Did you ever not want to do something or go somewhere and you make yourself go and then later you are glad you went? That pretty much sums up my weekend. I have been in a funk. I am choosing to call it that. I know exactly why I am feeling the way that I am and I really can't change the external forces causing this temporary (I pray) phenomena and do I can only change me. That's easy to say, easy to write, I preach it all the time and it is not easy to do.
This weekend I truly just wanted to stay in bed curled up in a ball and sleep and weep and feel lousy and wallow in my own self pity. The problem is that I'm a mom, wife, granddaughter and friend so I don't have as much time for that sort of thing as I wanted.
I was able to skip out on the granddaughter obligations as the ALF made plans for an outing on Saturday. That was good, more theoretical time for me. Now, if I could only make it translate into real wallow time. Friday I made a mental list of all the things I HAD to do and made a plan. The plan was to get up early and get it all done quickly so I could come home and start wallowing. Ummm... yes, I know it sounds wrong, planning on wallowing but I really wanted to put myself in timeout but I had things to do first so this was the best I could do. Well, I was done with everything including the surprise family visit around 5:30. Just in time to shower and start dinner. Dang! I ran out of time today but the weekend is not over. All hope is not lost. I should be able to wallow tomorrow, Sunday. I only have one things that HAS to get done because I almost did it all today. OK, this could work. I'm already feeling better at the thought of the future wallow time. How pathetic is that? Don't answer that.
Sunday, baby! I am ready to stay in bed but then it hits me, I have dinner plans. UGH! I really don't want to go. I wanna stay home and wallow in self-pity dang it! Why is my schedule being so uncooperative! The dog is barking, he wants to go out. Gratefully, Hubby gets up to make his cafe con leche. I ask if he can make me some because I don't feel like making the customary big Sunday breakfast. He does. Yeah, me! I squeeze an extra hour of hang out in bed time. Then I force myself to get up and do what I must and then I start putzing around with a few other things and then dang, it's almost shower and go to dinner time. I'm tired. I really don't want to go but the shower felt good and gave me a bit of energy and off I went.
It was dinner with girlfriends at a nice restaurant in a fancy schmancy hotel downtown. I walked into the lobby and it was beautiful. I love going to pretty places. The restaurant is on the 25th floor. WOW! What a view. We got there in daylight and by the time we left it was dark so we were able to enjoy the view by day and by night. Fabulous. The food was good and the best was the company. It was a good thing I went. It lifted my spirits tremendously. I needed that more than the wallow time. I just needed me time; me and my girlfriends. I was so happy that I went. It's Wednesday and I'm still thinking about it.
Comfort and Joy!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Odds
One of the things we did while visiting 19 at school was drive up to Saratoga Springs. We didn't have all day but we had a few hours to spend together before he had a meeting to attend and it's only a 30 minute drive.
It's a lovely place. There's a main street with shops and restaurants and ice cream parlors and lots of outside tables and at the end of the street there a beautiful park and a few blocks behind that is the famous race track.
We drove around to see what there was to see and then stopped at the Visitor's Center where there is a nice exhibit of the town's history. We walked through it and found out that there was racing at the track today. So, off we went. Horse racing is something new for us. We've never gone to see any. We were looking for a place to park and they were all pretty pricey and we knew that we'd only be there for hour and didn't want to spend more on parking than on admission ($3 each) so, we drove on. We spot a sign that says Public Parking and turn in, hubby slows to speak to the attendant who tells us to follow the dirt road to the back turn right go to the end and turn left and park on the right. Okidokie. As we head on we all laugh - where the heck is he sending us? Whatever, it's free. So we have to walk 100 miles to get back to the track. Then another attendant at the first turn starts waiving at us. Hubby slows again to talk. he tells us to turn around and go half way back down the road we just came and turn in to the parking lot on the right. Okidokie. At that entrance there's a sign that said Credential Parking Only. We all look at each other and laugh - WTH? There's another attendant there, hubby again rolls down the window and he tells us where to go in and park. We obediently follow his instructions laughing the whole time because apparently we look like the horse racing credentialed type. Okidokie. We park and hope the car will be there when we get back. It's a rental and 19 has a meeting to get back to. We walk to the track entrance and they patiently pose for my obligatory photos. The place is packed! There are people everywhere. Old, young, families with babies, little kids everyone is every where. It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We walk to the track and stand right there up at the fence. There are park benches behind us and I sit for a bit and take it all in. I look around and you can see the ole grandeur of the place. Its a little run down but it looks like a gran dame. A race had just finished and they were announcing the next one and I think we should place a bet. So, I ask 17 for a number and rush in to place a bet. I come back and see the last of the horses walking out. I like another one. I go back to place another bet. Hubby and 17 go place a bet on another one, 19 gives me a couple of numbers. All told there were 10 horses, 2 scratched and between the 4 of us we bet on 6 out of the remaining 8 to win. The race was about to start, we get to our spot by the fence. They're off! We watch part on the jumbotron, then we spot them live making the turn and there they are passing right in front of us. One of our horses is in the lead and another one of ours is in second going to pass him. You hear every one cheering and yelling different numbers. Its over. Who won? Wow by a nose! Check the tickets. You're wrong check again. How could we have lost? We bet on almost every horse. Almost only counts in horseshoes not horse racing. One of the 2 we didn't pick won. Ours came in 2nd and 3rd. We all laughed - what are the odds of that?! We walked around a little more bought some lemonades and then it was time to head back to the car.
