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
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Oak Island
Reflections on the beach . . .
1) I successfully avoided my night to cook by taking everyone out for a seafood buffet.
2) Although I got a hint of this over the holidays, my daughter-in-law, Rachael, has emerged as quite a game player.
3) Who needs an alarm clock with a 1 year old & 3 1/2 year old? Both boys were awake around 6am!
4) A little boy will imitate a bigger little boy doing just about anything.
5) My grandson Owen's best comment on vacation, "Let's make some friends!"
6) My son Trent's best comment on vacation in response to Owen's constant questions about turning on a microphone for him. "Owen, if anyone ever DID NOT need a microphone, it's you!"
7) Little Drew will come right to anyone who's eating anything hoping for a bite.
8) We all really enjoyed the cooking of my daughters-in-law, Kelly & Rachael, & son, Ryan, who provided several delicious meals. The rest of us were happy to do KP.
9) Grandson learning curve--Owen learned to swim & Drew learned to catch a ball.
10) Who knew I'd love pineapple vodka?
11) There are more ice cream shops on Oak Island than any other business.
12) It was interesting to see the line-up of 7 cell phones in various stages of charging.
13) The ocean is always an awesome & peaceful place for me. It was easy to close my eyes at night knowing I had my children & grandchildren with me.
1) I successfully avoided my night to cook by taking everyone out for a seafood buffet.
2) Although I got a hint of this over the holidays, my daughter-in-law, Rachael, has emerged as quite a game player.
3) Who needs an alarm clock with a 1 year old & 3 1/2 year old? Both boys were awake around 6am!
4) A little boy will imitate a bigger little boy doing just about anything.
5) My grandson Owen's best comment on vacation, "Let's make some friends!"
6) My son Trent's best comment on vacation in response to Owen's constant questions about turning on a microphone for him. "Owen, if anyone ever DID NOT need a microphone, it's you!"
7) Little Drew will come right to anyone who's eating anything hoping for a bite.
8) We all really enjoyed the cooking of my daughters-in-law, Kelly & Rachael, & son, Ryan, who provided several delicious meals. The rest of us were happy to do KP.
9) Grandson learning curve--Owen learned to swim & Drew learned to catch a ball.
10) Who knew I'd love pineapple vodka?
11) There are more ice cream shops on Oak Island than any other business.
12) It was interesting to see the line-up of 7 cell phones in various stages of charging.
13) The ocean is always an awesome & peaceful place for me. It was easy to close my eyes at night knowing I had my children & grandchildren with me.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Mom
It doesn't seem right to blog about the mundane while my heart is still breaking. My mom passed away on June 30 at the age of 85. She was a wonderful woman who lived well and was loved by many. This does give me some comfort, but she left a void in my life and my heart that may never be filled. I will miss her every day! Rest in peace, Mom. Your love lives on in us.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Summer so far
While flipping through my tv channels this evening, I found a show "Honey, We're Killing the Kids," which for some reason I thought was a Disney movie. Upon closer examination I found a couple with 2 young sons whose eating habits were atrocious! The host did a computer projection that showed how the boys would look at 40 if they continued to eat the way they did. Oddly enough, the parents (both of whom were large) were actually shocked!
I have returned this week from a relaxing girlfriends week in St. Augustine, Florida. Everyone should have a week like this . . . totally without responsibilities! Yes, at the beach it was always 5 o'clock somewhere as we enjoyed our wine, beer, & margaritas! I ate too much, drank too much, & spent a ridiculous amount of money on a great pair of shoes. . . but it was all worth it!
Fortunately, I have another vacation to look forward to--a week at the beach in July with my family.
Before leaving for Florida I got to spend two days watching my adorable one year old grandson, Drew. He is learning something new every day & quickly outgrowing the "baby" things, i.e. bottles, binkies, jars of baby food. Yes, I fed him a ham sandwich as well as regular fruit & veggies. He was sooooo much fun!!! This Friday I will go to Ohio to babysit my 3 1/2 year old, equally adorable grandson, Owen. He is always just a bundle of energy & makes some of the most interesting remarks. It should be a lively weekend filled with fun & activity!!!
I have returned this week from a relaxing girlfriends week in St. Augustine, Florida. Everyone should have a week like this . . . totally without responsibilities! Yes, at the beach it was always 5 o'clock somewhere as we enjoyed our wine, beer, & margaritas! I ate too much, drank too much, & spent a ridiculous amount of money on a great pair of shoes. . . but it was all worth it!
Fortunately, I have another vacation to look forward to--a week at the beach in July with my family.
