I'm BAAAaaack... I know, it's been too long, but hopefully y'all can find it in your hearts to forgive me!

Wow, there's so much to post about, where to begin...? I guess I'll start at the very beginning, a very good place to start...On the weekend of the 14th (my big brother, Joe's, birthday!), Tyson & I drove up to Eugene to stay with the Dawsons. He was out of school & I took the day off work on Friday so that we could take our time & got there Friday afternoon. We met Travis & Keri (Dustin's bro & sis-in-law, who I also went to school with) and Dustin's Aunt & Uncle & cousin, Colton, along with Ed & Alex & their kids, who came up from Eagle Point, at a pizza place in Eugene that has an indoor carousel. The next morning, I watched Jake & they took Tyson to the Ducks' game. We had a potluck/party that night & another of our high school friends, Dennis, came over & we all had a great time hanging out together. The following morning was the Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide awareness & prevention in Portland, so Krista & I got up at 5:30 a.m. & drove to the walk. Neither of us was feeling great (espcially me, as I was puking on the way up from drinking too much the night before), but we were really glad that we did it...This was my second year & Krista's first. It's funny - last year, it was on Shannon's birthday (I blogged about it, if you want to read it in my archives), and this year it was the day before. It was really crappy weather & we were soaked, but it was worth it & so nice to have eachother there this year instead of doing it all by myself.

The other big news is that there have been some issues at Tyson's school & I wasn't very happy with his teacher, for several reasons which I won't go into right now. Tyson wanted to change schools & go here in town, but I've been playing the devil's advocate & giving him a couple of weeks to decide, even though it would make my life much easier, too. We went on Friday to tour the local school with the principal & were both really impressed by what we saw & the teachers & environment there. The final decision was up to Tyson & he wants to start on Monday. We went back to his old school to clean out his desk & say goodbye to his classmates & teachers & that's when he did get a little sad, but he still wants to go through with the change. I think it will be nice, because where he was going, there are mostly rich kids with two parents, & I think Tyson thought we were poor (which we are not! I can always pay my bills, even if I have to juggle some) & abnormal for having a single parent family. It will also make the transportation/work issue MUCH easier. As far as Tyson's grades go, I still haven't received a report card, but his teacher said that he should have no problem of attaining his goal of straight A's. He's definitely smart enough; it's just a matter of whether or not he applies himself & turns in his homework. This year, he's really made that a priority, so I wouldn't be surprised if he is getting straight A's. Hopefully, I'll find out for sure soon...

By the way, Happy Belated Birthday to my dad on the 19th, who is currently in Oklahoma, visiting relatives, and Happy Upcoming Birthday to my big sister, Laura on the 31st (yep, Halloween!), who is currently trying to recouperate from gall-stones! Love you guys!

Eventually, I really will sit down & blog so everyone is up-to-date, but in the meantime, here's some filler:

5 Best of TV This Season (Sorry, couldn't come up with the whole 10!)

1) Grey's Anatomy (Now McSteamy joins McDreamy - yummy! Only bad part is, where does that leave my darling Finn?)
2) Prison Break (they've been teasing me, but new episodes are back Oct. 23rd. As much as I love Michal Schofield, I must admit that I am tiring of the intense looks that the camera holds, then fades to commercial...)
3) Heroes (LOVE this show!!!! Was a big surprise & has great characters!)
4) My Name is Earl (Just good humor)
5) What About Brian (Not my usual style, but just got sucked in, so now I stay up for it.)

Mondays & Thursdays are MY nights - if I watch any other TV, it's usually stuff like Wheel of Fortune or Family Feud, Simpsons, Friends or That 70's Show.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TWYLA!!!!!!

Still not much to post, but I do feel that it's my duty to keep my readers abreast of current events in my life...

I got my digital camera & have been reading up on it more than doing any experimenting, yet. I can't wait until the leaves start to change colors - I'll take the camera to Lithia Park. The colors there are absolutely fantastic!

I went to dinner with Kristin & Loren (yep - finally asked how to spell it) last night at the Outback Steakhouse. I've never been there before, since I don't like red meat, but MAN, their chicken & veggies are to die for! The Bloomin' Onion appetizer is really yummy, too. I ordered a strawberry margerita, which was good, but Kristin got their Wallabe Darned or something like that, which is a frozen peachy drink & it was delicious! It was Loren's birthday. We're planning to get together today so that Loren can play some basketball with Tyson & then we'll have dinner & rent a movie.

I really appreciate any help I can get from good guys that wouldn't mind spending time with Tyson. I feel like, if I can have positive male role models in his life, I won't be concerned with hooking up with one, myself. My friend, Susan, played a part in this decision with a wise statement she made at work, in reference to my concerns about Tyson being so desperate for me to bring a man into his life & my thoughts that having a man around might make parenting easier: "Amanda, men don't want to discipline your son. They just want to get in your pants." Now, I'm sure that there are some good guys out there (maybe even some that aren't already married) but, for the most part, this statement rings true. I've also deduced that men tend to be very shallow & go for skinny blondes, neither of which would describe me. And if a guy can't appreciate all of the wonderful qualities that I have because they're too hung up on the physical aspect of things, I have no problem continuing to be a single mom. So I am now officially back on the wagon & focusing my efforts on recruiting the good guys that I know to be a part of Tyson's life.

I haven't been doing a whole lot. This time of the year is mostly devoted to getting back into school-mode, although this year has been a lot less stressful, since Tyson decided to skip football.

He's getting to the age, now, where he always wants to be hanging out with his friends (thank goodness I like his friends, too!), so they're either over here or he's gone. This weekend we had Kane & Tristan stay the night on Friday, so we got pizza and a movie, then he went to stay the night at Tristan's last night. I just had to call him on his cell phone to see when he's planning on coming home. I've spent the whole weekend cleaning my apartment, which actually has been pretty nice, but now I don't have anything else to clean! I even cleaned Tyson's room, which I never do, because I want him to do it. I did go to the mall today to cash in on some coupons I have & ran into my step-sister, Julie, whom I haven't seen for at least 11 years!

My sister, Kathy, has tagged me, so I guess if I'm a good sister, I'll comply...

The rules of the tag are:
List 5 weird things about yourself or your pets.
Tag 5 friends and list them.
Then, those people need to write on their blogs about 5 weird things, and state the rules, and tag 5 more people.

1. I love kids, but only have one. I guess that's kinda weird, but if you know me & the set of circumstances of my last marriage, you'll most likely understand.
2. I'm a tomboy, but I love to shop & dress up.
3. I don't like cheese, seafood or fish, red meat and many, many other foods!
4. I love to sing (I know, weird, huh?) The only problem is that I actually prefer large, anonymous crowds to smaller, personal ones including friends & family. I've been trying really hard to overcome this, though, because the opportunity to perform with friend & fam presents itself more often.
5. I try to be a very open-minded, non-judgemental person (because I know that I don't like to be judged!), so I think people tend to think of me as a liberated, free-spirited type, but I'm actually pretty old-fashioned, especially when it comes to romance.

Tyson & I went up to Eugene last weekend to see Krista & Dustin's new place. We had a BBQ on Saturday & Cindy & Lee came (Shannon's little sister) with Dan (Shannon's dad). Dustin & Travis were at a Duck's game, so Krista & I hung out, then Kerri came over & we all made a cake for her little boy's 3rd birthday. Thought I'd share a pic that I snagged from Krista's myspace. It was great, as always, seeing everyone, but it made me a little lonely when I came back home...

Oops! I guess I was a day behind. Grey's Anatomy won't be on until tomorrow - Thursday. Wishful thinking on my part...

I suppose it's been long enough that my public is thirsty for more (naturally)! All right, well...Tyson is enjoying school, even though he went in expecting not to. He says that now that last year's 5th graders are gone, he just might be the best basketball player in the school. We're still having issues with transportation, but at least he has a cell phone, now, so that we can communicate if he's stuck somewhere. My date for Saturday got cancelled (thank goodness!) since he had to pack & move. We haven't rescheduled yet & I think I'm going to try to blow him off - it's just too awkward. I really did like the guy I met camping & we had a couple of (very short & frustrating!) calls over the weekend, but I don't know where that will go, if anywhere. I'm back to being ok with being single for now, anyway. I plan to go up to Eugene this weekend for a BBQ at Krista's. I haven't been there since Ty was just a baby, so it'll be cool to go back. I've had a lot of fun in that town & it'll be nice to see Krista & Dustin's new place.

I booked a trip to Hollywood for Tyson & me. It will be the week before Thanksgiving, so that I'll only have to take three days' vacation & I'll get 10 consecutive days off! I'm SO excited & so is Tyson. At bedtime, he's like, "Mom, tell me again about Hollywood!" It's so cute to see him excited about something again! It seems like he's always "cool" & "bored" anymore, and I know it's just going to get worse! I'm grateful that he has made friends with two boys in the complex that have single moms, too. They also like to skateboard & they both have good relationships with their moms. Kane called his mom to ask if he could come to the skate park with us the other day & I heard him say, "Thank you, Mom. Thank you SO much! I really appreciate it!" That was refreshing!

Anyway, I guess I should get on the transcription I have, so that I can watch Grey's Anatomy tonight. Season premiere next Thursday!

I'm back from the coast & back to the grind. Camping was a blast. We got up there around 10:30 or so on Friday night & were prepared to fall into bed (we stayed in one of the cabins with Krista & Dustin & Alex & Ed with all of their kids), but heard music by the fire when we arrived, so of course, we stayed up for a while & visited. I sang with Dustin & Travis's dad & a couple of other guys. Another one of our high school friends was there that I just saw last summer for the first time in like 12 years, but I never saw him again after the first night...Bizarre! Anwyay, the guys all took Tyson fishing at 2:30 am, until Krista & I decided to go rescue them from the river in the jeep, which proceeded to piss off the rest of the campers. I guesss they thought we were out joyriding. We heard about it the entire rest of the weekend.

