Out of the Mouth of Babes

There's some things kids say that you should never forget. I want to remember this little gem so I am documenting it for future reference. It was just that special and so right on!

All stories need a little set up...so I will set the scene for you.


The other day, Mr. Grocery Shopper (Mr. GS) and I were discussing the latest and greatest forays of the addicts/alcoholics and other assorted hanger-ons that frequent my humble abode in the ear-shot of his adorable, 5 year old grandson. As an only child he's often privy to adult conversations and in some ways, he's waaaay beyond his Kindergarten peers with his ability to communicate.

After providing Mr. GS with all the gory details of my children's latest and greatest disasters...this is what I heard:

Mr GS (standing up dramatically, said with suitable disgust): "MY GOD THEY ARE SUCH A BUNCH OF LOSERS!"

Adorable 5 yr Old (shaking his head): "You got THAT RIGHT!"


It's pretty bad when even a 5 year old can see it!

Catching Up!

Has it really been TWO months since I've posted here? Time certainly flies when one is having fun and fully participating in life and love! Life has been very GOOD to me as it has unfolded these past few months. So good; that I haven't felt the need to purge my brain here in my blog. I think I am more prone to write here when I am depressed, so the lack of material may be a very good thing. Let's catch up here; shall we?


It's a BOY! Ab's now about 7 months pregnant and doing very well. The baby is due January 1st; a few weeks after she turns 18. She still continues to impress and surprise me with her ongoing maturity. The most impressive decision she made recently was to fully purchase a mobile home with some of her settlement as a result of her father's work-related death. It was a 2007 model in a nearby mobile park community, which was beautiful and bank owned. We put in a bid for way under their asking price of nearly 50 thousand and to our surprise and delight, the bank accepted. As she couldn't own it on her own until she was of age, I handled the purchase and will sign it over to her later. She and her boyfriend (and his mother) are living there now. IF her relationship with the baby's father doesn't last, at least she will OWN her own home! I am so very grateful that she had the opportunity to make such an investment at her age. The boyfriend is now working, nearly full-time and they are struggling to learn budgeting and finding out how difficult this "adult" stuff can be. Oh how I remember those days!


It's been 6 months for Mr. GS and I! We are very, very happy together and get along so well, it's scary! Life is always an adventure with him and I have done so many things that I would have never experienced without this relationship; like going Jeep and quad riding on the dunes. Wicked fun!!! I've been (cat) "fishin' in the dark!" and out fishing on huge lakes on a pontoon boat in Tennessee. And, who could forget the zipline in Alaska? We've been to OKC and visited family, the OKC Murrah Building Bombing Memorial, Toby Keith's "I LOVE THIS BAR"...bar and grill and the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame in Tennessee, among tons of other stuff. Along our trips, we've eaten some mean bbq, catfish and I introduced him to fried okra...an Okie delicacy! He's hooked! We try to eat at places that we'd not normally find near home, so that's been an adventure in itself. As we both love to eat, we make sure we exercise as well. He puts in an impressive 2 hour workout each day! I am walking about a mile and a half, or two miles nearly every day and I hope to work up to more. More trips are in the works for us! In November we are attending the Baja 1000 in Mexico, where we will be part of his son's pit crew as he races. In June, his son won the Baja 500 on a quad! We might go to Germany in the Spring if his sister gets married there as planned! Here's a photo from our recent Alaskan Cruise and one that I snapped of his son getting some air with his quad at the dunes!

We had a wonderful Summer visit with Fly Boy and his family! He was home for his "mid-tour" break from Afghanistan and we had lots of positive family time together. Fly Boy returned to Afghanistan after his two weeks, with just a few months left there. He is expected home from this deployment near Christmas and will be transferred to Alabama shortly after his return, where he will be a Helicopter Flight Instructor. He hopes that will keep him Stateside until he retires in a few years! Here's a photo I snapped of Fly Boy and my oldest Grandson as we are riding the General Jackson paddle boat up the Cumberland River! I think it's my allllll time favorite snapshot! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my youngest grandson, who I had not seen since he was a newborn in January! He's adorable! Look for yourself!

Well, that's it for now! I hope all is well with my Blogger friends! I have missed you and hope to be able to come by to catch up with you soon! Blessings! Lisa

A Few Wedding Shots!

As I am such a good procrastinator...and have only left this computer long enough to go out and purchase my hair color; having no motivation to actually do the deed, I decided to share a few shots from the wedding I photographed recently, instead. Above the Bride and Groom enjoy a dance during the Reception! Soft focus effect added to this shot in the editing process.



The bride gave the attendants and me a personalized wine glass to mark the occasion! Mine said.."I photographed Heather and Myron's Wedding and all I got was this stupid glass!" Isn't it pretty?



The gorgeous and very tasty wedding cake. In case you couldn't tell, the wedding colors were purple and black!

Slacker Sunday

I've decided to follow my friend Pam's style of bulleting in this entry as I don't really have too much to say, but I am feeling compelled to just purge my head a little. Here are a couple more photos from our Northern California mountain trip. Double click to enlarge!

• I am finding myself very attached to this computer, since Mr. GS is out of town. But, it's also interfering with my need to do something constructive with my time, like clean my bedroom or color my hair.......both of which are long overdue. I am missing Mr. GS, who motivates me to do a lot more than sit my fat, lazy fanny in front of this computer!


