My mom and dad bought their first computer and cell phone. I've given them about 8 hours of computer training so far,and all they have mastered is turning ON the computer.Dad's taking a computer night class but it hasn't been much help........apparently I haven't either.............Dad said that if I call their house and the phone is busy( they have dial up) to call moms cell phone.........so I asked mom if she knows how to answer her cell phone and she said "no." Lordy.

Turn the page.

Last night daughter came downstairs to ask me if I had an envelope. Her eyes were red and her nose was congested. I asked her if she had been crying. She said yes. She had been writing a good-bye/thank you letter to her favorite 8th grade teacher. AWWW! Bless her heart.

Today was daughters graduation from Middle School. She received honors in math, an award for attendance, and an award for "excellent behavior." Yes they give awards now for good behavior.
After the graduation/awards ceremony the PTA hosted a party for the graduates, parents and friends at the High School stadium. They had a wonderful DJ, dancing, great food, corn hole, basketball and other activities. It was fun!

The roofers are finished and it looks good. The only thing I'm not happy with is on one of the down spouts where it turns, they used part of my old spout for the turn. When the boss comes to inspect the job I'll tell him I want it replaced. Otherwise I'm pleased with their work. Charlie, my dog, bonded with the workers. They couldn't speak English but they'd smile at Charlie and say "Charlie!" Charlie would respond by barking.

New Roof

The roofers started on replacing my roof today. They arrived at 2:30PM. I got home from work at 4pm to find one of them sleeping on the ground in my sideyard.....the other 2 were sitting on the ground. At first I thought maybe the sleeper was dead or injured so I asked the 2 live ones if the sleeper was ok.......they didn't speak English, but they smiled, so I figured everything was A-okaY! They stayed on the ground until 5:30. I guess they're not in any hurry to complete the job?
I'm also having all my gutters and down spouts replaced. Yay! It's going to look nice!

30 years ago

I received snail mail from my dad the other day. He sent an article from the post that talked of the upcoming(Memorial Day) 30 year anniversary of the tragic fire at the Beverly Hills supper club. 165 people died that night.

At the top of the article dad wrote "Sandy, we were taking our evening walk that night. Do you remember?"

I do remember.......I remember making myself visible to my dad that evening in hopes that he'd invite me to join him on his walk. Shortly after we left the house I remember hearing sirens from the fire trucks and hearing the city siren that notifies volunteer firemen and women that their asst. is needed..............the sirens seemed to go on forever.The Cincinnati Post - The Beverly Hills fire: Indelible tragedy

Dad and I walked our usual route.........but this evening was different. Neighbors were gathering on their front yards and porches.........and I could tell that the adults were tense........dad stopped to talk briefly to some of those neighbors.......... as we continued our walk dad told me that Beverly Hills was on fire.................................We walked to Highland Ave. and crossed to a then wooded hillside that overlook the supper club.....We watched as firemen and others fought the fire. I'll never forget the flames shooting out through the roof and then up towards the firemen poised on their ladders over those flames.......................But

The thing that stands out most in my mind about that night was when dad and I reached Highland Ave and I observed a man running down the Ave., towards the supper club, with a look of fear, and panic on his face. The fear I saw on his face scared me............................and for all of these years my thoughts have been of him, & wondering if his loved one survived.

Charlie enjoying her day

I'm off work today and daughter is off from school. Boyfriend and I are taking her out for breakfast to kinda celebrate her making cheerleading. Let me just say one thing about the whole cheerleading situation and then i'll shut up...........3 of the girls who beat daughter out for the varsity squad happen to be daughters of 2 of the coaches, and one of them is the niece to one of the coaches........one of those girls is far better than the rest.....and no matter who may have been judging, she would have made varsity..........the other 2 girls made varsity because of who was judging.......life is not always fair and most of us learn this lesson at an early age.......but because I am her mom it pisses me off that she is sad..................... i'm positive she should have beat those other 2 girls had their aunt and mom not been a part of the judging process................I told daughter there is no shame in making JV and not varsity.....most freshmans to be don't make the varsity squad, it's usually the juniors and seniors who take those positions........and I would never tell her that I thought the other girls beat her out because their aunt and moms were part of the judging process............and deep down i'm glad she made the jv squad because I don't like the idea of her hanging out with girls so much older than her.............................but still, it pisses me off that life isn't always fair.....especially when it's unfair to my daughter.

I called in sick to work today. It's not something I do very often. I woke up this morning thinking of all the things I need to do today and going to work wasn't one of them.
I did manage to power wash the deck and clean the grill.
Daugher had her cheerleading tryouts thsi evening. After tryouts we went home and waited for the call to see if she made it. For several hours her and her friends text messaged each other to see if anyone had gotten THE call yet, and they speculated on who they thought would make Varsity/Junior Varsity.
Daughter got the call that she had made JV. She was heart broken. Her goal was to make the varsity squad......and to make matters worse, her 2 best friends made Varsity.
She hid out in her bedroom ........I went up to talk with her........while we laid in bed talking the coach text messaged daughter and then called her. She kinda gave daughter a pep talk.........it was very sweet of her to call. Daughter is adjusting to the idea of not cheering with her best friends.....and I think that deep down she's a little happy that she made one of the teams.

I'm thinking about going back to school..........we'll see.

Sunday

X-husband went to China today. He called a couple nights ago to let me know where all the emergency info. is and to chit chat about the kids. He's been super nice the last couple times he's called. I think he's worried about going so far away. He wrote a beautiful note on the graduation card he got for daughters graduation from middle school. Daughter cried when she read it. It was sweet, and he can be too some of the time.

