Blowing off the block party...

Every year my neighbors get together for a block party. Today happens to be the day. I had totally forgotten about it until we arrived back home. But here is why I'm blowing it off...

Each year they have rented a bounce house jumpy thing. They want each family to chip in to pay for this thing. The last time I paid for it, I was told the price was supposed to be $10 per family, but it ended up being $20. Most of the families on the block have more than one child, I only have one and I think that she got to jump 3 times! Oh and I got stuck being the time keeper last time. I ended up loosing my voice because I had to scream at the kids to get them out of there and try to keep them from jumping on top of one another.

This year they decided that instead of our usual bring your own meat and a dish to share...that they wanted a pig roast that we each had to chip in toward. Again it was a set price per family instead of per person. Of course it should probably be priced per plate with my family since we don't eat that much.

So we aren't going. My next door neighbor (the one I like and get along with) isn't going either. They aren't going because there is a on-going argument between their son and another neighbor's boys who are racists. We should hold our own anti-party. It would probably be a lot more fun.

I think I need some more oxygen. We were up in Central City this afternoon and now I'm tired.

I guess I should say something...

Well Monday was my 13th wedding anniversary. Dh got me flowers and two rabbit figurines for my collection...not too shabby. We went out to dinner Sunday night at Steak & Ale...kind of a tradition. On our first date we went to a Steak & Ale in Tampa, so now that we live fairly close to one again we make the trip. One of these days we should probably watch Dances With Wolves 'cuz we went to see that on our first date too and haven't bothered to see it again since. Maybe we weren't all that impressed?
Tuesday DD & I went to see how life in 1887 was. The folks there act as if it is really back in time. The school-marm gave us girls a hard time for coming to school in our pantaloons instead of dresses. :O Although she didn't tease the boys for wearing shorts instead of long pants...hummmm
Wednesday DH went out of town. So DD & I have been letting the housework go and doing whatever we want. hee hee. We went to dinner at Boston Pizza and sat outside to eat...it was great! We will have to take DH there sometime as we always complain about restaurants being too cold in the summer.
Today we went to the Wildlife Experience. It was pretty nice, although some kids were messing with the volume on one of the exhibits and that was a pain in the ears. I'm glad that it was free for DD to get in though. It is more of a art museum than a learning about animals thing...I mean there is a lot to learn about animals there, but it doesn't seem that they really have their mind made up as to what it's suppose to be. I played this one computer game in the kids section and I don't think that any kid could do well at it. We'll go back next summer when it's free for DD again ;)
I suppose that I should break down and start to clean this office. We bought a bookshelf for it and can't even get it in here because there is too much stuff. off to clean...well maybe a little later ;)

The Joys of Camping!

Well I know that you've all been waiting with baited breath to hear how our camping trip went...so here it is.
First we had to do a field trip with our Homeschooling Group to our Animal Shelter. It was a nice tour and we did not fall in love with anyone furry to take home...whew!
Then we headed over to the campground. As we were approaching the campground it started sprinkling. I was getting really concerned that we might get rained out, but kept on driving.
Once there the rain has quit, the sun is out and it is very hot!
The campground was very nice, with clean bathrooms that weren't too far away. Dinner went very well. My foil packet dinner was yummy and tried by most all of the adults there.
Getting the two air mattresses was a great idea as I wasn't bothered by DD's flopping at all. It was the highway noise, the noisy neighbor in the next camping spot, the coyotees running past our campsite and the cold that kept me up. I must have slept some because I woke up at 4 something needing to go to the bathroom. The moon was full, so I didn't need my flashlight at all.
So all in all camping was not too bad, except for the sleeping part. I plan to buy us a tent and maybe better sleeping bags too. Oh and I'll need some better cookware too. (I used the little lidded pot that came with my mess kit to boil water for my coffee, but dumped it into the fire trying to get it off!)

Been getting ready for

A camping trip this week. I borrowed a tent from a friend and we've had it set up in the basement to do a test run. Tonight is the night we actually sleep in it.

I had to go & buy an air mattress because my bones just can't take the ground anymore. And I've printed out a checklist of all the essential to take with us... of course we can't possibly need all of that stuff.

