mdrai

When I awoke this morn, I had no idea what day it was... wow I slept hard! It's Tuesday, btw. Pam, I'm going to *try* to do liquids with you, for moral support and to get a lil' jumpstart for myself. Janie, that's one of my "mom needs a break" fantasies... going to a non-kid movie in the middle of the day all by myself... sigh. Glad to know that people actually do that! Judy, got the picture, it was beautiful, ENJOY!! Haydee, wow that little girl is going to be well-stocked! Your friends & family are so generous. Laura, that 3-hr text SUX! How'd it go? What were the results? (Probably fine, right?) Ha ha on buying chocolate DURING the test!! Disclaimer that Little Bee isn't a happy book... it's a somber subject, but the way he writes it is amazing, especially the character Little Bee's monologues about Western life/language/culture and outlook on life. Work today... then the "mandatory parent meeting" for dd's musical tonight. & goodness knows I'm a "mandatory parent"! Everyone make it a lovely Tuesday!

Monday, Monday. My day of relaxation is over... found 2 new chapters to be edited in my inbox this morning! Have begun Christmas shopping! I'd like to have all the shopping done by the end of this month. :thumbup: Ok, time to get to work. Got my water, the kitty's in the basket... time to get to it! Happy Monday, everyone!

I haven't done much reading fo pleasure lately, but the last book I read was called "Little Bee" and it was good... I can't really describe it, the subject matter is tough, but the writing is amazing and the story compelling.

Enjoying the rare lazy Sunday! We've lived here for 12 years, and did something for the first time today -- went to the fire hall breakfast! It was packed! And yummy! We chatted w/nice old folks @ our table. They say it's the first Sunday of each month... who knew? Made a batch of corn chowder & cinnamon buns... odd combo, but there you are. Otherwise, just this & that... nothing I HAVE to do... sitting by the fire, making lists, reading the paper, sipping coffee, watching football, knitting... LOVE IT!!! Kids had NO activities today! I love the extra hour time change... but we get hungry for dinner & tired for bed too early! Funny. Pam, your weekend sounded fun! Janie, wow, congrats to your mom & dad! Judy, HAVE FUN! Laura, good for her! Best wishes. Hi Haydee!! Time to go have a "hand check" on ds & his gf... they're in the playroom watching a movie... uh huh... :smile2:

Good Saturday morn, everyone! DS is doing ok... bad bruising and swelling... + a big cleat gash... sometimes I really wish they'd wear more than just shin guards as protection (not that the shin guard guarded anything yesterday!). He's taking it easy, keeping his leg up & iced & he's got prescription Tylenol for the pain. He's gotten inundated with texts, e-mails, calls, and even a card... even parents and teachers are calling to check on him... so nice. We (only half-jokingly) asked him when the girls were going to start showing up with baked goods! I'd be surprised if at least one didn't... And me? In between nurse-maid duties, I'm working today. I'm motivated to finish this chapter, because then I'm going to sit by the roaring fire and relax and knit... so the sooner I'm done, the sooner I can do that! Everyone have a great day and JUDY... have a great trip to warm & wonderful Florida!! Jealous!

NOT BROKEN! Badly bruised tho... join the club! :eek: Phew!

Oh how exciting, Judy! Another countdown for you! :eek: Seriously, so glad the news was good. Pam, I saw this online and thought of you... you're not the "unidentifiable female" are you??: After completing about five weeks of rehab at the Betty Ford Center, Lindsay Lohan took an excursion to wallet-friendly Forever 21. Lohan, 24, strolled into a local Palm Desert, Calif., mall on Wednesday with an unidentifiable female. She headed into Forever 21 and bought about $250 worth of loungewear, a source tells PEOPLE. Am sitting her w/knots in my stomach... already pb'd the little I ate earlier... I took dd to riding lessons and dh took ds to the soccer playoff game... dh texts me updates throughout the game... and then I get one that says: "Evan laying on field, with trainer." Then I get the call: "They think Evan broke his leg!" So the boys are at an Urgent Care clinic right now (not anywhere near here, or else I'd be there, too, but over in the county where the game was played)... last thing I heard was that he was going back for x-rays... if dh doesn't call soon, I'll call him for an update... I'm sick about it! So many repercussions if it is, indeed, broken... no showcase tournaments in front of college coaches, no trying out for the olympic development team which would mean no chance to go play in Italy... ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!! Purple power, girlies!!!

