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!

R.I.P

The Mountaineer offense passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Dec. 1. Their demise was caused by an extended attack by at least eleven panthers that lasted approximately 3-4 hours. Repeated attempts to resuscitate the victim were unsuccessful. Survivors include the Mountaineer defense, a number of grief stricken coaches, and legions of fans. Coroner Richard Rodriquez stated that an autopsy will be performed but the results will not be known until Jan. 2. In a joint press release Ohio State & LSU extended their condolences and expressed their gratitude to the Mountaineer offense for their selflessness and generosity.

The Next Best Thing

I wonder who thought the bagless vacuum cleaners were the next best great idea? Call me crazy or old-fashioned, but to me it was soooo easy to pluck a bag full of dirt from my vacuum & drop it into the trash. No fuss, no muss. Well, my bagless vacuum has a very small capacity & must be emptied constantly. When I empty it, a cloud of dust envelops creating more dirt for cleaning (not to mention a spree of sneezing). In addition, there are filters to clean & wash. Vacuuming has never been so much work! I'm hoping other consumers will agree with me . . . the only fault I could find with vacuums with bags was the number of different kinds of bags & their availability. I may need to start a one-woman campaign to bring back the bags.

Oops

I have been watching "Dancing with the Stars" since its inception a few years ago. On every show they refer to the competition for the "Mirabald" trophy. Unfamiliar with ballroom dancing stars, I assumed the award was named for someone who had distinguished him or herself in dance. Imagine my surprise when today I was reading about the finale online. The "Mirabald" trophy is actually something called a mirrored ball trophy--reference being to the mirrored ball adorning the top of it!

Ramblings

A big WOO HOO to the WVU Mountaineers who are now ranked #2 in the nation!!! A win against Pitt next Saturday would propel WVU into the national championship game in New Orleans.

A few weeks ago at a Mountaineer football game I noticed the kid in front of Trent did not stand for the national anthem. I asked Trent if he thought the kid was protesting. "No," he answered, "did you see what's on his shirt?" Trent then interpreted the "farfrompukin" message on the back of the kid's shirt for me & told me "but I don't think he's that far from puking." The game had just begun when the kid threw up & splashed vomit on the backs of the people in front of him. Swiftly, this kid & his parents left the game. I did my part by screaming for security to come & clean up this mess! Unbelievably, the people who had been hit by the vomit, cleaned up as best they could & stayed for the game. When we got to the game this past Saturday, there was a drunk man immediately behind me. All I could think about while he was slurring his words was the incident of vomiting from a few weeks ago. Luckily, he just had a good time & never did get sick, but it did cause me some anxiety!

This year my sister & I were each to prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. I was positive that my sister told me we were baking turkey breasts, not whole turkeys. Since I had only baked a turkey once in my life, I gladly accepted Rachael's offer to do this for me. My dad bought the turkeys so I called Trent & asked him to pick one up from his grandfather. "Please don't let him get it out of the refrigerator," I told him, "it weighs 20 pounds!" Trent proceeded to tell me it was impossible for a turkey breast to weigh 20 pounds & decided to call his Aunt Jan. Well, he was right; it was a whole turkey. So on Thanksgiving day my sons & my nephews had a heyday with my misconception about the 20 pound breasts. The discussion only went downhill from there, but it did provide some fun even though it was at my expense. The turkey was delicious, by the way.

I find it interesting that the SC football team has a quarterback with a last name of "Smelly" & a kicker with a last name that is pronounced "Suckup!" The Mountaineers have two defensive starters with last names of "Dingle" & "Berry." When they stand side by side, those in the stadium with cameras are taking pictures of the "Dingle Berry" on the backs of their uniforms. In addition, the USC quarterback's name is "Booty." I guess it's good that these guys are probably big enough to take on anyone who would mock their names.

I had a call today at work from someone adding a car. She told me it was a "Zulu" (Izuzu) & in giving me the VIN, said "X" as in "Exxon." Unfortunately, this was just one of many really dumb calls today! Nothing like a Monday following a holiday weekend for a huge number of calls.