On Saturday, we went down to the river & played some volleyball, then I decided to take Tyson into town to see his dad & eat some breakfast at the restaurant where he works, so we went into town for a while. That night was much more mellow, since I think most of the campers had downed more than their share of alcoholic beverages the first night.

The third day was the best, even though we had run out of water & the generator was busted. The guys all played football, then everyone went down to the river together. Tyson was getting bored, with no boys his age to hang out with, so I ended up taking him down to stay the night with his dad.

A friend of Travis's had also come down to camp with his little girl, so I spent a lot of the weekend hanging out & getting to know him. I think he's a really nice guy & hope that I'll get to talk to him again. I'm actually almost dreading this date on Saturday now, and I know that's bad & that I should keep my options open, since I never did the whole dating thing before, but it's hard to think that way when you meet someone that you really click with. (At least I think so...) Anyway, I'm trying to just get back into routine & all that jazz. I took Tyson in for his first day of school today to find out that it doesn't start until tomorrow. As I dropped him off at home, I said, "Well, then, let's try this again tomorrow, shall we?"

I leave for the big camping trip after work tomorrow! I'm really excited, because I know I'll be with a lot of great people & we'll have a blast! I'm also excited because this will be the first time I've been camping since the divorce!

I also have some more exciting news: I have a real, bona-fide date with a guy who seems normal enough & comes highly recommended by the husband of a friend. I thought it was really nice that he called me, himself, to ask me out, instead of relying on our mutual friend to set it up, which would have been easy enough to do. I'm not going to get all crazy about it, though. I'm just thrilled that I'll have this first date thing behind me so I can relax a little! We're going out next weekend, so I'll provide more details on this guy then.

I suppose it's been long enough, since I'm getting prompted by Kathy again...It's just that not much has been going on!

Tyson is back, as you know, so my social life disappears & it's all about running him & his friends to the skate park or back & forth to eachothers' houses. We're trying to cram it all in before summer's over & get back into routine for school at the same time. We did some school clothes shopping last weekend, despite Ty's adamant protests.

I don't know if I posted about this before, but our wonderful cat, Domino, went MIA just a couple of days before Tyson left for his dad's & has still not returned. Against my better judgement, we have recently acquired two kittens from a co-worker. We are also dog-sitting for one of the docs while he's on vacation & Tyson is making $10 a day for a week. This dog is very sweet & is no trouble at all, so I second Tyson's question: "You mean you're letting me borrow your dog for a week & I'm getting paid on top of it?"

I've heard nothing more on the jeep, so I'm going to go in & talk to a friend who works at Suburu to see what he can tell me, if anything.

We are going camping w/ the Dawsons this weekend & it should prove to be a blast. I really can't wait! And then Ty will start school on the 6th & it'll be back to the grind, as usual. This is probably one of the more boring posts in my blog, but just remember, you asked for it!

Summer evenings are the best. It's when the rest of the dreadful year gets turned upside down & life is as it should be. Summer days are for sleeping in & laziness; some water play if one feels the need, or maybe even a lemonade stand if you feel particularly motivated or need some extra money for the ice cream truck. But summer nights - when the air is still warm and thick, the smells jump out at you: blackberries and that slightly mossy smell that brings to mind the slipperiness of lake or creek-bottom algae. Summer nights in the valley can be absolutely stunning. I remember when I was a little girl and the sky would be splattered with pink clouds against a bright blue sky and the breeze was warm against my skin, I would pretend that I was in a maxi-pad commercial (with wings, of course - hence, the breeze). When I breathe in the summer evening, I reminisce about other scents from my childhood summers here: thistles and hay, the distinct scent of horses, not to mention goats! Time seems to slow down a little on summer nights, and if I stay up too late sitting outside staring at the stars or driving with the top down in the jeep, it's worth missing out on the sleep I so desperately need in order to face work during every other season.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeee-haaaaaaaaaaawww!! Dad, that's SO cool that you stopped by & left a comment! Mom, I know you read this, too, so feel free to comment, too! Sorry, guys, for holding out on my posts! I know how much you all live for my non-life details! Really, there hasn't been too much to report. Hmmmm...

Last Friday, Terri & Brian were celebrating their 23rd anniversary, so we were off to Chadwicks. Kristin & Lauren (I'm not sure how he spells his name - I'll have to ask) showed up, plus Twyla (Gary stayed home with the kids) & Pat & his wife, along with Terri's sister & brother-in-law. I had the karaoke guy give this whole mushy romantic intro to my dedication to Brian & Terri: Jimmy Buffet's "Why Don't We Get Drunk & Screw". They loved it. Kristin & I are thinking we need to check out some new places the next time I have the opportunity to go out, which might be a while now that Ty's coming home on Friday! I can't wait to see him!

Aunt Linda & Nissa (with her two adorable daughters!) stopped by last night on their way to Eureka & stayed the night. We had some pizza & cake & ice cream for Nissa's 32nd birthday, then played the piano (Dr. England gave me some church songbooks that I grew up with, so I finally have some sheet music, and it's stuff I grew up playing, so it's a little less rusty) & did some karaoke. Around 11 pm, we all started turning in & Nissa turned to me in her little mischevious way & asked how late I'd be up. After she laid the girls down, she crawled into bed & we talked until 1:30 this morning, even though I had to get up at 6:30! I was pretty wasted today at work, but I figured that it was worth it, since we haven't been able to spend time together like that in years! Anyway, it was great to see them all & especially nice to reconnect with Nissa after all this time. I ended up coming home a little early from work today & falling asleep by the pool.

Dave (my friend who sold me the jeep) called me & told me that he might know someone who wants to buy my jeep, so I asked him to pass on my number this afternoon & hopefully I'll be able to work something out with this guy. I'm seriously thinking about leasing this time around, after looking at all the pros & cons & where I'm at in my life right now. It would mean lower payments & less commitment/debt. I'll miss the jeep, for sure, but not so much once summer's over & the rain & snow start back up.

One final thing to note: we're going camping with Krista & Dustin on Labor Day weekend (and probably about 50 other people) over on the coast, where they have this great big area with cabins, a huge bonfire area & a stage. Dustin's whole family will be there & I'm looking forward to jamming out again with his dad. It will be such a blast & a great way to wrap up the summer!

I had worked myself up pretty well by this morning & didn't want to wait & see if Seth would remember to call me, so I did the only thing that I knew to get ahold of them, short of driving straight there today, which I was strongly considering: I called the tavern. Seth's mom's ex-boyfriend works there, so I thought he could get a message to her, but it turned out he was off, but she happened to be right there (she was actually doing laundry on-site; it's an all-inclusive grocery/tavern/laundry/game room type setup). I told her that it sounded like things were getting overwhelming over there & I thought it would be a good idea for Tyson to come home & reminded her of how I felt about Jeff bringing him home. She said that she would go down & have Seth call me right back, and he did. I told him the same thing & he said that he talked with Tyson & that Tyson doesn't want to leave yet. I replied that Tyson doesn't get to call all the shots. So then Tyson got on the phone & told me that he didn't think it was fair that I get him all year & he couldn't stay even the full month with his dad. I explained that I had been all for it, but that circumstances had changed & I didn't feel like he was safe. He thought that was ridiculous, of course. I talked with Seth again & told him that I have done everything I can to encourage any time he wants to spend with Tyson, but that I didn't think he was looking out for Tyson's best interests by going out while he was there. He agreed that he had been stupid & promised me (for what that's worth!) that he wouldn't go out again while Tyson was with him and that he wanted to make the next two weeks about spending quality time with Tyson, without his ex-girlfriend or all this drama being in the picture. He kept saying, "Don't worry" & I told him that I couldn't help but feel that way when I had no way of getting ahold of Tyson & wasn't hearing from him very often & that I missed him. He said, "Well, now you know how I feel all the time" & I said that, "No, it isn't the same, because you know that when he's with me, he's safe." I told him that I may go out when Tyson's not here, but I don't when he's home & he said that's my "problem". There was more, like when he got all defensive about being called out on his constantly chaotic life. He tried to deny it. I responded that I had lived with him for 10 years and that my life was chaos that whole time & he tried saying that I brought the chaos! I was like, "All I ever wanted was a normal life" & he tried to turn that around into me wanting to keep up with the Jones' & that he had to suffer for it. At that point, I realized the futility of this argument & told him that we needed to focus on this whole thing with Tyson, because we could go on forever about why we never should have been together in the first place. Surprisingly enough, he agreed! Anyway, short story long, I agreed to let Tyson stay for two more weeks, with the condition that he doesn't go out again while he's there, that Tyson calls me on Friday & on arranged days from there, that I have the neighbor's phone number & that he find him a ride home, other than Jeff, at that time. I'm sure he thinks that's excessive, but if things were normal, I wouldn't even have to list any conditions & could simply enjoy my time being kidless, knowing that my son is enjoying himself in a safe, loving environment. Lisa asked if I was worried that they would do something to harm Tyson & I told her honestly that I know that they wouldn't mean to, because they really do love him, but their lives are just so dysfunctional that they don't know how to provide a safe environment. So, for now, that's where it stands. I went to the library & got some books so that I can just escape all this for a while until my boy comes home!

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Feel-Good Songs:

1. Don't Worry, Be Happy, Bobby McFerrin
2. Under the Boardwalk, The Drifters
3. You Can Get it if You Really Want, Jimmy Cliff
4. I Can See Clearly Now, Jimmy Cliff
5. Red, Red Wine, UB40
6. Don't Worry About a Thing (Three Little Birds), Bob Marley
7. The Remedy, Jason Mraz
8. Tutti Frutti, Little Richard
9. Kokomo, The Beach Boys
10. Great Balls of Fire, Jerry Lee Lewis

It actually gets worse! I got a call from Robbin this evening that Seth is in the hospital being tested for spinal meningitis. I called the ER & spoke with him. He said that Tyson is staying with his little brother's mother-in-law (who is a total wack job) & that he was wondering if he could send Tyson home this weekend with Jeff - you know, his brother that stole his identity several times to avoid his prior drug, theft & driving violation charges! I was planning on going camping in Eugene this weekend, but I think I need to go get Tyson. I might actually take off work & get him day after tomorrow or something. Seth is supposed to call me tomorrow. I just can't stand the thought of Tyson being passed around between all these random people in the midst of his dad's chaos! I do feel bad for what Seth is going through, but I also don't like what Tyson is having to go through as a result!

