67 days later.......

It was a good 67 days give or take a few.

Thursday, June 26th Tom had a Dr appt and came by the office to discuss a new camera with me.  He was all excited about getting a "good deal".  The "good deal" turned out to be that my Mom was offering to pay for 1/2 of a new camera.

So we looked over a few and I selected some to compare later. 

Once he got home and delivered Miss T's lunch to her (she was with Roomie) he took off for some lunch of his own. 

And had a glass of wine with the best friend's wife which lead to a stop at the liquor store for a couple of mini bottles.

I called him in the middle of the afternoon and noticed a "change" in his voice.....light and excited.  I asked if there was anything he'd like to "confess" or "tell me" and of course the answer was NO.

We discussed money a bit because there was an issue in the bank account and he says "by the way, you'll be getting a delivery of flowers this afternoon for our Anniversary".

I said thank you, then without much thought said, "Why today?  Esp since we're leaving on Fri and not coming back till late Sunday?  Why not wait till Monday?"

Seemed logical to me.  But he said Monday would have been one day too late and he'd be in the dog house.  So he figured this was a good thing.  It was.

Then I called him back about 5 after I left work.  He asked if I received a delivery and I said "yes, thank you that was sweet" and he said "good I'm glad I did something nice" for a change in the same old light, funny voice and I just let him talk.  Finally I asked again and he admitted to "a glass of wine".

Once I got home he became obnoxious. 

Told me I was ungrateful  --  (because I made the comment about getting the flowers when we were going out of town).

Asked me "where would you be without me?"  (yes, I'm rolling my eyes)

Then he started in on HIS money (which he said he would never do again) and words began to exchange.  He went back in the bedroom to lay down.

He really hurt my feelings.

And then low and behold my home filled up -- with people.  Miss T's friend and her mom showed up, so the girls got in the pool; the Mom and I sat on the deck.  She knew I was ill.  Tom came outside, roomie came outside, roomie's new beau showed up.  Then my Mom, StepDad and Nanny.

Did someone call the army too?

Funny how several people could "smell" the situation. 

Interesting that it didn't take long for them to leave either.   Except Roomie's new beau.  We all got in the pool and left grumpy frumpy to his misery.  I believe I could have slept in that pool all night.

The one good thing about this (and only one)??

The roomie's new beau is a recovering alky and said that seeing Tom this way just emphasized why he became and will remain sober.

So SALUTE TO TOM for keeping one man on the straight path.

 

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A-Z "G" Gaggle & Golden

I have a couple of Geeeee pictures.  Gee, I didn't know what to show or what to look for.  Did find a grasshopper, but he wasn't anything special.

Near my home there is a field that was flourishing with Golden Blooms (wildflowers probably black eye susan's) and what really set it off to me was the old rusty silo and run down storage house that was in the background.  For a week I tried to get the perfect sundown picture of it because the sky colors would have really set it off.  But couldn't find time to get to that spot at the right time - maybe next Spring.  LOL

Golden Field:

Then, this weekend we were in Charleston SC and wandering around the famous King Street shopping district I ran across the cutest display of Geese in Rain Gear.

A Gaggle of Geese:

And of course, a traditional Gazebo in the Park.

Geee, I guess that's my "G" entry!

Ta ta for now!

Sharon

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Going with the flow...

I probably irritated the bossman yesterday when he wanted me to "push" my way to the front of the line at a local government office.

I said NO.  Told him that I wasn't going to have them talking bad about me like they did the co-worker (that left in Dec for TX) and we were just going to have to wait our turn like everyone else.

He retreated to his office.

Sorry dude, but you're nothing special and I'm not gonna make enemies just because you think you're different - that's my thinking. 

Next!

Went home yesterday after work and fell into the pool.  Stayed there until 8:45!  Perfect temperatures!

My Mom had come over earlier and spent 2 hours in the "refreshing" water.  Nephew had come over on Tuesday!

