It's MY Day!!

    

  Yippe!  It's my BIRFDAY!!!  Jill made this cute lil red blinkie for MY DAY!  And red is my favorite color!

  Well, I am so overwhelmed at all the good wishes and e-cards and snail mail cards that are flowing my way!  You guys are too much and I love all my J-land friends.  I so wish we could all get together and have one big ol party!

  We did get to the fireworks last night, although we didn't actually go to the riverfront, we stopped on top of the bridge and watched from afar.  It was a nice view, but I did miss the "feeling" of the big BOOM when they exploded!  I love feeling it in my chest as they go off! 

 WELL, for once my hubby listened to me for my birthday gift....I got a BB gun!  Yep a BB Gun!  I figure it's easier to shoot varmits with than my .380 or my shotgun! LOL!  I AM THE QUEEN TODAY! is what he tells me!  My Mom & stepDad are taking me out to dinner about 4:30pm - they usually give me a card with in it (woooo hooo!).

Boss is gone to the mid west with the family today for 12 days.....we'll do my birthday lunch the week of the 17th...see??? I DO celebrate for a long time LOL!!!!  Co-worker wants to take me to lunch today, ok with me! 

 IT'S ALL ABOUT ME!!!!!  My favorite song "me me me me"!  Hey, it's only once a year that it's all about me, the other 363 it's Tara, Tom, work, LAUNDRY, work, work and work!!!!

I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A VERY HAPPY DAY ON MY 41ST BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY 4TH EVERYONE!

 HOPE EVERYONE HAS

A SAFE AND HAPPY 4TH CELEBRATION!

 

We're off to my Mom's this afternoon for a cookout, some burgers N dogs.  I've made slaw with apples and almonds, taking some fruit and Chef Tara has made a large chocolate chip cookie which she is about to decorate! 

I'm not sure yet whether we'll make the fireworks downtown...it is so hot here, even the breeze is warm  4pm and 91 degrees -- ugh!  TnT & I went to Lowe's to pick up some lumber and foam board for the pool!  It'll be here soon!!!

Thank you ALL for the lovely E-Cards.  And a SPECIAL THANK YOU TO Lisa Jo for my birthday card - what a great surprise.  Thank you girlfriend - I love you so!  I must warn everyone - when it's my birthday, I usually celebrate for a week.  SO don't be surprised to find me wearing my "It's my birthday" button well into next week!!  I figure at my ripe ol age the older I get I'd better celebrate getting there!   LOL, OK so 41 isn't THAT old.......................................

Here's what I want for my birthday:

 

 

Weekend ways

Well, I've been busy this weekend.  And it felt good too.  On Friday, I seemed to have been in a PMSy kinda mood (even though those parts are gone, I still get cranky).  Mr Man just couldn't seem to think for himself and when he did it certainly wasn't the way I would have figured.  We've been going back and forth about this pool.  YES, we're getting it and YES I have transferred the money and YES he's driving me nutz!

I said, "kill the grass, dig it out (with tractor of course)".  My stepDad is saying "no, just put in a bunch of sand".  Tom's getting confused not knowing which way to go.  I said "Don't you remember the lady at the pool place said KILL THE GRASS AND LEVEL GROUND?"..he says NO.  (grrrrrrrrrrr)  So he calls her and guess what?

Yep...wifey is right!  (well Duhhhhh)  But he wants me to call the pool lady back.  NO WAY!  I've got stuff to do at work (boss is leaving town for 12 days) and I have an appointment for a pedicure!  YOU'RE HOME YOU CALL!!!

At my pedicure I discovered a cool new polish by OPI in their Designer Series...DS Designs is the color and it is a light bronze with diamond dust in it.  Now it doesn't look like much at first, but when you get in the sunlight BAM!  All the colors bust out and sparkle!  It's a must have for the beach or pool!

We have such differing opinions about this pool area that I finally said "I wash my hands of it".

Saturday morning he and my step Dad began working on the pool square area...I stayed inside, doing the dreaded laundry and miscellaneous stuff.  Then about 5pm I went outside with gloves on and rake/shovel in hand to start smoothing out the dirt.  Gotta get it level.  Backbreaking work...but all in all it's within 1/2 inch!  Hot n nasty, I came on in to put pork chops in the oven with bar-b-q sauce...just a quickie kinda dinner.  Wasn't even hungry I was so tired and hot. 

