Deck the Halls

In the summer most residents in my development hire a service to groom & maintain their lawns. There are a few who cut their own grass with a riding mower. I, however, am the only one who does her own mowing with a push mower, &, of course, also do my own trimming & weed eating. I'm sure it's quite a sight to see this girl chasing a self-propelled mower since I often forget to release this feature going downhill! I could sell tickets!

Yesterday it was unseasonably warm . . . that is, the temperature climbed all the way to 50 degrees. I lamented that work & evening tennis would prevent me from using this warmer weather to put Christmas lights up outside my house. About 10:30 last night it occurred to me that I could just go ahead & put the lights up right then. So I dragged out the lights, extension cords, ladder, etc. & went to work on it. During my time outside, many cars slowed to see what the heck I was doing. About midnight I finished . . . just in time to unplug them for the night . . . but I do have a sense of accomplishment. And once again, I'm sure I provided entertainment for the neighborhood.

Thanksgiving

Nothing brings joy to the holidays more than children, and this year Drew & Tyler did not disappoint! Drew announced that he would be Brooks' & Brett's little buddy all day, & although he was, we would also need to include Uncle Eddie in that mix. Tyler very sweetly let everyone have a chance to hold & cuddle with him. Jan, Kelly, Rachael, & I managed to put together a wonderful meal. The entertainment was often provided unwittingly by Drew & his oh so hilarious comments. It was great to see my dad laugh & enjoy himself so much! (Brooks had a surprise gift for us that still has me on Cloud 9!)

On Friday WVU finally faltered enough to drop out of contention for a Big East Championship & a BCS bowl. The sting of losing the backyard brawl (WVU-Pitt) was lessened somewhat by watching it with the family. Jack & Pam came in bringing several pizzas, & we managed to stuff ourselves while yelling at the tv! Ah, yes, misery does love company, & we shared our disappointment & frustration.

All Atwitter?

Just when I think I'm all new age with blogging, something new comes up . . . twittering! I'll admit I know very little about it. I don't think it's supposed to replace blogging since I read that twittering increases traffic to your blog. I'm under the impression that it may be some kind of a social network, but it seems to be something easier & less involved than facebook or myspace. Is it a low maintenance version? Who knows? I have read that there's a 180 word limit to a twitter. Would it be interesting? I guess that depends on how it's used since I really don't care too much for a bulletin that someone has gone to lunch or is watching tv. I do plan to investigate this, however. It could be fascinating or just another way to waste time on the computer!

Halloween Hooker

On Halloween I dressed as a punk rock chick for work. Although I had bought a blonde wig with a patch of black hair that looked pretty cute on the package, when I put it on it looked like witch hair. Nothing I tried would tame it so I teased my own hair & added color with eye shadow & blush--this was visible under the lights at work. I used some heavy make-up as well. I put on a mini skirt, tights, boots, a feather boa, & a shiny top. I added lots of jewelry including some large hoop earrings. All of this was fairly effective on Friday morning. As the day wore on though, my hair flattened out some & my make-up wore off a little. I needed to go from work to Adam & Kelly's to see the kids dressed up & pass out candy at their house while they were trick-or-treating. After several trips to the door with candy at their house, I decided it would be easier to just sit outside with the candy bowl. I removed the scratchy boa & put on my jacket. In a few minutes a man from across the street (he & his wife were also passing out candy while their kids/grandkids were out) walked over & struck up a conversation. He thought I looked familiar & in the course of our conversation we discovered that our paths had crossed in college & numerous times since then with our kids' sports. We talked for several minutes before Adam & Kelly returned, & we all went inside. Suddenly I realized that this man may not have known I was supposed to be in a costume. My hair & make-up were not as extreme as they were in the morning; my funky boa was in the house. I think that perhaps I just looked like a cheap hooker! I can only imagine the conversation this man may have had with his wife after talking with me . . . "she seemed like such a nice girl in college--wonder what happened!" He probably thought I was headed for the nearest street corner as soon as trick-or-treating ended.

The Gameday Trifecta

What are the odds that Trent's car would be parked in the lot behind my office with a dead battery & in less than an hour, Ryan's car would be parked in front of my office with a dead battery? Well, it happened on the day of the WVU/Auburn game. Trent had come by my office to pick up his tickets. He was leaving work early to go home & cook out with friends who had come in for the game. Ryan was traveling from Marietta to go to the game & was stopping to see his grandfather on the way here. When Trent's battery conked out & wouldn't even respond to a jump, I gave him my car, called my dad (Ryan's grandfather) to see if I could borrow one of his cars, & called Ryan to ask him to pick up the keys from his grandfather. Since we were in a time crunch, Ryan & I decided we could drive his car to the game & pick up his grandfather's car afterwards. When I cleaned out my stuff to give Trent my car, I was most interested in getting my "toasty toes" footwarmers. I guess that was such a priority for me that I forgot to get both my parking pass & my garage door opener even though Trent had reminded me. So now the time crunch becomes even more of an issue as we realize that we have to go by Trent's house in Morgantown to pick up the pass & the opener.

Ryan arrives at my office, & I finish up my work. We need to go quickly to my house to change clothes & get the tickets. When we get in his car, it won't start. Fortunately, Nancy is still at work & is willing to help us jump it. The only problem is that Ryan is parallel parked & there is a car directly in front of him. He decides to push the car backwards to allow Nancy a space to pull in front of him. So he tells me to get into his car to steer, to put the car in neutral & to be sure to keep my foot on the brake. Ryan pushes & pushes, but the car won't budge. Who knew he meant to keep my foot on the brake only until he could position himself in front of the car to push! Eventually he does get the car pushed back & is able to start it with a jump. We drive to the house & decide to turn the car off & back on to be sure it will start. Well, it doesn't start back up! Three car battery problems in one day is almost unimaginable! Now we need my dad's car sooner rather than later now so I call my sister. Luckily she & Eddie bring us the car, & we are off--much later than we had hoped to be though. About halfway there I realize that I had left my "toasty toes" back at the house, but fortunately Ryan had stopped to buy some & had actually remembered to bring them along.

