Irritated in General
Mood:  irritated
Topic: home

Remember the eye twitch I wrote about a month or so ago?  Well, it went away.  I was driving one day & realized my eye hadn't twitched in a few days.  Well that lasted all of about 3 weeks. Now it's back again.  Talk about irritating.  It doesn't help that one of my lights at work flickers either.  Sometimes I'm not sure if it's my eye twitching or the flickering making it seem as if my eye is twitching. Either way I'm really irritated about it.  Haven't made it to the corner drooling yet, but I'm sure that's coming.

The good news is - I get away for a week soon!  Maybe my eye will stop twitching on my mini-vacation with my sister.  Or possibly not - depends on the trip and how high her stress level is.

Not much else going on here.  I'm tired of trying to figure out what to cook.  Although I have made a list of stuff for the people who live here to fix while I'm gone.  I can plan for others better than I can for myself!  And why am I the only one who empties the dishwasher or reloads it?  Oh, yeah - because the wheels fall off on the lower rack all the time & it seems I am the only one who really wants to mess with it.  Ok, that's not necessarily true.  I've come home several times & found that someone has emptied the DW & reloaded it.  I need to focus on that - that other people who live here do help.  Thank you to the people who do that.  I do appreciate that.

And one more thing I'm irritated about - the stupid Post Office.  Well, not the PO in general - just the sub postal person we have.  Why did I get every single piece of my next door neighbor's mail yesterday & none of mine?  Where did our mail go?  Did someone else get it & not bring it to us or did they throw it away or put it back in the box directing the postal carrier to deliver correctly?  Ugh!  And every time I complain, the stupid "manager" person basically tells me that the postal carrier said they delivered it - so we must have gotten it & I'm just lying.  They are right & we are wrong.  No wonder people go into post offices with guns!  No - I'm not going to - I can just understand the motives.  I thought the postal carriers had to study & pass all these tests before they go out on a route - can they not see that 16 & 17 are NOT the same?  I don't care if the first name for both houses is the same.  I also get mail addressed to people with the same house number but different streets.  Ugh!  Maybe I should write to the post master general.  No wonder people don't use the postal system as much as they used to.

Maybe I'm done ranting - maybe not, only time will tell (& this stupid eye twitch).

McDonald's Update
Mood:  lazy
Topic: home

In my last post, I directed everyone to a blog I wrote about how irritated I was with one of the McDonald's in my area.  Since then, I've received a phone call, an email & a letter apologizing.  This franchise owner sent someone around to all the McDonald's they own to make sure the registers were calibrated correctly.  They also sent me coupons & not the normal "buy something, get something free" ones. They were actually coupons for free stuff.  We'll see if I use them.

So Customer Service was wonderful & no hard feelings.  Maybe I'll go back to that one if I'm at the location.

Lazy Weekend
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: the air conditioner?
Topic: home

So this was one of the first weekends in a LONG time that I didn't have to be anywhere, do anything, or stay up late!  Woo Hoo!  I even got to sleep in late on Saturday morning thanks to the Son!  Props to you!

The only place I went on Saturday was to McDonalds for a shake and one for 2nd grader grandson.  Then on to the convenience store to get Husband a soda when I noticed gas was under $3.  Since I was going to need some anyway, I filled up. 

I managed to get 4 loads of laundry done on Saturday without anyone else waiting on me to finish and I got a drawer cleaned out in my bathroom vanity.  Cleaned up the kitchen & fought that night with the dishwasher.  Wheels on the rack keep falling off!  Later that evening College Daughter declared that she had entered the "World of Mom" when the wheels fell off while she was loading the dishwasher!

Son and Photographer Daughter were together this weekend.

Well better go - the dropping kids at school thing!

It's a New Post!
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: nothing - it's quiet!
Topic: home

Apparently, according to the masses who read this one person, I haven't been posting here enough - so will try to be a little more up to date with writing.