I'll of course keep you posted as to how it turns out. It looks as if we might get rained out. That would be a bummer.

UPDATE: on lady with the checkbook...

see my earlier post HERE and the continuation of the story is...

Today we had a face to face meeting and while trying to figure out how much total money there is she showed me the checkbook. She HAS NOT been keeping the balance AT ALL! She doesn't even mark the deposits down. No wonder she doesn't know what's in there... but how can you just go around writing checks w/o knowing how much money you have in there????
I just don't get it. Man I hope her DH does their bills at home. I also noticed a check for $5 worth of gas. I'm not too sure how that's related to the account or breastfeeding, but I'm not gonna say anything.

Shaking head...

What a feeling!

I have so been slacking lately. Well, we've been busy doing other things and I've let my office get turned into a great big old dumping ground with lots of work hidden inside.

So last night at around 11pm (no less!) I went through all the piles of stuff in the office. Guess what? I found some checks to be deposited in what I thought was just paperwork. YIKES! Luckily I found them and even more lucky (for me anyway) it wasn't my money. hee hee!

So last night, all I did was re-organize all the piles. Checks for deposit, bills to pay, papers to file, trash. Then this morning, I made the deposits, wrote all the checks, filed all the papers and the trash is still sitting here...but it can go out too after I get off the computer. :D

It just feels so much better knowing that I don't have the checks & the bills still looming over my head. It helps a whole lot that I had a deadline to get this stuff done...I've got a meeting on Saturday with the folks who really own the money.

Now all I have to do is take out the trash and make my pot luck dish for the meeting.

Then... "tonight is T N O, yeah!...tonight is T N O, yeah!..." so I had better take a shower. hee hee!

My dad did this sorta...

I've shared this story a number of times, so if you've heard it before feel free to hit the next blog button...

Oh before I get started, here's the link to the current story.

And her's my story...

My parents separated the summer when I was 11yrs old. My mom and I moved to FL to be near her parents, they had helped her get a trailor to live in. My wonderful father told us that the reason they were separating was because mom felt guilty that she didn't get to spend enough time with me and this was so she could do that not... Great guy huh?
Anyway, come Christmas time my father (DF) loaded up my 3 brothers into his truck with a camper on the back (this is the kind of camper with a door in the middle of the back where the tailgate is) and headed to FL for a "family Christmas." He also brought our dog, she was traveling in the back of the camper in her crate.
So DF stops to get gas at around 12am. My oldest brother (B#1) who is 2yrs younger than me, gets out of the camper to use the bathroom. When he returns, DF has finished filling up the truck. As B#1 is getting back into the camper, B#3 says that he has to use the bathroom. So B#1 takes gets back out of the camper to take B#3 to the bathroom. Seconds after they close the door to the camper, DF starts up the truck and pulls away. B#1 & B#3 watch in disbelief as the truck pulls away.
B#1 begins to cry (he is only 9yrs old! & B#3 is 4).
I don't have all the details here, but the police were called. I have to assume that B#1 was able to tell them that they were headed to Tampa to see his mom and their last name (not sure if he knew mom's first name at that age.) So in FL we get a call at around 5am or so telling us that my brothers are in Mississippi!
An APB is put out w/ the info that mom was able to give the police at 5am. And this is probably why DF was able to get all the way to the FL panhandle w/o getting stopped.
DF had stopped a few times between loosing the boys and getting to FL, but each time he stopped he heard the dog moving in her crate and assumed that everything was fine. In FL he finally decides that the dog probably needs to relieve herself and opens the camper to find that it has no boys in it (B#2 was in the cab w/ him)! So he turns around to drive back to the gas station where he last saw B#1.
DF gets all the way back to the gas station with no one stopping him (as they should have with an APB out on him) and then is told that the boys were at the police station. The boys had spent the night at the police chief's home after his shift where they stayed in a jail cell (door open of course) to sleep while he worked.
DF gets the boys w/o any fuss apparently and drives all the way back to FL. Meanwhile mom & I didn't know any updates about where he was or if the boys had been picked up. Can you imagine my mom's panic?

They arrive on Christmas Eve and guess what, DF had not brought any Christmas presents for any of us. (this had always been my mom's job and he just assumed that she was taking care of it...he's always been selfish like that.) So they have to go out on Christmas Eve and get us all Christmas presents.

