It's Friday!! It's Friday!!

It's the Friday before a long 3 day Holiday weekend. I am sitting in the living room, with the news in the background that I am not even interested in listening to. Mr. Frogman left with his dad last night for an extended weekend. I think I am over tired, getting up at 4:30 am is taking its toll today.

I decided not to go out of town this holiday weekend. Since Mr. Frogman isn't home I am going to get caught up on some work. I have corporate taxes to finish, a room to get finished being unpacked. A short hike later in the weekend will be good. Hmmmm...I think the hot springs could be calling again. A Hike around Deception Pass. Just a night out playing pool, darts and karaoke with some friends might be a good change of pace too. That list of things to do this weekend is suddenly getting longer. I knew it wouldn't take me long, its a pretty good distraction.

I get test results back today. I don't think there is anything wrong, but there is always that small doubt in the back of my mind. It's not something I have been thinking about, but its been on the back burner for a few days now. At least they won't make me wait through the holiday weekend before they tell me. :)

The thought of having to get ready for work is a dreadful thought today. I don't want to get out from under this fuzzy green blanket and put my feet on the cold hard wood floors. Just the thought of getting going is a challenge. I really and truly don't want to move. Call it 4:30 wearing me thin, call it Friday call it whatever you would liek to. I think I am ready for a day off.

Okay okay its time for me to move my lazy back end and head off to the great blue yonder (yes the hallway leading up the stairs is blue and it leads to yonder room)...So great blue yonder here I come...

Have a great day!!

1st Day of School

What a morning. As I sat drinking a cup of coffee this morning at 5:30 I could hear the rustle of blankets and tossing and turning coming from Mr. Frogmans room as well as Monkey Dude Jr's room. The natives were getting restless.

I turned on the news to get caught up on traffic and weather and some of the headlines to keep up with current happenings. About halfway through my second cup of coffee Mr. Frogman came walking out of his room (not thinking) he was in a t-shirt and his unders, wiping the sleep from his eyes, sleepily saying, "Good Morning, Mom." I told him Good morning and he sat down next to me for about 30 seconds and then jumped up to go find the right outfit for the first day of school.

As he was dressing I was able to catgch up on a bit of brief reading, as he and I talked about his morning I heard footsteps from Monkey Dude Jr. emerging from his room for the morning. It is now 6:30am. Monkey Dude Jr is up and wiping the sleep from his eyes and just like Mr. Frogman is racing to get dressed and find the same right outfit for the first day of school. He wants to look really really cool. When he and I got done trying on different ensemblesw (only 2) he looked like quite the very cool kid headed off to school.

I have not seen those 2 boys eat a meal as fast as those 2 ate breakfast this morning. Absolutely amazing. As soon as I was ready to leave for work they were ready to head out the door to the bus. Half an hour earlier than was necessary. I waited a little longer than usual to leave for work and stayed back a bit to walk Mr. Frogman out to hte bus stop.

When I got home from work tonight Mr. Frogman and Monkey Dude Jr. came running out the door to talk about their day. I didn't get into the house for a good 15 minutes until Mr. Frogman was able to regale me with his tales of the day. Then instead of being able to make dinner I had to go through the back to school packet and fill out all the paper work before I could do anything else at home. Okay okay now I know he is more excited about school starting than me. I forgot about the wonderful parental amounts of homework. It will only last for so long and then it will be over and the homework will be all his. Yay!!

The most exciting fact....His friend Sheriff from school is on his bus route. Now not only do they take the bus in the mornings together but spend all day together in the same classroom too.

Mr. Frogman has made 2 really good friends in his lifetime so far and they have been friends for 3 or more years. The Sheriff and Intimidator Jr. Amazing at this age they have bonded with friends they will have, it seems, for many years to come.

Now its a wait and see game to see how Mr. Frogman and Monkey Dude Jr will handle day number 2. :)

Stay Posted...

Waiting...and Waiting...

Biopsy waiting. Culture processing. Doctors office visits. The waiting is the hardest part. Waiting to find out test results and moving on. The waiting of course is the hardest part. So I sit and wait for all the final test results. UGH!!

Ok well I can find comfort in the fact that Mr. Frogman starts school tomorrow. He wouldn't let me tuck him in tonight. He wanted to do it himself. Again I am not sure he is the one most excited that school is starting although he shows it on the outside, on the inside I am jumping with joy!

He is going to have a great school year!

All things come back to something positive. Even though I am waiting for a few test results and I am a little apprehensive the only thing on my mind is what a great year Mr. Frogman is going to have. He is in the class of the teacher he wanted, with his Best Friend "The Sheriff". They were so excited to get back together and find their classroom. They had to say Hi to Mrs. K the principal, Mrs. P and Mrs. P and Mrs. G, Mari and of course the custodianMr. E (who has been a personal friend of mine for almost 22 years now - I went to school with his wife's son).

I think he pretty much said hi to everyone at the back to school BBQ. He was so excited to see everyone and find his room, meet his teacher. You would think he hadn't seen school in much longer than just summer vacation. **Sigh** I am so excited for him rather than being excited that school is starting. I think his excitement is just boiling over.

Tomorrow is the Day!

School begins! They go back! Time to get on to a schedule and get ready.

I am not sure who is more excited about school beginning Mr. Frogman or me.

The countdown is down to the hours now. 12 hours from now (it is currently 7:35pm PST), Mr. Frogman has to be waiting for the bus at 7:35 am.

After visits to the 2 schools, Monkey Dude Jr will be going to one and Mr. Frogman will be going to another, they have met the teachers and the principals, found their desks, put their school supplies away and have gotten back in touch with friends that they haven't seen all summer. Mr. Frogman is at the top of the hill so to speak. My 6th grader. One year from Middle School or Junior High.

He is currently standing next to me asking who is more excited me or you? Huh? Huh? Who is more excited...as I keep typing he is stating between clenched teeth...Mom you are not answering my question...So who is more excited?...Tell me please? I want to know, tell me, please, please (kiss on the cheek) plays with my face and then gets frustrated and finally realizes Im just going to sit here and smile and make him wonder who is really more excited about shcool starting tomorrow.

He is running around all excited about school starting. I can honestly say and I truly do believe he is much more excited than I about school starting. I will give him that one.

Relaxation is Over, Paranoi begins...

After all my heart stuff and finally getting resolution to the issues causing my heart problems. I thought I was in the clear.

I won't go into too much detail I started getting "lumps" on my neck. I went to the doctor since of course they were painful and they told me I had some sort of staff infection. I started antibiotics and after 4 days they weren't working. I had developed more "lumps". They cultured one and have many concerns. They want to now biopsy one of them to make sure. So far all they can tell me is that I have a severe bacterial infection that is immune to many of the antibiotics but they don't know which antibiotic will work.

So now I walk around wearing turtlenecks in 80 degree weather to avoid looking like a freak. They are still not sure of what is happening but I know what biopsy means and that has me the) most concerned. It leaves me wondering if this is a side effect of the heart medications I was previously taking? Making it so any infection I have now or in the future able to resist basic antibiotics? This is why I didn't take medications before. They clear up one thing and then another happens and its resistant to even the basic antibiotics.

I know I shouldn't panic on the biopsy thing. But how do you not? Im not panicked I have been through worse, but it still has me concerned. The doctor has already told me what would have to happen over the next few weeks if the next antibiotic doesn't work and depending on what the biopsy shows.

Yes, my gut is in knots, but I am still smiling and living life to the fullest (how do you not?). I haven't said anything to Mr. Frogman except that he has to hug me a different way and avoid the neck. He has wanted to see the "huge bumps" in my neck and thinks its "cool". Boys go figure. We laugh about it and make up stories on our own of what it could be. He keeps saying Aliens. I am about to believe him. In a way thats exactly what it is. He is such a trooper and positive guy!

Time to wait and see...

Day of Relaxation!

I spent the day following Monkey Dude Jr's birthday relaxing. Sightsee'r had tickets to the Mariners Baseball game. How can you pass up seats in the 100 level (field level) only 14 rows behind and 1 section to the right of home plate. What a fantastic game! It was over 80 degrees outside (hot for this area) and Sightsee'r and I were in the shade for the entire game. It was warm yet cool with a slight breeze which made it perfect. The roof was open, blue sky, an eagle flew over the stadium, not to mention the Mariners Won! Yay Mariners! I was hoping their losing streak would end and between Sunday and Monday their 20 game losing streak has ended for the AL West.

I hadn't had a day off in a while and that was the perfect distraction from the running of everyday life. Mr. Frogman wasn't too happy that mom got to go to the game and he didn't but being that he prefers to watch it on TV than see it in person he thought he would watch it to see if he could see mom at the game instead of watching the game. He is not much of a sports person but really wanted me to waive at him if he saw me on TV (not that I would know if I was on TV or not) But he had fun anyway.

