Bonus post!

Since I've been SUCH a slacker lately.  ( :

MEAT LOAF!

Tomorrow morning I am going down town to wait in line for tickets, and for the first time I get to see a favorite artist in a non-alcoholic setting.
(Update, I went, butt crack of dawn early [for me] and no one else showed until 20 after 9 for a 10 o'clock box office opening!)

  No, I like liquor, really... But I hate having to compete with drunken as5holes at a concert.  I came to see the artist, not you puking, or bashing into me, or standing in front of me, bobbing and weaving with your arms in the air... I am 4'11", and I dislike, greatly, getting trampled!

I have been to 3 rock concerts in my life... pathetic, I know. I've been to others, but those were certainly not the rowdy crowd type shows. ( :

  I went to 2 Cheap Trick concerts, the first one I almost killed the drunk in front of me by bashing his head in with my 15lb purse, when he gave me the finger for politely asking him to sit down so I could see the show.  Sadly, I was restrained by my husband, and 2 highly amused girls behind us.

The second time was in a smaller venue, and the crowd was so loud I could barely hear the band over them, even though I was directly in front of the stage.  I mean, Robin Zander sweated on me!  That time I was lucky enough to get in a little of my own when some pimp muscled me out of the way so his *ahem* "girlfriends" could get my spot... He ended up on his butt from a well placed foot behind him, and the *ahem*, "lady" lost many hairs when she whipped me in the face with her ponytail.
Please, don't mess with short chicks, we get mean.

Last year when we went to see Mr. Loaf, people couldn't remember that they had seats, and would rush up to the front, effectively blocking my sight considering the awesome 3rd row seats we had.

This theater sells wine, and craft beer.  Not exactly Budwiser and chips. YaY!

30 days... COUNTDOWN!

And as usual... Thanks for Noticing me!

A little lost

Eeek! Almost 2 months!  My brain's been a little lost lately... I think I might have caught it from my clients.  Dealing with clients that have senile dementia is... not as difficult as dealing with people without it. Surprisingly.

Honestly, my one client has about 4 stories she tells incessantly.  But hey, the details change from telling to telling, so it's perfectly okay.  She's so easy to deal with, she's such a pip!  She was a "Pilot Farmer" with her husband.  Married at 16 until 6 years ago when he died.  I've seen pictures from when they got married, and their 65th wedding anniversary.  We sit and watch tv, and talk about our hobbies, (well, I crochet and she tells me *again* about the sports she played so she never got to learn how to do any crafting. )

The one that has caused me to lose focus though is, thankfully, no longer my problem.  She was adamant that she didn't need anyone around, even though she would frequently leave the house and forget her keys, or even forget to close the door before going to bed!  She'd wander off in any weather, and sometimes forget the way home.  But the thing that bothered me most about her is her constant need to be occupied!  The boys didn't need that much entertaining as toddlers!  I understand in a way, she was always active, and now she's got nowhere to be active.  But for heavens sake, READ A BOOK!  okokokokokokok, I know, she can't.  She'd forget 5 minutes after reading, what she read.  *sigh* Like I said, no longer my problem.  *relieved sigh!*  But I got some great pictures out of the deal!

I've also bought a new car! Ok, not *new* but new to me!  An '03 Jeep Wrangler.
Wait, WHAT?!
Yes, I went from a comfortable little Hyundai, to a big(ish) hulking(like) Jeep that bounces around even when it's standing still.  I've wanted one since I was a teenager and was allowed to drive my dads'.  It even kinda looks like his did.

Well, I think that *might* be long enough. ( :
What have you been up to?  And as usual...
Thanks for Noticing me!

Endings

What a crazy month.  Last weekend we held the memorial for my father, and just before, on that Tuesday, we lost *his* father.  Sadly, I couldn't make it down in time for his funeral.  Happily, my fathers memorial was all I could have asked for.  We got to see family we don't often get to see anymore, and old neighbors, and I met my stepmother for the first time.  Old family friends came, and lots of smiles, and remembrances flew around the beach.













My sister and I waded out into the bay, remarking the whole time how we could hear him laughing 'til he fell over, (because he knows how much I just *adore* being in any natural body of water!).  Yes that's a bottle of beer in my hand.. A long-neck Schmidts, just like he drank when we were young.  Went right in with him.

Maybe now, my days can fall into some sort of regularity, but I doubt it.  #1 starts college in a couple weeks, and #2 starts school again shortly thereafter.  There will be schedule arranging, and shuffling, and homework and projects, and....... Oooh, I'm tired.

Hope you've had a wonderful summer!  And as usual...

Thanks for Noticing me!

