attempt #2 of Glad N Sad

  Yay!  Spring is finally here! 
I know cause I'm hacking, coughing, sneezing and snotting! 

Thanks a lot POLLEN!    

The weather is absolutely beautiful....80 and bright skies.  Tomorrow is to be a bit cooler with some rain.

Tomorrow will be a tough day too - a funeral.....I lost a dear friend this weekend suddenly....he was fishing.  Landed a 70lb wahoo, sat down and had a heart attack 2 hrs out at sea.  There was a nurse and a doctor on the boat and of course his wife, but they could only do so much.  So tragic.  He was such a happy, fun man.  Only 20 days away from turning 60!  Had just gotten married....remember?  The wedding last October!  That guy.

So sad.  His wife is holding up well, trying to be strong for everyone, the kids are in town, the grandbaby is here....she's about to get grand #2 next month.  He loved kids too.

I'm trying to de-clutter the house bit by bit....lots of junk, unopened mail; bank statements; school papers; unread magazines.  WHY!!!!!

And the laundry.......must be part rabbit, because it never ends.

  Mr Man and I spent this weekend working on the deck extention out to the pool.  A 6x13 area...but Tom cannot bend well and even Miss T was a big help.  He's putting up the rails today and all that will be left is the ladder platform and then prepare the water! 

Miss T is still dancing away.....and I'm having her see a math tutor.  A good example of  WHY was last nights homework.  She had to "fix" compound fractions....ya know  15/4 = 3  3/4. 

THEN she had to reverse these in a different section

3 3/4...well MY answer is of course 15/4 BUT she wrote 3 15/4. I said WRONG.  She said it is how the teacher explained it.  Then there were tears, then I wrote a note to the teach asking her to explain WHY my kid thought this was the right way and WHY she said it is the way it was explained.  Then I made a copy of the work and my note for the math tutor (who is a teacher at the same school).

  What else can I do??

We have Spring Break starting this Friday....no school for a week.  I wanted to get away, maybe go to Charlotte to Carowinds.  Is that a good idea?  Travelling the first weekend off of school....???  Maybe not.  Probably will not go.  I need to concentrate on things around the house.  I did buy 3 new rose bushes this weekend...should get them planted.  I don't want to put off a trip like this until it is so hot I cannot stand it.  But then again the POLLEN is in full force......

Happy Patty's to Ya!

                    

Hopeeveryone has a great day, Irish or not!

                                  

Miss T and I are going to make Irish Soda Bread and a Pistachio Nut Cake!  Dunno about any corned beef yet.....I'd love some good potatoes myself.

                         

Yes, we're of Irish descent, some Scottish too, and American Indian waaaaaaaaaay back there!

                              

I have the red tint to my hair naturally (but I love to be blonde) and the hazel/green eyes.  Miss T has beautiful brown eyes.

                           

Maybe in a while I'll tickle the ivories and belt out some Irish tunes, like When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.

I'd really like to be with Andy & Dwana Moonlight Drive celebrating "their way".........send me some leftovers!

Until next time............................love y'all!

 

 

Trying to change office computers tells me.....

VISTA…………Noooo!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

#1…takes a long time to load.

#2…will NOT network with XP.

#3…will not let you install a 2nd operating system even though it says so.

#4…if you do, it voids the warranty.

#5…will not read XP created docs on the old software.

#6…MUST call microsoft for tech support @$69/hr.

#7…has an “over-ride” chip in it that detects materials/hardware/software that is NOT of it’s own kind (as in HP, Compaq or Dell).

#8…does not support AOL’s firewall or security programs.

#9…would NOT accept McAfee antivirus

#10…only allowed NORTON (which is a joke).

#11…will not accept most current software on the market i.e. Office 07.

 

It would appear that Microsoft wants us to become solely reliable on them, no other tech support.  Other suppliers i.e. HP, Compaq etc seem to be installing their own "chips" to override anything generic and kick it out.

 

My opinion is that Microsoft and HP and those want to be rid of the little mom and pop computer geeks out there making a living being "technical support".  They want ALL the money.

 

I have just spent 2 days trying to re-work and find a back door or loophole....not!  Not gonna work. 

 

We've all heard horror stories....I just wanted to warn y'all that VISTA will not perform and I'm sure soon Microsoft will get sick and tired of all the complaints and come up with a fix.

Gold Medals and Stunts

Yay for Miss T - a Gold Medal in her Jazz Solo.  Wow, she ruled the stage...this has been so good for her confidence and I'm so glad I forced this (lol).

Her Jazz group got a Platinum and the Lyrical got High Gold. 

I was soooooo glad to get out of there on Sunday!  Kept hearing Elvis singing "In the Ghetto"....not because of the neighborhood, but the EVENT was lame....cheesy trophies, small stage, ugh.