Sightsee'r came over after the game to see the new house. So far everyone has been very impressed. I am not out to impress just to show my friends the new house so they know where to come and visit me when they come over. I think it is the hard wood floors. :)

The Pirates Have Arrived!!

Today is Monkey Dude Jr's Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG GUY!!!!

He had a pirate birthday. We had a bunch of pirates running around all day having fun. What a great time!

As I sit here typing tonight Wolfman is out watching them play in the hot tub, Mr. Frogman, Monkey Dude Jr and Intimidator Jr. (low temperature of course). They have been bugging me all day to go in so they could end their day relaxing. Amazing how the small things entertain. The age of 7 is a wonderful age. Still innocent yet wanting to grow up and be independent.

Now that I have moved you will here a bit more about Intimidator Jr. He can now come visit without having to worry how much noise he and Mr. Frogman make in the house (since I'm not in a place with thin walls).

So many things are racing through my mind tonight and so much to write about just not enough time. After our busy birthday day I am exhausted.

Good Night Monkey Dude Jr! Love you! Have great birthday dreams!

It Begins!!

The beginning of the school year begins. First comes meeting parents who are new to the program. Mr. Frogman is main stream in school. He has a teacher that works with him in the classroom with his best friend "The Sheriff" as labeled by his mom.

It was a great time meeting the other families at a concert in the park Thursday. What a great group of people!

The new mom to the group who is still trying to deal with the fact that in her mind based on social biases that her child is not perfect. After meeting this young man what a spectacular child. I saw Mr. Frogman and how he was 2 years ago when beginning this program as well.

Listening to this mom and how she fought against all odds (like most of the parents had to including myself) to get the necessary help for her child from the school district. I know the school district gets money for children with special needs and the ones with the actual diagnosis. I would be curious as to how much. Not that I don't know but I would like to see the cut and dry side of things.

It still hurts in a sense knowing my child is not "normal" and very quickly I kick myself in the backside and realize that he is as normal as could be. No one is perfect and I was rushing back into what society thinks is "normal". As I talked to this mom I saw myself 4 years ago when he was diagnosed, in tears wondering where to turn and what to do. What resources were out there? Who could I talk to? Now I find myself one of the people that others turn to for the same questions I had.

All anyone of those new parents is looking for is a hand to reach out to, hold and talk to. They are still in denial. They will be broken in soon enough. It's getting past what society tends to control in peoples minds.

This got me back to thinking of my fight to get Mr. Frogman the help he needed after he was diagnosed. I fought for 2 years being a squeaky wheel from his 2nd and 3rd grade year, with meeting after meeting with the counselor (who really didnt like me - Long story here I will go into soon) and many other people in the school. Then I heard about a program at another school that I could get my son qualified for with his diagnosis.

I talked to the counselor, and kept getting the run around. He kept "losing" Mr. Frogmans diagnosis. Finally his teacher at that time helped me by going around the counselor to the head of special ed services. The only problem I had was that the head of the special ed department was the wife of the counselor I was having problems with. She wasn't thrilled with me, but I put a quick end to any issue that may have come up between us. She hemmed and hawed a bit and I introduced myself to her. She mentioned that her husband and me had issues. I looked her straight in the eye and replied, "Yes, we did. I don't like him at all. But being that we are here for the benefit of Mr. Frogman my feelings are not important. We can do one of two things. If you are not going to approve him for this program due to my feelings for your husband coming here was a waste of my time. If you are here for the benefit of Mr. Frogman and can put behind you my feelings and opinions for your husband professionally then we will get along just fine." Mr. Frogman was approved on the spot. The next school year he was in the program he needed, we had and still have in district transportation to the school from our house any where we are located in the district.

I shared my experience with a few other parents that had shared theirs. It seemed when we were all done that I had had the worst experience. Again my opinion is due to this particular counselor but again I will share that story another time. Against all the unsolicited opinions of teachers who kept saying he is ADD or ADHD you need to put him on medication Mr. Frogman is right where he belongs. He is now with one of the best teachers who is working with him and has diligently for two years. We will definitely miss her when he moves into middle school after this year.

Being a single parent and not having very many people understand what you need to do each day to keep things on an even kiel is what is difficult. Most people think your life is just like theirs. People with children with Special Needs from Autism, ADD, ADHD, MS, Downs Syndrome and many others (this is all I could think of after todays Hullaballoo) have to do so much more. Over time this all becomes the norm of our daily lives.

I, however, would not change a thing about my life or his abilities or lack there of in certain areas. After meeting these families though and meeting with Mr. Frogmans teacher for the final year of his elementary education before entering Jr. High or Middle School depending on what they want to call it had to be a great beginning to what I know is going to be another fantastic year for him at school.

With the Previous Post...

During our dinner last night Mr. Frogman wore out the milk out your nose thing. Wolfman talked to him a bit about timing and stopping when things are still funny and only using things when the time is right. If he uses it too much it is no longer funny.

Tonight sitting around the table having chicken and coleslaw we were discussing Little Sisters burping. Mr. Frogman of course pipes up and says, "Be thankful its coming out as burps and not the other end." Everyone burst into laughter and Wolfman asks Mr. Frogman, "How do you do that?" Mr. Frogman looked at Wolfman without skipping a beat and says, "Timing, it's all in the timing." I sat there shaking my head trying very hard not to laugh but it was too funny.

I looked at Wolfman and whispered, "Touche."

LSHTMCOYN (Laughing So Hard That Milk Comes Out Your Nose)

Now that we have combined a few households into one we have family style meals. We all sit down at the table and have conversation during dinner. There is Myself (Kasey), Mr. Frogman, Wolfman, Monkey Dude Jr., and Little Sister (Wolfmans Sister).

Funny Title? Yes! This is the incident we had over dinner tonight.

We were chuckling about how it was difficult for Little Sister to pour more of her juice into her glass laughing over the conversation we were having. The more she tried to pour the more we all laughed to keep her from pouring.

I told her it was better than drinking the juice and "laughing so hard that milk comes out her nose."

All of a sudden Mr. Frogman stands up and says to her, "Little Sister, would you like me to fill your cup?" As he said this he placed his finger upside his nose and offered to blow out through his nose as though he had fluid coming out over a cup (without really doing anything). We all started laughing so hard none of us could eat or drink.

His quick wit is catching up to me. I need to get ahead again :)

He's Home! He's Home! He's Home!

Can you believe it he is home and home early too! What a way to go! He came home for a BBQ and his dad and I discussed him being home today instead of waiting another 2 days. He gets to come home early! I was so excited! I still am and he has been here all of 5 hours now.

We have been spending so much time together and discussing lots of things. He has also been arguing with Monkey Dude Jr. But what's new with that? They argue when they get together for the first time in weeks, they argue when they have spent weeks together. The comfortable sounds of home. **Deep Sigh** It's so nice to have the family back together.

**CRASH~BANG~BOOM!! MOOOOMMMMMM!!!**

Only 10 days until school starts! Now the next countdown begins....

Story from Camp

Mr. Frogman sent me a letter from Boy Scout Camp that I just received. Talk about Snail Mail. Oh well, when I got the letter it made me laugh so hard I had tears running down my face. For camp his dad had bought him a tool kit that included all the tools Mr. Frogman had on his pocket knife or swiss army knife. So we decided to take the took kit back and Mr. Frogman opted for a waterproof watch instead. This watch he thought was so cool, it told the time and would light up at night. It had what the outside temperature was, and a small compass so he knew what direction he was headed in.

As I read his letter he explained, " I am having a great time at camp. I only have one problem, I lost my watch in the lake while I was swimming. It's not such a bad thing since the watch is waterproof now the fish could tell the time and the lake could know how cold it was."

I sat laughing at this since I know exactly how he would say it with a smirk on his face trying not to smile since he knew it was funny. I laughed even harder picturing him saying this to my face very matter of factly and doing his best to keep a poker face in the process. Since the letter was received while I was at work I had to explain why I was laughing so hard I was in tears. It was just too funny. One of those parental things I guess.

He is waiting for them to drain the lake since they do it every year to release the fish that are stocked into the river. They said they would probably find it at that time and return it since it is waterproof. We will have to wait and see if he gets it back. Not likely but you never know.
He had a lot more fun at camp and there is so much more to share.

I sent a little guy to camp and a young man has returned in his place that is alot more responsible than when he left. He is definitely growing up too fast.

I sure do miss this little guy and can't wait for him to come home. Only 3 more days!! Hooray!!!

3 Days and Counting!!

Only 3 more days and he is going to be home. Only 3 can you believe it? I am so excited.

I was so excited for school to be out and I know Mr. Frogman was too...I don't know, however, if he was more excited than I was. Now I don't know who is more excited about school starting, him or me. :) It has been too long of a summer with him at his dads. But he is in for a big surprise when he comes home.