I got a call at work from Tyson on Thursday morning. He said that his dad had broken up with his girlfriend, so they were staying with Seth's mom, where there is no phone & no reception for Tyson's cell. Tyson also told me that Seth had gone out to the bar the night before & ended up at some party where he was "mugged" (aka "jumped") by three guys & ended up going to the hospital, where he was treated for several cuts & a sprained neck. Tyson started crying & saying that he felt bad for what his dad had to go through. It just makes me sick that he has to see all the chaos that Seth creates for himself & insists on playing the victim in. I asked Tyson if he wanted me to come get him & he insisted on staying to take care of his dad. He said that, if anything, he'd want to stay longer now. I told him that I wouldn't allow him to miss school & that Seth's mom would take good care of him. I haven't heard back from Tyson since & I can't call him, so I just don't know what to do.

On a lighter note, I was finally able to get the piano on Monday after work, with the help of one of the doctors, a co-worker & a co-worker's husband. I had to rent a trailer & Brian towed it with their Durango. The piano itself is in great shape. It's a dark wood & has some very pretty details, but is missing some of the ivory on a few keys. It seems to be pretty well tuned, though. I need to get more sheet music so I can start playing a little more. Most of the sheet music I have any more is for guitar or is really hard, so I'll go to the library soon & look for some simple music that I can start with.

Yesterday, we were all able to leave work early & go to a potluck at one of the doctor's houses. When we were there, I talked Gary & Twyla into going out to karaoke/comedy with me, since their kids were staying with Twyla's mom overnight. That was a lot of fun. The comedian was really good. There wasn't a big crowd, so I got to sing a lot, but my guy never showed up. We still had a great time.

Samantha is on her way over now so that we can hang out at my place & do some karaoke. I think she'll be surprised to find out that I have "Nobody" on karaoke (thanks to burning the disc that I got Kathy for her birthday when she was here). That was one of the songs that Samantha & I used to sing on the back of the bus when we were kids.

The camping trip is still on, as far as I've heard. I think I'll actually go now & try to call Krista before Samantha gets here.

I finally was able to reach Tyson on his cell phone last Thursday. I called when I was on my break from work & he was over at Kyle's. They were having air-soft gun wars & playing Jack 3 & just having a great visit. I guess he ended up staying the night there for two nights. I got to talk to Kyle, which was SO cool, but weird, since his voice has changed with puberty...He sounds just like Brett! This was the first time I'd talked to him since Shannon died. I tried to just keep it really light & let him know that I loved & missed him.

On Friday, Kristin & I went out with her boyfriend, Loren to Chadwick's. I wasn't going to go, because I'd decided that I didn't want to look like a tramp, but Kathy insisted, lol!! I'm glad I did, though, because I got to actually talk to & kinda sing with the guy that I think is cute there. I'm learning a new song, Whiskey Lullaby, so that we can sing it together next time. Yesterday, Kristin & got our hair cut, then drove up to Applegate Lake in the jeep & laid out & swam & sat on a log out in the water. It was a perfect, lazy day. After I dropped her off, I went over to Samantha's place & hung out until about 11:30 looking at more pics & yearbooks that she got out of storage. We're planning for her to come over next weekend so we can do some karaoke at my place & look at some of my pics so she can see what I was like after moving away.

When I came home last night, there was a message from Tyson, so I called him back this morning & got to talk for a while. He said that he's still having a great time, but I guess he had a weird experiece. He said that, right before Shannon died, he had a dream (involving the ocean, which is really weird, since she had some disconcerting ocean dreams that she'd told me about!) that he had again last week, two days before this guy died that they were just camping with. He said that, in the dream, there is a list of names in the water & he doesn't remember them until after they die, but Shannon's name & this guys's name were on the list. So, he's a little shaken up by that. He's earning money by doing yardwork for some of the neighbors there, so he's planning to buy an air-soft gun from Kyle. I'm really proud of him for working so hard this summer for his own money!

The camping trip go postponed for another couple of weeks, btw, so that hopefully Shannon's litte sister & her family can join us, since they also live in Eugene.

Hey! Samantha was here!! YEAH!! (I obviously still can't add comments to my own shoutbox, but whatever...)

I went on a bike ride on Sunday and when I was riding by one house, I noticed that they had a free sign posted on some patio furniture, so I came back with my jeep & picked it up. Total score! The table is rectangular with a smoky glass top & the chairs are the metal kind with the straps, so all I need to do now is get some cushions for them (there were only three, but who cares?). I should also note that the flowers I planted a couple of weeks ago are still thriving, thus far...

I've been trying to reach Tyson on the new cell phone I got him a couple of days prior to his leaving with his dad, with no luck! I did get a message from him here at home on Saturday night when I was out with Gary & Twyla, but he was breaking up really bad, so I couldn't really hear what he was saying. Ever since then, I decided I'd just try to reach him at their home number, and I've called all day & night, but there was no answer! (They don't have a machine, either.) I finally got really pissed off this morning & wrote him a letter! Then, Seth called tonight & Tyson's staying the night with Kyle. Apparently, they've been camping for the last few days that I've been trying to call, which is what he told me in the message. Anyway, I chewed Seth out & told him to chew Tyson out for not calling me every few days, since that was why I got the cell phones, after all!

I guess I never posted about going out with Gary & Twyla for his b'day. We met at Oh's, a sushi place where they cook your food right there at the table. They had two other couples there. I offered to be the designated driver so that Gary could take advantage of the fact that Twyla's a slutty drunk. Dinner was scrumptious! Afterward, we did end up going to Chadwick's & the comedians were the best I've seen yet. Too bad G & T were so wasted they didn't notice! Anyway, fun was had by all, until Twyla brought the night to an abrupt end when she ran into the men's bathroom puking (much to the dismay of the gentleman using the facilities)! Her friend, Jamie, saw her throwing up & decided she would show some sympathy by joining in. During this time, I was sitting at the table by myself trying to avoid the attentions of a certain elderly gentleman who asked me to sit with him. Needless to say, I wasn't too disappointed when they came to retrieve me! I had fun laughing at the drunks & had the most action I've got in a long time (thank you, Twyla)!

Krista called last night & we're going to try planning a camping trip for this weekend in Eugene, since Lisa & her mom had to cancel going to Chadwick's this weekend. It would be really nice to get out of town. I love road trips, and it's been forever since I was in Eugene (since Tyson was 3 months old, to be exact)!

You're an Expert Kisser

You're a kissing pro, but it's all about quality and not quantity You've perfected your kissing technique and can knock anyone's socks off And you're adaptable, giving each partner what they crave When it comes down to it, your kisses are truly unforgettable

What Kind of Kisser Are You?

All right, all right, already! Just so's ya know, I can't disable my cookies to comment on my shoutbox at home. Well, let's see...the past week or so has been pretty eventful. Seth came & picked up Tyson for pretty much the rest of the summer last Wednesday. On Monday, I had the toothache from hell & had the dentist call me in some Vicodin (never taken it before, I'm not a junkie!) & tried to just sleep through the pain until I had my root canals on Tuesday. That all went way better than expected & I'm painfree! It sucked that during Ty's last couple of days with me I was in such a funk. You know how snappy you can be when you're in pain? Yeah...add to that the sluggish stupor the Vicodin put me into. Oh well, I guess it couldn't be helped & it's all over now.

On Thursday, I called up my friend, Samantha, who is the girl I went to school with & haven't seen in 18 years. I went to her place & met her kids & hubby, as well as another friend of hers. It was quite a trip! I think it's really cool that we're back in contact after all this time. Tonight, I'm going to dinner with Gary & Twyla at Oh's, one of those sushi places where they cook the food at your table, etc. I don't know what's going on afterward. They said something about a movie or bowling. Bowling would be fun - it's been a while!

Last night, I was invited to go to comedy at an icky meat-market club here in town with an ex-coworker & friend, but she had to cancel at the last minute, so Kristin & I went to comedy at Chadwick's, then stayed for karaoke. It was good times. I even left with a phone number & an invite to go rafting this morning, but that guy's not necessarily dating material. I did manage to get a hug out of the cutie pie who sang to me last time, but that was about all the interaction there. I'd like to see him again (maybe outside the bar!) but I have no clue if he'd even be interested. I don't want to keep going back to the bar to see him, though, because I don't want him to think I'm a barfly! I'm supposed to go back next weekend with Susan, Lisa, Lisa's boyfriend, mom & step-dad, plus I've invited my friend Mike down from Gold Beach to see if he & Susan would hit it off. I haven't heard back from him, yet...

It's funny, when I was married, I liked to go every once in a while if there was a good band or something, but I also thought it was pretty lame that he never wanted to do anything more original. Is there someone out there who likes to do cheesy stuff like a picnic at the lake by candlelight or a hot air balloon ride or horseback riding? Even roller skating would be more fun than always doing the same ol' thing at the bar! And road trips are always good! All I know is, I don't want to settle for less, so it's looking more & more like I'm doomed to wander the planet alone, just like the Incredible Hulk (stolen from The Wedding Singer, one of the BEST movies ever)!