I began going through some journals after dinner and DH turned on the tube and I heard that familiar "ah ha" from Nathan Lane's character "Albert" in "The Birdcage" ...oh I sooooo love that movie.  And it was a double header so I was able to chime in about the time the senator came to dinner and watch it from start to finish afterwards....all while slamming down some homemade strawberry daqueri...showing Tom how to make them using REAL berries.

Today, Sunday, was full too.  Tom is still contemplating the diagram of the deck addition for the pool.  I worked on household stuff, bathroom, laundry room, kitty litter box, re-organized the linen cabinet, dusted, cleaned ceiling fan, stayed on Tara's butt to clean her room, kept staring at a basket of ironing (still staring).  Hubby picked up steaks on sale and I called and invited my Nanny over.  After dinner I gave her a pedicure and Tara painted her fingernails.  Nanny just called to say what a treat that was and that she enjoyed it so very much.  Then she wanted to make an appointment for another one.  I think I'll send her down the road to the Asian lady next time!

Chef Tara has made chocolate chip cookies tonight.  I gotta tell ya, that was money well spent on her going to the Kid's Cuisine last week.  Gave her a lot of confidence! This week begins the summer dance schedules.  She has to keep up the ballet techniques in the summer if she is to dance competitively.

My Mom came over this afternoon and gave the OK on the pool...she'd been kinda downing it for a while, guess she's had a change of heart.  Plus she wanted to tell me that my stepDad backed into the back door of my Nanny's car after their lunch outing today....not bad, but I'll bet it will be an $800 fix.  Dented the door a good foot and messed up the side strip.  Embarassed my step something aweful.  Nanny said "no big deal, as long as you're gonna get it fixed"...she's a hoot! 

Plans for the 4th?  Dunno.  Gotta work Monday (bummer) & Fireworks will be Monday night at Carolina Beach, so we may run down there.  Then Tuesdsay we'll probably grill out with the family.  My bigger little brother, wife & kid are in Ohio visiting her grandparents etc.  After dinner I like to head down to the riverfront to watch the City's display of fireworks.  It's nice of them to do this for my birthday don't ya think? 

Wednesday, MY DAY, it's back to work, but I'm gonna take it easy and leave early.  My Mom offered to take me out to eat.  Plus Tara begins Acrobatics class at 6pm.  As long as I am with my Miss T, that's a cool birthday for me.  Hey that rhymes!  Oh yea, Wednesday I am spozed to take them the certified money for the pool...they may deliver it that afternoon (happy b-day to me!) or they may have to wait till Thursday.  My bigger lil brother is gonna arrange to have it filled for me (mr firefighter).

I have a couple of pictures of the "ground breaking" but I think I'm going to wait till I have a few more and dedicate an entry to the birth of backyard summer fun!  I'm not too worried about a completed deck around it, we can work on that this Fall/Winter/Spring before next Summer's opening.   Just get me a pad so that I can jump right in!  Even Nanny said she'd swim!

Nite all!  Have a grand week!

Hi 5's

If you want to play all you do is cut and paste these questions into your journal. (there is no deadline as to when you can do "The 5'er) When you have answered them come back and leave a link in Robin's (see my sidebar) comment section. 

LET'S PLAY!!!

1.  It's summertime and pretty much hot all over.  What is the hottest day you can recall? Each 4th of July is so very hot and humid and so is Labor Day.  One Labor Day it was so hot Tom almost had a heat stroke.  The hummidity here is aweful, even the ocean breeze gets hot!

2.  How do you keep cool in the summer? Pool? Beach? Other?

Some days it's the beach, some days it's just plain old sitting inside with the AC cranked up.  Now this summer we're getting a pool...so we'll see how that works.  Lemonaide, cold beer, ice pops, pineapple mmmmmm.

3.  Do you prefer to be sweating on a hot summer day or shoveling snow on a cold winter's day?

A Southern Belle does NOT sweat! I hate to perspire! But I love the summer time.  So much you can do in the summer even if it is hot, jump in a lake or pool or the ocean, eat cold watermelon, run through a sprinkler, celebrate my birthday and fireworks......you can keep yer stinkin shovel.