We have moved into a wonderful house that we are gradually making into our home. It's coming along one room at a time. I actually have a kitchen! No more boxes. Everything has a place and I will be able to cook in no time at all without having to dance around boxes and packages.

The living room is coming along nicely. It has no more boxes, just some random clutter and a little more rearranging, then I can hang art work. We are still discussing where to hang family and friend photos, as well as, other things that mean something to us. The art of negotiation in this household is being tested as we go through creating a comfortable living environment. Not to mention that we are combining 3 households into one so we are having to compromise as well.
My next step is moving all the stuff out of and around the dining room so that we can actually eat at the table rather than converge on the small table in the living room that we have to sit on the hard woods to actually get to a level where you can actually eat. It's rather hard on the knees or the back end depending on how you sit. It's time to actually eat at the table and become a family rather than individuals who stare at the tv to eat and then not get very much eating done. We don't actually turn the tv on when we eat but I don't like the idea of eating in the living room. We have a table and chairs and it's time we started using them properly. By tomorrow night we will have it set up and ready to go.

By tomorrow night I will have that final room and the upstairs bedroom that I now share with Wolfman that currently has his king size bed, my queen size bed and an office in set up and mostly usable with my wireless internet ready to go. Then I can sit in my room and actually work when I need to without being completely interrupted by everyone walking through and asking questions. It will definitely be a task since most everything in the dining room is boxed and needs to be gone through before we can put it in the correct location in the house. You know how it goes. The joys of moving and getting completely moved in. **Sigh** Almost done.

Wish me luck as I start to unpack in the wild unknown!

10 Days and Counting!!!

We are unpacking and getting moved in. Days are long and nights are short. That would be summer for you though wouldn't it?

Between work and Boy Scouts for Mr. Frogman and all the extra activities going on. I am still not sure of which way is up.

Mr. Frogman comes home full time after next week. Finally back to having him home full time! I can't wait. I miss having him here at home being able to wake him up in the morning and listening to him moan and groan and ask, "Do I have to get up?" "Just five more minutes mom, please?" or the all time favorite, "I don't want to go to school!" **Sigh** The wonderful things to look forward to as parents. When I haven't had to nag him about picking up his towel off the bathroom floor or turning off his lights when he is not in the room.

Definitely looking forward to him coming home. He has developed a wonderful sense of humor (takes after his mom) with zapping one line comments that just zip and make a huge impression. He and I go back and forth with all the jabs to one another and the playful jargon that goes along with it.

Starting today it is 10 days and counting!!

Still Here....

I am still here just very busy. With the summer season and moving and Mr. Frogman and all of our activities together and what not. Now with the school year about to begin at the end of this month, I thought I was going to have more free time than I do and lo and behold I don't at this time.

For those that were wondering I have moved into a large 4 bedroom 2 bath house in my local area with a huge yard and a hot tub. The hot tub was a bonus! I knew nothing about it going in. I only saw the yard and the outside of the house and I was sold. With houses ranging in the $400,000 plus per home on less than a third of an acre in our area, I would have to win the lottery to be able to afford one. Although for the time being I have a rental that is well under the rental rate for the area.

We are almost fully moved in. Due to restrictions for time off on my current job I haven't been able to get any time off of work so this move has had to happen after working hours and on the weekends. I have not wanted to rent a truck so I have used the company truck and trailor this time.

Next time I am hiring movers again. I really dislike moving.

Another 2 weeks and I should be back on track for posting on a regular basis. Mr. Frogman and I are going to work on getting settled and back into a daily routine.

Enjoy the rest of the sunny days of summer!

Road Trip!!!

I am headed out to pick up Mr. Frogman from Camp. Think good thoughts. No arguments amongst the boys heading back from this 7-8 hour drive and all the positive thoughts you can muster for a safe drive.

I will post more when I get back. Have a great weekend! More updates on his week at camp soon!!

On the road again......

Friends and Their Relationships...

I can't offer advice to my friends since I come from a broken marriage myself. I know what I would do the next time if there is a next time but at this time I am not holding my breath. I am living life for what is best for myself and Mr. Frogman. I have several friends in relationships that they have expressed they aren't happy in.

I have one friend going through a divorce and is very bitter and angry. He has his days but still it is a painful process and not one you get over too quickly. His wife left him for reasons to him that are unknown. I have spoken to them both and I know who I do or do not support. I can't mention it here so as not to offend either of them. But I wish them both well in whatever they choose.

Intimidator has been involved with a woman more than 20 years his senior. He is very unhappy and has been working on an exit strategy or so he says. He claims he is absolutely miserable. My thoughts are if he is that miserable he needs to grow some severe "Kahunas", "Coconuts" or whatever you want to call them and kick her out or get her to leave on her own. As I have told him before it's his problem and no one else's. I just don't understand how he can expose his son to what he is going through. But again that is his choice as a parent.

Sightseer has been seeing someone, and then again not. She is a hermit more so than he is...it's time he found someone new and really "Good!" he also needs to stop comparing them to me :) There will be no one out there that can meet my high standards. ;)

By the way ladies...Sightseer is a great guy, and single!! Email me if you want more info!!

Boomer - Boomer has recently (in the last 6 months) gone through round 3 of not knowing what he does or doesn't want. Red is a sweetie and I love her to death she is a beautiful person with a heart of gold. Boomer just isnt always sure about everything. With them I know they have survived some tough times and will in the future. They will pull through and come out winning!

Myself on the other hand. I have dated but very little. It becomes the same old story. I will go out with some one a few times which does not include holding hands, kissing, or anything more and when I have reached the friend level that will not go any further (I thought it was pretty clear as I told them from the beginning) they break up with me. I thought that was funny. It has happened three times. We weren't even dating and they break up with me....

Maybe I don't want to know what will happen if I really do get serious about someone...hmmmm then maybe it would be the opposite, they wouldn't break up with me....hnmmmm.....that might not be a good thing either....have to think this one through some more.

Traveling, Traveling and More Traveling....

The summer has gone by so quick so far. Mr. Frogman will be headed back to start school here very soon at the end of August. For him being at his dad's most of the summer we have sure spent an awful lot of time together. He is currently at Boy Scout Camp in Moscow, Idaho. I go back next weekend to pick him up. I'm driving this time instead of flying.

This past weekend him and I flew over. What a trip it was. Although the flight was short we had several laughs all the way through.

The day before he left he had to pack up his clothing for the trip. He was leaving for a whole week. That meant a weeks worth of clothes and more! Fishing gear, orienteering gear, pocket knife, money for the trading post, woodworking tools, flashlights, batteries and much more! He had to have all of his boy scout equipment, sleeping bag, cot and so on. He is definitely a boy scout! He was ready to go. He finally fell asleep about 11pm. He was so excited! The unfortunate side of things is that we had to be up at 4am to make our flight at 6:30am.

As we got through security, checked in, and headed to our flight we were able to board as we walked up. We were running a bit on the late side. We were booked on a dual prop plane that seated about 70 people. Mr Frogman had not been on a plane that small before (aside from a friends small Cessna) and was a bit apprehensive. I do mean only a bit of course as he clutched my arm during take off and made his I'm ok but scared face with an attempted smile. He held onto my arm in a death grip until we finally leveled off about 15 minutes into the flight. We sat and talked through the flight until the complimentary package of trail mix and water came through. Then we came in for the landing.

We got off the plane and headed to baggage to collect his things. As we stood and waited for his pack and bag to come off the plane he started walking around the belt that would carry our luggage out. He started pacing and waiting and asking when his stuff would come out. It eventually came out and we headed over to get our rental car.

We stood in line. It was the only line in the whole rental car shop line ups. There were a whole 2 of us! What a deal...Only it took us almost 30 minutes to get our car. I was approached by 2 of the other rental offices to see if I wanted to get a car from them at the same price I was getting from the original rental company.

I chose to wait as I had a reservation. I was so sorry I did. The car I got was a mid size vehicle. I had the choice of a PT Cruiser, which I can't stand or a Chevy HHR. I didn't know what an HHR was so I opted for that. For those of you that don't know the HHR is a knock off of the PT Cruiser. It looks so ugly, in my opinion. Although driving it was smooth and comfy it really stunk as far as looks. It was a cross between the Element back body and the PT Cruiser front. My next rental car will be a car...not that.

As we drove on to Camp Lutherhaven to meet our group, he napped and rested. He laughed at me several times on the road as I wasn't familiar with the roads and trying to find the Mapquest directions. I was going off memory. I was certainly lucky that day. We made it just in time for one of the Boy Scout Leaders to offer me a cup of strong coffee before breakfast. That was what I had needed.

