Thirty Days of Thankful

Well I made it!  I was thankful for thirty different things, thirty days in a row, and not one of them was a sarcastic comment or backhanded anything. :)  It hasn't adjusted my attitude as much as I had hoped (not the sarcastic part of me, I happen to like that part) but I have noticed a little change in the way I look at the world, so it's a start.  Here is what I came up with:

Day 1. I am thankful Sam's ashes are home, and for the time she was a part of my life.
        2. Good Neighbors
        3. Happy hour on Thursday.
        4. Our beautiful fall this year.
        5. Thankful could be there for a friend, and remind her what a strong woman she is.
        6. People who challenge me and stretch my mind.
        7. My health.
        8. Getting to hear the voices of singing children, daily.
        9. Parents who take time to be a part of their child's education.
       10. Thankful to see the first snow with the kids, and be reminded of unbridled joy.
       11. Veterans (Veterans Day)
       12. Good coffee
       13. Anna
       14. Green Bay Packers!!!!
       15. Pay day!
       16. Hot bubble bath waiting for me.
       17. Cookies (and remembering to bring them home)
       18. CL reminding me to catch snowflakes on my tongue.
       19. The bee charmer. ♥
       20. Two Thanksgivings that I don't have to cook.
       21. Three day work week.
       22. Appreciative people
       23. Facebook connecting me to old friends.
       24. Wonderful Thanksgiving memories.
       25. Espresso maker and the rockin' cafe mocha I made.
       26. My sister who accepts me for who I am, even if she doesn't get it. :)
       27. My brothers, who drive me nuts, but always have my back.
       28. My in laws, and their families.  One big extended family to me.
       29. All of the children in my life, most of all baby pig nose, Hurricane Hannah, Tater, TAFKAP
             and C-biscuit.
       30. Well, I'm thankful that I was actually able to be thankful for something everyday, without being sarcastic. That is NOT easy for me. It wasn't the big attitude adjustment I was hoping for, but I can tell that it has made me more mindful of the little things in life. So quietly to myself I will continue to be thankful. :)

So I guess the experiment was a success.  Now I'm working on finding and keeping the Christmas spirit.  Oh, yes I am.  If it kills me, you, and several innocent bystanders.  Ho Ho HO!  There's a Beiber singing Christmas songs on my tv as we speak.  (heaven help me) I'm going to watch them light the tree in NYC! 

Merry Christmas

This picture says it all.  I feel trapped into "Happy Holiday's" at this time of year, and I'm tired of it.  I'm going to have to pc this blog, and I'm tired of that too.  The day I'm free to write exactly what I really think, well..... y'all better look out.  :) 

At what point did it become wrong to say Merry Christmas to the people you encounter during the CHRISTMAS season?  I know that it isn't the only holiday celebrated during this time, and when Hanukkah arrives I will say Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends.  I don't happen to know anyone who celebrates Kwanzaa, but if I did I would wish them that too.  I also know some people who are Jehovah's Witness, and if I see them, I'll just wish them a nice long weekend.  So what the devil is wrong with wishing me a Merry Christmas?

The answer?  Nothing.  I am done wishin' y'all Happy Holiday's.  I wrote it on my newsletter at work, and that's the last time.  Forever.  Most of you know I was raised Catholic, and immersed in it just about as deeply as one could be without taking any vows. :)  (Yes, I know that explains what my issues are in a nutshell.) I was so sheltered that I never considered there were people out there who weren't Catholic, and even when that realization happened, I certainly never thought about people not celebrating Christmas until probably my later teens.