It was a nice day, we were tired, it was hot and we had to walk back to the car. We were thankful for our credentialed parking because we couldn't imagine having to walk to the original spot at what we think would have been the outskirts of town.
All of us had a lovely time. It was something new for all of us and we laughed a lot. Comfort and Joy.
It's a lovely place. There's a main street with shops and restaurants and ice cream parlors and lots of outside tables and at the end of the street there a beautiful park and a few blocks behind that is the famous race track.
We drove around to see what there was to see and then stopped at the Visitor's Center where there is a nice exhibit of the town's history. We walked through it and found out that there was racing at the track today. So, off we went. Horse racing is something new for us. We've never gone to see any. We were looking for a place to park and they were all pretty pricey and we knew that we'd only be there for hour and didn't want to spend more on parking than on admission ($3 each) so, we drove on. We spot a sign that says Public Parking and turn in, hubby slows to speak to the attendant who tells us to follow the dirt road to the back turn right go to the end and turn left and park on the right. Okidokie. As we head on we all laugh - where the heck is he sending us? Whatever, it's free. So we have to walk 100 miles to get back to the track. Then another attendant at the first turn starts waiving at us. Hubby slows again to talk. he tells us to turn around and go half way back down the road we just came and turn in to the parking lot on the right. Okidokie. At that entrance there's a sign that said Credential Parking Only. We all look at each other and laugh - WTH? There's another attendant there, hubby again rolls down the window and he tells us where to go in and park. We obediently follow his instructions laughing the whole time because apparently we look like the horse racing credentialed type. Okidokie. We park and hope the car will be there when we get back. It's a rental and 19 has a meeting to get back to. We walk to the track entrance and they patiently pose for my obligatory photos. The place is packed! There are people everywhere. Old, young, families with babies, little kids everyone is every where. It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We walk to the track and stand right there up at the fence. There are park benches behind us and I sit for a bit and take it all in. I look around and you can see the ole grandeur of the place. Its a little run down but it looks like a gran dame. A race had just finished and they were announcing the next one and I think we should place a bet. So, I ask 17 for a number and rush in to place a bet. I come back and see the last of the horses walking out. I like another one. I go back to place another bet. Hubby and 17 go place a bet on another one, 19 gives me a couple of numbers. All told there were 10 horses, 2 scratched and between the 4 of us we bet on 6 out of the remaining 8 to win. The race was about to start, we get to our spot by the fence. They're off! We watch part on the jumbotron, then we spot them live making the turn and there they are passing right in front of us. One of our horses is in the lead and another one of ours is in second going to pass him. You hear every one cheering and yelling different numbers. Its over. Who won? Wow by a nose! Check the tickets. You're wrong check again. How could we have lost? We bet on almost every horse. Almost only counts in horseshoes not horse racing. One of the 2 we didn't pick won. Ours came in 2nd and 3rd. We all laughed - what are the odds of that?! We walked around a little more bought some lemonades and then it was time to head back to the car.
It was a nice day, we were tired, it was hot and we had to walk back to the car. We were thankful for our credentialed parking because we couldn't imagine having to walk to the original spot at what we think would have been the outskirts of town.
