We had a really bad storms last night. It rained so hard and for so long I thought the rain was going to come through my roof. The wind was also gusting to 40-50 MPH. It was a bit scary for awhile. The power went out sometime after midnight and didn't come back on until 8 this morning. My back yard looked like a war zone this morning with tree branches down and the remainder of the leaves fallen down all over the yard and porch. The For Sale sign that was in my neighbors front yard was in the middle of the road in front of my house. Both my car and George's was completely covered in leaves and debris. I knew we were supposed to get the rain but I didn't know we were going to have tornado like conditions. With the power out, I didn't have any heat but we didn't need it. It was pretty tropical like outside this morning.
It cleared up pretty nicely and we had a very warm and sunny day. I managed to get a lot of sorting done this afternoon, cleaning out another dresser and packing up the things that were in my entertainment center. George took up a load of stuff when he went home this afternoon including Sara's computer and stereo, and I will pack up a lot more for him to take back with him on Wednesday. Friday night I am going to go up there after work and take all of my clothes and personal items. George's grandkids are coming over that evening to show us their trick or treat costumes so I don't want to miss that. Saturday we will then come back down here and pack up my computer, books, bookcases, kitchen items and whatever else we can fit into our cars. Most of my stuff will be there by the end of next weekend. Then it will just be odds and ends. I get pretty overwhelmed when I think about it so I try not to. I had a hard time sleeping the other night because all I could think about was how I was going to get it all done. George is very patient and easy going and calms me down, but I can tell he just wants it all over with too. Thankfully he is an understanding man.
While going through my 'memory box' I came across some items that I should have gotten rid of long ago. There were items from a previous and often painful relationship and I took some time to read the cards and letters and looked at the pictures before I tossed everything into the trash. I realized while reading some notes and letters that I had a weird idea of what love was supposed to be. I can't believe I put up with some of the crap that took place during that time, and I thought I was happy? Not even close. The good thing is I have since learned from my mistakes and I won't ever go through that again. Even though I am no longer in touch with this man, I hope he will one day find peace, happiness and maybe a little mental stability.
I dropped off 6 Fall and Winter jackets at the Goodwill bin this afternoon. I also filled up another large trash bag with clothes that I no longer want/need and dropped that off as well. I have another bag half full and will drop that off tomorrow. I can't believe I had that much stuff just collecting dust in my drawers. It will go to someone who really needs it, that's for sure.
I also rolled $52 worth of coin to be deposited into my savings account. That will be my gambling money on our cruise. Hopefully I can turn it into a bit more cash, but if not, I will at least have fun trying.
Time to call it a night. I am going to watch some TV before I crash, but I have a feeling I won't see a whole lot. It's been a long day. Hope everyone is doing great!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
I've Been Tagged
OK here are my answers. I think everyone's been tagged already so I won't subject you to it all again.
My 4 Wishes
1. World peace. I know it's repetitive but can't we all just get along?
2. That people would think before acting. A little common sense goes a long way.
3. I wish we all could be pain free and healthy.
4. This one is purely selfish...that some moving fairies would pack up all my stuff and move it while I am sleeping.
Four places I want to travel
1. I would love to jump into a Winnebago and travel to every nook and cranny of the good ole U.S.A. I want to meet every one of my online friends on my travels too.
2. Nova Scotia in the early summertime. It's been over 30 years since I've been and I have always wanted to go back!
3. Wouldn't it be cool to be able to take a shuttle ride into space? Yeah...I wanna do that!
4. Spain to visit my pen friend Anne and her family. She came here in 1999 so I owe her.
Four careers I want to try
1. Cruise line entertainment director
2. Teacher
3. Movie critic
4. Animal Groomer
Four things I want God to say at the gates of Heaven
1. You did good, kid. You've earned your wings, welcome.
2. Your Memere has been saving a spot for you and she made donuts.
3. You're going to love the cloud I picked out for you.
4. I'm just kidding. Turn around and go back.
My 4 Wishes
1. World peace. I know it's repetitive but can't we all just get along?
2. That people would think before acting. A little common sense goes a long way.
3. I wish we all could be pain free and healthy.
4. This one is purely selfish...that some moving fairies would pack up all my stuff and move it while I am sleeping.
Four places I want to travel
1. I would love to jump into a Winnebago and travel to every nook and cranny of the good ole U.S.A. I want to meet every one of my online friends on my travels too.
