I Crave...Supplies

I am doing paper, glue etc scrapbooking.
And playing with my alcohol ink.
And craving some spray walnut ink and Glimmer Mist.

I spent two hours wandering a local scrapbooking store yesterday. I found two more sets of Ranger Adirondack alcohol ink! Now I have 18 colors and 4 metallic mixatives.
I may have to play with my ink some more.

I've got EIGHT pages planned around my shoulder surgery; 4 are already done.
One - sniff - I don't have the photos I thought I had. I think I focused the shots but failed to take the shots! I had - so I thought - a sequence of DH asleep on the couch, something he rarely does. The only one I have is of him awake, w/ his hand across his face. oh well.

Do you do this?
I plan scrapbook pages all the time.
Sometimes I write down my thoughts; other times, no record.
I have so many albums completed --
Wow, you do?
Well, in my mind's eye I do!
In reality - not so many.

Yea. I think I'm going to go play scrapper - after I do another set of shoulder exercises.

Today was a day...

Just a day.

DD is at school, in her last college residence.
She lamented that she didn't want to go as the last bit of empty space in the Expedition was filled.
Ever notice how possessions increase to fill all available space? that's 'nuther topic..

Her last year.
Her last move from home to dorm.
Two more semesters.
Plenty of late nights, b-o-r-i-n-g classes, parties, chats, papers to write.
This is it.
Next September, there will only be two children dreading and anticipating the first day of school.
I didn't cry. I didn't sniff. Really.
But I think I'm going to cry now.

I will be the mother of a college graduate!
No way.
Oh I know I'm old enough. But...
there's something that sounds soooo old when I hear "I gave birth to a baby who is now a college graduate."

She called hours later to ask what to do with the widdle bubbles filled with liquid all over her back. oops. Her sunburn is getting icky.
oops. She really didn't want to peel.
But come on - no sunscreen and hours on the beach??
I told her to do nothing. At all.
But if she MUST touch, wash her hands with soap and water first.
The remnants of this burn could look really great - not - for the wedding, in under six weeks.


I spent almost two hours and over $100 in a small locally owned scrapbook store today. The ENTIRE store was 50% off Friday and Saturday {today}.
yes, that does mean I purchased over $200 worth of scrapbooking materials. OMG.
Bad - ok, not bad.
I found two more sets of Ranger Adirondack alcohol ink, so now I have 18 colors and 4 metallics.
I got some transparent 1/8" thick acrylic pieces.
Lots of paper. stickers. fiber.
I put everything away already! I swear.

I was feeling a bit guilty.
Then the mailman arrived with a heavy 8.5" x 11" x 6.5" box for DH.
Electronic Media postage rate.
DVDS!?
I refrained from opening it.
TWENTY-SIX DVD CASES would fit in that box.
yup, I did measure a DVD case {5.5" x 7.5" x 0.5", TYVM} and figure it out.
And at the ridiculously low price of $5 each, that would be $130.
Nope, I have no idea what the actual cost was; don't wanna know!
DH hasn't opened the box, but says there's about 10 DVDs. Sure, dear. Whatever you say.
Guilt? What guilt?? No guilt here.

Maybe I should do some scrapbooking.
Really.

~~ I dropped DS2 at work - he's a lifeguard, woohoo.
~~ I grabbed a #6 at Taco Bell {two beef chalupas, one hard beef taco, diet pepsi}.
Duh-me! I forgot "TB chalupas" aren't chalupas. Yea I ate them anyway.
Anyone interested in a soggy hard shell taco? Got one right here in the frig for ya!
~~ Called to reschedule my eye appt for an hour later.
~~ Got home, ate, showered, dressed, dilly dallied with the comics.

~~ Left the house about 10 mins AFTER I was expected at the eye doctor's office.
~~ Hey - it's Saturday, Labor Day weekend AKA "Let's go school shopping at the mall!"
The mall under major construction.
The mall with at least 1/3 less parking.
The mall with a multi-story parking garage under construction.
Yes, that would be the mall with nary an empty parking spot - until you realize the bus lot is now a car lot. sigh.