I respect every one's right to worship or celebrate as they choose, or as the case may be, don't choose.  I am pretty liberal as far as most things go, but this ♫ We wish you a Politically Correct Holiday ♫ business is way out of control.  (this is the edited part..... ask me and I'll tell you. lol) 

When did this get so crazy?  For me, I know it was because of work, and within the last ten years.  We teach the kids diversity, which is a very good thing, don't get me wrong, but when we lose our own identity somewhere inside of all that, well that IS wrong.  My "Merry Christmas" isn't trying to convert you to something.  Ha, I don't have anything except apathy to convert you to these days.  I wish I did.  I'm not disrespecting your beliefs, I'm asking you to respect mine I guess.  Maybe that's it.  We've gotten so concerned about respecting everyone else and their beliefs that we've forgotten to respect our own.  I just want to wish you well, and yes I know, believe me I know, that the holidays are not a merry time for everyone.  If you want to wish me a Happy Hanukkah, feel free.  If you'd like to give me presents for several nights in a row, I'm down with that too. :)  I will sit down with you at your Kwanzaa feast, and learn about your values and traditions too.  If my African American niece understood it, we would be celebrating it and her culture to be sure.  Happy Holiday me and you're going to get a Merry Christmas back. :)  Complete with the "Ruthie" smile.

I snagged the above pick from Carissa Riddle's Facebook page.  It reminded me to write this.  Thank you, and hey!  MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

OH, one other thing.  I attended my nieces "Holiday" concert at Lake Superior Elementary last year and was pleasantly surprised to find *gasp* traditional (not religious, don't get your undies in a bundle) Christmas music on the docket.  Afterwards I made it a point to find Mr. Howard, the principal, and THANK him.  It was about damn time. 

Intolerous!

The spell checker is going to go wild on this one! 

Yes, I know that isn't a word.  It is a Hannahism.  My niece Ashlyn is lactose intolerant, and for whatever reason, the goovers think it's hilarious.  Their cat is also, and back a few years ago Hannah shouted out "Piggy is lactose intolerous!" (the cat, not her sister) So, that's where the word intolerous comes from.

I love milk.  I have always been a huge milk drinker, but stopped buying it when I moved in here, because it kept going bad.  Half the time I don't eat here, and in the warmer months I will always reach for iced tea.  So in the last four years or so I've rarely had a glass of milk, but thoroughly enjoyed it when I did.  That is, up until a year ago.

When I had the girls for five days last New Years I made hot buttered Cherrios for Ash and I one night after the goovs had gone to bed. (they aren't fond of them) We sat down with our snack to play Monopoly, and I had a big glass of milk.  Now, O's are really salty, so I had a second big glass of milk.  I paid for that the rest of the night.  I was thinking I had a tummy bug, but woke up in the morning just fine.  Then the next night I had a glass and immediately had tummy trouble.

Inconceivable!  Me?  Lactose intolerous?  That just can't be!  Well, it is.  It's so bad now that after one small glass the other night my tummy hurt.  I had a splash in my cafe mocha this morning........ not good.  Why?????  Ugh.  No I'm not drinking that soy crap, don't even bring it up.  I forget who I was talking to about getting older and all of these weird things happening, like suddenly becoming lactose intolerous, and she assured me that many of these oddities right themselves again as time goes by.  I sure hope so!  I long for the day when I am "tolerous" again!

Yes, the irony that my cat's name is Milkie does not escape me.   :)  I'm still tolerous of her, mostly. 

The Goblet Incident of '76

I will come clean, I'm guessing at the year.  I would think that my brother and I couldn't have been more than five or six when it happened.  I'm still wondering how I didn't get the blame, because heavens it certainly couldn't have been HIS fault.

I'm fairly certain the holiday we were celebrating was Thanksgiving.  We didn't usually go to Aunt Mary and Uncle Clate's for Christmas.  We did for Easter a lot, but it was dark at five o'clock dinner time, so that leads me to believe it was Thanksgiving.  Aunt Mary had set a beautiful table, the lights were out and we were dining by candlelight. (this must be where I get it from) They had a small kitchen, no dining room, and we were crammed in there like sardines.  I was sitting across the table from my brother Jerry, who else was there, or where they were sitting is all a blank to me, but my brothers face is as clear to me as if it happened yesterday.