Miss T has had several overnight guests.  Hoping for one more tonight as we head down to Charleston SC for the national dance competition.  I told this kid she could ride down with us (cause she doesn't want to ride with her mom and that "other" lady) and I would take her to see Rainbow Row and the Battery.

I want to leave no later than 9:30am; maybe stop at a store just South of Myrtle Beach and grab a bite of lunch before heading on.  That makes a good stopping point to PEE and stretch the legs.  It's a good 4 hour drive so they'll watch movies.

Miss T dances twice and they're within a 45 minute window of each other so most of the weekend can be spent like a mini vacation.

Besides, Sunday is my wedding anniversary....

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Obama

As emailed to me........

Coincidence? Slip of the tongue? I doubt it.........



You are aware, probably, that Barack Obama lost his bearings recently and said that he was going to campaign in all 57 states.  You heard this?  And everybody chalked it up to, "Well, he's tired."  



Barack Obama says he's gonna go out and campaign in 57 states, he was just tired, you know, it's been such a long campaign, he's been so many places, he probably thinks there are 57 states.  Well, I have here a printout from a website called the International Humanist and Ethical Union.  And here is how the second paragraph of an article on that website begins.  "Every year from 1999 to 2005 the organization of the Islamic conference representing the 57 Islamic states presented a resolution to the United Nations commission on human rights called combating."  And the title of the piece here is, "How the Islamic states dominate the UN human rights council," and there are 57 of them.



Obama said he's going to campaign in 57 states, and it turns out that there are 57 Islamic states.  There are 57 Islamic states.   So did Obama just lose his bearings, or was this a more telling slip, ladies and gentlemen?





DO ALL AMERICANS A FAVOR AND FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE ON YOUR EMAIL LIST.....

Bad Me......????

First I will remind myself and others that I did not ask for an alcoholic Father.  I didn't select this man to give me life, this man that is totally unable to own up to being a father.

He was never around when I was growing up - well he was rarely around.  As a union electrician he felt it best to work out of town because that's where the money was.

But his family didn't see much of that at all.  If it had not been for my Papa and Nanny we would have been starving and naked.

In a few weeks I will be 43.

I have not talked with my Father since late Feb/early March when we were making plans to attend an out of town dance competition.  That was fine with me.

At that time he was about to have a court date.  Seems one of his latest "girlfriend's" fell and broke a wrist and of course they arrested him for assault / resisting arrest and who knows what.

I just figured he was in jail.

Until 3 days ago.  He called and I ignored the phone because at first I didn't recognize the number.

Then I told Miss T who it was and she answered it...talked then gave me the phone.

He had obviously had a couple of drinks.

(YAWN)

This man is uncapable of being a "father".

The conversation is always more of a joke....lots of jokes.  He is not concerned with our welfare or life.  He just checks in every once and a while to "look good".

Last night his number popped up on my caller ID....Miss T said "who is it?" and when I told her, even she wouldn't answer the phone.  He rang my cell 2x....then my Mom called to say he had called her house "because it's important".....yeah right.  I turned off the cell.

It's usually "someone is after" him; or he's sad and lonely living in the past, "boo hoo I lost your Momma" BS.  They've been divorced for over 30 years GET OVER IT and stop whining to me about it I DON'T CARE!!

How horrible.

I don't care.  I really don't.  It wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit if he never called again.  Is that so terrible?  

Once upon a time I would have given anything to be Daddy's girl; I think I actually had some fantasy idol imagry of him.

But not anymore.

It's a part of my life that is soooooooo in the past that I don't care much to dig it up. 

My father doesn't have any children that will have a relationship with him.  My brother was adopted by my stepDad and his 2 kids will NEVER know my Father; my oldest brother (which I never found out about until I was 22) doesn't have a relationship with him either nor does his daughter.

So he's basically "alone" in this world except for a sister and an aunt and her family that puts up with him.