Employed

Yes, I have re-entered the work force.  I'd like to say that I enjoy it, and have finally found what I have been looking for all these years.  Not so much, but, it's gotta be better than retail... Right?
I care for elderly patients, and out of my 3, 2 have senile dementia/ Alzheimers.  This is a trial.  It's not that I mind listening to the same stories 100 times in a row, because I actually find it amusing.  It's that they don't understand why I'm there, and they resent it.  And this happens in a circle... Every. Five. Minutes.  We'll be sitting there chatting away, hearing about little Suzies 4th grade project for the 5th time in half an hour, and suddenly, I'm being cussed and yelled at that I need to get out. Now!

I think, that this time, I might not be throwing down roots.  I'll keep trying for that civil service type position instead.  I have come to the conclusion that I don't mind making people that come into my sphere happy, but doing so repeatedly is too taxing on my limited stores of patience.  It's bad enough that these poor people have me invading their homes, but I *feel* like an invader.

  So far, in one case, there is already someone there most of the time, and I feel she's wasting her money having us there for so long, and so often, and in the other case, well, I'm sorry, I think she needs to be in a home.  She needs more supervision, and someone with more authority than we have, to help her, and I honestly fear for her safety when we aren't around.  I have yet to meet #3, that happens later this week.  Wish me luck!

Thanks for Noticing me!

Omigosh!

Okay fine.  Blogger wants to give me issues now that I have a spare moment to update. Whatever Google Gods!

Isn't it adorable?!

It's been interesting this year. For the first time, we're worried about drought. But the animals looking for water have ranged farther, and that's our gain!

A little later, it hopped over to the middle of the yard, and flopped down on its side!

This is our multicolored bunny, not that you can tell, the lighting was harsh!  I guess he feels pretty secure in our yard, because he took a good 10 minute rest, laying on his side, right out in the middle of the yard!

Baby blanket # 6

Yet another friend having a baby girl. *sigh*  I love the ripple for baby blankets, it's unusual.

I finally got a pic of it's face!

And Mr. Groundhog has made his appearance several times, but this was the first shot I got that wasn't his butt disappearing into the bushes.

The one pic I can't find, is the new project I'm working on.  Barefoot Sandals, they're going like hotcakes!  I already have 4 orders for them!

And although I kept losing them, I found my notes again from my retail life, which is now behind me!  I am now employed as a Home health Aide, to the elderly.  Yaaaayyyy! *Kermit flail*  Now I'll get *paid* to chat with my old folks, and to sit and play with yarn with any that do.  Wish me luck!

And as usual...

Thanks for Noticing me!

Pooped.

It's been a crazy month here!  I think this is the first time in several years that I've been home to join the Memorial Day BBQ we always host... Wow! Hot food, and moms' potato salad before it's all gone! (:

My dads' favorite cake on Memorial Day, the first one that's had any  personal meaning for us.
We've been busy running around,  sometimes only stopping at home to throw things down before heading back out the door.  This is what happens when you unpack a box full of personal effects, then run out to do yard work.

Beached whale!

#1 receiving a commendation for his activities all through H.S., and Jr. H.S.

 SHELDON! I made this as part of #1's graduation gift, for those in the know, it was dpn, with sport weight yarn, so... REALLY small!

My most ambitious project to date       

My #1 after receiving his diploma 

And now #2 is on a trip, soooo, 5 whole minutes to breathe!  

Sorry it's been so long, but, as usual...

Thanks for Noticing me!

Big changes

And yet the little things stay the same.

This past year has been...  Interesting.  To say the least.  Being unemployed is not the hardship for me, that it is for some, I live simply and U.I. covers me pretty well, it's just the lack of savings that sets me on edge.  I tried to get into the field I wanted for years, but was too complacent to try for, and when I got no nibbles, I decided to try for my second choice, because I have more of a chance of getting into it.  And this is where things started tipping.

I started getting things like requests for meetings with college people, #1's graduation gown, plans for graduation dinners, and celebrations, and ceremonies, and it finally hit me that this is it.  My first born is going to be viewed as a man in the eyes of the rest of the world.  Why does he still look like a 10 year old to me?

My cat, the only one in the house that will let me baby her, *HAD* to go and get her breathing checked out, and we still don't know what is wrong...  And pick her up from the vet, only to get the news that my father died.
  Don't Panic.

 My dad and I weren't very close.  Don't get me wrong, he's my daddy, and I love him.  But we did much better living several hundred miles apart than we did living in the same house.  We had the same temperament, and opposite views on almost everything.

It was the little things... Only one month from now, he could've seen his first grandchild graduate from High School, and get good pictures, (unlike the ones of mine, where I hid, or stuck my tongue out),  I never finished scanning those pics for him, instead, doing things that had "due by" dates, never realizing there might be a "due by" date on sending out those pictures...

But, I promised pictures last time....

He did *not* like me following him!

So cute! Yes people, this *is* my back yard.

So what's new with you?  And as usual,

Thanks for Noticing me!

This guy obligingly sat there for 5 minutes while I found my camera

I guess this is why they call it a d. a. haircut... look at that tush!