Now I must tell you that in my Aunt Mary's eyes my brother Jerry could do, and never did (except perhaps this day) anything wrong.  A very clear favorite, that's for sure.  My best example would be the Christmas my sister and I got purses from Mexico, and my brother got a car.  A red jaguar.  Not a matchboxer, a car big enough for him to sit in and peddle around.  Bastard.

So there he sat across the table from me, angelic little cherub that he was. (not) Grinning at me like a crazy person.  I looked back at him, confused, wondering what was up, and then noticed he had a death grip on the water glass stem.  (Who gives little children glassware?) His eyes bored into mine with that evil little glimmer he has, my eyebrows shot up, and POP the entire top of the glass popped right off the stem!  The glass smashed onto the table, water everywhere.  Much Auntie concern about the little lovie being cut, and comments on the weakness of the glass.... my eyes rolling so far back I'm surprised they didn't stick. 

Then, she gives him a new goblet. (duh)  The table settles in to the murmur of visiting family and feasting.  Jerry looks at me, and then my glass.  I shoot him back an "are you nuts?" look.  No way am I going to follow that one up.  I did not just fall off the turnip truck.  I would have gotten in trouble, and probably blamed for my brother doing it the first time.  So he continues eating for maybe five minutes, then I notice him grinning at me again, his little fist strangling the stem of the water glass.  My eyes go wide in alarm, but I didn't really think he could make it pop off like that again.  Do I tattle?  Nah, I decide to see where this one is going to go, and try to keep myself clean out of it.  Suddenly POP!  Off comes another one.  It shoots into the air still intact, and then smashes on the table.  This time mostly empty.  My Aunt is shocked.  My mother is not.  I don't remember what happened afterwards, but I do remember hearing "GERALD EDWARD" coming out of my Mom, and snickering to myself.

It's funny, I can still see that evil little grin he had on his face as if it were yesterday.  My Aunt probably went to her grave believing she had faulty stemware.  :)  Kids, don't try this at home.  Ugh, I'm so tempted it's killing me.  Happy Thanksgiving!  Keep the stemware away from the kids.

Ghosts of Thanksgivings Past

When I write what I am thankful for tomorrow on facebook, it will read something like "I am thankful for all of the wonderful Thanksgiving memories that I have made over the years."  I have the gift/curse of a good memory, although half the time I can't remember what the heck I'm doing, or looking for, my recall of past events is amazing. 

I'm sitting here trying to think of just which memory to share, there are so many!  I think this year I will go with my earlier ones.  Of course I remember making hand turkey's in art class, and thanksgiving place mats at school.  I always think of my Mom making her dressing (ugh, giblets) after supper dishes were done on the night before the holiday.  The smell of the celery, onion, and sage filling the house.  She called it dressing, not stuffing, and it had apples in it.  I liked it, just not the little extra parts (giblets).  I always picked them out. 

Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Joe would sometimes come from Madison to share the holiday with us.  My very first real Thanksgiving memory is of a blizzard holding them up, and sitting outside my house in full snow gear, in a huge snowbank, waiting for them.  I couldn't have been more than six.  Another memory, probably the following year has me sitting in a car with Aunt Dorothy outside of Presidents liquor store, it was sleeting that time.  Uncle Joe was inside getting supplies for the holiday.  Then we flash forward a few years and my brother and I were playing in the woods, skating on some frozen pond water, killing time while waiting for them to arrive.  No snow that year, but cold.  I might have been ten.

Sometimes the holiday was at our house, sometimes at my Aunt Mary's.  We didn't do Thanksgiving with the Meys side, and my Grandma Meys must have gone over to Aunt Pat and Uncle Bill's house during those early years.  She and sister Eva Jean were definitely there with us in my later teens though.  I believe the water goblet incident, as it has come to be called, happened on Thanksgiving.  What?  I haven't told you the water goblet incident?  Ha, that will be my turkey day blog tomorrow.