• Tomorrow, nearly 5 years after my father's death, his ashes are being buried with military honors in our NEW Veteran's Cemetery which is finally accepting remains. I am grateful to our town's little cemetery which let me "temporarily" house his cremains until the National Cemetery opened. BIG Thanks to my younger brother who took care of the arrangements this time!


• Ab is now 17 weeks pregnant! She has amazed me with her maturity and concerns for her own health and the healthy development and well-being of her growing child.


• Her baby's father has not yet found a job and hasn't tried very hard, in my opinion. That is causing Ab some stress and we've talked about the situation. She says she loves him, but also realizes how immature he still is in many ways.


• If he can obtain a job in this economy, I am going to do something I said I wouldn't do EVAH again....I am going to rent my rental house to he and Abbie. His mother is going to move into the attached Mother-in-Law apartment to help with the rent and Ab will be paid to provide some medical care to her, which will allow Abbie some income during her pregnancy.


• My oldest daughter "detoxed" herself from her vicodin about 38 days ago! I am amazed and very proud of her. She's doing this on her own without a program. I can't help but wonder how long it will last? I realize I need my Al-Anon program more than ever!


• My HERO son....a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, will be home for his Mid Tour break in August. I am so excited to see him and his family in TN when he arrives! I haven't seen my grandsons since January, when my 2nd grandson was just a few days old! Needless to say...I CAN'T WAIT!


• Recently, as he requested, I met all of Mr. GS's extended family during a "Home Town" visit. In August, he will meet many of mine as we are driving to OKC and then on to TN for vacation and to visit with my CW3 Pilot and his family.


• Mr. GS hasn't travelled much past New Mexico, so I am excited to share this adventure with him, especially the Nashville area where we will both enjoy the Grand Ol' Opry and my condo on the Cumberland River!


• My "first true love" from High School befriended me on Facebook the other day. He left me a "wall" message saying I gave him the "best kisses ever" back then! Ahhhh...memories. On the other hand, he also sent me an email that just said "Aruba" as the subject. Nothing else in the entire email, simply ARUBA. We were in contact back in 2001 near our 30th reunion which he couldn't attend. He sent some unintelligible emails back then too. I've decided he hit his head one too many times while we were surfing as teens back in the 70s or he's still smoking organic material that is probably interfering with his thought processes. Maybe he'd like me to go to Aruba. I'm thinking that's not a good idea. I am soooo over it-40 years later.


• Call me shallow, but I absolutely can't wait to see the final episode of The Bachelorette tomorrow night! I think Kip is probably the better choice for her, but I believe Reid is coming back to make a serious play for her in the end. There's just something about Ed that makes me a little uncomfortable. He's cute, but I find him a little odd and kinda fishy.


• I recently photographed a wedding. It scared me to death to do it, but I took something like 500 shots. I am pretty happy with how most of the images turned out via editing. I don't think I ever want to do a wedding again! It's a lot of work!


• I think it's time to get off this computer and do my hair!

Emerging!

"Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place."

~Zora Neale Hurston

In the past 4 months, I have found that my soul has really crawled out from its hiding place and I am happier than I can remember! Spending quality time with someone who is open to being loved and loving someone in return has been very fulfilling; providing me with peace, joy and lots of new adventures! We always seem to manage to have lots of fun! Experiencing laughter on a daily basis is the icing on the cake of love!

This past week I spent time with Mr. GS as he tended to his 89 year old Mother's needs in the hospital, after she fell and broke her hip; requiring surgery. They say you can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his Mom! I was impressed and very touched by his caring, thoughtful nature as he gently fed her and carried on meaningful conversations with her even when she didn't seem to be comprehending much. But, there were plenty of funny times where they'd banter back and forth and she was razor sharp! He really enjoyed those moments as did I!

There were extremely frustrating times where she'd rip her IV out, over and over again, and times when she was verbally and physically abusive to her son and staff! He hung in there and continued to be loving and supportive of her and her caretakers, wanting only the best for his feisty Mama.

At night, we'd drop by a fast food place where he'd buy her "favorite" chocolate milkshake and then tease her that he "had to sneak it in to the hospital" as she lapped it up! He recently began going in to the hospital every few hours in the middle of the night, to move her extremities since she's been totally uncooperative with the physical therapists.

In between hospital visits we would trek out into the wilderness in his trusty Jeep, enjoying the beautiful scenery in the California Gold Rush area where he grew up! One day we crossed streams and creeks off the beaten path of the Sonora Pass and headed up to 10,000 feet to a pristine lake that was surrounded by cool mountains that still had some patches of snow! It was breath-taking and so remote that I had to pee on a tree! You heard me! I......peed on a tree! And by the time the jeep ride was over, I was the dirtiest I've EVER been in my life and I liked it! Imagine that! Oh, and when we headed back down the highway that night, a bear ran out in the road in front of us and we came this >< close to hitting it...on MY side! Scary...especially with the doors off on the Jeep!!!

Anyway, I took tons of photos of wildflowers and awesome scenery that only those familiar with the area and in possession of a 4WD vehicle would get to see!

Here's a couple for you to drool over! They will enlarge if you double click them!








(As Mr. GS remains up North until Monday, I have enjoyed some computer time that I don't normally get much of anymore! I know I still have to write about our cruise to Alaska! I've edited most of those photos and will get to that story soon! In the meantime, know that I am happily busy and enjoying life, love and my retirement!

Saturday's Six Words

Slaving over a hot laptop today!