2. Nova Scotia in the early summertime. It's been over 30 years since I've been and I have always wanted to go back!
3. Wouldn't it be cool to be able to take a shuttle ride into space? Yeah...I wanna do that!
4. Spain to visit my pen friend Anne and her family. She came here in 1999 so I owe her.
Four careers I want to try
1. Cruise line entertainment director
2. Teacher
3. Movie critic
4. Animal Groomer
Four things I want God to say at the gates of Heaven
1. You did good, kid. You've earned your wings, welcome.
2. Your Memere has been saving a spot for you and she made donuts.
3. You're going to love the cloud I picked out for you.
4. I'm just kidding. Turn around and go back.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Busy, Busy, Busy
I had today off and thought I would get some packing and/or tossing done. I got started on the bathroom cabinets and filled a kitchen sized trash bag with out dated medications, bubble bath, creams, shower gels and hair products I no longer use. It's amazing how much junk you can accumulate and just hang on to...in case. I also realize I have way too many towels for one person but they will definitely come in handy at George's house, especially since his ex took all the good towels when she skipped out. I did notice the last time I showered there that he was in need of bath and bed linens...and since I once had an addiction to Bed Bath and Beyond, I can accommodate.
The heater in my car has been acting weird so I called the service station to see if they could get me in on Monday. The service manager said he had a cancellation at 11 and if I could get there pronto, he would pencil me in. So I took the car in and they found my thermostat wasn't working correctly so they replaced it. I also had some fluid leaking from a rear wheel cylinder so they went ahead and replaced that as well. The total for repairing these two items was over $400 but I wisely purchased an extended warranty when I bought the car and both were still under warranty. I still need to have a tune up but George's son Jon will do that for me in the coming weeks as I get my car ready for winter. It's nice to have a mechanic in the family. :-)
The car repairs took a couple hours out of my day so I didn't get as much done as I would have liked. I did manage to get my banking done, filled my gas tank, picked up some groceries, and I got a couple of loads of laundry done. George and I went out for pizza for supper and when we got back to my house, we finished cleaning out the linen cabinet. I sent him home tonight with most of my towels and a couple of blankets. He also realized that I have a nice blanket chest at the foot of my bed and he asked me if I was planning to bring that with me. I hadn't given it much thought but since his ex is taking her hope chest tomorrow when she removes the rest of her things, my blanket chest will come in handy. I bought it unfinished and it remains unfinished, so we can stain it to match his bedroom furniture and it will fit in perfectly.
Last weekend I cleaned out my dresser drawers to make room for the clothes that never seem to make it into the dresser. A lot of those clothes I haven't worn in a long time so I put everything that I no longer wanted in a pile and bagged them up. They are now in my trunk and will be dropped off at a Goodwill bin in the morning. I have another dresser to go through and my closet so I am certain there will be another bag or two of clothes to be donated. I also am going to drop off the kids old coats and jackets that have been hanging in the closets now for several years. Someone who needs them can still get a lot of wear out of them. I have several twin sized blankets and comforters that I will be donating to the veterinarian's office. They have served me and my pets well over the years so I figured they could use the blankets in the hospital or in the boarding kennel.
Little by little things are getting done around here. I still don't know what I am going to do with my furniture but once I get what I want out of here, I am thinking of having a moving sale and just take best offers on whatever I am not taking with me. I've asked the kids to come and take what they want but so far the only thing spoken for is the rocking horse my friend Roger made for Eric when Eric was a year old. Coincidently enough, George has a rocking horse just like it at his house that was made for his daughter Nicole when she was just a baby, by the same guy. (Eric and Nicole are just 8 months apart in age.)
