update on life...as I know it

Its been a month or so since we last "chatted"...not too much has happened. Brandon finished high school, started working and is talking about attending college in Lake City for Golf Course Management. Lauren turned 17 on May 24Th and is a SR now. She is actively looking for a job and will also start taking summer classes at the local community college this summer. My friend Amy got married (YAY!!). It was so great to be able to spend the day with her and be apart of her special day! She looked beautiful and it was one hell of a party! I have also reconnected with a friend from HS whom I have become very close with and consider one of my best friends. Lara and I knew of each other but never "hung out" in HS. She has turned out to be very loyal, compassionate and a great listener. We have both had our ups and downs in life and with that in common have become close for each other and very supportive of our life's' ups and downs. I love ya girl and I hope you know I'm always here for you! NO MATTER WHAT! I myself have lost approx 56 lbs to date. I'm feeling much better. My goal was to lose 75 lbs the first 3 months so we'll see if I make it! Work is still the same, BORING!!! zzz..zzzz...zzzzzzzz But THANK GOD I'm back on day shift. It allows me to have a sense of normalcy at home. I'm even cooking every night...even though I'm barely able to eat anything. Father's Day is coming up and I'm looking forward to having my mother-in-law come down and visit for a month or so. She is always a big help to me and I look forward to being able to spend time with her and take her places she rarely got to visit when my father-in-law was alive. The family is well. Everyone is working hard and hopeful that the economy will improve. We all want to sell our houses and "simplify" our lives. Especially since the kids are about to leave the nest! SOOO..that's the update in a nutshell! Stay tuned for periodic updates!

its been a month...

and at the last weigh in I had lost 46lbs.!..not a fun recovery that's for sure, but I'm feeling MUCH better. Clothes has began to fall off and that is very exciting! I'm back to work full time and everyone has been very supportive and encouraging for a speedy, healthy recovery.

tomorrow will be a week....

...IVE LOST 16 pounds since yesterday! Feeling stronger and actually keeping liquids down!! YAY..I have no regrets! Stay tuned for further updates and THANK YOU for everyone who has called, emailed or sent prayers and well wishes, I AM SO BLESSED!

I LOVE...

my children! This past week has been rather difficult for many good and bad reasons. I have had a real hard time facing the fact that my son is an adult now (by a short 2 weeks) nonetheless he has decided he is his own person, an adult and isn't keen on the idea of having to answer to mom and dad. With that said, he and I are not on the same page, therfore we had a falling out and he left home. The good news is that after not hearing from him for a few days and not seeing him for over a week now, he did call yesterday and wanted to come home..sadly only for a few hours. I was at work, so bummed that I didnt get to see him. I hear that he looks fine, appears to be doing well and made mention of maybe coming back home until he has enough money saved up to get his own place. Something that would in turn, make me very happy! I have missed him desperately and don't want to ruin a relationship with him over anything we cannot work out between us with open conversation and compromise.

I feel it important to mention what a GOD sent my daughter has been. At the young age of 16 she has already proven to be a very responsible, mature young lady. She is doing so well in school, she is a JR this year and has enough credits to actually graduate a year early. AND do you know what she asked me for this week? not money, not a new pair of shoes...A PURITY RING! She said that she is wanting, willing and prepared to wait and have sex after marriage! WAY TO GO KIDDO! It was one of those proud mom moments! I know she has struggled with liking certain boys who prefer to go out with the "easy" girls. I have tried repeatedly to tell her that the right boy will come along and that at the end of the day they will choose the good girl vs the tramp to marry and settle down with.
I also feel important to mention , the hubby! Don't really talk much about him solely cause he is the one who causes the least drama in my life. He really is a good guy! We have been together for 20 years and have seen our share of good and bad times together. Like all young couples, we have struggled with financial problems, children disciplinarian views, etc..but we trust each other unconditionally and support each other in most everything.
I'm just feeling a little emotional about life and those I love and wanted to share some of my thoughts!..nite nite.

surgery scheduled!

MARCH 18, 2008...6am!..Im soooo excited! I have wanted this for a loooong time and to finally see it happening is so overwhelming! Im going to be SKINNY! ..YAY! bring it on babay!!!!!!

in the clear!!

on a lighter note!!! I received my clearance today for my surgery and I should have a surgery date within a week! Yay! I'm so excited...something for me!

sad...

this blog makes me sad..but I feel as if I need to get a few things off my chest! It didn't take long before my son, who just turned 18 last week, and I got into our first "adult" argument. Apparently the youth these days think that something miraculous happens when they turn 18. No rules, no responsibility, no consequences, etc. With that said, it is with a heavy heart that I announce that our "disagreement" resulted in him leaving home. Some may say I told him to get out..its more like my telling him I've had enough and wont be disrespected in my home. He felt that I was being unreasonable not allowing him to go out every night and come home at all hours of the night, just because he is working. BIG DEAL! I work...the pile of dirty clothes is still laying on his floor..in his room that hasn't been cleaned in weeks. I could go on and on...but ultimately I am still very sad! I love my son with all my heart and like any mom want the best for him. I miss him desperately and want nothing more than for him to come home, but I wonder with how much will do I have to tolerate this type of behavior? I want him to get an education, get a good job, be a responsible, upstanding citizen in our society and if he is going to live at home, he must abide by our rules. Is that so much to ask?

I liked and wanted to share!...

blah!

that is the word that best describes the way I feel today! I have an earache, sore throat and my head feels like it's about to explode. But here I am, at work, feeling "blah". No doubt, I would rather be home and in bed. Today my hubby went to his Dr. and good news..they are referring him back to physical therapy. For those of you who don't know, John is a paraplegic. 5 years ago he jumped into a swimming pool, broke his neck and has not walked since. The last few months he has had substantial weight loss and it has been easier for him to transfer in/out of his wheelchair and even stand and take steps on his walker, SOOOO..with that said it is looking hopeful that he may find improvement with some good therapy. We would be so blessed if he was able to walk again, even if only on a walker..but I'm reaching for the stars and praying to see him up on his feet again one day. I refuse to loose hope!

im still here...

I know..I know...I could give you a long drawn out list of reasons as to why I haven't blog lately but the truth is simply the fact that I have had absolutely nothing much to chat about. I've been working a few extra hours and trying to keep the sanity at home. Good news came this past week, my son is NOT being expelled from school. Apparently the principal had a "change of heart" so although he has decided not to go back to that school it is his choice. He will be able to get into an alternate program and get his diploma on time in the Spring. He has been working and making an effort to get back on the right track. My daughter is still working hard in school, she is only a JR this year and she will be able to start taking classes at the community college over the summer towards her AA. This will allow her to graduate from HS and go to a 4yr college as a JR. YAY! I'm very proud of her!
Speaking of HS graduations, my 20yr reunion is well in the works. It will be held the weekend of August 15th and I'm very excited. My surgery is also getting closer to becoming a reality. I'm just waiting on medical clearance. Appears that I don't have enough oxygen in my blood..not really sure how I could dump some in there! LOL
Tonight I introduced blogging to another co-worker. Her name is Mandy and am certain she would like to hear from you! Give her a shout! Here is to you Amanda!

