Well, I suppose I've kept everyone in suspense long enough - time to regale you with the increasingly exciting events which my life consist of...

Ok, so it's not all that, but I do have a pretty fantastic life, for which I am incredibly grateful. Is it just that I'm an optimist, or is life just really great for me right now (or both)?

Still going strong in school - I recently turned in a compare/contrast essay for my writing class, in which I discussed the differences & similarities between myself & my siblings. Apparently, it pays to have such a crazy family, since I got an A+ on the paper!!

I went up to Eugene last Wednesday to interview for the Ford Scholarship, which I think I mentioned in a previous entry, but just in case, I'll debrief you: it is a renewable scholarship that covers 90% of expected costs of living during the next 4 years. In addition, if I graduate with a 3.6 GPA or higher (which, of course, I plan to do!), I can apply for grad school, too. I didn't feel very confident about the interview, but I spoke to two other applicants from RCC & they both thought they flopped, too, so maybe that's just how they make you feel...I guess we'll have to see! I will be notified either way by the end of May, so I'll keep you posted on that. I did receive a letter from the RCC foundation awarding me a $750 scholarship & am still waiting to hear back regarding the OR Opportunity Grant & 3 other scholarships from that application, in addition to the countless scholarships I've applied for in the meantime. I heard back from one of them today, stating that I didn't get it, but that was the one I got back in the mail a month after the deadline for insufficient postage, so I certainly wasn't counting on it, anyway... I'm looking into possibly joining the student government &/or the school paper. I emailed them both tonight, so we'll see what happens. I think it's important to be involved in school, especially for someone like me, who is counting on scholarships. Besides, I found out today that you can get like $800 for being in student government, so why not, right?

I went to an NA meeting with my big brother, Allen, on Saturday night to celebrate his 180 days clean! I am SO proud of him - even through the depression & all, he has still managed to stay sober & I give him MAD PROPS for that. I know it hasn't been easy (trust me, I know - I've tried to be there for him throughout this process)!

And, of course, I'm ecstatic that I got to spend the last two weekends with this fabulous guy we have come to know as "TG". I'm thinking maybe I don't blog often enough for him to check anymore, so maybe I'll indulge in a little gushing: he is FABULOUS!!! Smart, hilarious, thoughtful, attentive, honest & sweet. He just gets better all the time...*sigh*...

I'm not sure if I mentioned that a good friend of mine from work was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, but she has undergone a mastectomy & has been recovering incredibly well. She's such an amazing lady - I want to be like her when I grow up! She never complains - just takes things for what they are & makes the best of them. I'm praying for her continued good health.

Well, that's all, folks - Bones is on & Ace from last year's American Idol is guest starring. Should be good, if for nothing else than the aesthetic value...

Brief update, as it's pretty late & I want to watch the online episode of Grey's Anatomy, which resumed last Thursday...YEAH!!!

So, school: I had to write a narrative essay for Writing 121 on a person or event that changed my life. I wrote a five page story about Shannon & I got my grade back today & it was an A! I took my Psych 202 test over 4 chapters last Thursday & my prof actually called me at home last night to check on me following the oral surgery & informed me that I did better than most of the class, but still only scored high in the 70%. The good news is that there's an extra credit project I can do by May 8th that will help bump that up, which I fully intend to take advantage of! Yoga is yoga; how hard can it be? My College Success & Survival course met for the last time on Thursday night, so that's a done deal. I turn in a final essay tomorrow for the final grade, but it's pass or no pass, so it's no biggie. The prof is a poetry therapist, though, & I have a feeling I'll have her for a writing or sociology class down the road, so it can't hurt to make an early impression, if ya know what I mean... And, finally, Math. I've been worried about this one from the get-go, but I decided to just breathe deeply & remove my mental block where math is concerned. I completely forgot that we had a test over the last four sections this morning, but that turned out to be okay, because I just checked online & I got 100% on the test!!! Woo-hoo! There's a place where I can check my overall grade in Math & I'm at 93%. And I may or may not have mentioned it, but I got notified by the Ford Scholarship Foundation that I was selected as a finalist to interview in Eugene on May 7th. This scholarship alone pays for 90% of estimated cost of tuition, room & board, books, transportation, etc. The example they listed in the paperwork was for just under $11K. I'm going to take an interview prep training that RCC offers to prepare for this. I'm also going to attend a free luncheon/seminar that is being held at the library regarding higher education. I'm sure the topics will be insightful, but there are 3 scholarships offered as door prizes, so that's my main incentive for going...that, and free lunch!

Well, that's school. And this isn't the brief update I intended. Oh, well... As far as TG goes, if he didn't read my blog, I'd be gushing right about now, but suffice it to say that I think he's absolutely fabulous & I had the greatest time hanging out with him last weekend!

Transcription & work are still going smoothly. I emailed Brenda, the lady I do a lot of subbing for, and informed her that I'll be looking to pick up some extra work at some point in the near future. I'm reluctant to take on a whole lot more right now, but once I get through this term & settle in a little more, I think I'll be able to handle more work - and I know I could definitely handle some more cash!

So, there's the latest & greatest. I'm signing off to watch Grey's now...(yawn...)

In case there's a living soul out there that doesn't already know, I love my dentist!! I took my happy pill an hour prior to the appointment & Lisa came by & picked me up to take me in for the extraction. After being greeted warmly by the friendly staff, I was immediately taken back to the room. Dr. Schmidt came in within another minute or so, with a big smile, and inserted the IV needle quickly and painlessly. (This in itself is amazing, because I absolutly abhor needles!) Before I knew it, they were telling me that it was over & it had only been 45 minutes! The tech told me that the dentist didn't have to do any cutting, but just wiggled & pulled the wisdom teeth out easily, so not only would I have less pain & a quicker recovery, they charged me about $60 less per tooth extraction! Since they were done so early, I had quite a while to wait for Lisa to come back & get me. The tech made me sip an Ensure along with a Vicodin & I just took a little nap. At one point, they needed the room, so they wheeled me out into the waiting area, where I continued to snooze. I woke up at one point & my dentist was smiling at me & offered me a blanket & proceeded to tuck it around me all nice & cozy.

Then I came home, hung a blanket over my window & slept the rest of the night. Tyson came in around 9:30 pm & we had a great talk until 11, when I realized it was a school night - oops! Anyway, other than being a little groggy this morning, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm going to try to get away with just taking Tylenol for the pain today so that I can have a clear head & hopefully go to Dave's surprise party with TG tonight.

Ok, so I finally decided to leave my motel room in Portland...We're back home & I'm almost done being sick! I've been pretty drained lately, between having this stupid cold & trying to stay on top of school stuff & still make time to hang out.

I went to my Student Success & Survival class last Thursday & had somewhat of an epiphany. I've been skating by (yes, getting good grades) just doing the minimum required. I took a mental inventory & thought about my goals & how/when I need to accomplish them, & decided that I need to commit to school & studying more, especially at this stage in my schooling. Since making that decision, I've stayed more on top of things & applied for even more scholarships. From what everyone tells me, I shouldn't go to school full time during summer term, because they condense 11 weeks' worth of lessons into an 8 week term, and also because I need to save some of the financial aid money for the rest of the year.

