Due for an update, I suppose...Let's see...I dunno if I already mentioned that Seth moved back to the Valley. We haven't seen or heard from him much, which I have mixed feelings about. On the one hand, it seems pretty crappy to be so close by & still not make the effort with Tyson, but on the other (more selfish) hand, the less we see of him, the better, as far as I'm concerned. I know that sounds mean, but I just don't want Tyson to follow in his footsteps. Seth actually called me this morning to ask me to pick him up from work & take him to the hospital, since his dad had a heart attack, so I did.

We had Tyson's 11th birthday party a couple of weekends ago. I got him a LaBron James jersey he's been wanting but I couldn't afford & The Simpson's Season 4. He had baseball practice on Friday & we had two of his buddies stay the night afteward, then had two others meet us at Pizza Hut, where we played video games & ate a really yummy Dairy Queen Blizzard cake. Lisa met me there so that we could bus the boys over to the skating rink & we got ourselves a nice workout there, too! On the night of Tyson's actual birthday, I took Tyson & his friend, Triston, to Red Lobster (Ty's favorite restaurant) & we pigged out. (Of course, I, the sea-food hater, ordered chicken!)

Tyson has been on a health kick for quite a while now & wants to work out at the workout room here at the apts all the time in addition to meeting up with several friends to play hoops at the YMCA. He also will only eat junk on special occasions. It's really paying off for him - he looks really nice & lean, even though he will always have muscle mass. I'm really proud of him for his committment. He's actually at the Y right now while I was at home doing some extra transcription work for Brenda this week. It was surprisingly easy, which is nice, but will mean a smaller check...

Last week was a killer. We had to get all of our charges & payments posted & everything billed out etc. in time to close out Medical Manager by noon on Friday. Now we won't be able to use Med Mgr (although we can access it for a reference, but can't make any entries etc.) ever again. Our data is currently being converted to the new software & we will be live with Centricity May 7. During our training, I was still never taught how to post a payment, make an adjustment or do any billing, so I'm just a little nervous...It's been very draining.

On top of all the work stuff, I decided to be a good Mom & volunteer to be our baseball team's official scorekeeper. This didn't sound like much & I figured, hey, I'll be at all the games, anyway, so why not? Well, let me tell you - it is an entirely different language, mostly made up of hieroglyphic-type codes, or so it seems! I've done 2 games now & I know I'm not doing everything right, although I really am doing my best. I just hope it's enough of what they're looking for to be helpful & that I'll get the hang of it soon!

In other news, after much flirting back & forth, I got asked out by a little cutie-pie at one of the restaurants that Lisa & I frequent for lunch. By little, I mean that he's 24 years old & I've never dated a guy more than a year younger than me - my theory is that men already mature so much slower than women & I'm pretty mature for my age, so if anything, I should be dating older guys (although I'm tentatively hopeful that the men have mostly caught up by age 31)! Anwyay, this guy wrote down his myspace addy so I could check it out and thank goodness I did! I was already a little trepadicious because of the age discrepancy, but he's even less mature than I gave him credit for! He literally stated on his profile that he is an "unmotivated stoner"! Boy, do I know how to pick 'em, or what?! I've decided that I'll still go to the restaurant, because I really do like their food & it's closest to my work, and I'll even still flirt with him, 'cause it's fun, but if he tries to ask me out again, I'll just tell him that we are from two different worlds & he's gotta settle for being my little cupcake from the restaurant! This little experience simply renews my conviction that the Man Upstairs is keeping me from guys until the one that I've been waiting for is in the position to come whisk me off my feet!

Here are some pics from the Coos Bay trip:

Wellll....Yesterday was my 31st birthday & I just want to say that I have the greatest family & friends EVER!!! I think I heard from EVERYBODY! I felt incredibly special & surrounded by love ~ it really was a fantastic birthday!

Yesterday was also the first day of Centricity training at work - we are converting our entire practice (which includes 6 companies & 5 doctors) of 23 years of Medical Manager to a new computer system. It's going to be great & really computer friendly once we get everything transfered & learn the new system, but it's been mind-boggling in the meantime & very overwhelming when you consider that every aspect of my job will change (not to mention that we will eventually be going to centralized billing, which will be handled by yours truly)! I heard somewhere that it doesn't pay to be too good at your job, because then you become indispensible & I'm really feeling that right now, although of course it makes me feel good that they have so much confidence in my abilities...

