Saturday, March 27, 2010

3/27/10

I am so happy that it’s officially spring !! Yes, the crocuses are out; yes, the lilacs are about ready to leaf out; yes, the tulips/daffodils/hyacinths are going crazy. The biggest, fattest robin I’d ever seen was in the back yard yesterday (of course it went down to like 20 degrees the past two nights, too!) I trim all my perennials down to the ground in the fall so the rose, lilies, mums, irises & coneflowers are all making appearances now. I’m still leery about clearing the mulch off yet – it is Michigan, after all. It’s calling for 70 degrees the end of next week! I’m hoping it holds out for 2 weeks, since I took April 8 & 9 off work. Gonna do a little bit of spring cleaning!
Some of the tulips in the front flower bed.

My crocuses are tiny this year!

Last weekend we had another GFW - the St. Patricks edition. So we looked like a bunch of retards going in to the Village Grille (Lapeer County’s “Place for the Blues” – which explains all the blues bands!) the weekend AFTER St. Pats when all the parties were the weekend BEFORE.  Oh well.  But this time Lisa heard that the singer was only 16, so of course we had to go. And she proceeded to act like she’d never seen someone of the male gender before. Honestly, if you’re into the Blues, The Jake Bishop Band is pretty good. These GFWs are kicking my butt. I just need to pass on the beer. I don’t need those extra calories & stuff.

The 3rd pic I took after telling Mom to keep her eyes open this time!

Me & the girls

We told the band that the girls wanted a picture so when they become famous,
we can say that we had seen you play before.  They really liked that!

So anyway, Laurie called me Wednesday morning, she’d gotten a call that our half-brother Curt had passed away. It was rather sudden, I guess he just went to bed & didn’t wake up. So the visitation & services are tomorrow. Beth, his wife, asked Laurie to come out before to help her with all the names so I’m going with her. Randy’s on primary beeper this weekend, so he & Angel can go out later. I want to go, since I’ve heard these names all my life but never asked exactly how people were related, if they even were. So this will be interesting. But I better dig out a hanky or two – since the sympathy tears will flow.

Gosh, what all has been going on? Not much. I really should be doing a few 27 fling boogies & Hot Spot Fire Drills (aka FlyLady!) Have some laundry to do & my plants are taking over the kitchen table, so I need to move some around. Maybe plan for a pre-Easter shopping trip, you know – for what the Bunny may bring…… either way – I need to get off the computer and get some stuff at least started before having to stop & take Pnut to the roller rink to hang out with Lisa for a while. I bet Mom enjoys the time alone, too! Randy’s at a meeting at the county this morning, not sure when he’ll get home.

Later!
St. Pats Jack

Charly chillin'.

3/27/10

I am so happy that it’s officially spring !! Yes, the crocuses are out; yes, the lilacs are about ready to leaf out; yes, the tulips/daffodils/hyacinths are going crazy. The biggest, fattest robin I’d ever seen was in the back yard yesterday (of course it went down to like 20 degrees the past two nights, too!) I trim all my perennials down to the ground in the fall so the rose, lilies, mums, irises & coneflowers are all making appearances now. I’m still leery about clearing the mulch off yet – it is Michigan, after all. It’s calling for 70 degrees the end of next week! I’m hoping it holds out for 2 weeks, since I took April 8 & 9 off work. Gonna do a little bit of spring cleaning!
Some of the tulips in the front flower bed.

My crocuses are tiny this year!

Last weekend we had another GFW - the St. Patricks edition. So we looked like a bunch of retards going in to the Village Grille (Lapeer County’s “Place for the Blues” – which explains all the blues bands!) the weekend AFTER St. Pats when all the parties were the weekend BEFORE.  Oh well.  But this time Lisa heard that the singer was only 16, so of course we had to go. And she proceeded to act like she’d never seen someone of the male gender before. Honestly, if you’re into the Blues, The Jake Bishop Band is pretty good. These GFWs are kicking my butt. I just need to pass on the beer. I don’t need those extra calories & stuff.

The 3rd pic I took after telling Mom to keep her eyes open this time!

Me & the girls

We told the band that the girls wanted a picture so when they become famous,
we can say that we had seen you play before.  They really liked that!