I have my dentist appointment on Thursday to get my wisdom teeth out. I'm not sure if I wrote about it before, but they had to cancel on me at the last minute when I was scheduled before because the dentist got sick. Of course, this was after I took the happy pill...For my birthday, my friend, Susan, bought me an extra month of dental so that I'd get my teeth pulled, so really have to do it now.

I went out last weekend with "TG" & Samantha to go see an albumn debut concert of a friend of ours & had a great time, if I don't think about all the drinks I had & the ultimate effect they had on me. Let's just say it wasn't pretty! I, however, did look pretty fine in a new top that I got just for the occasion...

Tyson will be starting spring basketball before too long & he's pretty stoked about working with the 8th grade varsity coach. I've still been going in on Fridays to the Eye Center, but I don't know how much longer that's going to last. I've been dealing with some cleanup, but eventually I'll have that all done & Steve's getting pretty confident, so I'm not as indispensible as I once was, which is a double edged sword.

This weekend, I'm supposed to go to a surprise birthday party for Dave, my friend Becky's dad, who's an absolute hoot. I hope I'm feeling up to it, but I really don't know what to expect after getting my teeth pulled, so we shall see...

Anyway, I'm gonna go study for my Psych test (over 4 chapters) & print out my narrative essay for writing & stuff. Trying to get it all done so I can watch American Idol with Ty.

I'm sitting in my room at the Ramada Inn & Suites, getting ready to do my online math homework, but I thought I'd steal a few minutes in order to post about the trip to Portland.

I'd like to say it's been a total blast, and incredible, & I've had so much fun, but I believe honesty is the best policy. Actually, it hasn't been completely terrible, but I've been sick, which tends to dampen one's enthusiasm, for some reason.

We started on the road about 11 am yesterday - a later start than I'd intended, but I really didn't want to be stressed & rush out the door, and the important thing was to be in Portland in time for the game. I always understimate the drive time, because I once made the trip in just over 2 1/2 hours, but I have to remember that I didn't have kids with me, I was in my Honda, & that it was between midnight & 2 am. This drive was closer to 5 hours. I started getting progressively more sick the further we drove & my sinuses were on fire, my throat was raw & I had a hard time keeping my eyes open. We did make it safe & sound, however, & found the motel with relative ease. I was dying to take a nap, but realized upon check-in that we had just enough time to eat dinner & catch the shuttle to the airport, where we would take the Max to the Rose Garden for the game.

I was a little nervous about the whole Max thing, because I know how easy it is to get misrouted on buses & trains in a big city & I had three boys with me. But I asked a gangsta looking guy for help & he steered me in the right direction. So, we board the Max to discover that the half the city of Portland has been experiencing a power outage, which affected the train, which meant we were rerouted to the public bus system, who was going outside their normal route & taking at least twice as long to get there. By the time all was said & done, we arrived at the game right around 8 pm & it started at 7 pm. Once we entered the stadium, all of that stress disappeared & the awe set in. The boys were completely enthralled by the entire scene & of course knew all about the different players.

The halftime show consisted of a local drumming band, who were absolutely incredible & had so much energy. The performance was choreographed so that, at one point, there was a loud pause ended by all the musicians jumping into the air & landing in unison with a thundering drum beat. By the end of the performance, their band leader was standing on his stool thrashing on his drum set in a frenzy. (Obviously, this was the highlight for me!)

The Blazers won 107 - 104, so that was really cool. Also, because they scored over 100 points, everyone in the crowd got a coupon for a free chalupa at Taco Bell, which had the boys stoked.

After the game, the Max ride was essentially uneventful & we were shuttled back to our motel, where the boys set up camp in the other room. The setup worked really well, especially with me being as sick as I was last night. All in all, I succeeded in giving Tyson a memorable 12th birthday.

Now I've got to finish my homework, get the guys some grub & hit the road. I have 4 tapes waiting for me to transcribe when I get home!

You all know I'm basically a pretty optimistic & positive person. So I try to keep my serious blogging to a minimum.

However, I did want to acknowledge the 4 year anniversary of Shannon's untimely death. Do they call it an anniversary when it's not in celebration of something? Of course, I start thinking about Shannon more than ever on her oldest son, Kyle's birthday, on Krista's birthday, on my birthday, on Tyson's birthday, on Spring Break (because that's the last time Tyson & I saw her), and on Easter. Then, along rolls the 10th. Enough time has gone by that I can basically deal with the idea that my best friend is gone forever, but the time will never come when I don't miss her.

Shannon was my partner in crime. She loved nothing else than to have a secret, devious plan, which I would be assigned to concocting, & she would encourage me & play along. Shannon was also my biggest fan. The last time I stayed the night with her, she asked me to sing "Teen Angel" to her twice in a row. She was always the one who stayed behind in choir with me & told me to "sing it in my loud voice". And she was my confidante. I miss talking to her. She & I could be raunchy & laugh together, or we could read the bible, or study together, or go for an all day walk or bike ride, or we could cry together.

As cheesy as it sounds, she really was the wind beneath my wings. I know exactly what Bette Midler is singing about in that song. Shannon was the one who gave me the courage & confidence to be the person I was, and she would stand quietly by, sometimes almost in awe, when I shined because of the strength she had given me. I know that she would be so proud & supportive of where I'm at in life & what I'm doing.

We all know Shannon wasn't perfect, & I don't want to falsely glorify her or the way she died, but I did want to acknowledge today how incredibly special she was to me & the major role that she played in my life.

Happy Birthday, Christine & Allen!!!!!

And now, the goings-on...

Well, as you may have heard, there is a certain someone I've been spending time with. Not nearly as much as I'd like to, mind you, but we did manage to get some quality time in this weekend. Can I just say how much fun I have with this guy?! It's so cool to finally meet someone that I can be myself around. We didn't do a whole lot - went to the bowling alley & played air hockey (still in search of a good air hockey table!) & Deal or No Deal & some other games with his friends, Mike & Chelsea. We got a bunch of tickets & brought home some souveniers (my personal favorite being the rubber chicken keychains). Afterward, we went to see 21 at the movies, but actually left early cause it was getting late.

On Saturday, we downloaded a pinball game onto Tyson's XBox 360 (thanks, L!) because there were no pinball machines at Lava Lanes & I've really been wanting to play. I have never actually played on the 360 before, so I wasn't really sure about it, but Lance did convince me & I proceeded to whup his narrow behind! It was so cool - you really get the feeling that you're playing on a pinball machine, complete with the sights, sounds & shaking from the controller. I grudgingly stepped away from the 360 in order to take Lance to an audition in Medford & then we met up & played some pool. Actually, he played some pool - I just sucked really, really badly! Afterward, we tried out a new Chinese food place that was really good & the waitress had an uncanny sense for what we did & didn't like, which we found a little disconcerting. I guess you'd have to be there...

We came back to my place & Lance & Tyson & his buddy played some video games while I did some transcription. (By the way, Ty was with his dad & grandpa Friday night & most of Saturday.) Then Lance & I went for a long walk & enjoyed some good conversation, as usual.

On Sunday, I got to experience Rock Band at his house. For those of you who don't know, this is a video game where you have almost life-sized instruments, such as a bass, guitar, drums & a mic. It was such a blast & I just love the fact that I can hang out with a guy that I like & still be such a dork & have such a good time!