4.  What did summer mean to you as a kid?

Summer was VBS when I was young, and hanging out at the beach or pool as I got older.  Clean your room & finish your other chores on Saturday BEFORE you can do anything or go anywhere =(

5.  If you could be anywhere else right now where would you be?

I wanna be on an all expense paid vacation to some place tropical.

Happy Anniversary, again, I hope!

It was 4 years ago today....4 pm.  After 5 years together I had said to Tom "piss or get off the pot" LOL.  So that was my official proposal.    Here's a little bit of history.........

We met in October 1997.  I know it was October because the Yankees were in the playoffs.  Tom's best friend from NY lived here, had a deli behind our store, and had invited my parents and me to a steak dinner at his house.  Tom was there.  He was now a permanent NC resident.  I remember the brightness in his eyes and smile (later to realize WHY).  It was not love at first sight.  Tara was 9 months old. 

A couple of weeks later, I went into J's deli (now in the city) and lo and behold he was there talking.  I struck up a conversation with them and went my merry way.  But I kept coming back just to catch him there.  Tom shared things with me from his heart and past that he didn't have to.  We were not an "item" but we were getting along.

We finally concreted a real live FIRST DATE to be December 13.  The day came and no Tom......his mom had passed away and he had gone to Florida.  I tease him that she messed up our first date.  Then I tell him that the only reason she was able to "let go" was that she somehow knew that now he was in good hands.  I never met the lady...I wish I had known her.  Two weeks went by before we connected again and this time we had the real first date.  And YES, I seduced him....took him back to HIS place and basically said "drop em". LOL!

     

He moved in with me in April 1998.  He became Dad to Tara and has treated her like she was his own ever since.  We had trials and troubles...Tom was so wanting to rid himself of his own demons, it was a tough haul.  This is why it surprises me when we're back in court for another DUI.

In 2002 I started putting it to him that we needed to make some solid arrangements....Tara was beginning to question things, my family (the southern babdisst) were itching.  It was time to do something.  He is one for tradition, so he bought a ring, took me to dinner, presented me with flowers and I said YES.

                              

We set a date of June 29th...now where?  Myrtle Beach at a cute wedding chapel.  Now who to invite?  34 family & close friends drove in to witness and then we went over to Chestnut Hill Restaurant for dinner.  Tom's Dad & baby brother, his girlfriend and her daughter, my parents, brothers & SIL, Jimmy & wife.  Then back to the hotel..............

   

awwwwwwwwwwww

     

(Cindilouwho in blue, stepDad & Jimmy in white)

It actually does get better each year.  

Happy Anniversary

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr  had it all done and POOF

Court delayed...again

Well, Mr Man was in a pickle  going to the courthouse this morning.  Of course he was dreaming up the worst of the worst, thinking this was D-Day! and all.  But the attorney (who happens to be a friend of mine) was able to put it off until August 28th.  (Whew)  Now we don't have to deal with the wicked judge of the east, my pretty!

So he picks up Chef Tara from cooking school...she made s'mores, chocolate pie, apple/raisin french toast and nachos....woo hoo!  She is loving this and quite frankly so am I.  Too bad they load kids down with homework or I know who would be cooking dinner from now on!

  Now, tomorrow is my anniversary and I haven't done one thing about it.....Mr T bought me a gift (I know it's so, because I was with him) and this is the first year that he's ever done so.  Guess I'll take him out to dinner.....I did buy him a NYGiants beer coozie, romantic huh?  I'll come up with something....maybe........

  We've been talking about a pool.  Today I jump his case cause he's all talk..sitting around with fingers, nevermind.  Anywho, I'm all in a huff fussing cause he's just talking and I say to him "well you're home all day all the time YOU can make some calls".  You know what he had the nerve to ask me?  Grrrrr

Next call I get from him he's telling me that my stepDad is coming through the field with the blade to level out the back yard area where we wanted to put the pool.  AND that he's already talked to my fireman brother about the water. AND that the lady at the pool place said (in Bob Barker's voice) "come on down"......so the ball is in my court now.  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 

Two blondes living in Oklahoma were sitting on a bench  talking........ and one blonde says to the other, "Which do you think is farther away..........Florida or the moon?" 
 
The other blonde turns and says,

"Helloooooooooo, can you see Florida...?????"

Shelly you're da best!