We battled traffic on the interstate & again in getting to Trent's house. Our thoughts of getting something good for dinner went down the drain as it got later & later. Our only option was to drive through Wendy's on the way to the stadium. Somewhere during the first half when WVU fell behind 17-3, I wondered why we had put ourselves through so much of a hassle to get to the game. The Mountaineers did not disappoint, however, & rallied to dominate in the second half & win the game. The stadium was rockin!!! It was soooo worth it!

Time with Tyler

Two month old Tyler & his brother Drew are pretty much a package deal. Spending time with them is always fun, but occasionally some one-on-one time is nice too. This week I had a little time with baby Tyler while Drew was taking a swimming lesson. It was so much fun to get Tyler to smile & "talk" & to totally focus on him for a while. What a little cutie he is!!

Shifting Gears

I totally love having music blasting in my car & usually sing along. The other day as I was driving to church for bell choir rehearsal I was playing & singing to "Let it Rock." As I parked my car & started to enter the church this song was still running through my head. Two minutes later I began rehearsal & was playing "Rondo Passagalia."

Woman vs Machine

I think there are good reasons why I hate housework! This weekend while vacuuming the entire house I had not one, but three encounters with the vacuum cleaner that prove my point. After vacuuming one of the bedrooms I set the sweeper out in the hallway. It was only a matter of seconds before I ran past it to get the phone & hit my foot sharply on the base. It was soooo painful!! I think I probably broke my toe since it continued to throb all day long & is still hurting three days later. Persevering I moved downstairs to continue vacuuming & stretched the cord to the max before unplugging it. When I stopped to go unplug the cord to plug it in elsewhere, the vacuum fell over on my other foot. Undaunted I continued but before I was able to complete this task I tripped on the cord & fell into the coffee table. I finally finished sweeping before putting the damn vacuum in the closet & slamming the door so I guess in some way I prevailed.

Sports Weekends

Beginning with Labor Day my weekends have been dominated by sports. Not that I'm actually playing a sport on the weekends (although I do play tennis on Wednesdays); I am watching sports.











WVU's opening football game was 5 year old Owen's second time at Mountaineer field. I think he liked all the pre-game hoopla more than the actual game . . . tossing the football around in the parking lot, seeing the band's pre-game show, watching the video board in the stadium, etc. were sources of entertainment. Shortly after the game started Owen was ready to return to my house to play with the remote control helicopter he had received as a gift the night before.

The following weekend I was off to watch Jay play football (Mt. Union College) in Alliance, OH. Jeff & I were going to Jay's apartment to watch WVU play on ESPN as soon as Jay's game was over. Well, WVU played a TERRIBLE game & neither Jeff nor Jay wanted to chat about it. The game itself (WVU lost to ECU) was bad enough . . . watching it in relative silence only made it more agonizing for me!

Next up, a trip to Nashville to see Brett (Belmont University) play two soccer games. I got to see Brett score his first two goals of the season which was really exciting! In between the Friday & Sunday games we went out to both lunch & dinner, went to the mall where I could not resist buying a few things. For just over $100 I was able to buy 2 pairs of pants & 2 tops at the store where my nephew, Brooks, works by using his discount. I don't know if I was more excited about the bargains or the sizes though as in this store I usually wear a size 0--never anything bigger than a 1--instead of my usual 6-8 . (Yes, I am curious about what size actual tiny people would wear in this store!) Next up, I finished off my Visa gift cards from work by buying a great pair of designer sunglasses--the first really nice sunglasses I have ever owned. We hung out in the evening at the Amy Grant/Vince Gill home. Just wow!

Drew got his first "real" game experience at Mountaineer field for the Marshall game. Adam, Trent & I had taken him to the spring game, but this was vastly different in atmosphere. Amazingly, Drew was only out of his seat once when I took him for a hotdog & to say hello to his great grandfather in a different area of the stands. He attracted quite a bit of attention as strangers asked to take his picture before the game--he was pretty cute in his Pat White jersey & Mountaineer baseball cap! He also learned the first down cheer & watching him do that was hilarious!

For me fall sports weekends are compensation for the end of summer. Having an increasing number of sports in so many different venues is a real plus. Getting to share this with various members of my family makes each weekend really special!

Watch out for deer

My deck is my favorite place to be during warm weather. It is a great place to read, watch tv, & nap, as well as to visit with family & friends. It is my sanctuary. Well, my this sanctuary has been violated on several occasions this summer by deer. Not only have the come forward to destroy my flowers, but they have also left a parting gift. My friend Nancy says this is unheard of, but I have evidence!!! Unfortunately I am just a magnet for these kind of things.

Deer in Headlights

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Oops

The adventures with my new iphone continue. Last week in an attempt to get some free downloads from the app (which I thought was Apple, but is actually applications) store, I inadvertently sent a mass email to everyone in my address book offering a free gift for signing up at a certain site. Well, I didn't even realize I did this until a friend called me at work to ask what the gift was. While I was denying that I sent this email, my coworker told me that she received the same thing from me. Thus began an influx of replies to my email regarding this. Now when I say a mass email to my whole address book, let me explain that it's not just my friends & family but lists of members of my church & various other organizations as well as people I haven't corresponded with in years. So I sent another mass email attempting to explain that this was a mistake & apologizing, however, those replies just keep on coming. I am responding to these individually once again explaining that this was an accident & that I need to get a clue about how to use my new iphone. Yes, it's like I had taken out a billboard stating I am soooo lame!

I decided to go running with my phone instead of my ipod shuffle since the phone has way more music choices. In retrospect I don't know why this is such a big deal since I only run for thirty minutes! Anyway, I was disappointed in the quality of the music & kept turning up the volume since it was barely audible. Finally I realized that I was not hearing the music through my earbuds but through the actual phone. A quick check provided me with a remedy--the phone jack was not pushed all the way in!

On a happier note about my phone, I had what I thought was a major problem with it as the screen was frozen. All the phone would do is make & receive calls--well, actually BE a phone which I guess could have been worse. I sent a text to Trent who called me in a matter of minutes. He asked me what was wrong & took me through a technique that totally fixed it--all in about one minute. He is brilliant!!!