Even though we are in Texas - the north Texas area - we didn't get hardly anything from Ike last week.  The day it wiped out Galveston and hammered Houston along with several other coastal cities, we had some rain and not a lot of that.  However, up in the Midwest - by Sunday - they were getting hit really hard.  I heard that the technical term for what happened in Ohio was a "dry" hurricane.  Almost every single one of Ohio's counties was affected.  Power was out for so many - and some are still without power.  Word of advice for all those people who have electronic phones - go get a cheap-o regular phone & stash it someplace close to your phone plug-in so when the electricity goes out, you have a phone to plug in that will work!

Here at the Hello house, we haven't been as busy as we were for the last few weeks.  That's always a good thing. 

So since it's supposed to be Fall now, when do the leaves start changing colors and the temps get cool?  Oh - right!  I live in North Texas which means we have 2 seasons - VERY hot and the town has shut down because it's cold.  Leaves don't change colors - they just fall.  Temps don't get cool - it just teases us - promising that this is the day you can turn the a/c off & let the fresh air in.  Only to find out mid-day that it is now too hot and your a/c will run overtime just trying to cool things off.  I look at the bigger picture - we could have freezing cold weather half the year!

Tonight is the 3 hour (?!?!) opener for "Heroes" after waiting since last year.  I guess there's a recap and then the 2 hour show.  Thinking we probably won't watch it.  Not only is my favorite PBS show on (History Detectives) but there's something afterwards on the beginnings of Warner Brothers Studios.  Besides I also wanted to see the premiere of CSI:Miami - no, I don't think Horatio is dead.  Seen that plot before somewhere else.

Have a good Monday and I promise I'll be back at least weekly to update everyone!

No Water - sort of!
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: home
So out of the last 4 days, the drains have plugged up on 3!  That generally wouldn't be a problem. Hubby gets on the roof & snakes out the drains.  Unfortunately, he didn't have time this morning and Photographer daughter will be here all day. College Bound daughter will not be happy when I wake her up to go to College Orientation & she finds out that no showers or water running is not allowed.  What a way to start out the orientation day, huh?  At least she'll be in the dorm for the next couple nights & hopefully they have running water!  Think I need to get ready & run to the store so I can get some ultra-strength stuff to put in the drains & maybe get them moving before she has to get up.  Keep your fingers crossed that this will work or everyone will be miserable here all day.

Vacation Part 2
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: grandson is humming something!
Topic: home

The first "episode" of our vacation is posted below.

Spent the first night at my mom's bringing in luggage, cramming a lot of talking into a short time and eating the dinner she'd heated for us (sloppy joes).  Husband spent time putting up the air mattress on a frame. This time we remembered the air pump!

While we were there, several of my cousins and families came over. We enjoyed a pot luck of sorts. My contribution was Kroger's Fried Chicken (which isn't all that bad!).  What we had left over, our Son mostly consumed during late night refridgerator raids or we ate during lunch the next day or so.  Cousin "J" (wow - most of my cousins that were there are Cousin "J"!) brought 3 pies which her grandson and College Bound Daughter ate with gusto!  There was some sort of pie eating contest the rest of us didn't know about and the two consumed 5 pieces of pie each!  They didn't want to be outdone by the other.  And the worst part is - I don't think either of them gained any weight.  If it had been me, it would have all settled in my hips and thighs.  But she ate my piece of Lemon Meringue pie! Wah! 

We attended Mom's church - the church I grew up in.  Was nice to see some familiar faces there.  The Youth Minister preached that day as their minister was in the hospital. Delivered a very good sermon.  Soon to be Second Grader even went up for the Children's time and then went back for Children's "Sunday School" for the remainder of the service.  Back home afterwards to eat the wonderful Pork Loin Roast that I'd fixed that morning.  Was even better than I remember making it at home!  Another of my first cousins - and another Cousin "J" came over with her daughter & 2 grandsons.  We yakked and yakked and College Bound Daughter and Cousin's youngest grandson had a great time.  Her oldest grandson and my grandson spent the whole time playing with a gameboy video game.