Before leaving for Florida I got to spend two days watching my adorable one year old grandson, Drew. He is learning something new every day & quickly outgrowing the "baby" things, i.e. bottles, binkies, jars of baby food. Yes, I fed him a ham sandwich as well as regular fruit & veggies. He was sooooo much fun!!! This Friday I will go to Ohio to babysit my 3 1/2 year old, equally adorable grandson, Owen. He is always just a bundle of energy & makes some of the most interesting remarks. It should be a lively weekend filled with fun & activity!!!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Chillin'
As I sat in my pajamas on my deck at 6:30 a.m. drinking my coffee & enjoying the sunshine, I wondered what it would be like to just stay put & relax. A day to just chill . . . hmm . . . those days just rarely come along as there is always something that needs my attention. It would be nice just to take a day off to do nothing & not feel the guilt of being non-productive. I need to get ready for work, however, especially since there is a sales contest going on involving money. Of course I'm all over that being both competitive & money-loving. I'm onboard for the "mental health" days some companies actually require employees to take regularly . . . I can't imagine anything more rejuvenating!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Catching Up
Although I thought it was an exaggeration, many people told me that DVR would change my life. My son, Trent echoed this same sentiment in his blog. Actually, it is true! I usually watch very little tv during the warm weather months, but in the winter, I am addicted. No more hurrying home to catch a show! No more thinking & remembering to record! My DVR is smarter than me & after programming my favorites to record all new episodes, I can just relax & forget about it. It's great to whip through the shows commercial-free especially American Idol & Dancing with the Stars when all I really want to see are the competitors & the judges comments. It may have been my smartest tactical move when I traded my $65/month Verizon phone service for the $25/month Time-Warner so that I could afford DVR & HD!!!
When I see something I really want, I am like a dog with a bone. I had been looking for deck furniture for about two years now & could not find anything I really liked that I could afford. Last Sunday while buying some flowers at Wal-Mart, I found a sectional with two ottomans/tables that I loved. After some looking, thinking, & sitting on the furniture, I decided to buy it. When I asked the clerk about delivery, I was told they did not have a delivery service. I checked out the enormous box the furniture came in & decided I would have to keep looking. I did think about the furniture all night & again the next day; then I discussed it with Trent & Rachael. They thought I might be able to have the guys at Wal-Mart put it into a pickup in the box; then I could unload it piece by piece. Trent was leaving for Texas the next day but offered to help anyway. Knowing he had lots of things to do to get ready, I decided to get it myself. Yes, I could have waited & asked my son, Adam, or my nephews to help, but I was determined to have the furniture immediately. I borrowed my dad's pickup & drove to the store to buy the furniture. When it was going to take three guys plus a fork lift to get the box into the pickup, I talked the guys into opening the box & loading the pieces individually. When I got the furniture home, I unloaded it easily by myself until I got to the last piece--the ottoman/table. The ottoman makes a table when the cushion is removed & a large metal tray covers the slats. Unfortunately for me I did not realize this tray was not attached to the ottoman. It fell on my foot as I was lifting the ottoman from the truck. I fear I have broken a bone in my foot as it is quite painful as well as swollen & purple. Right now I can only wear Birkenstocks or running shoes. The furniture looks great on the deck though!
Babies no more . . . My one year old grandson, Drew got a haircut & stopped drinking a bottle. I received some pictures of
3 1/2 year old grandson, Owen, riding a two-wheel bike.
When I see something I really want, I am like a dog with a bone. I had been looking for deck furniture for about two years now & could not find anything I really liked that I could afford. Last Sunday while buying some flowers at Wal-Mart, I found a sectional with two ottomans/tables that I loved. After some looking, thinking, & sitting on the furniture, I decided to buy it. When I asked the clerk about delivery, I was told they did not have a delivery service. I checked out the enormous box the furniture came in & decided I would have to keep looking. I did think about the furniture all night & again the next day; then I discussed it with Trent & Rachael. They thought I might be able to have the guys at Wal-Mart put it into a pickup in the box; then I could unload it piece by piece. Trent was leaving for Texas the next day but offered to help anyway. Knowing he had lots of things to do to get ready, I decided to get it myself. Yes, I could have waited & asked my son, Adam, or my nephews to help, but I was determined to have the furniture immediately. I borrowed my dad's pickup & drove to the store to buy the furniture. When it was going to take three guys plus a fork lift to get the box into the pickup, I talked the guys into opening the box & loading the pieces individually. When I got the furniture home, I unloaded it easily by myself until I got to the last piece--the ottoman/table. The ottoman makes a table when the cushion is removed & a large metal tray covers the slats. Unfortunately for me I did not realize this tray was not attached to the ottoman. It fell on my foot as I was lifting the ottoman from the truck. I fear I have broken a bone in my foot as it is quite painful as well as swollen & purple. Right now I can only wear Birkenstocks or running shoes. The furniture looks great on the deck though!
Babies no more . . . My one year old grandson, Drew got a haircut & stopped drinking a bottle. I received some pictures of
3 1/2 year old grandson, Owen, riding a two-wheel bike.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Random topics
Escape . . .