And a duh moment for me . . . a couple of weeks ago I had a 7pm meeting across town. After work I typically exercise so I tried to cram in a one hour walk at 5:15. I rushed home, took a quick shower, applied make-up & deodorant, got dressed & jumped in the car. I hurried to the meeting location; however when I arrived, the place was dark & there were no other cars. I quickly checked my calendar to find the meeting was the following week! This was hot on the heels of my being fooled by my atomic clock into thinking daylight savings time had ended the last weekend in October. On my way to church I began to suspect that I was an hour behind. A call to Adam confirmed it. Needless to say, I returned home & and successfully avoided the humiliation of pulling up at church just as it was letting out!

Sports Fever

It's a little time consuming to manage my weekly football activities . . . I play college pickem, pro pickem & have a fantasy team. Well, I started out my college picks with a bang! I was even perfect one week!! It all went south for me though when my Mountaineers lost to USF. I had put a huge amount of confidence points on WVU & slipped from first to fourth for the week. I have pretty much stayed there since. The pro teams for me are a crap shoot--the only thing predictable is that bad teams will beat good teams, but it's hard to tell which week that will happen. And my fantasy team . . . my starting quarterback, Drew Brees, was giving me nothing. After doing really well last year, he was struggling. Finally, I picked up a better backup QB, Jeff Garcia, & started him. He's done alright, but I still was hoping for stellar. So last week I dumped Drew Brees in favor of Kurt Warner. With Matt Leinart injured I thought Kurt would seize the opportunity & go crazy passing the ball. I decide to start Kurt instead of Jeff Garcia (who had 21 points while on my bench last Sunday) all the while thinking I have cleverly manipulated my lineup & have quite a "find" in Warner. Well, he got ZERO points for me this week!! In my two years of playing fantasy football I cannot recall any starting quarterback getting zero points. Yes, he got injured, but still. And who did finally go crazy & have a great game? Drew Brees!!! So this morning I'm dropping Warner & picking up Brees which probably means that Warner will have the game of his life next week & Brees will revert to mediocrity. I think I'm beginning to understand that I'm not quite as crafty as I thought when it comes to making the right moves.

So add to the above tracking Jay's football games via text messages every Saturday, tracking Brett's soccer via the internet & phone calls, as well as checking on Adam's FSU games via stat tracker intermittently. Of course there are WVU games to attend and games to watch on tv. And Adam's soccer podcasts as well as the Brothers in 3-Z to listen to weekly. If it wasn't so much fun, it would wear me out!

Let Us Pray?

Our church service this past week didn't get off to a good start. Our bell choir was to ring during the prelude which was inadvertently skipped over by the liturgist. We were to ring when the liturgist said "Let us worship God;" however, she said, "Let's us pray," so instead we prayed. Thus began a rather comedic service that went from bad to worse.

Sunday church service usually provides me with some time of reflection & spiritual renewal. Often an insightful or inspiring sermon will stay in my mind during the upcoming week. This past Sunday was totally different. Our church is now looking to replace our minister of eight years--one whose presence in the pulpit was both inspiring and a source of comfort for me. We now have the revolving door of ministers while the search is on. Some are good; some are not. Yesterday's minister, however, was beyond terrible causing many of us to wonder, what, if anything, she was trying to convey to us. Her sermon was peppered with long pauses . . . at first, I thought this was perhaps for dramatic effect. As it unfolded though, it seemed these pauses were more that she had either lost her place in her notes or lost her train of thought. They became increasingly frequent as she continued. At some point after she had told an extremely long antedote, she put her hands up to her face & stated, "I don't know why I told that story!" (Duh, neither do we!) I struggled to stay awake & could not tell you anything about her sermon topic. It all became quite laughable as one of my friends noted that the Zundell boys (yes, they are great with the witty comments) would have had a heyday! When mercifully she finally concluded her sermon, she moved on to communion, & I believe we collectively thought that at least we would have this spiritual experience to take from the service. But this was not to be as she "winged" through the Eucharist, not just changing words or phrases, but changing entire paragraphs making it nearly impossible to follow along. The communion was served, but she neglected to serve the elders who had been at the various stations with the bread & wine. Church begins at 10:45 & generally concludes a hour or so later. Sunday I glanced at my watch as I was leaving what felt like a marathon service to find that it was nearly 12:30! When we were on the sidewalk after church & the jokes were flying as if we had just left a comedy club, we were joined by a member who looked absolutely worn out from the nearly two hour ordeal--I guess it could have been worse; he had been volunteering in the nursery!