From time to time I have family historical questions I'd like answered but there is only one person left on that side of my family that might could answer those.  My great-grandfather was of Indian descent somehow....that's the questions I'd like the answer to.  His only living daughter has the family Bible.  Guess I could call her before she expires.  Once her kids get it, I'll never get the information.

I have not seen my Father's sister in years.  Last time I laid eyes on her, we were both going into the same store and I made sure she was in way before me and I stayed on the opposite side at all times.

I didn't want to hear it or get into it with her.

She doesn't bother to contact me and I didn't want to be chastized for "you never call me".

Well the shoe fits both feet ladies and gentlemen!  And way back when you would drive PAST my house to take MY GRANDMOTHER somewhere and NEVER STOP still sticks in my mind.

Forgive and forget?  I have for the most part.  I just don't have any desire to be a part of that side of the family.

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Long Day

Up about 9am and headed to the grocery store to get some items for breakfast.  Miss T had a friend sleep over and she mentioned wanted an omlet with bacon.  Wouldn't you know I didn't have any bacon.

Roomie chastised the girls for running and jumping onto pool floats.  Tom got a bit miffed about it and was in a bad mood all afternoon.

I must agree, sometimes she can be a bit overboard with her analysis.  The kids were only diving onto the floats to skim across the pool.

It was a bit cooler today ..... rained and hailed some, but in between drops the girls enjoyed their dips in the pool.

My neck has hurt for 2 days now....I can't seem to get the kink out of it.  So today I hooked up to my tens unit for about 30 minutes then used a heat pack.  Finally Miss T grabbed under my head and pulled a couple of times and it relaxed a bit.  I thought that massage chair at the nail salon would have done the trick, but noooooo.

Speaking of Miss T.......Sunday is her Baptism.  I'm so proud of her making this decision all on her own....well, not ALL on her own.  My Nanny takes her to church and I'm sure she and my Mom have had a lot to do with that.  No, I'm not leaving myself out....I know I've raised her properly.  But I'm not a great example of one who attends services on a regular basis anymore.  Tom has started back, thankfully.

Well, TMI but I gotta pee.....

 

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A Real Entry?

It would be about time! 

Life goes on around here. 

Last week was awful hot and this week is actually pleasant.

Gas went up and gas came down - and gas went up again and seems to be on the way down again.

The most I've seen around here was $4.05 and that was at the thieve's store.  The normal guys are at $3.94 to $3.99.  Costco was $3.88 on Sunday.

The only reason I know that is because I met my parents at the Olive Garden for Father's Day and it's beside Costco.  It rained all day.

Just wait till they "think" a hurricane is coming our way and BAM! gas will skyrocket.  Thieves!

 

    

Last Friday I spent the entire afternoon in the pool.....just lounging - not splashing or swimming.  Floating, relaxing.  Boy did I need that!

Saturday I spent the entire day on my feet.  3 recital shows and Miss T was in each of them with the 2nd show being "her" show.  The first one was for the toddlers and the 3rd was older kids.  Each had some of our competition dances mixed in and the production number at the end.....Miss T was pretty relaxed all day.  Basically it went pretty easy.  The dance owner decided on ALL BUNS instead of worrying about hair changes, so once I got the makeup on Miss T could handle the rest. 

I actually got to sit down and watch the 3rd show without worrying about costume / lipstick / hair changes.

 

Tom's court date for last Friday was put off till July so we didn't have to go.  Glad of that!  He had a liver biopsy this past Monday to see how his Hep C has progressed over the last 15 years.  Won't know about that till July 2nd.

At the risk of jinxing a winning streak....Mr Man is still "free".  No alky no nothing since April 22.  Too bad he couldn't have done this all along this past year (or longer) ---- he could have had so much more, so much more fun.  He could have been leaving next week for the cruise.

Hard lesson to learn.

 

My new niece does nothing but sleep and eat so says her Daddy.  She is so quiet - doesn't wake up when you pick her up.  I wish I could sleep like that.  Her Big Brother still "lubs" her and says "she's fine" when you ask him about her.  He was over this evening for about 20 minutes to jump on the trampoline.  He said he'd come over Friday and swim with me.