Anyway, that's enough about "The Guy" - don't want him thinking I spend all my time writing about him & sighing...

I finally rented a "parlor suite" for us in Portland for the Trailblazers/Mavericks game on Saturday! I'll have the king bed & give the boys the living area & just have them bring sleeping bags - screw paying an extra $30 for rollaways! It's about 5 miles (20 minutes) from the Rose Garden, where the game will be, but the motel offers a shuttle to the airport, less than a mile away, & we can take the metro from there, so we won't have to worry about driving & parking. I think we'll have a blast!

Since I know that the whole fam damily is chomping at the bit regarding school, I thought I'd go ahead & fill y'all in on how things are going so far:

I picked Allen up yesterday morning for our first day. We were almost late, due to a quick stop at Dutch Bros. & trying to figure out the whole parking situation, but we both managed to get to our classes on time. My first class was Math 60 - Intro to Algebra. Some of you may know this about me already, but I have a huge mental block where math is concerned, which I consider a wee bit ironic, since I've been employed as a bookkeeper for almost six years. Well, the professor seems to be very approachable. She's probably about my age & has a genuine enthusiasm for math that I honestly don't understand, but do appreciate. I get the feeling that, if I stay on top of things & ask questions along the way, she'll do what she can to make sure I succeed in her class. I was able to rent the necessary graphing calculator for $15 from the RCC library for the term, rather than forking over $100+/- for something I'll probably only use in this course.

After math, I had Writing. We all know how much I'll love the course, itself, but the prof actually seems like a really unique, spunky, cooky lady - my kind o' people!

Tuesday was my first Yoga class & we spent most of the hour discussing Yoga & what we hope to accomplish "through our practice", but we did get to do about 15 minutes or so of some light excercises, which loosened up my shoulder at least temporarily. Dr. Ewing's daughter agreed to take the class with me, since we both are going to RCC & she's taking different courses in everything else. There's another girl, Sadie, that's in our Yoga class that I knew from back in the day. My big brother, Joe, used to live with her & her husband & two boys. She's divorced now & has another little boy. I always thought she was pretty nice & laid back, so it was kinda cool to run into her again.

On Thursday, I had my first experience with Psych 202. This is my only male professor, but I can tell I'm going to really like him. He's incredibly anal & neurotic & can laugh about it (which are all some really great qualities of the best types of people, if you ask me!), but it's clear how passionate he is about psychology & about teaching. I also thought it was nice that I'll be able to use the same book from my Psych 201 class, which was a 9th edition, instead of the 11th edition that they require, so I already had my doubts about using it through 201. What this guy did is, he designed his curriculum around the 9th, 10th, & 11th Editions, making sure to only include material that was in all three, in order to save the students some money.

So, all in all, it was a great first week at school. I've already made a couple of "friends" in all of my classes & Allen & I bump into each other on campus between classes all the time, as well as ride together, so that's been a lot of fun. He's also made new friends & is on his way to being his old, goofball self. (I've missed that guy a lot!)

Anyway, I actually started this post on the 1st & it's now the 7th, so I'm just planning to post this for now & will try to follow it up with a more current one with all the recent goings-on.

My birthday was so freakin' awesome! I truly did feel like a princess! While I was getting ready for work, I got a text from my big brother, Allen, wishing me a happy birthday. Then, I walked in to my office, where there was a big birthday balloon from Michele. Next, Darlene walked in & gave me a beautiful necklace. A little later, flowers were delivered to the office from Becky & Lisa (daffodils & tulips). I could feel the love, man! *sniff*

For lunch, we had a huge sandwich bar/potluck. Not only did Dr. England make the pumpkin roll (and an extra one for me to take home!), but Darlene also made me a cherry crisp thingy that I'm always begging her to make. Everybody at work had signed a going away card for me. Naturally, I got absolutely nothing done that pertained to work in any way, shape or form all day, & then I cut out early so I could go pick Lance up, cause he was going to be able to make it (hurray!).

Lance & I came back & got ready at my place, where we toasted "to being a princess" (his idea) over shots of Jägermeister, which I'd never tried before, but wasn't half bad. (During this time, I also got a call from my dad & my Aunt Linda, to wish me a happy birthday.) Lisa came by to pick us up & we stopped off to pick up Terri before heading over to the 4 Daughters (aka 3 Sisters, 5 Uncles, or whatever you wanna call it). By the time we arrived, I'd guess there were about 11 or so people there besides us. We had to rearrange the couches to accomodate everyone, & there was still a lot of lap-sitting (although some of that was optional, of course!). At 9 pm, the band started playing some pretty decent classic rock covers & we got our groove on. The way the place was set up, the party upstairs on the couches by the bar could see us dancing downstairs on TV. So...I'm pretty sure they were thoroughly amused.

Around 10 or so, it was time to go to Chadwick's for some karaoke! We lost some of the group in transit, but gained others who hadn't been at the Pub. Samantha came with her friend, Christy, & we sang a song together. I also did a song with Tobyn & "Under the Boardwalk" by myself (trust me, it was nothing to be particularly proud of, but it was my birthday & I was a princess, so...)

Then, Lance did the sweetest thing EVER: they called him up for his song & he pulled me onstage with him & sat me on the chair in front of him, where he proceeded to serenade me with "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker (which I had noted on this blog a year or two ago was one of THE most romantic songs ever)! After giggling like a complete idiot for a minute from being nervous, I sat there & just soaked in the moment. It was the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. And to do it in front of all my friends that he hardly knows on top of it. Talk about "legendary"... (this one rates a really long *siiiiiiiiiiiiigh*)

Of course, nothing could top that, but the rest of the night was still fabulous, being surrounded by friends. Today, Tyson & I picked up Allen & took him out to Shari's for breakfast. Afterward, we drove around looking for the building where we'll have our first class in the morning! We both start at 9, so I'm going to pick him up on the way. I'm so excited! I just know that 32 is going to rock!

Here's a link to the Picasa albumn:

Sorry I haven't been blogging much the past few days - I've been hanging out with "The Guy" a lot (which has been pretty awesome!). Other than that, not really too much has been going on.

I finally got my previous Psych grade rescinded for the new "A+" (yes, that's an A+!), so now I'll be able to apply for a lot more scholarships that I couldn't before, due to having such a low GPA. I also spoke with the bank & with the financial aid office today & got confirmation that my Stafford Loan application is being processed. My tuition & books are all paid for & I'm ready to start on Monday at 9 a.m.!!! I feel really positive about the whole transition & can see it all falling into place, but not a moment too soon! Also, the administrator asked if I could come in after my Friday class to continue to help with training & has been putting the word out that I'm looking to pick up additional transcription work.

Speaking of work, they surprised me a day early with a birthday cake & card. I guess tomorrow they're planning a sandwich bar & Dr. England has guaranteed the pumpkin spice/cream cheese roll. And then, of course, there will be the PARTY! I hope "The Guy" feels better so he can come, too...He's been pretty sickly the last couple of days.

I had a surprisingly good conversation with Seth today (I was hoping he'd be able to take Tyson tomorrow night, but that didn't pan out). He actually has another job lined up already! Ty's grandpa & Aunt Emily picked him up for a play today. As much as I have mixed feelings (ok, generally negative feelings, if we're being completely honest, here) about Seth's dad, I am glad that he's making an effort to spend time with him. Tyson has some pretty mixed feelings, himself, but told me a couple of days ago that he felt like it was important to spend time with his grandpa because he knows these are probably his last years.