We treated Mom to some Frozen Custard from "Ritters" while we were there.  Too good to pass up and it is one of her favorites.

The morning's and evenings were cool and was wonderful not to be in the Texas Heat during that time.

Will bring you Part 3 of our vacation next time!

Independence Day
Mood:  don't ask
Now Playing: PS2 Harry Potter V Game
Topic: home

Over 200 years ago many of our ancestors or ancestors of our in-laws or someone else we might know were knuckling down and preparing to do whatever it took to gain their independence from England and King George.  Those courageous men and women could have ultimately been hanged as traitors if America hadn't become its own nation.

Yet how often in the last 30 years have I seen the battle for independence from something in my own life?  At 17 I found myself independent (more or less) living over 900 miles away from where I grew up.  I've seen other family members who have taken their stab at independence that just happened to fall on the 4th of July.  I've been in a group of grieving family members saying good-bye to a loved one on the 4th of July not too long ago.  I've been a witness to how things can spiral out of control on Independence Day. 

As fireworks explode over head to celebrate the birth of our country, I often wonder if that's what inner turmoil would look like if it was visible for all to see.  Would there be sparks of color jettisoned against a black canvas?  The duds that don't explode are they the whimper of our sobs catching in our throat?  The many rockets exploding at the end - the culmination of our anger, distress, sorrow and resignation - in order to feel normal again?

Being a mom is a lot like Independence day.  Sometimes the fireworks are so bright they blind you.  Other times they are so perfect in their exploding form, you see all the angles, each rivulet of fire streaking toward the ground, and more that you hadn't intended on.  It's hearing the distress in your child's voice and feeling as if your heart has broken into a million jagged edges cutting so deep that you wonder if the cuts will ever heal.  It's holding back the sobs that seem to want to spring from deep within your gut in order to remain that calm, strong person everyone thinks you are.  It's letting go of the hopes and dreams you had, and letting go of the hopes and dreams your child has had, and reconciling the person they are with the person you try to see behind their mask.  It's knowing truths that only belong to other people.  It's loving so hard and so strong that the one thing on earth you want to do is the one thing you can't - take away all the pain, hurt and despair.  To fit those around your own shoulders and take the weight off your child's.  Motherhood is feeling like soaring into the heavens in the joy of your child's laugh, their bright smiling eyes, and the way they see the world.  It's wanting to freeze moments so they can be plucked down from the shelf just to relive and remember.  It's wanting to share their happiness and excitement.  It's wanting everyone in the world to know how deeply you love this person.

Motherhood is a lot like independence.  The good and the bad.  But . . . the joy of being a mother never leaves and is especially deep in the bad.  My children and grandchildren - I love you more than you could ever imagine and I wish to you - Happy Independence Day!

Summer Reading
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: still quiet!
Topic: home

I don't remember what I was watching the other day but there was a commercial for a movie that will run on the Lifetime Channel (did I mention I do not have cable, direct tv or satellite?) - called the "Tenth Circle" based on the novel by Jodi Picoult.  Yes, I'd seen her books but haven't bought any.  The trailer for the movie looked good & so I thought, well I can't see the movie but I can read the book.  I hit the local bookstore last Friday but that particular book was on order - obviously very popular. So I ended up with another Picoult book - "The Pact."  I'm about 5 chapters into it right now & have realized why she's such a popular author.