Let's see...Valentine's Day was nice.. I received flowers from my dad (he has been sending his "girls" flowers since I was a kid). And even though I had to work until medinight, John was so sweet..he had a candles, a rose, candy, a balloon and a really sweet card waiting for me when I got home. I was very appreciative of his thoughtfulness. Yes! I gave him SEX! LOL
This weekend Im going to the Michael Buble concert with my mom, daughter and sister-in-law. It will be fun to hang out with them. Another girls weekend! I love Michael Buble and am looking forward to the night out!
As for work, I have a new trainee. He is a ex-firefighter from Pennsylvania. Nice guy! He is very eager to learn. I'm just not sure how much I like the additional responsibility.
So..that's all for now. Tonight has been a pretty good night..I have bonded a little more with my new squad which is good since we seem to spend more time together than our own families. Adios for now! CHOW!

my birthday weekend

This is the view from the deck where I spent my birthday weekend! It was a very special weekend. I was able to share it with some of my closets friends..sisters actually! The weekend was full of laughs, great stories, laughs, drinks, food, and more laughs...OH and definitely more drinks! Thanks to those of you who helped make it so memorable! I love you girls!!

little cupcake!!

This is the latest picture I have of my niece, Sophie Marie. She is 9 mos old and the apple of my eye! I love her and her big brother, TR sooo much! Wanted to share with you her pretty little face!

my new car...

Just thought I would post a pic of my new vehicle. In case you have been under a rock the last few days I had been handed the massive task of buying a new vehicle after my son (whom is still alive) flipped and totalled my last one. But all in all, I am happy with my new truck and the best part is that it is paid for! YAY!

an update...

It hasn't gotten much better around my house the last few days. After the meeting on Tuesday at my son's school, he was suspended for 10 days and recommended for expulsion. All this comes in the final semester of his Senior year. I am devastated. I have called everyone I know to try and make this better and so far, I have been completely unsuccessful. Now I must await to be contacted by the County School Board and I can request a hearing to make a decision on expulsion. Every parents nightmare! As for my vehicle, it is totalled and I can pick up a check tomorrow so I have spent the last day or so looking for a replacement. No fun, either! URGH! I won't dread you with any more of the gory details. I thank everyone who has sent me "chin up" messages! Keep me in your prayers!

a bad day...

it's days like today that I ask my self, WTF did I do to deserve this? In a nutshell, my son flipped my Jeep, totaled it, was given 2 citations and will be in the school deans office on Tuesday since he did this on school property while doing donuts in a vacant grassed parking lot. Nice, huh? One of those real proud mom moments we all yearn for! Tomorrow has got to get better!

My TIGERS won the championship!

GEAUX TIGERS!!!

on the road to recovery!

Well, I did it! I took the first step towards the road back to my recovery! I met with a psychologist today for my psych evaluation for my gastric surgery! It was quite the tedious process! First I had to fill out the necessary forms and then came a computer test...732 True/False Questions and multiple paper forms. Afterwards, I met with the psychologist and we discussed my results. In conclusion, I am eligible for the surgery. It was also noted that my levels of depression are alarmingly high and it was her recommendation that I get on anti-depressive and anti-anxiety medication, something I have known just never initiated. She felt that my depression was not just related to my weight issues, but the effects of John's accident on our family, etc. But now, the ball is rolling, I should hear back from the Dr within a week and then my surgery will be scheduled. Her other recommendation was to go with the sleeve gastrectomy vs the lap band. Something I'm excited about. While the lap band is something I am familiar with, since John had it done, it agree that based on my goals and lifestyle the "sleeve" would be most beneficial and successful for me. YAY! I have goals and a timeline in mind, so keep checking back for updates!

a few days away!...

I'm not planning anything extra special. But, I am off Dec 28th til Jan 4th and my mom mentioned to me this morning, we should book a last minute cruise! HELL YEAH WE SHOULD!! You don't have to ask me twice! I've already been online looking for the time we leave! Worked last night and tonight so had Christmas morning with the little ones THIS morning. They were absolutely adorable! TR was impressed with my knowledge of all the names of his new Star Wars characters and my brother was impressed with my ability to put all of Sophie's toys together with one sole tool, "THE SCREWDRIVER". He made us a very nice breakfast...banana nut pancakes, sliced fruit, shrimp cocktail, crab legs, vegetable omelet, a variety of muffins and rolls and my favorite the MIMOSA!!! Yumm!! was quite the treat after working all night and not sleeping the day before. Made it that much easier to lay down this afternoon before heading back into work. My mom and dad cried like babies when they saw the pictures of the kids they got for Christmas. They really did turn out sweet. The kids made out with some nice gifts, I was happy to receive the new Celine Dion CD and concert music video. That was the gist of the morning..here I sit again, back at work. In a few more hours I will have one shift left and then some time off. I wish you all out there a safe holiday season and all the blessings in the world. GOD BLESS!

Merry Christmas...

it is especially at this time of year that we think about all the blessings we have been given throughout the year. We set aside time to be with family and close friends. We look back on memories of those we have lost and truly realize how lucky we are to have loved them and had them in our lives as long as we did.
Working in 911, we see alot of sad things. Things that open our eyes as to how fortunate we truly are and how we have nothing to not be grateful for. Tonight for example my co-workers and I have had to deal with suicide attempts, threats, a lost home due to fire and the ultimate devastation, a parents loss of a child. It puts us all in a somber mood anytime these things happen, but in perspective, nonetheless. I think about tomorrow when their minds clear from the haze and they realize what they have lost. Where will this family sleep now that there home is gone? Where will families meet now that a loved one has been confined to a mental institution? Where will a mother find hope in her heart to go on with life after her baby girl no longer has one?
All these are sad and they weigh on my heart. I will go home this morning and hug my children tighter than ever before. I will look at my house and ignore that the couch pillows are on the floor. I will greet my husband with a smile and a "good morning". I also plan to make it a point to tell each and every person that means something to me how much I love them and appreciate them in my life...because I'll be back to work Christmas Eve and we never know what the new day might bring! GOD BLESS!

it's done!

I've never really understood why people feel the need or even the desire to start Christmas shopping in like April! Last night, Lauren and I (my 16 yr old daughter, who would of much rather of hung out with her friends last night) left the house at 5pm and within hours, YES, HOURS finished all of our Christmas shopping! There were toys and books for the little ones, a snow globe for my sister in law, a TB Bucs cushion seat thingy for my brother, clothes for Lauren, clothes for Brandon, ROCKBAND for both of them, a DVD player, a camera, chocolates, picture frames for the grandkids xmas portrait (a gift to the parents) and a few little stocking stuffers. It's not rocket science folks! WHY WHY WHY and for WHAT WHAT WHAT do these people shop for that takes months on end. I just don't get it. By 11pm we were back home and by 1230am everything was wrapped and under the tree! MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!

the best present ever!...

For those of you who know me, you know that I have not always been overweight and have recently longed to have some type of surgical intervention to give me a boost and get "skinny" again! WELL...GREAT NEWS! I'm going to be having a procedure sometime between now and my birthday in February! I am sooo excited. I have a psychological evaluation scheduled for January 8Th and from there the surgery date is set. I can't wait. I have yet to formally decide on a gastric lap-band or a sleeve gastrectomy. I will be making this decision alongside my Dr, my family and myself so I will continue to have my support system. I am very blessed for this opportunity and I will never be able to thank my parents enough! They know ho bad and how long I have wanted this! My goal is to lose 100 lbs by August and I WILL DO IT! Check back for future blogs were I will be updating everyone on my progress.

the time has come!...

TO SELL! As of January 1, 2008, John and I have decided to take the plunge and sell the house! The time has come! Brandon graduates in June and Lauren in December next year and so it is time to start planning for the next chapter in our lives. Since John's accident we have struggled yet always made it happen and have been able to stay in this house, but now we are ready for a change. I have began to inquire about getting back into the business/health care field that I left a little over 2 years ago. There are several positions within the US that I am interested in. Macon, GA..Tulane, LA..Denver, CO..Nashville, TN..and Richmond, VA. So I'm going to try and plug a few tidbits about my house to see if anyone who reads this might be interested in the investment!

