I'm baaaack!

Howdy Howdy. Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. The weather sure was great on the East Coast, that's for sure. Hot and sunny during the day and cool at night. Just perfect in my book and so far this week has been pretty much the same.

My trip to Jersey was good. The drive went pretty well until I got to New York City. Of course I tried my best to get there before rush hour traffic but I should have left home an hour or so earlier because everyone seemed to have the same plan and I got stuck in traffic several times along the route, particularly in the Providence, Rhode Island and New Haven, Connecticut areas. I also missed a turn somewhere on the highway in the NYC area and ended up going over 4 of the 5 Borough bridges which were also quite congested. That wonderful screw up added another hour to my travel time. I did figure out on my return trip what I did wrong and made the trip home in 5 hours instead of 6.5. I won't make that mistake again, I can assure you. I thought driving in Boston was bad but getting through the NYC area is pure HELL. I didn't even venture off the highway and go into the city. That would be insanity. Even staying on the highway I went past the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. The only place I didn't get a view of was Harlem, which I am really all set with.

I've been to Jersey before but not this part of Jersey. My friend lives in Elizabeth which is right across the the Goethals Bridge. Once I made it out of Manhattan, I was at his apartment building in less that 15 minutes. I could have kissed the New Jersey soil but I really had to use the bathroom. I had already been on the phone and told him to open the door and clear a path cos emptying my bladder was my number 1 priority. We could hug and all that fun stuff after I went pee. :-)

After a tour of the apartment, we sat down and talked for hours. I hadn't seen Kenny in quite a few years and had never met his room mate, Ron, so we had a lot of catching up to do. Kenny is a friend from school and he's lived in and around NYC for over 25 years. He's done all kinds of interesting artsy things like acting in several small stage productions and he's played in a couple of rock bands, he's worked in a museum, waited tables and worked in a deli. He also helped an ex girlfriend get started on her freelance sculpting and painting career by introducing her to some key people and setting her up in Central Park sketching, painting and displaying her art for sale.
Before we knew it, it was after 8pm and we were all getting hungry. Kenny got started on his delicious homemade mac and cheese and Ron kept me company by showing me a photo album filled with his family's pictures and photos of his vacation last winter in Mexico.
After dinner it was really warm in the apartment so Kenny and I went for a walk around town. I was ever so grateful since I am not a fan of the heat. They have a small 2 bedroom apartment and the heat from the kitchen really warmed up the entire place. By the time we got back it was almost midnight and had cooled off quite a bit.
Ron was kind enough to give up his bed for the weekend and he had already made up the futon in the living room and was just about asleep by the time we got back. I headed off to bed myself...but of course I was in a strange place with lots of city noises and I had a hard time falling asleep. I think it was well after 2am by the time my eyes closed.

We were up around 8 and Ron headed off to work. Kenny wanted to take me down to the open air market before it got too hot so off we went. It was crowded but a lot of fun and wow soooo much food. We bought all kinds of veggies for a salad for Saturday night's dinner and had fresh bagels and cream cheese at a little bakery for breakfast. I also bought a fresh loaf of bread. It was right out of the oven and still pretty hot. Oh Lord it smelled sooooo good. We went back to the car and loaded it up, then took a walk to the park down by the river. He's used to walking everywhere and riding the trains and subways. I am used to sitting my fat ass in my car and driving everywhere. I have to admit, it wasn't long before my legs were ready to fall off. I would never survive in the city.

Saturday afternoon we watched the New York Yankees baseball game on television. (Yuck) LOL OK I love baseball but I am a Red Sox fan and Red Sox fans HATE the Yankees. It was very difficult sitting through that and watching the Yankees win and listening to Kenny brag about how wonderful they are compared to the Red Sox. We will see who wins the World Series next month and I will bet it won't be the Yankees!

Saturday night we made up the salad and Ron brought home steaks and grilled them for dinner. They were delicious, and I have to admit, I was liking the thought of two men doing all the cooking for me. I definitely was Queen for the weekend.

Sunday Kenny and I went back to the park by the river because they were having a Riverfest type of thing and a free concert going on that afternoon. There were a couple of local bands set to play and several booths were set up selling crafts and food and some of the local businesses were promoting their services. Definitely a party atmosphere and we stayed most of the afternoon walking around and listening to the music. There's nothing like really good cheap entertainment. Before going home, we met Ron and his friend Gina and her 2 girls for pizza. Gina said I looked like I was ready to drop. I have to admit, I was exhausted but I had a blast.

Monday morning I had a quick breakfast and hit the road by 11am. I got detailed written directions out of the city without having to go through Staten Island and I was grateful for that. The drive home was actually quite uneventful but I was really happy to see my exit. I was more happy to see my puppy, who greeted me with lots of kisses when I walked in the door. (Eric was sweet enough to come over every day and feed him and take him out for a walk.) I got home around 4pm, took a shower and got the laundry started. I slept like a baby Monday night and hated to get up Tuesday (and today for that matter) to go to work. I hope to get to bed earlier tonight so I can catch up on my sleep.

Oh and while I was gone, someone took a baseball bat to my mailbox. There is a nice dent on the side and I had to bend part of the door back into shape so the door would stay closed. My dad bought me this mailbox last Christmas after my old one was beaten to a pulp by another bat. A few years ago I had to replace my original mailbox because someone hit it with their car and destroyed it. I don't know which is worse...the mailbox vandals or the egg throwers. Either way, it ends up costing me money. If I ever catch one of those little so and so's...I will use their bats on their own heads.

Ok Time to make some dinnah!

Have a good evening, everyone and enjoy the wonderful weather!

Long weekend

I'm leaving for Jersey in the morning. Catch you all when I return. Have a great weekend everyone!

Meet the Parents

We survived! Meeting Jessie's parents last night was not as bad as Jessie had expected. When I arrived, about 10 minutes early, I could tell she was in a state of panic. Her nerves were shot, she was babbling about nothing and everything. Eric was relaxed and chuckling to himself. He told me she always gets like this when the parents are coming. I sat her down and asked her what subjects should be avoided. First one out of her mouth was religion. Then anything to do with weddings, engagements, etc. OK I can do that. Then she said she had to keep her swearing in check because her father really took issue with it. OK again, nothing I can't handle. Then she asked me if I wanted a beer. She said her father wouldn't say anything about her having one (she's underage) if Eric and I were drinking too. Ok I don't need an excuse to have an ice cold beer on a 98 degree day. LOL This was turning out to be a lot more fun than I expected!
Jay and Della arrived a half hour late but had rib eye steaks and boneless chicken marinated and ready for the grill. Introductions were made and we girls sat around talking while Eric and Jay went out on the deck to get grilling. The remaining menu consisted of pasta salad and corn on the cob, and Jay decided to make some garlic bread also out on the grill. Everything was delicious, and conversation flowed around the table. Oh my one mistake...while plating up my dinner, I chomped down on a piece of the garlic bread before sitting down and felt kinda dumb when Jessie said...'Dad, would you like to say the blessing?' Oh shit. LOL (I was told afterwards that Jay had already been nibbling on his steak so I was fine.)

Ok so one of the subjects at the table was about someone's upcoming wedding and that subject was brought up by Jessie. Eric and I exchanged looks. I smirked, he rolled his eyes. Then somehow the subject moved onto whether the couple to be married was getting married in a church or by a JP. Slight segue into religion. I concentrated on my steak. Then the obvious question. "Elaine, you are Catholic, right?" Oh crap...here we go. I shot Jessie a look (through my brilliant smile). She's killing me here. LOL I belong to St. Joseph's Church but I haven't been there in ages. But that wasn't the question, right? I told them yes, I was Catholic and was a member of St. Joe's and that satisfied them.

So after dinner I helped Eric clean up a bit while Jessie and her parents decided on a movie to watch. I was surprised to see their choice was Inside Man with Denzel Washington and Clive Owen only because there is some pretty colorful language in that movie. But they seemed to ignore the language and enjoyed the movie. We talked a little off and on and munched on the turtle brownies I had made for dessert. It was warm in the apartment even with the A/C going and frankly, after 3 beers and all that food, I was ready for a nap. Jay and Della left right after the movie and I was right on their heels. It's a good 45 minute drive for me and I got home around 10.

Not a bad evening at all, I would say. Nothing like Ben Stiller's Meet The Parents!

It is going to be another hot one today although I think thunderstorms are going to make an appearance and cool things off later this afternoon. Yesterday was brutal. When I drove through Dover, the temperature at the bank read 101. I believe it. And the humidity was way up there. It is already 77 and it's 9am. I'll kick on the A/C by noon I am betting.

I don't have any plans for today other than clean my room a bit. I noticed while getting dressed yesterday that there is a good layer of dust on my dresser and I have been very lazy about putting my clothes away. I just fold them and leave the pile on the blanket chest and go through it during the week. It's starting to look like my daughter's room. I'll have to sort through the summer and winter stuff soon so may as well get a start on that.

I am very glad we have a long weekend next weekend and I also have this Friday off so it will be a nice 4 day weekend for me. I am considering going to Jersey for the weekend. Haven't made a final decision yet but it's looking pretty good.


Oh and if you see Mazz or Rick online today wish them a Happy Birthday!

Saturday musings

Good Morning! It is already 72 humid degrees here in the Granite State and it's only 7:30 in the morning. I guess that means we are in for a hot one today. As I peek out my window here, the sun is out but it's a tad bit hazy. The air is still and heavy. The air conditioner will be getting some use today.

I had a fairly unproductive and very long week. I was very happy to see Friday, that's for sure. All of us at work are feeling pretty much the same. We count down the hours and look forward to lunch or our next coffee break. Something has to happen soon or we are all going to go insane. The sad part is our manager just doesn't seem to be doing anything to push some work our way. He just says to keep doing what we're doing, always have something in front of us and keep our hands moving. What a way to run a company! I can't imagine the amounts of money they have to be losing because we are not the only department in this predicament. We even have someone squishing Q-Tips. Yes, that's right. We use the industrial cotton swabs to wipe bond off of some of our parts and sometimes we have to squeeze the tips of the swabs to get into a tight spot. So one of the girls is using a pair of pliers and squeezing the swabs and placing them into a bin for future use. Now there's a carpal tunnel patient in the making.

Thursday evening I went over to Paul's house to watch Disturbia with him and his daughter Jenna. A bit of a change of pace for me because normally I don't go out on weeknights and I am in bed by 9 or 10 pm. But sometimes you have to step out of the box, you know? Ok so I paid for it a bit yesterday but I can catch up on my sleep this weekend. The movie was ok, I didn't get to finish it because it was getting late. We had a couple of interruptions and had to stop the movie a few times but hopefully I can see the end of it soon before I forget the whole thing.

I really enjoy spending time with Paul but being around his daughter is a challenge for me. I can already tell she doesn't like me being in her territory. Paul has been a single dad for 14 years and in that time she has had him pretty much all to herself. Daddy's little girl and all that and yes, he admits to spoiling her a bit along the way. The few times I have been over there she's been cold and rude. I expected the chill but there is no excuse for being rude. The first time I went over there I introduced myself to her and she looked me up and down and then dismissed me by turning her attention to her father. Okay, that went well. NOT! LOL Second time I got a hi...then she high tailed it to her room and left me standing in the kitchen for a couple minutes while her father was on the phone in another room. Thursday night she never spoke directly to me even though I was sitting right there and trying to engage her in conversation. Paul was embarrassed and apologetic. I could tell he didn't know what to do. Hell I don't know what to do. My kids are always polite and friendly to any friend or date of mine that they have been introduced to. I was involved with one particular guy for a long time and my daughter disliked him right from the beginning but she was never rude to him. Well maybe once but he deserved it. LOL The point is, she should get to know me before she decides she hates me. She's not a little kid...she's 18. Time to grow up. But I will hold my tongue for now and see what develops. The way my luck runs...nothing will develop and I am sweating it for nothing. LOL

Tonight is the night I get to meet Jessie's parents. She is very nervous about it all but Eric said he's cool. That's cos he has a cool mom and he knows he doesn't have to worry about me burping at the table or making an ass out of myself. I will have to watch my language though. Cuss words are not allowed. Not that I use those or anything. Well not very often. :-) I have been warned that conversation may be directed towards the fact that Jessie and Eric are living together without being engaged or married. Apparently her parents feel this is wrong and will probably ask my opinion. I will be honest...they are too young to get married. Plain and simple. And I have no problem with them living together. Jessie is a lovely girl and she is responsible and most importantly, she makes my son happy. I see no reason to rush things.

I have to get started on making something for dessert for tonight. I am thinking about whipping up a batch of turtle brownies. Those are always a big hit.

It's up to 82 degrees now. I got distracted writing this post and set it aside for a bit but I better get it posted and get those brownies in the oven before the temperature gets into the 90's.

Enjoy your Saturday!

L

Colonoscopies

Colonoscopies are no joke, but these comments during the exam were quite
humorous.... . A physician claimed that the following are actual comments
made by his patients (predominately male) while he was performing their
colonoscopies:

1. "Take it easy, Doc. You're boldly going where no man has gone before!

2. "Find Amelia Earhart yet?"

3. "Can you hear me NOW?"

4. "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

5. "You know, in Arkansas, we're now legally married."

6. "Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?"

7. "You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out..."

8. "Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!"

9. "If your hand doesn't fit, you must quit!

10. "Hey Doc, let me know if you find my dignity."

11. "You used to be an executive at Enron, didn't you?"

12. "God, now I know why I am not gay."

And the best one of all..

13. "Could you write a note for my wife saying that my head is not up
there?"

Monday, Monday

Dinner with the kids was fun. Sara and Brad showed up first and we played cribbage (or tried to teach Sara how to play cribbage) while we waited for Eric and Jessie. I had already made up three pizza's, one veggie, one pepperoni and one bbq chicken, and they were just waiting to be put into the oven. Eric called and said they were running late, which is nothing new, and they showed up around 6. I popped the pizzas into the oven and we sat around and talked while we waited.
After dinner we cleaned off the table and played Uno. That game can go on for hours and it did. LOL We had a good time though. I have no idea who won, we just played til we couldn't stand it anymore. It's always a good time when we all get together. Both kids said that the next time I have to invite my parents along because they missed having them there. Consider it done.

Sunday was kind of a quiet day. I watched a couple of movies, took a nap and finished reading a book. It was a bit chilly outside but I kept the windows opened and enjoyed the fresh air. A couple more weeks and it will be football on Sunday afternoons. Nothing like watching tight ends run around all afternoon. :-)

Work was soooo boring this morning I thought I was going to just close my eyes and fall asleep at my work station. I can't stand much more of the inactivity. It's so hard to look busy. I did manage to get a couple orders done this afternoon and tomorrow I am going to learn some more data entry. Hopefully that takes up a good portion of the day. It's going to be a long week!

Looks like my dad came up today and mowed my lawn. I thought it smelled like fresh cut grass when I pulled into the driveway. Can't see the back yard from the front of the house but I can see the back yard from my window here and the back yard looks nice. I can mow the lawn myself...I have for many years, but he likes to help out and I let him because it keeps him out of my mother's hair. He is 77 years old and says the day he stops working is the day he dies. So I let him come up here and fix my porch steps and anything else that needs fixing. My brother does the same thing, so we are definitely contributing to my mother's mental health! LOL

I am going to kick back and relax tonight. Probably hit the sheets early. I slept pretty well last night considering it was a Sunday and I took a nap in the afternoon. I have some chicken in the oven and the last of the corn on the cob in the pot. That should make for a good supper I think. It should be ready in 15 minutes or so.

Have a great week everyone.
Me

Good Morning

I decided to stay home after speaking with Sara yesterday morning. She and Brad were supposed to go to Massachusetts to visit his family this weekend but changed their plans when I mentioned having them all over for dinner. So the trip to NJ was scrapped and I ended up running my errands and then going to the beach by myself. My call to Paul was not returned until much later in the day so I am glad I didn't wait around for him. (Note to self:find some new friends.) I am not much of a beach bum. I don't like the heat and humidity and I dislike the crowds. So yesterday was perfect for me. Not too hot, a little breezy, and I know of a spot by North Beach that is not very crowded. I grabbed my book and my chair and made my way there. I sat and read my book for awhile then took a walk along the beach since it was low tide. There was a couple there with a toddler and a Jack Russell terrier. The puppy was so active and friendly, running all over the beach and just having a blast. He ran over to me at one point and dropped his ball at my feet. This was an obvious invitation to play...and I tossed the ball for him for about 30 minutes. The woman kept calling him and telling him to stop bothering me but I was having fun so I told her to let him be, he was fine. That brought the baby over, I would guess about 2 years old, cute little boy with huge brown eyes and curly brown hair. I couldn't understand a word he was saying but he plopped himself down by my chair and started going through my bag. LOL Good thing I left my purse locked up in my car. All that was in there was my keys, a sweatshirt, towel, and a bottle of water. He was fascinated with my keys of course and I was a little scared he might bury them in the sand so I managed to rescue them and stick them in my pocket. His mom was a little embarrassed and apologized several times for the intrusion but it was alright. I love kids almost as much as I love dogs. LOL (These aren't the kind of friends I was talking about.) Anyway I stayed there for a couple of hours and then decided it was time to head home. I got to my car and made my way back to the highway. The beach is about a 30 minute drive from my house if I take the highway but there was quite a bit of traffic on the main road to the beach so I decided to take the back road through Porstmouth and North Hampton and go back home that way. It's not as fast but scenic and if I am going to be stuck in traffic, may as well have something of interest to look at. The drive home took me about 45-50 minutes with no stopping, traffic moved along at an even pace, so that was good.

While I was out earlier in the morning, I stopped at the farm stand in Chester and bought some corn on the cob. I haven't had any at all this summer and I heard they were picking so I bought a half dozen. All I kept thinking about yesterday afternoon was hot buttered corn, so I shucked a couple of ears and made that my dinner. OH BABY was it good! Sweet and juicy, nothing on it but butter and salt. Delicious!
I can't wait to have some more.

Last evening I didn't do much at all. Rose called and we talked for about 90 minutes, then I watched the rest of the baseball game and went to bed. It has been cool at night and I have had the windows open so it's good sleeping weather. I got up a bit ago and made some coffee, thinking about making an english muffin in a few and then hopping in the shower. I think I'll head down to my folk's house later on and visit with them for awhile. The kids will be here around 5. Looking forward to having them all here. Should be a good time.

Ok I am off. hugs!

It's FRIDAY!!

Good Morning everyone.

Today is my "Off" Friday and I have no definite plans at this moment, although I do have a couple of options. Here's my dilemma. I was invited last evening to drive down to New Jersey to visit a friend of mine this weekend. This is a good plan if I have nothing better to do, mainly because I hate having nothing to do. I have tentative plans for today and Saturday evening here at home but I can change them if I decide to go to Jersey. I am not 100% sure I want to go to Jersey. I made a list of reasons why I should and should not go. Pros...something to do, haven't seen my friend in a long time. Cons...gas expense, 5 hour drive, have to find someone to look after the dog, short notice. Plan B consists of spending today with my friend Paul and going to the beach and then having the kids over for dinner on Saturday. The only problem with that is Paul sometimes makes plans and then has to break them because of work. We talked about going to the beach on Monday, so plans were tentative depending on the weather, etc. The weather looks good...so I am just waiting to hear from him. I would much rather spend the day with him, but there is a good chance something has come up since Monday. He owns his own business and hasn't been very busy lately but needs to work when he has the chance. If he blows me off...then I may as well go to Jersey. I guess I will just hang on for a bit and see what happens. I've set a deadline of noon to decide. I can pack a bag and get a dog sitter by then, I am sure.

I tried to sleep in this morning but by 5:30 am I was wide awake. So I got up and played Literati for awhile, then made some coffee and some scrambled eggs. I suppose I will jump in the shower soon and get dressed. I do have a few errands to run this morning but nothing that will take long.

It's been so very slow at work lately that I begged my supervisor to give me some data entry work to do. I spent yesterday learning one of the programs on her computer. If I can catch on (and I know I can) then she will see about getting a computer for me set up in a corner of her office so I can take this job on as my own. It can only help in my quest for a promotion. I also had a really nice compliment paid me on Wednesday. The Quality Control Supervisor, Rochelle, asked my boss who I was and told her she was very impressed with my work. My initials are on just about every piece of paper that goes into her office because I do the final verification of the finished product and all of the electrical testing. My boss came over and told me what Rochelle said. I was blown away. About a half hour later Rochelle came over to me and told me herself just what she told Sue. She said she's been inspecting things in every department within the company and had to give credit where credit was due. She then marched right into my managers office and told him the same thing. I have a review coming up in December. I hope that helps to give me a very nice raise.

I will be having about $20 extra in my check now because I am finally able to drop Sara from my health insurance. That in itself will feel like a nice raise. I also dropped her from my car insurance so she will have to start coming up with the sum of money on her own. I can no longer get the multi family discount because she doesn't live here so she is on her own. I am going to feel like I've hit the lottery since I've been paying her car insurance for her all through college. Hell she makes as much as I do now so she can cough up the money by herself.

We had a terrible thunder storm roll through here last night. Lots of lightening and some very loud thunder and very gusty winds. We didn't lose power here but some areas did and are still without power. I saw some reports on the news this morning of trees uprooted and many trees and branches down. Several roads are still closed in Enfield, which is near North Conway, about 30 miles north of me. My car has pine needles and acorns all over it but is not damaged.

I am off to the shower. Have a great weekend, everyone. hugsss

Quick update

3 days on meds and I am feeling much better. Wheezing hasn't been an issue since going on the oral steroid burst and the sinuses are clear most of the day. I woke up last night with a stuffy head but used the nasal spray and cleared right out.
This was my work Friday and I got there early so I could leave early. We still don't have too much work but some parts have been filtering in so we've managed to stay somewhat busy.
I couldn't believe that someone actually asked if we could come in to work tomorrow. Come in and do what? Geez people...do you see anything on the shelves to do???

After work I went to the grocery store and the bank. When I got home, Sara was here playing with the poochie. She wasn't here for long since she had a hair appointment but it was good to see her. I am hoping I can get all the kids together next weekend and maybe have a small family bbq or pizza night and play some cards. It's been way too long.

Going out this evening with some friends from work. Hope all of you had an awesome week.

Me

I hate being sick

A fun day was not had by all. I spent most of last night blowing my nose and clearing my throat thanks to some heavy duty post nasal drip. When I got up this morning, all kinds of disgusting goo was coming from my nose and chest and I felt like C R A P. I went to work but I could tell shortly after I got there that it was not going to be a fun day. My temperature spiked up during the morning and I had a horrible sinus headache. I called the doctor around 9:30 and left a message with the nurse since there were no available appointments for the entire day and I wanted to start on an antibiotic right away. They normally won't call in a prescription unless you see the doctor so the nurse was going to check with a doctor and see what she should do. We played phone tag all day long. I finally got mad after I was told she was busy but would call me back for the third time...and said I would wait on hold until she could speak to me. 16 minutes later I got her on the phone. I had to get an appointment at 6:30 with the Urgent Care department and that usually means you wait and wait and wait, especially if someone comes in with a more serious ailment or injury than what you have. I got there on time and waited for about 15 minutes, which wasn't bad. The doctor took my history and after looking up my nose and listening to my lungs, decided I had a sinus infection and the beginnings of bronchitis. Nothing new to me...I get bronchitis at the drop of a germ anyway. So off I went with three prescriptions. One is an antibiotic, one is a cough syrup with codeine (yay) and the last one is a oral steroid burst for the inflamed bronchial tubes. $110 now in the hole but I should be right as rain in a couple days.

I stayed at work all day despite feeling crappy and decided to go to my parents house after work to hang out until my appointment. My doctors office is just 10 minutes away from my folks house and I live about 30 minutes away so it made more sense to hang out there. I met my niece's new boyfriend Jeremy (way cute too I might add) and stayed for dinner. My brother was making BLT's so who can pass that up? It is quite humid outside and my parents air conditioner was not working for some reason so it was a bit steamy in their house but I survived.

It is again very slow at work. We are all making ourselves look busy, something, it is sad to say, we are all very adept at. My boss has been running around like a mad woman trying to find parts and work for everyone and sometimes I think she is going to snap. Her boss doesn't seem too concerned about it all but I tell you what, if he sees us goofing around there will be hell to pay. So we redo work and reclean things and don't complain about being bored to keep Sue's ass out of the sling.
She is by far, the best boss I have ever worked for so I will do whatever I can to help her out. We also were trained today on how to use the laser wand to electronically keep track of which departments to charge our time to. I am not the smartest person in the world...but man when some people have to change their routines, it screws them all up. It really isn't that much different from clocking in and out, just 2 more steps and you are right there at the time clock to do it anyway so I really don't know what the big deal is. But I can't tell you how many times I had to get up and show someone how to clock into a different department. I am sure everyone's time is going to be all screwed up all week until everyone gets the hang of it.

Ok Since I am really late getting home, I had better get into the shower and start these meds. Bedtime is right around the corner tonight since I didn't get much sleep last night.
I hope everyone is having a good week so far.

Me

Company Picnic

I am home...phew...I am exhausted. I think I walked enough today to last me for about a month or so. I suppose it wouldn't have been that bad but it was soooo hot outside today. I would guess low 90's and humid. Every once in awhile there was a breeze but I have to honestly say I am not cut out for outdoor activities when the thermometer gets past 85.
The picnic was really fun. The food was plentiful and delicious, and the place was packed. We met up with Cyndie and Bob and Hali and her boyfriend Eric and had lunch, then we all walked around the park a bit to let our food digest.
Richie is a very nice guy, 48 years old, salt and pepper hair, about 5'10" tall. He has a 15 year old son that he has custody of 9 months out of the year. We decided to meet there at the gate because we both live in opposite directions about an hour away from the park. It made no sense for him to come pick me up because he would have had to go past the park to do so and then drive about an hour, only to drive back another hour to get to the park. He enjoyed the rides we went on and got along pretty well with everyone. I was told he was pretty shy and that part was true. He did seem to loosen up a bit as the afternoon went on. He is very attentive. I'm not used to that...but I think I could easily force myself to like it. :-) We decided that our feet couldn't take anymore after about 5 hours of roaming around and Richie and I left. I followed him to a nearby pub and we sat in the air conditioned bar. He was a bit more talkative there. After 2 drinks, we decided to call it a day and head home. I was kind of happy about that because I had been all sweaty after being out in the sun all afternoon and I wasn't feeling very comfortable. He walked me to my car and yes...I got a big hug and a nice kiss. All I could think about though was I hoped I didn't stink. LOL I couldn't wait to get home and jump in the shower. Soap and water never felt so good.

So once again I will say I am exhausted. I have the air conditioner going and plan on running it all night.

I am all blogged out. I am going to turn on the tv and fall asleep.

...So take off all your clothes

Oh my goodness, another post. Two days in a row even. I must be bored. LOL

I've done my banking and bills, cleaned the kitchen, did some laundry and cleaned up and defragged my PC. It's only 11:30. I showered but I am still in my bathrobe. It's already hot outside, 89 last time I checked. I have the A/C on low so it's not too bad in the house at the moment. I have some errands to run a bit later and I have to stop at my parent's house and drop off some boxes for my niece Crystal. She's packing up some things for storage and I always have packing boxes around here. All of the Avon is delivered in heavy cardboard boxes that are the perfect size for storage.

From there, I will be heading to Rose's house. She lives about 45 minutes north of me in a small town called Pittsfield. It is located in the Suncook Valley along the Suncook River. The river runs right down the middle of town, and is actually the 'centerpiece' of the downtown area. Rose and Steve live in a house way up on a hill that pretty much overlooks the town. In the summer you can't really see much because all of the trees are in bloom, but in the winter it is an amazing sight. They have about 5 acres of land and there's a huge apple orchard down behind their property. It's very peaceful up there and when I have been up there at night, we will sit out on the deck and do some stargazing through Steve's telescope.
The hot air balloon festival doesn't actually start until 4pm and there is a threat of thunderstorms later this afternoon so I am going to go to her house around 4 and we will assess the situation then. If the weather holds, we will take a ride over to the fairgrounds. Otherwise, we will hang out at her house and enjoy each others company. One thing we both can do well is talk and entertain each other.

Jessie called me last evening and her parents want to meet me so she and Eric are planning a dinner at the end of the month. She is very nervous about this because her parents are, in her words, 'very different' from me. I laughed and told her I would be on my best behavior, I won't use any cuss words and I will use the right fork and all that. LOL She said I wasn't the one she was worried about. Apparently her parents are not supportive of her living with my son without being engaged or married and have been pushing them for a change in their marital status. I think it's crazy, they have only been a couple for less than a year and have only been living together since April. And Jessie is only 18. I think that's way too young to get married. Anyway, should be interesting. LOL I'll take pics.

Lazy Lainie needs to get off her ass and get dressed. I'm coming down from my caffeine high...I drank about a half a pot of coffee this morning.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Me

It's Too Freeking hot!

94 degrees here at home but I know for a fact it was hotter in the city. I am sure someone out there is loving this heat but I am not. The good thing is it is very cool in the building where I work. They keep the A/C going full blast and we actually need a sweater or long sleeve shirt in there most afternoons. I don't complain, I keep a long sleeved denim shirt in my locker for that reason anyway. But man...when I walked outside, the heat was like a slap in the face today. Definitely up about 10 degrees from yesterday.

It was moving day today at work. Every once in awhile, some dumbass gets an idea and decides that rearranging the production floor is necessary. Usually it is because one department is downsizing and doesn't need all the space they have, or someone is gearing up because of increased orders. In any event, our happy little home in the bowels of the building, was turned upside down this morning and we were all moved out onto the main production floor. They are apparently going to expand our room and add more work stations and be ready to start work on a brand new contract. Once the managers make up their mind...they waste no time, believe me. In about an hours time, they had every work station moved and ready to go. It was one big rush. We didn't even have time to clean our area, they just put our work benches on wheels and moved them to our new home. Not so sure I like this very much because my seat is in a direct line with my managers office and he is going to see every move I make. I am a good worker, don't get me wrong. But I also like to alleviate stress sometimes by instigating the others. I am now afraid that my actions will get someone else in trouble so I am going to have to watch out. I also heard he has told other people in that area to stop talking or to be quiet. This sucks, because I love to talk. LOL And our group is a good group and we all laugh and get along great together. Gawd, I am going to have a hard time behaving myself.

I have tomorrow off so I plan on sleeping in and then running errands. Sometime in the afternoon I am going up to Pittsfield to the Hot Air Balloon Festival. I missed it last year but I won't this year. I know the best time to go is early on Saturday morning because that's when all the balloons go up...but I have the company picnic on Saturday so I am going to go up tomorrow and take my chances. They have all kinds of events and vendors but I really just want to see the balloons. My friend Rose lives nearby so I am going to pick her up and take her with me. I haven't seen her in a couple of months so I am looking forward to it. After we walk around and get some pictures, I am going back to her house to have dinner and hang out.

Saturday is the company picnic and so far the weather forecast looks good. Usually it rains...so I normally don't bother going. But I got tickets this year regardless. I actually have a date too...so it will be fun.

Shaping up to be a very busy weekend. I hope everyone is staying cool. I'm keeping the A/C going, that's for sure.

Lainie

It's getting hot in here...

I hope everyone who loves the heat and humidity are enjoying themselves. It's been really humid the last week or so with temps ranging anywhere from 80-90 degrees F. I am not a fan of the humidity so I have been making good use of the air conditioning. I have a small one in my bedroom which cools the room off really well, and I have a larger one in my living room. It cools off the living room, computer area and the kitchen, and as long as I am not cooking for a long period of time in the kitchen, it's not too bad in here. I really don't have much of an appetite when it's hot anyway so I have been making salads and having simple meals like sandwiches and cereal and toast. I did grill some veggies and a pork chop on Sunday, which was quite tasty.
Still deciding what I want for dinner tonight. I'm not very hungry right now so I will wait awhile. I have the fixin's for a salad in the fridge but I might just go all out and fix a bowl of cereal.

It's been a long two days at work so far. There isn't a whole lot to do so I pretty much passed the time by talking and walking around with a clip board so I looked busy. Apparently one of the departments that feeds us work is down due to a shortage of one particular part. If a department isn't out of work yet, it will be soon since it is a common item that is needed to build the lasers and without lasers, we can't build anything optical. Good thing it is only a 4 day work week for us this week. With my luck, we will end up getting our parts by Thursday and will be asked to work Friday and Saturday to catch up. Normally I wouldn't care but it would kind of suck that we sat around all week doing nothing just to have to work OT at the end of the week. Yeah I know the extra money will be nice. ;-)

Not a whole lot to blog about. Let's see I've covered work, and the weather. The kids are doing well. Sara likes her new job pretty well now that she's used to it. At least she stopped complaining about it. Eric called last evening and we chatted for quite awhile. He's doing well, working some overtime the last few weeks, filling in for some guys who went on vacation. He is talking a week off in October but he hasn't decided what he wants to do just yet. I guess it will all depend on whether or not Jessie can get the time off too.

My brother is planning a going away party for my niece Crystal but I haven't heard any details just yet. I am going to really miss her but I am also very excited for her. I think she leaves for boot camp in mid September.

My company is having a summer picnic this Saturday at Canobie Lake Park. It is a local amusement park nowhere near as big as Six Flags but they have lots of rides and games there as well as some entertainment. The company is providing a bbq lunch in the picnic grove consisting of hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, sausages, salads and desserts and an all day pass into the park. I was planning on taking my daughter but she has made other plans so I have an extra ticket. Anybody want to come along? I can't tolerate a lot of the rides anymore but I will go to be sociable and maybe go on a few of the old lady rides (as my daughter calls them). Should be a good time.

I watched a really good movie last weekend called The Upside of Anger. It stars Joan Allen and Kevin Costner and I think it came out in 2005 or early last year. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it. I don't know why I had never seen it before but it is definitely worth the rental fee. A little comedy, a little drama and a little romance, can't beat that.

Gotta go. Have a good Hump Day tomorrow.

Lainie

TGIF finally

Quick update...took the doggy in for his follow up and he is doing just great. Sara surprised the pooch and popped in before I got home. She picked a good day, her college diploma was sitting in the mailbox waiting for her. It's official...she really did graduate. Hip Hip HOORAY! LOL She accompanied us to the Vet's office and was happy to see her baby was in good shape.

I made a quick supper and sent her home with more of her junk that she still had laying around. She has plans to go out this evening so she didn't hang around for long. I am pretty tired this evening so I plan on hitting the sheets fairly early anyway. It's been quite warm here all week and I didn't sleep all that well last night. Today was especially humid. It is 7:30 pm and still 85 degrees outside. I've got the A/C cranked and I am enjoying a nice cold Bud Light. I'm not working tomorrow which is even better. Not sure I remember what a whole weekend off feels like but I am willing to find out.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Me

Hola! Hump Day was a very productive day. We managed to complete the order we were trying so hard to finish and I sat with the Government Inspector this morning and ran all required tests. He liked what he saw and bought all 750 units. Way To Go US!! We had the shipment ready with a day to spare. That makes me very happy. I work with a good group of girls who take pride in what we do and we all work very well together. Can't beat that with a stick!

I had a pretty good weekend even if it really was only 1 and 1/2 days worth of a weekend. I ended up working Saturday for most of the morning. Saturday afternoon I took a nap and then went shopping with Sara later in the afternoon. She was looking for some more clothes for work. She has a lot of clothes but now that she has a new job, she needs to dress in something other than jeans all the time. So we picked out a couple of cute things that are casual but not too casual. She got a tan colored skirt, short but not too short, and a couple of cute polo shirts with the little collars on them. She also picked up a pair of light brown dress pants and a light blue, brown and white blouse. It was a real chore convincing her to buy the blouse because she doesn't like anything with a print on it but it was on sale and really looked good on her. She can also wear it with her white pants or any of her other skirts. I also found a couple pair of capris on sale and I bought them for her. I am sure she will be out again next pay period to get a few more things but this was a help.

After we shopped til we about dropped, we stopped for dinner at a pizza joint near where she lives. She raved about the pizza and honey bbq wings and chicken tenders and they serve beer...so that's where we went. The food was really good and we had a couple of draft beers. I didn't feel much like pizza so I got the honey bbq chicken tender wrap with onion rings. YUM! Sara had the loaded potato skins. Talk about a meal in itself. Looked really good...may have to go back there sometime and try those myself. I dropped her off at her apartment around 8pm and headed home. It's about a 45 minute drive to my house so I didnt get home too late. Good thing because I was getting pretty tired and couldn't wait to take off my shoes and just relax. I was in bed by 11 and slept until around 9 on Sunday morning. I made breakfast and lounged around drinking coffee for a couple of hours. Then I got busy cleaning out some of Sara's room. I must have packed away 3 large bags of clothes for her to look at and decide if she wants to keep them or donate them. I also threw away a lot of junk that she will never miss. I still have a ways to go but I think I will be able to tackle some more of it this weekend. She is coming over Friday evening so I plan to get her help with some of the mess she left behind.

The puppy is doing very well. His infection is just about all cleared up and his little face is pretty much all healed. He is looking like a handsome young boy again. I do have to take him back in on Friday for a follow up but it should be no big deal. Don't you just love this picture of him and Sara? It's one of my favorites.



I am off to make some dinner and then jump in the shower. I think it will be a very early evening for me this evening.

Workin on an "Off" Friday

Should have been a day off but it wasn't. We kind of got behind when everyone took the week of the 4th off so now it is catch up time. We have a shipment next Thursday and we are no where near ready so most of the department worked all day today and a few of us are going in for half a day tomorrow. I really didn't mind once I got to work this morning. Getting up was the hardest part. I work with a good group of girls and they all contribute where needed. Now that the 'deadweight' (Judy) quit, we're working like a well oiled machine. LOL Anyway, I am gonna love the money in my paycheck next week.

I've had a rather busy week, and I have been really tired so most evenings this past week I was showered and sleeping pretty early. I think I can stay up tonight past 10...but it is only 4 PM right now so I am not making any promises.

I had to take the puppy to the Vet's office yesterday. He had been scratching and rubbing the sides of his mouth for the last couple of days and when I got home on Wednesday, it looked really bad. It was really inflamed and a lot of the fur in that area was missing. The Vet said it is a skin infection and looked worse than it is. So she put him on an antibiotic and gave me a bottle of medicated face wash to use on his lil mouth. I have to wash the area once a day and leave the cleanser on for about 5 minutes before washing it off. Do you know how hard it is to keep an animal still for 5 minutes, especially when there is something foreign on their face? It seems like forever for him I am sure...but we're soldiering on. Actually with just one cleansing and one dose of the medication, it already looks better. She also told me that dogs can get acne. That was something I didn't know. Anyway, my lil man will be all handsome again real soon. And I know a 7 year old dog is not a puppy anymore but he will always be a puppy to me ;-)

Eric's girlfriend stopped over the other night for a quick visit but ended up staying a couple hours and we watched the movie Alexander. It was pretty good. I enjoy Jessie's company. She's a little calmer when we're one on one and we had a nice conversation. Sometimes when everyone is here, she has a tendency to be a bit brash and loud, like she is in need of attention. I keep reminding myself she is just 18. Maybe she feels like she has to be loud to be heard.
Both Eric and Sara think it is weird that Jessie would come all the way over here to see me by herself. Sara said she would never go to Brad's parents house by herself unless she had a specific reason to. I think it's pretty cool that Jessie feels comfortable enough around me to stop over. They also think it's weird that Jessie sometimes calls me just to say Hi. I think they should both take a lesson from her.

Time to medicate the pooch then I am going to make some dinner. I stopped at the market on the way home and picked up a small piece of salmon to grill. I wish I had thought of something to accompany it. LOL I must have something in the pantry.

Have a safe weekend!

L

Busy, Busy

I better post something...anything...before Kerry sends the Canadian Royal Mounted Police after me. Wait, that doesn't sound so bad now does it? LOL

I'm doing alright. I had a pretty busy weekend and didn't spend much time at home. After work on Saturday morning I came home and did some housework, then was invited to a BBQ at a co worker's house. It was all last minute but since my other option was to sit at home and watch tv, I decided to go. I'm glad I did. Had a great time and met some really fun people. I don't think I stopped laughing all evening. It felt really good to be out among some entertaining and and happy people. It was just what I needed.

It's been a weird month or so for me. I hadn't said much because I still don't really know what happened, but I've been kind of sad and bummed out for awhile. I guess I sensed Cal was going through a rough time although he never said anything. He just wasn't very happy and he was always tired. I know he's been worried about his daughter and her recent separation from her husband, but he was really excited about her coming back home. The last I heard back on Father's Day weekend, was she was here and they were going to spend the weekend together. I can't recall anything in that conversation that would make me believe anything was wrong. I was looking forward to meeting her sometime after the weekend. The whole weekend went by with no word from him. Not that big a deal, really, I knew they had a ton of plans and would be pretty busy. But by Wednesday, I was pretty worried so I called and left a message on his voice mail. Several days went by and still nothing so I called again, this time calling both his cell phone and his house phone, expressing my concern. Still no response. I waited another couple of days and left another message. This time he did call me back and just said he's been really depressed and out of it and just didn't want to deal with anything. He was very apologetic for worrying me but assured me he was fine, just had to 'check out' for a bit. I was and still am pretty upset by this kind of behavior but I didn't want to add to his misery, whatever that may be, so I let it go. I was truly relieved that he was alright. I offered to go down there but he said no, he just needed to make some changes in his life and all would be better in time. I know he has not been happy with his job for some time and he had been applying all over the place but wasn't getting many responses to his resumes. He also didn't like where he was living and was looking for a new apartment. I didn't think one of his 'changes' had anything to do with me but it looks like I was wrong. Anyway, we talked for a bit and he said he would call me the next day. That was 10 days ago...and I haven't heard a thing.
Our relationship is a little weird...we were very close friends for a long time but were both involved romantically with other people. We were always there emotionally for each other and he was a solid rock for me when my last relationship went belly up, as I was for him. The only person who knows me better is my friend Rose. He was there when I laughed, cried and needed a friend. He always made me feel special and he always called me a lady, even when I was being a tom boy or talking like a truck driver. He accepted me...warts and all, and never passed judgement, even when I stupidly gave my last relationship a second, (or was that third or maybe even fourth) chance.
When he was going thru a really bad break up with his girlfriend of 3 years, I was there for him. He needed support and encouragement, and I was happy to be able to support him for a change. He was deeply depressed for awhile but managed to get thru it all and was eventually stronger and more confident than ever. We have been true friends in every sense of the word. About a year and a half ago we started dating and I'd been very happy with us. Now I just don't know what to think or believe. I miss him terribly. Part of me wants to go down there and shake him. Part of me wants to just walk away. I'm angry and sad. We've never had a negative word pass between us. I've never been one to give up on anything but what more do you do? He knows how to reach me and hasn't so obviously he doesn't want to. I've run thru every possible scenerio in my mind. Maybe he's even more depressed than I thought. Maybe he's met someone new and doesn't want to hurt me. Maybe he's a real dog and is trying out this someone new and will come back all smiles if and when it doesn't work out. Who the hell knows...obviously I won't be getting any answers to this for awhile, if ever. Anyway...such is life I guess. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Or something like that.

On a positive note, my niece went to Portland, Maine last week and took all of her entrance exams for the Navy. She is heading for boot camp on September 18th. She is thrilled and I am happy for her. I think a BIG going away party is in order! I have to call my brother and set something up. Sounds like a plan.

Time to hit the shower. Hope you all had a great weekend!

Back to Work

Just a quick post this evening. I am exhausted. I really had a hard time going to sleep last night so naturally I had a terrible time getting up this morning at 4 to go back to work. I won't be up long this evening, that's for sure.

I had to cash my check tonight on my way home and then stop and pick up some food. I had asked my employer to mail my check last week so I didn't have to make the 22 mile trip into town to get it. I have direct deposit but for some reason they always have issues with it whenever there is a holiday so they process live checks on holiday weeks. They mailed my check but it never arrived until today, so I grabbed it when I got home and off I went to the bank.

The sky was black and it looked like a storm was right around the corner. I got into the store just as the sky opened up. I picked up a few things I needed for the week and headed home. Don't ask me how I did it because the latch to lock the sliding glass door is on the inside of the house, but somehow I managed to hit the latch when I closed the door this morning. I couldn't get into the house from the front door because there is no way to unlatch it from the outside. I tried several times to get the door opened but there was no way. The dog is way too small to reach up there so I got a little scared and thought maybe someone was inside. I walked around to the back of the house and checked the back door which was also locked. I'm not that brave so I called the cops on my cell phone and asked if an officer could come and enter the house with me in case someone was inside the house. He got here in like 2 minutes and walked around the house with me checking windows and such, then came into the house with me through the back door. We took a good look around and nothing was out of order, and no one was inside. The sliding glass door was indeed locked and neither of us could figure out how that could have happened. The only thing I can think of is the latch was partially flipped to the locked position and must have completely closed when I slid the door closed. The door is heavy and sometimes closes hard. In any event, I thanked the officer for coming out and apologized for being such a wimp. LOL He laughed and said he just got on duty wasn't doing anything and this was a nice easy call. Sheeesh! Why me?

The rest of my week long vacation was quiet. I am glad for that though, it was good to get some extra sleep and not be on the go every day. I went for some more blood work on Friday and met a friend for coffee afterwards. Saturday I went to Eric and Jessie's to see their new fish and ended up staying for dinner. I also popped in and checked on Sara at her new apartment. She only lives about 10 minutes away from Eric and Jessie so it wasn't out of my way. It looks like she is settling in nicely.

Check this out...
You can tell I live in a small town. The Fire Chief just stopped over to make sure everything was ok. News travels fast in this town. (My ex husband used to be a firefighter here so everyone on the fire department knows me.)

It is thundering out again and I need to jump in the shower. I hope you all have a great work week!

Lainie

Dahlia's

The Dahlia's growing in the jungle part of my back yard.







My back yard and deck behind the house The brown structure is my neighbor's house.

Thursday Morning Review

Good Morning everyone. I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Last night the fireworks in all of the surrounding towns were canceled or postponed because the wind kicked up around 7 pm followed by the rain. I thought it we were only going to have showers but that was not the case as it really came hammering down for most of the night. It's raining a little right now but it looks like the sun wants to poke through. I have absolutely nothing planned for today so I think I am going to start sifting through the things Sara left behind and try to bring a bit of order to what's left of her bedroom. There's a considerable amount of junk in there and it is spread out all over the room. The other thing I wanted to do was go through all the boxes she has stored in the spare bedroom but she informs me that those are old boyfriend things and she would like to go through them all herself. I can understand that but come on...when is that going to happen...if ever?? The stuff has been sitting and accumulating for a couple of years now. I suppose if I can get her room straightened out then I can move the boxes into her room and make more room in the spare room. Does that all make sense?

I am looking out of my window here by the computer and I can see my dahlias are starting to bloom. I have several yellow ones that bloom every year which amazes me because I never go out there and weed or take care of that area at all. They are hearty plants, for sure. I will take a pic of it when I get dressed.

So Tuesday night's BBQ at my brothers house was a lot of fun. My brother Dave has a nice little house in a residential neighborhood about 30 minutes away from me. He has a nice backyard with an above ground pool. It was a bit too cold for swimming but we had a nice dinner around the pool with taco dip and chips, hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, baked beans, kielbasa, a variety of desserts and plenty of beer. Eric and Jessie were there, Sara and Brad, my parents, my brother Henry and my niece Crystal, my nephew Jason, my brother Dave's girlfriend Jacqueline, and myself. We were having so much fun we weren't paying attention to the time and we almost missed the city's firework's display. We managed to get to the park with about 5 minutes to spare. They lasted about 25 minutes and were really nice this year. I was impressed. Afterwards, we went to my parents house which is not too far away and waited for the traffic to clear. My aunt and uncle stopped in since they had parked their car near my parents house and we visited with them for about an hour. Nobody wanted to leave. I never got home until way after midnight. It was really a fun evening.

While visiting with my niece I found out she has enlisted in the Navy and is leaving for boot camp early in August. I think we have to have another party now! Looks like my brother is going to have another chance to use his pool! I am really proud of Crystal. She's come a long way in her 18 years. Not born into the best of circumstances, (her mother was a bit of a flake) and with the help of my brother, who is not her biological father but took on the responsibility of raising her as such, she's managed to pull it all together. She dropped out of school at 16 but then got her GED and has completed several courses at the technical college. She is very computer savvy and wants to further her education with the help of the military. I think it's exciting and she will do well.

Time for me to get moving. I am off to tackle the vortex known as my daughter's bedroom.

Ta Ta for now!

How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?

Here's my guard dog watching my every move while I was outside. He is up on the back of the chair in the living room. Unfortunately the air conditioner is now in that window but he has another window to look out of right here beside my computer.

Tuesday already

The week is flying by. I am being kind of lazy and lounging around in bed most mornings but once I get myself up and around, I have been busy and hardly at home. I usually wake up around 6 am but if I really try, I can manage to fall back to sleep for another hour or so.

Yesterday I took the dog to the groomer at the Vet's office and had his nails clipped. He was in heaven since the girls there give him a lot of attention. He's like a mexican jumping bean, he's all over the place and can't sit still. By the time I got him back home, he was exhausted and after he had a long drink of water, he crawled under his blanket and took a long nap.

The weather was a little on the cool side yesterday so I thought that would be a good day to clean my car inside and out. I vacuumed it out and then went thru the car wash. It looks a whole lot better now. I bet I get better gas mileage now with all that sand and dirt off of it. :-)
also got my property taxes paid and went to Wal-Mart. I am very proud of myself. I went in for 2 items and came out with 2 items. Yay me...that hardly ever happens. Probably because I am still feeling the sting of that huge check I had to write at the Tax Collector's Office.

While I was in town I noticed that there was a lot of activity in the town common and that reminded me of the Town Fair that we have here every year. It is a 3 day event that allows the businesses and non profit organizations in town to get together and raise funds by having craft tables, white elephant sales, book sales, etc. The Boy Scouts put on a pancake breakfast each morning at the VFW and the Fire Department has tables set up offering games of chance. There are also booths with games for the kids, an area with carnival type rides, food vendors and a big bingo tent. On Saturday, in the town common, there are usually several local bands who play off and on, as well as magicians, clowns and the like. Saturday night they set off fireworks but it is really low budget and I have learned from previous years they are usually a disappointment. I may check out some of the other events that will be offered.

It is pretty sunny out today and not too hot. I am still in lounge mode but I really should be doing something. Perhaps if I get dressed, I will be motivated to get outside and do something constructive. It is so easy to get lazy when you don't have to go to work.

My brother is having a BBQ this evening so that will give me something fun to do. Both kids should be there with their significant others so I look forward to that. I haven't seen Eric and Jessie in several weeks and Sara is officially moved into her own place now so I won't be seeing a whole lot of her either.

There are three baby finches in my yard right now peeping up a storm. I've tried several times to get a picture but everytime I slide the screen aside to get a better shot, they get scared and take off. Momma bird is watching over them perched on the cable from the dog run. Ooops off she goes...they all must be camera shy. I just tossed some Special K outside, maybe that will lure them back.

It's almost noon so I should get some clothes on and get moving. I hope you're all having a good day.

Hugs

Productive Saturday

It's been fairly quiet in my world this week. I was pretty busy today running errands and getting some much needed chores done but nothing too exciting going on.

I went out after work yesterday with a couple of friends. It was nice to end the work week with a few drinks and some relaxing conversation. We went to a local tavern called Milly's that brews their own beer and every month they have a new beer or ale on tap that they promote. Last nights feature beer was called Fisher Cat Ale. It was pretty good, light bodied and non filling. It's usually a happening place to be but yesterday it was pretty quiet during Happy Hour. We had a few drafts and some sweet potato fries (which are so so delicious). The bands vary from week to week and last night's entertainment was mostly punk and alternative rock. They had 4 or 5 bands lined up to play 45 minute sets but we decided to leave as the first band was setting up. I just wasn't in the mood for brain splitting music last night.

When I got home all I wanted to do was hit the shower and watch a movie. I checked my email and heard from a friend I haven't talked to in awhile. I saw he was on Yahoo so I dropped a line. I absently told him he should come over since we were both bored and he should bring beer. Within the hour he was at my front door with beer! We watched the rest of the baseball game while we caught up. He left around 1 am. It was really good to see him again and it turned out to be a fun evening.

Sara started moving some of her things out today. She and 2 of her friends rented a 3 bedroom apartment a few miles away from where she went to college. I will see her place tomorrow. I am a little sad that my baby is leaving the nest. She's 22 and plenty mature enough to be on her own, I have no doubt she will be fine. Even though she hasn't been here much the last 4 years and I should be used to her not being around, I guess it finally hit me today watching as she loaded up her car. It's an exciting time for her and I don't want to rain on her parade so I will keep my emotions to myself. It was hard to keep from crying though when she drove off with her room in her car. :-(

I am a little ticked off this evening because once again I was 'stood up' by my friend Diane. A few weeks ago we were supposed to get together and had to cancel because she had had outpatient surgery and wasn't up to a visit. We decided to get together this evening but she called yesterday and had another excuse as to why we would have to postpone our plans. She is one of those people who says "call me" and "we need to get together" but obviously has no intention of following through. This has happened several times over the years and is the main reason why we haven't seen each other much. Outpatient surgery is legit...but not all of her excuses have been. I have recently put a lot of effort into getting rid of the scum and users who have let me down throughout the years. It's part of my 'dead' weight loss program. Looks like I might have to add another to my list.

On a positive note...I did manage to finally find a new comforter set for my bedroom. I've been looking for several weeks now and although it is not 100% what I was looking for, I got a great deal as it is a clearance item. The complete bed in a bag for a queen size bed for only $40. That's with the sheets, pillow shams, comforter and bed skirt. Can't beat that! I scanned the pic from the photo on the bag. I'll get the bed all made up tomorrow.



I have the upcoming week off from work but I don't have a lot of things planned. I will probably spend some of the time reorganizing my house once the tornado known as Sara blows through. My brother is having a family BBQ on the 4th so I am looking forward to that. Mostly I want to sleep past 4 am and get some sun in the afternoons. I am sure the week will fly by.

Hugssss

A Camping Weekend

I have to say right up front that my idea of roughing it is staying at a Motel 6. So when Rick asked me to go camping with him and Blossom, I almost said no thanks. But I decided what the heck...as long as I don't have to sleep on the ground, it would be a good time. Rick said it's not the Hilton but pretty comfy in their pop up camper so I decided to go along. The last time I went camping was with Rick and Blossom and the whole Maine gang a couple of years ago.
Anyway I met Blossom at her house on Saturday around noon. She had Pup_Pup and Pup's daughter Nikki with her. We unloaded my car, got gas and off to the campsite we went.
It was a pretty sunny day in New Hampshire when I left but by the time I got to their house, 4 hours later, the sun was gone and it was cool and cloudy. Apparently I missed the torrential rains the night before. But it was shaping up to be a decent day, even without much sun.
We got to the campsite and of course I was greeted with hugs and smoochies and had to greet Princess, Pup's Siberian Husky. What a pretty dog.



Rick and Gene (Pup's hubby) had a decent campfire going and we all sat around and talked for quite awhile. Gene was trying to fix the starter on his pick up truck since it decided to die right after they got up to the campsite. It didn't seem like it was going to work out but he gave it a good try.

It was soon time to start cooking dinner and we had hot dogs and hamburgers, chips and macaroni salad. Everything tastes so much better when it's cooked outside. We also toasted marshmallows and made S'Mores for dessert. YUMMY!! That's the number 1 reason to go camping in my book. LOL

Once everything was cleaned up Blossom, the best fire tender in all of Maine, built up the campfire and we all sat around chatting our fool heads off. It was so nice to catch up with them in person and not by typing on a computer, believe me. As it got darker and cooler, we all moved our chairs closer to the fire. We were really pretty warm there. The wind would kick up once in awhile but it didn't matter...we were having a great time. Even the threat of a shower didn't keep us from enjoying the night air and the fire.