Anyway, that's the latest and greatest around these parts. I'd better get back to work!

Yesterday, I finally did the photo shoot I've been promising Heather ever since I did Mary's. She brought her friend, Kristin, and Kristin's baby. I was really pleased with the results, so I thought I'd share. I posted the albumn on this page along with the others, but because I'm slightly retarded, I can't figure out how to format it like the others...ahem, Kathy...?

Anyway, they're there - you get the idea.

I've gotta run - I took Lisa up on her invite to Easter dinner at her dad's place. Ty's at his dad's for Easter & it beats staying at home & doing transcription! (Which I'll have to do when I get back, of course...)

Today, life is good. Life is very good! After the crappy day I had a couple of days ago (as posted about in "The Vest Incident"), I woke up determined to change my destiny. Ok, so that may be a bit of an overstatement. However, those of you who know me well know that I can accomplish a lot when I am determined & put my mind to it. I want to be productive & happy, and thus, I shall be!

Yesterday, I got up & went to work, where I trained my fanny off, despite the new guy's best attempts to deter me & dodge patient phone calls. I told him to suck it up - I was throwing him to the wolves & it would be better for him if I did so while I was still around to help out.

Ty called me to tell me that he had a better day at school & that the bad news is that he had to knock out an 8th grader that was shoving him & calling him, in his own words, a "female dog". Please note that Tyson has put up with a lot of 8th graders trying to pick fights with him & has listened to his mom, who told him to always try to talk his way out of a fight. I changed my tune earlier in the year when a certain kid that we've had a lot of problems with (3 yrs older than Ty, mind you) spit in Tyson's face in the halls at school & I asked Tyson what he did about it & he said, "Nothing. You told me never to throw the first punch." When I spoke to the Vice Principal & the school counselor about the incident, they both were appalled that Tyson hadn't stood up for himself, as was I. So, I told him that he shouldn't go looking for trouble, but he needs to stick up for himself. Well, yesterday, he did. He tried telling this kid he didn't want to fight, but the kid kept taunting & pushing him, so Tyson hauled off & socked him a good one to the temple & knocked the kid to the ground with one hit. The kid laid there & cried while the spectators gasped in awe at the fact that this short little 6th grader who wouldn't stand up for himself before had KO'd this 8th grade bully! Tyson later told me that he went out of his way to go find this kid later & told him that he was sorry that he had to do that, but that he had to stand up for himself. The kid told Tyson that he understood & that they were cool now. I'm so proud of my boy! Not only did he not take any crap from anyone, he also was the bigger man about it!

I came home after work & made Tyson a "real dinner", did three (long!) tapes of transcription, and studied for my 5 chapter Psychology test, while managing to text my ex-sister-in-law. Afterward, I went online & finally bought the tickets to the NBA game. We decided on the Trailblazers vs. Mavericks game on April 12th. It's a Saturday at 7 pm, so it works out better schedule-wise. The only good tix were WAY too expensive, especially since I told Ty he could bring a friend, since it's for his birthday. So, Tyson told me that the important part is that we'd be there
& to just get the $6 tickets. Maybe we can work out something with a scalper once we're there, but at least we're guaranteed some seats for now. I figure we'll probably head up to Portland early Saturday morning & check into a motel, spend the day doing the tourist thing & go to the game in the evening, then just head back on Sunday afternoon.

Needless to say, by the end of the night, I was feeling pretty productive.

Today was awesome. First off, I got a "good morning" text from "The Guy", who I thought was trying to pull a Houdini on me & we met for lunch. I called him after I got off work & was on my way to school & had a great conversation. I've been missing that! It looks like we'll get to spend some time together this weekend & I am looking forward to that.

I talked to Seth today & it looks like he's going to take Tyson for a few days over Spring Break. He informed me that he lost his job. Am I surprised? Nah, the only surprise there is how long he kept this one! Anyway, he still has to run it by his girlfriend, but it looks like they'll have Ty for Easter & a couple of days afterward. We'll see...

Another exciting upcoming event is: MY BIRTHDAY!!!! And, of course, my last day at work. I convinced my co-workers some time ago that they need to throw a party in my honor (along with a potluck on my last day). I told Dr. England that all I want from him for my birthday is his pumpkin spice-cream cheese roll that he makes that is simply TO DIE FOR! Anyway, the party planning is underway! We are going to Four Daughters' Pub for dancing/drinks first, then heading over to Chadwick's for some karaoke. We're talking about making it a theme party, too. We'll see - just watch, I'll be the only one who shows up in costume!

And, last but not least: I took my Psycholoy final tonight & hung around afterward for the test results. In order to get an A in the class, I needed 360/400 possible points. I ended up with 406/400 points & I didn't even do my second extra credit project worth 20 points!!!! I'm so stoked! When the prof handed me my test results & grade, she smiled at me & said, "You did REALLY well!"

Kristin just called, so I'm gonna give her my undivided attention, since I've been too busy to talk to her the last 10 times she's called & she's overdue for an update!

Work sucked the big one today. I'm burnt out; I'm feeling sad about leaving on the one hand & grateful on the other. I'm sick of training & feeling like I'm accomplishing nothing.

Then there's the issue of the vest. We have these incredibly cheesy & tacky "smocks" that they make us wear. I've always rebelled against these, because #1 I'm a bookkeeper, not a Wal-Mart attendant or a nurse, for that matter, and #2 did I mention they are tacky? Anyway, I digress...I haven't been wearing mine more than usual these days, since giving my notice. I figure, what does it matter at this point, ya know?! (Translates into "What are they gonna do, fire me?") So I get an email from the administrator at 3:30 pm requesting me to wear the vest! You know what I think? I got the email immediately after one of the docs came in from surgery. I think he saw my cleavage, got all hot & bothered, and needed me to cover it up before he lost all composure - but that's just my guess.

Songs that sum up your weekend...or were on your weekend playlist...and one picture that relates back. (oh, and if you feel like it, tell us why you picked the songs you did)

Travelin' Band - CCR (How could I forget?!)
Follow Through - Gavin DeGraw
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something
I Feel Good - James Brown
Walking in Memphis - Mark Coen
Sleep While I Drive - Melissa Etheridge
Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
Hey Mickey - Toni Basil
You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi (as performed by Tobyn & Amanda)

These were songs that "the guy" & I did in karaoke last weekend. What a great time! (*Siiiiiiigh*) The photo will have to be added another time, since I'm posting this from work (gasp!) & my pics are at home.

I guess the cat's outta the bag about my crush, by the way...

Girl meets Boy, Boy makes Girl laugh & intrigues Girl. Girl likes Boy, but is nervous about letting Boy in on that. So Girl abstains from blogging.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
Basketball season is over, thank goodness! Tyson ended the season with a knee injury that still hasn't quite recovered & I'm more than a little worried about it. He has literally cried at the thought of his basketball career being over before it's begun. (Yes, I know - he always has been a bit of a drama queen. Got that from his dad!) I took him to the doctor a couple of months ago & they decided that he probably did have Osgood-Schlatter Disease (pretty much just a swelling of the knee cartilage & overuse of the tendon) but didn't seem to think it was a big deal. Anyway, I'm just glad he's giving it a rest for now & am hoping that will make all the difference. As most of you know, Ty's 12th (can you BELIEVE it?!) birthday is coming up & I gave him the option of having a party with his friends or taking a friend & going to a Portland Trailblazers' game & he chose the game. That should be a lot of fun! Tyson's never been to Portland & neither of us has been to a pro game before.