~~ Walked in to be greeted with "Ah, there she is!"
~~ When you've seen the same doctor for over 15 years, he knows you.
You're not a Lenscrafter customer walk-in any more.
OMG; I didn't realize it's been that long, but he pre-dates the birth of my sons.
Who will be 16 in about seven weeks. Nine days after lil sis' wedding and 11 days after our 25th anniversary. double and triple yikes!! !!!
My eyes - oh me eyes. I want crisp perfect vision.
But I've reached a "certain age". Curses!
~~ My prescription changed minutely. So I keep these glasses. sigh.
~~ I came home, played around, read and turned on the radio! NO TV. NO xBox 360. NObody home but me, me, me.~~ The movers arrived, hot and sweaty. Ready for food.
~~ DH ordered a pizza. Within minutes, DS2 called to get a ride home.
~~ I went to fetch kid and pizza while DH showered. (Thank God for small favors!)
~~ We've eaten. I've read the newspapers.
~~ And here I sit, typing away.

Really, child, I am listening

Lately I've been really restless listening to my kids - all three of them. I try to pay attention, really.
But - admit it, you know what I'm talking about - there are times when listening is the hardest thing a mother has to do.
It's not the tale.
It's not the tone of voice.
It's just simply I do not want to listen!

Doesn't that make me a horrendous mother?
Toss me out of the motherhood clan?
Deny me my perks as a mother?

Shouldn't I feel guilty? Horribly guilty?

I don't.
I do not.
I have no feelings of guilt.
There. I said it outloud. Well, I typed it for all to read.


A friend confessed she was tired of listening to her children.
I'm glad to know I'm not alone.
What a relief.

I know she's in the motherhood clan.
Has all her motherhood perks.

And does not feel guilty. At all.

So, yea, sometimes I just look like I'm listening.
Really, I'm hearing but not listening one little bit.

I guess this means that I can't be totally annoyed when my children do the same to me.
Nay, I can still reprimand them for not listening.
After all, isn't that one of the best motherhood perks?
Do as I say, not as I do?

yup, sometimes it's just the way it is.

labor day weekend

Friday, August 29:

• Only six weeks until the wedding {DlilSis}.
• Six weeks minus two days to our 25th wedding anniversary.
  Saturday DD is moving into her on-campus apartment.
• DH and DS1 are the grunts. They will unload an Expedition-size load into the apt, then move all her summer stuff from the off-campus place to the new place.
• Lucky them. Shucks - I won't fit in the vehicle and someone needs to drive DS2 to/from work. [not really, but that's ok].
• DS2 is working from noon to 8pm.

That means I have the house to myself from noon to 8pm. Of course I have a 2pm eye doctor appt. But that still leaves hours!

DS2 is working 8 hrs/day through Monday, so we won't do anything special. alright, we wouldn't do anything special even if he wasn't working. Just sounds better having an excuse, kwim?

Hitchin' and Birthin'

Weddings and newborns mean pure love and optimism to me.

Weddings: two people promising to love and cherish each other until the end of their days. How many couples do this each year? Even though the divorce statistics are sky-high?

How do two people decide they are going to get hitched?

It's got to be pure love and optimism.
Or magic spells.
Or temporary insanity - 'temporary' enough to last through the entire wedding planning saga.

Yea - what does get us to the church on time {or close; I was ~15 minutes late}?
Just how many arguments, frustrations, and tense moments are logged in memory files between the engagement and the wedding ceremony?
I know we had several.

Yet.
We hitched.
And we're together.
It'll be 25 years in October.

Pure love and optimism.
That's got to be why.Or insanity. Can't call it 'temporary' after 25 years, now can we?



Newborns: living evidence that two people trust in the future.
Seems that in ordinary conversation, everyone believes that the world is in worse shape than in their younger years, certainly worse than their parents' generation.

How do two people decide that they are going to birth a new person?
It's got to be pure love and optimism.
Or magic spells.
Or temporary insanity - 'temporary' enough to last through ~40 weeks of pregnancy.
Yea - what does get us to the hospital in time for delivery?
Just how many bouts of morning sickness, swollen ankles and nights of interrupted of sleep are logged in memory files between the positive test and the birthin'?
I know we had plenty.
Yet.
We created a new person - three in fact.
And we're raising her, and her brothers.
It'll be 22 years next February.