Yes, when the Cat's away, the mouse will play on the computer to her heart's content!




You can play Six Word Saturday with Cate...HERE! Go have some fun; it's Saturday! <--Hey, another six words for today! <---And another! Damn, I am on it today! <--Again!

Please help me! I can't quit! LOL!!!

Six Word Saturday! Taking the Right Exit this time!

Driving right past his exit today!

Play along with Cate here!

I Just Love a Man Who Goes After What He Wants!

And....to give me a choice in the matter too? Priceless!

Mr. GS has an absolutely adorable 5 year old grandson...who just happens to be an only child. He's used to getting his way and having the adults in his life at his disposal. He's bilingual, which makes me melt and soooooo very cute that it's just hard to resist giving in to him!




The other day he crawled up next to me with TWO storybooks in hand and said..........


"Lisa....Which one of these books do you want to read to me first?"



Come on! Say it with me....."AWWWWWWWW!"

Something tells me he's going to be just fine in life! Especially with the ladies!

Where Have I Been, You Ask?

Well, in addition to Mr. Grocery Shopper being an accident waiting to happen (referring to the broken ankle he got on our zip line "adventure" and the ongoing medical appointments), it seems he's also Mr. Johnny-on-the-Spot when it comes to being an unsung Good Samaritan!



About a week and a half ago, he narrowly missed being hit head on by an out-of- control car careening toward him on one of our local roads. The driver swerved both ways in front of him, crossing back and forth in both lanes until the vehicle jumped a barbed wire fence and she rolled....end over end and side to side before coming to rest in a nearby field. As Mr. GS saw all kinds of things flying out of her car as it rolled he assumed the worst and quickly went to the rescue, fearing people had been ejected and the strong possibility of a fire starting in the dry grass. He scaled the fence, with his casted broken leg and ran to her car as someone else who stopped called 9-1-1.

She was dazed and confused (and later determined to have only bruises and scratches) and wanted to get out of the car despite his pleas to remain there until medical help arrived. As he was concerned about a fire starting, he worked desperately to open the crushed car door using all the strength he could muster and he apparently smacked his elbow on the vehicle with the momentum of his back swing.

The next morning he was complaining of severe pain in is elbow and thought maybe he'd chipped it when he hit it on the car. By that afternoon, the elbow was very swollen, extremely painful and hot to the touch so we headed down the mountain to our HMO's Urgent Care. They took an xray and determined it wasn't broken, providing an initial diagnosis of "Traumatic Bursitis." But, they did warn us to watch for it turning into cellulitis...a serious infection of the skin/tissue.

We left Saturday morning to visit his family in the Northern California Gold Rush area and by Sunday night, we were in the ER where he was diagnosed with a life threatening case of cellulitis. The infection had spread up and down his arm! They didn't hospitalize him because we were traveling, instead giving him an injection of anti-biotics and instructions to report to the ER again once we returned home the next day.

To make a long story short.....we've (actually I've) been driving UP and DOWN the mountain, DAILY so he can have IV antibiotic treatments in our HMO's Urgent Care. It's their alternative to hospitalization. So, you see, we're now dealing with a broken right leg/ankle and a severely infected right arm!

(Update-Since I began this entry in between medical visits, he's now had his last..we hope....IV and is now continuing with 2 types of oral anti-biotics and a mouthwash to deal with the Thrush infection in his mouth-thanks to massive doses of anti-biotic meds!)



And for me? I developed an (<----operative word here...as in only ONE eye as WHO would drive?) eye infection that so far has required TWO darn trips to Urgent Care, which fortunately were at the very same place he was receiving his IV.

How convienient.

I swear, the two of us together don't make one healthy person!

Anyone need a ride to Bakersfield? I am sure we'll be heading there soon!

Sanitizers and Sniffles.......

Someone must have coughed in my vicinity while I was on the cruise...or maybe it was the recirculating air on the airplane during the trip home. It could have been that I picked up this nasty virus during ONE the TWO emergency room visits we had to make....the first....while on the cruise, because Mr. Grocery Shopper BROKE HIS ANKLE while we were having a true "adventure in ziplining!" as advertised...in Ketchikan.

Truly a memorable moment.

More on that later.

Perhaps it was the stress involved in taking care of an injured traveling companion that made me a little "immune compromised."

But...I will tell you one thing. It wasn't from the fact that I DID NOT have sanitized hands.



Because I certainly had sanitized hands on the cruise as they've got one on the wall or a stand at least every 15 feet with a staff member standing over it, strongly encouraging the passengers to USE IT!

Getting off the ship, getting on the ship. Of course, it's especially important for those entering the buffet lines where it's likely the whole gastrointestinal outbreaks on ships begin. You can't get into a restaurant on board without using the handy-dandy, strategically placed hand sanitizers!

SO DAMN IT....I can't blame it on dirty hands.

Anyway....as soon as I am better I will write more and post Alaska photos!

I am back!

Stories and photos from an exciting and eventful Alaskan cruise will be forthcoming-after I rest up a bit! I seriously need a vacation from all that vacationing!

Alaska is spectacularly beautiful! Seeing Bald Eagles fly majestically overhead is commonplace!



(Photo Credit-Photo Bucket Search)

It's those little things that count!

Well, we're just about packed and busy finishing up last minute details before taking off tomorrow for Seattle to start the Alaskan Cruise.