**Central Florida, 3BR, 2BA, approx 2200 sq ft. ranch style home built in 1981, is located in reputable, well established family oriented neighborhood located near great schools. Upgraded ceramic tile, wood floors, master bath has sunken garden tub and seperate shower, walk in closet, tiled counter tops, appliances included, large brick fireplace, ceiling fans, double pantry, formal dining room, kitchen nook, wooden blinds in all 22 windows, interior laundry room, 2 car garage, fenced yard with landscaping, irrigation, in-ground jacuzzi located on roof covered back porch. Priced at : $335k**

good times!

this is bound to be the most entertaining post to date! Last night was our "party on wheels"! We celebrated a combination of the holidays and our friend Bobs' 50Th birthday! It was a party on wheels because we traveled in one of John's buses..you know like the one the rock stars ride in? From this point on it will be important to pay close attention to detail!...lol The evening started at 6pm with the "load in" of the party bus. Which included, 3 homemade gallons of "Kill"aritas, 1 large bottle of Vodka, 1 of Crown, 1 of Royal Bacardi Rum, 1 of Patron, 1 of Jagermeister, 2 bottles of white wine, 2 of Merlot, 2 cases of Heineken beer, 2 cases of BudLight and 1 case of Miller Light. Along with a variety of mixers such as juice and tonic water. Food items consisted of meatballs, pigs in a blankie, chicken nuggets, homemade guacamole, hummus and a 7 layer taco dip. Several bags of limes and lemons came in handy with the shots of vodka and tequila. And if I had to guess there were probably 9-10 packs of cigarettes consumed. Are you getting the visual, yet? By this time it is about 7pm and we are ready to roll! Destination undefined we proceed North on the Florida Turnpike. All 18 of us had began our venture into what was yet to be one of the best damn Christmas/Bday parties I have ever attended. The live entertainment, dancing, drinking, smoking and "constant partying" quickly began and it was decided we would travel to the fine streets of St Augustine, FL. An approx 2 HR drive. We safely arrived at our destination to find a beautifully decorated marina, streets and oh yeah, "BARS!". We made stops at The St George's Bar, The White Lion, The Tapa's Bar and the best of all, Scarlett O'Hara's. At this pit stop, we were greeted by the town's best! (Here some more details). A photographer, with a fanny pack, a red Hawaii inspired shirt and pink converse hightops. I'm not sure I remember his name, but I do recall him pulling out his wallet and showing us his ID. Don't ask!! Then we met Yoko Ono (not really, but that's what Blanche named her). Yoko Ono measured about 4'9" with long black hair, a 4 y/o little boy at her side (remember we are at a bar!) and beating and yelling at her husband as they were leaving! Quite the memory! Then there was our, sweet Karen! Karen managed to quickly find a seat at a table that wasn't ours, sat with a lady carrying a 10wk old puppy (again, we are still in the Bar). Karen and this lady carried on a conversation fit for kings while the husband, who came back for his seat, just stood there while a complete stranger sat in HIS seat for at least 20 minutes. By this time, Blanche has stopped every person who has braved the task of walking past our party and harassed or embarrassed them anyway she can! Oh yeah..she also kept singing some song about screwing a girl from Hawaii that kept screaming "waiiiii". My friend Alex, on the other hand, had managed to partially pass out at Tapa's, yet wake up and walk to Scarlett O'Hara's and just sleep sitting up in a rocking chair on the porch. All with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. What multi-tasking skills! Stephanie and John had to make a quick "getaway" after Steph out of the blue started making hand gestures as if trying to say "I need food, now!!"...they made it safely to the bus 5 blocks away to taste test the meatballs and hummus mentioned earlier in this blog. At each of the bars we visited, we each grabbed additional beverages, other than in our "stock". Selection included mojitos, cosmos and dead man walking. If I remember correctly, by this time is was barely 12midnight. A few of us were beginning to feel a little "trashed". But that didn't stop us..OH NO!! We made our way back to the bus, where we were greeted by our "super duper" driver, Brother Mitchell. But what did our eyes did appear??? Do you remember that Stephanie needed food? well...apparently she also needed a nap! She was nestled, all snug in her bunk, with visions of sugarplums dancing in her head!...Great holiday spirit, Steph! I think by this time it was about 130am and we began our road trip back to Ktown. Break out the lemon drops! Some of us took power naps to prepare for the second wind..I will include myself in that small group. You can do the math, but I had been up all day before working the night before and being up the day before that preparing..so the combination of lack of sleep and a few drinks was a little deadly! I was a trooper though...I took my power nap and was up ready to go by the time we arrived back at the house. The bus was parked and people scattered like flies...some inside for a good "day's" sleep! Some to the awaiting cab for that ride home and a handful or two for the game of quarters and poison apple shots! Breakfast was scheduled for 9am and it was quickly approaching! I myself prepared 6 rounds of "poisoned" shots for the remaining crew still standing. There was a great mix of Santana hits blaring in the background, and a remix of 80's hits! Gotta love some Depeche Mode!! We sat and chatted, smoke, drank and little more and sat, drank, smoked a little more..this carried me through for a few hours before I went home and confronted the other party of the evening! You heard me..another party, yet not mine! My teenagers, whom I love(d) and adore(d) had a "few" friends over while I we were out. I came home at approx 730am to find, all the lights on, empty beer bottles and a bottle of Lord Calvert in the trash can. I have YET to say anything seeing how I was a little "over the rainbow" at the time, but we will definitely discuss it after I have had time to calm down and a full day of rest! Back to 730am..I came home, took my shower and went to bed! This was mandatory! I had to catch up on sleep and be back here tonight!..yep! back at work and holding my own! Only 4 more hours and I will be able to go back to bed! ..I'm also off the next two nights, which I must utilize to go Christmas shopping for everyone. I have no big funds right now! So to sum this whole chain of events up, the bus was still parked in the front at 4pm today! I slept until 515pm and John is still in bed from when he got home at 930am. Now I'm here at work...not real busy so I've doing some Internet investigations on Christmas gifts, etc. All I want for Christmas, is to book a flight and spend it in NYC! I wanna hang out in the snow! Make a snowman! Shwewwwww..that was long! Overall, we had a great time..hadn't partied like that since......ummm...ummm...July 7Th!! LOL Sorry you missed it, you would of had a blast OR at least quite a story to one day tell your kids! LOL....

St Thomas 35... Osceola 20..

Well we lost the State Championship..but an "A" for effort! Bummer!..there is always next year!

OHS Kowboys...Going to the State Championships

My Alma Mater the OSCEOLA HIGH SCHOOL KOWBOYS are playing in the Class 5A State Championship game tonight. The Kowboys are 14-0 and are the favorites to win over St. Thomas Aquinas! I am very excited for the team, the school and for my kids who are there tonight cheering them on towards a victory! It has been a very exciting season for them all and a win would be the icing on the cake! GO KOWBOYS!! Game highlights and final score still to come!

they're coming...