Monkey see, Monkey do

For months I have been talking about getting an iphone. Oh, it was just talk when the phone cost $400 . . . absolutely out of the question! However, when I heard the price was going to be cut in half, I started to seriously consider it. All three of my sons have been less than enthuastic about this . . . I think they were thinking that it is too much phone for me. Trent & Adam called it to my attention the other day that I had begun to say "when" I get an iphone instead of "if" I get an iphone. Wednesday night was the clincher though when my friend pulled her new iphone out of her purse. I was so envious that I'm sure I turned a zillion shades of green!

Yesterday it became a fait accompli as I purchased the phone & signed a two year contract. Yippee!! My initial task was to text my sons that I had a new phone. After a couple of unsuccessful tries I was able to do this. Trent's response, "Good Lord! I'll be over in a hour." Well, he was right . . . I did need his help . . . which was probably confirmed by my text message which was supposed to say "I need help," but instead said "I need hello." Trent came by my office & showed me a few things to do when I got home & could sync to my computer. It all seemed relatively easy. When I got home I plugged my phone into the computer & got no response . . . this could be a problem! After several tries I needed to leave it & go exercise. Upon my return I tried again with no luck so, of course, I called Trent. He patiently took me through all kinds of things from figuring out an USB port that would work to syncing all my music & photos so I'm practically ready to go. My only remaining problem was embarrassingly stupid though--I did not know how to make a call or answer the phone! Trent explains this as well, & I think I am good to go. After playing with my phone for a few minutes I decided to call it a night. But first I needed to make one more call to Trent . . . I had no idea how to turn the phone off!

Tyler Nicholas

Welcome to the world, Tyler Nicholas!

You are beautiful, of course, & we are so blessed to have you as a wonderful addition to our family. You have some terrific parents as well as a big brother who will be both your best friend & your partner in crime! You will be amazed at how many people there are to love you . . . grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and much more extended family. You are indeed a little miracle to be cherished & nurtured. I look forward to cuddles & kisses along with all the very special things we can do together as you grow.
Your arrival has made this world a much better place for all of us! I hope you always know how very special you are & the joy your birth has brought to our family.

I love you,
Nina

A very brief pause in my Olympic watching. . .

While we're waiting for BZ#2, the Olympics is a good diversion. I am totally invested in the swimming, especially Michael Phelps! The whole Olympic thing is actually wearing me out though as I stay up until at least 1:00; then get up at 6:00 . . . I hate to miss any of it! I'm not a fan of tattoos, but I think the Olympic rings do look pretty cool on the competitors.

Who knew people would be almost giddy at gasoline at $2.72 tonight! There were actually lines at the Exxon in my neighborhood which seemed to be at least 3 cents cheaper than any other place in town.

Unfortunately, before I could even cut the tags off my two new chairs, Tigger & Trevor have staked their claim. They have both decided that this is the best napping place in the house now.

In case anyone was worried, after an exhaustive two day search I have located my new bra.

Happy birthday to my brother, Jack (13th) & niece, Megan (15th)!

Braless

This summer I have changed my exercise routine & have become very enamored with zumba. I have noticed recently that although my weight pretty much stays the same, I have gone down a size in clothes.

I went to Victoria's Secret a couple weeks ago to talk to someone about my bras riding up in the back (which causes the "girls" to droop in the front). I approached a sales clerk & explained my problem assuming it was the style of the bra. She asked my what size I was wearing & thought perhaps she should measure me. When she did I was amazed to find that I needed a size smaller around & as well as a smaller cup size. Who knew how far reaching the zumba effect had become!

Well, the clerk was right on the money as I did try on some bras & found that the smaller size was a much better fit. My only problem--the bras are at $38 apiece so I only bought one. When I got home, I rummaged through my drawer to discover one other bra that was the smaller size. Ok, now I have two bras--I just to rotate wearing & washing--no biggie. So I packed up my old, but still in great condition, bras & took them to a women's shelter. Today, however, when I went to get my new freshly washed bra, it was not in the drawer. I checked the bathrooms to see if it was still hanging where I placed it to dry. I checked the washing machine, other drawers, my closet, my gym bag & every other place I could think of. The bra is nowhere to be found. Now this creates a real dilemma of having to wash my one existing bra nightly since my only other bras are sports bras. It has to be somewhere here in the house (the chief suspects are two pesky cats), but for now I'm practically braless.

Back to the Land of the Living

I have never been prone to headaches, but I had one Friday night & most of the day Saturday that pretty much brought me to my knees. Stress . . . allergies . . . sinus . . . who knows? I have only had one migraine in my life, & this wasn't quite that bad, but it was a very close second. I am grateful that it finally became just a dull ache last night so that I could watch some of the Olympics both live & what I had recorded earlier. It was a real waste of a beautiful Saturday, however!

Recently I have taken some time off from the WVU message boards (ever since RR finally agreed to pay the $4 million). Instead of my sports talk radio I am listening to music CDs. And I have now turned on my tv since I LOVE the Olympics, but for the summer I have pretty much only watched the Today show while getting ready for work & nothing in the evenings. Not so fast though, I am recording "Project Runway" & will probably watch it at some point. I guess it's just nice to do some other things for awhile & take a radio/tv break.

Olympics observations . . .
1) Michael Phelps is just amazing! There are really not enough superlatives to describe him. My hat's off to Debbie Phelps, his mom. I know on a much smaller scale just what it's like to spend your week days transporting to & from practice & your weekends in either the blazing sun or a hot, humid indoor venue watching swim meets. It is not only time consuming, but also very expensive. I can only imagine how much of her life she has devoted to giving her son every opportunity to succeed. She has every reason to be proud!
2) I like the "redeem team" much more than the basketball teams from the past few years. They seem dedicated to team play &, unlike some of their predecessors, seem to also be soaking up the Olympic experience.
3) USA men's gymnastics may ultimately become a train wreck without the twins, but it was nice to see these newcomers have some early success.
4) Dara Torres--What a phenomenal woman . . . Really beyond awesome & quite an inspiration to women everywhere!!!
5) Volleyball/Beach Volleyball--great fun to watch.
6) Men's Road Race (Biking)--Grueling, I know, but also really boring for the viewers until the final few yards. I'm sure the women's race will be equally ho-hum for me.
7) Although I know the opening/closing ceremonies of the games are spectacular in person, it also gets pretty boring when televised. It is difficult to appreciate this show without actually being there.