Tomorrow we have to clean out Sara's room because a friend of George's wants to purchase her bed but it is right now covered with boxes and books. I've been hoping she would come home and get some of her stuff out of here but she doesn't have any room at Brad's house for it either. They are on a waiting list for an apartment but I think she's going to have to get a storage unit and move her things out of here. I won't be comfortable leaving her things here in an otherwise empty house. I hope it doesn't happen but empty houses are good targets for break-ins and it would be a shame if her things got stolen or vandalized.
I can't seem to keep my eyes open so I think I will call it a night.
The heater in my car has been acting weird so I called the service station to see if they could get me in on Monday. The service manager said he had a cancellation at 11 and if I could get there pronto, he would pencil me in. So I took the car in and they found my thermostat wasn't working correctly so they replaced it. I also had some fluid leaking from a rear wheel cylinder so they went ahead and replaced that as well. The total for repairing these two items was over $400 but I wisely purchased an extended warranty when I bought the car and both were still under warranty. I still need to have a tune up but George's son Jon will do that for me in the coming weeks as I get my car ready for winter. It's nice to have a mechanic in the family. :-)
The car repairs took a couple hours out of my day so I didn't get as much done as I would have liked. I did manage to get my banking done, filled my gas tank, picked up some groceries, and I got a couple of loads of laundry done. George and I went out for pizza for supper and when we got back to my house, we finished cleaning out the linen cabinet. I sent him home tonight with most of my towels and a couple of blankets. He also realized that I have a nice blanket chest at the foot of my bed and he asked me if I was planning to bring that with me. I hadn't given it much thought but since his ex is taking her hope chest tomorrow when she removes the rest of her things, my blanket chest will come in handy. I bought it unfinished and it remains unfinished, so we can stain it to match his bedroom furniture and it will fit in perfectly.
Last weekend I cleaned out my dresser drawers to make room for the clothes that never seem to make it into the dresser. A lot of those clothes I haven't worn in a long time so I put everything that I no longer wanted in a pile and bagged them up. They are now in my trunk and will be dropped off at a Goodwill bin in the morning. I have another dresser to go through and my closet so I am certain there will be another bag or two of clothes to be donated. I also am going to drop off the kids old coats and jackets that have been hanging in the closets now for several years. Someone who needs them can still get a lot of wear out of them. I have several twin sized blankets and comforters that I will be donating to the veterinarian's office. They have served me and my pets well over the years so I figured they could use the blankets in the hospital or in the boarding kennel.
Little by little things are getting done around here. I still don't know what I am going to do with my furniture but once I get what I want out of here, I am thinking of having a moving sale and just take best offers on whatever I am not taking with me. I've asked the kids to come and take what they want but so far the only thing spoken for is the rocking horse my friend Roger made for Eric when Eric was a year old. Coincidently enough, George has a rocking horse just like it at his house that was made for his daughter Nicole when she was just a baby, by the same guy. (Eric and Nicole are just 8 months apart in age.)
Tomorrow we have to clean out Sara's room because a friend of George's wants to purchase her bed but it is right now covered with boxes and books. I've been hoping she would come home and get some of her stuff out of here but she doesn't have any room at Brad's house for it either. They are on a waiting list for an apartment but I think she's going to have to get a storage unit and move her things out of here. I won't be comfortable leaving her things here in an otherwise empty house. I hope it doesn't happen but empty houses are good targets for break-ins and it would be a shame if her things got stolen or vandalized.
I can't seem to keep my eyes open so I think I will call it a night.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Work Stuff and Stuff
It's been a rough work week this week and even though I don't usually bring my
work home with me, this week the stress kind of followed me home on Wednesday.