We got to look around the camp at the fun that Mr. Frogman had missed the night before by not traveling there on Saturday. He was still excited that he was headed to Camp Grizzly for a week and having alot of fun there.

I was told Camp Grizzly was only 30 minutes from Camp Lutherhaven. Was I informed wrong, it was still another 90 miles or almost 2 hours away. Luckily I had sucked up enough coffee to keep me running for quite some time. I was told by Mr. Frogman I was starting to act like Twitchy in the movie "Hoodwinked."

It was time to lay off the caffeine and head out. "On the road again..."

Not only last weekend, this upcoming weekend I am having to travel to pick up Mr. Frogman, then in 2 weeks having to fly out to San Francisco, 3 weeks from then a cruise, then school starts. Maybe a weekend getaway to Vegas or Reno....working on that one...just have to make the time....

See...traveling, traveling and more traveling....What a great time!

I'm here! I'm here!

Or that should read I'm back! I'm back. I know it's been a while since I posted. So many things have happened and not enough time to do them all. I will be posting about all that has been happening over the next few days. Until then here is a list of all that has been going on:

1. Temporary guardian of a wonderful little boy (all I do is get him to and from daycare and make sure he has a great day!)

2. Mr. Frogman off to his dad's and Boy Scout Camp (many stories from this trip, get ready to laugh).

3. Power of Attorney - for a friend...Interesting twist of fate.

4. Executor of an Estate Completion -- Ugh! This has been a challenge closing out the estate and dividing it among family.

5. My book has taken on a new twist or should I say a large turn. More stories coming!! With lots of laughs included.

It all sounds busy but not as busy as most would think.

I do have to close out today with this. It seems to be how the world goes 'round.

I flew in from Spokane last night and we had landed in Seattle. I was seated above the wing on the left side of the plane in a window seat. We had to wait on the tarmac for 10-15 minutes so that the plane could actually park somewhere. Can you believe it? No parking for the planes at Sea-Tac? I had to chuckle a bit at that. Then I noticed the reason as to why. As our plane came in to a stop one of the men guiding the plane in with the orange hand cones had a large bandage on the side of his forehead. From where I was it looked as though he had been clobbered by the wing of another aircraft earlier. Now I am sure that was not the case as the wing was much higher, but from my view it looked like the wing could hit him at any moment. And here I was thinking that this was the person who was guiding our plane in. Could he see straight? Maybe that was the reason for all the back up? Who knows...As I sat there waiting to get off the plane as there were folks that had to catch a connecting flight, people were commenting about how warm it was and started talking amongs themselves. One guy marched up to my seat and bellowed forward, "I'm about to be sick can you please move!" He made it part way up the aisle and was stopped again. Many people pulled out the vomit bags from their seats and handed them to him. He just stood still with his head down. I called forward and said, "You know if you really were going to throw up it would do us all good if you did instead of faking it, you probably would have moved further forward on the plane." He stood up laughing and asked me how I knew? I laughed and replied, "Any parent here could tell you were faking, our kids have tried it on us more than once I'm sure." After a good chuckle everyone was finally let off the plane to catch a connecting flight or head home....

Even heading home was a challenge with the traffic at the airport.

Coming up....the guy directing traffic, catching my ride and people in general, along with Go Speed Racer! Stay tuned!

Overview of My Week

My week isn't any tougher or different than anyone else's. It was a busy week though and I am not sure how I got through it. But I did and so did Mr. Frogman. Our week went as follows.

Sunday night - Arrive at Wolfmans to unpack, Mr. Frogman and I are staying overnight so that I don't have to get up at 4am to take Monkey Dude Jr to Daycare. Wolfman had to get him into a new daycare after last week and he leaves for work at 4:30 am. Mr. Frogman and I agreed we would stay the night at Wolfmans and get up and start our day from there.

Monday Morning - Wake up 5am - Wolfman's alarm woke me up at 4am but finally climbed out of bed at 5am. Took my shower and woke up Mr. Frogman and Monkey Dude Jr at 6am.

7am leave for first child drop off at the Leaders home at 7:15 then drive back to Monkey Dude Jr's daycare by 7:30 am and then off to work.

8:15 arrive at work 15 minutes late. Work a full day. Wait for Wolfman to get the bus to my work to carpool out of Bellevue.

4:45 Leave work

5:15 Pick up Monkey Dude Jr from daycare

5:30 Get Wolfman and Monkey Dude Jr home

5:45 Get home to Mr. Frogman and take him over to Wolfmans

6:00 paint store to match paint from Irishswordsman Home - unable to match

6:45 Back to Wolfmans to take the kids to an ice cream social

7:00 Head out to Irishswordsmans Home to help finish painting and cleaning.

7:10 Call from Irishswordsman and telling me he isnt feeling well and not to come up.

7:30 Arrive at the school where the ice cream social is.

8:00 Back to Wolfmans for the evening.

Tuesday......

Same as Monday

6pm Boy Scouts.....

8pm Pick up Monkey Dude Jr.

8:30pm Home!!

Monkey Dude Jr and Mr. Wolfman off to bed for the night

Is it my turn to sleep yet? After the dishes and the laundry and some business bookkeeping.

Wednesday......

Morning Same as Monday and Tuesday.....

6pm Wednesday night Dropped off Wolfman and Monkey Dude Jr at an appointment.

Between 6 & 7 Run to Costco to pick up a few things, go home to get changes of clothes for the night.

7pm Pick up Wolfman & son take them all to Wolfmans house.

7:10 Leave for Irishswordsman house to clean and do some small stuff.

7:30 Get to Irishswordsman and do miscellaneous needed tasks.

11:30 Leave Irishswordsmans house and head back to Wolfmans to fall asleep on the couch. To get up and start over at 5am.

Thursday:

6pm drop off everyone at their respective houses and head home.

7pm Storage Unit to pick up a TV Then back home

8pm Petsmart for pet supplies (duh!)

8:30 Pick up Monkey Dude Jr and go home.

Everyone goes to sleep

Friday.....

I am taking the night off!!

Drop everyone off at their respective homes and head home myself.

Mr. Frogman has a friend over and I am able to sit back and relax.....

Saturday is still a very busy day....Wondering when it is going to slow down.

Finally Over!!

This week at work we took over 1200 incoming calls. My cohort at work is a very nice person and we had to put up with a ton of crap. The two things that irk me about my job is when someone assumes their position is better than the administrative assistant or that we are just the receptionist what do we know. Thats the attitude that we sometimes come up against. I have been with the company since our branch opened in 2003. My cohort has been there a year. Our job isn't hard but it is busy and very detailed oriented. Whats funnier is when one of us isn't there for a day, we are thanked profusely when we get back and they realize how much we truly do in our position. It only lasts for so long before things are taken for granted until the next day off.

The second thing is when they want you to do something that is very low priority and they demand it NOW! My office knows better. They don't rush me on anything if it is not priority it will get done in the right amount of time for the priority level of that project. My cohort on the other hand has folks that demand a UPS label at 10am that doesn't have to be ready to go until 4:30pm.

I keep reminding people not to piss off the AA (Administrative Assistant). You won't get nothing done for you until it needs to be based on time levels and priority levels. Be warned now. If you value your admin you will get whatever you need done in good time. If you piss them off.....BEWARE!!

Each day has it's ups though. I love taking calls from people with a sense of humor who laugh when you mess up the greeting on the phone. You always want to hope that when you accidentally suck in spit taking in a deep breath to answer the phone that someone you know will be on the other end as you start to choke and gasp and avoiding coughing.

My all time favorite is when people call up and start speaking in their native tongue like you speak their language. They keep going and going until they finally say a name of someone in the office. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against any of these people. I just think its humorous from my standpoint as I don't speak their language and I can only hope at some point they say a name of someone in our office so I can transfer them. Usually if we have a client call in and they are speaking spanish I know exactly who to transfer them to. We only have one person who speaks spanish in our office. But in my head it sounds something like this.......

blah blah blah blah blah--gibberish--more gibberish---Jason--blah blah blah....**pause in conversation and my chance to say "uno momento" and transfer them to the appropriate person. Once they state that name it all becomes clear. I know exactly where that call is going to be transferred to. That is my only thought since right behind that call as I am listening is another line ringing. **Sigh** The joys of ones day.....

This week though is over. School is out on Monday for Mr. Frogman. I took the day off so him and I could do something really fun to celebrate. I am not sure again who is more excited about school being out me or him. No more nagging about homework, no more hounding him to get up and head out the door, no more fighting with him when things have to be done. School is out and we are both ready! Yes he does go to his dads for the summer but we will get through that. He is only 40 minutes away so I can go and see him anytime I feel I need to.