HB OMZ!

Owen,

8-8-08 . . . what a cool day to become 5 years old! Happy Birthday, Owen. Somehow it seems like just yesterday when you were born (when I heard your first cry, I cried too!) At the same time, it seems like you have been in our lives & hearts forever. You were the CBE (cutest baby ever), a title you relinquished to Drew when you moved up to CTE (cutest toddler ever). At any rate I remember taking 20-30 pictures of you every time I saw you, & then paying extra for the 1 hour processing so that I could show them off to my friends . . . all before I got my digital camera, of course. You have kept me entertained with playing trains, making stuffed animals come to life, reading books, and lots of other activities as your imagination is boundless! I am constantly awed & amazed at just how much you know about the things that interest you . . . I'm sure it's exasperating for you to have to explain the nuances of different kinds of trains to me over & over!

You are energy & enthusiasm . . . light & love. What a joy & a blessing to have you in our lives! Have a great birthday party . . . wish I could be there to watch you break the pinata!!!

I love you,
Nina

Ah . . . the good old days

For lack of anything better to do last night, I got into some housecleaning & found something interesting from my teenage years. When my group of friends hit high school as sophomores we could scarcely contain our enthusiasm for the older boys . . . yes, the ones who could drive & were beyond cool. As luck would have it, within a few weeks we were all dating seniors & totally smitten. How better to memorialize this than by writing a song? So, one day when we were pretending to take gym class (the class was doing archery outside . . . we were clustered in the bushes), we came up with the following:
"Dave, Ron, Lindy, & Steve
they are so tough (which at that time meant "hot")
If you want to go with them
just consult us
One of these days they're going to break our hearts
but we don't care
'Cause we really love them & follow them everywhere . . ."
It goes on with a verse to describe each guy which becomes increasingly lame. Now, I can remember vividly doing this & how excited we were at fifteen to finally get to go out on real dates with guys in cars. I can remember which friends did this with me & how we sang it over & over for weeks. But I can't for the life of me remember which of the four guys was the one I liked at the time!

More adventures in fast food . ..

It would be reasonable to assume that since I am in the final three days of a national sales contest that pays big bucks, I would have more effective ways of spending my time than traveling back & forth to McDonalds & haggling with the staff. I usually bring my lunch (yogurt & fruit) to work & only occasionally get something out as a "treat" to go along with my iced tea. Yesterday, I decided to get an Asian chicken salad at McDonalds &, of course, my tea. It has mixed greens, beans, pepper strips, mandarin oranges, almonds & a great low fat ginger/sesame dressing. The other salads there are iceberg lettuce with very fattening dressings & contain things such as bacon that I don't consider low cal. Anyway, I have learned the hard way to always taste my iced tea in the drive-thru because about 25% of the time I am given tea with sugar instead of unsweetened. Now, in my mind, drinking calories is only appropriate when it's nutritious (juice) or contains alcohol, so the sweetened tea thing is totally unacceptable! I did not consider, however, that I should check my salad in the drive-thru. Upon returning to work I got my salad out, opened the dressing, & began adding it when I realized that both the salad & the dressing were not what I ordered. Since I had spend nearly 15 minutes in the drive-thru to get my lunch, I decided to return, park, & go inside. About ten minutes later someone did wait on me . . . two people actually . . . as I attempted to "exchange" my salad for the correct one. We had a conversation about how I might have just kept the salad if the dressing had been the ginger/sesame. Although it took at least another five minutes, I finally got my salad. Just to be on the safe side, I checked the dressing & found it was NOT the one I ordered. They then gave me the correct dressing. When I returned to work & opened the salad, I discovered that once again it was the wrong one! Tired of messing with it & disgusted, I was really no longer in the mood for a salad. I thought I would just wait until the lunch crowd dissapated at McDonalds & go get my money back. A few minutes later Jeff offered to do this for me, & I took him up on it. While he was gone I ate a protein bar for lunch. He came back a few minutes later with yet another salad--McDonals had refused (after THREE trips there) to return my money, but they did finally provide the correct salad. Since I had already eaten, I placed the salad in the fridge & decided I would take it home to have for dinner--which would have been a great plan had I not forgotten all about it until after I got home. Today I don't really even want to look at the damn thing!

Nesting Vicariously

Suddenly, yesterday it hit me like a ton of bricks . . . Adam & Kelly could have their baby ANY DAY NOW! Kelly, one of the most organized people I know, is well prepared. She has somehow understood that she had nine months to get ready & has done so in a logical progression. On the other hand, I fly by the seat of my pants most of the time (unfortunately two of my sons have inherited this trait, one of whom is Kelly's husband). A sense of urgency came over me yesterday when, after 4 plus hours driving back & forth to Marietta with Adam to pick up a chest of drawers, I decided I absolutely must get back in the car & drive to Bridgeport to shop for Owen's birthday & pick up a "big brother" gift for Drew. I returned home about 7:30 & proceeded to stay up until nearly 2 AM to finish knitting the blanket for the new baby. Today after church I plan to tackle the laundry as I realized that I am nearly out of underwear! I had the thought that maybe Ryan & Renea would come in when the baby is born so I plan to clean up the house & change the sheets on the beds today. I can't imagine getting the call that Kelly is in labor & responding that I will be right there as soon as I wash & dry some underwear, run the sweeper, dust, change the sheets, etc. The flurry of activity for me would be entirely unnecessary if only I could have Kelly's organizational skills!

Power-less

Last Sunday afternoon about 4:00 I had come to a stopping point in my yard work just as the sky was getting dark & threatening. I decided to go in, take a shower, & go visit my dad. I quickly threw a load of clothes in the washer & went upstairs to shower. Suddenly the wind outside became almost a gale as rain was pouring down. Before I could get into the shower my power went off. I seldom lose power for any significant amount of time so I waited a few minutes hoping it would return. Unfortunately, the sky was so dark that inside my house it looked like the middle of the night. I decided to try a bath in the dark since I was filthy & would not be able to wash my hair since there was no way to dry it. I managed to bathe in the dark bathroom & felt a little better.