One of my favorite songs right now is Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape." I had this experience myself last Saturday as I called the hospital & checked in with my mom then ditched my weekend cleaning/laundry chores & headed to Morgantown to visit my son, Adam, & grandson, Drew. Seeing life through the eyes of a one year old is an awesome experience as we went for a "walk" (Drew stopped every few feet to investigate something or just took off running) on the trail. The most mundane things were quite a source of fascination for Drew . . . rocks, weeds, flowers. We encountered a dog & his owner much to Drew's delight as he pointed & said "dog" over & over. Nothing much compares to reading to & rocking a freshly bathed, sweet smelling baby at day's end, but the steaks Adam grilled for us & his dessert coffee were a very close second!
My father's daughter?
I have taken alot of chiding from my family for always wanting to order last at a restaurant. Upon really thinking about it, I guess I always want to know what everyone else is ordering just in case something sounds better that what I had planned to order. My dad does this too or orders first & then either changes his order or spends time lamenting about what he didn't order & someone else did.
This week I have been dealing with hiring someone to help out at my parents' house. First, I asked my dad if he wanted to interview people with me. He said "no, she doesn't have to please me, you should take her to meet your mother at the hospital." Okay, I find someone & offer to take her to the hospital; however, my dad has now decided that I should just interview her on my own. I'm fine with that, but about five minutes before I am to leave & meet her at a coffee shop, my dad calls & says, "why don't you just meet her here at the house?" I explain to him that it's too late to change the plans & that I'll call him afterwards. I ask the caregiver if she can start the following day, & she agrees. The next day my mom has health complications & cannot be released. I call the caregiver to cancel & explain that hopefully she'll be released tomorrow. We agree that I will call her as soon as I know something. In the meantime, my mom does get the green light for release the following day, & my dad has a plan that the caregiver should come with him to help get my mom home. After two phone calls from my dad, we decide on a time, & I call the caregiver on my way home from work. When I arrive home I already have a message from my dad who has decided it would not be a good idea to have the caregiver go the the hospital. He wants me to call & arrange for her to come later--not a specific time later--but to kind of be "on call." I balk at that fearing that she would soon lose interest in a bunch of loonies who couldn't seem to make a simple decision. I told him I would come meet her at the house at the arranged time (10 am) & we could just stay there while he picked mom up. Additionally, I had told him I would pick up some basic groceries on my way there. At 9 am Dad calls "what are you doing?" I tell him I was just leaving for the grocery store & would be at his house in about 45 minutes to meet the caregiver. He agrees that this is fine, & we hang up. While I'm in the grocery store, he calls again while I am on the line with the caregiver going over directions to the house. I call him back while checking out to find that he thinks my sister should go the the grocery store. I then told him the shopping was finished, & I would be there in 10 minutes. I know he's not being difficult, he's just being himself--there's always a better plan running through his mind at the last minute!
Baby Idol . . .
Well, WVAQ, you really missed the boat on this one. Not only did you miss out of the adorable Drew for the top ten, but you also missed a fantastic opportunites for hits on your website from the friends & families of the over 1000 entrants! What were you thinking!!!
Tongue tied . . .
There is a guy, Bob Dick, who sells ads to the "Big Book" (an oversized phone book) & contacts our office frequently. Try as I might I can't keep from getting these things confused & calling the man "Big Dick!"
One more car . . .
Finally, add this car to the list of ones the owners can't pronounce. This week a woman called to delete her Dodge "Decrepit." (Intrepid)
One of my favorite songs right now is Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape." I had this experience myself last Saturday as I called the hospital & checked in with my mom then ditched my weekend cleaning/laundry chores & headed to Morgantown to visit my son, Adam, & grandson, Drew. Seeing life through the eyes of a one year old is an awesome experience as we went for a "walk" (Drew stopped every few feet to investigate something or just took off running) on the trail. The most mundane things were quite a source of fascination for Drew . . . rocks, weeds, flowers. We encountered a dog & his owner much to Drew's delight as he pointed & said "dog" over & over. Nothing much compares to reading to & rocking a freshly bathed, sweet smelling baby at day's end, but the steaks Adam grilled for us & his dessert coffee were a very close second!
My father's daughter?
I have taken alot of chiding from my family for always wanting to order last at a restaurant. Upon really thinking about it, I guess I always want to know what everyone else is ordering just in case something sounds better that what I had planned to order. My dad does this too or orders first & then either changes his order or spends time lamenting about what he didn't order & someone else did.