Friday night and sitting here at home. Mr. Frogman has a friend over for the night and they are busy on their own. I haven't seen them for 2 hours so far but they are doing really well. Mr. Frogman hasn't seen his friend for almost 6 months they are thrilled to be able to spend time together. I am thrilled to have them back together. Mr.Frogman doesn't have many friends so keeping this one is a very good thing. It will be kept that way.

Over view of my week is coming up. I am going to try to detail out a few days of my week so you have an idea. Not that my day is any different than any other parents nor is it any tougher, but some people don't realize that with or without kids life can be busy and tough.

Staying Connected!

I am now connected! Almost everyone I talk to is on my wireless network. What a way to save minutes. I won't have to use hardly any of my anytime minutes! Although I have plenty with roll over too.....it won't matter.

How exciting! Between Mr. Frogman and myself we will have a lot of talk time to not have to worry about! I will be able to keep in touch as much as I want with him....oh wait! I mean him with me without worrying about our minutes! What a way to go!

It's the small things that keep me very happy!

Do All Parents Endure This???

Do all parents endure the fight of kids doing homework the last week and a half of school? We are down the the last week and a half of school, Mr. Frogman battles me daily on his homework. I keep telling him he needs to get it done, but it is a struggle and a fight.

I finally told him just because we are at the end of the year doesn't mean he is going to pass, he has some major projects due tomorrow and next week and if they aren't done he won't. That lasted about all of 10 minutes.

It's a battle getting him out of bed just to get to school and to get the homework done. **Sigh** I need to find another form of motivation. :)

Thursday...Almost Through!!

Happy Thursday!

Only one more day to Friday! Hang in there. I will post more soon!

Happy Wednesday!!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!

Me...Me...Me....It's All About Me!

I just received an email that said this....

"Your blog is worthless. You don't write anything worthwhile."

I am sitting here laughing. That's why it's my blog and no one elses. Deal with it. If you don't like it don't visit and don't read. Do you honestly think I care? Not really.

I live my life day to day with my son Mr. Frogman and it's all about us!

Happy Reading!!

Toilet Paper Caper

I couldn't figure out why the toilet paper in the bathroom was disappearing so quickly. I would just put up a roll only to have it disappear within 24 hours or less. It's just Mr. Frogman and me on a daily basis. We aren't here most of the day, we can't be using that much....I couldn't figure out what was going on.

I knew something was happening. Was it mice? The ever elusive escaping gerbils? Or was it a big mouse. I did some investigative work one night when I heard the toilet flush more than once. I thought to myself, "unless Mr. Frogman really had a job to do, he shouldn't be using that much." I went to the bathroom door to only listen. I heard, "Ready, set, go!" Then the flush of the toilet.

I knocked and opened the door. There was Mr. Frogman standing in front of the toilet with two rolls of toilet paper on pencils in his hand with each end in the toilet wanting to see them spin as the toilet flushed. Wondering which one would run out first.

That solved my problem of where the toilet paper was going. I asked him where he learned to do that. "My dad and I do this all the time at his house!" I wondered why but his dad is a septic installer and repair specialist. Did it really matter?

Music to My Feet???

I sit at work now with a whole new awareness of things around me. I sit and listen to the sounds of people walking around. Some might say I have way too much time on my hands. Which is probably true. My job is easy, mindless yet I do enjoy it.

Its funny though the sounds you hear as people walk. One of my co workers has a squeak to her shoes. Others its a flip flop. Then there is a click click as heels click across the floor. Squeak, flip flip, click. Squeak, flip flip, click. Thump thump, squeak, flip flip, click.

You set the right tempo and we have the beginning of great music. What would I call this? Music to my feet???

The End is Coming!!!!!

Can you believe they are taking bets in Vegas??? What makes anyone think that the sun won't come up tomorrow? For Crying out loud people....It's just numbers.....It happens to be June 6, 2006. Don't you think it hasn't been predicted that the end of the world would be on 6/6/1906, 2006? How about 3006? How about in the year 6.

You know, even placing a bet that the world would end on todays date is a losing battle. Even if you win.....You Lose! Go figure huh?

It's Monday Again....

It's Monday again and the same things are happening. Time to get up, get ready for work, wake up the little guy (ok so he stands almost as tall as me at age 11 and he's not so little, but he will always be my little guy), make breakfast, start a load of laundry, pack my lunch for the day, and leave. Not that I dislike the routine, it's this time of year when I am ready for my next vacation. Which for me is less than a month away.

I woke up this morning very elated and happy yet very defeated.

I am conceding. I am giving in today to what I can't control. Me being the control freak that I am, and yes I can admit it, I am giving up those things I will not allow to frustrate me since I have no further control over them. Amazing how I let things do that. Even things that I do have control over for a day I am going to give them up. I need a day with no stress and no worries. Is there a day like that? Have to wait and see. I am sure sometime today I will bounce back into being my controllling self :) But I will give it an hour or so and see how things go.

HAPPY MONDAY!!

The Ultimate Excuse!

I had a co worker who was being hounded by a client that would call every 10 minutes through out the day. Getting updated on their loan, set the time for their closing. This co worker would stand by me when the phone would ring just to wait and see if it was for him. When I hung up after one particular call, he asked me if it was for him. I told him no and he explained to me that if one particular client called that he was out of the office.

I asked him how long it would be before he was back in the office. He told me that I was welcome to tell the client that he took a huge stack of magazines into the bathroom and would be a while. He was looking at redecorating his office and would need the extra time to customize the bathroom stall walls with pictures he likes to get an idea of what he would like to have on his wall.

Better yet he said, "You can tell her I came down with the bird flu and will be out for a very long time." I laughed and told him that I would add that by next week we should have his desk moved into the local facilities along with his extension transfer. **FLUSH**

The End is Coming!!

The end of the school year is coming. As much as it is a trepidation of sorts as Mr. Frogman is leaving for the summer its also a time of eager anticipation. In one way I don't know who is more excited about summer, Mr. Frogman or me? No more nagging about homework, I'm sure he hates hearing it as much as I hate nagging. Although it is a parental joy to be able to nag my child now and then.

As the end comes closer him and I are both excited but yet nervous. We will make the most of our 3 weeks and then go on with what has to happen.

It will all be okay and good.

Answered Prayers....

I am not a religious person but more spiritual. I had a rough weekend. On Sunday I had enough. I was dealing with anger, frustration, jealousy and an uncontrollable urge to really do some damage. I am not a physically violent person but I could have done some damage.

I had gotten bad news all the way around, the business isn't doing well financially and I was putting budgets back together, a good friend of mine is going through a divorce and I have been there to listen and support him, my doctor did not have good information for me on Friday. My stress level was over what I was able to handle. I had to be different places for family obligations, the whole picture became overwhelming. I started having chest pains, heart palpitations. It was time for me to slow down. I don't handle stress like I used to. I needed a break. Before I could take a break I ended up on my knees in tears. I really needed a friend that would understand to talk to. I didn't feel there was anyone I could call. I felt like I had when I was suddenly separated after my marriage. Alone and very empty. I felt as though I had fallen into a hole and I could not get out. I needed something.

As I sat in the middle of the floor in tears I made a sudden reach out, I had nothing left to hold onto except my beliefs. I said a prayer. Something I hadn't done in a very long time. I didn't ask for anything I couldn't create for myself but maybe verbalizing it helped.

I asked for the strength to verbalize to my business partner the dire situation the business is in. To be able to reset all the budgets and control where he had run free. So far 4 days later my words have not fallen on deaf ears.

I asked for the strength to support my friend and find positives for him to hold onto. With all he has going on in his life he needed something positive. Today talking to him, many positive things have happened.

The third thing I asked for was to be able to have a certain friend back in my life. Under unusual circumstances that prayer was answered to. I'm not sure how nor do I care. I miss my friend and to have him back in my life would be a good thing.

I sat at my desk at work at 11:19 this morning and came to the realization that what I needed I had done. I don't know if it was my prayers being answered or if I just had the strength in me after some time of being low and it was my way of pulling myself back up. Does it matter?

I am at a point I need to pull out of the melancholy mood that has gripped me this past week. I know what it is stemming from. Mr. Frogman is down to what he and I call the three week count. School is out in 3 weeks and he goes to his dads for the summer. We are down to the time where we will see each other every other weekend for the summer and it becomes very difficult for mom. I am so used to having him with me each and every day that every other weekend is seeming like torture. His dad needs to have time with him too and I know I am being selfish wanting more time with him.

After doing homework this week and getting his projects done. Mr. Frogman and I will go on a much needed bike ride, roller blading session (or more so watch mom fall on her back end session) and spend some quality time together before he leaves. We both know what is coming and he is excited to spend time with his dad and his dad's family, but yet he says he will miss the quiet comforts of home too.

Not sure my point of this post but here it is. I just had to get this out. Whether people understand it or not doesn't matter. I had to get it out of my system.