When I was twelve, I had my first "boyfriend" ask me to "go" with him right around Thanksgiving.  He called me on Thanksgiving night, and I still remember part of the call.  (awwww) That would be Rick, for those of you keeping count. :)

Somewhere around this time things changed.  Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Joe moved to Utah, and Aunt Mary and Uncle Clate started wintering in Texas.  Now it was just our immediate family for Thanksgiving.  My Mom was the church secretary at St. Anthony's, and she would invite the housekeeper, Dorothy Baker, and the priest, Father Pius to join us.  I remember lots of laughter, and checker games.  Then the later teens where my Grandma Meys, and Aunt, Sister Eva Jean would join us too.

Funny thing is, though Wally and I were together for most of those years, I have no Thanksgiving memories of him.  He was always out at his Grandma's farm hunting.  Lots of memories of my siblings and Vicki and I playing outside during the holiday break from school though!  I'm trying to think if I even saw Wally when I came home........OH, the Wiley story.  I didn't see him when I came home in '87 for Thanksgiving. He was in basic training.  He called though, and the operator had a southern accent.  I was laying in bed sleeping in and I hear my sister say  "No, I wont accept the charges, I don't know any Wiley."  I came flying out of bed yelling " It's Wally you dummy!"  On the other end he's yelling "Katy it's me!"  Sheesh..  :)

So I sit here laughing, although almost everyone in this blog is gone now.  They are good memories, with good people, and good times.  May we all make many more happy Thanksgiving memories this year.

Sam Angels

I may have another post from another year with this title.  I'm just too lazy to go and find out.  :)

We had our first snowfall yesterday, it only amounted to maybe half an inch, and has mostly melted.  More snow is expected for later today, maybe an inch or two, nothing exciting.  Officer Dave is having himself an old fashioned blizzard out there in Wyoming.  I'm a little jealous.  Just a little.

Traditionally (well the last four years anyway) I would have Sam right now.  Hunting season has begun in Wisconsin and it isn't safe to be an outdoor dog, especially with her coloring.  Plus the loud noises scared her.  Plus it's just mean to leave your animals outside like that.  There, I've said it.  I am not a country person in that respect.  They don't belong roaming the countryside.  It isn't safe, and it isn't kind.  I don't know how she made it to fourteen living that kind of life.  Just lucky I guess, but minus the bottom half of her front teeth from trying to bite her way out of a trap when she was little.  That's all I have to say about that.

Yesterday when the kids saw the mini blizzard pouring out of the sky they ran to the windows and the ruckus level in the room went to about 150%.  As I watched the playground be almost instantly covered in a blanket of white a tear slid down my cheek.  Sam loved snow.  She absolutely loved it.  She would rush outside and stick her head in a drift even if it was 2 degrees.  Then she would flop on her back and roll back and forth in it, making what I call Sam Angels.

As you can see, she didn't need much snow.  She would have been so excited to see this first snowfall, and I would have been lucky enough to had her with me more than likely.  I miss her every day, but especially right now.  For the rest of my life I will think of her when the snow flies.  Now she really is my Sam Angel. ♥  Very fitting that as I finish this the snow begins to fall.



Gypsy Tears

I have a friend, we'll just call her Gypsy.  We've known each other forever it seems, and minus a few years of our lives, that's the truth.  When I think of her, I think of the night Big George found us all at that party, and how she and I fibbed our way out of trouble.  Well, she fibbed, I was just there to make it look good, cause I rarely got into trouble.  I think of teen-aged dances and what we thought were broken hearts.  Listening to that sappy 80's music and crying our eyes out over love gone wrong.  I think of arguments we had because we both have strong personalities, and didn't always agree. 

Then school ended and we drifted into our own lives.  We spent time catching up at our ten year reunion, and then a few years later at Wally's funeral.  On the hardest day of my life hers were one of the hands I held.  I used her strength to bolster myself so that I would not fall, and when I finally gave in to the pain it was her arms I felt around me, and her voice that I heard saying "we've got you, it's o.k.". 

We've known great loves, and unfortunately great losses, and we now live half a country apart.  Facebook was the thing that ultimately brought us together again.  I admired her strength and courage when she picked up her life and moved out east.  I am a huge fan of her work, and she has been a tremendous inspiration to me. 