This week I have been dealing with hiring someone to help out at my parents' house. First, I asked my dad if he wanted to interview people with me. He said "no, she doesn't have to please me, you should take her to meet your mother at the hospital." Okay, I find someone & offer to take her to the hospital; however, my dad has now decided that I should just interview her on my own. I'm fine with that, but about five minutes before I am to leave & meet her at a coffee shop, my dad calls & says, "why don't you just meet her here at the house?" I explain to him that it's too late to change the plans & that I'll call him afterwards. I ask the caregiver if she can start the following day, & she agrees. The next day my mom has health complications & cannot be released. I call the caregiver to cancel & explain that hopefully she'll be released tomorrow. We agree that I will call her as soon as I know something. In the meantime, my mom does get the green light for release the following day, & my dad has a plan that the caregiver should come with him to help get my mom home. After two phone calls from my dad, we decide on a time, & I call the caregiver on my way home from work. When I arrive home I already have a message from my dad who has decided it would not be a good idea to have the caregiver go the the hospital. He wants me to call & arrange for her to come later--not a specific time later--but to kind of be "on call." I balk at that fearing that she would soon lose interest in a bunch of loonies who couldn't seem to make a simple decision. I told him I would come meet her at the house at the arranged time (10 am) & we could just stay there while he picked mom up. Additionally, I had told him I would pick up some basic groceries on my way there. At 9 am Dad calls "what are you doing?" I tell him I was just leaving for the grocery store & would be at his house in about 45 minutes to meet the caregiver. He agrees that this is fine, & we hang up. While I'm in the grocery store, he calls again while I am on the line with the caregiver going over directions to the house. I call him back while checking out to find that he thinks my sister should go the the grocery store. I then told him the shopping was finished, & I would be there in 10 minutes. I know he's not being difficult, he's just being himself--there's always a better plan running through his mind at the last minute!
Baby Idol . . .
Well, WVAQ, you really missed the boat on this one. Not only did you miss out of the adorable Drew for the top ten, but you also missed a fantastic opportunites for hits on your website from the friends & families of the over 1000 entrants! What were you thinking!!!
Tongue tied . . .
There is a guy, Bob Dick, who sells ads to the "Big Book" (an oversized phone book) & contacts our office frequently. Try as I might I can't keep from getting these things confused & calling the man "Big Dick!"
One more car . . .
Finally, add this car to the list of ones the owners can't pronounce. This week a woman called to delete her Dodge "Decrepit." (Intrepid)
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Memories
Not for the faint of heart is this stroll down memory lane. I have been picking through family photos for a potential gift & was able to enjoy & laugh until tonight. Suddenly, while I am also choosing music, I have become sad & teary. It is so true . . . time is fleeting!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
BK
I am so over Burger King. After getting my "order" (unsweetened iced tea only) wrong twice last week, I realized there's no real reason to go there anymore. After all I just went there for the potential refills. I have now moved on. There's a McDonald's down the street that has tea for the same price although the do not have self-serve drinks. They do, however, seem to know the difference between unsweetened tea & sweetened tea. I am now a patron of the golden arches!
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Happy Birthday
Happy first birthday, Drew! It has been a year of love & laughter . . . wishing you a world filled with happiness today & always!
I love you,
Nina
I love you,
Nina
Monday, May 07, 2007
Weekend Woes
Ground Hog's Day . . .
Yesterday while mowing my back yard I spotted a HUGE ground hog standing beside my storage shed. I assumed my mower running at full speed would be my protection as I attempted to point it at him while staring him down. Unperturbed, he stared back. I began to get rather skittish when he stuffed his large body under the shed. Fortunately I had already mowed in that area because I became afraid to go near the shed. When I finished mowing I was too scared to put the mower back into the shed & instead put it in my garage. It has occurred to me, however, that both my gas & my oil for the mower are still in the shed. Hopefully one of my sons will come check it out for me before I need to mow again.
Crisis Averted . . .
While Ryan, Renea, Owen, & Rachael were visiting this weekend, we were discussing our beach vacation. I pulled out the beach info only to find that my contract had the wrong week on it!!! Of course I had already made a deposit of 50% so I was rather undone. I called the rental office which, naturally, was closed but would reopen Sunday at 8 am. I couldn't get to the phone fast enough on Sunday & was told that I was probably stuck since the my deposit had already been sent to the owner. I expressed that it was good that I had purhased trip insurance & was told that this circumstance would not be covered. It was suggested that I call on Monday & speak to the manager. So today I did call & was pleasantly surprised to find that the agent who had booked the condo admitted that it was her mistake & was willing to help me work something else out. She emailed me 5 other places to check out & was very accomodating. I did find another place in the same complex . . . ocean view, not ocean front . . . but otherwise nice & clean with the same ammenities. I can only imagine the snafu we might have had if we hadn't had a conversation about vacation Saturday evening & had instead just shown up on the wrong date!
Yesterday while mowing my back yard I spotted a HUGE ground hog standing beside my storage shed. I assumed my mower running at full speed would be my protection as I attempted to point it at him while staring him down. Unperturbed, he stared back. I began to get rather skittish when he stuffed his large body under the shed. Fortunately I had already mowed in that area because I became afraid to go near the shed. When I finished mowing I was too scared to put the mower back into the shed & instead put it in my garage. It has occurred to me, however, that both my gas & my oil for the mower are still in the shed. Hopefully one of my sons will come check it out for me before I need to mow again.
Crisis Averted . . .