The Workplace

Ahhhh, the workplace, where I spend so many of my waking hours each day. The place where I'm becoming worn out by busy work heaped on me by one of our companies, stupid questions from customers, & a workspace that is in need of a make-over. In addition, there have been problems with the fax machine, printer, scanner, & computers this week. Frustration? Oh, yeah! Fortunately, we have so many strange/stupid interactions with customers that we always have something to laugh about.

This week, the first of the month, has brought forth the usual cast of characters (those who refuse to mail in their payments or go on automatic debit). We have had the man who is so loud we often have a headache when he leaves . . . when he's not talking in his "outside" voice, he's giggling like a hyena. The short (almost can't see her over the counter) woman who has entralled us with details of beating up her female lover & being arrested for battery. The part-Cherokee man who is not licensed to drive--his wife drives him around in a big purple pickup truck--who always is getting ready for a pow wow somewhere & who always has some inside information about gas prices.

We have often thought of secretly compiling a top ten list of the dumbest customers . . . It would be a hot contest! I recently asked a customer (who was reporting a claim) what the circumstances of the accident were. "Huh?" she said. So I rephrased, "how did the accident happen?" She replied, "I don't know." I responded, "Were the police called?" thinking that the details could be found in the police report. "Huh?" she said. She cannot top, however, the guy who let a girl he met in a bar test drive the car he was hoping to sell . . . he never saw the girl or the car again!

So I guess it's good that the crazy, the unusual, the downright stupid daily interactions provide us with something to laugh about. . . at least it is never boring.

Food for thought

It is not in my nature to eat a lot of red meat, and heaven help me, never bacon; however, this week I have embarked on phase one of the "Cheat to Lose" diet. Week 1 is low carb, so hello steak! Since I'm probably addicted to carbs, the first two days were a little rough, but day 3 has been much better. During the first couple of days, I found myself staring longingly at a can of toddler veggie "puffs." How desperate was I! My great treat has been my chocolate calcium chewable which is twice daily. Things begin to look up after the first week as some new foods can be added. After 3 weeks we get into a routine of a "cheater" day on Saturday when anything goes. I guess the prospect of that will sustain me for now.

Ok. Week 2, 5 pounds of ugly fat GONE! It's become increasingly easier as I adjust to the portions & the protein since I get to add in a few more foods. I can now actually eat a restaurant meal & not feel deprived. I have discovered a delicious sugar free ice cream & have to keep reminding myself that a serving is 1/2 cup. Suddenly I realize that if I had been more vigilant about portion size, I probably wouldn't have any weight to lose. I am an adult still wanting to eat like the teenager I once was . . . the one who could literally stuff herself without ever reaching a three digit weight. Ah, if only I could bring back the days of a quick metabolism!!

Surprise

Last Sunday night a group of my close friends surprised me with a dinner get-together in honor of my birthday. The food, wine, & laughter certainly took the edge off my feeling of impending gloom regarding my upcoming birthday. Known for being rather obtuse & unobservant, I was there for at least a half hour (several of us were engrossed in watching Roger Federer play his championship match in the US Open) before I realized that this gathering was for me! Several glasses of wine later, this birthday thing didn't seem quite so bad. It has been said that friends are the family you choose, & indeed I have chosen well!