Since there was virtually nothing I could do at home, I thought I would just go to see my dad anyway. I went to call him & remembered that my phone is now bundled with my cable & internet & cannot be used without electricity. No problem, I'll just get my cell . . . dead battery! I decided to just go anyway, but I forgot that I needed to disengage my garage door. After I accomplished getting the door open (it's really heavy), I hopped in the car & started out. Yes, I decided to just leave it up while I was gone & lock the door inside leading to the house . . . probably not the best idea I've ever had, but I was desperate for something to do. Within seconds I was flagged down by an oncoming car & informed that the development road was closed. There was a power line lying in the road, & no traffic was allowed in either direction. I returned home, located a ladder in the dark garage, & climbed up to reach the garage door to lower it.

It's uncanny the number of times I attempted to do something that required power! For example, when I decided to make a turkey sandwich for dinner, I popped it right into the microwave to melt the cheese & at some point I attempted to turn on my ceiling fan! As the long evening stretched in front of me, I was both bored & frustrated & becoming increasingly hot due to the lack of A/C. I had a small window of communication as I could use my cell phone on it's charger in the car in the hot & dark garage. I attempted to knit by flashlight & could complete only a few rows. Then I tried to pack since I was leaving for Marietta the next day but couldn't see well enough to do that either. . . & many of the clothes I needed were still in the washer! Thank goodness for my portable CD player which did allow me to listen to some music when out of utter boredom I decided to just go to sleep. The next morning I was greeted by flashing clocks everywhere as power had been restored.

So much for saying no

The phone rings. A quick glance at my caller ID lets me know that the caller is someone from church . . . someone I know in no other context . . . someone who must be calling to ask me to do something at church. The temptation to just let the phone ring is almost overwhelming, but I realize that to ignore the call would just be postponing the inevitable. I pick up the phone automatically preparing my excuses for being unable to do whatever . . . summer is such a busy time at work, Adam & Kelly's baby is due in August, I have responsibilities with my dad . . . But I answer. I tell myself to just politely say no. The committee involves meetings, research, & writing an extensive report (Sign me up for some of that!) As my excuses begin to form an answer, he tells me he plans to have it all completed by September. Well, I think, I can stand anything for three months. I can hardly believe my ears as my answers escapes as "I guess I could help out with that."

Vaca(s) Report

Okay, so it's not much of a report so to speak, but here goes . . .

In June I took two vacations. Wow, that's pretty early in the summer to vacation . . . no traveling to look forward to in July or August. First, the whole family went to Deep Creek. We rented a four bedroom house with two living areas & two decks & pretty much used every inch of it. The first morning Owen, who was sharing a room with me, whispered loudly, "Nina, can we get up now?" It was 5 am!!! Yes, both boys are early risers, but the rest of the time 6 am was more the norm. So we found some fun things to do & some good places to eat. It's amazing that both Owen & Drew could be excited about spotting a chipmunk while taking a walk, but they were! Owen was old enough for the mountain roller coaster, race car driving, & mini-golf. Drew was quite satisfied with swimming & playing games in the arcade. Both kids are total fish in the pool!!! It's always wonderful to spend time with the kids & grandkids, but most especially when we are all together. I am so at peace when we are all sleeping under the same roof.

Vacation #2 was my annual girl week in St. Augustine. We played lots of tennis, exercised, read, knitted, & relaxed on the beach. We went out to a restaurant/bar to watch the NBA draft & cheer WVU's Joe Alexander. Cocktail hour (Trent has informed me that vacation is indeed an exception to the 5 o'clock rule) sometimes began at 4 pm & extended through dinner until bedtime. I accidentally bought three pairs of shoes--Yes, when I was deliberating between two pairs on the final night of our trip, I ended up getting both pairs. Later when I was packing to go home, I realized that I had also bought a pair of shoes earlier in the week! I can't begin to justify it, so I won't even try!

RIP Hoagie

We always had pets growing up . . . dogs, cats . . . the two most memorable were our English sheepdog, Bo Peep, & our miniature schnauzer, Corky. I remember how difficult it was to lose these beloved dogs as they were truly part of the family. Pets enrich our lives in so many ways & give us unconditional love. Today our dear Hoagie passed away. He was Ryan & Renea's yellow lab (& later Owen's too) for nearly thirteen years. I know their hearts are aching tonight. Although I did not used to be a fan of large dogs, this one won my heart immediately with both his playful antics and his sweetness. My first experience as a grandparent was taking care of Hoagie for a weekend--He came complete with three pages of instructions from his parents. Each time I made the trip to Marietta to visit, he greeted me enthusiastically. He often slept with me during my stay & also when he visited here. I know there are many special, lovable dogs out there, but the loss of this particular dog fills me with profound sadness. There is, I guess, a measure of comfort since his illness was sudden, & he did not have to suffer, but it is a huge loss! Hoagie, thanks for the love & joy you provided your family--You will be missed!!!
RIP--I love you!

June 30, 2008

My dad stated the obvious to me yesterday . . . that today would be a hard day. Today marks the one year anniversary of my mother's death. I don't think time has lessened how much I miss her! However, I do feel a sense of relief as we have navigated through a year of "firsts" without her. I hope that she is proud that my siblings and I have found our way together through these difficult times. Although the big holidays were hard, they were also those that were busy and filled with family and friends. For me the toughest times have been the smaller ones . . . Christmas Eve, Mother's Day, my birthday. It saddens me as I see my sons, grandsons, nieces and nephews experience milestones without her although I have to believe she is in a better place and watching over all of us.

Cold & Hot

Well, we just got back from a mini-vacation to Deep Creek, the new phrase "staycation" comes to mind since most of us only had to travel an hour or so. More about that later though. For now let me say that Ryan, Renea, Owen & I slept on the first floor which was akin to walking into a refrigeration unit at times. Sleeping was not really a problem . . . just get comfy & pull the covers up. Dressing, especially when just getting out of the shower, was another matter though. Brrrr!!! But to me it was worth it to have four bedrooms & plenty of space. The third floor loft of the house was often too hot so I guess one was no worse than the other. Anyway, it was a beautiful home & great to be with everyone. When I walked into my house at home though I was blasted by heat. Yes, it had been rather chilly before we left, & I forgot to turn on the A/C. The thermostat was past 80--clear to as high as it could get! As I type this sweat is pouring off my face as the house has yet to fully cool. Now, of course, I'm longing for the chilly bedroom of Deep Creek! I'll save a vacation recap for another day as I'm now a subscriber to the Kelly Zundell school of vacation unpacking which is "do it immediately!" So I'll brave this heat & go unpack.