and I sooo not ready! I guess I have been living in "la la" land because it is now, at 3am that it hits me that we have less than 2 weeks before Christmas. I have only managed to put up my tree, set up my nativity scene and hang a few wreaths. Not one, I mean, not even one gift has been purchased. I'm not even sure of what everyone wants! My niece and nephew should be pretty easy to please. And the grand kids are going on Tues to have a portrait done that can be framed and given to the grandparents. We normally draw names so that each person gets one "nice" gift and the adults don't spend money on buying a little "something" for everyone. But this year it was decided we wouldn't do that and just buy for the kids. I'm just getting back from out of town, so lets see it that is still the plan. John is only asking for a book he wants..bless his heart!~ the kids on the other hand..we'll let's just say that there should be some resolution the the problem parents of teenagers have when their kids turn 16 and want a car! HA!! Have I ever mentioned I have 2 teenagers?? They have a used car that they have shared for the past year, but it does not seem to appease them and it isn't "cool". The plan is to hopefully get a 2ND vehicle in the next coming months and then trade in the one they have now for something else. If we can't survive with 3 vehicles, then someone better get a second job!!! lol As I mentioned, we returned today from out of town. John's dad died and we had to take an impromptu trip to NC. If was unfortunate circumstances, but it was nice to see everyone and spend some family time together. We had not been up their since last Christmas. We will return again in the Spring to bring the ashes to their final resting place in VA. John's dad always wanted to ride on the bus with John and never had his chance so John thought this way he could take him with us and give him a final wish. I personally think it will make John feel a little better...he has been rather somber and quiet since his dad died. A normal reaction..as long as he doesn't feel any regrets. If one thing good has come out of this, I do see a change in the relationship he has with Brandon. I think they have both been hit with the reality that loved ones can be taken from us at any given time and we should be more respectful, loving and appreciative of each other.
Well...back at work tonight things were pretty "quiet" (we are cursed anytime we use that word). My co-worker, John is busy counting down the days until he leaves for a vacation to Wisconsin. I think he and Christine are going to have a great time and I hope they make it there and back safely. I'm jealous..I love the cold weather and snow and it has been in the high 70's here. I hope it cools off a bit for Christmas. It might help us get into the holiday spirit. HO HO HO!! I'm off tonight and back Friday night...Saturday is the big "party on wheels". Is bound to be a blast! We are celebrating the holidays and Bob's 50th birthday! Bob is one of our bestest friends. He and his wife Tiffany are also our neighbors and are just alot of fun. I'm certain I'll have tons of stories and hopefully a picture or two to share with you all next week. We'll chat again soon..enjoy your weekend!...buh bye!

in memory...

James Neil Sizemore...John's dad, died Friday. Here is a posting in his memory!

Death is nothing at all~ I have only slipped away into the next room. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the same easy way you always used to. Laugh as we always laughed..at little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effort. Life means all that it ever meant, it is the same as it ever was; there is absolutely unbroken continuity. Why should I be out of your mind because I am out of your sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere near just around the corner. All is well. Nothing is lost. One brief moment and all will be as it was before~ only better, infinitely happier and forever~we will all be one together with our Creator.
We love you PawPaw...May you REST IN PEACE!

not real sure...

what I want to blog about tonight. I spent the day sleeping after working last night. Woke up just in time to suffice my vice of MYSPACE and PEOPLE.COM..I know "sick!". Lauren is busy planning what is bound to be an expensive girls night to celebrate the holidays and have her gift exchange. These types of things tend to get a little carried away with her. Luckily I won't be home to share in the festivities..we have our own party planned that night. We are taking a bus out to help celebrate the holidays and a friends' 50th birthday! Is bounds to be a good time. I accomplished absolutely nothing after rolling out of bed, other than making myself the best PB&J sandwich ever...showered and brought my butt back to work which is were I reside at this hour 0210 hrs...only 4 more to go.
Tomorrow is destined to be equally uneventful...Oreo has an appt at 0830 hrs at the vet and then I hope to make it back home for a cat nap before the kids get home from school. My mom is having a procedure tomorrow and I really want to be with her, but unfortunately the whole cloning thing is still illegal in the US.
The next two nights I am off so I will be home...just chillin'. If I can gather up some extra strength I may, key word is "MAY" clean up the back porch in preparation for the holidays. Living in Florida does have some minor advantages like enjoying Christmas Day lunch in the back porch in the jacuzzi with a margarita vs hot cocoa.
In between my dreams today, I got some great recipe ideas on the FOOD NETWORK...yum!
Now, here I sit watching the clock and dealing withe absolutely ridiculous people on the phone. I hope you all never have to..but should you ever need to , please use common sense when calling 911..I mean, really people!!!
well...I've ran out of stuff to gripe and chat about..so I'll leave you all with a wish for a good night..we'll chat again soon! ..nite!

who needs the SOUTH pole?...

Greetings from the "FIRE Pole"...Back at work tonight and what to my surprise did appear?..A Christmas tree, ornaments, garland and wreaths for us to put together and decorate the Comm Center with. Yep! You heard right...part of our duties tonight, along with saving lives...put up the Christmas tree! Our SUPERVISOR, who is anti-Christmas, made it very clear she would not be doing the deed. ANOTHER co-worker was busy watching Monday Night Football so my OTHER co-worker, John and I got the job done! Thought you might enjoy the pic...

Damn inner voices...

One last thing worth mentioning..you may remember my "bitch" blog reference having to change squads at work and being kept on night shift for another 6 months. WELL!! Tonight my boss calls up here and is very nice is questioning how the night was going, etc...and then says "you must really be excited and looking forward to going back to day shift". Um hellllloooooo...duh!!!! I couldn't keep my inner voice from speaking out loud and quickly responded with "well, I'm not going to day shift so get back to me in May next year and I'll let you know!". OOPS! Maybe wasn't the most appropriate answer for my boss, but regardless it was how I felt. She IMMEDIATELY knew she had fucked up and said, "I'm so sorry, that wasn't very kind of me....I forgot"....I guess we both stuck our foot in our mouths. Damn inner voice!! LOL

i'm stuffed!...

Why is it that when we are bored, we tend to just want to eat? Tonight I have managed to consume 1/2 a bottle of fruit punch, a BBQ dinner from Sonny's, half a bag of potato chips, 3 pieces of sushi and 1/4 of a chocolate bar. I don't even like chocolate!!! Good grief!!! and to add to my demise I sit for 12 hrs here at work so you can imagine what good that is for me! Today was rather, uneventful! I managed to crawl my butt into bed around 615am and don't recall seeing the clock move anytime after 630am. I slept all day! the weather was gloomy, kinda cool, so I took advantage and slept in until 330p when the rest of the family got home. Being Friday, everyone was quick to run and ask for money and see how fast they could make it back out the door. Tonight was a big football game in Tampa for the kids' HS and my old alumni. They are well on their way to the State Championships. As a matter a fact they won again tonight so next week, Jacksonville. YAY!! I'm now off tomorrow and Sunday and I would like to do some holiday shopping. Not much money to spend this year, but my kids deserve a few nice things. They have been troopers through the year. They have done well in school, helped with their dad and it makes me feel good when I can give them the things they want. I would love to treat myself with a trip to NYC for New Years'. I found some cheap flights and haven't seen the big city decorated in so many years. Actually not since I was a SR in HS... so 20 years ago. The only problem is finding a hotel around that time and not paying an arm and a leg for it. I do have a good friend in Brooklyn but I hate to even ask for that favor!! We'll see, I think it would be an unforgettable trip for me and my daughter..maybe my mom would join us. My brother and his wife, leave today for Vegas. He surprised her a few days ago when he came home and told her to pack her bags, "we're going to Vegas this weekend for a little honeymoon". Isn't that sweet? They will be there til Tuesday and will be able to see my cousin Wendy, who lives and owns her own restaurant there. I hope to visit them soon when the Praying Mantis sisters' make our trip West. Well, tonight as I might have earlier mentioned has been rather uneventful, TV has been rather mixed... House Hunters, That 70's show, Nip/Tuck and now a movie called, HUSH. I'm chewing on ice to stay awake and I ramble on...I wish all of you readers enjoy a nice, restful weekend. I'm hoping for the same!

Let it snow...MAN!!