When You Least Expect It.....

When you least expect it someone comes into your life that amazes you. People come into your life and go. What you don't realize is that is for the time they are in your life you don't realize their purpose until after they are gone.

I have had someone come into my life suddenly. I have met this person a few times in the past here and there but didn't realize the person I was meeting. I have spent the last 2 days being allowed so to speak to get to know this person.

What amazes me is this person looks you in the eye when you are talking to them. I have the utmost respect for this person. Something that is not easily earned from me.

I enjoy the no BS attitude and the honest retorts in conversation. There is nothing dull in conversation between us.

Mark you are one unique individual that I appreciate spending time with. Thank you for your honesty, respect and friendship.

Not A Full Moon

Somehow with the exception of My Dad, My Son and Sight See'r. Every man in my life has found a way to make me angry or cross the wrong line.

My ex husband, Enough said :)

Another friend who spends a few months not talking to me and then all of a sudden out of the blue doesn't say, "Hi, how are you?" Its "My girl friend wants to email you, what email should I give her?" Wait a second. I'm the friend not the girlfriend don't proceed to tell me I am or not going to do this. I was so frustrated and angry by this. I don't like her why do I have to communicate with her? She has done nothing but force us not to be friends. The only difference is he has allowed it. He made his choice and I feel as though I have lost my friend in this whole situation.

My brother, Trucker, bitching about the smallest things. Today it was his parking space. "Grow Up Big Brother" you can park somewhere else for 20 minutes. It will not kill you to walk an extra 20 feet. He threw a tantrum over a parking place in front of one of my friends. After my friend was gone I chewed him out. It was a huge respect issue.

A second friend thought he would step in and pry where he didnt belong. I chewed him out right away and had to wonder why I was so angry about the situation. I have other reasons that I am choosing not to list here and opinions.

Maybe its just me and maybe I am PMS ing with my hormonal levels. Maybe I have to look at why I have all these men mad at me. Nawww.....its just that they like to irritate me all at the same time. I think men take a class on this. :)

Oh well, the day is over and I am going to put it in the past and let it go.

Unbelievable!!

I was on my way to take Mr. Frogman to the leaders house. In order to get to the Leaders I have to drive over a very large steep hill. Nothing like the hills in San Francisco but still steep enough that my pea shooter of a car has a trial of a time making it up that hill faster than 30 mph. The speed limit is 35mph on this road. I was coming to the crest of the hill when I noticed a woman behind me in a silver pontial grand am very dramatically flashing 35 with her fingers at me in my rear view mirror. So I raised my hand and smiled and waved. She got angry and started flipping me off so everytime she did I again smiled and waved at her. I smiled really big into the mirror so she could see it very clearly. As I got to the light at the top of the hill there were 5 or 6 cars in front of me so she couldnt go anywhere anyway. The more she flipped me off the more I smiled and waved the angrier she became.

She rolled down her window and started yelling obscenities. The man in front of me parked his truck and got out. He walked to my window and told me he had stalled and was stuck. He looked at her yelling as she continued to flip me off and he asked me what was going on. I explained and chuckled, got out of my car which I'm sure was really ticking her off as she continued to yell. I finally looked at her and said, "You are definitely showing off your age and IQ with that one finger in the air, and with all the single men around at the moment you really aren't showing your best side." Mr. Frogman was in the car listening to music oblivious to what was going on. He asked me when I got back in the car and I told him nothing. The nice gentleman let me know his truck broke down and I offered to help. Then I told him to turn around and wave at the nice woman behind us for being so patient. He did and all of a sudden her hand shot down and she politely waved back. Unbelievable! She is such a moron.

Memorial Day

Between the camp outs, the hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill. Take a moment to stop and remember what today is all about. Although some remember this everyday, for those that have not been touched by the loss of someone in the services, remember for a moment or two the people who have paid the ultimate price for your freedom.

God Bless those who have fought, are fighting and will fight to keep us free.

God Bless America.

3 Day Weekend!

Mr. Frogman is with his dad this weekend. You would think I could get out and about and do something fun. With the short respite of not having Mr. Frogman at home I decided to take some much needed time away from things. I escaped into the wonderful world of Corporate Taxes!! Can you believe it crunching numbers between sips of wine.

Ok next it's going to be a drink in general. Nothing like being squared up with the computer inputting data for a long period of time. **SIGH** I will be done soon and then I won't have to look at the numbers again for another month...then I can keep up on it and take very little time each month to keep it up to date and accurate. One of my main goals achieved for the year.

My vacation coming up SOON will be at least a 5 day get away! Mr. Frogman and I are leaving town! Mom and Son! Just doing what we want to do!

I am taking suggestions for out of town get aways for Mom and Son. Any ideas let me know! I have several of my own but it would be interesting to get input from what others think would be fun too!

Changing Times!!

You hear reports about STD's running rampant with todays youth. Here is a turn of events...Each time I read it I laugh even harder....Enjoy!!

http://www.local6.com/news/9283707/detail.html

50 Ways To Save On Gas

This was taken from a local paper....some suggestions. Hope these help fight the ever increasing costs of gas.

Just because we have little to say about the price coming from oil wells, we can still take control of what happens on the road.

While the new hybrid cars are all the rage, you don't have to invest in a whole new vehicle to start saving on gas. You can do things to drive your vehicle more efficiently,” said Alan Steinberg, Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator.

1.Use car wisely
It starts with paying attention to why, where and when you drive. Drive only when necessary

2. Use shortest route
Always use the shortest route, which can usually be determined in advance with online map services.

3. Multi-task errands
Multi-task your errands and consolidate them into one trip.

4. Avoid rush hour traffic
Avoid rush hour & other peak traffic periods whenever possible.

5. Plan ahead
Speed wastes gas, plan ahead and you will still get there on time.

6. Shop before you drive
Use the Internet, newspapers or phonebook to comparison shop before you drive to several stores.

7. Find delivery services
Find companies willing to delivery what you need to your home. Consider dry cleaning delivery services, food and anything else that will bring what you need, without burning up your gas.

8. Grocery shop once/week
Small trips to pick up a few things add up to a big waste in gas. Do grocery shopping once a week.

9. Let kids walk
Let the kids walk. They are often close enough to school and friends. They may complain now but they'll thank you someday.

10. Walk or bike
Walking or biking is also good for adults. It narrows the waistline and widens the wallet.

The way you maintain your car has a big impact on its gas performance.

11. Check for leaks
Before you take your car out, check the driveway for gas tank leaks. Even little ones can waste plenty of fuel over time.

“Gasoline evaporates you might not see a big pool of it but if you see some discoloration in the concrete you might have some, and yes if you're leaking gas you're leaking pennies and maybe dollars and that something to be fixed,” Csaba Csere, Editor-in-Chief for Car and Driver Magazine

A lubricated car runs much more efficiently.

12. Check your oil
And follow the carmakers' recommendations which you will find on your side door panel.

13. Energy-saving oil
Look for oil labeled energy saving. With computer-diagnostics, modern cars don't lend themselves to do it yourself tune ups, but you can:

14. Change air filter
Change your own air filter. Check it first, if the dust won't shake out cleanly, get a new one.

“If you don't have a good air filter it's going to result in terrible reductions in terms of mileage efficiency,” said Alan Steinberg, EPA Regional Administrator.

15. Seasonal tires
Seasons change and so should your tires. Make sure you're using the proper tire for winter and summer.

16. Inflate tires properly
And make sure your tires are inflated properly. It’s easy to do. Check the tire when its cold and compare that number to the recommended tire pressure. It will mean your car doesn't have to work as hard to get you where you want to go.

17. Junk out of trunk
Get the junk out of the trunk. No sense in dragging around blizzard gear all summer and adding weight to your vehicle.

18. Fill up when cool
Early morning or late evening. Cooler temperatures mean less vapor.

“From the environmental standpoint, it's better to fill up your tank in the cooler hours of the morning or the evening,” said Ray Werner, Chief of the Air Programs Group in New York, Environmental Protection Agency. “Gas is less volatile and won't evaporate quite so quickly and form ozone damage in the environment. So we recommend early morning or late evening.”

19. Get a light colored car
From a lighter colored car.

“So (if) you buy a lighter colored car it's going be a little bit cooler, the air conditioner won't have to work as hard, and you'll save gasoline,” said Robert Sinclair of the American Automobile Association.

20. Park in the shade
And regardless of the color, park in the shade.

“What happens is in a vehicle that's sitting out in the hot sun there is something called evaporative emissions,” said Sinclair. “You know, the fuel and the tank is expanding, it creates fumes that get out past the gas cap and go out into the atmosphere. That's why you see the bellows on gasoline pumps, for recovering that evaporative emissions.”

