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!

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!