Then when it is time for them to return home mom sends me along with them because she was having a hard time affording me and watching me while working. She worked nights as a waitress ('cuz the money is better) and I would stay up late not doing my homework etc...

Luckily no one got lost again after that. Well except for when mom decided to come and get me & my two younger brothers, leaving B#1 to live w/ DF. Man, he must have some serious issues after all of that! My parents sucked, and we turned out pretty much okay.

Nigerian Scam explained...

I've always wondered why they keep at it? Apparently there are a lot of suckers out there...and that's why.

I hope a whole bunch of people read this article so that eventually no one falls for it anymore and I stop seeing that I've won a lottery that I didn't enter and I won't get offers of lots of money for helping to launder money.

Next to get after the porn & pharmacy emails!

Oh No! It's Y2K all over.... bah!

Now they're all worried that changing daylight savings time will mess up all of our electronics. I don't think so... our VCR/DVD player will still blink 12:00AM just the same as it always has! :D

Yeah Right!

Gimme a break! Hearing Article
I think that just like with everyone, you hear what you want to hear.
In our house, I'm the one who can't hear. :D

And the best way to get someone's attention is to say their name first before you begin talking to them.

I guess they weren't all that unhappy after all...

Americans didn't flock to Canada after Bush win

And I was so looking forward to them all leaving...they said they would. Great big Fakers!!!

Why can't I change my blog template?

I've been playing around with my blog template and in the preview it looks just like I want it to, but then I go to view it (after republishing it) and it's still the same old blog. What gives?

Can we stand anymore on the Tom Cruise is crazy topic?

I found this today while doing my usual surfing...

Dear Prudie: After hearing Tom Cruise's ignorant and uninformed rant about psychiatry being a "pseudoscience," I had to write. Unfortunately, too many people listen to the opinions of celebrities and take them as gospel. Tom Cruise's irresponsible preaching could harm many people and increase the stigma our society already attaches to those with mental health issues.
I respect your support of the mental health fields, so I hope this message can get to those folks who need help but are afraid to get it because of people like Mr. Cruise, who have easy access to the media.
I am a licensed clinical psychologist currently providing care for our nation's military. I could only stare in disbelief at Mr. Cruise's announcement that psychiatric disorders "can be treated with exercise and vitamins." Part of a soldier's job is to exercise and be healthy, including taking vitamins as appropriate, and let me tell you, those things have never "cured" a psychiatric disorder yet. Tell a soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder that exercise and vitamins will "cure" him, and he'll walk out of your office and continue suffering. Tell a suicidal young mother that exercise and vitamins will "cure" her, and you will leave her feeling just as hopeless as when she walked in.
I don't know what "research" Mr. Cruise is reading that tells him there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance, but I suspect it is more of L. Ron Hubbard's. Talk to any reputable neurologist; it is not Mr. Cruise who can read the results of PET scans or functional magnetic resonance imaging scans (MRIs).
For those of you out there who are suffering from depression, anxiety, PTSD, or any other mental health disorder, please don't listen to the preaching of celebrities who claim to be experts in mental health. Seek help from a licensed mental health provider. Contact your HMO or NAMI (the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill), or talk to your family doctor for a referral. There are affordable mental health options in every community. -- M.D., Ph.D.
Dear M.: Prudie seldom runs comment letters like yours, but it seemed worth doing in light of the massive publicity given to this particular actor's pronouncements. We must hope that thoughtful people do not take their medical directives from celebrities who have ties to a religion or a cult, however one wishes to see it. And, of course, Prudie is a lay person, but jumping up and down on a couch -- on television -- did suggest that this young man was, at the very least, manic. -- Prudie, consequentially
*** Dear Prudence is written by Margo Howard, Ann Landers' daughter. All letters must be sent cia e-mail to dearprudence@creators.com. Due to a high volume of e-mail, not all letters will be answered. COPYRIGHT 2005 SLATE.COM DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC. DEAR PRUDENCE 7/29/05

Me again: I bolded the parts of Prudie's answer that I'm totally agreeing with. I know that many have specualted on what caused him to act in such a way, but it sure looked like mania to me.