Speaking of brothers....mine was over with my nephew, playing, and hailed a ball...........right into the side of my head!

It's only the 2nd time he's EVER been able to get in a punch.  He's just lucky our kids were out there with us or I'd have.........

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A-Z Photo Challenge "F"

I looked and looked but nothing would "jump" out at me, nothing that said F ......... so I dug through my pics and came up with these.

Fountain at Broadway at the Beach, Myrtle Beach:

Miss T helped me line up the sun in that one so I'll give her the credit for it.

Fountain in a local park:

Just needing to be snapping pictures one day so I decided to stroll through a park in the early spring.

Fishie at the Bass Pro Shop Aquarium:

I wanted frollic or fungus or something fun - it just hasn't been an "F" kinda week.  Could have posted "fat" but y'all didn't wanna see that either!

But....it is my Friday so that's an official "F".

 

Enjoy your weekend.  Mine will be dancing!

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HELLO!

Can you hear me now????

Are the alerts working yet????

 

Somebody...............

anybody...............??

6th Grader in da house!

Yay!  Miss T has graduated from 5th grade.  Now it's on to middle school.

Who knew that a 5th grade grade ceremony could be so emotional?  But it was.  The teachers really become attached to the kids and what an awesome group of teachers we have at our school.  We have been listed as a School of Excellence for several years now. 

This year the 5th grader's scored over 90% on their end of year tests!  That has never been accomplished here before.  Also an overall straight "A" year had never been accomplished in 5th grade in the history of this school (it's only about 9 years old) until this year and one girl was the proud recipient and a fellow dancer friend of Miss T's.

5th Grade has been an awesome year.  I have noticed the changes....she's not a baby anymore.  I would have LOVED to have had teachers like the one's they have now.  The children have more confidence and are made to feel important and that counts for a lot.

5th grade has been sad too....2 of Miss T's classmates lost their father's to cancer this year.  One of the Dad's was a friend of my brother's from his school days.  They also, er, we also lost a dear lady to cancer too...the devoted librarian with a heart of gold and great love of children.  A known icon in the community.  The 5th graders gave a gift of a garden bench in her honor.

They composed a DVD slide show of the year and are making it available to all students.  It was over 30 minutes of pictures taken throughout the year of student life....in class, on field trips and such. 

Can you find the graduate??  Hint:  between the ballons and with yellow flowers.

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Incompetency Bowel Syndrome

 

Let's pretend it's a Lion Pouncing!

IBS   That's what I have right now!

Incompetency irritates me to no end!  Especially when the incompetent one is an educated person ie Attorney or Manager.

I have been fighting for 2 weeks to get a Map reviewed, approved and recorded in the City system.  Finally today all was accomplished.

I can forgive the one guy for he is undergoing chemotherapy.

The one that really grinds my @ss is the attorney.  A simple proration of a monthly amount........and she asks me "how do you do that?"

I actually said to her in a tough tone to begin with "Excuse me....you need to...." because she was trying to talk OVER me.

ME!  She wants MY help and it is beyond me that she cannot comprehend a simple task.

I think that I shall start submitting an invoice to these people that I have to hold hands with to get their job done.

Esp the Bossman.....

Get this.  We have a CBU (cluster box unit) mailbox outside the office.  We DON'T get mail here, we get it at the PO.  These boxes are about, what?  5x5 square for each tenant?

So he says.....

"Will you check the outside box to see if they mailed the car tag here instead of the PO?"

(Are you with me so far?)

I looked at him as serious as can be and said.........."I know it is NOT out there because #1 it WILL NOT FIT and #2 we don't receive mail out there per our request."

He says without missing a beat, "well maybe they sent it here anyway"....

I kid you not! 

                       

I also have DH at home who says to me....

"How much money do I have in my account?  I don't know how much I've spent."

                    

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