For those of you who may not know, I am the line co-ordinator of a production line. We manufacture weapon sighting systems for the military. The product on our line is called a BoreSight and a soldier will attach it to his weapon to 'sight it in'. We use infrared lasers to do this and they have been around for quite some time and are very popular with the soldiers.
Our line has 7 production personnel and a Supervisor and we meet our schedule of approximately 800 units a month, usually by the skin of our teeth and some overtime. Last Tuesday we were told that Jasmina, who was on loan to us for awhile, was being called back to her department because they are ramping up production. A couple of hours later, Leah, who has only managed to work a 40 hour week maybe 3 times since March, was going to be out for the rest of the week (reason-personal so unknown to me).
(My personal opinion is to let her go permanently and hire someone who WANTS to be there, but as far as I know, she will be back eventually.)
Then Naza, who is 4-5 months pregnant, is having a rough pregnancy and has to go on bed rest for probably the remainder of her pregnancy. So...that leaves us 3 people down and we are almost at the end of our shipping month. I don't normally get stressed out but Tuesday was one of those days. I couldn't get home fast enough by days end.
Wednesday was a 'sell off' day which means I get to sit with a government inspector who comes to our facility and picks a random sample of finished product and I have to go through the testing procedure with him. He's a nice guy and we usually chit chat about his grandkids and the books we are reading while I run through the tests. If he likes them, he accepts them and they move onto shipping. We haven't had a failure during the 'sell off' since I have been there and I am the person who tests the units in the first place so I know they are all good. Since we have such a good record, the inspector told Tim, the Quality Assurance guy, to sit with me and he could sign them off in his place. Easy enough...Tim and I are friends and he knows he can trust that the product is top notch. Tim was so confident, that he allowed me to get started while he was busy elsewhere. I actually finished the post testing well before Tim even got out there and I made the huge mistake of calling an inspector to stamp off the units. That is the normal procedure but I forgot to have Tim sign the paperwork before calling an inspector and they questioned whether or not he was even present during the testing. (Which he was not) I was in over achievement mode and I skipped a huge step, that could have gotten Tim and my whole line in BIG trouble. I sweated it all day, waiting for the email or phone call beckoning me to my Managers office for a tongue lashing. I laid low all day but it was on my mind the whole afternoon. I went home Wednesday night mentally exhausted.
Thursday morning I went into work and left a message on Tim's voice mail to page me when he got in. He called me around 8am and I went into his office to talk. I apologized for getting him into trouble and he said that I didn't, nothing came of it and I shouldn't have been worrying about it at all. He is quite sure they cannot do without him anyway. (LOL Just like a man). I felt the stress leave me at that moment. I really did think he would be in some major trouble for my blunder and I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if he had lost his job because of something I did.
Thursday night I was able to sleep and boy was I tired. George said he has never heard me snore as much as I did that night. I managed to get a great night's rest though and felt pretty chipper on Friday morning.
Last night George and I went to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua at Smitty's Cinemas. What a cute movie. I really have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Chloe, the main chihuahua, looks exactly like my Huntababes. I definitely will get it for Sara when it comes out on DVD. She will love it for sure.
Smitty's is a cool place with tables in the theater and they have a full restaurant there. We had dinner while we watched the movie and it was a new experience for me. Very relaxing, comfortable and it kind of felt like you were watching the movie on a big screen from the comfort of your own home.
George is now out with Jon picking up the new kitchen table and chairs we bought. Donna came to get some more of her things the other day and she took the kitchen set because it originally belonged to her parents. I hope she comes back soon to get her corner hutch and all her Precious Moment figurines. I have big plans for that space.
OK time to get the bathroom cleaned. I hope you are all having a great weekend!
work home with me, this week the stress kind of followed me home on Wednesday.