10 Favorite Cancelled Television Shows (in no particular order):

1) Ally McBeal
2) Silk Stalkings
3) Quantum Leap
4) Reunion
5) Charlie's Angels
6) Facts of Life
7) Love Connecion
8) Married with Children
9) That 70s Show
10) Ellen

Tyson stayed the night with a friend last night, so I had a beer & rented Grandma's Boy finally. Extremely juvenille, so of course, I loved it. This morning I picked him up from his friend's house (whom he vows he will NEVER stay the night with again, since they are so strict & "weird") & took him straight to his Grandma Robbin's, where he was paid to do some yardwork. While he was doing that, I came home & did some MAJOR spring cleaning & finally sorted through all my candle stuff. While he was gone, another friend invited him to stay the night, so I took him there when he got back, then went to the local nursery & picked up some flowers & came home & planted them & rearranged my whole back patio. It still doesn't look great, but it's an improvement. Let's hope these flowers live. I tend to have great luck with indoor plants, even starting them myself, but anything I've planted in a pot dies almost instantaneously. I got some advice from the lady at the nursery, though, so I'm hoping this time will be better!

Part of my spring cleaning involved cleaning all these boxes out of the closet that I basically stored when I moved in & haven't touched. I was going through them & ran across my journal that Seth got me for our first Christmas, at 19 y/o & when I was pregnant with Tyson. It has up to 2001. It's not like it's telling me anything I don't know, but gosh, it just makes me realize how much I was in denial for so long & even when Tyson was just a year old, I was writing about feeling guilty, but that it would be a huge relief if I didn't have to live with chaos every day. I can't believe I waited so long to escape that!

Anyway, I just wanted to write about that; it was kinda interesting. I need to do my transcription while Tyson's gone, now that the house is spotless & my yard is nice. Oh - btw, the Rob Thomas/Jason Mraz concert is tomorrow night, and I want to take Tyson SO badly!!! I really can't go, though, 'cause I'm super broke, so I'll (hopefully/probably) do the right thing & take him to a kids festival that costs $2 a pop to get into, vs. the $50 it would take for our concert tickets....

For not having any plans, the 4th of July went really well. Ty & I ended up in Central Pt. for their parade. Afterward, they had live music & booths at the park and, over at Jewett Elementary, they had the whole field covered with bouncy rides of all types. They were supposed to also have the sumo wrestling suits, which we were really looking forward to, but apparently they didn't do that because of the heat. We still stayed for most of the day & went back & forth on a hay ride between the two events. Finally, around 4 pm, we decided to go chill at home for a little while, then went to Medford for the fireworks display. It worked out really well. There was a funny lady who pulled up & blasted the simulcast from her car & we sang together to "I'm Proud to Be An American", "America the Beautiful" and, of course, "The Star-Spangled Banner". It did make for a late night, and this whole week has been pretty rough to get through at work, but hark - the end is nigh! I managed to work enough hours on Monday & throughout the week to not use any more vacation time, so that's a relief!

I talked to Seth the other night, and it sounds like he wants to have Tyson come stay with him, after all. He'll be picking him up on July 19th & wants to have him for a month (at least for now). It kinda sucks, because that's when the fair starts here, so Tyson will miss that, along with the cool Y camp I was planning to send him to, complete with tipis (aka "tee-pees"), archery, fishing, etc. I know it's important for him to have the time with his Dad, and I want that, but it just seems like it's always at the least convenient times!

Well, not much else has been happening - I've been completely anti-social, even online, so if you are feeling neglected, know that you are not alone - I've been neglecting everyone! I'll try to snap out of it!

I am just so unmotivated these days! Sorry I haven't posted in so long. As a result, I will be writing the short version of things:

As you all know, my sister, Kathy, and her three kids came to stay for a week & left on Wednesday morning. We had a great time and got to do pretty much everything we'd talked about doing. We had some down time, by the pool, were able to sleep in some days, took the kids to the park & to the movies (Cars), went out to Sams Valley (in search of "Sick Hill", which doesn't seem to exist anymore, but the lady at Rainey's told us about another hill that would potentially have the same effect, even though she thought we were weird), went out to karaoke & had a candle party - PHEW!! All in all, we really had a great time & a lot of late nights! I miss them already! I took half days off while they were here, so I could have plenty of time to visit, but also wouldn't use up all my vacation time.

Believe it or not, this was actually the first time that Kathy & I have gone out together, and we had a blast! We were definitely the rowdy table, so I'm sure everyone thought we were wasted, but that wasn't it at all - we just like to have fun & be goofy. We did a good job! At one point, this guy that I'd met one other time at karaoke walked over to our table while singing & sat on my lap & posed for a picture. Ooh-la-la!! I'm hoping that I will see him again...

I got a very interesting call on Tuesday evening from a girl that I'd been friends with since we were in kindergarten, right up until I moved to the coast! It turns out she's still in Medford, so we exchanged numbers & I'm hoping to hang out with her soon & catch up! What a trip!

With all the excitement, it totally didn't occur to me that this weekend is the 4th of July weekend & I have NO plans!! The office is closed on Monday, but it would be unpaid time, so I plan to put in at least a half day so I don't have to use even more vacation time right away. I'm kinda hoping that Krista & Dustin are coming down, but I haven't heard back from them yet. Otherwise, we'll probably just go into Medford & watch the parade & do the city fireworks. I just love fireworks!! The 4th has always been one of my favorite holidays. Probably in part because it's during the summer, which I live for!

Well, this is all I can manage for now...Hopefully, I'll be writing more before too long.

Ugh - I can't believe I've put off posting for so long! Now I've got a bunch of posting to do to catch y'all up (although I think Kathy's my #1 reader, and she was here with me)!

Slammed day at work, since tomorrow is the last day of the month, so I'll have to do my posting later - just wanted to keep you tuned in & let you know I haven't completely dropped off the face of the earth...

Well, our boys are done with baseball season! We lost our last two games, so we didn't end up in the playoffs. I think Tyson was ready for a break, anyway. He's done sports every season, back to back, for the last year, now. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what to do with him to keep him busy this summer. We all know about idle time...

I've been looking into some local programs to help moderate income families buy their first home w/ 0 interest & no down payment, through Rural Development, and another program (not Habitat for Humanity) that they are doing in Ashland to offer affordable housing by using "sweat equity", meaning that I would help to build my house & the houses of 5 neighbors. (They've already filled 2 of the 6 spots available.) They told me today that, if I didn't have such a high car payment, that I would be considered over 75 other families that have applied, based on my credit. I just don't know how to get out of this jeep (as much as I love it, I'd rather be a home-owner)! I think the first step I'll take is to see if my bank would refinance the jeep & lower my payments & see how I do, then.

Kathy should be pulling in this afternoon or evening. It sounds like this has been a stressful trip for her, what with traveling such a long distance on the road with three kids by herself...I'd be going crazy! I'm just hoping that, when she gets here, she can settle in & relax & have some fun! It will be her birthday, after all!

Last Wednesday, I received some roses & chocolates from "YNSSA" (our best guess is "Your Not-So-Secret Admirer", although we had a lot of fun imagining what else it could stand for...). On Friday afternoon, I finally received a call - you guessed it - from Mr. V! He called under the pretense of asking about the baseball tournament schedule, then, after about 5 minutes or more, asked if I got "the package". I feigned surprise, since I had called the florist upon receipt of the flowers to ask who they were from & she said that it was a "middle-aged" guy with brown hair, who was short, so my guess was that it was him. I told him that the flowers were very pretty, but that I really was not interested in dating. He replied that we wouldn't have to call it a date, to which I replied that I just wasn't interested in going there at all. To this, he said, "Well, I guess I was just hoping you could say that to my face." I was so shocked that he would be so rude by saying that! Here I am, with concern for his feelings, being very firm, but polite in letting him know that there is not a future here, but he seems to be a nice guy, etc. and he talks to me like that? It's not like I led him on AT ALL, or had not made it clear. I told him that I didn't mean to be rude, but that I had already told him twice now, & didn't think it was necessary to say it to his face. I then changed the subject back to baseball & closed the conversation.

On Friday night, Tyson stayed the night with Henry, so they could take him to the baseball game in the morning & I could take my yard sale stuff out to Dustin & Krista's in Eagle Pont to get everything set up & priced. We were up till about 1:30 a.m. getting it all ready, but still got up around 8:00 a.m. the next morning & started the yard sale. I had to leave around 11:00 a.m. to pick up Tyson from his game in Ashland, where I talked to the coach & some other parents about the upcoming tournament (which we are currently tied for 1st place in!), then left without seeing Mr. V.

Tyson & I were headed out to Eagle Point, when I noticed Mr. V's car in the turning lane ahead of me to enter a shopping center. I figured that he wouldn't see me, since I was a couple of cars behind him & heading straight, rather than turning. At the next stop light, I heard a car horn beep & looked around, but didn't see anyone, then noticed that he was two cars behind me in my rear view mirror! He had to have pulled out of the turning lane to follow me, and here he was, trying to get my attention! I pretended not to know who had honked & continued when the light changed. At the next stop light, though, he actually blared his horn loudly & for a long time. At this point, I told Tyson to hang on, because we were going to lose this creep, and I didn't care if he knew I was trying to outrun him. We were almost out to Eagle Point by the time I finally sped through a yellow light & left him behind at the red light. I really don't know what to think! Not only is he old & dorky, he is psycho to boot!!!

Anyway, I went back & wrapped up the yard sale (making about $10 total!) & started setting up for the going away party. We had a really nice spread & a lot of people came over to BBQ. Tyson made friends with a 13 year old girl from the neighborhood & they hung out most of the time together. The party itself was a lot mellower than usual & pretty much wrapped up a little after midnight. In the morning, Tyson went hiking with his new friend and we got to work packing up & cleaning the remainder of the house & they left a little after 3 p.m. Tyson & I came home & I did some cooking & cleaning, then snuggled in to watch "Angels in the Outfield", which I had purchased at another neighbor's yard sale on Saturday, then went to bed.