So anyway, Laurie called me Wednesday morning, she’d gotten a call that our half-brother Curt had passed away. It was rather sudden, I guess he just went to bed & didn’t wake up. So the visitation & services are tomorrow. Beth, his wife, asked Laurie to come out before to help her with all the names so I’m going with her. Randy’s on primary beeper this weekend, so he & Angel can go out later. I want to go, since I’ve heard these names all my life but never asked exactly how people were related, if they even were. So this will be interesting. But I better dig out a hanky or two – since the sympathy tears will flow.

Gosh, what all has been going on? Not much. I really should be doing a few 27 fling boogies & Hot Spot Fire Drills (aka FlyLady!) Have some laundry to do & my plants are taking over the kitchen table, so I need to move some around. Maybe plan for a pre-Easter shopping trip, you know – for what the Bunny may bring…… either way – I need to get off the computer and get some stuff at least started before having to stop & take Pnut to the roller rink to hang out with Lisa for a while. I bet Mom enjoys the time alone, too! Randy’s at a meeting at the county this morning, not sure when he’ll get home.

Later!
St. Pats Jack

Charly chillin'.

Friday, March 12, 2010

3/12/10

Woohoo! As of last Thursday, the robins are back! I saw 3 of them near the cemetery on the way to weigh in. I was so excited I called everyone & even told the ladies at WW and at JoAnn Fabrics! Of course the juncos are still around, so I have to believe that winter hasn’t yet given up yet. But my tulips are pushing mulch out of the way like crazy & so are the irises! I’ve patrolled the yard (the neighbors probably think I’m a nut!) and have seen crocus sprouts, but no flower buds yet.

Junco

I so love this weather! OK, today was damp & crappy, but those days up in the 50s & sunshine – heaven! Last Monday we went for a brief walk around the park. My knee was acting up, so we didn’t go the entire trail. Jack was covered in mud but he was a happy dog! Tuesday Angel and I took Jack to Holland Ponds for a walk. I knew it would be muddy, so we wore our boots with our shorts & hoodies. Stylin’! One section of path was still snow covered & slippery. I asked Angel if she thought it was weird to be trooping thru snow in shorts & she agreed with me.

Going in to Holland Ponds
Me!
Angel

I went to Pnut’s conferences at school last night. I was mainly concerned about the D in Geography, so Mr. Brutyn was the first teacher I went to see. He finally got her separated from the rest of the chatty ones and can keep her somewhat focused. But her grades & performance are all over the place! She’ll do great for a while; everything completed & turned in…then Pppft. But all the rest of her teachers had fairly good reports about her and no real complaints or concerns on their end.

English = C+ still has to be reminded about her volume. This is Pnut’s fave teacher.

Innovative Presentations = A- thinks she’s a wonderful & consistent student

Math = B pick me up off the floor!

Science = C hasn’t missed turning in a single assignment! Didn’t do so well on the mid-term.

Art = B and she’s learning stuff that I never learned in high school!


I signed up to take a workshop for Test-Taking Strategies in a couple weeks. It seems weird that this is a class for the parents and not the kids. And that it’s this late in the year.

Last weekend we got rid of the girl for a couple days. Laurie picked her up on the way home. Paul, who used to work for Randy, had gotten free tickets to Chaplin’s Comedy Club and asked us and Barry & Jen to go. It was a fun night. The comedians were hysterical. I had 5 beers – I hadn’t had that much to drink in a long time! I had a decent buzz going, but since Barry was driving, I wasn’t worried about it. Then Saturday was the first tornado siren test of the year. Another sign of Spring! I had planned on spending several hours in Angel’s room with a supply of garbage bags, but I got engrossed in repotting some plants & doing general maintenance on them instead. Ted came over with the intention of helping Randy with antenna stuff, but they just ended up socializing. It was so nice outside; they just hung out in the driveway.

Tulips!

Sunday morning I went up to Laurie’s to get Angel because her BFF Amanda was having a birthday party that afternoon. So while she was at the party, I braved her room and took out 4 bags of just trash and a huge box of stuffed animals & stuff to donate. I didn’t even make an attempt to clean it – just get trash out. I think I need to push her bed back against the wall, because with it out in the middle of the room like it is, she can shove all her crap behind it and she has this idea that I can’t see back there. I admit I avoid going in there if possible, but sometimes I have to venture in. She tends to just drop everything right inside the door, so for a couple weeks I know her poor fish never got his light turned off. I wasn’t about to go in there in the dark. I value my legs & don’t want them broken!