For those of you who may not know, I am the line co-ordinator of a production line. We manufacture weapon sighting systems for the military. The product on our line is called a BoreSight and a soldier will attach it to his weapon to 'sight it in'. We use infrared lasers to do this and they have been around for quite some time and are very popular with the soldiers.
Our line has 7 production personnel and a Supervisor and we meet our schedule of approximately 800 units a month, usually by the skin of our teeth and some overtime. Last Tuesday we were told that Jasmina, who was on loan to us for awhile, was being called back to her department because they are ramping up production. A couple of hours later, Leah, who has only managed to work a 40 hour week maybe 3 times since March, was going to be out for the rest of the week (reason-personal so unknown to me).
(My personal opinion is to let her go permanently and hire someone who WANTS to be there, but as far as I know, she will be back eventually.)
Then Naza, who is 4-5 months pregnant, is having a rough pregnancy and has to go on bed rest for probably the remainder of her pregnancy. So...that leaves us 3 people down and we are almost at the end of our shipping month. I don't normally get stressed out but Tuesday was one of those days. I couldn't get home fast enough by days end.
Wednesday was a 'sell off' day which means I get to sit with a government inspector who comes to our facility and picks a random sample of finished product and I have to go through the testing procedure with him. He's a nice guy and we usually chit chat about his grandkids and the books we are reading while I run through the tests. If he likes them, he accepts them and they move onto shipping. We haven't had a failure during the 'sell off' since I have been there and I am the person who tests the units in the first place so I know they are all good. Since we have such a good record, the inspector told Tim, the Quality Assurance guy, to sit with me and he could sign them off in his place. Easy enough...Tim and I are friends and he knows he can trust that the product is top notch. Tim was so confident, that he allowed me to get started while he was busy elsewhere. I actually finished the post testing well before Tim even got out there and I made the huge mistake of calling an inspector to stamp off the units. That is the normal procedure but I forgot to have Tim sign the paperwork before calling an inspector and they questioned whether or not he was even present during the testing. (Which he was not) I was in over achievement mode and I skipped a huge step, that could have gotten Tim and my whole line in BIG trouble. I sweated it all day, waiting for the email or phone call beckoning me to my Managers office for a tongue lashing. I laid low all day but it was on my mind the whole afternoon. I went home Wednesday night mentally exhausted.
Thursday morning I went into work and left a message on Tim's voice mail to page me when he got in. He called me around 8am and I went into his office to talk. I apologized for getting him into trouble and he said that I didn't, nothing came of it and I shouldn't have been worrying about it at all. He is quite sure they cannot do without him anyway. (LOL Just like a man). I felt the stress leave me at that moment. I really did think he would be in some major trouble for my blunder and I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if he had lost his job because of something I did.
Thursday night I was able to sleep and boy was I tired. George said he has never heard me snore as much as I did that night. I managed to get a great night's rest though and felt pretty chipper on Friday morning.
Last night George and I went to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua at Smitty's Cinemas. What a cute movie. I really have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Chloe, the main chihuahua, looks exactly like my Huntababes. I definitely will get it for Sara when it comes out on DVD. She will love it for sure.
Smitty's is a cool place with tables in the theater and they have a full restaurant there. We had dinner while we watched the movie and it was a new experience for me. Very relaxing, comfortable and it kind of felt like you were watching the movie on a big screen from the comfort of your own home.
George is now out with Jon picking up the new kitchen table and chairs we bought. Donna came to get some more of her things the other day and she took the kitchen set because it originally belonged to her parents. I hope she comes back soon to get her corner hutch and all her Precious Moment figurines. I have big plans for that space.
OK time to get the bathroom cleaned. I hope you are all having a great weekend!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Pics And Stuff
I know you are all thinking..."wow finally a post". It's been a very busy and interesting week so grab your tea or coffee...cos I hope to get you all caught up.