Work is work - it seems like I've done nothing but train for the past six months. The good news is, quite simply stated, that I just don't care anymore! Oh, I've tried to not be blatantly disrepectful in my "short-timer" demeanor, but it does show. Mostly because I have become quite taken with the phrase, "What are they gonna do, fire me?". On the other hand, I am really starting to freak out about the fact that I haven't heard back on any scholarships yet. I'm going to have to take a half day or a day off to discuss finances with an advisor & apply for loans, cause I'm really running out of time. My last day, for those of you who may not know, is going to be on my birthday! I am so excited to celebrate! My friends are planning a potluck lunch at work (complete with birthday cake, of course!) and then we are gonna hit the town after work & go wild! Since it's simultaneously my birthday & my last day, I have no remorse when guilting even the most reluctant people into going out with me, so it should be a great turnout.

So, anyway, I need to get off of here & get to bed. I got all my psych homework done & was gonna either do my extra credit project that's due next week or try to catch up on the past couple of episodes of "october road", but I blogged, instead, for your reading pleasure. I do have to get up & be on time for work tomorrow for a staff meeting...but then again, if I am late, what are they gonna do, fire me?

Wow - I really didn't know the extent of my neurotisism until I just went back through some of my previous posts to see what someone might find out about me. That's some scary stuff, right there! Oh well, I guess that's me: I'm here, I'm not queer, deal with it!

I did my best bar-ho impersination last weekend. Actually, I started on Thursday at this little dive down the street from my place, The Little Brown Jug. (My friend, Tobyn, kept calling it The Big Red Jugs.) Anyway, I had class on Thursday, so I told Tobyn I'd call her afterward to see what she was doing since she'd be in Talent. Amazingly, I did pretty well on the Psych test I didn't get to study for & I'm thinking maybe I will actually do well in this class, after all. So, after class, I met Tobyn at The Jug, where they had just started karaoke! Luckily, there were only like 5 other people there, so we got a lot of singing time. I had a cold with a pretty severe cough, so again, luckily, there were only 5 other people there. It was not my finest performance! Friday morning obviously sucked, as Tobyn & I were both feeling the after-effects.

Friday night, I decided to take the ladies from the bank up on their offer & go visit the meat market. But at least I was going with a bunch of friends & knew I could just dance & have a great time, so that's what I proceeded to do. This guy kept on dancing next to me that had reached out & literally grabbed me on my way to the bathroom & I was just like, "whatever, I guess I'll dance with him" but wasn't into him or anything. Then this other cutie that I'd seen earlier danced up to me & just kinda aced that guy out & said that he was there to save me (likely story). Anyway, he was cute & had some moves, so I did dance with him a little bit. We kept on running into each other on the dance floor after that (not literally speaking, although I was smacking people & accidentally grabbing crotches & such, being the totally smooth chick we all know I can be). Eventually I ended up talking to the guy & was pleasantly surprised to discover that he had a sense of humor & a personality - he wasn't just your average sleaze. So I let him talk me into giving him my number before I left. Lo & behold, he called me the next day. Refreshing, considering most guys do the whole cocky phone game, so I thought I'd return the favor & called him back later & we had a great conversation.

On Saturday, Tyson had a couple of games in Grants Pass & Samantha came with me. He was the top scorer & super-stud, as usual, but they still managed to just barely lose both of their games. Later, I was debating about whether I should go do karaoke with Tobyn & co. or if I should chill out with Ty & rent some movies, when Samantha called crying & literally begging me to go back out with her because she needed to get out & have some fun. When I talked to Tobyn, it sounded like she wasn't sure if they wanted to go anymore or just wait till next weekend, so I told her we should totally save it until they REALLY wanted to go & we'd have a lot more fun. So, yep - I went back to the scene of the crime...Drank less, danced some, saw "the guy" again & we hung out. Samantha was ready to go pretty early, so "the guy" & I spent some quality time together after taking her home. I got home pretty late & spent most of Sunday recuperating.

Today I had to come in to work early to interview for my position - I did give my notice, by the way. They asked me to consider staying on full time & going to school at night & then acted surprised when I asked if they were on the crack pipe! Like, hell-oooooo, I'm a single mom - when would I ever see my kid, much less do homework?! Of course, it was flattering to think they didn't want to lose me. Anyway, they had a guy interview this morning. He may not have my people skills or personality, but does have extensive coding & billing experience & I think he'll be incredible once he gets going. I'm pretty sure they'll hire him. I was impressed by his poise, considering there were 7 of us in the interview, which I thought was just a bit of overkill & found a little amusing. I know it's stupid, cause I'm really looking forward to this new journey in my life as a college student, but I'm kinda getting sad about the reality of leaving this place. It's really been my rock through a lot of transition, during the divorce & all. These people are really my friends & I'm going to miss it, even if I am making new ones. *Sniff, sniff*

By now everyone knows about the issues my brother has been dealing with. Rather than go into detail regarding something that's not mine to share, I will simply ask for my friends & family to continue to pray for him, his sobriety, & his happiness.

In other news, I met with an advisor. I know what classes I will take, but I can't register until Feb 29th. We've narrowed down my major to an MSW degree (Masters in Social Work), which will allow me to practice for 3000 supervised hours necessary for my LCSW that I can use for private practice, and a minor in music. That way, I'll be able to study what I love & also incorporate that into my therapy! I will be taking Writing 121, Math 60, Psych 202, HD100 (which is a new student survival/success class worth 1 credit that the college actually pays for) & Yoga. I need to look into it more, but I think that I will rely on loans for my first year (along with the financial aid grants & scholarships - none of which I've heard back on so far) & devote my time to learning to be a college student. If I'm able to get the class times that I want, the way I've set it up, there's about 50 minutes between classes a couple of days, so I can just hang out at the campus/library & get my homework & studying done. Then I can come home & do whatever transcription I have & will be here with Tyson in the evenings. I am SO excited about this transition! I just hope that it all comes together the way I want it to. I don't think I'm doing so well in my current Psych class because of working f/t, doing transcription, & some other family issues that have come up.

Speaking of which, I probably should use this time to do some homework so that I'm all caught up. I'll try not to write all about school next time, ok?

Well, well, well...Will wonders never cease? I bet you thought I was done blogging, didn't ya? I can't believe how many things have happened since I last posted! Where to begin...

Let's see - Tyson & I flew to Arizona to see Kathy & Laura & co. We had a SUPER time & got to party, do karaoke, have fun with the kids, shop, go to the movies (we saw P.S. I Love You, which turned out to be more tear-jerker than romantic comedy, like we thought it was), jam out in Mark's music room, go horse back riding & do a photo shoot (I'll edit this later & add a couple of those pics) with Mark's Harley & with Hart, the horse that used to be Kathy's that is now Laura's & that is the first horse to ever throw me. I'm not even sure you can call it that - it was more like she ran so fast & weaved to & fro until I just lost any ability to cling on & went tumbling. I felt like a huge dork & Tyson didn't help matters by pointing & laughing & asking "Did anybody get that on film?" before inquiring if I was okay or not. He now thinks he has bragging rights, since he rode the same horse & managed to stay on. We also got to play Deluxe Encore, the board game I've been wanting eeryone to play where you have to sing songs with certain words or phrases in them. I thought I'd be awesome, but it's a lot harder than you'd think when you're put on the spot like that! I won't even waste my blogging space to detail the nightmarish flight (on Christmas Eve, nonetheless) other than to just say that it really sucked & I got patted down twice by security - ok, I did ask for it the second time, JK!!