Hi from panera. The power went out & stayed out at about 7:45 this morn. Taking my shower was interesting... it had all the force of a water gun and then no elec for blowdryer or light for make-up... I'm sure I look lovely, lol! Then my computer, which has battery backup so I thought I could still work, went into hibernation, so here I am, sipping a van latte and chatting & knitting. bye!

Prayers for Kris -- & all of you! -- Judy. Been there... so scary. It's pouring rain here today... & cold... lovely. Then over the weekend the high temps are supposed to be only in the low 50s! brrrrr. Cold soccer viewing! Everyone have a good day... keep dry & warm!

ha ha, Haydee!

Phew! What a nail biter! -- After playing the full regulation 90 min game (ended 0-0), then 2 10-minute overtimes (ended 0-0), last night's soccer game came down to the dreaded penalty kicks! Talk about how to make a goalie's mom go grey quickly! SO SO MUCH PRESSURE! But y'know what? My kid takes it all in stride. In fact, he LOVES it! It's what he trains for. Which is why he stopped 2 of 4 kicks and his team WON the game! Oh my! What excitement here in town! Now they're on to the regional semifinal game on Friday night!!!

Hey girls! Judy, I'd rather be the one w/boobies than the one w/out! You look great! Haydee, it sounds like your slowing down a little bit? One of my fav words is "nap"! Ha ha Janie, those ads drive me crazy! That's what I'm happiest about voting today -- no more ads tomorrow! Pam, you sound like you're in the groove, girlie! Love your positive attitude and need to stoke up mine. I'm so excited for you! Have been busy busy busy, but hey, you all know that's my refrain. I crashed last night @ 9 and didn't wake up 'til 9 this morn! (Kids are off school yest & today, but yest I had to take ds to soccer practice @ 8am, wah.) Work, vote, laundry today... then ds's quarterfinal state tournament soccer game tonight! I told him that if his team won the state championship, I'd spring for a team Wing Night @ Glory Days! I'm crazy! Ok... off to work etc. Everyone make it a great day!

Good eyes, Judy! That's Chai, and she is with me always when I'm in the office... either in the basket or laying across the keyboard or right now, laying on the open book next to me. Did you notice the picture to the right of the basket on the shelf over her head???

Ok, here's a pic of my leg... it's the middle to right side of my left leg below my knee... that's the worst part... it also extends across the whole left side of my leg as well, but not as colorfully... it's kind of a big triangle, with the point on the left side extending out up & down wider to the flat bottom on the right side.

Oh Pam, you're making me want a new car!! My Highlander hit 151515 this morning on the way back from the barn! I think it's an '03. Maybe I'll work on finagaling a new car for me, & then ds can have the old one? I am so sneaky...

Yes, ds is a junior, but w/the whole soccer angle, he's got to start working on it now... contacting coaches, seeing teams play, etc & so forth. That's why his club team is in so many "showcase" tournaments this year... college coaches can go to one venue and see lots of players... so ds has to email them prior to the tournament, let them know when he's playing, give them the link to his online profile page, etc. In November (which starts on Monday -- ACK!) he plays in Williamsburg, VA one weekend, then Raleigh/Durham, NC the next weekend... then the big Disney one in December... whew. Then more next year as well. AND, in Dec he's trying out for next year's Olympic Development Team again... and if he makes it again, they travel to ITALY over Easter break!! And people wonder how I can be so busy... that's just 1 kid! DD got the part she auditioned for in "Seussical, Jr." I don't know the show, but she's Gertrude McFuzz. So in addition to riding 4-5x/wk and working @ the barn on Saturdays, she'll have rehearsals 2x/wk between now & March. Ok, I smell a musty stink bug but I've looked all around 3 times and can't find it to get rid of it! Blech!!! I think trick-or-treating is tonight in our town... so dd & I are going to move the fire pit & chairs over to the top of the driveway, make a fire, roast marshmallows, and hand out candy from there. Sounds like a plan! Now to work...

I thought I'd overlooked a post w/the new car info in it, so I went back and looked but couldn't find it, then it dawned on me that you probably put it on FB... silly me. Beautiful car, Pam! What happened w/your Highlander? Up early on a Sat. to send off the boys to the college visit. Today they're going to Messiah College in Pa. Other schools are James Madison University (JMU) in Va, Salisbury College in Md, and more but I don't remember them all at the moment. It's still very early in this whole process. He wants to play soccer, so that adds in another level of difficulty in the whole college selection process ... naturally. I'm working all day today... bleh. Hope the rest of you enjoy the day!