Summer Reading

I like nothing better than curling up on the couch on my deck, sipping a cold drink, and immersing myself in a great book. I usually knock off 10-15 books during the summer & love every minute of it. However, my so-called summer reading began rather unexpectedly on Friday when I thought I would peruse the deposition of Mike Brown, sports agent who represents former WVU coach Rich Rodriquez. Unable to control myself I proceeded to read the deposition in it entirety--over 500 pages. I was not able to comfortably curl up to read this; I had to sit in front of my computer reading & scrolling. But it was riveting! My overall impression after reading this is that Rich Rodriqeuz has certainly picked an unqualified, no-name to guide him through some of the most important decisions of his life. Revelations included the fact that Brown is not an attorney (or even a sports management major) although he pretty much touted himself as an expert in contracts & Rodriquez is the only D1 head coach he has as a client. Well, even though I am a sports nut, I can't imagine why I just couldn't stop reading.

Doggles!

Well, this just had blog written all over it from the get-go:

A female customer & a male salesman arrived at our office almost simultaneously the other day. I was assisting the customer while the salesman was waiting to see Jeff. Our customer commented to the man about his arrival on a motorcycle which lead to a chat in various other areas. They then began to compare notes about their dogs which prompted the man to pull out his cell phone to show pictures of his dog which were appropriately admired by the customer. They went on to tell each other that their dogs were the only thing each got from their respective ex-spouses in the divorce. The salesman went on and on about living in a motel with his dog for months. Well, all this seemed a little over the top for me, but, friendly girl that I am, I asked the salesman if I could see his picture. First he showed me a photo of his dog attired in a pink skirt & "Biker Babe" t-shirt . . . then he flipped to another picture of the dog in this same outfit riding on his motorcycle with him. In addition to being all decked out in the pink outfit, in this photo the dog was wearing what I was informed were "doggles." Yes, they do make goggles for dogs, which he explained they really need for riding motorcycles. Our customer immediately chimed in that her dog also had doggles, & they continued to talk about this doggie eyewear. (In retrospect I really should have tried to fix these two up!)

At some point I think this man thought I did not do enough gushing over the photos & said "Your not much of an animal lover are you?" My response was, "Yes, I do love animals--I have two cats--I'm just not used to seeing them in clothes." I'm still amazed that a grown man would deck a dog out in a frilly pink outfit with matching doggles for motorcycle riding. Who knew?

The end of reality . . . last week America's top model was selected along with a Survivor winner. This week is the finals for both "Dancing with the Stars" & "American Idol." The end of reality will probably be the beginning of a little more real life for me as I am rather addicted to these shows!

So I had a few short/sweet emails going with Adam today. I started out by telling him to read Bob Hertzog's Sunday sports column. He shot me back an email stating it's "Hertzell." With that I looked it up & noooo, it's "Hertzel." I quickly pointed out to Adam that we were both wrong. Since he is by nature very competitive, his next 2 or 3 emails were to point out how/why I am more wrong that he is. Eventually, I conceded.

Little boys . . . what could be more fun! Owen loves trains & Webkinz; Drew loves sports & Backyardigans . . . both of them, however, are intrigued by my cats. They look for Tigger & Trevor as soon as they hit the door to my house. I only wish I had been able to capture a video of Trevor today as he took the kids' soccer ball & was entertaining himself by kicking it through the house, then stopping & hiding from it.

My new addiction is zumba. I went into it thinking it would be relatively easy to grasp only to find an overwhelming number of steps & songs. Well, it became a challenge for me & now I hate to miss. I have now become pretty comfortable with the routines & absolutely love it!

Drew is Two

Happy 2nd Birthday, Drew!

Two short years ago we sat in the maternity waiting room in Silver Spring, MD, waiting to meet you . . . and it was truly love at first sight! Getting to watch you grow and change is an amazing experience. You probably don't realize this yet, but you are one lucky boy to have such a large and loving family in your life. Your mom and dad are doing a great job balancing a little indulgence with a lot of boundaries which will help you so much in making choices as you navigate through life. I can only imagine the fun that lies ahead for you as you welcome a brother or sister in a few months. You are indeed a joy and a blessing!

I love you,

Nina

New York call

For the past couple of months I have been receiving a daily call. On my caller ID it says "New York Call." Naturally, I do not answer. Often these calls come while I'm at work . . . no problem. The caller(s) don't take weekends off, however, & I receive several of these calls on Saturday & Sunday when I find it very annoying to go running for the phone only to find this caller. Years ago I subscribed to the "do not call" list to avoid solicitation, but this protects me only from companies that I do not have an account with (hello, credit card companies & Countrywide Home Loans). It also allows political surveys and apparently solicitation from universities (5 call me). In this age of caller ID I'm amazed that these people find anyone answering the phone. New York can call me till hell freezes over, but I will keep refusing to answer!

Tax Day

My dad has found some renewed vigor; perhaps it is the warmer weather which promises spring; perhaps it is in his new course of physical therapy . . . I don't know. It is wonderful to see his level of activity increase as well as his joy in feeling so much better! The downside to this, however, is that he is virtually unreachable by phone because he is out & about all the time. This created quite a stressful day for me on April 15th. The problem was compounded by the fact that I have lost my business email access at home & our service provider is providing sketchy service at work. On Monday the 14th I noticed that by the end of the work day I had had no new emails past 9 am . . . usually I have at least 5 every half hour. So when my dad's accountant emailed me about his taxes, I did not get the message until nearly noon on the 15th. I called Dad, & he wasn't home. I tried his cell phone repeatedly . . . no answer. We had until 4:00 to get his checks written, his returns signed, & to get everything mailed. My anxiety increased as I was unable to reach him at 1:00 or 1:30. Finally, he returns my call & tells me he's cutting grass. "Dad, your taxes are due today, & we need to get the checks written," I state. His reply was, "Well, I'm just getting started on the grass." I interrupt to tell him "this has to be a priority!" He reluctantly agrees & tells me he will be at my office soon. He arrives about 3:30 with no time to spare, & I promptly misplace one of the forms that need to be mailed. After a quick search I decide to call the accountant to see if it can just be reproduced. Luckily, it could be, & I sent my dad on his way to get everything signed & mailed at about 3:50. Then I promptly took an Excedrine!