Thought I would share with you a snowman picture sent to me by our friend Caitlin in Michigan! He made it through the night and then early morning sunshine, made him "lean"! I wish we had snow so I could make one, too! :(

it's been a week...

and boy did it go fast! I'm back at work at least for a few more weeks until I go on vacation again. I had a "ok" week...I went to my high school football game which was nice to see some old friends. The Kowboys (with a "K") are in the playoffs and are on the road to State Champions! That was on Fri...on Saturday I hung out around the house and really didnt do much of anything...actually I think the extent of my exhertion was dragging out the Christmas decorations and tree. It took me about 3 days to get the actual tree assembled, lights on and fully decorated. Did I mention, I was really lazy during my week off? On Sunday, I slept in until about noon and then Lauren and I went to see the Disney movie "ENCHANTED". It was really cute! Although a "young persons" movie, I thoroughly enjoyed it!! Yesterday, I went to lunch with my family then did some holiday shopping. My niece and nephew got the cutest of outfits for Christmas. This morning I woke up and was excited to see my cleaning lady when she arrived.I was so happy when I left to come back to work tonight, the house looked lovely!! Speaking of back to work..it is movie night, John (my co-worker and friend) was kind enough to drive today so we hit blockbuster for movies to help get us throught the night. So far we have watched, "THE SANTA CLAUSE 3" and "WHO IS YOUR CADDY?" still have to watch "HOME OF THE BRAVE". I've come to the conclusion that I would make one hell of a movie critic!! I am a movie fanatic, can't you tell? lol I'm having a rough time staying awake tonight, so I've kept myself busy by eating lots of candy (great for the belly!), editing my blog layout (you liiike??..in Borat accent) and now watching the final movie of the evening. I won't bore you much longer..I hope to have some substancial stuff to talk about tomorrow. I will never be able to guarantee an interesting blog after a week of "sitting on my ass!"..lol..nite nite!

in a few short hours...

I will begin enjoying a few days off!..A week actually! YAY! Unfortunately I had to work the last two nights so Thanksgiving was a little rushed today in between making muffins and my grandmothers' poppy seed cake and trying to take a short nap. Regardless our meal was delicious and it was so great to be with my parents, my brother and his family. Especially his kids!..they were so precious today! My niece who is 7 mos old looked like Aunt Jemima in a beautiful flowered dress and bandanna type scarf on her head. My nephew who is 4 yrs old kept asking if we were thankful for him as went around the table saying what each of us was thankful for? He and I also became best buddies after his mom told him he couldn't just eat marshmallows out of the bag and I secretly kept giving him some to hide in his pocket and take outside to eat "undercover"!. He was tickled to be sneaky like that!! So I had fun being the "cool" aunt.

My mom did a great job with dinner..we had our traditional meal of turkey and all the fixing's. My dad said grace and we all went around, as is tradition, and said what each of us were thankful for this year. I reminded everyone that I was thankful of my family, my friends, our health and safety and all the blessings that GOD has given me. Those that I see and those that I have yet to identify. After dinner, we had dessert which was were my baking skills came in! I baked my grandmothers' recipe for poppy seed cake. It is such a good recipe and one that is very dear to my heart!

Which brings us to the current time of 2230 hrs. (1030PM for those of you not educated on military time). Here I sit at work, blogging...Every Tom, Dick and Harry has called 911 tonight for the "interesting" of reasons. Bad enough I have to be here on a holiday...all night...and listen to these people's B.S.!! Oh well, it's my job!

So as I mentioned, as of tomorrow morning at 0600 hrs (6am...lol) I will be on vacation until next Thursday at 1800 hrs. I would of liked to be able to get out of town for a few days. With the delay in cold weather, the leaves in the Carolina's are still pretty and I have been wanting to check out a few of the smaller towns near Wake Forest and Chapel Hill. But...John has to work and we don't have the extra cash anyways for a hotel room or gas. Maybe we can try again next month...I'm taking a week off after Christmas too...YAY!..OK, I feel the need to mention that I will also be taking a week off in Feb for my birthday.

Not sure if I mentioned last night that Lauren made it home safe and sound. It was so good to see her when I woke up this afternoon and give her a big hug and kiss. She had a great time and was kind enough to bring me back all sorts of home magazines and newspapers from Michigan! I wanna move, but not to Michigan. A little too far from the family and colllddd!!! I would definitely like to visit though, it looks to be a beautiful place.

Well, most of you are probably full from all the turkey and ready to lay down for a long nap! I don't blame you! Wish I could do the same! Goodnight to all...Have a great weekend!...muah! xoxoxo

I am thankful...

Let me begin by saying "HAPPY THANKSGIVING" to all of my friends and family. This year has been a year full of many ups and more downs. I am very fortunate to have my parents nearby and healthy. My brother and his family are near and in a new beautiful home. My niece and nephew are as beautiful as can be! This year I was able to spend 6 mos with my aunt who came to visit us from Cuba. John and I have surpassed difficult months financially, but that which has not killed us has made us stronger. Our children are well on their way to adulthood. Brandon will be 18 in Feb. and will graduate in May. He has made some poor choices, but hopefully has come out of the consequences with a better head on his shoulders. Lauren has worked very hard in school and is doing very well. She is already started looking at different colleges. Tonight she returned from her trip to Michigan and I was greeted upon her return with a beautiful THANK YOU card and #1 MOM key chain. Here is what she wrote..I couldn't not share her sweet words!..."MOMMY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR ME. I KNOW THAT I CAN BE MEAN AND IT MAY SEEM THAT I DON'T APPRECIATE YOU OR DADDY BUT I DO VERY MUCH. AND EVEN IF I DON'T SAY IT EVERYDAY I LOVE YOU AND DADDY VERY MUCH. I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU BOTH DO FOR ME. I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IS NEVER TOO LATE FOR YOU TO ALSO FULFILL YOUR DREAMS. LIVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE FOR YOU, ME AND BRANDON WILL BE FINE! I LOVE YOU...LAUREN"

My job has treated me well, with some minor exceptions. I still hope to be able to move up within the organization and get back to management and public relations which is my "specialty". I have started my "sisterhood" which was something I had wanted to do for over a year now. We are scheduled for our first weekend in February. My 20yr H.S. reunion is next year and have spent the last few months busy locating alumni and planning for the big event!

On a sad note, I lost my "Papi" this year. My grandfather who was 100 years old. He led a long life full of love and a spunky personality. I hate that he is gone especially after being "lost" in the world of Alzheimer's for the past couple of years...but I know that he has been reunited with the love of his life, my grandmother Teya and our Lord, Jesus Christ. I feel encouraged and blessed to know that both sets of my grandparents are in the glories of Heaven looking down on me and my family as our guardian angels. With the holidays it is always harder to imagine our lives have gone on without them..they are truly missed.

On a lighter note, I am also grateful to all the new and old friends I have in my life again! In preparation for the class reunion I have been able to re-connect with old friends and become closer to those whom I only passed in the hallways. Several of which will read this blog...so Thank you for being my friends and most importantly for being such a big part of my life. I appreciate you very much!

Tomorrow, most of you will be reunited with family and friends to celebrate and give thanks to the blessings that have been bestowed onto us. I myself will be working (bummer!)...but will not consider myself any less fortunate! I am grateful to so many things, people and moments in my life and I just want you all to know that!

Have a great day! with love....

the girls in Michigan...

Here you will find my baby girl, Lauren..Kristin and Caitlin
They have been busy bonding together in Michigan as BFF's forever. Today was their road trip into Canada that of which Lauren found border patrol to be "scary", Kristin loved the fact that at age 18 she could have a "drink" and Caitlin whose sweet smile lights up a room is enjoying her friends from the Sunshine State.