I am so excited! Mr. Grocery Shopper is very excited too. Recently he had the opportunity to spend some time in one of his favorite "man" stores, Bass Pro Shop...where he made a few purchases for the trip. In addition to a two piece rainsuit that might come in handy on one of his Salmon/Halibut fishing trips, he got one of these nifty little thingys.......




Just in case you are like me and don't spend a lot of time in those kind of stores, I will explain what that is.....

It's a head lamp...kinda, sorta like what a miner might wear while deep down in the dark depths of the earth!

Stylish, huh!

I'll tell you, that Mr. Grocery Shopper is always thinkin'! He says he got it just in case we hit a glacier and have to jump on a lifeboat!

They'll be sure to find us with that beacon on his head!

Wellllllll, it could happen! ;)

But, seriously....I think it's daylight for about 23 hours a day right now in Alaska..isn't it?

He may need to save that handy-dandy headlamp for working underneath his Jeep after all!

New Man...New Adventures!

For the past two months, I have been dating Mr. Grocery Shopper and we've been having the time of our lives! (You'd think it was meant to be as much as we ran into each other in our local supermarkets!) We've known and worked with each other for about 23 years, and he's also recently retired from the Department at the same rank as me. So, we have a LOT in common and are as comfortable with each other as an old pair of shoes! He's extremely funny, loving, kind, thoughtful and active! Plus, he can cook, which is a huge bonus! I am extremely blessed to have him in my life and I can't remember the last time I've laughed as much as this! And...he says he's got a "keeper" in me.....so it's all good!

Mr. GS was widowed suddenly about 18 months ago, when his wife; a popular and very accomplished local teacher, suffered an aneurysm at the young age of fifty! They were married about 32 years when that happened and it nearly killed him too! But, he's made his way through the worst of it and he's now enjoying life like never before! About a month ago we took a weekend trip to Lake Tahoe, and recently we visited friends who were camping at our nearby Red Rock Canyon State Park, where we planned a 7 day Alaskan "Sawyer Glacier" Cruise with them! The prices right now are very affordable and we scored a cabin on the 10th deck, with a balcony for $800 each! Wooohooooo! Photo ops galore!



We fly to Seattle on June 5th, departing from there the next day! We've got tons of shore excursions planned, including a train ride, salmon and halibut fishing, and a zip line adventure.... with stops in Juneau, Ketchican, Skagway, and Prince Rupert! Doesn't that sound Heavenly?

Oh...and you know the best part?

I had to buy all new clothes for the trip and I found the perfect little black dress and awesome strappy heels for the Captain's Dinner! I'll be some serious arm candy!

Of course there will be tons of photos after I rest up, when we return on June 13th!!

I Knew IT!

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.

~Douglas Adams

It's official.

She got pregnant upon her Oklahoma arrival, about 8 weeks ago.

I guess we can say Ab is just carrying on a family tradition. I was also pregnant at age 17, as was my mother. In my case I had a miscarriage shortly after my 18th birthday. In my mother's case, I am the result of that backseat conception and personally, I am really glad to be here. My paternal great-grandmother was an unwed mother, when she gave birth to my beloved Grandma Jessie in 1916. Imagine the scandal during that day and age!

This is not something I would wish on my 17 year old daughter, but she and her boyfriend have made their bed...so to speak....and I will be supportive of them and help, without enabling. At their request, they are returning to California on June 16th to start again here. In fact, they are paying for their flight home, with money they've earned from working, which is impressive in itself!

Here, she will receive prenatal care under my insurance and I believe I will also be able to insure the baby once it is born. They want to get their own place and I am supportive of that, as long as they are able to make it on their own. As much as I am looking forward to having a grandbaby nearby, I really don't want them living here! So, I will assist them in whatever way I can. The baby is due at the end of December, just after Ab turns 18! She still plans to go to nursing school and has a positive outlook for their future!

It's out of my hands, so we'll all just make the best of this unexpected "blessing!"

I am hoping for a girl!!!

Might want to invest in a mask before getting near me!

It's not the swine flu...but close I am sure. I've seen corpses that have better color than I do right now. I've got it all, well...most of it. Temp. Body aches. Vomiting. Too much info, I know.....but I just want to whine here for a minute, okay.

After working in a prison for 25 years, I figured I'd probably been exposed and developed an immunity to most every type of illness known to man..........but, nooooooooooo!

Using my investigative techniques, I think I've narrowed down where I got this nasty little virus. I think Stevie Wonder could have figured it out as well. Yep. Two wild and germy little 5 year old boys that I was babysitting the other day.

As if ONE isn't bad enough? I had two!!

I believe the offending germs transferred to my 2 liter bottle of Diet Rite Cola, when the little monsters...ahem, little darlins decided to use their budding imaginations, and they began take turns rocking and placing slobbery wet kissess on the bottle of soda as if it were a baby?

I grabbed the slimy bottle away just about the time it looked as if whatever they were doing was going to get pornographic. Because, you know...boys will be boys! (I later discovered that the entire family of one of the boys had the stomach flu in the past few days!)

Later I latched on to the bottle, and stuck my hands into the ice bin to pour myself a tall icy glass of soda. And, the rest is history!

I've been banished to my room and Tam leaves fresh glasses of Sprite outside of my door, so she won't have to touch the doorknob because she has a serious puke phobia!!

If she escapes this one...I'll be really surprised!

Six Word Saturday.......

Grateful for my housekeeper's services today!






If you'd like to play along with Cate....click HERE!