Basketball season is over (after a very disappointing weekend at the Coos Bay tournament in which Tyson got to play about 2 whole minutes - no exaggeration - and it just broke my heart to watch). We have now started baseball, and Tyson's coach has said that he will definitely be one of three pitcher/catchers on the team, which Tyson was thrilled about!

Seth came into town unexpectedly last week & I was already planning to go to Eugene to celebrate Krista's & my birthday (and her daughter, Paige's), so I offered to let Seth stay here at my place with Tyson so they could spend some time together. I've been feeling really good about how we've been handling our co-parenting relationship lately, but I have to tell you - I picked Seth up from his brother's place, which is roughly 2 miles away from my apartment, & we got into 2 fights en route! Then, when I tried to call a truce, he said that he hadn't realized we were arguing - which just reminded me that arguing doesn't have a natural place in the lifestyle that I've chosen, but it's such a regular occurance with him that he doesn't even notice it! Anyway, Tyson seemed to enjoy the time with his dad for the most part. While I was in Eugene, I went on my first Harley ride!! It was awesome & the guy was even pretty hot, but I'm recommitted to holding out for the guy I believe to be my soul mate, as I received a call from him after almost 2 years a couple of weeks ago that renewed my faith in that possibility...

Enough about my secretive love life - back to the whole Seth thing: he told me last night that he is planning to move back to the Rogue Valley - YIKES!!!! He said, "I know that you'd prefer it if I stayed 3 1/2 hours away, but there's nothing for me there." Since I have come to learn that Seth doesn't always do what he says he will, I took it with a grain of salt & simply agreed that the distance did make it easier to get along, but we'd just have to work it out...all the while screaming inside, "NOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo!!!!"

Anyway, I really am sorry that it's taken me so long to update my blog & thank all of you who have been patient with me & continue to check on the off chance that I'll get off my lazy buns & let y'all know what's been happening!

See, I actually posted a really long update here, but the text all disappeared, so I gave up!

At long last, the slacker has once again returned to visit her own blog...

I've been sick, Tyson's been sick, I've been working, watching a lot of movies & trying not to do anything else that requires energy or imagination...Therefore, not much to write about!

The only activities that I have been involved in consist of Tyson's sporting events. I was telling my friend Susan today at work that it's kinda sad that I equate the changing of the seasons with which sport my kid plays! Last Sunday was Tyson's last basketball game(s). Our coach called the day before the games to let us know that he & his son couldn't make it, because their whole family had the flu. So he called a dad on the team & asked him to coach, which actually worked out pretty well. Our first game, Tyson came out ready to play ball. He was everywhere & playing hard & with a lot of style! He scored 15 points of the 21 at the ending score, and that was just in the first quarter (aka half, since they only play 2 quarters vs 4, like the normal games). He played the entire first 1/2 & had to rest up a little bit during the 2nd half. The last game was actually tied 28-28 (again, Tyson was the lead scorer, but I lost track of his points) & went into overtime, where the other team won by just one basket. It was a pretty good game to end the season on, even though it would have been nice to win a game!

The really cool thing is that Tyson's coach called after the game to ask if Tyson would be interested in playing for the next level up, since they were short 2 players & have a tournament this weekend. Of course, Tyson was thrilled & more than happy to extend the basketball season for another week. We went to his first practice tonight & he was a little disappointed because he won't be the starting point guard like he was on the other team, but I nipped that in the bud. I told him & his friend Triston, who also will play on this team with him, that they should feel honored to be asked to play up & will be lucky if they get any play time, since these guys have been playing together all season & they just need some backup for their tournament. They'll only get to practice with them one more time, on Thursday. The tournament will be on Friday & Saturday in Coos Bay. This means that Tyson will miss his first baseball practice, but I spoke with his new coach & he was very supportive & assured me that it would be fine. So, Tyson will have his first baseball practice the following Monday! No breaks for my boy, but it's good for him - especially for him. He thrives on physical activity & needs the encouragement, not to mention the male role model/companionship that sports offer.

In other news, my friend Kristin moved to Bend today. I'm planning a trip up to Eugene the 24th-26th to celebrate Krista's & my birthdays (hers is the 18th, mine is the 28th). We are planning to do a day spa or something to that effect. No matter what we do, though, it will just be nice to see her & the family again!