Lauren staying "in touch" via IM..thank goodness for Gmail! I miss you chicken!!!

friday night lights...

last night was great. A few of my high school friends came over and we have gotten the ball rolling on our 20yr high school reunion! It is always great reminiscing about old times and memories. Our high school right now is undefeated and currently in the playoff for the State Championship. GO KOWBOYS! I'm trying to get a crowd together to go to the next home game..maybe even get some shirts made with our "infamous' class of 88 on them. There is a long a standing history with our class. Our Senior trip to Gatlinburg, TN...some of us got a "little" drunk and got "busted" and since that year the class trips have been cancelled. Something my children feel the need to remind me of often..especially since the will not be able to have a SR trip either, 20 years later!
In preparation for last nights get together, I injured my hand. I didn't realize what I had done until the wee hours of the morning and I couldn't even dispense ice or water from the fridge into my glass. That will teach me to try and carry in 2 bundles of firewood and a box of starter all at the same time!
Tonight, I sit at work. Day 1 of 2..looking forward to Thanksgiving day. I have to work (YUCK!) but after that I am off for 6 days straight! I hope to just be able to spend some quality time with my family and start decorating for Christmas. I still haven't decided on a real or artificial tree. I love the smell of a real tree, but the Florida weather isn't very kind and the needles tend to fall off way to early! I'm also torn between the type of decorations I want to use this year. All of my ornaments have special meaning..but have always had a red/gold tree..thought it would be nice to do a "snowflake" tree with all shades of white, beige and silver. I don't know...we'll see. I suppose it could be worse and I could be struggling like my friend Amy who is getting married and can't decide on bridesmaid dresses and/or colors for her wedding. Something she has looked forward to for such a long time. I feel so bad..she is so stressed and I want to help her any way I can...so I'm going to whether she asks me to or not..SORRY AMY! lol...
With all that information, vital as it may seem..I'm going to get back to work. Wishing you all a good night..sweet dreams!

how to cook a pot roast??...

Let me start this blog by saying "Thank you" to my friend and co-worker, John. he was kind enough to cook a pot roast for dinner tonight. The menu tonight consisted of pot roast, mashed potatoes, green beans and biscuits. I myself have come to the firm conclusion that I have no frickin clue as to how to cook a damn roast! I have tried several times and all it tastes like to me is a piece of meat! I have yet to capture the taste of anything other than unseasoned meat! GROSS! So he was kind enough to buy it and make it for me! THANKS JOHN!
Today turned out to be a pretty uneventful day. I slept until 2pm, got up, made dinner for my husband and kids..their menu was homemade black beans, white rice and pork chops (note: I can make that!) I then did some laundry and came back into work.
Work has been work so far. After dinner we watched "Ratatouille". I had seen with my nephew in the theaters, but cute enough to watch again! I know..I know.. I'm 37 years old and still watching kid movies...I'm a kid at heart!

Next movie on the agenda tonight is Shrek 3...I love donkey and "puss n boots"

It was confirmed late last night, that I will definitely be moving to another squad come January therefor will continue on night shift until May. Let me just re-iterate that I AM NOT HAPPY!! I'm looking forward to the next 2 days off. No trainings, no meetings, just days off! Back to work Saturday night! I'm planning to spend some time with my mom tomorrow. Actually will probably go over there and hop in her bed and sleep...like my childhood days! Then I would like to take my nephew to see the new movie Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium.

Well..I'm starting to bore myself, so let me not reach the point of boring you!
I wish you all a good night..a sweet dreams! Nite Nite!

what a way to start my week!...

Hi everyone! I needed a bit of a break from blogging and work so I've been a "homebody" for the past 3 days. Depression is quite the monster! But I was feeling better today until I got to work! I came in early to meet with my supervisor and my manager. Boy was that fun! It seems as if someone has had the bright idea to move all of our squads around and I will most likely be staying on nights for the next shift change instead of going back to days in January. This would mean nights for me until May. Words cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I am about that! I broke the news to my hubby who is "fit to be tied!". He is determined more than ever now to get me to find another job elsewhere! Actually, we spent a good part of the weekend talking about even selling our house and moving away. He suggested Chapel Hill, NC or maybe somewhere closer to the coast. But definitely out of Florida, if we can sell our house!

I gotta tell ya, if it wasn't that my parents and my brothers' family live here, I would have moved a looong time ago! I'd be lost without my family!
So, I'm putting it in GOD's hands and praying for the best!
Thanksgiving is next week. I'm soo looking forward to being together with my family, even though I have to work the night before and the night of..my mom is going to have dinner ready for 230p so I can sleep in the morning and eat dinner with them before I have to be back to work. I'm looking forward to my few days off the week after. I need a break! Lauren and Kristin (her BFF) are leaving Friday to go to Michigan to see their other BFF Caitlin. She will be there until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. She is very excited and I am excited for her. They are planning a day trip into Canada which Im jealous about! I've never been to Canada and have always wanted to go.
On this Friday too, I'm having a few people over for our 20yr HS reunion committee meeting. The last 2 have been fun, so I'm looking forward to it! A few drinks, laughs and lots of stories of the "gold old days". Another thing I'm excited about is our Christmas Party on "wheels" this year! John and I thought it would be fun to get a bus and have a group of us go out and celebrate the holidays! We can all drink and have fun without worrying about driving!
Well, that's all for now...time for more internet surfing at work! ...LOL

Number 1, Baby!!!

I am multi tasked...

my workstation with (from left to right) my new phone...my map...my cad...my 2nd cad...and my radio. YES! 5, count them, 1..2..3..4..5..monitors to watch, 3 mouses to wrestle and don't forget to take notice of my 42in plasma TV on the back wall...you may also notice the large bucket of candy located in the top left hand corner..a girl needs a little sugar from time to time!..lol..just proof of how hard I work!...

...quiet on the set!...

So tomorrow, actually today seeing how it's 130am, my daughter will be on set filming her first movie trailer. She got the lead role and needless to say is very excited! I have to work tomorrow night so her dad will take her to the set so I can sleep.
On the flip side of that, let me remind you again that it is 130am and my son, who has a 1200 curfew, is not yet home. Funny how this type of crap happens when mom is working night shift and not home to "lock down the fort"! I'm here at work and having to deal with this crap from here. Do I need to add the fact that I'm pissed off!!! I think I will make part of his punishment that he have to accompany his father to his sisters movie shoot tomorrow instead of sleeping in until noon and going to play golf! I say I wake him when I get home at 6am! Yes..I think that's what I will do...OH! and I was informed of "chaperon" tracking on kids' cellphones by my co-worker, John and don't you know I've already sent a request to get it activated!!!
Work has been rather "uneventful" this evening. I feel it imperative to add that the "new girl" (see prior blog posts) went home sick AGAIN tonight so she is yet to be signed off for her next level of training. It is out of control! Anywhere else this chick would have been tossed to the sidewalk on her ass! She has been here 46 shifts and has been out, left early or had "issues" for 16 of those shifts.
Let's see...remember the new phone system? Well..its up and running..not too bad of a challenge. Still have alot to learn, but I don't think it is as bad as I had anticipated and stressed over.
I fell it also important to mention that my mom and dad have been home for 3 days now and I am still babysitting 2 very cute, but loud ass lovebirds! There is a nice collection of bird seeds on the floor that I routinely sweep each morning, afternoon and night. I did mention this tiny tidbit of information to my mom this morning and her response was something like.."OH..I totally forgot about the birds..I'll have to get over there soon and get them."....uhhh YEAH!!! any day now!!
It's now almost 3am and it has taking me almost an hour and a half to write this blog (due to the chaperon activation fiasco!). I think it's time for me to find something else to do..all is well in the county. Notice I never use the word, "QUIET". It's a death trap!
Hope you all enjoy your weekend. I'll be back here tomorrow and then off Sun/Mon..so check back..I'm certain to have something to say! LOL...GOODNIGHT or should I say, GOOD MORNING!

they're back...

from Spain! My mom and dad came home last night after a 2 week trip to Spain. They brought us all back lots of goodies. I got a hand painted fan used by the ladies, a hand carved miniature nativity scene and a beautiful painting for my house. Lauren got a beautiful coat and an antique necklace with an "L" on it. Brandon got a nice shirt, a "knight" sculpture and a leather bag used to hold wine! I might need to put that one away until he turns 21. LOL.. The had a great time but are more than happy to be back home. Especially now that Thanksgiving is around the corner. It is my mom's favorite holiday.