So, we flew back on New Year's Eve. Lisa & Allen picked us up at the airport & we all went out to pizza, where I made my big announcement - are you ready for this? Ok, most of the people reading this already know, but it's still crazy exciting for me, thus the big presentation...I am going to college!!! I decided while I was in AZ that I needed to make a decision about what I needed to change in my life & this was the realization that I came to. I am going to get an LCSW degree, which stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker. It sounds like I want to work for CSD or something, but that's not it at all - it's so I can go into private practice as a family/child therapist. It turns out that what most people don't know (including myself, until I started asking questions) is that it's very rare for a psychologist to actually practice therapy. They're generally more into research & testing & writing, and it's more about the biological functions of the brain & how that affects human behavior, where as the sociology focuses more on environment & relationships. I went to Rogue Community College to ask the financial aid dept. some questions & it turns out that my placement test from 1998 is still on file & usable, but unfortunately, this means that when I moved & didn't attend classes, instead of the classes being dropped like I thought they would be, I actually flunked psychology by not attending! (Ah, the irony...) So, what I had to do is to pay to take the psychology class over (starting a week late by this time) & write a letter of appeal to the financial aid dept. explaining the circumstances. The good news is that they approved my appeal & kicked in $ for the class & I'm now on academic probation until I can pass this class with a C or better & then I can ask them to remove my previous grade & replace it with my new one. So, I've been attending a Psychology 201 class every Thursday night for almost 3 hours a night since January 17. I really love it! No surprise there - I always loved learning. I just let the social stuff get in the way in high school. I will start school full time in the spring term (3/31) & still don't know for sure what I'll do for part time work as income, other than keep the transcription contracts I have. I plan to discuss my options with an advisor next Tuesday & get registered for whatever classes for spring at that time. I've already applied for a couple of scholarships & have some great letters of recommendation (one from my therapist, who is also an LCSW), but there are some scholarships I can't apply for because of my low GPA. These have a 3/1 deadline & I won't get my psychology grade until 3/21. Major bummer!

The new girl is working out great - she is just as smart & hard working as I thought she'd be & I adore her. I've told her what's going on so that we can have a little more time to train, but I'm not planning to give my notice at work until 3/1.

There's even more stuff (SO MUCH MORE!) that's been happening, but I just don't have the time to go into it all right now. I will try (I know, I've said this before!) to keep up on this so that I can get y'all caught up on all the important stuff. Thanks for being patient with me!!!

WOW - Brad Pitt is SO hot in the movie, Troy!!!! (Sorry, had to get that off my chest - Tyson's watching it right now & I keep sneaking peaks.)

Anyway, hello to all my fans out there! I am delirious & exhausted! So much for all that positive crap & feeling caught up...

The guy stopped calling already, which is fine & all, but just leaves me wondering why I even bother or if I really want to & I started training the new girl on Monday. She seems bright & has a nice, mellow demeanor, but I'm definitely getting behind in work again & it just leads to a lot of frustration when I'm constantly interruped by patients, who seem to be more crabby & insulting than usual. I'm trying to decide if this is my transferrence of my own feelings or if people are actually being especially rude - it may be a little of both. As a result, I'm apparently grinding my teeth again, since my teeth are hurting again & that shouldn't be possible where I had root canals performed & there aren't any nerve endings left.

Last Saturday, Allen & Tyson & I went & had our pictures done by my friend, Terri. I posted a couple of my faves here. I had a candle party on Wednesday & my brother was a big help. (Also wanted to mention that he sent me a beautiful bouquet of daisies at work, also pictured here.) The party wasn't all that successful as far as sales go, but it is nice to sit in a yummy smelling room & enjoy the ambience with a group of friends.

Tyson had his beginning band concert on Tuesday & I had my Booster Club meeting for his school on Monday. Tonight I'm drinking wine & going to bed as early as possible, which is my big plan for the weekend. The only other thing I plan on doing is to shop for a pair of black pants & maybe to look around at cars again, since I won't be able to borrow my friend, Lisa's, car to drive to AZ like I thought & really would rather not drive the Jeep due to the gas mileage & would like to maybe have a more comfortable ride, since it's something like a 16 hour drive. (This will be the day after I get back from Bend for Kristin's wedding.)

Well, I need to run Ty to basketball practice, so I'll try to write more before too long....

Well, my niece got her own place in Medford a couple of weeks ago & my big brother, Allen, has taken her place on my incredibly uncomfortable futon. I have to say, my family is always so considerate when they stay with me (even visitors, like Laura & Kathy & Mom).

Ever since San Diego, I've tried to reprioritize & it seems to be working - I'm getting caught up at work (since the disappearance of my last assistant & going in on the last two Saturdays) & I don't even feel like I do transcription all the time. I'm experiencing a transition phase in my life. I know that it's more important than ever to be involved with what's going on with Tyson as he enters puberty & the joys that accompany it, but I am also ready to start having a life of my own. I mean, I've always had my friends & work, but I think I really am ready to get out there & experience some romance, guilt free. Of course, some of this change is brought on by the guy I hooked up with at the wedding, but more than anything, he's just helped me to realize that there are nice guys out there & that I do deserve an intelligent & interesting companion. I have no idea where this is headed, if anywhere (since he is moving to Italy in May), but I believe that everyone is brought into our life for a reason & maybe he'll just be here to help me get off the ground. I saw my therapist today for the first time in quite a while & came away knowing that I want to make some changes & release some of my need for control & to trust a little more. I wish that I could also quit obsessing over future hypothetical possibilities, but I know that one's gonna take a lot more work! Anyway, I think I'm on the right track & I know my stress level has decreased since reexamining things in San Diego. I haven't been grinding my teeth anymore.

On the morning of Thanksgiving, Allen & I got up & were just hanging out & started talking about what the family was doing in Eureka & we looked at eachother & were like, "hmmm...why don't we just hop in the car & surprise everyone?" So we did, picking up an Indian hitchhiker in Klamath named Herman along the way, & showed up just as they were getting ready to pray - talk about good timing! We also ran into my niece on the way out of town & told her that we would be down there, so she drove down with her boyfriend & came back home with us the next day. So, there was my dad & his new girlfriend, Sally, my mom & her two brothers, Uncle Gene & Uncle Wayne (whom I haven't seen for about 10 years!), my two other brothers, Joe & Deland, my ex-sister-in-law, Mindy, & her 11 y/o son, Brandon, my niece Heather, & my nephews, Johny & Joey. After dinner, we attempted to do some karaoke, but we had a bit of a limited selection & most of us only knew the chorus on the songs, so we were all mumbling together until the chorus, when everyone would sing it loud & strong, which was pretty hilarious! In case I didn't mention it before, Ty was with his dad. We dropped off Mary & picked up Tyson on the way home & he returned to school & I returned to work on Monday.