Pure love and optimism.
That's got to be why.
Or insanity. Can't call it 'temporary' after 22 years, now can we?
Weddings and newborns mean pure love and optimism to me.

My OWN Font? Really?

Remember calligraphy - that fancy schmancy writing done with the funky pen and ink?
It's hard to do, takes time, and well, there's no spell check or formatting or all those other gee-whiz things available today.

A friend pondered making a font of her calligraphy, but had no clue how to do so. Being curious, interested in having 'my own' font, and bored, I googled around.

I found a site that will fontify - yup, that's the word - any handwritten alphabet, either print or cursive.
The site charges $9.
For a mere NINE DOLLARS I can have my very own font? $9 to simply type my scrapbook journaling? Then have the words appear in my bestest handwriting or printing?

I can type faster than I can write neatly. I can use spell check, grammar check, and all those other checks. Wow. Just sayin'.

It's a great deal IMO. I think I'm going to have to print some of the forms and start trying to capture my bestest printing and cursive writing.

I mean, for NINE DOLLARS? Heck, I can spend more than that on LUNCH, a non-sushi lunch at that.

The Shore - with the kiddos

I have the vivid red back to prove where I was today. It stings, though the spray blue gel does kill the pain.

The kids woke ME up! Think they wanted to go?
We gathered the required supplies. Very little compared to the younger years. We stopped at WaWa and stocked up on hoagies, Doritos and sodas.

And a bag of ice to keep things cold. I'm not sure we NEEDED ice.
The water was very cold - it reminded me of a mid-May dip many years ago.
I even walked barefoot on the sand; I don't think I've ever done that before.
I KNOW I have never done it in AUGUST.

The kids had a deck of cards, which occupied them for quite awhile.
I *think* they spent more time annoying each other, and trying to fit on one large towel.
They looked like a litter of puppies, with legs and arms going every which way.
I laughed, and took pics so I will always remember.

The high at home was 79; it's 62 right now.
I told you it was not a real August day.
Oops - I just looked again and it's now 61.

I should check a few calendars and make sure it really is August. In NJ.

Time Travel OR Quirky Dating

Sometimes I copy bits from other places I post here, and save them as drafts.

So today I edited one of those drafts.
I swear that somewhere at some time I saw an option for the 'posting date'.
I searched left to right, top to bottom, one tab after another.
Nope, nada, nothing.

I polished my bits about vacuuming and hit 'publish post'.

I like seeing what I did.
I checked for my new post.
It appears before my last post.

Ya see,
Blogger used the date and time of the draft
Not the current date and time.

So, we have time travel.
My post went alllll the way back to last Saturday, August 16.

We have quirky dating
Cuz I just said so.
Publishing a post on August 23
That appears with an August 16
is just QUIRKY.

And you thought I was talking about travelling back in time to date my uncle or something.
Nope.
Just software weirdness.

Feet are NOT flippers.

I don't care what the commentators say. Long feet are NOT flippers. Really.


My sons, almost 16, have long feet.
For over three years, one or the other or both have had to order their sneakers: Look at the pretty pictures. Does it come in your size? Yes? Are you sure you like those? Ok, order them.
Luckily Daddy takes them shoe shopping. With checkbook in pocket. To the one local old fashioned shoe store. With catalogs available for those with hard-to-fit feet.

Maybe one, rarely both, will come home with a shoe box. They don't have many choices. They've gotten over the requirement that their shoes can't match. When each picks out the same style as THE ONLY one he'll wear, well.

Yup - DS1 wears size 12, sometimes narrow. DS2 wears size 14, narrow. They're not even 16 yrs old yet. They're still growing. They each own one pair of shoes at a time.

Their feet are DH's fault. *I* wear a size 9, narrow. OTOH, DH wears size 15 narrow. See, I told you their feet are his fault.

It must be time to go back to work...

I'm contemplating vacuuming.
really.

Noisy machine
-- vrooming across dirty carpet
-- sucking up
bits of our lives
our dead skin.
crumbs of many food items.
particles of dirt.
all that stuff amd more.

I just may plug in the vacuum this week.
I might turn it on next week.

If you feel a lurch in the earth, you know I did it.
I turned on the vacuum cleaner.