So, that's the weekend in a few paragraphs...Also of note - Kathy's coming! Kathy's coming!! I'm getting very excited to spend time with her & my nieces & nephew. It sounds like Tyson will not be staying with his dad this summer, as planned. Seth is not doing very well, physically or financially, not to mention that he is not sure if he's going to still be with his current girlfriend (the 43 y/o), whom he is living with. Sooooo....we'll see how things go. I do feel sorry for him, and I guess I'm just glad that his bad decisions don't have to ruin my life on a daily basis anymore, although they will still affect Tyson & me in the long run. Well, I'd better run for now. It's lunchtime!

Well, whadda ya know? It's actually 10 on Tuesday!

10 Ways I Like to Relax

1) Read!!
2) Lay out in the sun
3) Watch movies or TV
4) Drive & listen to music
5) Drink wine & do karaoke at home
6) Playing cards or chess with my son
7) Play the guitar/write songs or poetry
8) Go for a bike ride
9) Hang out with good friends
10) Talk on the phone with my sister, Kathy, or email people & surf the net

I did end up going to Eureka this weekend. I left on Saturday morning instead of leaving after work on Friday, giving me an opportunity to get my transcription done & get all ready to go.

I got there right around noon & stopped first at my brother, Allen's house(who happens to live about 20 feet away from my other two brothers). Tyson wanted to jam out in his music studio right away & was amazed at Allen's guitar playing. Then I went over to see the other boys & my nephew, Joey, who is 3 years older than Tyson, but they've always gotten along really well. I'd brought down an extra computer for them, so we got that all set up & basically just hung out. Mom came over after her dyalisis & we all BBQ'd over at Allen's. We crashed at Joe & Deland's and I fell asleep watching Hoodwinked, which looked really funny, from what I saw.

The next day (Sunday), I went over to have some coffee w/ Dad & shoot the bull. We had a really nice, long talk about a lot of different things, then I showed him how to record on his new karaoke machine, so we spent some time singing & recording. I also was able to record the song that I started writing 8 years ago & want Dad to co-write with me, but he didn't have the tune. Afterward, we went by & picked up the boys & headed down to Fortuna, to my big sister, Laura's house. My nephew, Johny, came down from Ferndale & Mom came over, too, & we Laura fixed us some spaghetti & we played rummy (or tried to). It was SO funny! Try getting 10 people together to play a card game & agree on the rules! The best part, though, was when my brother, Deland, asked what people had laying down as points, since he can hardly see, and Mom & Dad started telling him which cards he could play if he had them in his hand! So, Laura, Joe & I all insisted that it was okay to tell him what was on the table, but they couldn't coach him on what cards to play, but they said that's not what they were doing. After two rounds of rummy, we decided to play Go Fish, since maybe we could all agree on the rules to a game that simple. But, of course, we couldn't decide how many cards you needed in order to be able to play them. It really was quite hysterical! After everyone left, I stayed at Laura's & she, my niece Mary, and I went hot tubbing & had some girl talk. Laura & I stayed up a little longer & talked some more, before turning in somewhere around 11pm-midnight.

In the morning, we all went to Hometown for lunch & visited some more before I had to drive back. All in all, it was a great visit, and I felt really special. Funny how I hated being the baby all my life & now I love it! I didn't get out of there until 4 pm, but I got home a little before 8 pm, so was able to settle in a little before work & school this morning. We have a baseball game tonight & this will be the first time I see Mr. V since turning him down for lunch. I'm hoping everything's cool.

One more thing: It's my niece, Miranda's, 3rd birthday today!! I was able to be there with my sister when she was born, so I'll never forget this one!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS MIRANDA!!! XOXOXOXOXO

In case anyone else was waiting with bated breath, as I was, to find out what Seth's deal was, it turned out to just be about the DA coming after him for child support. I basically had to reassure him that I really don't have any control over that, and that was that. I was sure it was something really major! Geez...

Let's see...As usual, not much happening around here besides work. I've been doing a lot of clean-up & back work, trying to get caught up from when we were short three people. It's actually kinda nice & gratifying to do this type of work & see the result, though. The nice weather has come & gone, so I finally resigned myself to putting the top back on the jeep.

I guess one exciting thing is that Rob Thomas & Jason Mraz are coming to town this summer & I'm planning to get tickets soon. Lynnard Skynnard will also be here, but Krista & Dustin are planning to go see them in Bend, with Dustin's bro & his wife (who we also went to school with) & go camping that weekend. I'm not sure yet if I'll go to that, but I'd sure like to!

Gary just came into my office & we were talking about being put under for the oral surgery & stuff & he said to check & see if my buttons are done up wrong when I come to & Lisa said, "Yeah, wouldn't it be your luck to miss out on the whole experience?!?" I thought that was pretty funny.

Well, back to the grind for now...I'll post soon if anything actually happens to post about!

Well, we were too late for the horse races, so we went to see Over the Hedge, which was pretty good. The next two movies on my list to see in the theater are X3 & Click, with Adam Sandler (of course)!

I called Mr. V back today, in response to a voicemail at work inviting me to lunch & (I hope) politely told him that, although I was flattered by his invitation, I'd prefer to keep our friendship on the baseball field. I hope I handled it ok. Another lesson learned: Just say no the first time, instead of figuring out how to get out of it later! I've also been toying with the idea of getting a fake wedding ring to deter the kind of guys I attract. I don't seem to have any luck with the guys I like, anyway, so I'm not worried about deterring them. (Side note: the church guy ended up being a sleaze - well, to be fair, I suppose he's sowing his wild oats after a long marriage, but I don't even want to go there - ick!)

I've missed a lot of work lately, so I spent today doing my best to catch up. I also had a voicemail from Seth from yesterday (while I was at an all-day billing seminar) that "we need to talk" & he sounded pissed off. I tried three times (in the middle of my already slammed day) to call him, but there was no answer & they don't have a machine. I went over to Krista's tonight, since I'm trying to spend any extra time with her before she moves, & we went for a walk. I came home to another message from Seth, saying that I "never" answer my phone at work & again, "we need to talk". I tried calling him back, but got no answer again. So now I'm already on edge just wondering what we need to talk about. What have I done now to piss him off? I guess I'll find out soon enough...Hopefully it won't result in yet another arguement. I'm so sick of fighting - isn't that why we got divorced?

On a happier note, Tyson's orchestra concert is on Thursday night. He has one more big project to finish (the one on Michael Jordan) before school ends. We are both so burnt out right now that it will be really nice once he's out of school! I'm also looking forward to my sister's upcoming trip from AZ!! And, yes, I'm thinking about finally making the trip to Eureka this weekend, since we have a three day weekend & my bro has generously offered to help out w/ gas for the jeep, if I'll just come visit!

Well, I'm really wound tight from just finishing my transcription & stressing over Seth's ominous phone call, so I'm going to try to find something on TV to put me to sleep. Good night!

Well, I like Kathy's idea of Mr. Right (now)! I really would just settle for the summer romance & some casual dating. I was married for long enough that I'm not in a huge hurry to do that again (although I do want to, someday). I'm just sick of being told that I'm too nice, which is why I attract the guys I do - that are normally to insecure to ask someone out - or that I'm intimidating & that's why normal guys don't ask me out. Like, which one is it?!? Anyway, I'm over it again for now. There are definitely worse things in life than being a single mom to a great kid, who has a decent job & lives in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Sometimes I just have to remind myself that just because the grass is always greener on the other side, doesn't mean it's not okay over here, too!

I made sure to sit by a couple of other baseball parents at today's game & gave short, friendly replies in passing to the baseball dad who asked me out (aka Mr. Viagra). Um, BTW, it's funny, because I told Tyson about it & he asked, "Are you sure that's his dad? I always thought it was his grandpa!" We brought a kid home with us from baseball, who is potentially going to be the lead guitar for Tyson's band, so I'm thinking about taking them to do something fun, like movies, bowling, skating or the horse races. I'll end this for now, since there's really nothing new to report.

It's like a heat wave!!!

I can't believe how hot it's been here - Good news is, I'm getting a great start on my summer tan! We had a baseball game tonight & would've won, but at the top of the last inning, we had bases loaded & only one out, but with four runs, so they called the four run rule, which allowed us to be tied, but gave the other team an opportunity to continue scoring during the bottom half. Tyson pitched & he had two outs, bases loaded & a full count & struck the batter out, for a final score of 9-9. We're calling it a win, no matter what they say! I did get asked to lunch by one of the dads on Tyson's baseball team. Of course I said that would be nice, & the guy is a nice enough guy, but there is just no attraction there. He's at least in his fifties. Oh well, I suppose it can't hurt to have lunch with a member of the opposite sex. Maybe it'll be good practice.

For Mother's Day, I went to pick up Tyson from his Aunt Traci's place & he had made me a card (a really nice one, as a matter of fact!) that said "Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I'm glad you're my mom. Have a wicked nice Mother's Day!" (In case you didn't recognize it, the last line is from a card that Adam Sandler's character wrote in Mr. Deeds. Then we went to Dutch Bros. to get my free Mother's Day coffee & went to see Akeelah & the Bee. (Good flick) Anywa, I'm gonna go read my book before bed after I watch the news. It just flashed on something upcoming about dating & flashed an interview with a girl that used to work with me, so I have to check it out! Good night!

Well, Tyson is staying the night with his Dad at his Aunt Traci's house tonight. I hadn't heard from him at all until last night at 9:00, when he pulled into town. I chewed him out, because I hadn't heard from him since he'd mentioned coming down, and he was like, "Well, I said that I was coming, didn't I?" HA! As if he has always done what he says he's going to. Then he started whining..."I've had a lot going on...I've been in & out of the emergency room & have to have surgery on my arm..." yadda, yadda, yadda. I scoffed,"The E.R.? Come on!" Well, I found out from his mom today that he actually was telling the truth (uh...oops! My bad!), although this wouldn't be the first time(or the last, I'm sure) that she's lied for him. Anyway, I made nice & all that crap.