21. Don't top off gas
Don't top off your gas - it frequently winds up spilled on the road.

22. Tighten gas cap
Tighten your gas cap. It needs to contain both fuel and fumes. Most cars do not benefit from higher octane - higher priced gasoline.

23. Use correct grade fuel
Use the lowest grade recommended by your car maker. If you still prefer a richer blend - stop by the auto parts

24. Buy octane additive
Store and buy a bottle of octane. A little of this every few tank fulls will keep your car and your pocketbook smiling.

Air conditioning is practically standard on modern cars. Is there a way to keep cool for less? It depends. There are two strategies for air conditioning.

25. Slow speed: no air
Around town at slow speeds, turn the air off and roll down your window. On the highway, at speeds of 40 and over, open windows

26. Use air on highways
Create drag. Roll them up and use the air. Potential savings depend on many factors including how high and how long you run your air. Speaking of drag on the highway, about half your engine power is needed to overcome wind resistance. Avoid hauling

27. Avoid roof hauls
Things on your roof. Or check out some of the aerodynamic carriers. They look cool and will help minimize drag.

28. Avoid warm-ups
Avoid long warm-ups. Even on cold mornings, your car doesn't need more than a minute to get ready to go. Anything more and you're just burning up that expensive fuel.

Turn off before you turn on.

29. Turn off electronics
Starting your car with electronic devices, like the radio and air conditioning, turned off, will put less strain on your engine which translates to better gas mileage.

30. Use GPS
A moderately priced GPS unit will pay for itself in wasted time and wasted gas. It's perfect for the directionally challenged or those of us who are just too embarrassed to ask directions

31. Go the speed limit
When you drive, go the speed limit. It's calculated for maximum safety, but will reward you with maximum mileage. Count on getting more than 20 percent more mileage traveling at 55 than you would at 70 mph.

Dragging brakes are a total drag for your gas mileage.

32. Keep brakes adjusted
Your foot and hand brakes adjusted.

“If you're going down the road and you notice your car is drifting constantly to one side it probably means you've got a break drag on the car,” said Csere.

33. Drive evenly
Drive evenly with a steady foot. Don't jiggle the accelerator. Quick starts - are a quick way to the poorhouse. They burn plenty of gas.

34. Avoid hard stops
Panic or hard stops will also cost you. Try to anticipate stop signs and traffic lights.

“If you know you're going to be stopping half a block down take your foot off early and coast a little bit,” said Csere. “Because all that energy you’re putting in to speed you’re going to waste when you step on the brake.”

35. Avoid idling
An idle mind may be the devil's workshop. And an idling car isn't much better.

“But when you are idling, you are burning fuel,” said Sinclair. “We do recommend that you don't idle your car for more than thirty seconds and just to give you an idea of how much gas is used when you're idling, for every hour you're sitting at idle, you're probably burning a gallon of gasoline.”

The old belief about using more gas to restart a car than leaving it idle, is just that, an old belief. It’s rendered obsolete by modern starters. With modern fuel injection and electronic ignitions deliver consistent amounts of fuel.

36. Don't rev engine
Revving your engines impresses no one. What it will cost to replace your cylinders and gas could go to a truly impressive dinner date.

37. Use right foot only
To avoid riding the brake and wasting gas, use your right foot to control both pedals.

38. Shift to high gear
Shift into high gear as soon as possible. Get there by lifting a your foot from the accelerator a tiny bit early.

39. Don't weave
The more you weave the more gas your burn. Keep your wheel still.

“Adjusting your speed to get in and out and those constant throttle motions hurt you and there's probably a little bit of drag from constantly turning like that so you know you're better off picking a lane and staying in it, doesn't meant don't change at all but one lane change in miles is a whole lot better than 10," said Csere.

40. Don't accelerate up hill
Don’t accelerate up a hill. When approaching it, build up speed before the incline then maintain on the way up - and of course you can coast down.

41. Follow traffic reports
It’s practically impossible to scan the radio without hitting a traffic report. Use them to avoid jams and other delays.

42. Park and walk
If you wander all over the parking lot looking for that really close parking space, you'll use more gas. Don't be afraid to walk a ways if it comes to that, the walk will do you good!

With gas prices still on the rise, how do you make the system work for you?

Don't drive around shopping for gas. It's counterproductive.

43. Gasbuddy.com
A website called gas buddy will tell you where the deals are before you leave the house. Prices are statistically the cheapest on Wednesdays, but this

44. Find discount gas days
Is only statistically true over a large number of days. It won't be true every week. Check nearby service stations to see if they offer discounts any particular days.

45. Fill up before holiday
Also, getting a fill-up three days before a holiday will help you save on the price bump.

46. Wait until near empty
Don't fill until near empty. If you do this, it can extend your gas because you are hauling a lighter load as the tank nears empty. On cold days, however, you may not want to do this. Running a car with less fuel can be harder on the fuel pump life.

And speaking of lighter:

47. Find credit card discounts
Some credit cards offer gas savings when you use the card for purchases. This works in much the same way that some credit card companies give you frequent flyer miles when you use their card for purchases.

48. Member benefits
Some gas stations offer membership benefits. There are also department and grocery stores that give discounts at the fuel pump when you use their store membership cards.

In blind tests, motorists can hardly find a difference between:

49. Brand difference
Brands of gas. You could be paying more for next to nothing.

“They're using the same refineries, they're using the same pipelines to transport the fuel,” said Sinclair. “They're using the same trucks to transport the fuel. And the federal government has standards that gasoline must achieve in order for it to be sold as a motor fuel. So the old idea that one brand of gasoline might be better than another, is really something that's a myth these days.”

50. Carpooling
Is carpooling the new way to meet your life partner? No, but it can save you enough to go on several dates.

And finally...

51. Public transportation
Look into public transportation. What better time than when gas prices are high, to re-investigate whether there's a train or bus that is on your route to work and can save you money.

“I'll tell you the best way of avoiding pollution and saving money in terms of driving, I got it right in my pocket,” said Steinberg. “New York has the best mass transit systems in the country. So don't drive if you don't have to.”

Joke of the Weekend

I took my Uncles suggestion and wanted to see what happened. There is a burn ban in effect so I borrowed a friend of mines fake fire (it takes a plug in to run it). I hooked it up this afternoon under a covered area of our house. I knew the manager of our complex was hanging around doing some clean up work. I made a small stack of wood and put out lawn chairs and roasting sticks with the "campfire" in the middle.

I proceeded to start the fire (I plugged it in) and it roared to life. My son and I sat down around the fire with our roasting sticks and marshmellows. The phone calls must have come in pretty quick from our neighbors. Within minutes the manager pulled up to where we were and was very red faced. "What are you doing?" I looked at him and said, "Relaxing." He went on commenting that he had put flyers up on our door telling us there was to be no burning. There is a burn ban in effect. He looked at me and said, "You need to put that fire out." I looked at him and chuckled quietly and said, "Okay, if you say so." For some reason he started to get angrier and replied,"Yes! I say so." So I reached over and unplugged the fake fire and it died immediately. He looked at me then looked at the fire and back again. He then started smiling and laughing. I told him to pull up a chair and we could invite more people around until we run out of room under the covered area in the rain.

Before the night was over we had 15 people standing around a campfile shooting the breeze as though we were out camping. It is amazing how one small device can create such a social atmosphere.

What A Day Follow Up!

After my one horrendous day at the beginning of the week,I took the rest of the evenings off during the week to relax. Tuesday was a normal day, busy, busy, busy.....Wednesday my doctor told me I had another issue iwth my heart. Iam so tired of of hearing that they don't know what is going on. I finally said enough is enough. I can't justify taking several medications when one makes it so I don't feel heart palpitations (which is my sign something is going on), that medication causes night sweats and then they were telling me I needed to take one medication to offset nausea, and another to offset the symptoms of the nausea medication, then finally an anti-depressant to counter the depression 2 of the other medications cause. I gave all of the medications back to the doctor and said enough was enough. These symptoms haven't gotten any worse, they aren't sure of what is going on. As long as they arent talking about congenital heart failure then I really have nothing to be as concerned about.

I talked to a wonderful nutritionist and holistic doctor last week. I am not for putting medications into my person no matter how well it will help me. I will however take vitamins and minerals that are natural that will help maintain my health. I am going to give this 2 months and see what happens. This is nothing life threatening and its too long to explain here. But I am hopeful about what this will do in the future. This will not effect my health or life in the future, at least if I have anything to say or do about it.

What A Day-Faith in Mankind is Somewhat Restored

I can't believe it's finally over! I should have crawled back under the covers when my phone rang at 6:15 this morning. I am usually up at 5am but being that I didn't fall asleep until really late I slept in a bit. More so it was I turned off my alarm and was really glad that someone called me that early since I was still sleeping.