I wonder how much it would take to bribe one of the kids to do the job?

So many times..

I wrote posts - in my brain. When I tried to get here, I couldn't access the site, or most blogspot sites. I've been unsuccessfully fighting a trojan my dear sweet husband let in. Well, the trojan didn't hide fast enough when Microsoft Malware Removal Tool {MRT} went on the hunt. Woo-hoo, trojan GONE.

And I can post again.
Various thoughts to expand later -

• How many Olympian medal winners train in the US?
• How many US Olympian coaches or medal winners started in another country?
• How long would Michael Phelps' legs be were they in proportion to his upper body?
• Why do men eat heavy hot meals when it's summer?

Hmm... there are more....

My surgery was nine weeks ago this week, Thursday to be exact.
TODAY for the first time since surgery I:

• slept for more than 5.5 hours straight - and did it w/out drugs
• shaved each underarm with the other hand
• twirled the towel around my wet hair my normal way
• put on blue jeans; more importantly: pants with a ZIPPER
• drove to three different stores in three towns in one trip
• signed a credit receipt with my left hand - and my signature was normal

Banner day, I tell you.

We've been watching the Olympics. Just how many hours of 'prime time' coverage are on?? DH hasn't lasted past 11pm during the week; work interferes. Last night, I didn't last past midnight - but I have an excuse: I got a migraine. Hmm... maybe that's why I slept so long.

The boys stayed up to watch the rest. Another first! They're almost 16, so they are capable of getting themselves into bed after turning off all the lights. Another milestone checked off the list. "What list?" Ya know, I think there should be a list beyond 'first smile', 'first tooth', and all those other first year ones.

Watching Michael Phelps is quite an adrenaline rush. Especially when even his mother thinks he wins Silver. Then the board lights up: GOLD. Like, what? She sank to the floor! Our jaws dropped. When the underwater under the swimmers camera angle was shown, we finally believed Phelps really did win. By 0.01 second.

How many years has it been since we had the reliable precision to measure time in 0.01 second increments?? Yet there have been two ties for bronze in swimming alone. Two ties. wow.

"Filet mignon was the cheapest," he said.

DH just got back from the grocery store. He checked all the beef cuts, and said the only thing cheaper than filet mignon was ground beef.

The filet mignon was on sale for ~$10/lb.

That is just - just - well, I am reminded again that we are blessed. We can complain while paying the bills. So many others are struggling.

It's the first Dog-day Saturday

It's the first Dog-day Saturday, so what do I do? Spend hours tromping from store to store w/ DD. Now, I admit I was the reason for several stops. And we hit three in one mall. [blech! malls! the constant AC was welcome today.] We found dyeable strappy 1.5 - 2" heels she'll wear as one of my lil sis' bridesmaids. FIVE DOLLARS! Gotta love sidewalk sales, except by definition they're not air conditioned.

Heat + humidity + shopping = blah me. Wiped out. Glad I wasn't driving.
And that was before we arrived at the airport 30+ mins early to pick up DD's BFF.

Have you paid major airport parking fees lately? In May, I used the long-term priced as short-term parking - because *I* got lost going to the non-airport parking and time was sliding away. I forgot I was paying, not my employer. sigh. I thought the price was wrong - that was a tank of gas, not 3 days parking. Wasn't it? No.

So I directed DD to a nearby parking lot. There, we sat. Windows open, no breeze, black asphalt. For 43 minutes. We talked; no major revelations. It was HOT. Humid.

But it was NOT Houston-August-hot&humid. For that I am grateful.

We timed our arrival just right and BFF popped in the car. Silently, I applauded my decision to hang outside the airport. THE PARKING RATES WENT UP AUGUST 1! yikes. Note to self: avoid on-airport parking, enjoy gourmet dinner instead, still save money.


I'm too tired, hot, lethargic and b-o-r-e-d myself to distract anyone. I need to be nudged [ok, shoved] into action: to crank pc back in time to a restore point pre-trojan, to do my exercises for 3rd time [must do them 4x day!]


Would you tell DD & her BFF that they need to turn down the volume? there is no insulation between basement and 1st floor - or anywhere else for that matter. I told them - they vacated the basement for DD's bedroom. I guess there is some insulation - I can't hear the movie anymore.
Time to do the exercises.