Drew in Third Person

Drew will be two in less than a month, and his personality has really evolved with his increased vocabulary. I have noticed however, that he talks in third person. Yes, he calls himself "Drew" not "I" or "me." So most of his sentences start with "Drew" followed by an action, i.e. "Drew waiting, Drew calling, Drew helping . . . " In an attempt at humor the other day, my brother asked Drew if he was "looking for trouble." I'm sure Drew had no clue, but he came & got my hand & went to look for the elusive "trouble." We looked under desks, behind doors, inside cabinets until he finally gave up & told me "trouble hiding." Anything that Drew can't locate is usually "hiding." Sometimes I'm not quite sure what he's saying. I used to be able to fake it with a "really" response. Now he will persist until he knows I get it. He was telling me something the other day that I couldn't understand, but he was relentless. Finally, I got it . . . he was asking for raisins & wasn't giving up until I understood & provided them. He is always interesting, always fun!

Zumba

One thing in my life that has always been easy for me is dancing. I guess spending most of the years of my youth taking dance classes (ballet, toe, tap, & jazz) enabled me to quickly pick up new steps & choreography. So I began taking a zumba class fully expecting it to be easy, or at least easy to learn the steps. Well, I guess my background in dancing did not include any experience with Latin style dancing. Much of my class time is spent watching the instructor & attempting to always be moving in the correct direction so I don't plow into anyone. My problems are compounded by a lack of zumba shoes which allow the feet to slide on the rubberized floor. Well, it has indeed been a humbling experience, but I'm not giving up! I have every intention of mastering this type of dancing since it's a welcome break in the monotony of the track & the treadmill for aerobic exercise.

Winter Wrap-up

It's supposed to be spring. At least the calendar says so. But April just seems like an extension of a dreary cold March which extended from cold, damp, gray weather beginning in November. I'm not a cold weather person, but I dislike rain & damp cold most of all, so I've had a difficult few months. Although in stating this I risk hearing my sons laugh from miles away, I think I may have a touch of seasonal depression.

February brought a road trip to Nashville for Brooks' senior concert (which was wonderful!) The trip there, however, will now supplant the former "trip from hell" (a night drive through a dense fog in the mountains of Maryland with Adam & Trent). I was driving my dad with plans to stop every couple of hours to stretch & of course, stop for lunch & dinner. My dad needs to each at regular intervals for his diabetes & should walk around frequently. We stopped for lunch after getting through Huntington & proceeded west. Less than an hour later we got a call from Jan & Eddie about a little freezing rain they had encountered in the Lexington area. A few minutes later we hit the freezing rain. I was driving my dad's car & asked him where the defrost was. Well, he wasn't sure. Meanwhile my windshield had frozen solid. I ran the windshield wipers at high speed while he located the defrost. As we are driving along we see wreck after wreck after wreck. The median is littered with vehicles. The interstate going east has been shut down by police. I asked my dad where low or first gear was. Again, he was not sure since he never uses it. He begins to tell me why he prefers neutral. I suggest we stop & wait for the roads to be treated, but my dad says he would prefer to keep going & that if it's making me nervous, he will drive--which would only serve to increase my uneasiness! All of this time we are creeping along with hundreds of others at about 5 MPH with the tires on one side off the road. Finally, I pull of to the side of the road to just take a deep breath & find first gear. My dad thinks he now might like to stop & stretch. We continue to an exit but it is so icy that he finds when he tries to get out of the car that he can't stand up. I suggest getting gas, but my dad doesn't want to get it at BP--the only station off the exit. So we proceed & keep getting these updates from Jan & Eddie that we surely must be out of the freezing rain by now. Meanwhile, we hear on the radio that there have been over 100 accidents in a 5 miles stretch & that the severe weather could continue till noon the next day. Hours & hours later we finally get out of the ice. We are now nearly out of gas--the low fuel light has been on for several minutes. It's way past dinner time, but we don't want to spend any time eating so we stop for gas, snacks & to stretch. The last hour of the time was dense fog & driving rain, but we arrive in Nashville. I had mapquested the directions to the hotel, but dad assured me that Jan would just talk us through it. And she almost did except for one wrong turn. Tired, frustrated, & at the end of my rope, I stopped to ask directions which did not really help much. Finally, Brooks got one the phone with me (he tells me that I was pretty bitchy) & stayed on the line until we arrived at the hotel. Nearly everyone had weather issues--some were unable to get there at all. I don't think five minutes elapsed between putting my bags into my room & getting a glass of wine at the bar! I must say that other than the drive there, we all had a great time!!!

My second trip was our annual "gal pal" at Deep Creek, & we experienced similar weather. Fortunately, we had the option of staying in on Saturday night when the conditions were the worst. A great time with friends just hanging out!

WVU basketball has been fun to watch, both in person & on tv. It was great to go to the Pitt game with Drew & Adam. Drew loves his "hoopies" & clapped like there was no tomorrow. Amazingly, he sat in his seat & took everything in the entire time! And speaking of Drew, one day when I was taking care of him he was fussing when I put him down for a nap. The fussing then became pleading as he called for me. I attempted to stand firm until he said, "Nina, Nina, Nina, Drew CALLING!" Well, of course, I could then no longer resist going into his room.

I took a vacation day & went to Marietta to take Owen to "Horton Hears a Who." When I picked him up I told him I would take him anywhere he wanted to go for lunch--his choice was pizza at the mall food court! We both loved the movie, split a box of popcorn, & played skee-ball at the arcade. Owen amuses me when I ask him a question because he begins to answer me with either a "WELL . . . . or ACTUALLY . . . " Both are really dramatic & followed by a rather large sigh before he proceeds.

For a case of the winter blahs, nothing works better to cheer me up than some time with the grandsons!