I really, really am trying to get better about being more consistent with my posts here! Let's see - I went out with my friend Lisa from work, along with her mom & her mom's friends from work. We did the comedy/karaoke thing as usual, & it was a blast! The comedians were really great, so that is always a bonus! My friend Kristin joined us toward the end of the night, too. It looks like she'll be moving back to Bend before too much longer. Her fiance has accepted a job there & is going through a lengthy training for his police officer stuff, so she'd never see him if she stayed here; besides, her family is all in Bend, so it makes sense. Samantha & I are meeting up tonight to do dinner & then maybe do karaoke somewhere - she likes to sing, too. It's cool, because we grew up together & that was one of our biggest bonds & we both really enjoy it & sing well together. It's nice for her to get out of the house every once in a while, since she's a stay-at-home mom with a 1 y/o & a 3 y/o.

Aside from all that, Tyson is continuing to do well in school & still really likes it - he actually said to me last weekend that he likes it so much he was looking forward to going back on Monday! Of course, some of this may be due in part to his new girlfriend!

I got my taxes back & paid off bills, which is always a huge relief. My one "splurge" is the score that I got on patio chair cushions & a new umbrella at BigLots. I've been looking at WalMart & the cushions I liked were $35 apiece & the cheap-o umbreallas were starting at $75. At BigLots, I got even better cushions for $20 a pop & spent $26 on a really nice canvas umbrella with a wood stand. I was very excited! I can't wait for the nice weather. I'm looking forward to getting tan & being able to take the top back off my jeep again!

Anyway, I guess I'd better get ready to meet Samantha. That's all, folks!

Boy, am I a slacker or what?! Actually, I've just been trying to get caught back up after filling in doing some extra transcription again, which means that the rest of my life is temporarily put on hold, with the exception of Tyson's school & games etc.

I did manage to go out with a couple of girlfriends a few weekends ago...other than that, I'm just keeping my nose to the grind & life is generally pretty boring! I also had a candle party last weekend which turned out to be pretty lucrative & enjoyable at the same time, which is always a bonus!

Tyson's basketball team still hasn't won a single game, but I'm just proud that he is one of the best on the team & is so self-motivated.

Really, this is probably the most pathetic posting in all of my blog posts. See, this is why I don't post anymore! Because I hardly have a life anymore! Tomorrow my big plan is to take my kitties to the vet to remove their stitches from getting spayed & to go to Tyson's basketball game. I may end up going to lunch or a movie with my long-lost-friend, Samantha & I also might pick up my niece to hang out after the game if I hear back from her. I did get invited by my friend, April, to watch the fights & go out afterward, but I doubt that I'll go. I'm already planning a "girls' night out" with my friend, Lisa, & her mom, both of which don't go out much & they've been wanting to do the comedy/karaoke thing I like to do. I adore them & I think we'll have a really good time, if it actually pans out. All I've got to say is, thank goodness for girlfriends!!!!

Figured I'd better post something, already, or people will stop checking my blog!

Well, once so much time has passed, I just update with the short version to get caught up:

Went to Eureka. My niece, Heather, was planning to come with, but wasn't able to get the time off work. I made it down by 3:45 p.m. Saturday & stopped at my brother, Allen's house. My other bros came over & we all went to the mall to see my nephew Johny, who wouldn't be able to make it for the Christmas party, since he had to work. We were also looking for a board game that I desperately wanted us all to play, called Encore, but never did end up finding while I was there. From there, we drove over to my dad's place, where his girlfriend, Polly, had set up a really nice buffet-style dinner & we all visited, sang karaoke & opened presents. The party finally broke up around 12:30 a.m., so I drove about a 1/2 hour south to my sister, Laura's. I camped out in my niece, Mary's, room & we stayed up talking until about 4:30 a.m. (Note: My sister is moving to Arizona to join her new hubby & my niece will be getting a place with her boyfriend, so this was very likely the last "girl talk sleepover" that we'll get to have!)

I got up the next morning & visited with Laura & her talking bird, Baby, until about 1 p.m., then headed up to my mom's, which is about 5 minutes away. We went out to dinner & rented some Christmas movies & got all cozy with new jammies & blankets that we'd received as gifts & ate banana bread that she'd baked for the holidays. It was a really nice visit, and long overdue!