I should have known that it was going to be a rough weekend.  From the time I got to the hotel until Saturday night it was a mess. 

To begin with, checking in at 3pm - we got the wrong room;  called them (4 times before I got a real person); switched rooms...this took till 4pm to get in and get settled, which only gave us 30 mins to get the girls hair and makeup done and arrive at the school.  We were late....oh well...so were the event managers.  About an hour late to be exact. 

After dancing and dinner, we went back to the hotel.  Miss T had a shower; Tom fixed his cooler full of vodka and cranberry and headed off to the pool.  We joined him later, not to swim though.  Me and the girls sat and drank and laughed at our husbands and kids......Tom was happy in the hot tub.

Once back in the room, Tom and my friend fix another drink. 

He notices the 4" lip at the bottom of the sliding doors (leading to the balcony) and says "you gotta watch out for that, drunk OR sober".............I had already stumped my toe on it earlier.

...........I'll give you 2 guesses..........

..........................

YEP!  Mr Man tripped over that metal lip (designed to keep the wind/rain from blowing in the room).  Landed head first INTO and THROUGH the rails...just his head.  OMG!  He is so lucky that the railing was bolted tight.

So one of the kids is yelling at me (I'm drying hair) "Tom needs help"....I'm saying "yeah right!".....after a bit I look and sure enough he is on his knees on the balcony.  His glasses sailed off his face and landed 5 stories below on the sidewalk - only a lense popped out which was easily fixed.

Oh for crying out loud!  His head had gotten stuck betweent he rails, my friend was on the balcony helping him pry the rails aparat, he's bleeding from a split in his left ear.....knuckles busted, 2 fingers jammed and bruising/swelling, knee and arm raspberries......geeesh, only my husband.

I'm gonna buy him a T-shirt that says

"I DO ALL MY OWN STUNTS"

...............and list the events on the back by date and city just like the bands do when they go on tour!  Never a dull moment.

I called down to the desk and they sent someone up.  I told her to come back with first aid supplies and something for me to clean up the blood with.  The security guard and I went downstairs to retrieve the glasses.  The MOD wrote up a report, offered to call an ambulance (Tom refused) and told me to pick up a copy of the report later.

On Saturday you can imagine I'm having fun with this one!  Telling everyone Tom was singing "I believe I can fly".....NOT!  Plus the dance event was running behind, then ahead of schedule, then behind again and awards were not until 11pm.  How ridiculous.

Guess who was reeeeeeeeeeeeal sore on Sunday/Monday?

Goof ball!

Dance, Dance, Dance!

Well gang, we're off to another dance competition....Miss T dances at 5pm today so it's gonna be a hurry up kinda afternoon.

I'll get off work at noon, run home and toss the bags in the family truckster, check into the hotel at 3pm (south of Myrtle Beach about a 2 hr drive from home), get kid's hair and makeup ready and head over to the competition.

We can't get IN until 4:30pm and her first dance (Lyrical) is at 5pm!!  So we'll have to be ready to jump into costume and stretch, practice and GO!  Whew, then that's it.  Dinner somewhere (Olive Garden hopefully) and then.........

............I have a water gun fight scheduled with a 5 year old in the pool after that!  Wish me luck.  He's the little brother of a dancer I've know for several years.  (I think he loves me really)  I told him I wanted to marry him....but I'm afraid he doesn't feel the same way.

He started this war last year at a competition, from somewhere behind me, while I was sitting by the pool ........SQUIRT!!!!  The war was on!

Did I tell you that Miss T's solo/lyrical teacher got canned?  Seems she's too "abrupt" with some of the kids.  She did wonders with Tara...making her focus and calming her down.  This solo was the best thing for her as far as getting her to improve her techniques.  LOVE IT!  YAY ME for encouraging her to do it.........she actually told me "thank you" last night.  I said "for what?" and she said "for encouraging me all the time"....(Mom about fainting here)........

My KID!  Gotta love her! 

Yes, unfortunately, we're sharing a room with another mom and daughter this trip.  Fortunate for her.  I felt the "need" to help a single mom....remember the last trip?  I got so upset with the kids on stage....  And this kid was one of them.  Cross your fingers for me.  I'm sure it will be alright this time.  We were all a bit stressed last time.

I finished mending the Lyrical costumes....I cannot believe the way the front straps were attached (or should I say WERE NOT) on these outfits.  They were barely hanging on and I even tacked them down while some of the kids were wearing them last time.  Then when a couple of girls took them off the fronts snapped loose.  Do we all remember Wardrobe Malfunction?????

So I've tacked them ALL down.  Plus I was able to adjust Miss T's solo top (she changed outfits) and mend Tom's "Dad" shirt where Mr Man ripped under the arm.....he wanted to "stretch" the shirt because it had "shrank"......yeah right.