Speaking of which...my knee has been giving me fits the past week or so.  I don't know what brought it on.  The pain is not in a certain area - it travels all around.  I might just be walking and as I step forward I get a twinge in the back of it.  Or it will decide as I step with the other foot that it doesn't want to stretch, so I have to hobble a couple steps.  Or it will decided that it doesn't want any weight put on it at all.  I wonder if I should have it checked out.  Right now it's doing fine.  It'll just "remind" me once in a while.  Last Sunday & Monday it was really bad.

Heehee, I checked a workout DVD out from the library - called The Big Butts Hit the Beach.  It's actually a pretty good workout.  I sweat more with my Walk At Home DVDs but I could feel a lot more muscles being used with the Big Butts - that's what the group calls themselves, but the leader - Valerie - reminds me of Sgt. Callahan from Police Academy.

Oh, I just went back and was reading my last post. I have a comment to add. I figured out why Angel wanted to come home early from school that one day. She said her tummy hurt, but I bet it was cramps. She had been the brat from HELL for 3 or 4 days. She argued about everything, you couldn’t talk to her with her copping an attitude and at one point she burst out crying – just at the thought of cleaning her room! OK, that would be enough to make anyone cry but anyway…. She was getting ready to leave for school that Thursday and I saw a couple pads sticking out of her hoodie pocket. Whew! I’d never been so glad to see those things ever!! I hope PMS isn’t that bad every month!! She may get locked in a padded room!

So – exciting plans for this weekend…..I totally need some jeans that I can wear with tennys, so I’m probably going shopping for some new jeans tomorrow morning, then meeting up with Mom & the sisters tomorrow afternoon to pick out new paint for Mom’s living room. So I can assume we’re having a paint party soon. Then the plan is to go out to dinner afterward. I don’t know about Sunday yet. Church & brunch are the obvious doings. It’s also Dad’s birthday. I stopped by to visit Wednesday after I weighed in. Jack was with me, so all I did was park & roll the window down. So Jack got to “see” Grandpa, too.

OMG, I told Randy he has to start getting his shotgun out & cleaned. Angel & Amanda were “hanging out” this afternoon & they stopped by to get Angel’s bike. There was a boy with them! Angel had to put air in her tires, so he came up and introduced himself to me, shook my hand & was very polite. And when they left, he said it was nice to meet me and all. I was actually impressed. I found out later Joe is in the 9th grade! Why was he with two giggly 7th grade girls?? Odd. They were more interested in a piece of bubble wrap they found.

Anyway, that’s about it for tonight.

Smiley Bat Dog

3/12/10

Woohoo! As of last Thursday, the robins are back! I saw 3 of them near the cemetery on the way to weigh in. I was so excited I called everyone & even told the ladies at WW and at JoAnn Fabrics! Of course the juncos are still around, so I have to believe that winter hasn’t yet given up yet. But my tulips are pushing mulch out of the way like crazy & so are the irises! I’ve patrolled the yard (the neighbors probably think I’m a nut!) and have seen crocus sprouts, but no flower buds yet.

Junco

I so love this weather! OK, today was damp & crappy, but those days up in the 50s & sunshine – heaven! Last Monday we went for a brief walk around the park. My knee was acting up, so we didn’t go the entire trail. Jack was covered in mud but he was a happy dog! Tuesday Angel and I took Jack to Holland Ponds for a walk. I knew it would be muddy, so we wore our boots with our shorts & hoodies. Stylin’! One section of path was still snow covered & slippery. I asked Angel if she thought it was weird to be trooping thru snow in shorts & she agreed with me.

Going in to Holland Ponds
Me!
Angel

I went to Pnut’s conferences at school last night. I was mainly concerned about the D in Geography, so Mr. Brutyn was the first teacher I went to see. He finally got her separated from the rest of the chatty ones and can keep her somewhat focused. But her grades & performance are all over the place! She’ll do great for a while; everything completed & turned in…then Pppft. But all the rest of her teachers had fairly good reports about her and no real complaints or concerns on their end.

English = C+ still has to be reminded about her volume. This is Pnut’s fave teacher.

Innovative Presentations = A- thinks she’s a wonderful & consistent student

Math = B pick me up off the floor!