The next morning (Christmas Day!), we got up & drove back to Eureka to go to my brother, Allen's, and met up with the other siblings & did many more hours of karaoke. Afterward, Allen & I went to the nursing home where he volunteers & visited with some of the old folks there. That felt really good, knowing that some of them may not have had any other visitors that day. They sure do love my brother!

From there, I dropped Allen off & headed over to my dad's & got to visit with him & Polly (who I just met this visit for the first time & already adore!) until a little after midnight. The next morning, Polly & I got up & hit the after-Christmas sales at Target & went to lunch at Applebees. We came back & it was time for me to head back to meet Seth & pick up my boy!

I was about 20 minutes late meeting them in the Redwoods, but it was fine. Tyson & I were really happy to be back together & chattered the whole way home telling each other everything that had happened. We got home around 7 p.m. or so & had our own Christmas! The next day, I had to go back to work, but we spent all of the evenings that week just hanging out & trying to get back on track.

We went out to Eagle Point for New Years & stayed the night out at Alex & Ed's. Krista & Dustin came down & all of the other neighbors were there, along with Kristin & Loren, who arrived around 10 p.m. We got up the next day & came back home to put away Christmas decorations & get ready for school/work the next day. (Over the weekend, we also saw Eragon - which we had read together at bedtime; Ty's now reading Eldest, the second book - and Pursuit of Happyness, both really good flicks!) So, Tyson's back in school, I've been back at work, but did have to take one sick day...I had the flu for four days last week - ugh! Things are gradually getting back to normal & I've even gone walking again the last two days!

Uh, yeah, so...so much for my "short version", eh...?

I'm getting ready to head down to Eureka for Christmas with my parents & three brothers & one of my sisters. Tyson is spending Christmas with his dad this year, for the first time. I hope he has a good Christmas! We'll celebrate together when he comes home. The plan is to pick him up on my way back from Eureka - Seth agreed to meet me halfway.

Anyway, I don't know for sure if I'll be online or not while I'm down there, so just in case: Everyone have a Merry Christmas & enjoy your time spent with family & friends!

10 Great Things That To Me Happened This Year:

1. I got to take Tyson on our first ever vacation to Hollywood, where I've wanted to go all my life!
2. I got a raise!
3. I got a piano & a digital camera - both of which I've been wanting for quite some time.
4. Krista & I got to go on the Suicide Memorial Walk together.
5. My sister, Kathy, & I were able to spend her birthday together & had a great time visiting for the whole week!
6. I got two root canals - I know this sounds weird for a great things list, but I discovered sedation dentistry & am no longer afraid to have work done!
7. I had to get tough as a mom, but came out the other side & Tyson is doing better for it!
8. I got the first date thing out of the way, received flowers from a guy & was asked for my phone number by a really cute guy that I liked (never mind that the flowers were from a guy I didn't like that way & the guy I did like stopped calling!)
9. I made some new friends & reconnected with some that I hadn't been in touch with for a while.
10. I finally got my jeep!

I know, I know...I've TOTALLY been neglecting my blog! Honestly, though, there just hasn't been much to report! We had a great time on our Hollywood trip & a nice visit with Sarah & Maya in San Diego for Thanksgiving. The jeep ran great & I was especially grateful for the new tires I got before the trip upon our return - there was snow everywhere & it was all stormy & wet & cold! Kind of a shock after being in 80 degree weather in CA.

Ever since our return, we've just been playing catch-up: on rest, on cleaning, on work, etc. I've really just been focusing on staying on track & getting back to the grind...which is boring...which is why I haven't written anything...

Tyson's basketball practices started once we got back. His coach seems pretty nice, but also like he doesn't take it very seriously at this level, so they have short practices, most of which are warm-ups & stretches. Tyson is definitely one of the top players on the team. He loves the game & wants to stay after to shoot some more & plays basketball every recess & goes to the YMCA with his friends whenever he can to play.

My niece, Heather (my brother's daughter, who's now 16 y/o), found me on myspace & lives here in the valley with her mom, so we got together last weekend & went to pizza & saw Happy Feet at the theater. It was so great seeing her! She's always had a great, easy-going personality & she just has such a good head on her shoulders. I'm so proud of all my nieces that way! Anyway, it made me feel really good that she would look me up & want to spend time with me.

Vacation, Day 3 & 4:

(First, a special thanks to Kathy for taking the time to fix the format on this blog!)