We made a decision & hired a new assistant for me today. I'm not looking forward to being taken away from my work in order to train all over again, but this is part of the new me & I'm going to handle the training & delegation a little differently now & I think this girl will be a quick study & a hard worker. Well, I should get upstairs & tuck my boy in for the night & settle in.

I was reading my sister, Kathy's blog & she had the great idea of asking her 4 y/o daughter, Miranda, the answer to the "Why Did God Make Mothers?" email. I enjoyed her answers so much I decided to ask my son the same questions & have copied them here verbatim - no editing (unwise on my part, perhaps...?):

1. Why did God make mothers?So that there would be more people on the earth, because if you didn't, the human population wouldn't be here.

2. How did God make mothers?How am I supposed to answer that?

3. What ingredients are mothers made of?Sperm & eggs.

4. Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?Cause they have more in common, I guess.

5. What kind of little girl was your mom?A he/she.

6. What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?That they would get into so many fights.

7. Why did your mom marry your dad?I don't know, why can't you answer that? Cause he knocked you up..heh, heh...it's probably the truth! I was like 5 when you got married.

8. Who is the boss at your house?Me. I'm the man in the house, so I'm the boss.

9. What's the difference between moms and dads?Dads help you out with your physical needs & moms help you out with your intellectual needs - usually.

10. What does your mom do in her spare time?Transcription. Oh, & what are you on now? Blog.

11. What would it take to make your mom perfect?A lot. That's my answer.

12. If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?Umm...that you were more athletic so we could play basketball together.

I'm back from San Diego, so I thought I'd write a quick note to summarize:

Lisa took me to the airport on Wednesday at noon, which was great because it gave me a chance to pack, since I'd spent every spare moment I could doing transcription...The flight went pretty smoothly, but I just wasn't feeling great. By the time I got to San Diego that evening & met Sarah at the airport, I really felt like crap. We headed to her place & then made plans to drive over to Maya's to see her & Tarra, who was up from Texas for the wedding. On the way over, I really started to feel sick & I tried to roll down the window in time to avoid throwing up in Sarah's car, but didn't make it in time. It was horrible! Needless to say, by the time we got to Maya & Corey's place, I said hello & passed out in the bedroom while everyone else visited. So the visit was off to a beautiful start!

The next morning, I awoke feeling 100% better, thank goodness! Sarah & I drove the car (with me sitting in back, I might add) to a town called National City close to the Mexican border to get it detailed. It was pretty sketchy there. The guy had quoted us $69 on the phone & then told us it would be $120 when we showed up. It was going to take 2 1/2 hours or so, so we hopped a bus downtown (thankfully it was free that day, because it was getting pretty cold & drizzly). We went to one place & had chips & salsa & then down on down to the transit station, where we got some coffee & hot chocolate & killed the rest of the time until the car was ready. Later on, we went back to Maya's & hung out there with Corey's family, along with Phyllis (the girls' mom, for those of you who may not know), Daniel (their little bro), Tarra (their big sis), Auntie Pat & Linda Herman from Pistol River. We had a great visit & took off after a while to pick up our friend, Macy, from the airport. (She went to school with us since 7th grade & flew in from Redmond, OR.) Afterward, we went back to Sarah's to get some sleep.

On Friday, I honestly can't even remember what we did up until the afternoon, when we drove to Ensindas to the vacation rental where they were going to be having the wedding & worked on all the bouquets & centerpieces & flower girl baskets, etc. & had a couple of practice runs for the ceremony the next day. Pretty much everyone was up there, so it was also a little bit of a party at the same time.

The next morning, Daniel drove Macy & me up to the houseto do cleanup & setup for the wedding while the ladies all went to the salon for hair & makeup. The wedding was at 4 pm & my job was to make sure that nobody got into the house once the bridal party arrived, which was no easy task, especially with so many out of town visitors. Overall, I was pretty successful. Just before the wedding, Sarah's significant other, Mike, showed up with his friend, Frank, that I'd met on two other occasions when I've visited in the past. He showed up for Thanksgiving last year when Tyson & I were down there & he had just gotten divorced about 6 months before that. Anyway, to make a long story short, we hung out for the rest of the day & evening & he offered to give me a ride to the airport in the morning (I had to be at the airport at 5 a.m.), so we cruised around San Diego - I finally got to go to the beach & we parked by the water & looked at the city skyline & ate breakfast at 3 a.m. at this diner that was packed with gay people & transvestites, which made for a weird & fun dining experience! Anyway, I made it to the airport just in time & fell asleep the moment my butt hit the seat in the plane. I didn't even wake up for takeoff & I slept until the wheels landing on the ground in Salt Lake City, UT woke me up. I had a 2 1/2 hour layover in the airport there & then went promptly back to sleep as soon as I got on the plane headed for Medford, where Lisa & Tyson picked me up. I came straight home & fell asleep & woke up just briefly, then went back to sleep for the rest of the night. It was WONDERFUL!

I got up this morning & headed to work. I don't think I mentioned it, but the new girl we hired to help me in the billing dept quit on Tuesday, the day before I went on vacation. So, work had piled up pretty well, but it went very smoothly & I had a great attitude all day, just from having the time away. Lisa & Becky & I went to lunch today so I could fill them in on the trip & so we could drive in Becky's new Suburu Forester.

I had a few tapes of transcription to do, but that also went pretty smoothly. And now, I need to get off here & get to bed. G'night!

Busy, as usual - trying to get caught up at work & stay caught up on transcription while filling in for another transcriptionist right up until I leave on Wednesday for Maya's wedding in San Diego! Sorry for cheating, but I copied this from my sister, Kathy's, blog & just pasted it here for some filler. Hey, at least I'm posting SOMETHING, right?!

1. Are you ready for the upcoming holiday season? Why/why not?

Is anyone ever REALLY prepared?! I have to say that I've gotten better every year. I actually started getting some gifts/decorations at the After-Christmas sales the last couple of years! My friend, Lisa, agreed to swap vehicles, though, so that I can drive to AZ, so I'm getting prepared for the trip! Can't wait!

2. Are you going to get into the spirit/participate in any of the next 4 (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's) major seasonal activities? How so/how not?

Halloween has got to be one of my favorite holidays, because I love to play dress up! I actually had two costumes this year - the 3 Blind Mice for work & a Boxing Ring Girl to go along with Tyson's "boxer" costume (I wore one of those T's with the lady's body in a bikini, with nylons & high heels & carried around a sign). For Thanksgiving, Tyson will be with Seth. My only plan is to go to Lisa's mom's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Other than that, I'm hoping to just relax for a change!!

Christmas, as I stated before, will be in AZ with my sisters & nieces & nephew. Still not sure if my mom is joining me or not.

Haven't thought about New Year, but I'm sure there will be alcohol involved...

3. Do you like holidays? Why/why not?

I love ANY reason to celebrate - isn't that what life is all about? Love to dress up, love to be thankful & hear other people being thankful for what they take for granted the rest of the year & of course I love to celebrate the birth of Jesus!! I also enjoy the Christmas carols & cider, baking & gift-giving/receiving & the time with family making memories!