All of us had a lovely time. It was something new for all of us and we laughed a lot. Comfort and Joy.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
I'l be back
I know my multitude (read: two) of readers are wondering where I am. Well, I'm here, overwhelmed. I did go to NY to visit 19 for Labor Day weekend and that was wonderful. We honestly had a very good time. It was nice albeit short.
The first week back was hectic as first week backs usually are. Then there was the first weekend. The proverbial other shoe fell but in this case it was both shoes that fell at the same time. I honestly can't get into in here and now but suffice to say I am going through some family issues that need to be resolved before I can think clearly enough to write about anything. So, if you are of a mind to say a prayer, please include me. If not, well, think a good thought for me and I will sincerely appreciate it.
Be patient. I will be back some day, hopefully soon, to continue my life musings and rants.
Gimme patience and strength.
The first week back was hectic as first week backs usually are. Then there was the first weekend. The proverbial other shoe fell but in this case it was both shoes that fell at the same time. I honestly can't get into in here and now but suffice to say I am going through some family issues that need to be resolved before I can think clearly enough to write about anything. So, if you are of a mind to say a prayer, please include me. If not, well, think a good thought for me and I will sincerely appreciate it.
Be patient. I will be back some day, hopefully soon, to continue my life musings and rants.
Gimme patience and strength.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
House woes
My garbage disposal died. It was old and it just up and stopped running. I had my handy dandy FIL check it out and was hoping something heinous was stuck in there somewhere and he would work some magic and make it work but alas, no. We need a new one. Oh, woe is me.
My dishwasher is working right. It starts, it runs, we hear the water but the stuff isn't clean and we've been rewashing many of the items. It seems we need a new one. Oh, woe is me.
Many things is this house of ours are shall I say rigged. By that I mean they aren't standard. They are things that the previous owner had someone make something that looks like the real thing but its not and that makes repairs an adventure.
We have a side back door that I have always thought was not an exterior door but an interior door placed on an exterior wall. Well, it hasn't held up well - duh! and it really needs to be replaced. So, we measured and took off to the big box store and low and behold it's not the standard size. The hole that we have is a full inch smaller than the standard exterior door. Oh, woe is me. We went back home. We must have measured wrong because it's hard to measure something straight across (work with me people!) alas, we weren't wrong. It's an inch short. Hmmm.... well, maybe they built up the frame in a way to fit this door in and now it can be trimmed down to fit the larger door. Another job for FIL. He came, he looked, he measured (same as us), he checked this, looked there. He decided we will need a custom door, the frame cannot be trimmed down. Oh, woe is me.
All these expenses popping up when the budget is tight with senior stuff, college stuff and traveling to visit 19. Oh, woe is me.
The good news is FIL was able to fix a leak in the sink in the guest bathroom. That was the good news. At least there was some. *sigh* gimme patience and a sack of cash to fix all this stuff.
My dishwasher is working right. It starts, it runs, we hear the water but the stuff isn't clean and we've been rewashing many of the items. It seems we need a new one. Oh, woe is me.
Many things is this house of ours are shall I say rigged. By that I mean they aren't standard. They are things that the previous owner had someone make something that looks like the real thing but its not and that makes repairs an adventure.
We have a side back door that I have always thought was not an exterior door but an interior door placed on an exterior wall. Well, it hasn't held up well - duh! and it really needs to be replaced. So, we measured and took off to the big box store and low and behold it's not the standard size. The hole that we have is a full inch smaller than the standard exterior door. Oh, woe is me. We went back home. We must have measured wrong because it's hard to measure something straight across (work with me people!) alas, we weren't wrong. It's an inch short. Hmmm.... well, maybe they built up the frame in a way to fit this door in and now it can be trimmed down to fit the larger door. Another job for FIL. He came, he looked, he measured (same as us), he checked this, looked there. He decided we will need a custom door, the frame cannot be trimmed down. Oh, woe is me.
All these expenses popping up when the budget is tight with senior stuff, college stuff and traveling to visit 19. Oh, woe is me.
The good news is FIL was able to fix a leak in the sink in the guest bathroom. That was the good news. At least there was some. *sigh* gimme patience and a sack of cash to fix all this stuff.
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