While Ryan, Renea, Owen, & Rachael were visiting this weekend, we were discussing our beach vacation. I pulled out the beach info only to find that my contract had the wrong week on it!!! Of course I had already made a deposit of 50% so I was rather undone. I called the rental office which, naturally, was closed but would reopen Sunday at 8 am. I couldn't get to the phone fast enough on Sunday & was told that I was probably stuck since the my deposit had already been sent to the owner. I expressed that it was good that I had purhased trip insurance & was told that this circumstance would not be covered. It was suggested that I call on Monday & speak to the manager. So today I did call & was pleasantly surprised to find that the agent who had booked the condo admitted that it was her mistake & was willing to help me work something else out. She emailed me 5 other places to check out & was very accomodating. I did find another place in the same complex . . . ocean view, not ocean front . . . but otherwise nice & clean with the same ammenities. I can only imagine the snafu we might have had if we hadn't had a conversation about vacation Saturday evening & had instead just shown up on the wrong date!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Disconnected
Earlier this week I read my son Trent's blog about the problems he was having getting a satellite dish installed. All those phone calls & so much frustration made me really feel his pain!
Well, I may not be able to top Trent's story, but I certainly can add my own tale of woe. Several weeks ago I placed a call to Time Warner to see what it would cost to have phone service. I pay an average of $60 a month to Verizon so I was thrilled when I was told that Time Warner phone service was only $25 a month with unlimited long distance. Sensing immediately that I would be saving $35 per month, I then inquired about adding DVR & high def to my current "bundle." All together my monthly bill would be $129 for all these services. Since I currently pay $103 for cable in addition to my $60 phone bill, I jumped on this with both feet. I was told, however, that I would have to wait 3 weeks for a service call to install. I scheduled an appointment for April 11. The gave me a "window" of 10-12 for installation.
The day before my scheduled installation I called Time Warner to confirm the appointment & to be sure they had my office & cell phone numbers. I explained that I worked 10-15 minutes from my home & asked if the technician would call when he was starting for my house. The CSR I spoke with told me we were all set. On the day of the appointment no one had called me by 11:20 so I decided to go home to wait for the technician. When I got home I found a phone message from the man who was to do the installation stating that he was on my front porch, & no one was home. I then called the company & was told that they do not call ahead & that I must be home for the entire 2 hour window to let the technician in. I explained that I had called the day before to give my phone numbers & was not told that calling would not be an option. Although the CSR apologized he explained that he was in Denver & could do nothing but reschedule. I got an appointment for 2 days later (Friday) with a window of 8-10.
Thursday morning my brother asked me if I could take my dad to the doctor for a 9 am appointment. I told him I would call Time Warner & see if I could change my installation time. Upon calling the company I was told that they need 72 hours notice to change to another time on the same day. The best they could do was to cancel & reschedule for the following week. Of course my dad's appointment took precedence over my cable/phone installation, so I cancelled & rescheduled for Monday.
Later on Thursday I was driving home from work & stuck in a large line of traffic. I decided to call my house & retrieve my messages. I got a message that my phone had been disconnected! I then called my brother to confirm my dad's appointment time & to tell him that if he needed to reach me he would have to call my cell phone. He did call my cell later to tell me that Dad had been confused & his appointment was actually for 12:30--I could actually have kept my cable appointment! So, I am disconnected for the weekend. Hopefully, my service can & will resume on Monday.
Well, I may not be able to top Trent's story, but I certainly can add my own tale of woe. Several weeks ago I placed a call to Time Warner to see what it would cost to have phone service. I pay an average of $60 a month to Verizon so I was thrilled when I was told that Time Warner phone service was only $25 a month with unlimited long distance. Sensing immediately that I would be saving $35 per month, I then inquired about adding DVR & high def to my current "bundle." All together my monthly bill would be $129 for all these services. Since I currently pay $103 for cable in addition to my $60 phone bill, I jumped on this with both feet. I was told, however, that I would have to wait 3 weeks for a service call to install. I scheduled an appointment for April 11. The gave me a "window" of 10-12 for installation.
The day before my scheduled installation I called Time Warner to confirm the appointment & to be sure they had my office & cell phone numbers. I explained that I worked 10-15 minutes from my home & asked if the technician would call when he was starting for my house. The CSR I spoke with told me we were all set. On the day of the appointment no one had called me by 11:20 so I decided to go home to wait for the technician. When I got home I found a phone message from the man who was to do the installation stating that he was on my front porch, & no one was home. I then called the company & was told that they do not call ahead & that I must be home for the entire 2 hour window to let the technician in. I explained that I had called the day before to give my phone numbers & was not told that calling would not be an option. Although the CSR apologized he explained that he was in Denver & could do nothing but reschedule. I got an appointment for 2 days later (Friday) with a window of 8-10.
Thursday morning my brother asked me if I could take my dad to the doctor for a 9 am appointment. I told him I would call Time Warner & see if I could change my installation time. Upon calling the company I was told that they need 72 hours notice to change to another time on the same day. The best they could do was to cancel & reschedule for the following week. Of course my dad's appointment took precedence over my cable/phone installation, so I cancelled & rescheduled for Monday.