Gads! Dinner convo w/ the kids

Kids! What would I do without the laughter my children generate?

Towards the end of our so-so Chinese dinner from the place that used to be fantastic but changed owners and staff....

DS1 attempted to pierce a rice grain w/ a skewer. At least his elbows were off the table. With everyone's attention on him, the pressure high, he finally succeeded. Then he promptly ate the rice grain.

DS2 said "wow" - in that bored teen tone I love [not].

DD said "Your fans are cheering so loudly we can't hear them."

Yea, we laughed. Kids.

It always happens!

The phone rarely rings. I sat down at the puter and the phone rang. DD is going to be at the train station at 4pm; could I pick her up? I'd rather not drive that far, and DH can get there w/out even leaving work early.

Hung up, pondered taking phone w/ me to PC. Didn't bother. Of course - it rang again.

This time it was DS1, done early w/ swim practice, wondering if I was going to pick up him [and bike] - I'd told him I might before he left. Sure, why not?

Yes I left the phone in its cradle again.

Will pick up DS1, go get gas and some lunch, then come home. Can you tell I'm having difficulty containing my enthusiasm??

I'm betting DH will leave work early so he can come home and change before picking up DD. ooooh - maybe not. He went to work in jeans and sneaks today!! {Like he's normally stuffed in a suit w/ tie - not. Casual pants, shirt w/ open collar, 'real' shoes.}
Just realized DD talks to me in the car. Did she want me to pick her up for a reason? sigh.

I'm going to run out of here before the phone rings again!

Original profile...

Geez, my original profile was way too long. I said I ramble... I shortened it, but thought I'd preserve the original as a post.

I read some other profiles and decided mine wasn't so long after all. So, what was my profile moved here, and now it's moved back there.

not too confusing.

No pandemonium; just s-l-o-w

My blog isn't off to an auspicious start, is it?? Not one word for two entire days! I haven't accomplished much -- I suffered through almost two hours of physical torture {AKA therapy} on Wednesday, then talked to my BFF for over an hour.

OH - before PT, in 90 mins, I got a gift card Visa to thanks my chauffeurs {Mom & Dad} for six weeks of getting me from home to PT and back. I asked the magic money machine for money and it spit some $20s out. I bought a grande mocha frappucino light, no whipped cream, and a pumpkin loaf slice; breakfast at 12:20 pm. I slipped into the no-appt nail place and had my polish changed. I love the color but forgot to check the name! THEN no - I didn't go to PT. I toured JoAnn's; I left w/ Archival Mist, which neutralizes acid in paper; TWO issues of Cloth, Paper, Scissors, someday I want to be published in a mag; and some odds, no ends though. Everything was on sale or I had a coupon. I love it when I don't pay full price. Once I left JoAnn's, I zipped to PT.


I noticed about a week ago that ever since i started one-handed typing seven weeks ago, i mispell words with double letters - mispell ends up mispeel, letter is leeter. I double the letter before the real double. totally odd. One handed typing is not enjoyable.


I take three Rx meds each day after I brush my teeth. I tired of opening five bottles every single morning, day after day, with no end in sight. So years ago I bought a weekly pill keeper. I only have to open bottles once every eight days.

Today started w/ a quick toss on of clothes and dropping off my DSs at the pool for swim practice. I only had ~90 mins so I visited two craft stores - Michael's and AC Moore. I only spent about $30 and paid full price for nothing. Then I hung out in Barnes & Noble, consuming a bagel and mocha light, no whipped cream.

Once we got home, I did my PT exercises, showered, etc. After brushing my teeth, I opened the cabinet to get Thurs' pills. UH OH; Friday's stash is gone - in addition to the days that should be gone. I have no idea when I took them.

I checked the 3 Rx drugs on line. I OD'd on two. But I didn't take all three doses together - well, I don't think so. The recommended action in both cases is to watch. I slept for 2 hrs and feel much better. I'm just hoping that I didn't Ambien-sleep take a day's dose. [Ambien-sleep-eating is a documented side effect; I've never had any problems.


It is time for me to get some sleep. Tomorrow is another pain & torture day. I PAY for this!