I am only going to list the things that happened today with no explanation. My day went as follows:

• Woke up late.
• Mr. Frogman took his own sweet time.(10 minutes late for work)
• On the way to the bus spilled juice down the front of himself.
• Drive back home and change.
• Missed the Second bus.
• Drive up the hill. (Only 20 minutes late for work)
• Run out of gas (lets see if you can follow this) in front of my exhusbands sisters exhusbands parents house (how embarrassing, luckily they weren't home). (40 minutes late for work).
• Man pulls up with a full gas can (as I sit on the back of the car and cry).
• Offer to pay and he refuses payment.
• Thank him profusely.
• Drive directly to the gas station to fill up. (50 minutes late for work).
• Take Mr. Frogman to School. (55 minutes late for work).
• Get on the freeway and head to work.
• Driving with good traffic (30 minutes late for work).
• Being rear ended at my exit. (1 hour 15 minutes late for work).
• Busy day. (7.5 hours at work)
• 2:30 pm Irate client due to his license being left in our office. (5.5 hours at work, trip down the hall needs to happen)
• 35 minutes to calm him down. (6 hours at work with no trip down the hall yet)
• 3:05pm Courier to deliver his license to him.
• 3:30 pm 1st apologetic phone call from former irate client. (6.5 hours at work no break and have to make a trip down the hall)
• 4:oo pm problem solved 1 hour 30 minutes(try to walk down the hall and stopped at the door by next listing).
• 4:05pm 2nd apologetic phone call from former irate client. (Really need to go down the hall)
• 4:15pm 3rd apologetic phone call from former irate client. (Truly can't wait to go down the hall).
• 4:20pm I get to go home for the day! (Finally make it down the hall!!)
• 4:30pm Phone call from co-worker telling me I received flowers from former irate client.
• 5:30pm Home Sweet Home (for 5 minutes)
• 6:00 Pick up pizza at Costco
• 6:30 at Wolfmans with pizza
• 7:00 Pizza on hold I have to make another trip down the hall.
• 7:30 Home Sweet Home!!

Tomorrow will be better. I have flowers waiting for me at work!!

Family Gatherings....

My family, it never fails. Every family meal we have we always have a ton of laughs. It is what we all enjoy. My family is filled with alot of quick witted individuals who, sit back at the table after the meal and talk about (very quickly) all sorts of topics from something serious that will bounce into something very humorous and then back to serious again.

One example of this today was we were talking about my mom/sisters cat missing. My mom commented about the cat leaving due to he was mating up the road (great, just what we need a cat who can't get enough). With all the road construction going on in their area we were talking about the cat doing the Happy Garfield dance in the middle of the road after being satisfied and getting hit by a car. I commented that well at least he would have a few more lives and a few more chances at "happiness". You had to be there but according to Peacemaker he was getting his piece of tail. I could come up with many other comments to go along with this but this really isn't appropriate. This was better than having everyone sit around the table burping and farting.

My Uncle broke in with a comment about the NSA. Being that he doesnt get very many visitors to his house that when he is on the phone to mention recent events and people in Iraq several times and the NSA would probably pay him a visit and he would finally have some company.

My uncle, is my uncle very unique. Most people would call him weird but he is smart, funny and a big kid too! He once called me his favorite niece....he only has 12 or more of them. Everytime I call him I tell him it's his favorite niece on the phone. I don't think he is sure of who is calling since I think he refers to all of his nieces as "darlin'" and his favorite niece. But you can't help but love him anyway. :)

Happy Mothers Day!!

Happy Mothers Day!
Happy Mom's Day!
Happy Mommies Day!
Happy Mamas Day!

No matter how you phrase it, it is still Mother's Day. I hope those of you that have your mom in your life were able to at least call her or drop her a note saying Happy Mother's Day! I also hope that you don't wait only until Mother's Day to tell your mother how much you love her and how much you care. Take the time.

People come into our lives and quickly go. Those that mean the most to us leave footprints on our hearts and will never be forgotten.

When push come to shove.....

When push comes to shove you find out who your true friends really are. I guess with my previous post, yes I do hope that people are like me in some way and I am disappointed by people in many ways. I guess in some ways I would like to believe in and have some faith in the goodness of mankind.

My ex husband and I are friends. I keep that friendship since he knows me very well. He and I have a mutual friend. More so his closest friend Black Night. Black Night and Renaissance Fairy are separated and getting divorced. They need help moving. I offered my help. Out of everyone that they know only 3 people showed up to help Black Night originally 5 total throughout the day. One person stayed until about noon. I showed up with Wolfman about 10 am (we got lost trying to find the house) and we were there until 7pm that night. Another person showed up around 3 and was there for 3 hours. Black Night found out who his true friends were that day. He is disabled due to a severe head injury in the past and was not having a good day.

After a short rest and up and down with his talking, black outs and short naps. He started talking to me. Asking me about my divorce and my anger. We talked very openly with one another. I hoped what I shared from my experience is helpful. He was more so amazed at how well My ex husband and I got along. Joking and teasing one another. He was more amazed at how well I got along with my ex husbands fiancee. She really is a nice person when she is given the chance to get to know you and you her. It took us getting divorced to develop communication which would have come in handy while we were married. I hope that Black Night and Renaissance Fairy can do the same. They are great people individually as well as a wonderful couple when they were together. I wish both of them the best of luck and remind them that I will be there for both of them. I am not going to take sides.

What is Your Path Number???

Your Life Path is Number 1

Your purpose in life is to lead others. You have great drive and determination. Nothing is going to stand in your way.You seek out challenges and the spotlight. You'll take all the work - and all the glory.Status and success are important to you. You demand the best from everyone and everything. In love, you tend to take a protective role. You enjoy being the provider in relationships. You expect others to be like you, and as a result, you are often disappointed.A little selfish and vain, you always put yourself first.Remember, everyone already knows you're great - you don't need to remind them!

What Is Your Life Path Number?

I thought this was really interesting. I got this from a friends blog and I thought it would say something about me. There are a few things I disagree with but still for the most part how I see myself.

Rest In Peace Annie

Annie. Definitely not little orphan Annie either. Let me give you some background on my life and where Annie comes in. I was in Swedish Hospital having a heart procedure done. I was alone, and the person who had brought me to the hospital had gone. I had put many of my affairs to rest and had my life in order. If anything were to go wrong my son would be taken care of. He will have a home and a large sum of money as he got older. The only problem as I was being prepped for the procedure was that I was alone. No matter how hard I tried I could not avoid being scared. I put on a strong front but inside the whole time I was scared. Scared for what, I am not sure. More than likely it was the unknown. No matter how many times I told myself nothing was going to happen, I wasn't sure of it.

I sat in a room waiting. I was as ready as I was going to get. As I sat there shaking more so from fear, and what I thought was cold but I think I was only cold due to the fact that I was scared. Now and then a doctor or nurse would come in to talk to me. As I sat in that room with alot of time to think the more frightened I became. No matter how much strength I showed on the outside Annie was the only one who saw what was going on on the inside.

This shorter woman stood in my doorway waiting for me to come out of my solemn reverie, I had hit bottom (which for me is very difficult to do). I had pushed most of my friends away when I actually needed them. I never told anyone but 2 people where I stood on all of this, where all my legal papers were. She stood there waiting until I was able to bring myself back to the real world. She came in and sat down, made herself comfortable in the chair nearest to me. She started talking then drawing me into conversation. She continued on and on until it was time for me to be taken into surgery. She held onto my hand and told me it was going to be ok. I was still scared but not nearly as much as I was before.

After my procedure she returned. She asked about who was there with me. When I told her no one I had a ride home she lectured me. In times of need you keep the ones you care about close. She left that day with, a smile and "take care of yourself." I didn't see her again until the next time I was in the hospital.

I again was alone and in comes Annie. She asked again what I was there for but I knew my situation was no where near as critical as the time before. Her and I had more time to talk. I learned more about Annie.

Annie had congenital heart disease and was on a donor list for a heart. No matter what was going on around her Annie was always in a good mood. She was a patient at the hospital frequently. She would walk around the area that dealt with people with heart conditions and talk. I had no idea what she was dealing with, yet she was there for me in what I consider a very minor thing compared to hers. I feel guilty to this day for being scared.

I can't put into enough words the warmth and comfort she gave. Her free spirited nature and much more. I would talk to her now and then when she would return my calls. I know nothing more of her than the little she actually shared.

I received the call that she passed away from heart failure 2 days ago. You would have thought I lost my best friend hearing that news. How do you put into words how much someone means to you yet they are only in your life for mere moments. It's amazing the difference that one person can make.

I know at her memorial service there will be standing room only. She touched so many and even as briefly as she touched my life I will be there as well to pay my last respects. I will never be a part of her life like she was mine. Annie was my guardian angel that day.

Thank you Annie!