Huh?

We have a customer that we all dread speaking with especially on the phone. She called last week several times, & here is how my first conversation with her went:
Her: "I have car insurance. I need to get house insurance."
Me: "Do you have your auto insurance with us?"
Her: "Huh?"
Me: "Do we insure your cars?"
Her: "Huh? Yes."
Me: "Could I have your name please?"
Her: "Sarah."
Me: "And your last name?"
Her: (She gave it, but I won't reveal it here)
Me: "I need to ask you a few questions about your home. What year was it built?"
Her: "Huh?"
Me: "The year of construction or, if you don't know, your best estimate."
Her: "Huh? Would it be on the title?"
Me: "Oh, is it a mobile home?"
Her: "Yes."
Me: "Well it you have the title handy, I need the year, make, & model."
Her: "The year is 1997 . . . what do you mean by make & model?"
Me: "Well, after the words 'make' and 'model' there will be a name.
Her: "Huh? I don't see any words on the title." (To this, I wanted to say "Huh?")
Me: "We need to do external photographs before we can give you a quote. What area of Morgantown do you live in?"
Her: "Huh?"
Me: "Like Sabraton, Westover, Star City . . . "
Her: "Huh? Just Morgantown."
Me; "Oh, do you live downtown?"
Her: "No."
Me: "Are you in a mobile home park or on an individual lot?"
Her: "Huh? There are three trailers."
Me: "In a park or on individual lots?"
Her: "Huh?"
Me: "Let's try again. What do you live near?"
Her: "Target."
Me: "Ok. Are you on the road to Mylan Park?"
Her: "What's that?"
Me: "It's a park a mile or two from Target."
Her: "Maybe. I live near Target."
Me: (Thinking maybe she's just moved in) " Just how long have you lived there?"
Her: "Seven years."
Me: (Deftly passing the buck) "Let me put Jeff on since he'll be taking your photos. You can give him directions."
Her: "Huh?"

Splayed

It had to happen. It's been years since I have fallen, & I was kind of overdue. Today's wintry mix included freezing rain which hit at roughly the same time that I needed to go to the bank & post office for work. Our mailman saw me putting on my jacket & cautioned me to be careful, but, headstrong person that I am, I figured I could take care of these errands without much problem. And the bank was easy . . . drive through & pick up the money bag. At the post office I could barely stand up when I stepped outside the car though. Gingerly I walked along the slick sidewalk to the entrance. No problem if I just pay attention & am careful. The office parking lot was like a skating rink as I kept my hands on the car as I walked around it. Easing my self toward the steps & the back door I was rather amazed at how difficult it was to walk. Slowly, cautiously, I descended the icy steps. Relieved & thinking that walking on the stuff was ten times harder than driving on it was, I took a step on the metal grate right outside our back door. Splat! I fell flinging my only partially zipped purse, the mail, the money bag, & my open umbrella. I don't know whether I hit my rear or my knee first, but the only word I could think of to really describe it was "splayed." Fortunately for me there was no one there to witness this, but there was also no one there to help me either. My feeble attempts to stand up were met with more slipping & sliding. Finally I dragged myself to the door, opened it, & threw my things in one at a time. Then I slid my feet instead of picking them up & got inside sore, humiliated, & wondering if this fall would be covered under worker's comp.

Home (Dis)repair

My house is in chaos . . . first I stripped wallpaper in the kitchen & powder room . . . a long, boring, tedious task! Then before I could get the mess cleaned up, my contractor was ready to paint & install my crown molding so he moved everything from the living room to the basement or kitchen. . . more mess! In addition, I was not crazy about the crown molding (too big & fancy) so I asked him to remove it & redo it. After my few attempts to get these areas cleaned up, the contractor came back to install the bathroom, but we encountered some problems there as well. I didn't like the paint I selected with the color of the new hardwood floor. I wasn't sold on the way the contractor wanted to do the walls, and some supplies needed to do the job were on backorder at 84 Lumber. The bathroom was totally torn out when we discovered it could not be installed for a week . . . a little inconvenient as well as creating yet another pile of stuff in the hallway. It's all beginning to be rather overwhelming, & I'm looking forward to having some order restored any time now. By the way the contractor & his two employees have now seen me if every possible attire but we reached a new low last week when I overslept & greeted them in a robe with a towel wrapped around my wet hair.

Free

It was either Adam or Kelly (it really doesn't matter since they discussed this & agreed) who told me recently that I liked nothing more than "free." Yes, free stuff does really excite me! So, imagine my glee when I got my second unexpected free meal after tennis. We had returned to Fairmont to meet my friend, Nancy, & her 23 year old daughter, Kim. While we were there, Kim recognized someone in the restaurant & waved. When the waitress came over with our check, she told us that this man had paid for all of our meals. Nothing like dining with a pretty young girl!

2008 so far . . .

the good, the bad, & the ugly . . .

The Good--Well, 2008 did get off to a better start than 2007. I went to a movie with Jan, Eddie, & Brett, & that the evening was otherwise uneventful is a good thing. New Year's eve last year began for me & my siblings in the corridor of the emergency room.
After tennis the other night, we had our meals paid for by a stranger whom the manager would only identify as the owner of the business across the street--What a great surprise! WVU won the Fiesta Bowl--our rudder-less ship lead by an interim coach & assistants, most of whom were bolting for Michigan afterward. The team dominated from beginning to end providing a really fun atmosphere for us watching with family & friends.

The Bad--Right after the Fiesta I became sick for several days. In fact I was initially too sick to get to the doctor for a prescription for an antibiotic. Ultimately I did drag myself to the doctor &, as I had surmised, needed an antibiotic. I noticed a couple weeks ago that the inspection sticker for my car expired in November . . . I took it to the garage to find it also needed transmission fluid, an oil change, & a tire repair--$176.00!!

The Ugly--When I was home sick & drifting in & out of sleep there seem to always be "breaking news" on Britney Spears--every tidbit more ugly than the previous one. But Britney's actions pale when compared to former Mountaineer coach Rich Rodriquez who has shown himself to be just about the most unscrupulous man on the planet! Both of these dramas make soap operas look like child's play, & there is no end in sight!!!

Happy New Year!