It was more of a trip into the door than a fall... when I went to walk straight into the house ( because I thought I was on the top step), my foot hit the stair riser and I lurched forward. Dang gravity! I wasn't dizzy... at least no more than usual, lol. The bruise is Huge... the entire front of my leg under my knee... maybe I'll take a pic. All the baby talk is so exciting!! I'm at the barn now, sitting in the car w the sun streaming in the windows... I could so easily doze off... the chapter I did today got really messed up near the end, so it took about twice as long as I'd planned, Grrr. Have to finish the last one by Monday, so no fun for me this weekend. What I need is sleep... I hope they ride in the outside ring so I can sit here in the car... otherwise I'll have to go in and sit in the stinky lounge. It's so warm & cozy in here right now...

Happy Friday, everyone! Last night DD & I went w/the barn to the Washington International Horse Show... what a spectacle! The horses are amazing... they jump SO high! They close off the streets all around the Verizon Center in the middle of DC and put up temporary tents/stalls/barns and the horses just take over the streets. We had a great time, but didn't get home 'til after midnight! :thumbup: But dd was up & off to school on time... I'm still dragging in my pj's... some days I'm so thankful I work from home! Also last night (of course) was ds's first-round state tournament playoff game, at home, which they WON 4-0 (yay, shut-out for ds!)! The Quarterfinal game in on Tuesday in Hagerstown against the #1 seeded team! Tomorrow ds & dh are going on ds's first college visit! :thumbup: See what I mean about all these milestones?? They're coming at me fast & furious these days!!! Yesterday a weird thing happened to me... I was hauling in groceries, obviously I had too many bags in my hands & couldn't see my feet, and I was standing on the steps to enter the house, and I turned the doorknob, and I walked forward to enter the house... but I wasn't on the top step (duh)... so I tripped and fell into the doorway like a rock! I wasn't expecting it, so I didn't break the fall at all... my left knee & front of my leg took the brunt of it and I've got the BIGGEST bruise and it hurts like crazy! Luckily, I wasn't carrying eggs! I can't remember the last time I fell! So odd... Haydee, you look GREAT!!! Janie, are they trying to brainwash you all? "Wal-Mart is wonderful. Wal-mart is wonderful. You are getting sleepy..." Pam, I'm getting 'cited for you! & I can't believe you & S had such a big fight that she slept in "my" room (ha ha)! I'm sure you'll make up quickly. Judy, you sound busy lately, too! & what's up w/your band? Sounds fickle. Can you give it a week or so before you make a decision about cancelling the app't? Ok, enough work avoidance... I have to finish a 160-page chapter on the WARN Act this a.m. & send it back to the inhouse editor... fun fun fun!

Hello girlies... Windy & rainy here, but not nearly as bad as the middle of the country. DH flies home today, so fingers crossed for an uneventful flight for him. TracyinKS married & 'gnant? Wowza! Time flies... I wish her well! Hope the meeting goes well, Janie. Choc covered candy corn, Pam? Bleh... You sound about as busy as me -- and that's saying something! Isn't it ironic how when your kid (or grandkid) is put on "no [whatever] (games, tv, computer)", it's really more of a punishment for us? I feel for you, Judy! Hope you dodged the tornados, Laura! What is C going to be for HW? Haydee, got your e-mail, you need to slow down, dearie! It's not good for you or babe to be so busy & tired. Cuz' if you think you're catching up on sleep/rest next year... ha ha... think again! I think my kids are too old for t or t now. Wah. DD is going to a HW party, and DS wants to go see "Paranormal Activity 2" on HW. Another "end of an era" for this year. I really can't wait for 2010 to be OVER and to start a fresh new vibe in 2011!!!!!!! Take care, all!

Ok this neverending groovy new age musac is getting on my nerves! I think its supposed to b calming/relaxing. Ha.

That should be "gyn" table... ironic that spell corrector changed it to "fun" table!!! Lol.

Oh my gosh I think I kinda forgot, too, but think I kinda remember... ha ha. My house is THE spot for baked goods at the moment, sadly... take your pick... choc mousse, German choc cake, pumpkin crunch, cinn (sin) buns... all baked from scratch! O how I love my vi's... u r on the fun table w me barely covered while I wait for the fun!

Does he dance, Janie? :huh2: