Friday Fill-in

It's been a while since I've posted anything... Getting through the 1st week of Summer Camp and preparing for the MIEM trip has taken all my time...
Here is a new Friday Fill-in. Enjoy.

My Fill-Ins are BOLD

1. Traveling to Australia is high up on my bucket list.
2. My favorite quote is (well the first one that came to me has a cuss word in it... the second that came to mind... not my favorite but....) You're fired; it's from Donald Trump's The Apprentiece.
3. Friends with blogs inspired me to start blogging.
4. Strawberries are best with no pits and lots of sugar.
5. We had a new dog in the last dream I remember having.
6. The most enjoyable time to go for a walk is dusk.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to the sleep over with Abby, tomorrow my plans include visiting my dad, grandpa, aunt and uncle and Sunday, I want to wish all the dads out there a Very HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

Good bye old Friend

RIP Skeeter 2/12/1996 - 6/2/2008

When it rains, it pours - our weekend

And I don't mean the crazy storms from Friday night either...
Friday after work/school, G and I decided to go to my parent's house for dinner and to spend the night. We were going with sis and her boys to see Go Diego Go at "The Fabulous Fox" in STL and would be meeting them at 8am so we opted for a sleep over instead.
Saturday morning we went to STL to see Diego. Had AWESOME seats... 3rd row. When we got back to Girard, sis & I went to the "family storage unit" to "shop" for summer clothes... [I couldn't find ANYTHING. Too much other people stuff on top of mine.] After that, went back to mom's to get G and head home. I hadn't driven my car since Friday night until we went to the storage unit and it was driving ok then... About 15 mins down the road from my parent's house, my car started driving "funny" and my service engine soon light was on. It would go from a stop fine, but when it went to shift into each subsequent gear, it jerked and acted like it wasn't getting gas. Long story (kinda) short, after church yesterday - which it drive fine to, I took it to my Bro's friend's shop and he hooked it up and found the code to be a transmission problem (really??!? LOL Never would've guessed that). So... today I dropped it off at the place that was recommended to me... It could be a $1,000 fix. UGH!! I don't have $1,000 AND on top of that, it needs new tires (desperately) and windshield wipers... Any my tenant's A/C unit is froze up AND the front window in my livingroom broke when the window came crashing down.
Happy Monday... It's looking like it could be a $2,000 day for me. I need to go talk to a banker for a short term personal loan.

Paraphrased (stole) from SIL's blog :-)

I will be traveling with my church to Zaragoza, Mexico on a mission trip in late June. I have a suitcase to fill with supplies, clothes, and anything and everything I can jam inside it for the people who desperately need our help.
Here's how you can help, if you are led to do so. We need donations of antacids, diabetic supplies, adult vitamins, kids ibruprofin, guaze pads, Telfa pads, antibiotic ointment, cortizone ointment, syringes, disposable diapers, children's shoes and clothes in good condition and all sizes, drug/vitamin containers, socks and underwear for all ages, Spanish children's books, suckers, balloons, felt-tip pens, purple foam sheets, men's ties (for snake craft), thin cardboard, cake mixes, frosting (in white containers), Kool-aid, acrylic paints, paint brushes, and money donations. Some of the art and food items are for the large VBS sessions Garnet holds every year. If there is any way you can help, please call or drop off items at my house. We welcome any and all contributions.
Thanks!
Love-Jen

Friday Fill in (A day late)

(My fill ins are bold)

1. On my laziest day I like to wake up late, sit around reading, play on the computer and have a leisurely dinner before early to bed to watch TV.
2. Getting all the laundry done makes me feel like I’m being productive.
3. I love little dogs and big (hmmmmm, this is a family blog)
4. This summer I want to do lots of fun summery things. We have 6 Flags season passes so we'll go there at least once a month.
5. Many friends with blogs made me start my blog.
6. Red cars and orange flowers….that one was hard
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I went out with neighbors, tomorrow (today) I planned to work on my landscaping... and Sunday, Church then... hopefully enjoying a nice day outside.

Just a thought....

This is unreal... just today on my home for lunch... gas is $4.169/gal. I did find a station still selling for $3.999 This non-sense has got me thinking... SCOOTER

For under $2,000 I can get this one. They get over 60 mpg... For the daily back and forth to work, I think it's a GREAT solution. (My mom doesn't though)

What's up

Well, Friday after work, my SIL and neice followed me to G's school and we surprised her. We then went home, got freshened up and headed to the Botanical Gardens at Washington Park for pictures. We had hoped for some pictures with all the tulips... but they were gone. SIL got some great shots of G and A... I don't care for pictures of me. I KNOW I'm overweight but I just don't realize just how fat I am until I see pictures of me. YUCK! Anyway, after that, we headed to Bro & SIL's for... Pizza on the grill. They were really good. I need to get the recipe.

The next day, G & I went to 6 Flags for the day. We had a fun time but dingy me packed the sun block, bur forgot to put it on us. Our shoulders are a bit red (I think mine are worse... I told G it was because I'm a foot closer to the sun than she is). We left 6 Flags (where I might mention gas prices down there are at least $0.30 cheaper than they are here) around 5:30 and got home close to 8. We went to Walgreens and go some Aloe Vera gel (Green Green) to soothe our shoulders, showered and crashed out.

Sunday, we got up and went to Church. I've been going when G's with TF but G hadn't been in a while. I told her we are going to starta going regularily. She was not happy about it because she wouldn't be in the Children's church or Sunday School rooms with her cousin. She'd been upset and crying about not being able to be with A all week. When we got there and were shown where G would be, she cried. Big old tears... it almost felt like dropping her off at day care for the 1st time all over again. But... she made my day when I went to her Sunday School classroom to get her and her first words to me were "This church is SO FUN!!! I want to come every week!" YEAH!!! I knew she'd like it... she tends to be a bit shy and she was upset that she wouldn't know anyone. But I kept telling her she'll meet new friends. Anyway, it all worked out and now she's excited about church and I couldn't be happier. Now we need to get a children's bible story book... she's been asking me alot of questions lately and I'm really hoping we can find a book geared at children that can help me answer her questions.

5 weeks from yesterday we will be heading to Mexico for the mission trip. I'm very excited and nervous at the same time... but more excited. I can already feel that this trip is going to change my life and I'm SO looking forward to it.

I wanna go home..... a ramble

When I get off work, I have to run across town, pick up G, take her home, clean her up and meet my SIL at the Botanical Gardens for Spring pictures. I'm SO done with the work day!!!!
Our next audit by the Auditor General's office starts Monday... (dang, I got a stomach pang just typing that) and I've been busting butt all day getting things together so, as I said, I'm DONE today.

Tomorrow, G & I are headed to Six Flags. I bought us Season Passes for Christmas and if you take your paperwork and get your picture ID card made before 5/31, you get 2 extra free tickets to bring guests, so... that's our plan.

Monday, I noticed on my realtor's web site that she lowered the asking price of my dpulex... without talking to me about it. Then I got home and found the closet door to my laundry closet broke. I called her and asked what happened to my door as she had shown the place that day. Her reply "Oh yea, you're gonna have to fix that" then I asked her why the price had changed. she said "we talked about that a few weeks ago" I said "NO you said 'maybe we should consider lowering the price' but that's all that was said" She didn't say anything. I said "ya know, I'm not in a good mood. I'll talk to you later" and I hung up. So since then, I've had limited contact with her. Her attitude about the closet door ticked me off, then I felt she took our 'friendship' for granted and just changed the price without talking to me. THIS was a "legal relationship" not our friendship - which is apparently not what either of us thought....
Anyway, I just got an email from her, feedback from another realtor who showed it Wednesday. It said: My clients are looking for something a little different than what this property offered. Too much work is needed for the price. #74 was very dirty, did not show well. [by the way #74 is the rental side and there isn't much work needed - jerks. I just put in new carpet... it's 30+ yrs old - still not in a good mood] I replied to her: If no one in interested and we have no offers by 5/26 when the contract is up, I'm not going to re-list. We'll just wait out the market and try again in a year or two. And she simply replied "alright"
So... I think I can safely bet, she won't be pushing it anymore and I'll be stuck.. I mean, still living in our tiny place for a while. Oh well... If you've read this far, thanks... sometimes it just helps to spill it all out there.

Ggrrrr... DAD Vent

UGH I swear... I am REALLY trying to live by last week's Bible lesson:

(Matthew 5:43-45)Love for Enemies
[43]"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' [44]But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45]that you may be sons of your Father in heaven...

But I'm having a REAL hard time. I just was going through my calendar and saw 2 items I need to discuss with TF (or DAD), Mother's Day and the breakfast with Dad thing at G's school.

I first mentioned Mother's Day; told him "You have Gracie this weekend but sunday is Mother's Day so I'm calling to verify with you that I'll be picking G up at 10:30 AM"
"When are you supposed to get her?"
"5:00"
"Then you'll get her at 5"
"No, Mother's Day is my holiday and I get her. I am supposed to get her at 9am but I'm going to church at 8am so I'll get her at 10:30"
He hung up on me.

I called back and he rejected my call. I left a msg saying "I wasn't done. On your birthday there is a breakfast with Dad thing at Gracie's school and if you want to take her, you need to let me know ASAP so I can make you a reservation" then I hung up.

I wouldn't put it past him to just call the office to make a reservation, but the thing is, by the time she gets there riding the bus, breakfast will be over so he needs to let ME know so that I can get her to school earlier (will NOT allow him to pick her up at my house - can't be assured he actually take her to school).

We interupt your regularly scheduled program....

to bring you this message from the National Weather Service. Hurricane Sunshine has cut a path of destruction thru Providence Lane while Mother Nature was sleeping due to her chest cold. Governor Skeeter has declared it an National Disaster Area.

Stay turned for further updates.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program....