Lauren is excited about her plans to go see her BFF Caitlin in a few weeks. She recently moved from here to Michigan and is a little homesick, so Lauren is going to spend a few days with her and have some "girl time". I think her other BFF, Kristin is going to join her, which I'm glad..I don't really like the idea of her flying by herself. Brandon has already started to question me as to where I am going to let him fly to...yeah right!

I was supposed to be off today, but had to go in for a 3hr training. It felt real good when I walked in and the instructor was from Alabama..NOTE: I had my LSU shirt on...41 to 34!! (see prior blog). Training went well...actually not real well, I still don't have much of a clue WTF I'm doing with this new phone system, but I;m sure I'll figure it out! I better..it is a 911 center! LOL.

Tonight, we had Chinese food for dinner. Have you ever stopped to think that ones eats this delicious food, get stuffed and then an hour later is hungry? How is this possible? Maybe it is a guarantee of having left-overs for lunch the next day!..

well, I'd love to keep chatting, but honestly..I'M SLEEPY! Hope everyone had a good day! I'm off to get my jammy's on and go nite nite!..til tomorow...zzz..zzz..zzzzzzzzz

..7 hours into my shift

..and I have managed to eat every Now or Later in the candy jar. My mouth is about to fall off anyways after I ate something hot for dinner. OUCH!
Anyways...It is now 7hrs into my shift. The girl I have been training called earlier today and said she would be late..has yet to show up! Definitely late!
Unfortunately, this job is already reason enough to always be tracking time and looking at the clock.

Tomorrow, I hope to get some good rest..that's the trouble with me lately..I'm always waiting for the next day to either get here or for the current day to end so I can go home! I hope one day that I can sleep when most the world sleeps and enjoy my days, too.
Tonight has been rather unproductive, some TV watching..some Internet surfing..some chit chatting with my co-workers and chatting with LARA via Gmail. Now we are watching a re-run of David Letterman due to the writer's strike. I was thinking earlier how I would love to be able to write all day..I know you are probably thinking..."all this girl talks about is her boring job, her lack of sleep and how much damn TV she watches"..but I actually enjoy writing and consider myself to be rather witty and my humor is rather spontaneous! So I would enjoy writing a comedy or some sort of TV-series. Maybe I'll start putting some words down on paper! LOL
So..Lara and I looked at the calendar and we have decided that the annual meeting of the Praying Mantis' should be the 3rd week in September each year. There is an actual Friendship Day recognized that weekend each year..it seemed appropriate.

Our ICE BREAKER WKEND is scheduled for Feb 8-10th...so far 7 ladies have committed to going. I'm keeping it quiet but, it is also my birthday so I'm excited to be able to spend it with my girlfriends. We will be staying on the beach in Cocoa and the little place is just perfect. Heated pool, large deck, hammocks, BBQ grill and privacy! Great for our late night chats and "crab hunting". YEP! If you have never been, it is sooo much fun..you go out to the beach after dark, and shine your flashlight along the shore. The crabs stop running when you shine them you can grab them! It's fun running and chasing them! Silly fun!
OK..so I guess that's all for now. I get to go home and put on my "jammies" in approx 5hrs..yippeeeeeee......

my weekend...

was not a very pleasant one. Let's just say, I'm so broke I can hardly pay attention! I got home from work at 6am..went to bed and when I woke up I was informed that John had received a letter that the SSA (aka US Government) has decided to cut off his disability benefits. Solely because even though he is paralyzed and will likely never walk again, he has kept working and because he makes more than $400 a month he is no longer eligible for his benefits. Isn't that nice? OH! It gets better..they also want us to pay them back the almost $20K that we have received since 2006. That includes the whopping $6k that my kids got for having a paraplegic dad. SOOO..I suppose what they prefer is that he sit home and live off the system. Isn't that the icing on the cake? What has this world come too? I hear of people who get settlements of millions and life rich for these things and we are being punished because we decide to pay for our insurance, refuse food stamps, deny ourselves welfare, etc! GOD BLESS THE USA... I don't know what else to say or how to handle this. He is going to make an appointment for an appeal, which I would imagine that we need to get an attorney..those aren't free are they?..NOT!!!

So that was Saturday...I spent the rest of the day "hibernating" with the hubby and then got ready for the big game! YEP..LSU vs ALABAMA..and should I mention that my Tigers, once again kicked some ass?? I am soo proud!! 41 to 34..GEAUX TIGERS!!



Then came Sunday..we had time change so I thoroughly enjoyed my extra hour of sleep..I rolled out of bed and proceeded to go to the grocery store. Boring, I know..but my point here is..why is everything so damn expensive?? I mean I think I paid an average of $4 for a box of cereal! and of course, no one in this family likes all the same cereal so I had to buy 4 boxes of $4 cereal. You do the math!

I did save enough money though to go to the movies..something I had been wanting to do the last couple weekends. I saw DAN IN REAL LIFE with Steve Carell. GREAT
MOVIE!! A MUST SEE!! It had every element I love in a movie..funny, sad, witty and a great cast!! ***** 5 stars!

So..now it's Monday. I work tonight, so I've started some laundry, watched some news, now I think I'll just "lay around" until the dryer stops and get my mindset ready for work tonight. More blogging later, hopefully something that won't bore you to pieces..I'm hoping for a better week. Until then.....

movie night...

Tonight was basically a movie night at work..fortunately there weren't any major incidents that effected the county so we started watching the Spider Man movies (only got to part II)...I got bored, just not enough action for that type of movie. Then we watched License to Wed. Pretty funny..a little bit far from reality but cute nonetheless. The fake babies creeped me out a little. Mandy Moore is cute and who can resist Robin Williams? He is a nut case! Later, I watched the movie A MIGHTY HEART. It is the true story based on a book by Marianne Pearle about her husband Daniel Pearle who was a journalist for the Wall Street Journal and was kidnapped and brutally killed in Pakistan. Very sad, but a good movie. I don't normally care for Angelina Jolie, but she played one hell of a part int his movie. A must see.
So it's now almost 530am and I get to go home in about 15 minutes to sleep, YAY! I'm off this weekend and planning to lay low. I want to go to the movies and maybe drive over to the beach..the weather is beautiful right now! So, I leave you with some pretty unnecessary movie reviews after a slow night at work. I hope you all enjoy your weekend..more on Monday! Toodles!...

halloween....

Here I sit, at my desk with a gallon size Ziploc bag full of left over candy! I think I had about 6 "trick or treaters" ring my doorbell last night. Then maybe another 5-6 "teenager" who came looking for some sugar. One of the cutest little costumes was a little boy, about 2 yrs old. He was dressed in zebra like pants, a black t-shirt, metal "hard rocker" type choker and a mohawk!..He actually had a real mohawk! he was so cute..he was more interested in Oreo who answered the door with me and even at his age he dropped some candy on the floor and instead of putting it in his bag, he gave it back to me and said "Sorry!". I miss when my kids were that age..now my daughter wants to dress like a "sex doctor" and my son laid on the couch and yelled for me everytime someone came to the door so he wouldn't have to get up!