Then a genealogy blogger - Jasia - has two blogs: one for her genealogy & one for her digital scrapbook including genealogy.  She'd posted some stuff about the "Plum" books by Janet Evanovich.  So while I was at the bookstore I picked up the first one - "One For the Money".  As Jasia had mentioned - it's a pretty fast read & enjoyable.  Luckily she's written 13 more in the "numbers" series and a few Plum books "in-between" the numbers.  Think I know what I'll be reading this summer.  I also found some lists off the web on genealogy fiction.  Think I'll first see if the library has any of those.  Speaking of which - current books/CDs are due tomorrow but I doubt I'll be checking anything out since I'll be busy for the next few weeks & I have the Picoult book to read.  (If you want to see the Digital Scrapbook page Jasia made in honor of the Plum novels, give me a holler & I'll link you up.  Or go to my genealogy blog (link on left), find the "Genealogy Blogs" on the right hand side & click on "Creative Gene".  That's Jasia's genealogy blog - go to the right side & click "Creative Genealogy" - that's her scrapbook page.) 

What's on your summer reading list?

House in Disarray!
Mood:  don't ask
Now Playing: nothing - quiet here - sort of!
Topic: home

So College Bound Daughter is fixin' to (that's Texas slang for getting ready to) paint her room.  She's been preparing for this for a few months weeks now.  Which is perfectly A-OK in my book - a very enterprising young woman, she is.  Now we're down for the actual painting part - which basically means - furniture is either in her doorway, in the hall, pushed to the middle of her room, her bed is full of stuff that has no where else to go during this "remodeling", the spare bed is full of stuff & her bed right now is the living room couch.  So every morning at 5 something when we are up, I know she'd rather be anywhere else but in the living room with all our clacking, clanging, swooshing, etc. going on.  Not only that but the dog thinks - "I can start whining & barking at whatever is outdoors now" because we'll let her out.  Doubtful the painting will be done anytime soon!

In the Land of TV news - or as I refer to it - what is NOT on because it's summer & I want to give all these "reality" show people a piece of my mind - I've been doing a lot of PBS watching.  At least "History Detectives" is back on for another season.  When I was in school, history was my least favorite subject - right up there with physical science & geometry.  Names, dates, places - UGH!  So of course it stands to reason that I am married to a history buff!  Except - lo & behold - he makes it interesting to me!  So over these 20+ years, I've begun to enjoy history.  Tap into what I've learned through my genealogy hunt & I'm actually getting something out of it!  Quite frequently on PBS Monday evenings is the "American Experience".  Last night was John & Abigail Adams.  Until last night I had very little knowledge about our 2nd President. 

So it goes to show that you are (or should I say "I am") never too old to learn new information. 

 

Still Here - Just Busy!
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: Pirates of the Carribean - At World's End
Topic: home

So now it's Post - Graduation and you'd think I have time now to get things done.  Not necessarily so!  One of my goals through this summer is to document and scan in a lot of the old photos and letters and other documents I have in my possession.  Last week I managed to scan in about 100 photographs and 8 months worth of letters that my grandparents wrote to my parents from Germany. 

We also got to enjoy an evening with friends on Saturday evening.  There are a total of four of us couples who get together periodically -there used to be five.  We lost the wife almost two years ago and her husband passed away this past December.  So the few times we've been together since then, we always drink a toast or remember them in some way.  We've all been friends about ten years and have gone through many things together.  Things that have bonded us and made our ties to each other stronger. 

In weather related news - only one word - HOT!  At least when we got a little (& that truly is an understatement!) rain last week, it cooled things down for the evenings. 

In shopping news - I understand how easy it is to order stuff on-line.  But I really don't want to order clothing over the web. I want to see it, touch it & try it on first. Oh, I know it's easy to return items (for the most part) - it's just the effort you have to put in.  Re-packaging the merchandise, taking it to the Post Office, and usually paying for shipping.  And make sure you put all the proper paperwork inside as well. 

The grandsons played in the sprinkler on Sunday afternoon.  Photographer daughter bought the cutest sprinkler system.  The two boys had a great time!  They were so cute.  Unfortunately it was just way too hot to be outside for longer than we were. 

If I'm not here, I'm at the other place -

All My Branches Genealogy Blog. Come and say hi!