I have pics and I will attach them at the end of this post. They are all foliage pics from last weekend's trip up to the North country. The foliage colors aren't all that bright this year probably due to all of the rain we had over the summer but we are having a wonderful Fall so far. It's been chilly at night and warm and sunny during the day, except for last weekend when it was cold and not very sunny all weekend. It's already 61 degrees this morning.
So...last Sunday on my way home from up North, I got a phone call from Sara. She was in tears and very very upset. Sara spent the weekend at my house to dog sit her precious Hntababes (yes her dog lives with me). Anyway, sometime during the night as she slept in my bed, the dog got her $140 Coach purse that was sitting on the kitchen table. He dragged it onto the floor and emptied the contents of her bag, then proceeded to chew off part of one of the handles. She found it that morning, contents of the bag strewn all over the living room and kitchen and about 2 inches of leather strap missing. Mind you, he is a Chihuahua, about 10 lbs in weight and blind. Not a big dog at all. She searched all over the house for the missing strap and had to conclude that he must have chewed it up and swallowed it. (I have since found 'evidence' that that is indeed what he did.) I don't know what she wanted me to do or say at that moment. I reminded her that she should have known better since he can be destructive if given half a chance and if he is pissed off about something, he will act out. Perhaps he needs a doggie shrink, but we'll discuss that at another time. LOL I personally don't think it was a personal issue, he just could smell the leather and decided it would make a nice chew toy. Sara, however, in her irate mental state, believed he is 'faking' is blindness. That had me laughing but I didn't dare let her hear me. I asked her what she wanted me to do about it, since the dog doesn't get an allowance and therefore cannot repay her for her loss. She didn't think I was very funny and ended up hanging up on me. I called her back a bit later and she was still upset but had calmed down some. I asked her why on earth she spent $140 for a pocketbook anyway. I mean, that's just crazy. She said it was a gift to herself that she purchased when she got her income tax check and she felt she deserved it. OK whatever...I certainly can think of better things to spend that kind of money on but it's her money. I let her know I was almost home and we would discuss what to do when I got there.
The dog wasn't in any kind of distress, in fact he was jumping around and playing, wagging his tail and looking like he hadn't a care in the world. I am really glad he didn't get into any of her make up or medications that were also in her bag. I am happy to report that he's fine. Pieces of the strap have been observed during the early part of the week and I think we've seen the last of that. I asked her if she wanted me to save them for her but she wasn't amused.
Wednesday was George's court date for his divorce. He had mixed emotions about it all. First he just wanted it to be over with and second he was unsure how things would go. Donna was not asking for anything although she could have had half the equity of the house and half of his retirement. She was adamant that she didn't want any of it but the judge sent them both a letter saying they were both expected to attend the hearing which went against what the initial letter said.
During the hearing, the judge questioned her several times regarding the items she was entitled to have and wouldn't leave it alone. She also was pushing them to go into counseling and asked if they have done everything in their power to reconcile their differences. Since they filed under irreconcilable differences and not adultery, I can understand her wanting them to answer that question. George simply said that what transpired between them has been going on for a long time and it was time to put an end to their misery and move on with their lives. The judge asked Donna one more time if she wanted any of his retirement and she said no. I guess she got the message and finally signed the papers. So that's that...divorce is final!
He couldn't wait to call me and tell me the good news! It's like a huge burden has been rolled off of his back and now we can all move on.
George's kids have been wonderfully supportive through it all. I guess it's good that they are all adults and can fully understand why things are the way they are. They've all accepted me and now tolerate Donna's boyfriend so things are moving forward. George's son Jon emailed all of the family with his thoughts the other day and he is just a remarkable young man with a big heart and a lot of insight. He's just like his father in many ways and I let him know that.
So...that brings me to today. It's Saturday and I just finished cleaning my kitchen and living room. Laundry is in the dryer and I put together an apple pie which I will be taking up to George's house later on to bake. His daughter Nicole and her husband and kids will be going over for dinner tonight and it has been awhile since I've seen them so I am looking forward to that. I am also bringing up all the ingredients for pizza and I'll get Alex and Lissa to help me make them. Should be fun.