I have become a self appointed costume checker outter and loader upper.  They are all checked and loaded into the trailer ready for transport.  I'm grateful that we don't have to haul them too...wouldn't want that responsibility.

Well, I'm off to the dreaded "file pile"....it's the least I can do today LOL!!!!!!!

DON'T FORGET TO SPRING FORWARD THIS WEEKEND!!  I Soooooooooooo love this time change!!!  I'm looking forward to longer daylight myself.

Men!

In a Chicago hospital, a gentleman had made several attempts to get into
the men's restroom, but it had always been  occupied. 
 
A nurse noticed his predicament. 
 
Sir, she said " You  may use the ladies room if you promise not to touch any of the buttons on the wall." 
 
He did what he needed to, and as he sat there he noticed the buttons he had promised not to touch. 
 
Each button was identified by letters: WW , WA , PP,  and a red one labeled ATR. 
 
Who would know if he touched them? 

He couldn't resist..

 

He pushed WW. warm water was sprayed gently upon is bottom.  What a nice feeling, he thought. Men's restrooms don't have nice things like this. 

Anticipating greater pleasure, he pushed the WA  button. Warm air replaced the warm water, gently drying his underside.  

When this stopped, he pushed the PP button. A large powder puff caressed his bottom adding a fragile scent of spring flower to this unbelievable pleasure.. The ladies restroom was more than a restroom, it is tender loving  pleasure.  When the powder puff completed its pleasure, he couldn't wait to push the ATR button which he knew would be supreme ecstasy. 
 
Next thing he knew he opened his eyes, he was in a  hospital bed, and a
nurse was staring down at him.

"What  happened?" he exclaimed. The last thing I remember was pushing the ATR button. 

 

"The button ATR is an Automatic Tampon Remover. Your penis  is under your pillow." 

 MEN NEVER LISTEN 

One year and........

.....still loving y'all.  I started jotting in this journal last March, just to keep up with myself LOL.  I have always penned my thoughts or made notes in a calendar, the calendar eventually getting tossed out.  It was a way for me to keep up with "normal activity".

Especially where Tom was concerned.  I would make entries in my datebook of when he was out, late, drunk, or whatever the case.... to be able to justify my arguments that he was habitual.

WOW......he's come a long way....the incidences are few and far between.  He is now concentrating on "family" and self instead of hanging out with so called friends. 

He will soon be eligible to get his driver's license back (YAY) and that will be a great weight lifted from his mind.  (I still ask him "so how long ya gonna keep them THIS time?)  Once he's "legal" again, I do wonder how long it will be before a screw up.  How sad........ I shouldn't be "expecting" him to fail, yet........history.........

  I have also in this last year met some wonderful people through this journal.  Although I have not yet met y'all face to face, you mean a lot to me.  Your kind words towards me and my family are so appreciated.  I love you all!  Tom actually asks me from time to time "how is so and so" from J-land and Miss T is convinced that Miss Barbara is going to be a star one day.  (Loves to hear you sing!)

 

Tom & I had a great weekend....we went to Raleigh Saturday to the Billy Joel concert.  It was awesome.  We spent the night and drove leisurely home on Sunday stopping in Smithfield at the outlet.  Miss T was with my Mom and having fun as well.

Dramaville is the  same......boss's wife is anal still about their 14 yr old son NOT seeing the Swimsuit Edition....too bad, I already gave it to him.  Plus he looked it up online too lol!!!  Plus the 18 yr old can't get online at home either "without permission" ..... UGH!!!!!  I finally blew up today and asked boss "WHY?"  what is da problem man? and why did I have to hear it????

Anywho, we're off to a dance competition AGAIN this weekend.  Back to Myrtle Beach this time.  The normal comp is in the Raleigh area, but there were issues with their schedule so we opted to do this one instead.  I'll be sick of Myrtle Beach before long.............

............................NOT!

I need to fix Miss T's top...we're changing her costume.  I also need to alter a couple of other costumes for the group.

AND my internet at home is still screwy.....gotta call the provider TODAY and get them to come out and fix it.  My "surf" time has been limited......

PLUS I need Miss T to be able to get online and practice her math.  I have requested she have a tutor for a little while.  She was A+ in math BEFORE 4th grade.....it's been C+ all year until last week.  She brought home the interim report for this 9 weeks and is up to a B...she's been working hard and was proud of herself.  Me too!

Hmmmm, what else is on my list? 

Tom is gonna start the deck extension to the pool in another week or so.  He said the 17th....we'll see.  I lay odds he doesn't start it...fundzalow disease......maybe the next weekend LOL.

My Mom called and invited me to lunch today, it's almost time. 

Until next time................