Cheerleading tryouts are tomorrow evening..........they were originally scheduled for last Friday but for whatever reason it was changed. Daughter has been working on her cheers and gymnastics for several days. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I've been thinking about marriage lately and whether or not I'd ever do it again.......I've always said I'd never do it again, and I meant it when I said it.........but now i'm not so sure.......the marriage part isn't so bad........it's the divorce that puts a damper on things.....

My New Hero

Steakhouse refuses to serve O.J. Simpson


Story Highlights• Owner of Kentucky steakhouse asks O.J. Simpson to leave• Simpson was in town for Kentucky Derby• During 1990s, he was acquitted of murder, but found liable in civil court• "I didn't want to serve him," owner Jeff Ruby says.

Shopping

I went to Barnes & Nobles today to spend the gift card my son gave to me for Mothers Day. I bought 4 books.........eat, pray, and love............The Memory Keeper's Daughter...........To Kill a Mockingbird and Where Are The Children. I felt like a kid in the candy store while picking out my books. It was fun!.............and then

I shopped all day. This is what I bought......
Dog house for Charlie
Kiddie pool for Charlie
Black shorts, white t-Shirt, sports bra, red hair ribbon and white socks for daughter for cheerleading tryouts.
Stick thingys to hold up my tomato plants and bread tie like things to hold the plants to the sticks.
underwear
nursing uniform
sports bra
hair products
licorice
chocolate
freezer &
lunch for boyfriend(Mexican food) for him following me around the stores all day.
All I have left to buy is a charm bracelet for my daughter as a gift for her graduation from Middle School.
I'm all shopped out!

I got up early this morning and balanced my check book and paid my bills.........picked daughter up at her dads house and took her to school........went and woke boyfriend up and convinced him to go shopping with me.

I've been sleeping like a baby lately, and I wake up feeling rested. I think it's the blood pressure medicine.............feels good to sleep well........just wish the medicine didn't make me so tired...my blood pressure has been perfect.

I've Lost That loving Feeling

It use to be that I didn't understand/couldn't relate to girlfriends when they'd talk about not wanting to have sex with their husbands or boyfriends. They'd be going through a phase that usually didn't last. A phase where they just didn't want sex. Even while going through my divorce, I still enjoyed sex with my soon to be xhusband................. I've never gone through "one of those phases" ........until now. My sexual desire is gone, totally and completely GONE! I'm not sure why ......I just know it is.......and I don't care. Go figure.

Stuff

I think it's a toss up between Blake and Lakisha on who will be sent home this week..........but........if I had it my way I'd send the 17 y/o home this week and Lakisha next week..........I like Blake. He's different, and I always look forward to seeing what he's going to do with a song.................Paula is prettier this year. I don't know if it's her make-up, or if it's because she's not high.......she looks good.

Daughter trys out for high school cheerleading May 18. She'll be a freshman. I've been encouraging her to start practicing, and stretching, and all that stuff but she hasn't..........55 girls were at the meeting.......only 15 will make the varsity squad.....they don't have a freshman squad........daughter doesn't seem too concerned. I predict a broken heart, but hope for the best.

We-Ping rarely meows, and it use to be that she didn't purr. I always thought it weird that she didn't purr. Now that we allow her to play outside, she purrs all the time. She's much happier being an indoor outdoor cat. :O)

this n that

The Kentucky Derbys winning Jockeys reaction to winning the Derby was priceless. I'm glad he won!

I planted my pumpkin and cantelope seeds yesterday. Crossing my fingers that I actually get some pumpkins this year.


Charlie the new pup is doing horrible with his potty training. He pees and poops everywhere. He's a cute little guy and loveable but I'm about ready to give him to a foster family.

The census at work keeps dropping. Grapevine has it that we will be closed in 6 months. I'm gonna ride it out and see what happens.

Ky Derby

My pick for the Kentucky Derby is Sam P. I just know he's going to win. I can't tell you how I know, but I do! Check out a picutre of him if you want to see a truly beautiful horse!

my neighbors

I was driving down my street the other morning headed to work. I get about 1/2 way down the street and I note 2 of my neighbors, both women, 1 in her late 50's, the other in her mid60's, one lives on my side of the street, the other lives on the other side..........so i'm driving down the street and there they stand in the middle of the street, embracing each other and lost in a deep, kiss. Both of them were still dressed in their pajamas. I felt like I was intruding on a private moment. I considered pulling the map out of my glove box, opening the map, holding the map up and in front of my face and pretending I was busy reading the map and way too busy to notice what was happening between the 2 of them......but I didn't. They finished their kiss, turned away from each other and both headed to their respective houses.
I felt sorry for them. I couldn't help but wonder if they've had to hide their relationship for a good part of their time together...............and I wondered if they purposely bought houses across the streeet from each other? Did they start dating when they were young women?Have they had to live a lie most of their lives? Were they ostracized from another neighborhood and then move here? Do they spend the night at each others house everynight and then sneak home in the early hours?
I always kinda figured that the 50 something lady was an x nun who tended to her garden and avoided other people..................and I guessed the 60 something woman to be a widow living out the later part of her life in the home where she'd raised her kids. Ha! ....... I'm glad they have each other.

Tuesday

American Idol was good tonight. I especially liked Blake and Lakisha. I hope bald headed married guy and the 17 y/o go home tomorrow night.