Or NOT!!!

You know how there are some things you just know?

Those "things" that...deep in your heart and gut you know to be true!

I'd hate to compare anything like this to my "worst nightmare" but......it's kinda, sorta, like my my very worst nightmare.

It's certainly a terrifying and horrific thought at the very least!

ArrrGGGHHHHgggghhhh!


(Insert mournful and painful cry about broken dreams for your 17 year old kid HERE!)


I THINK....SHIT, I JUST KNOW.......... THE RUNAWAY AND EINSTEIN ARE PREGNANT!

Mourn...I mean, MORE later.

Lake Tahoe Photos-Click Each to Enlarge!

Lake Tahoe sparkles in the early morning light!




On a clear day you can see forever!




This shoreline is spectacularly beautiful!




Look how large the trees are in comparison to the man wearing a white t-shirt, just under the left group of trees, who's walking toward the center of the photo!!

Of Orthopedics and Oxygen..........

I fell hard for my new man in Lake Tahoe!

Literally.

Just call me Grace.

Believe me....It was not pretty and the after effects aren't pretty either, unless of course you are fond of all the brilliant colors found in bruising.

After a fun-filled weekend of food, family, and some loose slot machines, we finished up our visit with an early Monday morning sight-seeing trip around the lake. The natural light and array of clouds made for some awesome photo ops. I was quickly inspired and absorbed in the incredible beauty of the Emerald Bay section of the lake, which was back-dropped by mountain peaks covered in generous amounts of brilliant, glistening snow. A snow boarder's paradise, even this late in the season.

As I headed back to the car with my mind on the collection of natural wonder I was able to capture with my camera and looking forward to the editing process later that day....I failed to watch my step off the curb into the parking lot. Apparently, my right ankle rolled as it's done sooooo many times before and well............

SPLAT!



My camera went flying....OH THE HORRORS....as I heard a familiar snap in my ankle and I groaned with shock and pain, knowing I likely UNDID everything that the orthopedic surgeon worked so hard to repair just a short 3 years ago!

Lake Tahoe was still cold enough and of course, the perfect place to wear my very fashionable and warm chocolate brown Uggs, although they did nothing to support my ankle during the fall. However, I have found that type of footwear to be much easier to remove when the ankle/foot is swelling to impressive proportions!



(You may want to remember that little bit of advice if you are prone to dramatic falls) You're welcome!

We made the long 6 hour trip...("TRIP"...I cringe and shudder hearing that word now!) home with my ankle elevated on the dash, covered with an icebag that looked like this......



I had no idea such old-fashioned things still existed, but that's all we could come up with at the local Walgreen's. It definitely served me well, in that "building a better mouse trap" sort of way......with just a couple of stops for fresh ice on our journey.

Regardless of our prompt attention to the swelling, my ankle was severely traumatized and today, FOUR DAYS after the fact, this is what it looks like.....



Lovely, isn't it?

I saw the doctor on Tuesday and was examined and X-Rayed, then placed in a removable, padded walking brace that goes knee high. I am awaiting a referral to Orthopedics. In the past they've immobilized my ankle in a fiberglass cast for 6 weeks and I doubt this time will be different, considering the fact I had previous surgery to repair significant damage from the same type of falls.

FALLSSSSSSS...as in MULTIPLE!!!

Arggghhhhh!

As if injuring my foot and ankle wasn't enough....upon my return home, my CPAP machine became possessed!!! As I settled in to bed that night, the machine began to turn on and off and deliver a variety of air pressure guaranteed to cause me to either explode or die from a lack of oxygen in the night! I decided to try my luck without it and was pleased to wake up ALIVE the next morning...having apparently inhaled EVERY time I exhaled...which is extremely important to us people with sleep apnea! Yesterday I arranged to receive a new machine, under the warranty! I look forward to sleeping well....with my new machine tonight!

In the meantime, I am going to do a little reading, then take a nap and I will get to posting some of those Tahoe photos later today! I am happy to say the camera survived! Whew!

Lake Tahoe....Beautiful this time of year!

I haven't been on a weekend trip in quite awhile, but that's about to change! And, believe me......I seriously need a little get-away after all that crap with the rental house, so this is wonderful timing! Tomorrow morning a friend and I are heading to Lake Tahoe and we're going to stay and play HERE! It looks amazing and it was rated 3 and a half stars out of 4 on Priceline and you know the best part about it? I got the room for $69.00 a NIGHT using the "name your own price" feature!

I'm thinkin' that's a DEAL!! At least I hope so, considering the economy!

There should be some awesome photo ops too, so I will share a few shots when I get back next week! In the meantime, send me good thoughts for BIG wins on the slots!

Woooohooooo! I can't wait!

Oh Yeah! It was a Girl Fight!!

She generally gave herself good advice (though she very seldom followed it).

~Lewis Carroll

As I mentioned in a few previous entries, one should NEVER, ever, rent one's property to friends or family! My rental property is/was "rented" without the benefit of a rental agreement/security deposit....to one of Tam's seriously crazy best friends, her 4th and newly married husband who just happens to be an alcoholic, and her two teenage daughters....one of who is a mother of a two year old son.

They decided to quit paying rent nearly 4 months ago and needless to say...this has now created all kinds of problems for their family, mine and of course we're now ENEMIES! Imagine that!

Tam is furious that "CRAZY WOMAN" would treat "us" that way and well, I am once again realizing how my co-dependent/rescuing behavior got ME into this ugly situation.