Let's see...what else??? Oh, yeah..the cleaning lady came today. I love it when she comes. She is so nice and does such a great job. She always starts on the opposite side of the house, so I can sleep. Isn't that nice of her? Don't start thinking, THAT RICH BITCH!! It is nothing like that, I have been fortunate to find a lady that comes every 2 weeks to help me with the heavy cleaning! I just cant do it on my own, especially working the hours I do...blah blah blah...enough of that!

So, like I mentioned before, I'm back at work tonight. I calculated it and I have 29 "night shifts" left. Then back on days until May...people are always asking me how I can handle this schedule. Well, like everything it has its pros and cons. I work 2 days and then I'm off 2 days..I work days for 4 months then switch to nights for 4 more. Days are busier than nights so we do alot of TV and movie watching at night..but days seem to go faster. On days I get to sleep in my bed with my hubby and puppy but on nights, when I get home everyone leaves for work or school and I have the whole house and bed to myself, well except for my puppy..I don't mind sharing with him. So...with that you decide which is better. I'm looking forward to some time off the next few months so that will help the rest of my "nights" go by.

Here I sit..Ive eaten dinner and now I'm trying all the different flavors of Dubble Bubble gum..I think I like the original the best!

This after a day that really started off on the wrong foot! Let me just say it's a good thing I didn't come into work at 4pm and work a 14 hr shift. Apparently a meeting that was mandatory, that would of required me to come in for my regular shift 2 hours early was cancelled without me being notified. LUCKILY, I called into the meeting via a conference call and found out it was cancelled because I was the only stupid ass on the frickin' call. So much for good communication!!

Just finished watching Survivor and Grey's Anatomy. These shows are getting out of control. What happened to the days of real TV. Three's Company, The Jefferson's, Seinfeld, Friends...I miss these guys! Now Dr. 90210, with a girl having surgery on her g-spot..puhlease!! Moving on...

OK, so blogging has helped me vent and allowed me to share with you some of my day to day activities, but this is now getting a little boring, I'm sure. So, I'll go..hope you all have a good nite, Toodles!

..back at work!

Good thing its day 2 and I'm not on call until Friday! Tonight has been a rather unproductive night. Ive managed to eat everything in sight (so much for trying to diet) and TV selections included Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor. zzz..zzzz..zzz...I know, pretty bad! On the other TV (yep, we have two plasmas!) is Monday Night Football. Even better, huh?..lol

I haven't heard from my parents in a few days, they must really be enjoying their trip. The birds (see earlier posts) have managed to chirp, squeak and make every noise imaginable! I will never have my own. Let me also add that they are the messiest little bastards!! There are seeds everywhere!!!

Well, I could sit here for the next 5 hours and try to think of some really boring stuff to talk about, but I don't want to bore you anymore than you already are! So bye for now...have a good night!

halloween week...

Hi there..here I sit, bored to death at work. Tonight I have managed to eat a snack size Twix bar, Caramel Apple Pop, a pack of Razzles, Starbust and every flavor of Dubble Bubble gum imaginable. Halloween candy rocks!



This weekend took alot out of me for some reason. I slept most of Friday after getting off work, then Saturday I ran errands in preparation of a small get together Lauren was going to have with her girlfriends. She did a great job decorating the back porch so they could dress up and "bootie" dance. It was fun watching them...they got a kick out of dressing up in lingerie and high heels and acting like silly girls! I had a friend come over also and she and I sat on the couch and enjoyed watching kids come in and out of the house. By midnight most everyone had gone home, even the few BOYS that showed up!
I then went to bed and crashed! I was so tired today I laid my butt on the couch and watched LA Ink in between naps...then I came here, to Hell!...



Tomorrow will be a good sleeping day, it has started raining outside and the kids go back to school, so my puppy and I will nap all day long. YAY!

The weekend for our first "praying mantis" sisterhood weekend has been scheduled for Feb 8-10th. I hope everyone can make it..it is also my birthday weekend, so I'll be spending it with my girls!! Im excited..it is going to be a great new chapter in my life. We will meet every year in the Fall, but since none of us wants to wait a whole year to meet we will be doing an ice breaker weekend at the beach in Feb.



It is only 2am and I have 4 more hours to go..so how come I'm so tired? One reason is probably because I suffer from sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome...so I never really get a good nights sleep. And I need to make a Dr appt to have my legs checked out..for the past 3 weeks or so I have been having horrible pain in my legs. At first I attributed it to sitting for such long periods of time at work, but now I have all these "rock" type knots in my legs, especially behind my knees. So Im starting to think it is circulatory and that scares the total crap out of me. So I am going to go to the dr..something I NEVER do!! But I'm that uncomfortable.

Well...I guess I'll stop boring you with my boring life for now. Hope you are enjoying your bed, blankie and sweet dreams!!! NITE......

busy at work...

here I am...I know, you looove the uniform! Anyways...my co-worker, John, took this picture of me while I was busy with a fire call. An actual fire, with smoke, flames and lots of fire trucks! It kept me busy for about an hour or so. Believe it or not, we do save lives...OVER THE PHONE!! lol..

one could only hope...

...for a better day, and my wish came true. I slept til almost 1pm today, thanks to my kids who were off from school. They were courteous enough to let me sleep since I was back in tonight. Lauren colored her friends hair, BRAVE GIRL! and Brandon cleaned his room, yep! You heard me right! CLEANED HIS ROOM! Thank god for small miracles!
I'm back at work, but has been a rather uneventful night..to the extent of us watching the movie ELF, with Will Ferrell. This movie is hilarious! It makes me want to jump on the next plane to NYC, go ice skating and have a snow ball fight in Central Park.

Needless to say it has not been a very busy night..I just finished watching Evan Almighty, too. Cute movie..I loved the credits when they were all dancing. OH! and when he squirts shaving creme in his nostrils and shaves inside his nose. Haha! Steve Carell is such a trip! I want to go to see his new movie that starts tomorrow, "Dan in real Life"..I love chick flicks!!

So, I'm off tomorrow and Saturday and I'm planning to enjoy the beautiful weather outside..I've already started opening up windows and will be fixing up the back porch for a little get together at my house Sat night to play cards with the girls! No reason needed to get together for some "cocktails".

well, this explains it!!

You're The Grapes of Wrath!

by John Steinbeck

You're mired in a deep depression that encompasses you and everyone
you know. You're trying to get out of the depression, but your idea of help is, in
itself, pretty sad. While some are convinced that this all has a deeper meaning, you're really just dull and tedious. And utterly obsessed with dust. You really need to focus on something other than dust. Your best moments center around turtles.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

it's been a few days...

..since I've blogged. Probably not a good thing, would have really helped my "down" days. I called out the last 2 shifts, frankly felt like crap and didn't want to deal with the outside world anymore than absolutely necessary! I did take advantage of the last few days to work of the "creative process" of my sisterhood plan. I created a MYSPACE page and already have about 25 members. Everyone seems to be excited about the idea and looking forward to our first weekend! I'm back to work tonight, YAY!..NOT!! I don't really know what is wrong with me lately just don't have my heart or soul into it these days. Things at home are a little bit weird..I'm not even really sure what that means..I've been trying to keep the house "tidy" and we've been working on getting the yard pretty for the holidays. We tend to spend alot of time on the the back patio and have a couple "happy hours" during the next two months. I've been doing more home cooking than usual, too..so maybe I'm going through some sort of mid life crisis?? LOL..Regardless I'm going to pull myself up by the pants and get my shit together. I always tell people that life is too short..blah blah blah! I should take my own advise!