Drew

What could be better than watching WVU play football on a Saturday afternoon? Spending the day with Drew! While others were lamenting the sluggish first half of WVU vs. Marshall, Drew & I were playing. The simple joys for a 16 month old . . . petting a cat, laughing along as I sang silly songs, pouring a bucket of water over his head in the pool . . . are life affirming. Occasionally I would receive a surprise kiss or hug. . . a true bonus! Drew quite considerately napped during most of the second half, & as it turned out, the only part of the game worth watching. But I would gladly have skipped the whole thing for a day with this precious little boy!

Minnie Mouse

As a sophomore in high school we had our yearbook photos taken in one shot. No time to pose or smile or get ready in any way, just a quick flash. The selection of poses was reserved for upperclassmen. Needless to say, I had an unforgetable yearbook photo my sophomore year. In fact one of my close friends (a really cute guy) told me that I looked like Minnie Mouse in my picture . . . which was unfortunately quite true! He proceeded to call me "Minnie" for the rest of the school year.

Well, I always remember this when getting a new picture taken for my driver's license. Through the years I have always taken time to prepare for this photo since I will have to live with the results for five years. I like to go before work with shining clean hair & make-up intact. I have even gone so far as to practice a sort of half-smile in the mirror. So far, however, this has not worked well for me, & the results have been an increasingly older version of Minnie Mouse. No matter how much preparation & preening I would do, my license photo was always a disaster!

One afternoon last week when I was at work, I suddenly realized that I had not renewed my driver's license, & it would expire the following day. I leapt from my desk, raced home to get the form, & raced to the DMV to get there before it closed at 4:30. I ran in rather breathless at 4:20 & realized I had not completed the form. I did some speed reading & whipped through the questions in record time. At 4:25 I needed only to be fingerprinted & photographed. It dawned on me that I probably couldn't look much worse after a full day of work plus racing to the DMV, but I knew I had no time to do anything about it. Five minutes later I walked to my car & braced myself for what I feared might be a photo even worse than my prior ones. Amazingly, this photo was completely normal . . . not that I would care to enter it in a photo contest, but I looked just like a regular person. Goodbye, Minnie Mouse, at least for the next five years!

Disturbing Ads

Recently I have noticed a cell phone ad for "back to school" for a phone that plays music, has a camera, etc. It doesn't seem to be targeted to college students who logically may be in the market for a phone if they are going away. I find it amusing that a "back to school" need for teens & preteens is not notebooks, clothes, or even a computer but instead an phone!

Something called RLS (restless leg syndrome) has also caught my attention due to the ad. First, is this a new malady . . . I've never heard of it. However, in my opinion, the syndrome seems to be less troublesome than the potential side effects of the medication which include, but are not limited to, unusual gambling or sexual urges!

Since the potential side effects of all medication is required to be included in all advertising, it seems very scary to have anything prescribed! With the exception of the most dire conditions, it seems to me that the risks may often outweigh the benefits.

Ads have been running fairly often on MTV for safe sex. They show a couple about to hook up when the girl abruptly turns down the guy & lectures him on what he's missing out on for not planning to wear a condom. Well, I'm all for safe sex & getting the message out to kids, but this couple seems to have just met. There is no committed relationship which is perhaps going to the next level, but instead a couple of relative strangers . . . I'm not sure that is the message that should be delivered!

The car salesmen (yes, those in the ads are all men) seem to believe that the best way to get the viewer's attention is to yell. Personally, I can't get to the mute button fast enough! There is one local car dealer whose ego seems to be way beyond a normal state of self-confidence. His name is Larry. He wishes viewers a "Larry Christmas" in the winter. He refers to the interstate exit for his dealership as the "Larry Exit." Ironically, at the end of his most recent commercial he urges potential customers to come to his place of business where "IT"S ALL ABOUT you." Yes, the "you" is almost inaudible in this commercial. It actually seems difficult for him to say. I'm not buying it, Larry. . . you haven't fooled me . . . because it's really all about you!

