiz, do some laundry, and try to find something for my brother's wedding.

Hectic x 3

I wanted to post sooner to blog about how nice the weather has been, but by the time I finally got some time to sit down and type, it's raining. That's about how my life has been the last 4 weeks or so ~ very hectic. This past weekend was just gorgeous! Vic & I brought out the patio furniture and cut the lawn for the first time this year. We set up the hammock and planted our Arbor Day saplings, too. Our Japanese Red Bud tree is flowering beautifully in the front yard (we planted him last year) and we have one daffodil that has peeked thru the ground. So our yard is beginning to look very colorful. I'll try to include a picture or two soon.

I had my first big tests in my A&P classes this week, and I think I did pretty good. I'll get the grades next week. I'm still on the prowl for another job, but no luck yet. I hate working afternoons ~ I never have enough time to study or do much of anything else! I keep looking and applying everywhere, though, so hopefully something will turn up soon.

My brother's wedding is fast approaching and I'm going to have to find something to wear as well as get him and his soon-to-be wife a gift. There's just not enough time in my life right now. Hectic, hectic, hectic.

Friday

What a beautiful Spring-y day it is here today! Vic is on her way to help transfer her mom from the hospital to her new assisted living facility. Mom is very excited to be finally leaving the hospital. I'm going to spend the day studying and enjoying the warm weather until Vic gets home. And then I'll spend the rest of the day annoying her!

Feast One Hundred & Forty
Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of bread?
Oooh, I like all kinds of bread. I guess my favorite though is warm French bread.

Soup
When was the last time you bought a new pillow?
About 3 months ago. I can never find one I really like. I'm ready for a new one already.

Salad
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend surfing the ‘net?
I don't know, maybe 20 or so.

Main Course
What’s the highest you remember your temperature being?
I don't know this one either. I can't remember ever being really really sick.

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: When I ____________, I _____________.
When I watch TV, I cross-stitch.

Hooky

I'm playing hooky from work today. Hooky is kind've an odd word, don't you think? Anyway, I have a big test coming up on Monday and then another one on Wednesday, with no time to study. I hate my job and I've got tons of sick time built up, so I'm using it. Screw 'em! It's been a long time since I've called off sick when I wasn't, so I think I deserve the break. I'm going to use the day to study my butt off and bond with Shannon. I think she needs a little "Mom" time, too.

Vic & I are planning our return trip to Ireland next year. Part of the planning was a little experiment with air miles. Although Detroit has a major airport, we have no direct flights to Ireland, so this means we'll have to fly to JFK or Newark or Boston first. Not a big deal, except that extra $200 or $300 per person for the connecting flights could be put to better use in Ireland to purchase stuff we really don't need. So, my experiment is this... We pay for almost everything with our debit card because it's just so much easier than writing checks all the time. So we got an Airtran visa card, that accumulates air mile points for every purchase, and now we pay for just about everything with it instead of the debit card. So if I buy something for say $100, I charge it on the visa and then make a payment to visa using the debit card. I know I'm adding an additional step to the process, but so far I think it's working in our favor. We have enough points saved up for one round trip ticket already! Yea! I figured that since I'm going to spend the money anyway using the debit card, I might as well get a few perks, too. So, as of today, one of us is on her way to JFK, Newark, or Boston next year!

Catching Up

It's Tuesday already and I'm just now getting around to posting the Friday Feast, so that should tell you how busy I've been lately. It seems like I absolutely never have any time to do anything other than work and study. My 3-week online class ends this week, so that should take a little of the stress off, but just a little. I've still got 7 weeks left in my A&P class and all freaking Summer for this crappy evening shift bullshit at work. If you can't tell, I am less than pleased with my job. Do you remember in the movie American Beauty where Kevin Spacey's character just gets so fed up with his job that he quits and goes to work at a hamburger place so he can have a little less stress in his life? That's me right now. I swear, if McDonald's called me right not to offer me the drive-thru position, I'd quit my job today!

We have new additions to the house. Fish. Vic set up the aquarium weeks ago and up until a few days ago, we've just had rocks and bubbles and a wind-up fish in there. But this weekend we finally got some tropical fish. The tank looks great and all the fish seem to have adjusted to their new surroundings. And our kitty, Earl, is very excited to have new little brothers and sisters.