Later on Thursday I was driving home from work & stuck in a large line of traffic. I decided to call my house & retrieve my messages. I got a message that my phone had been disconnected! I then called my brother to confirm my dad's appointment time & to tell him that if he needed to reach me he would have to call my cell phone. He did call my cell later to tell me that Dad had been confused & his appointment was actually for 12:30--I could actually have kept my cable appointment! So, I am disconnected for the weekend. Hopefully, my service can & will resume on Monday.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Quick Update
Ok, I admit it. I have been shamelessly lurking on both the Rivals & Scout message boards for news on Coach Beilein for the past few days. Yes, it had become an addiction. I could hardly tear myself away for fear of missing late-breaking news. I have my favorite sources on the Scout boards--Mexman & Eerhole. They seem to be spot on with inside information--none of which during the past few days has been positive. I realized that I had become rather obsessed when I began quoting them to the Progressive rep who was in our office today. Although the Beilein drama is now over, I now find myself enmeshed in the questions/theories on the coaching search, potential loss of players & recruits, etc. I really do have too much going on to be so involved, but it's irresistible to me right now.
I know my son, Adam, does not care for Joakim Noah of Florida basketball fame; however, I always kind of liked him for staying in school out of loyalty to his teammates. I loved him, however, on Monday night when Florida won the national championship, & he went climbing up through the crowd to hug his mom & share the moment with her.
The Burger King near my office now has 2 large new signs with their refill policy for drinks. I'll just call them the Starrett/Zundell memorial posters & let it go at that. The new manager there is reminiscent of the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfield.
I know my son, Adam, does not care for Joakim Noah of Florida basketball fame; however, I always kind of liked him for staying in school out of loyalty to his teammates. I loved him, however, on Monday night when Florida won the national championship, & he went climbing up through the crowd to hug his mom & share the moment with her.
The Burger King near my office now has 2 large new signs with their refill policy for drinks. I'll just call them the Starrett/Zundell memorial posters & let it go at that. The new manager there is reminiscent of the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfield.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Miscellaneous
Is it me or do you need to be an interpreter to work with the public? In our insurance agency, we could compile a hilarious list of mispronunciations of car names. For example, a customer called to delete his "Tota" & add a Mercury "Stable." He was indeed the second customer to call this car a "Stable" rather than a "Sable;" however, the "Tota" for "Toyota" was a definite first. Another customer called about her Ford "Expire" which is certainly an unflatering version of "Aspire." One of our insureds had several conversations about her Mercury "Mesquite" (Mystique) which was also called "Mystic" by another customer. We have had a number of versions of Hyundai with my favorite being hy-YOOON-die. References to having an insurance policy "shut off" as if it were a utility is also amusing. Then, of course, there is the ever popular plural reference to a driver's license, i.e., "I have to get 'them' renewed or 'they've' expired." And I always enjoy someone calling for a "quota" (quote) for insurance.
Iced Tea Recap: Well, I am going to write or call corporate headquarters at BK about our iced tea. Really, if drive-thru customers may not refill, shouldn't the price be lower? Are we expected to subsidize all the dine-in patrons with their multiple refills?
Bring on Nancy & Jill--At the NIT quarterfinals Nancy & I got caught inadvertently behind he Mountaineer basketball team huddle. When the rifle was fired, the band struck up the fight song, & the team was announced . . . "Let's bring on the Mountaineers" . . . Nancy & I were practically on the court behind the players & coaching staff! A WVU staffer was working diligently to roll out the carpet stopping & starting between us as we tried to find the aisle on the floor to get back to our seats.
Iced Tea Recap: Well, I am going to write or call corporate headquarters at BK about our iced tea. Really, if drive-thru customers may not refill, shouldn't the price be lower? Are we expected to subsidize all the dine-in patrons with their multiple refills?
Bring on Nancy & Jill--At the NIT quarterfinals Nancy & I got caught inadvertently behind he Mountaineer basketball team huddle. When the rifle was fired, the band struck up the fight song, & the team was announced . . . "Let's bring on the Mountaineers" . . . Nancy & I were practically on the court behind the players & coaching staff! A WVU staffer was working diligently to roll out the carpet stopping & starting between us as we tried to find the aisle on the floor to get back to our seats.