Ok so now for some pics. Hope you enjoy.
This was the view from the kitchen window in the cabin, I took the photo during breakfast.
Looking across Lake Francis. Not a glimmer of sunshine all day.
Just a little color
Franconia Notch
Yup, that's snow on Mt. Washington.
View of Mt. Washington taken in Twin Mountain.
So there ya have it. Some Northern New Hampshire foliage pics. Not the best colors this season but the leaves are just at peak here in Southern New Hampshire so maybe I can grab a few more around here.
I have pics and I will attach them at the end of this post. They are all foliage pics from last weekend's trip up to the North country. The foliage colors aren't all that bright this year probably due to all of the rain we had over the summer but we are having a wonderful Fall so far. It's been chilly at night and warm and sunny during the day, except for last weekend when it was cold and not very sunny all weekend. It's already 61 degrees this morning.
So...last Sunday on my way home from up North, I got a phone call from Sara. She was in tears and very very upset. Sara spent the weekend at my house to dog sit her precious Hntababes (yes her dog lives with me). Anyway, sometime during the night as she slept in my bed, the dog got her $140 Coach purse that was sitting on the kitchen table. He dragged it onto the floor and emptied the contents of her bag, then proceeded to chew off part of one of the handles. She found it that morning, contents of the bag strewn all over the living room and kitchen and about 2 inches of leather strap missing. Mind you, he is a Chihuahua, about 10 lbs in weight and blind. Not a big dog at all. She searched all over the house for the missing strap and had to conclude that he must have chewed it up and swallowed it. (I have since found 'evidence' that that is indeed what he did.) I don't know what she wanted me to do or say at that moment. I reminded her that she should have known better since he can be destructive if given half a chance and if he is pissed off about something, he will act out. Perhaps he needs a doggie shrink, but we'll discuss that at another time. LOL I personally don't think it was a personal issue, he just could smell the leather and decided it would make a nice chew toy. Sara, however, in her irate mental state, believed he is 'faking' is blindness. That had me laughing but I didn't dare let her hear me. I asked her what she wanted me to do about it, since the dog doesn't get an allowance and therefore cannot repay her for her loss. She didn't think I was very funny and ended up hanging up on me. I called her back a bit later and she was still upset but had calmed down some. I asked her why on earth she spent $140 for a pocketbook anyway. I mean, that's just crazy. She said it was a gift to herself that she purchased when she got her income tax check and she felt she deserved it. OK whatever...I certainly can think of better things to spend that kind of money on but it's her money. I let her know I was almost home and we would discuss what to do when I got there.
The dog wasn't in any kind of distress, in fact he was jumping around and playing, wagging his tail and looking like he hadn't a care in the world. I am really glad he didn't get into any of her make up or medications that were also in her bag. I am happy to report that he's fine. Pieces of the strap have been observed during the early part of the week and I think we've seen the last of that. I asked her if she wanted me to save them for her but she wasn't amused.
Wednesday was George's court date for his divorce. He had mixed emotions about it all. First he just wanted it to be over with and second he was unsure how things would go. Donna was not asking for anything although she could have had half the equity of the house and half of his retirement. She was adamant that she didn't want any of it but the judge sent them both a letter saying they were both expected to attend the hearing which went against what the initial letter said.
During the hearing, the judge questioned her several times regarding the items she was entitled to have and wouldn't leave it alone. She also was pushing them to go into counseling and asked if they have done everything in their power to reconcile their differences. Since they filed under irreconcilable differences and not adultery, I can understand her wanting them to answer that question. George simply said that what transpired between them has been going on for a long time and it was time to put an end to their misery and move on with their lives. The judge asked Donna one more time if she wanted any of his retirement and she said no. I guess she got the message and finally signed the papers. So that's that...divorce is final!
He couldn't wait to call me and tell me the good news! It's like a huge burden has been rolled off of his back and now we can all move on.