Sorry to leave you hanging yeaterday...I was too exhausted to do anything but lay down at the motel & watch Prison Break & Heroes.

Ok, so yesterday, we caught the shuttle from the motel at 9:15 am & arrived at Universal Studios by 9:30. Unbeknownst to us, the park doesn't open until 10 a.m., but this was fine & allowed us to take a bunch of pictures right outside with the revolving Universal Studios ball. When you first step inside the gates, there are some life-sized bronze/iron statues set up as a camera crew & directors. As I was taking pictures of this, one of them came to life! It was a really excellent performance & fantastic makeup. From there, we explored all the attractions & rides. Our favorites were:
* The Back the the Future ride, where you ride in an 8-seater Delorian & are taken through a very real simulation flying through Hill Valley & the Ice Age, Prehistoric Age & through volcanos.
*The Jurassic Park ride, where you ride a boat through the "jungle" & see all kinds of different dinosaurs, then at the very end, drop down an 84 foot waterfall.
*The Revenge of the Mummy (which we rode 4 times over the last two days), where you ride a roller coaster, plunging through complete darkness, complete with the cockroach-type insects scurrying at your feet. When you screech to a halt, the ride takes you in reverse back over the same roller coaster!

Other attractions we enjoyed were the Terminator 2: 3D re-enactment & the Shrek 3D Torture Chamber inside Farquaad's castle. In the Shrek one, the seats actually move while you watch the movie, so you're riding horses & flying through the air with the characters, as well as being sneezed on by Donkey & feeling "spiders" at your feet. Today, we watched a live production of some scenes from the movie Waterworld. The set was amazing & the special effects were really cool, too!

There were so many things to see & do & we got some really great pictures! Yesterday, we also went on the City Walk outside the Studios & ate lunch at Hard Rock Cafe, where Tyson bought a hat & T-shirt with his dog-sitting & yard work money that he'd saved for this trip.

Prior to the trip, I'd called the motel & asked about parking, to find out (to my utter dismay!) that it costs $20 per day to park at the motel in addition to the cost of the room. I paid this the first day when we checked in, then decided to check out some on-street parking in Hollywood per Sarah's suggestion. I moved the jeep yesterday morning & was worried about it being towed or stolen throughout the day, then was too afraid to walk down to check on it when we got back last night after dark. Besides, like Tyson said, if I waited till morning, we'd at least have one more night of happiness if something did happen to it! So, I got up this morning & walked down to check on it before we left for Universal Studios & it was still there, so I decided to leave it in the same spot again. If all goes well as of tomorrow, that saved me $60 on this trip! Yeesh!

The plan for tomorrow is to get up & walk back down to Hollywood Blvd & revisit the Walk of Fame before checking out at noon & heading down to San Diego to see Sarah & Maya, where we'll spend Thanksgiving & head back toward home on Friday morning. The last stop we'll make is in Sacramento, where we'll break up the drive home Friday night.

Vacation, Day 2:

Phew! What a day! We got up & had breakfast at our motel, got all packed up & took off at 9:30 a.m. The drive was incredibly boring, since most of it was flat land or open hills, although this was broken up by some olive trees & orange trees. I was just so surprised that there's so much empty space in California! It was also really foggy until we were about an hour away from LA, when it got SO nice that I stripped down to my tank top & zipped down my window in the jeep. This was especially nice, since it's been pretty cold & icky in Ashland lately. Our motel is right off the freeway & we arrived right on time, just before 3 p.m. We checked in, then went for a walk to Hollywood Blvd, where EVERYTHING is, and it's only a few blocks away! We walked up & down the Walk of Fame, looking at the stars on the sidewalk, then went to the Chinese Theater, where all the stars have put their hand & foot prints along with their autographs on the sidewalk. We took a ton of pictures (which I've sent to most of you) & went to the Wax Museum & Guiness World Records, teaking a break to get dinner at a Mexican place in the Hollywood mall, then stopped by Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream. It's just so crazy & different here. We are thoroughly enjoying all the sights & the streetperformers. On the way home, a guy on the street tried to sell us an ipod & Tyson thought that was a cool experience, too. Well, that's all for now. I'm ready to settle in & rest up for tomorrow...We signed up for the shuttle from the motel to Universal Studios at 9:15 a.m., returning at 7:30 p.m., at which point I plan to catch my Monday shows: Prison Break & Heroes! Will try to post more tomorrow evening.