I've been trying to figure out what I'm going to do with Tyson this summer. I did sign him up for a week-long summer camp through the YMCA, where he'll get to camp out in tipis (which I always thought was spelled "tee-pees") & ride horses & do archery, fish, raft, etc. I also found a Michael Jordan basketball camp that I would LOVE to be able to send him to!! He got so excited. MJ actually is there with the kids, giving lectures & lessons 4 out of the 5 days. It would be the experience of a lifetime for Tyson. First of all, with basketball being "his" sport and second, meeting his hero. Before I even found this camp, he was doing a report for this big 5th grade project on a notable character, and he chose Michael Jordan. Anyway, it's $750 & in Santa Barbara, but if there is any way I can send him, I will!

I don't think I've mentioned this on my blog yet, but Dustin & Krista sold their house & are moving to Eugene, where Dustin received an incredible job offer, complete with medical, dental & vision for the entire family, plus his bro & sis-in-law & their kids are up there, along with Krista's parents. I just know I'm REALLY going to miss them! Other than them, I don't have anyone else here except for friends I've met through work or Tyson's school/sports. I went to their place last weekend, when Tyson had a sleepover, and we went to a BBQ at their neighbors', where I was re-introduced to a very cute guy from church, whom I mistakenly thought was married, so I never looked twice at! (Okay, maybe I looked twice at him, but that was it. Married = off-limits!) Since I've stopped going to church out there, I think the next time I see him will be at Krista & Dustin's going away party. We're going to try & have Dustin's dad & his band come down & do a garage performance in their cul-de-sac (after checking the local regulations on that) & have a block party/BBQ/campout. When I lived in Gold Beach, I jammed with Dustin's dad & co. several times. He is an incredibly talented guitarist, so I'm hoping it can all work out, but it will be fun, either way.

Not much is going on for me personally; I'm in one of those slumps again, I guess, where it seems like my life revolves around Tyson & making money, with not much else to do. Of course, it's the end of the school year, & it always seems like they save everything for this mad rush at the end, so between that, baseball & work, I'll have my hands full. I think I'm just ready to be swept off my feet for a summer romance...of course, with my track record, I always have to be careful of what I wish for, or all the circus freaks will start knocking on my door again. Why am I cursed to attract only the weirdos? I'm aware that this question is redundant, but I still haven't figured out the answer or been proven wrong...

Hey - FYI: I just added some photos for previous posts, so go back & check 'em out. Dunno why, but I still can't seem to post the ones from the Talent Show...?

I know, I know....I haven't forgotten about y'all, just had lots going on, as usual! Updates on last blog post: Tyson made the relay team (out of 80 kids, he placed 8th!) for track. I had my exam & do have to have two root canals, but I've convinced the dentist to do both at the same time, because I just don't think I'd go back if the first one hurt. Better to just do them both at once! What sucks is that my cost will be just over $2000 out of pocket, just for the root canals, not to mention the follow up crowns & fillings back at my regular dentist's office!! Totally sucks & I'm not quite sure how I'll swing it, but I know I need to get it done & out of the way.

Mike is home!!!!!! HURRAY!!! He & Debbie called me on Saturday & I actually got to talk to him & hear his voice. I disguised mine at first to freak him out, but the poor guy didn't know better in the first place. I just can't believe he's doing so well after all that his body went through - it had pretty much done a total shut-down & now he's talking about going back to work in a week! Truly amazing! Anyway, welcome home, Mike! We've missed you!!! XOXO

Last weekend, I finally got my place all clean & cozy. I also had daqueries (sp?) w/ my neighbors & watched Susan's 17 y/o daughter do fire-dancing in the plaza. For once, we didn't have a baseball game over the weekend, so I used it to get everything caught up for the candle business, printing new flyers for 20 lap boards, making sure all my catalogs had labels, making hostess packets, etc. On Saturday, Tyson & I went out to Gold Hill & tried our hand at fishing - er, that didn't go so well, but the picnic part of it was nice! Hey, at least I tried! On Sunday, we went out to breakfast at Hometown (couresty of my birthday gift card from Mike) & came home to clean some more. Last night, Tyson went fishing w/ his friend, Sierra, and her mom & he caught a trout, which I baked for his dinner tonight, wrapped in tin foil w/ butter, lemon juice & garlic powder. He seemed to like it. I don't know when I got so prissy, but it was all I could do to touch the dead fish before it was cooked. It was so slimy, cold & dead - and those eyeballs!!

In other news, the top came off the jeep, at long last! It does get a little chilly & breezy on the way to work, so this morning I pulled it back up w/out the windows & that helped, but over the weekend, it was nice driving around & being able to look up at the sky (especially at night!) while I was driving. There's so much more going on that I just can't write about here. There are two things I can't discuss on my blog: work & specific male figures...

Seth finally called tonight - I think he's called once since Tyson came back from Spring Break & that has been quite some time. I guess he has muscular dystrophy & degenerative bone disease, so I think he's going to try to get social security. For now, he's working again, at the golf course...for now...He says he's planning to come to town on the weekend of the 13th so he can see one of Tyson's baseball games. His mom one $8,000, which is nothing new - when you gamble all the time, you're bound to win big every once in a while, but this time, it was off a $2 scratch-it! Now, why can't that happen to me?

I have another candle party this Sunday & I think it'll be a very profitable one. Looks like a good turnout so far & I really do like my new display! Hopefully this lengthy post will appease my sister for now...I really will try to be more consistent!

Okay, Kathy, you win!

Every time that I pull up my favorites & see "Not-So-Deep Thoughts" I cringe & look away, guilty that I am shirking my sisterly duties in keeping some pathetically deprived people apprised of the boring details of my day-to-day life. I guess it's time to suck it up & write!

Ok, first: Mike. I keep missing Debbie's (his wife) calls, but she faithfully leaves detailed messages informing me of any new deveopments. I was thrilled to hear that he may be getting off of dyalisis, starting today, hopefully. She says his mind is also clearer & he is back from Ecuador, where he believed himself to be for an entire day. (Cheap travel? I suppose it's not so cheap when you consider the hospital bill...)

Speaking of medical bills, it looks like I'll be seeing quite a bit of my dentist. I go in tomorrow for the initial exam/cleaning/x-rays before they will do any work, but I have two teeth that are killing me! And I'm such a baby about pain that it's hard enough for me to deal with the cleaning, much less the root canal or extraction that they are needing to do. Just a little anxious, here...

As you all know, since I'm gone every time you call, I've been extrememly busy, between baseball, candles & transcription (besides the full time job, of course)! I'm filling in for Brenda again, since Friday. She does her docs as full time work from home, so when I fill in for her, it's pretty time consuming & I don't get a lot of sleep or socialization. But I'm grateful when the check comes rollin' in! I have a meeting that I'm supposed to go to tonight for Partylite & I have a party scheduled for Wednesday. I'm actually really excited to do the party, because I just got some new stuff in from the Spring/Summer line & will be doing a new display! I've also got a lot of new neat little "gifts" & doorprizes.

Egads! I can't believe I haven't even mentioned the limo ride! It was SO cool & Tyson & his friends totally felt like rock'n'roll royalty! We took lots of pics, so I'll definitely have to try posting them here (although I've had trouble with that the last few times I tried)!

Tyson's going to try out for the school track team today. It's nice, because all of the practices & the meet (I think they only have the one) are during the school day, so it won't interfere with baseball, although it might interfere with orchestra. I'm trying to coordinate w/ his orchestra teacher to see if we can work it out to where he is able to do both.

Other than all that, it's pretty much the same routine here. I've been just thrilled about all the great weather we're having. The sun is shining & it's getting much warmer! I'm thinking it's almost time to take my top off (the jeep)! I sure do love summer! The only bad thing about it is that it makes me want to work part time or early mornings so I can enjoy the day & the awesome summer nights. Where is my sugar daddy, already?!?

Today's the big limo ride! I'm leaving work at 3 pm so I can have time to get everything ready before the limo picks us up at 5 pm.

So, my friend Mike...He is finally off of life support & breathing on his own. Apparently, from what his wife has told me, he even managed a chuckle when she read him my "cheer-o-gram", so that is promising! He is still undergoing dyalisis, which I did tell Debbie that you have been on, Mom. (Although I'm amazed to hear about that guy who's been on it so long!) It's still really difficult for him to talk, so it's very limited. Please keep him & his family in your prayers, guys. I have complete faith in the power of prayer! Also, he'd get the biggest kick out of hearing from any of you in the form of a "cheer-o-gram" via Bridgeport Hospital, if he knew you were my friend/relative. It's free, so if you feel so inclined, here's the link: http://www.bridgeporthospital.com/CheerGram.asp.

Tyson was the starting pitcher for last night's game! I thought he did well, even if it wasn't perfect, but he's been really hard on himself about it. He had several strikeouts and even got an out at first & his friend, Henry, had a triple play at third. (We still lost 3-6.) We have a whole new group of parents who will have to learn that I am the loudest mom & expect us all to cheer on our kids, but they seem to be up for it!

In other news, today is my niece, Mary's, birthday!! So, a little "shout out" to Mary: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!"

So much has happened that I really haven't wanted to write. My friend, Mike, (some of you may know him as "Broken Hubby" from his comments to my posts) has been in the hospital after ingesting some type of toxic substance at work. Both kidneys are shut down & he has been on life support & dialysis. His wife, Debbie, has been kind enough to keep me posted daily on his progress & we spoke on the phone last night for quite a while. I told her Mike will be jealous that she got to speak to me before he did. I just hope that he's going to come out of this okay!

Let's see, in other news...Tyson came home last Sunday around 3:45 & we flopped on my bed & caught up for a good 45 minutes or so. Then I told him that I'd let him choose a place for dinner, so we went out to Red Lobster. I was planning to take him to a movie, too, but he said he wanted to just hang out in my "new" room & watch La Bamba. It was a great day.