This past week things have unraveled for her again, and having just emerged from my own pain, I feel hers, deeply.  I wish there was something I could do or say to take it away, but I know from experience that this is something she has to do on her own.  Everything I could offer would sound like a cliche' anyway.  If I were there I would give her my hand and hold her up, let her use some of my new found strength until she could find her own again.  If she were here, I would get the girls together, turn on some 80's ballads, and get a Shamrock Pizza.  Heck, it couldn't hurt.....

To the Gypsy:  Be good to yourself. Take however long you need to heal, and only YOU can know how long you need.  Know that so many people wish they could help, or just plain fix it.  Lean on your friends, when you can.  No one will think less of you for it.  Strong women forget that sometimes, and you are a very strong woman.  P.S. I have Shamrock on speed dial. :) ♥

Creepette

Well it finally happened.  When I went out with the girls on Friday it was all calm and tame.  No oddballs, weirdos, or creepers of any sort.  Sorry Shelly, you are not creeper material.  I even said as we left, nothing has happened tonight, I'm a little afraid of the parking lot!

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon.  I met "The Boys" down at Shultz' to watch the Badgers kick the crap out of the Gophers.  Even though I missed the first quarter, it was already a blow out.  After the game ended, and we watched the end of another history making game, which in true girly form I can not remember one detail of, except the blue field...... This isn't because I'm a girly girl, it's because I don't follow college football, and I'm not going to start caring about it now.  If I don't care about something, I can't retain the information, period.

Anyway!  So the boys all wander off, either home to the wife or to "hit the head" (man talk) and there I am, alone.  This is always how it starts.  So in walks my Creepette.  Now, walk is a relative term.  Stumble would be closer to what it was.  She sits down to my left at the end of the bar and says hello.  I'm polite, I say hello back.  Then this dude shows up and she tells him to go away.  They argue for a bit, which was very awkward since I was basically sitting in the middle of it.  WHERE are Darrin and Bryan??  So he finally gives up and sits by the end of the bar.  She says to me "I'm sorry, I'm being a bitch."  I said, "Hey, we all need a little space sometimes."  Which gained me a new best friend.

We talked about incoherent things for a few minutes and she left her stuff to go over to the juke box.  THEN the boys return.  I told them about it, and then said "Don't look now, she's in that guys lap, and that is NOT the one she came in with."  Sure enough the man she did arrive with was over in a flash.  No fight though, just a lot of talking.  So we continue our conversation at the bar, until about ten minutes later she returns.  To talk, to burst my personal bubble with hands on my arm and hugs, to at one point, honest to God, getting so close into my business that I thought she might try to kiss me.  I shot Darrin a look, and I get back a grin.  I'm a big girl, I can deal and deflect all of it, but you know I don't think they would have had the same reaction if it was some drunk guy.  At least I hope they wouldn't.

So I'm considering leaving because, I am hungry, my hamstring is killing me on that seat, and well yeah...... I'm not doing this the rest of the night.  Then she gets up and goes outside.  I'm not going to head out and be alone with her in the parking lot, so I go back to the conversation.  Darrin said something like "Wow, how do they find you?" and I responded that "I must have something written on my forehead that only they can see."  So we chatted a bit more, then when she came back to snuggle up, I said my good-byes.  I gave Darrin an extra squeeze when we hugged good bye and said "Enjoy my girlfriend."  He said he was moving down the bar. Chicken.

True to form, I text him about a half hour later to see how my girlfriend was doing, and to thank him for the invite out with the boys. Apparently a few minutes after I left two drunk people showed up and dragged her out of the bar.  *eye roll*

So I guess that is the closest thing to a lesbian experience that I've ever had.  hahahaha  yikes.  Ugh, I'm like a magnet of some sort.  Maybe someone has put a voodoo curse on me?  Hmmmmm........