Vic's mom is doing much better and should be released from the hospital some time this week, so the doctors say. Her next stop will be an assisted living facility for a couple of weeks and then finally back to her own home. Her esophagus is still unattached to her stomach and will remain that way for at least 3 months, so she still has a feeding tube attached directly to her stomach. Nurses are supposed to show us how to help her with changing the tube and other medically related stuff until she goes back into the hospital for yet another surgery. Poor Mom.

Feast One Hundred & Thirty Nine
Appetizer
When you were a child, which crayon color was your favorite?
Blue-Green & Burnt Sienna

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest), how likely would you be to change jobs if it required you to move?
It would depend on the location & whether they were paying for the move. Ireland ~ 10. Oklahoma ~ -10

Salad
Take all the numbers in your birthday and your phone number and add them up, one by one. What’s the total?
67

Main Course
Have you ever “re-gifted” anything? If so, what was it and who did you pass it on to?
I'm sure I have, but I can't remember what or to whom.

Dessert
Name something you need from the store.
Mousse.

No Time

It seems like lately I have no time to get things done and I'm always tired. I think it's a combination of the new shift at work, going to school 2 days a week, and visiting Vic's mom at the hospital. (Mercifully, I only go there once a week. Vic makes the trek up there every day!) Tomorrow and Friday, I have to go to some dumb training thing in Flint. It's from 9 to 5, so I'm hoping I won't be too tired when I finally get home from the hour or so on the road and will have some time to study and do some laundry. I'm seriously considering taking off from school for the Summer. I may take off from work, too!

Easter Bunnies

Easter Bunnies
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

Today finishes up my first week as an afternoon dispatcher. It hasn't been as bad as I though it would be, but then the day isn't over yet either. Vic's mom is doing a little better, but will remain in the hospital for a while longer. We'll have to take her something Easter bunnies on Sunday! Other visiting Mom on Sunday, we really don't have any big plans for the weekend. I'll probably spend most of the time studying and watching baseball. And doing laundry ~ geez, it seems like I've always got dirty clothes to wash! You would think that wearing a uniform would cut back on my laundry, but NO.

Feast One Hundred & Thirty Eight
Appetizer
When you travel, which mode of transportation do you prefer?
Driving with Vic when we've got a lot of time to get where we're going. I like stopping off to see unplanned things along the way.

Soup
Have you ever met a blogging friend in person?
Just Shawn.

Salad
When was the last time you were really, really tired?
Monday. I had my first day of class in the morning and my first day on the new shift that afternoon. When I finally got home that night, I just flopped on the first piece of furniture I encountered.

Main Course
If you could have dinner with any one fictional character from a book or movie, who would it be?
First choice is Harry Potter. Second choice is Melrose Plant from the Martha Grimes books.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: One day, I hope to see _______________.
...Scotland & Wales. I'd also like to see gay marriage legalized in all 50 states.

Yearnings

I just finished reading Shawn's blog about how beautiful weather in Savannah is and how he's started his planting already and it makes me yearn for our planting season to begin. We've got some sunny sunflowers and plans for some lovely veggies, but since it's snowing today, I think we'll wait a while yet before planting anything. Our Spring tulips and daffodils are peaking thru the frosty ground, but no blooms just yet. The rule of thumb in Michigan is to wait until after Mother's Day to plant anything. We had some beautiful flowers last year, so I can't wait to start planting this season!

I started my A&P II class this week. It looks like it's going to be pretty difficult. Tons of homework and notes to study! Maybe I should think about changing my major to Library Sciences. Look at what it did for Laura Bush! I think my online word processing class is going well, but it's hard to tell because the teacher isn't very interactive-y. I only have two more weeks of it.

Vic's mom is still in the hospital and not really doing any better. It seems like for every good day she has, it's followed by two bad ones. And the doctor is talking about doing another surgery! This will make four! I'm not sure Vic can take any more surgeries. I know complications can arise with any surgery, but we're beginning to think that maybe somebody goofed somewhere down the line and that's what's causing all this mess now. Right now, though, we have to concentrate on getting Mom well and then we'll check into the possible negligence issues. The first step is to get her well enough to move her out of ICU. Maybe next week...

Firsts

Well, my first day on the new shift wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Of course, I thought I would come home with huge festering pus-oozing sores all over my body, so I guess anything would be not so bad. It's just that there's so much that goes on during the afternoon shift that never comes up on the midnight shift, so this is like working a new job for me. This was also the first day of my A&P class, so by now I'm dead tired. I'm looking forward to doing nothing for the rest of the night. And I'll start now!