Same ol, same ol' for the rest of the week, mostly. On Friday, I made the bank deposit & ran into Daniel, who used to work there, that I went to the Hong Kong Bar with that night (I think I posted about that!) & Frankie, who works at the music store in the same parking lot as the bank. Frankie hadn't seen my jeep yet, so we went for a drive up in the hills of Ashland & looked at the town below & some gorgeous houses. At one point, we got out to look down & he picked me a daffodil, which I thought was very sweet. Afterward, I dropped him back off at work & went to Tyson's baseball practice. Henry ended up coming home with us to stay the night, so I took the boys to see Benchwarmers, which was hilarious & perfect for the night before their opening ceremonies & first game of the season.

Yesterday, I took the boys to Henry's before going into Medford for the billing seminar, then did the candle party afterward. The party was a big success, with two bookings off of that in the next month. Tyson's game went really well, from what he told me. His team won by one point & he pitched the last three innings & had three strike outs! The rest of the game, he played catcher.

This morning, we got up & decided to skip church & spend time together, so we went out to breakfast & headed into Medford to the Guitar Center to see if Ty could pick up a bass for the $140 he's saved in birthday money & allowance. Sure enough, he's the proud new owner of a kick-ass silver Ibanez electric bass.

Next weekend is the big party - it looks like he'll have Henry, Tyler, Lilly (Henry's girlfriend & his ex-girlfriend) & Chelsea (the girl he likes now & Lilly's best friend). We're still sticking with the plan to get the limo & go get their portrait done & come home for pizza & cake. I'm really excited & I hope it goes as well as I think it will!

Anyway, for now, I have to do a little bit of transcription before turning in for the night. I'll be picking up extra transcription for the week of the 22nd-29th from Brenda, so that'll be some extra cash & more work - a double edged sword.

I suppose it's time to update this thing for those of you who have nothing better to do than to check my blog every day, only to find that I haven't posted anything new...

Let's see - Good things have been happening. I'm taking everyone's advice to heart on this whole 30 thing & really liking the idea that I get a fresh start at 30, but with the knowledge only time & experience can bring. It's a good feeling! I've been really busy this week, just re-doing my bedroom & finally getting around to a lot of different projects around the house & organizing, which is also a good feeling!

Last night, I went out with Kristen, from work, & we watched a couple of comedians, then did karaoke. We closed down the place & by the end of the night, everyone had joined us at our table & I got the whole place to sing "Love Shack" with me! Lots of fun, but not much sleep!!

Seth called around noon to say they were getting a late start bringing Tyson home, but I told him that it was okay, since I'd cancelled the plans to rent a limo this weekend for Tyson's birthday & am putting it off 2 more weeks. He then asked if it would be okay to keep Tyson one more night, since Kyle had come over & they were spending time together!!!! (For those of you who don't know, Kyle is Tyson's best best friend, also Shannon's oldest son, who she had when we were 17 & seniors in high school. Tyson met him when he was just 2 weeks old & the 2 year age difference never seemed to affect their close friendship. When Shannon died, she had Tyson stay with her for a few days to be there for Kyle's 10th birthday - then 2 weeks later she was gone. Shannon's ex doesn't want anything to do with me, so Tyson & I haven't seen Kyle since then, so this is a really big deal!) Seth said they hadn't argued once & just picked up where they left off & were 2 peas in a pod & were just having a blast together. I guess they stayed up till 6 a.m.!

The reason I'm postponing Tyson's birthday plans is because his good friend, Henry, and the girl he likes are both out of town this weekend & only one other friend could come, so it wouldn't make sense to do it now. Then, next weekend, on Saturday, I have to attend a mandatory medical billing/coding seminar from 9-3 in Medford, then have a candle party scheduled for 4 pm in Ashland! It also just so happens that this is opening ceremonies for baseball! I have never missed a single game of Tyson's (or concerts, plays, etc.) & here I have to miss the very first game of the season - he might even be pitching this year! It's so nice to have a different coach for baseball - Tyson's having so much more fun this year. I think he's finally learning how sports are more about teamwork & fun & athletesism than being on a winning team, even if it means you're a benchwarmer. Don't get me wrong, I'm very competetive & I know sports are also about competition, but it shouldn't be to that extent.

Anyway, that's the latest. I'm gonna snuggle into bed early & watch a movie, now that I have my TV & VCR set up in my room!

It's my birthday & I'll cry if I want to...

Well, I got the b'day blues about a week ago - this whole 30 thing was getting to me & making me wonder how I let so much time go by without accomplishing all I wanted to, but ya know - I haven't done so bad, either. I thought that today would suck, what with Tyson being gone & all, but I actually had a great day & it really flew by! I got up this morning & went into the office for the staff meeting (Gary got poppyseed muffins, fruit & yogurt, just for me!) & Susan gave me a cute card & of course, had to mention that it was my 30th b'day at the meeting...Afterward, I came home & re-arranged my bedroom & started painting some pics for Susan's b'day tomorrow. In the meantime, my little office crush stopped by & delivered a rose with a card & yummy cake & then the calls started pouring in at home. (As of yesterday, I received cards/gifts from Carey (Allen), my big bro, my dad, the church, & my friend, Mike, from Connecticut (thanks again, Mike!!). I feel the love...So, today I got a call from Sarah in Vegas, then heard from all three of my big bros., then my sister, Kathy, then Tyson & my dad. (My mom also sent me a cute e-card, so I don't want to forget to mention that :) And, of course, I got Happy Birthday wishes from other friends via email. As Mike said, life really is good when you have friends! Anyway, I've gotta get to bed, so here's my 10 on Tuesday:

10 Things That People Do That Annoy You

1) Act defensive & blame others
2) Change lanes without signalling
3) Give weak handshakes
4) Backstab
5) Take credit for someone else
6) Brag
7) Set time limits or try to control you (yes, I'm referring to the ex)
8) Try to make others feel inferior
9) Interrupt
10)Lie for no apparent reason

(Stolen from my sister's blog)
Free Association
From Unconscious Mutterings


I say ... and you think ... ?

Upgrade:: Cost
Happy ending:: Fairytale
Stale:: Bread
Tripping:: Mushrooms
Working:: Money
Explicit:: Lyrics
Happy place:: Happy Gilmore
Tornado:: Kansas
Medication:: Illness
Muppet:: Kermit

Wow - I can't believe it's been so long! I just booted Tyson off of here for a minute, so I won't post much, but figured it was time to write again...

We went to church again today; I'm really loving these kids I teach. It gets easier every time now that we both know what to expect from eachother & have a semi-routine down. I acutally have them running up & hugging me when I go to leave & asking if I'll be teaching them next week. I drew them each their individual pictures on their name tage & they thought that was so cool - we did ninja turtles, monster trucks, beach umbrellas, etc. It's great really connecting to these guys & I tried something new today to involve all of them in prayer, which is always a struggle, because not everyone wants to participate & they tend to get antsy. I started by doing a dance holding hands in a circle to the song "We're All Together Again" & I had the kids hop up & down every time we sang the word "here". At first, they thought I was a freak, but then they started digging it & by the end, we all fell into a circle on the floor, where we dove right into prayer. I had the kids tap the kid next to them when they were done & everyone actually did it! Success!

After church, I took Tyson & his friend, Henry (the drummer from the talent show) to Guitar Center so we could mess around. The kids really had fun & the employees there are all really good sports about letting them play the instruments. Tyson fell in love with his first electric bass & has decided that he doesn't want to play 6-string, but loves the bass. He already is off to a great start, since he's been playing the acoustic upright. I showed him how to play the lick from "Sunshine of Your Love" & he picked it up right away & sounded great! We also ran into a guy there who said he does bass lessons, so I took his number & we'll go from there.

In other news, as some of you know, I will soon be attempting to add legal transcription to my resume & I'm really excited about that opportunity...Tyson will be going to his dad's for Spring Break. I was planning a trip to Vegas w/ Sarah for my 30th birthday, but decided that money was better spent on Tyson's birthday (which I'll write more about later - way cool plans!), so now I'm thinking about going to Eureka for a long weekend & seeing the fam. Anyway, I'd better give the computer back to Tyson...he's looking at Musician's Friend for basses. He keeps telling me that I just don't understand what he's feeling & he's just so ecstatic that he's found his instrument. I'll write more later...I intend to add my sister's word association from her blog before I can read her answers.

Update time again...

Let's see, last Sunday, Tyson & I went to church & I taught the 3,4 &5 y/o class again. It went really smoothly, since there were only 4 kids & I had a helper! This is such a fun age group. They're these little adults with amazing personalities and perspectives, but without all the pretense & crap that comes with adulthood! At one point, Maylee said to Addison, "Addison, are you ready for your makeover?" She was so matter-of-fact & grown-up about it - I guess you had to be there, but it was really cute! (They proceeded to smear eyeshadow onto eachother...which is preferable to the little "make-over" sessions I had at that age, involving scissors!)

Anyway, when Tyson & I met up after church, he told me that he'd formally accepted Jesus into his heart! Isn't that awesome?!? We then went out to the movies & finally saw The Pink Panther - SO cheesy, but hilarious. We both loved it & laughed out loud several times during the movie. Today on the way to school, we were talking about global warming (due to a recent section on this in his science class - this isn't our usual pre-school banter, which usually consists of headbanging to Green Day or Bowling for soup or singing along with Jason Mraz) & the end of the world & heaven & hell etc. I told him my theory on that, which is that if we do worship God & simply try to be good people who are kind to others & don't steal, kill etc. that we will be one of the chosen ones when Jesus comes to collect. This led to a discussion on how to be a good person & to realize that God is always watching & with us & is so proud of us when we do the right thing & disappointed when we don't. When I picked Tyson up after school today, he said that school went really well (which is a first - he really doesn't like school, even though he's a good student. The teachers are taken aback by his maturity & he can't relate to most of the kids). He said that he wasn't afraid of anything because he knew that God was with him today. He also said that he tried to "spread the word", but that nobody believed him. I told him that I was really proud of him & that it takes a lot of guts to do that! He always amazes me...