Quotes

My Sister in law, Elise, asked me yesterday to send her my four favorite quotes.  As Christmas is just around the corner, I resist the urge to ask why.  So I took out the green notebook where I keep them, because although I know what they are I wanted to make sure I got them right.  I have had this notebook for years, probably close to twenty years now that I think of it.  It is filled with bits of wisdom that I come across from time to time.  Every now and then I will just sit and re-read them.

I thought I would share my four favorite with you. 


I'm not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my own ship.
~Louisa May Alcott

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches on the soul and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all.
~Emily Dickenson

When you get in a tight place, and everything goes against you, til it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then- for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.
~Harriet Beecher Stowe

Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
~Hellen Keller

There are many others that I like, but these are, and always have been my top four.  I'm sure that they are by women is no coincidence, although many of my favorites are also by men.  I am inspired in some way by each of these women.  So today I'll ask a question.  What is your favorite quote? 

Fall Back

Last weekend we set our clocks back an hour. I didn't have to do much because my phone, alarm clock, and computer all do that automatically.  Although, my phone did it automatically for some reason the weekend prior.  They got around to fixing it at about noon on Sunday.  When I woke up at seven and my phone said six it really confused me.  It didn't help that I had a little too much Jack the night before when I was out with the boys.  It went like this:

Hmmm, my alarm clock says seven, but my phone says six.  They are both supposed to be automatic changers, and that's not til next weekend.  Right?  *stumble out of bed to look at oven clock*  Yeah, it says seven.  *stumble to the bathroom, come back to the bedroom and stare at the alarm clock, get back into bed, look at the phone.*  Six o'clock.  What is going on? *stumble out to the calendar*  No, it isn't until next weekend.  Go back to bed crazy pants, it's the phone, not you.   Which I did, and then slept til ten.

I am a daylight savings time gal, I will run errands, hang out with friends, and just be a happier person in general, although heading to work in the pitch black isn't really something I am a fan of.  On the flip side of that, I definitely don't care for it being pitch black at five thirty at night.  This has been a really long week, with extra work hours for conferences.  That will be nice on the paycheck, but so not worth it.  Not that I mind chattin with the parents, but my time is, and always has been more precious to me than any amount of money.  At happy hour last night I was a zombie, and headed home at about eight.  I was dead asleep for the night by nine thirty.  Twice this week I have fallen asleep on the couch around seven.  I have even actually sat and watched several tv shows without jumping off the couch to do 16 other things.  It doesn't mean they were interesting, it means my energy level is way down. 

Well, at least I no longer work in a basement, so I can see the sunshine.  I do also get outside every day with the kiddos, which is important for all of us.  I just can't stop my inner clock from trying to hibernate.  Nap time anyone?

Used Toys

Do I really need to say more? 

Women Rock!

Saturday was spent in the company of some fine women from all over the northland, and of course my gals, Boomer and Sandy.  (They really like the alias thing.)  First we drove up to Spirit Mountain in Duluth to attend "Women Rock".  It's a fundraiser for breast cancer.  Several vendors were set up, lots of drawings and freebies.  We saw part of a marital arts demonstration.  There were some interesting things in the silent auction, and champagne for a dollar!  No booze for me, but I owed Boomer a dollar....

Boomer and I were also able to get a free chair massage, which was divine.  There was also a dude giving $15 massages on a table, which I'm sure were great, but I didn't really feel comfortable lying out there like that in front of the crowd.  I'm thinking that might just be my Christmas present to myself though.  I certainly could use one, in private that is.

The girls and I careened (and I do mean that, Boomer was driving) our way back over to Superior where there was a similar function going on at V.I.P.  although not a fund raiser.  We found our old Party Lite "dealer" Arlene, and Sandy got all set up for a party in a few weeks.  So if any of you need candles, I can hook you up!  I got to see how the Miche bags work, up close and personal.  I think it's a neat idea, but I just can't give up the "feed bag" that I carry around.  I love that purse.  Lets see... I won a pumice stone brush for your feet, and got to see some very, VERY scary belly dancers.  I mean, you go girl, but yikes!  Ah, I almost forgot the free pizza! 