I think it was around 11:30 when I decided I was about to fall asleep right there in my chair so I said good night and headed for my bed.



The worst thing about drinking while camping is having to pee every 10 minutes. LOL That's why I stopped drinking well before it was time for bed. I didn't want to wake everyone up getting my shoes on and moving about the camper opening and closing the door. I did have to go around 3am and made my way to a spot behind the car. There was NO WAY I was going any further. There are big black bears out there ya know! I really hurried up and trotted my butt right back to the safety of the camper. I was ok after that until I woke up around 6:30.

The sight I saw when opening the camper door that morning was just a thing of natural beauty. I could see across the lake and the sun was pouring down through the trees. I know the pics don't do it justice but I have enclosed a few for you to see.







Naturally Sunday's weather was the best of the weekend. Rick made a nice hearty breakfast of coffee, sausage and pancakes. We ate and cleaned up so we could start packing. Before we left, though, Rick took me for a nice long ride on his 4 wheeler. That was really fun and something I haven't done before.

Gene and Pup's truck was still not fixed and arrangements were made for someone to go back to town with Rick and get whatever parts were needed to get the truck repaired. I heard this morning that it took all afternoon to repair and they didn't actually get home until after 8pm.

I hopped in Blossom's car and together we rode back into town to where my car was waiting. It was a long ride home for me but definitely a fun weekend. I hope to get up there again this summer so I can see the rest of the gang up there.

I didn't take a lot of pictures this trip but I did get a few. Hope you enjoy them.
Rick and Gene

Rick by the camper(Pup is in the upper left corner by the truck)

My weekend starts now

It is officially the start of my weekend. I was planning to work a few hours tomorrow morning but was told just before I left this afternoon to stay home because Dave didn't want anyone in tomorrow. We have our June shipment just about ready for the government inspection. All I have to do is stamp the date codes on about 100 units and we're ready. I can do that Monday morning and be done before the rest of my department even comes into work. I told Dave we can have the government guy in Monday after 9am.

I have a couple of errands to run tomorrow and I want to get all of my housework done. Saturday morning I am heading up to Maine to visit the Mainiacs. It's been a long time coming. It seems like every time we tried to make plans something would come up on either end. This weekend we hit it just right. It is a 4 hour drive for me but I plan on being there by noon. The camera is in the charger...no worries!

I'm feeling a bit lazy this evening. I have some leftover spaghetti in the fridge so I think I'll just toss that in the microwave and then supper is done. I won't bother picking up groceries until Sunday since I won't be home most of the weekend. Sara will pop in to take care of the pooch. I've got my laundry going now so once that's finished I can do NOTHING!

There's not much else happening. It was a gorgeous day all day but it's since clouded up a bit and looks like rain.

I'm off to watch the news. Have a wonderful evening.

Lainie

More pics of the river

Just a few more shots of the river and surrounding area.

The Lamprey River

Since yesterday's post I was inspired to capture some shots of one of my favorite spots in town. I found this place shortly after we moved to town while I was exploring places for the kids to go fishing. We have a few small lakes around but public access is limited but the Lamprey River flows through town and there are several places where you can drop your line and catch some brook trout and bass. I took a drive this morning and got a few shots of the river at Riverside Park.
The first two shots are of the Lamprey River at Langford Road. There is a house to the left of where I was standing but as far as I know this part of the river bank is not private property and I have often seen kids fishing here. The river cuts around to the right and flows under a bridge, then heads eastward.





The next few shots are at Riverside Park, which isn't really a park but a tiny picnic area along the river. There is a small take out seafood restaurant/ice cream stand across the road and we used to take our ice cream down to the picnic tables to enjoy.









The last shot I am posting is of the river from another area of town. I was in the car on the overpass and although I was stopped, there was too much traffic to safely get out of the car so I pointed the camera and shot from the driver's seat. Sorry about the railing in the way. There was a guy down on the rocks fishing but I managed to miss him completely. LOL



I took a few more pics but will post them another time.

The weather was great earlier in the day but the forecast is for scattered thunderstorms and the wind has kicked up quite a bit. It is getting pretty dark to the west so I suspect we will be getting something really soon.

I'm heading out to see my dad. Have a relaxing Sunday.

My Little Town

Since you've expressed an interest in where Lainie lives, I'll give it a go. My lil town isn't very big or interesting but there are some nice little places I like to frequent.
First of all, I was born and brought up in the city and moved to the 'sticks' in 1990.
Dave (my now ex husband) and I were first time home buyers and didn't have much money so we bought this mobile home that sat on just under an acre of land that is mostly wooded. What attracted me to the property at first was the quiet. It was the middle of the day in the middle of winter, and there was no traffic noise, no hustle or bustle, just peace and quiet. The back yard looked so pretty with the snow all over the ground, untouched since no one was living here at the time, and I loved the fact that the yard was partially cleared but the rest was thickly wooded. The kids were only 5 and 7 at the time so I was thinking they would have a blast playing out back, exploring the woods and they could have that dog they always asked for. I was right...once we moved here, they have been all over those woods and even made a playhouse out of big pieces of particle board which was later improved upon. We eventually added an old kitchen table and chairs out there and the kids would use it to play board games with their friends. It now stores a foosball table and some bicycles.

The road I live on is actually a main road that bypasses the 'downtown' area and kind of loops around the town center. The downtown is not very big and if you blink while driving through it, you will miss everything. The Dudley-Tucker Library is still one of my favorite haunts. For a small town library, they keep up with all the newest books and authors and if they don't have the book you are looking for, they will find it at one of the other local libraries and 'borrow' it for you.

Behind the library is the Town Office building. Many large cities have a mayor who runs the city but in small towns, most everything is run by a Town Manager. Like a Mayor, the Town Manager is elected during town elections, along with Selectmen and School Board members. Anyway, all of those elected town officials have offices in that building as well as the tax collector. UGH...I hate going there because it always costs me money! In the picture I have posted of the Library...you can sort of see the Town Office Building to the left in the background. The portion of building you see to the right of the library is a bank.


Directly across the street from the library is the Town Common. It's small and very countryish. I've enclosed a picture of the gazebo that is the centerpiece of the Common.


There are a couple of churches and another bank in the center of town along with a small corner store and two little restaurants. One is called the Longbranch and it is only open for breakfast and lunch. This is where the locals gather for the best cup of coffee in town (and all the gossip you can handle). Across the street is a pizza joint and around the corner is the VFW.

We have an elementary school, middle school and high school in town. They are in three different areas of town, and have always been over crowded since I've been here. Over the last year, they tore down the middle school which I believe was actually the high school at one time, and built a brand new school in the same location.

There is one small shopping center on the other side of town that has 5 or 6 businesses and a large grocery store that is a couple of miles from my house. The Post Office is now located at one end of the shopping center and the hardware/craft store is at the other end. In between is a pizza/sub shop, a small medical clinic and a discount furniture store. Across the parking lot is a bakery, a pet store and a video rental store. We have a McDonald's, Dunkin Donuts, a bowling alley and a State Liquor store. I do my grocery shopping at the Hannaford's and I like it because it also has a pharmacy right there and I can rent DVD's too. There is also a branch of the bank I go to right there in the store and it is open in the evening as well as Sunday afternoons.

One of the larger businesses in town is the Pine Acres Campground. It is located about a half mile from my house and has seasonal sites as well as weekend sites. There is a large pond down there where my son used to go fishing and it is pretty well outfitted so you never have to leave the grounds. There's a country store, laundromat and ice cream stand there. They also have a mini golf course and water slides which are open to the public. I can smell the smoke from the campfires at night from my house.

So there it is...a little sample of small town life in New Hampshire. I have to admit, I don't shop at the shopping center because I think the items there are overpriced. But in a pinch, it beats driving 15 or 20 minutes to the nearest Wal-Mart. We don't have a movie theater or any really decent restaurants here but that's alright with me. The bigger the town gets, the less peace and quiet we are able to enjoy. If I want the fun of the big city, it's only 15-20 minutes away.