In other matters, I've decided to hang onto the Jeep, at least through summer so I can enjoy driving around topless (pun intended)! After that, we'll see. I'll probably try to sell it myself so I don't get ripped off in a trade situation.

Also note-worthy: Sarah called & mentioned that she would be going to Vegas during the week of my birthday & I told her I wanted in, so we are planning it! We'll stay at the New York, NY for 3 nights & hopefully catch a show while we're there. This is my BIG 3-0!! I think it will all work out, because I should get a tiny bit back from taxes (after paying for 2 years ago, when we ended up owing!) & it will be during Ty's Spring Break, so Seth can have him for the few days I'll be gone.

Other than that, I do have a couple of candle parties coming up this week & had a message from one of the ladies I back up for transcription to help out, which is actually just in time, since my docs will both be going to a 2-week seminar this month & I'll have free time & less $$! My F/T job has been driving me insane, but I won't go into that here (I've read about people who got fired for writing about their work on their blogs!)...I just try to do my job & go home. That's all I can do!

Oops! I almost forgot to mention that Tyson had his orchestra concert tonight, in which he did really well, of course. It was his school, combined with the other two elementary schools in Ashland & they have never practiced together! He was one of four bassists & only one of three 4th graders in orchestra out of all three schools! Also, I thought I should post some pics of his Talent Show performance, Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" for your viewing pleasure. Well, it was a nice thought, but it's not letting me & I've tried a bunch of different times. I'll try to post them another time.

Well, it's past my bedtime, so I'm gonna crash - write more soon...

Here I sit, on hold with yet another insurance company...bored out of my skull...why can't I be independently wealthy & work for fun? Well, I only have 35 more years to work if I retire at 65, but who's counting? By then I will have tossed aside my morals to marry an old (dying) geezer with money. (I realize this may come as a surprise to some, but yes, I DO have morals!) Anyway, for fun, here's my Top 10 on Tuesday (a day late):

10 Things You Want, but Don't Need
1) A MAN!!!
2) Let's see...ice cream, cheese cake, frosting, brownies...
3) A really awesome body (which is why I REALLY don't need #2)
4) A really awesome wardrobe to go on that awesome body
5) A recording studio in my fabulous house
6) A hot tub!
7) An old-school VW bug convertible
8) A log cabin &/or a stucco house w/ Spanish tile
9) A vacation!!!
10) A dog...I miss Charlie, our bassett-beagle mix, SOOOO much!

(BTW, has anyone noticed how much I use parentheses?)

After several failed attempts at getting Seth down here to spend some time with Tyson, he finally made it this weekend! He (or should I say his girlfriend?) spoiled Tyson & got a motel room with a water slide & pool & let him decide where to eat dinner, so he chose Red Lobster. He called me at 10:30 p.m. & left a really cute message that he got an "adult dinner" that cost $25 & that he drank Mountain Dew, Code Red & some Root Beer, but assured me that he would brush his teeth really good! I'm so glad Seth finally made an effort - I don't understand why it's so hard for him. Me, I'd be calling every night & begging for time with Tyson! I finally got to meet the 43 y/o girlfriend, who was very nice & I liked the fact that she seemed comfortable with me & not insecure or jealous or whatever. I think it's a little weird that I have no feelings whatsoever in seeing Seth with another woman - it's just a little disconcerting that she's so much older.

Anyway, I had a really fun weekend. On Friday, Tyson went over to his friend, Henry's, & I went out with my gay friend to celebrate his last day at the bank he worked at (where we met). I burned him a CD with the Grease I & II soundtracks on it & he loved it. He is just SSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO funny & we all had a really great time. On Saturday, I cleaned house while waiting for Seth to show up, then debated over whether I should read my book & stay home & maybe do some karaoke by myself or if I should go out. There's a new girl at my work who just moved here from Bend & told me to call her if I ever went out, since she hasn't been out since moving here, so I decided to call her & go out. After a brief detour at Bath & Body Works, we met at a place where they had stand up comedy & left when that got over & went to Lava Lanes, where my friend Frankie was playing with his band. I hadn't seen him since before Christmas, so that was pretty cool. BTW, Kristin's boyfriend came with us & offered to be the designated driver, since he was on-call that night, so I figured I'd take him up on it! So we had a pitcher of beer & listened to music, then Kristin's boyfriend called his old roommate (a cute Peruvian guy) to hang out with us, so when he got there, we headed into Ashland & danced at Kat Wok for the rest of the night. It was really cool, because the roommate has a girlfriend who's in the Peace Corps, so I didn't feel like we were being set up, but it was nice to have someone else there so I wasn't the third wheel. We didn't get wasted, either, so no one was out of control or sick, which is always nice. I stayed the night with Kristin & Loren & woke up the next morning to go to church.

At church, they were having a celebration for the completion of the 40 Days of Purpose campaign we've been doing, complete with a potluck. Then I came home & jumped in the shower & Seth dropped Tyson off & headed back to Gold Beach. Tyson & I finally dug in to his science project that's due on 3/1 & rented "Out of the Blue" with Paul Walker (hot, hot, HOT!!!) & Jessica Alba (who Tyson thinks is hot, too). Pretty good flick & a nice way to end the weekend. Now it's back to the grind. I've scheduled a party for Sunday, then another on the 11th & a combined party for 2 people on the 14th. $$$$$$$$$$$$... Things are settling down, for the most part, though, & I really will get around to emailing everyone eventually! In the meantime, this blog will have to suffice!

Hey! Betcha missed me, huh? I was getting a little nutso there with all the chaos in my life, so I decided to tone it down & not try to do as much, but since making that decision a week ago, I've tried in the process, to make Tyson my priority & actually relax at night with a book or settle in to watch American Idol (helloooooooooo, Acey, baby!!!), therefore not leaving much time for blogging or emailing my far-off friends!

So, let's see....update:
Basketball is over. Baseball tryouts are March 13th & the season will start after that.
I've been doing the Partylite thing & actually sold over $1800 last month, so that qualifies me for an extra 7% bonus over and above the 25% I already make off of those profits, in addition to which, I get the "Infinate reflections" candle holder I've been coveting, plus an extra $25 gift certificate to spend on candles & whatnot. Partylite has been good to me! I've made up my mind that I'm not going to bust my ass trying to get the free trip to Aruba. Crazy as it sounds, it's just not worth it. I'll do enough parties each month so that I can bonus & make a little extra, but not so much that I'm losing quality time with Tyson.

I've decided to keep the jeep for a while & get some equity into it; I've not had great success with my attempts to trade it in for a more responsible vehicle. I know I'll be glad to have it this summer.

Still absolutely nada in the love/relationship/guy dept., but most days I'm cool with that & even a little grateful. (Other days, I feel completely undesirable & wonder what the heck is wrong with me!)

Before ending this post, I should note that my BF's Sarah & Maya, along w/ their mom, Phyllis, were on today's Ellen Degeneres Show! They were in the audience, of course, but hey, they were on national TV! Pretty cool stuff!

Just finished up four tapes of transcription after doing my first candle party on my own tonight (total sales tonight: $976.75, for this week: $1,066.45!!!) so I'm pretty beat, but wanted to share some pics that I just got back, as promised, of the new 'do & the jeep:

Alas, the flurry of activity that surrounds my life, much like standing in the midst of a cyclone, has settled (if only temporarily)! Therefore, I shall grace my avid blog-readers with some of my prose...

Okay, I'll quit being pretentious...I was trying to find a way to slip in the word "plethura", since it's just a really cool word, but I think you get the point.

So, the latest & greatest: First of all, I can't believe that I haven't yet blogged about what a great basketball player Tyson is! He's having such a blast & he stands out as one of the top players on his team! I am so impressed by his ball-handling and shooting skills. It's nice, too, that his coaches are laid back & not very competitive, while still teaching the boys how to play well. Our team is "The Squirrels", which I thought was pretty funny until I heard of another team called "The Melonheads". After such hardcore Pop Warner & Little League, the YMCA sports are just plain fun.

I also should let y'all know that I did take the Jeep out & had to use the 4-wheel drive a couple of weekends ago. It was a lot of fun & I took pics that I just sent out yesterday for developing (yep - still using the old-school film!).

Let's see...Brenda came back from her trip & relieved me of all her extra transcription work (which actually turned out to be very profitable!) & was very pleased with my work & the lack of corrections from the docs, so that's always nice to hear!

Also, yesterday afternoon I was at work & received a call from a lady I'd auditioned for a couple of years ago for a musical she wrote. (She had asked me to be the narrator instead, but Seth said that wouldn't be worth my time, so I didn't do it.) She called to ask me if I'd like to do a live reading of an excerpt from a local author's short story at a coffee shop on Sunday. I went by last night & picked up a copy of the material & did a test reading & she was really impressed & told me I had a career if I wanted one...whatever that means. I am considering picking up some reading material to practice to apply for reading books on tape for a place out of Ashland, called Blackstone Audio Books.

The candle thing is going just fine - I really haven't done much more & I have my first party at April's on the 11th. (She's a friend that used to work with me at the Eye Cente.) She's planning to do a Mexican theme with enchiladas & margaritas, so it should be a lot of fun, plus it will be my first show that I get a check for in addition to all the candle credit.

Last but not least, Seth called & apologized for the way he'd talked to me the last time we spoke & I told him that, even though I still didn't feel comfortable with the way things went during Tyson's visit, that Ty & I had talked & I'd agreed to not tell Seth what to do. The bottom line is that if I don't, we really have nothing to argue about. Besides, I have to trust (to some degree) that God chose Seth & I both to be Tyson's parents for a reason & he has something to learn from his dad, be it good or bad. I know that Tyson has a strong enough foundation at home that he won't be easily influenced at his dad's. Tyson was feeling like he was caught in the middle between the two of us, and that's the last thing either of us wanted. So, for now, at least, we are getting along & trying to be the best co-parents we can, for Tyson's sake.

I'm sure I could go on & on, using a plethura of words (hee hee!), but I'd better wrap this up for now & save something for later.