Nina needs a nap!

I am becoming increasingly aware that a 50 something woman cannot come near matching the energy level of an exuberant just-turned-four year old boy. This past weekend I picked up my grandson, Owen, somewhere halfway between Marietta, OH & Fairmont, WV. On the way home we stopped at a John Deere tractor lot. There must have been several hundred tractors on the lot, and I believe Owen sat on nearly every one. Always the negotiator he told me that if I would buy him one he could mow my grass. Relying on his love of pizza, I finally convinced him to leave John Deere for lunch with Uncle Adam, Aunt Kelly, and cousin Drew at Pizza Hut.

After lunch we went home to play cats, dogs, race cars, & trains. Owen is at the age where he really can get by without a nap if he gets to bed early; however, his mother suggested that he take a nap at least one of the two days he was visiting me. Around 1:30 I said, "Owen, let's go take a nap." "I don't NEED a nap!" he replied. I attempted to convince him with "Owen, Nina will take a nap with you." His response again was "I don't NEED a nap!" "Well, Owen, you may be right," I answered, "but NINA needs a nap." He feel asleep first, but I slept the longest. Upon waking up we played once more, visited his greatgrandfather where he drove a golf cart & feed a pond full of fish, then went to "Valley Worlds of Fun" amusement park where we rode rides, played mini golf, & had a picnic supper. We ended the day with ice cream on the deck before bed. Both of us were in bed a little after 8 pm.

Saturday morning we were up early playing with the cats as well as racing cars. We left for lunch with Uncle Trent & Aunt Rachael & a visit with their pets. After lunch Rachael suggested that Owen might like the Exotic Jungle pet store, & she was so right! Owen capped off his visit with holding two baby corn snakes . . . Yes, both Nina & Uncle Trent were afraid of the snakes! We retured home & have pretty much the same conversation regarding a nap. Undaunted, I again explain that Nina needs a nap. Owen appeases me once more, & we sleep. After dinner we have visitors. Fortunately, my nephew, Brooks, had plenty of energy to chase Owen around so they had a great time! We go for Frostys on the deck before bath & bed.

Sunday we drive back to the halfway place to return him to his parents. We chat about convertibles & semis as well as the activities of the weekend. He is munching goldfish & talking non-stop in my rearview mirror. My ride back to Fairmont is very quiet . . . I miss that little bundle of energy already!

Insomniac

Sleep has always come easily for me. Just ask any of my family or friends who will tell you that I often cannot control the urge to sleep . . . I believe I'm a little narcoleptic. It has always seemed strange to me that there are actually people who have trouble sleeping. Before the past few months, this was quite a foreign concept.

Recently, though, I have had trouble sleeping. Not falling asleep . . . nothing has changed there . . . just STAYING asleep. I wake up after a couple of hours & cannot get back to sleep. Sometimes I prowl around & clean up the kitchen or throw in a load of laundry. Other times I have gone out to sit on my deck with a glass of wine in the middle of the night. I've now decided that I should stay in bed so I have become somewhat of an expert on late night (or overnight) tv. I can find Oprah at 1 am & Ellen at 3 am. "Larry King" is rerun at midnight. Did you know that there are late-late talk shows on after Conan O'Brien & Craig Ferguson? I can tell you how to make a killing in real estate or lose weight 100 different ways. I know all about acne, make-up, hair stylers & vacuum cleaners. I've seen more "Cosby" & "Cheers" than I imagined possible. I've seen "Bridzillas" & "Platinum Weddings" over & over again. As intriguing as this graveyard shift tv is, I just want a whole night's sleep!

Happy Birthday, Owen Mark!

Just four short years ago we spent what seemed like an eternity in the hospital waiting for your arrival. You are the first of what I hope will be many grandchildren to love and enjoy. We have already had so many good times together . . . it is so much fun to sometimes have you one-on-one at my house or yours. You continue to amaze & delight me with each new phase of your development & growth. Have a great birthday, Owen!
Love,
Nina