George's kids have been wonderfully supportive through it all. I guess it's good that they are all adults and can fully understand why things are the way they are. They've all accepted me and now tolerate Donna's boyfriend so things are moving forward. George's son Jon emailed all of the family with his thoughts the other day and he is just a remarkable young man with a big heart and a lot of insight. He's just like his father in many ways and I let him know that.
So...that brings me to today. It's Saturday and I just finished cleaning my kitchen and living room. Laundry is in the dryer and I put together an apple pie which I will be taking up to George's house later on to bake. His daughter Nicole and her husband and kids will be going over for dinner tonight and it has been awhile since I've seen them so I am looking forward to that. I am also bringing up all the ingredients for pizza and I'll get Alex and Lissa to help me make them. Should be fun.
Ok so now for some pics. Hope you enjoy.
This was the view from the kitchen window in the cabin, I took the photo during breakfast.
Looking across Lake Francis. Not a glimmer of sunshine all day.
Just a little color
Franconia Notch
Yup, that's snow on Mt. Washington.
View of Mt. Washington taken in Twin Mountain.
So there ya have it. Some Northern New Hampshire foliage pics. Not the best colors this season but the leaves are just at peak here in Southern New Hampshire so maybe I can grab a few more around here.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
I'm Back!
We're home...had a great time and got a bunch of pretty nice foliage pics. I will upload them to my PC tomorrow and get them posted. I'm too tired to do it tonight and I still have to catch up on some things before I call it a night. I know it is only 6pm but I didn't get much sleep last night. I am going to bed right after The Amazing Race, if I can even stay up long enough to watch it.
I love our time up in Pittsburg and this weekend we stayed in a different cabin than the last time we went there and the bed is lousy and the futon isn't much better. I would sleep for an hour and wake up and try to get resituated but the bed is small and I always manage to wake George up in the process. So when I try not to move, I just end up uncomfortable and awake to the point that I just say screw it and get up. On Friday night I moved over to the futon around 3am and stayed there until morning. Last night I knew early on I wasn't going to torture myself and decided to just sleep on the futon. That's when George decided he would open up the futon and sleep out there with me. Bad move. It's smaller than the damn bed and as much as I love him...I need some space. I know he meant well and ya gotta love the gesture but all I could think of was how much I wanted my bed! It was warmer in the living room with the furnace on and all but I got even less sleep than the night before. When the sun came up, I was watching. Oh Lordy I really hope my mattress will fit on his bed when I move up to his house.
Hope you all had a nice weekend and have a wonderful week.
I love our time up in Pittsburg and this weekend we stayed in a different cabin than the last time we went there and the bed is lousy and the futon isn't much better. I would sleep for an hour and wake up and try to get resituated but the bed is small and I always manage to wake George up in the process. So when I try not to move, I just end up uncomfortable and awake to the point that I just say screw it and get up. On Friday night I moved over to the futon around 3am and stayed there until morning. Last night I knew early on I wasn't going to torture myself and decided to just sleep on the futon. That's when George decided he would open up the futon and sleep out there with me. Bad move. It's smaller than the damn bed and as much as I love him...I need some space. I know he meant well and ya gotta love the gesture but all I could think of was how much I wanted my bed! It was warmer in the living room with the furnace on and all but I got even less sleep than the night before. When the sun came up, I was watching. Oh Lordy I really hope my mattress will fit on his bed when I move up to his house.
Hope you all had a nice weekend and have a wonderful week.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Lainie Is AFK
My cabin in The Great North Woods is waiting. I'll be unavailable for the next few days, no phones or computers allowed. Going back up to Pittsburg, NH with my honey to be one with nature. Don't get excited...I didn't say I was going to a commune or nudist camp. (Too freeking cold for that) But I plan on taking lots of foliage pics and perhaps I'll get some more moose pics.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Have a wonderful weekend!
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