Science = C hasn’t missed turning in a single assignment! Didn’t do so well on the mid-term.

Art = B and she’s learning stuff that I never learned in high school!


I signed up to take a workshop for Test-Taking Strategies in a couple weeks. It seems weird that this is a class for the parents and not the kids. And that it’s this late in the year.

Last weekend we got rid of the girl for a couple days. Laurie picked her up on the way home. Paul, who used to work for Randy, had gotten free tickets to Chaplin’s Comedy Club and asked us and Barry & Jen to go. It was a fun night. The comedians were hysterical. I had 5 beers – I hadn’t had that much to drink in a long time! I had a decent buzz going, but since Barry was driving, I wasn’t worried about it. Then Saturday was the first tornado siren test of the year. Another sign of Spring! I had planned on spending several hours in Angel’s room with a supply of garbage bags, but I got engrossed in repotting some plants & doing general maintenance on them instead. Ted came over with the intention of helping Randy with antenna stuff, but they just ended up socializing. It was so nice outside; they just hung out in the driveway.

Tulips!

Sunday morning I went up to Laurie’s to get Angel because her BFF Amanda was having a birthday party that afternoon. So while she was at the party, I braved her room and took out 4 bags of just trash and a huge box of stuffed animals & stuff to donate. I didn’t even make an attempt to clean it – just get trash out. I think I need to push her bed back against the wall, because with it out in the middle of the room like it is, she can shove all her crap behind it and she has this idea that I can’t see back there. I admit I avoid going in there if possible, but sometimes I have to venture in. She tends to just drop everything right inside the door, so for a couple weeks I know her poor fish never got his light turned off. I wasn’t about to go in there in the dark. I value my legs & don’t want them broken!

Speaking of which...my knee has been giving me fits the past week or so.  I don't know what brought it on.  The pain is not in a certain area - it travels all around.  I might just be walking and as I step forward I get a twinge in the back of it.  Or it will decide as I step with the other foot that it doesn't want to stretch, so I have to hobble a couple steps.  Or it will decided that it doesn't want any weight put on it at all.  I wonder if I should have it checked out.  Right now it's doing fine.  It'll just "remind" me once in a while.  Last Sunday & Monday it was really bad.

Heehee, I checked a workout DVD out from the library - called The Big Butts Hit the Beach.  It's actually a pretty good workout.  I sweat more with my Walk At Home DVDs but I could feel a lot more muscles being used with the Big Butts - that's what the group calls themselves, but the leader - Valerie - reminds me of Sgt. Callahan from Police Academy.

Oh, I just went back and was reading my last post. I have a comment to add. I figured out why Angel wanted to come home early from school that one day. She said her tummy hurt, but I bet it was cramps. She had been the brat from HELL for 3 or 4 days. She argued about everything, you couldn’t talk to her with her copping an attitude and at one point she burst out crying – just at the thought of cleaning her room! OK, that would be enough to make anyone cry but anyway…. She was getting ready to leave for school that Thursday and I saw a couple pads sticking out of her hoodie pocket. Whew! I’d never been so glad to see those things ever!! I hope PMS isn’t that bad every month!! She may get locked in a padded room!

So – exciting plans for this weekend…..I totally need some jeans that I can wear with tennys, so I’m probably going shopping for some new jeans tomorrow morning, then meeting up with Mom & the sisters tomorrow afternoon to pick out new paint for Mom’s living room. So I can assume we’re having a paint party soon. Then the plan is to go out to dinner afterward. I don’t know about Sunday yet. Church & brunch are the obvious doings. It’s also Dad’s birthday. I stopped by to visit Wednesday after I weighed in. Jack was with me, so all I did was park & roll the window down. So Jack got to “see” Grandpa, too.

OMG, I told Randy he has to start getting his shotgun out & cleaned. Angel & Amanda were “hanging out” this afternoon & they stopped by to get Angel’s bike. There was a boy with them! Angel had to put air in her tires, so he came up and introduced himself to me, shook my hand & was very polite. And when they left, he said it was nice to meet me and all. I was actually impressed. I found out later Joe is in the 9th grade! Why was he with two giggly 7th grade girls?? Odd. They were more interested in a piece of bubble wrap they found.

Anyway, that’s about it for tonight.

Smiley Bat Dog