Vacation, Day 1:

We'er heeeerrreee! To our room at the Comfort Inn, that is. We got up this morning &, after a call from Sarah & then another from Krista, managed to get everything packed & out the door & on the road by 10 am. We arrived at the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield right at 3 pm. The factory wasn't operating as usual, since it was a weekend, but we still got to see some workers doing a special Christmas order & were able to score on 8 lbs of "Belly Flops", the over/undersized Jelly Bellies that don't make the cut. I thought this would be a nice treat to share w/ people at work when I get back home. We went to the workout room here & are getting ready to jump in the hot tub. It's outdoors, but it's acutally a really nice, warm evening out, so I think that'll be nice. Tyson's on the bed watching Fairly Odd Parents & sampling Jelly Bellies. I'm getting ready to download some pics from the tour & I'll try to upload to this blog post, but if I can't, I will email to y'all indiviually. Tomorrow, HOLLYWOOD!!

It's been so long, so this will be a long story short, unlike my usual fashion...

Tyson: He & I have had some issues resulting in new rules & boundaries, but I think we have made at least a temporary breakthrough. Hasn't been easy, and I know we'll have a rough road ahead, but he's a great kid & I love him lots, so it's worth it!

Dating: no more! I think I'd already made up my mind about this by the time I met this guy for coffee, so the poor guy really never had a chance, even though he was a sweetheart.

Hollywood: We leave Saturday morning!!

Well, Tyson loves his new school - he's already made some really good friends & is actually staying over with one of them tonight after they finish roller skating. He says that his new school is giving him confidence. My reply to that was that every parent wants their kid to have confidence, because people with confidence don't settle for less than they deserve & will go on to be successful!

Since Tyson's sleeping over, I'm planning to go out with Kristin tonight. It's been quite a while since we did anything, so we figured we'd go shake it loose a little. I have kind of a blind date tomorrow with a guy I've been getting to know online...Don't worry - I'm meeting him in a public place for a cup of coffee, which I thought would be a nice casual way to get to know someone without that "first date" pressure. I've decided that, after this, I am really not interested in dating. I think that I can meet enough people through hanging out with friends & doing things with Tyson's new school & that sort of thing that I don't have to worry about putting more pressure on myself just because I think it's time. I also think that I keep sabatoging these "dates" in my mind before they happen because I've decided that I prefer fantasy to reality when it comes to men. Hopefully, one of these days, I'll meet someone who fulfills the fantasy & if not, that's ok too.

Halloween was fun. My friend, Lisa, was supposed to be Morticia Addams & I was to be Gomez, but she got sick for a couple days & had to miss work, so I dressed up as Morticia. For some reason, I've been unable to post pics to this blog the last few times that I tried, so I won't bother. Tyson was a basketball player. Kathy helped me get a Michael Jordan jersey from Ebay & he wore an afro wig with basketball shorts & his Jordans. We took his friend, Kane, trick-or-treating with us. He kinda slowed us down by introducing himself to everyone he met (he was being silly & telling them all that he was "Webster"), but Tyson had fun & still scored big on the candy (aka the Devil)!

I've been looking into trading in the jeep again. I'm trying to get into something with better gas mileage before we take our trip to Hollywood in a couple of weeks. I don't know if I mentioned this, but since we'll be so close, I'm planning to drive over to San Diego when we check out of our Hollywood motel & stay with Sarah & Maya for Thanksgiving. I'm not sure what Seth's plans are for Christmas yet, but this is technically his year to have Tyson & he mentioned a while back that he did want him, so I may end up driving down to Eureka for Christmas, which would be nice since I usually try to be there for Thanksgiving & won't make it this year.

Last Sunday, Ty & I went over to Seth's dad's house for his little sister, Emily's, 18th birthday party. It wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be & I know it was really nice for Tyson to get to see his other family.

Anyway, I suppose I'd better get ready to go out...BTW, Dad, if you're back from Oklahoma, drop me a line when you have time & tell me how the visit went, ok?

And, Kathy, I am still having problems with the side bar...weird...Maybe you can look into that when you get a chance? What would I do without you?

And, Debbie - thanks for stopping by! Don't be a stranger! And tell that husband of yours to write me already!

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