Monday, February 19, 2007
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Sometimes it's hard to be good or do good. I seldom spend a whole day trying to be good or do good things, so when I do try I guess I expect the universe to recognize this attempt & support me. This Sunday after braving the ice & snow to go to choir & church, I delivered some homemade cookies & brownies to my nephew Jay who was driving back to school. Since I had offered to drive another nephew, Brooks, to the airport in Pittsburgh, I hurriedly went to fill my car up with gas. I stepped right out of my car into a huge mud puddle that totally covered both of my suede (& only) boots. Frustrated I proceeded to pump my gas & accidentally touched my car with my cream colored corduroy pants & got a huge black mark on them. I went home to change my pants & hopefully dry my boots. I threw my boots in the clothes dryer & my pants in the washer, then got a quick bite to eat. I did manage to get my boots fairly dry & put them on & prepared to leave. I was going to visit my parents & write checks for their bills before we needed to leave for Pittsburgh. Grabbing my coat I (fortunately) noticed that one of the cats had thrown up on it. GEEZ! So I quickly throw my coat in the washer, my pants in the dryer, grab another coat & leave for my parents house to pay their bills before picking up Brooks.
Brooks & I leave a little early for Pittsburgh due to weather concerns & have a nice chance to visit during our trip. On the way I find that I have exhausted my windshield wiper fluid so we stop near the airport so that I can buy some. Brooks puts it in for me & fills it to the gills: however, it won't come out to wash my windshield. After dropping him off at the airport I decide to run my windshield defrost hoping that my frozen fluid will begin working, but that doesn't help. I have to stop several times to wash off my windshield. It is now dark, snowy, icy, & it would be difficult to see even with a clean windshield.
Finally I arrived home safe & relatively sound but feeling I deserved an easier time in a day I was just trying to be helpful!
Brooks & I leave a little early for Pittsburgh due to weather concerns & have a nice chance to visit during our trip. On the way I find that I have exhausted my windshield wiper fluid so we stop near the airport so that I can buy some. Brooks puts it in for me & fills it to the gills: however, it won't come out to wash my windshield. After dropping him off at the airport I decide to run my windshield defrost hoping that my frozen fluid will begin working, but that doesn't help. I have to stop several times to wash off my windshield. It is now dark, snowy, icy, & it would be difficult to see even with a clean windshield.
Finally I arrived home safe & relatively sound but feeling I deserved an easier time in a day I was just trying to be helpful!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Real Life
The recent news is giving credibility to the shows of both Jerry Springer & Maury Povich. There was a time when their guests & topics seemed absurd; however, our news is currently filled with such absurdity.
Anna Nicole Smith's recent death has brought forth at least three additional men who claim they are/could be the father of her baby. I have to believe that if her companion, Howard K. Stern, were actually the father, he would have already taken a DNA test. Not only are there several claiming paternity, but also, there is a fight over her burial.
Last week we had the astronaut who drove cross country in Depends to confront & possibly kill her rival. This seemed to captivate the attention of many since it is believed that astronauts are among the best & brightest in this country.
Of course the antics of Brittney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan are always front & center news. Understandably, Paris needs this kind of press since she is famous only for these types of activities. Brittney & Lindsey, however, did have careers which, in my opinion, are not served well by this kind of publicity.
Today we have the father who assaulted his son's wrestling opponent on the mat after his son was pinned. Whoa! He is making the soccer moms look really good.
Jerry, Maury, you have only to turn on CNN to line up your next guests!
Anna Nicole Smith's recent death has brought forth at least three additional men who claim they are/could be the father of her baby. I have to believe that if her companion, Howard K. Stern, were actually the father, he would have already taken a DNA test. Not only are there several claiming paternity, but also, there is a fight over her burial.
Last week we had the astronaut who drove cross country in Depends to confront & possibly kill her rival. This seemed to captivate the attention of many since it is believed that astronauts are among the best & brightest in this country.
Of course the antics of Brittney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan are always front & center news. Understandably, Paris needs this kind of press since she is famous only for these types of activities. Brittney & Lindsey, however, did have careers which, in my opinion, are not served well by this kind of publicity.
Today we have the father who assaulted his son's wrestling opponent on the mat after his son was pinned. Whoa! He is making the soccer moms look really good.
Jerry, Maury, you have only to turn on CNN to line up your next guests!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Car Escapades
Yesterday I decided it had finally become warm enough to rinse my filthy car off. I had applied Windex to all my windows in an effort to be able to see while driving, but my car has had to be parked on the street at work several times lately & became disgustingly dirty. Well, I went to the touchless automatic car wash & paid for the basic wash. After fighting to get each of my dollars inserted & accepted, at long last I received the message to drive into the carwash. The door was down so I assumed someone else was in there. After waiting several minutes I realized that no one was inside & the door was not going to open. So I pushed the "refund" button; however no refund came out of the machine. I pushed this button several times to no avail. Amazingly, the door suddenly came up, & I started to drive in. It dawned on me while I was driving forward that no instructional lights were on, such as "DRIVE FORWARD." I became rather panicked at the thought of driving in & having the door close permantly behind me--a claustrophobic's worst nightmare! So I left after taking down a phone number on the building to call & attempt to get my money back.