Yeah, I know. I am shaking my head too, amazed that I would again show such a lack of common sense, since I've repeatedly rented to friends and family in the past. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson. I think I have this time. Today I will seek the assistance of a property manager for all future business.

BUSINESS. Yes, business.

See, I am learning!

Oh....but what about the girl fight you say?

Yesterday, I arranged to begin the property cleanup, as it was evident to me that they had abandoned what was left behind. I mean, Stevie Wonder could tell. The utilities were off, the place was trashed and it was obvious that they hadn't been inside for days. That's abandoned in my book!

A friend planned to drive his flat-bed/stake-side pick up there to load up the debris, a man was hired to start on the lawn and Tam and her boyfriend were set to meet me at the property to lend a hand. Ever the procrastinator, I was proud of my can-do attitude in the midst of what I initially felt was going to be an insurmountable task at hand. I was quickly deflated when I pulled up at the house and saw the "former" tenant's car in the driveway!

I decided it wouldn't be a good idea to stay on the property considering her propensity toward dramatic, confrontational behavior. I quickly called Tam's cell phone and left her a message that I was leaving the property and that she should NOT come to the house as CRAZY WOMAN was there! Then I left.

Unfortunately, Tam didn't get the message until she drove up in the driveway a few minutes later, only to have CRAZY WOMAN pull in behind her and block her. CRAZY WOMAN then exited her vehicle and stuck her finger in Tam's face repeatedly THROUGH THE OPEN CAR WINDOW, while yelling obscenities and threats about how we "burglarized" HER HOUSE!

Yes, she called it, HER HOUSE!



Anyway...I didn't see it, but it was pretty exciting according to Tam's boyfriend. He was thoroughly impressed by Tam's solid...... 1,2,3 PUNCHES to CRAZY WOMAN'S FACE, that occured after Tam decided enough was enough, and she got out of the car...only to be "sucker punched" by that maniacal former BEST FRIEND FOREVER who was calling Tam a "CRACK WHORE!" Yep, I am told it was very similar to the above graphic!

For clarification...Tam's a lot of things, but she's NO 'CRACK WHORE' thankyouverymuch!

I am surprised they both didn't go to jail. But, despite a report to the local Sheriff's Department, they considered it a "civil matter" however, I would disagree on the fight aspect of the situation. Lucky for the "girls" I suppose.

In the meantime, according to the Sheriff's Department, CRAZY WOMAN still has "standing" in MY house, because she has belongings there and I didn't officially complete the "eviction process" because I knew she was moving.

Is that some crazy crap, or what?

Wanna hear something even crazier?

CRAZY WOMAN'S teenage daughter, the one with the 2 year old son... came by yesterday saying her "crazy and violent" mother beat her up and kicked her out of the "new" house over the weekend. Teenage daughter then asked ME, if she and her toddler son could live with US!!!

US??

Do I HAVE CO-DEPENDENT RESCUER written on my forehead?

You know...if it wasn't for Al-Anon, I probably would have said yes!

Yes...I am that frickin' sick myself.

But, I am getting better!

Thank you God!

(And...what do you wanna bet that CRAZY WOMAN now has my car keys and I won't ever get them back?)

Let me entertain you....

It's likely I was very entertaining for my Higher Power yesterday afternoon!

I am sure I wasn't thinking clearly as I assessed the seemingly overwhelming mess left behind by my dead-beat tenants, who finally moved out after 3 months of not paying their rent.

The garage was filled with an assortment of old furniture, knob-less appliances, mattresses and eclectic junk that apparently had not sold at their recent yard sale and it was allllll left behind for me handle the disposal. I think I would have just sat and cried, if I hadn't had people there with me. Instead, I just accepted the fact that this was a situation I could not immediately change and continued to get on with the business at hand.

The house was filthy, littered throughout with old dirty towels and clothing, trash and mail, and unwanted personal items including lots of family photographs and personal paperwork. (Despite my bitter feelings, I decided to hang on to their photos and attempt to return them-maybe at Small Claims Court!) An old love seat was thrown out the patio door and lay upside down on the unkempt grass. A baby swing...no longer needed, discarded carelessly on the patio. Missing were the vertical blinds on the patio sliding door and the front window, and the refrigerator!

I took photographs to submit for court evidence, until the battery died on the camera and decided to return today to finish up.

As I headed to my car, I realized that I no longer had my car keys in the pocket of my sweatshirt, where I distinctly recall putting them!

Once I got to the car, I discovered that my car was locked with my PURSE inside! My keys were not in the ignition and not visible on top of my burgeoning purse.

I retraced my steps, looking for the keys and I couldn't find them anywhere.

What to do?

What to do?

My friends had left a few minutes previously and I began to realize that IF my keys were locked in my car, so was MY PHONE!! I couldn't call anyone for HELP!! I didn't know any of the neighbors and I was several miles away from anyone I knew!

I was temporarily SOL!!!!!

Then, it occurred to me that I have ONSTAR!!!

Woooooo-hooo!

Wonderful! But, I quickly realized I didn't have a telephone to call them on to unlock my car!

So...I sat my fanny down on the front steps and prayed, saying.."God, I really have got myself in a mess here. I need some help! What are YOU going to do about this situation? I will just sit here and wait for awhile! Thanks!"