It turns out that Superior was hosting an event this weekend, but I hadn't seen it advertised anywhere.  I think it was called "Girls Day Out."  You got a card and had to go to six area business' and have the card punched.  So we were out and about Superior then for the rest of the afternoon.  I honestly had only been into one of those businesses before (The Rocking Horse) so it really was a good promotional thing!  We also hit a few places not on the list, ending with an estate sale a few blocks from here.  That was gross.  Upscale house on Hammond, but the inside was totally original from the time it was built.  The upstairs smelled like pee, and the basement..... I don't know.  I had to hold my breath. 

All in all it was a good day.  I also had a unique opportunity to remind one woman that she does indeed rock!  I meant what I said.  You are a strong woman, you can do this.  It's the right thing to do........ and I always have your back, even if I'm in the car.  :) 

Mobile

So much for mobile posting!  I tried to send one this morning at five when I was WIDE awake from the time change.  All that appears to have come across is a bunch of gobbledeegook.  Where was I at 5am? Nowhere exciting I assure you.  Snuggled up in my big old bed, alone.  Now it is in those moments that I do wish for companionship.  Although when I think about the reality of that, it's probably just some big ol dummy snoring his head off while I try to find enough light to read a book.  :)

Kidnapped

I wasn't even going to go out tonight, but was easily persuaded to go to qwazadilla dinner at Lisa's house.  Kerri makes a mean margarita, and Lisa does a nice job with the Quesedillas.  Yes Nikki.  It's Quesedilla. :)  I'm going to tell that story one of these days!

After dinner it got down right boring, so we headed uptown.  I dropped my car at home and jumped into the back of Kerri's.  Off to V.I.P. we go.  There was a band playing........ Hell Puppies.  Oldies music, not bad if you're into that.  Kind of loud so you had to do the scream to talk thing.  Mid life man standing too close to me for comfort at the bar, but nothing happened to report. (thank God)  Christina showed up, so we visited for a bit.  Barry was late for work, so we missed him.  We wait for NO man.  Early night tonight, we're meeting back up in the morning for "Women Rock" up at Spirit Mountain.  Then V.I.P. has something going on around lunch time so we'll stop back in there.

After we left V.I.P. Kerri put an Air Supply cd on.  *sigh*  How many nights I bawled my teen aged eyes out to that stuff.  How many "drape and sway" dances did I snuggle in to whomever (actually it makes me think of Tony.....seventh grade....five million years ago)  while that music was playing.  "Turn it off!"  I yelled.  "Why are you singing if you hate it so much?" came the reply from the front.  "I hate you."

So instead of dropping me at home Kerri just drove by the apartment and around the "hood" with the windows down, blasting Air Supply, singing at the top of our lungs.  Thank God Kerri had to pee, or I'd still be driving around Superior singing "Sweet Dreams"!  As it was the concert continued after I got out of the car.  I stood on my steps, swaying and waving my middle finger in the air at Kerri and Lisa, as if it were in fact a lighter.........

Thankful

One of my facebook friends is posting something she is thankful for during every day of November, so I thought I would jump on that bandwagon.  A few of my friends have started doing it too, and it will be interesting to see what we all come up with.

I'm going to try really hard not to make any sarcastic thankful picks.  I will turn it into a positive statement if it kills me, and let me tell you, it might.

I really need to change my attitude, and hopefully this will help.  So here are the things I picked so far.

Day One:  I'm thankful that Sam's ashes are home, and for the part of her life that I was able to share.

Day Two: I'm thankful for good neighbors.   Yes, coming from me that might seem odd.  It isn't a sarcastic comment.  I do have a great neighbor, and have had some good ones too.  I have had enough bad ones to appreciate them when they aren't.  When I got home today there was a card in my mailbox, just addressed to "Jo" so I knew someone had put it there.  My first thought? "What fresh hell is this?"  What I found was a card from my neighbor and her kids.  Just a little note to say they are thinking of me, and that they are sorry for my loss, and will always remember "fluffy" Sam.  Very sweet, and very unexpected.

Ok, we're going to try mobile posting one more time!