On my way to work this morning I went to the drive-thru at my bank. After exiting & before I could get my window up, a huge truck zipped by me splashing water in through my window. No only did I have mud spattered on my car & my jacket, but also I had several huge spots of mud on my face. I continue driving to work trying to dab at the mud on my face with my gloves. By the time I got to work I had only succeeded in spreading the mud out & looking like I had just returned from a round in the mud wrestling pit. Before I went into my office, I sat in the back parking lot with tissues & hand sanitizer & removed the mud from my face. What a way to start the day!
On my way to work this morning I went to the drive-thru at my bank. After exiting & before I could get my window up, a huge truck zipped by me splashing water in through my window. No only did I have mud spattered on my car & my jacket, but also I had several huge spots of mud on my face. I continue driving to work trying to dab at the mud on my face with my gloves. By the time I got to work I had only succeeded in spreading the mud out & looking like I had just returned from a round in the mud wrestling pit. Before I went into my office, I sat in the back parking lot with tissues & hand sanitizer & removed the mud from my face. What a way to start the day!
Monday, February 05, 2007
The Green Eyed Monster
Most of my friends are teachers, & I am sooooo jealous of them as they spend weeks on end in the summer enjoying travel & fun. However, I have never been more jealous than I am today as I prepare to go to work in 4 degree weather. In the past two weeks we have had school cancelled for a dusting of snow, for water problems, and now due to extremely cold weather. Oh, I know teachers work hard when they have school, but having so much time off certainly would make the hard work worth it for me! I'll think of my teacher friends as I don my longjohns & brave the elements to get to my job.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Partners in Crime
My son, Trent, was informed by the man who rents his townhouse that two trees had been damaged in a storm & needed to be removed. He offered to cut the trees down himself if Trent could get someone to remove them. Since Trent lives in Baltimore & the townhouse is in Morgantown, he called me to see if I could arrange for the trees to be hauled away. I in turn asked my son, Adam, who lives in Morgantown, to drive by to assess the scope of the job. After driving to the townhouse & emailing me a picture, we both agreed that we could handle the job ourselves. So a couple of Saturdays ago in 19 degree weather, Adam & I borrowed a pickup from my dad, bundled up, & drove to the townhouse.
We had planned to fill the truck with the trees & drive to Fairmont to dump it all on my dad's compost pile or in the woods on my property. Somehow the small pile of trees loomed much larger when we actually got up close. We realized that it would be at least two full loads of the pickup. Not wanting to make two round trips to Fairmont, we filled the truck & began to scout around for a place to unload the chopped down trees. Fortunately, we did not have to look far; there was a wooded area in Trent's development that appeared to already contain a couple of discarded Christmas trees. Adam parked the truck, & we quickly unloaded while glancing around to be sure no one would see us. (We did remember the dumpster incident from a few years ago when Trent was nearly arrested for illegally dumping trash in a dumpster . . . who knew putting trash in a trash container was illegal!)
Adam suggested that we scout out another location to dump the second load. This time we feared we might be pushing our luck to stay in the neighborhood to get rid of the trees. After driving through Suncrest we decided that the woods around a college apartment complex would be a suitable spot. (We had seen "no dumping" signs in Suncrest & rationalized that we could then dump where these signs were not posted.) Our assumption was that college students would be sleeping at 9 am on a Saturday & that we could go unobserved, just in case. We returned to the townhouse & loaded the truck back up. We drove back to the apartment complex & moving with lightning speed, we were stealth in getting rid of the remaining tree branches. Mission accomplished!
We had planned to fill the truck with the trees & drive to Fairmont to dump it all on my dad's compost pile or in the woods on my property. Somehow the small pile of trees loomed much larger when we actually got up close. We realized that it would be at least two full loads of the pickup. Not wanting to make two round trips to Fairmont, we filled the truck & began to scout around for a place to unload the chopped down trees. Fortunately, we did not have to look far; there was a wooded area in Trent's development that appeared to already contain a couple of discarded Christmas trees. Adam parked the truck, & we quickly unloaded while glancing around to be sure no one would see us. (We did remember the dumpster incident from a few years ago when Trent was nearly arrested for illegally dumping trash in a dumpster . . . who knew putting trash in a trash container was illegal!)
Adam suggested that we scout out another location to dump the second load. This time we feared we might be pushing our luck to stay in the neighborhood to get rid of the trees. After driving through Suncrest we decided that the woods around a college apartment complex would be a suitable spot. (We had seen "no dumping" signs in Suncrest & rationalized that we could then dump where these signs were not posted.) Our assumption was that college students would be sleeping at 9 am on a Saturday & that we could go unobserved, just in case. We returned to the townhouse & loaded the truck back up. We drove back to the apartment complex & moving with lightning speed, we were stealth in getting rid of the remaining tree branches. Mission accomplished!
Friday, February 02, 2007
ground hog day
I've always found ground hog day confusing. Yes, I know that if a certain ground hog in PA ("Phil") sees his shadow on February 2, it means six more weeks of winter. What I don't know is which scenario do we hope for. Is six weeeks a good thing, as in we ONLY have six weeks of winter left. Or is it a bad thing? I wish someone who enlighten me.
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