All of a sudden, the neighbor across the street came over to introduce himself and talk about the house being "vacant" again! We shared a few stories about the tenants and he owned up to being the person who complained to the County about one of the previous undesirable types who once inhabited the residence. I assured him that I totally understood his position and in no time, we were becoming fast friends! I then took the opportunity to explain to him how I'd misplaced my keys...my purse was locked inside the vehicle and how I couldn't call Onstar to open the car without my telephone...which was also..inconveniently locked inside the car!

He promptly offered me the use of his home telephone....sooooo GOD and Onstar came through! The car was unlocked, but unfortunately, my keys were not inside my purse or the car. Yet, I then had access to my cell phone to call home for the spare set of keys!

I headed back to the rental house today in order to start the clean up process, hoping to find my keys. But, unfortunately the tenant was inside the house...so I left before having what was sure to be an ugly confrontation with her.

Still no keys.

Still no possession of my rental house.

Grrrrrr!

But...maybe she's gonna clean up that mess after all!!

Sunday Stealing~The Mud Meme!

You can play along weekly HERE!

1. What are your current obsessions?

Living and enjoying life, love, and exercise!

2. Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often?

Lately, it's been sweat pants for walking! I'll have you know...I walked over 10 miles last week!

3. What's for dinner?

Sliced Tri-Tip....some that didn't get used to slap someone at yesterday's exciting birthday party and pasta salad, lovingly made by MOI!

4. Last thing you bought?

The fixings for pasta salad that I took to the party! YUM!

5. What are you listening to?

The whir of the ceiling fan in my bedroom!

6. If you were a god/goddess who would you be?

Athena! The Greek goddess Athena is usually portrayed as one of the most benevolent goddesses . . .strong, fair, and merciful.

Athena is known as one of the three virgin goddesses, referred to as virgin because they were able to remain independent, unswayed by the spells of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and the consequent pull of marriage and motherhood. Romance and marriage did not feature in Athena's mythology. In Greek mythology Athena was, in essence, the prototype of the contemporary "career woman".

Although usually depicted holding a spear, her golden helmet pushed back to reveal her elegant beauty, the Greek goddess Athena was known more for her role as judge, diplomat, and mediator than for actually fighting in battle. Her decisions were renowned for their fairness and compassion.

The goddess Athena was a superb strategist and many of the Greek myths recount tales of her help given to various gods, goddesses, and heroes as they went into battle or faced seemingly impossible tests.

Although she was widely known in one of her roles as "Athena Goddess of War", it was as a mediator and a planner that she excelled. She always worked to prevent war, but once war had been joined the goddess Athena fought efficiently for her side.

To prevent the Trojan War, Athena descended from Olympus and walked between the two armies, making both sides swear oaths to keep the peace. Unfortunately a Trojan soldier named Pandaros, in an act of great cowardice, violated his oath and let loose his arrow, thus starting the Trojan War. Athena, Goddess of strategy, expressed her displeasure by helping the other side to emerge victorious.

Remember the Trojan Horse? Just one of Athena's great ideas!

More than any other of the Greek goddesses, Athena remains a symbol of civilization, useful knowledge, noble reasoning, logic and wisdom. The goddess Athena reminds us that we can successfully use our intellect and creativity in the pursuit of any goal we choose.

7. Favorite holiday spots?

Home or my vacation condo in middle Tennessee!

8. Reading right now?

Gentle Reminders-Daily Affirmations for Co-Dependents by Mitzi Chandler and I highly recommend it!

9. 4 words to describe yourself.

Strong, Loving, Giving and Grateful!

10. Guilty pleasure?

Every once in awhile, I will go venture into a See's Candies store and treat myself to TWO scrumptious truffles...usually one in raspberry and one lemon and a yummy Bordeaux bar! HEAVENLY!

11. Who or what makes you laugh until you’re weak?

Ellen Degeneres and the silly games she plays with audience members!

12. Planning to travel to next?

This coming weekend I am heading to Lake Tahoe for a couple of days and I am very excited as I haven't been there in years!

13. Best thing you ate or drank lately?

Smoked bbq'd tri-tip! Fantastic!!!

14. When did you last get tipsy?

Hmmmmm. About two months ago, I suppose...on a couple of glasses of wine.

15. Care to share some wisdom?

~Life is always, ALWAYS much easier spent in comfortable shoes!
~Never! Ever!......rent your property to friends or family!!
~The whole world needs a 12-Step Program of some sort!
~Change your attitude. Change your life. Simple..but true!

16. Nicest thing anyone’s ever said to you?

"I LOVE YOU! So, you'll just have to catch up!"

It's ALL fun and games until someone gets slapped in the face with a generous slab of fairly rare bbq'd tri-tip!

Seriously.

A really drunk someone, okay..it was the hostess... got slapped upside the face with a piece of bloody tri-tip by an equally drunk someone at Birthday Boy's 5th birthday party yesterday.

It went downhill from there and fortunately, I summoned up some good sense and left before Mr. Meatslapper got his nose broken by the hostess in retaliation. As I gathered up my coat and purse, preparing to leave the festivities last night, I began to have a few "post-traumatic" type flashbacks of last Summer when Abbie nearly died of an alcohol overdose. I just don't do drunken bashes very well and I was panicking and teary-eyed on the drive home. It was even more difficult as my co-dependency issues kicked in to ultra-high gear, knowing I left Tam and her boyfriend there and they were as drunk as the best of them!

Upon my arrival yesterday afternoon, I got an inkling of how this child's party was destined to be when one of the guests...a mother nursing a newborn, told me she always asks our hostess her plan of action in order to carry out what needs to be done once the hostess is too wasted to do so.

Ummmmm.

"SWELL!" I thought to myself!

I should have stayed for an hour or so and then bowed out gracefully...but, I didn't. I stayed around long enough to take in some of the violence and crude language in front of the children.

Mix Sangria, ice cold beer, some Southern Comfort, lots of testosterone bubbling up from a group of drunk men in their 30s, some pissed off and/or tipsy wives, tons of impatient and sugared-up kids under the age of 5 and you've got a PARRRRRTTAAAAY!

Today and always, I am really grateful that I don't drink to excess.

I am a serious light weight when it comes to alcohol as I have like... ZERO tolerance for the substance and pretty much ZERO tolerance for DRUNK people.....for that matter! Give me ONE sissy drink, preferably something with a frilly umbrella at a social event, or a glass; maybe two.... of Reisling wine with dinner on occasion and I am just fine, thankyouverymuch. My late father; a certifiable Native American drunk, (in recovery) used to shake his head pitifully at my intolerance and say...."Lisa, sometimes I wonder if you are actually my child!" Again...."For the Grace of God, there go I!" and I am soooo very grateful that I don't have the disease of alcoholism.

Anyway...I don't think I will be able to make it to next year's celebration.

Unfortunately, I've already made plans for that day!

Gee. Darn.

Rejoicing in the Simple Things!

I can honestly say, that I am enjoying life like NEVER before!

If my posting is sporadic, it is only because I am...well, busy....very busy actually, and HAPPY!!

Happy is GOOD!

EXCELLENT really!

But...I've got time for a quick little story!

Yesterday, I was at a friend's house, helping his amazingly joyful five-year-old grandson fill TWO huge Spiderman pinatas with an assortment of candies for today's big birthday celebration. We pulled together an exciting, and colorful assortment of Skittles, M&Ms, Nestle's Crunch, Baby Ruth, Butterfingers, Nerds, Jolly Ranchers and Blowpops and lovingly stuffed the bellies of those Spidermen...to the breaking point!

The Birthday Boy was delighted when we'd open a HUGE bag of fun size packages of M&Ms to find that one of the little packages had opened during transit and mini M&Ms of every color in the rainbow would spill out on the mountian of mixed candy that waited to be stuffed inside the pinatas! So, we'd search through the pile to find those loose gems and eat them before we got to the business of stuffing!

Each little accidental treasure was savored and at one point, Birthday Boy said.......

"Can today get ANY better?"

Of course, it did get better because then we had to sample each type of candy to make sure our Spidey guys would like them as well...since they had to sit all night with them in their tummy!

It's just a couple of hours until the big birthday bash! I have a feelin' he's going to be sayin' the same thing today! It doesn't get much better than a birthday party with a bounce house, friends, family, TWO pinatas, bbq, cake and ice cream and PRESENTS TOO!

Wishing you all a day that gets better and better, with a few M&Ms thrown in for good measure!

This is pretty accurate...and I've GOT NOTHIN' ELSE TO POST!

You Are 9: The Peacemaker

You are emotionally stable and willing to find common ground with others. Your friends and family often look to you to be the mediator when there is conflict. You are easy going and accepting. You take things as they come. Avoiding conflict at all costs, you're content when things are calm. At Your Best: You feel connected, trusting, and fulfilled. You feel at peace with your place in the world. At Your Worst: You compromise your values to make sure peace is maintained. You give in to bullies. Your Fixation: Harmony! Your Primary Fear: Causing conflict! Your Primary Desire: To preserve things as they are. Other Number 9's: Marge Simpson, Ronald Reagan, Audrey Hepburn, Jerry Seinfeld, and Abraham Lincoln.

What Number Are You?

Gratitude Award~Passing it on!

Recently, one of my favorite young bloggers in the "Recovery Community" bestowed this very beautiful and much appreciated award-that she created herself-to me and a few other parents of addicts! Clean and Crazy the author of My Recovery is an amazing young woman, who is battling a narcotics addiction and is seriously working her program! I am very proud of her and so grateful to have become her friend through blogging! (I am not posting her first name, even though I know it, as I don't know if she uses it on her blog!) She suggests we pass this on to others who have given us good reason to hope, no matter how desperate we may feel.

Anyway, I am passing this beautiful award on to several of the amazing bloggers who give me hope as I read about their strength, experience and hope in their lives that have been affected by the devastating effects of drugs, alcohol, or both! I hope you will find them as interesting and forth-coming as I do and that you too are as inspired by their hope for a better life through their recovery.

And in no particular order, the award goes to...............

Cat at Wait! What?...HOW did I forget her? How could I forget this incredibly inspiring woman! My apologies!!


Jess at Journey of the Spirit of Hope!

Sarah at Complications of a Perfect Life!

Annette at Journey of Recovery!

Ann H. at Coffee, Cigarettes and the Center of the Universe!

Pammie at Sobriety is Exhausting!

Syd at I'm just F.I.N.E.

Indigo at Scream Quietly!

Christina at Just Letting Go!

and last but not least....

Her Big Sad!

I reserve the right to add to this if I realize I forgot to include some of my favorite recovery blogs and I want you to know that An Addict in Our Son's Bedroom and Subdural Flow would have also received this award from me if they hadn't already received it when I did!

Blessings to you all who give me hope on a daily basis!