Phew - it's been a whirlwind lately! Sorry I haven't written sooner. My mom made it here for her visit & we had a GREAT time. We were able to work out all the details of her dialysis & rides, etc. I know it was really rough on her to make the trip & she was a real trooper in having to keep up with me & my crazy schedule. She even made it to Tyson's Cross Country meet (yep, 1st 6th grader again!) & went out to a work party at the doctor's house & then on to do a wild night of karaoke with me, my brother, Lisa, Lisa's parents & several of my co-workers! (Thanks, Mom!) She was here for a week (during which I had to work day & night, as usual, dangit) & the day that she headed home, my 18 y/o niece, Mary, came to stay with me. She's ready for a change of pace & decided to take me up on my offer of giving her a place to stay while she checks things out & gets settled in the area. She's already made friends here, which is amazing!

Ty's Cross Country is over & basketball tryouts for AAU are on the 30th, plus he will be the manager for the 8th grade team. He's been going to the YMCA every chance he gets to practice & stay conditioned. He got nominated for Student of the Month. Here's what his teacher said when nominating him: "Tyson is a natural leader. He leads by example everyday in my class. He shows up prepared, works hard & volunteers to help. Tyson is one of those kids you would like to clone!" Talk about one proud mama!

Work is crazy, as usual, and maybe a little crazier than usual. We had our reviews last Tuesday, which is never fun, but went okay I guess. Can you believe I've been there over 5 years now?

Last weekend I went up to Eugene to see Krista & Dustin & the kids. I had planned to go on up to Portland for the annual Out-of-the-Darkness Walk, but I was just too exhausted to pull it off. I actually almost cancelled the Eugene trip, but decided that, if I stayed home, I'd probably wear myself out more! It was a nice visit, albeit way too short, consisting of thrift store shopping (I got SO many bargains!) & going to the Haunted Corn Maze. Tyson was going to come with me, but Seth finally got a weekend off (he usually has weekdays) & so he stayed with him, instead.

Tomorrow, Tyson & I are going to his Grandma Robbin's for a Halloween party. My costume this year is one of the three blind mice, along with Becky & Lisa. Get it - we work at the Eye Center?! That was my clever idea. When we were at the Halloween store, I made a joke to Tyson when I saw a boxing costume that he could be "Tyson" for Halloween & he loved it! We're having a terrible time finding a costume in his size, though, so tomorrow the hunt is on! Tonight we rented Transformers (good movie!) & Next (haven't watched it yet). Mary is staying with her friend for the weekend while her parents are out of town.

Well, that's all for now, folks!

It looks like my mom is coming to visit next week! It's taken a little bit of planning, since she is on dialysis 3 times a week, but considering the fairly short notice where this kind of thing is concerned, it fell into place pretty smoothly!

Worked sucked all...freakin...week...looooooooooong...(and, in the words of Forest Gump, that's all I got to say about that!)

Not much else has been going on. I'm just trying to stay on top of my transcription & housecleaning & Tyson's school stuff, which keeps me plenty busy! I am really starting to look forward to going to San Diego for Maya's wedding, though.

Lisa & Allen are going to Eureka this weekend to pack up the rest of his stuff & put it in storage, so the move will be complete.

Tomorrow, Tyson has a "Buddy Walk" through his leadership club. We will pick a buddy & walk with the mentally challenged. I think it's going to be fun & I hope that Tyson gets a sense of the innocent & happy nature that these people generally have. I know it makes some people uncomfortable, but I rather enjoy hanging out with people who are undoubtedly genuine & don't judge you. It's a nice reprieve from the norm. After the buddy walk, I planned on stopping by to visit Allen at work & to hopefully pick up some pumkins for carving this weekend.

Tonight, Tyson is at a high school football game with Seth & his brother. I probably should utilize this time to do transcription, but I'm kinda thinking I'd like to just stay home & drink a glass of wine & watch a chick flick (maybe after a nice hot bubble bath?).

So, as I'm sitting here posting, the phone just rang. As most of you already know, I like to hear who's calling before I committ to picking it up, so I let the machine get it. It's some girl for Tyson (and not his girlfriend!) and she says, "Hi, Tyson, this is Amanda & I just want to tell you that you're awesome!" I swear that kid is such a ladies man - and the funny thing is, he really doesn't want to be bothered & lets them know this. I wonder if I should start taking lessons from him!

So, Allen, Lisa, Becky & I all went to the Foreigner concert last Thursday. They were really, really great, just as I'd hoped! When they came back on stage to perform their encore, I meandered on down to the front row in the reserved seating area & got some really great pics & video. The lead singer was having the crowd be his choir & he kept on pointing at me to sing with him, so I got that on film. Allen had to inform me that the drummer was Jason Bonham, who is the son of John Bonham, the drummer from Led Zeppelin. The lead guitarist was the originator of the band & apparently the only original band member. He threw out some signed guitar picks & I managed to get two of them, so I gave one to Allen & kept one. After the concert, I went into the bathroom & set everything down to have my hands free, including my camera, which I proceeded to leave the stall without & which of course was gone when I realized this & returned less than two minutes later! I was SO bummed! All's well that ends well, I guess, because I went ahead & ordered a newer version of the Canon PowerShot 570 with another memory card & it only cost me $148! It still really sucks that I lost all those pics, though!

In other news, let's see...Lisa, Allen & I went to Gold Hill for Becky's brother's going away party (don't know if I mentioned it before, but he's moving to Vegas) on Saturday night. That was fun & I saw this guy that I'd kinda sorta almost hooked up with (Becky's bro's best friend) & got to get the akward stuff out of the way. Turns out he's moving back to San Diego anyway. I also heard from the "unrequited love" mystery man after the Foreigner concert & he continues to disappoint me at every turn, so I'm sure now about my decision in that regard. The next morning, on Friday, I got a call from my high school sweetheart (well, I was in high school, anyway - he was older) & we finally met for lunch, after not seeing each other for 13 years! That was actually a great experience, because he had really hurt me & I didn't think I'd ever get over him (I was actually rebounding from him when I stumbled upon Tyson's dad), but I was able to see him & remember the nice things about him instead of being hateful. He also told me that things didn't work out the way that he'd wanted them to, but I don't think he was trying to hit on me or anything. That made me feel good - like it wasn't necessarily as one-sided as I'd come to think. Anyway, we had a good time catching up & laughed a lot, so that was really cool. And it was a relief to me that I wasn't all ga-ga over him like I used to be! Not only that, but I go through Dutch Bros & who's back? Yeah, that's right - the guy that I had a little crush on & that I gave a card with my phone number on his last day, since I figured I'd never see him again! So, rather than ignore it or act all embarrassed, I told him that he wasn't supposed to be there & explained when he asked me why that I would've never given him that card if I thought I'd run into him again. He thought that was great & told me that he'd see me next Thursday, whether I like it or not. I was telling Lisa at lunch today that it's just weird that all these things happened with these guys from my past this week. I think (hope?) I've been given a chance to resolve all these things because something really great is just around the corner that I wasn't ready for before. So, I will be taking some good advice from a wise man who suggested that I quit expecting & start anticipating!

I went to my second Booster Club meeting last night & that went really well. These people are really nice & I feel like I'm accepted there. I haven't felt that way in the past when I tried to go to PTA meetings in Ashland. Tyson had his open house on Thursday before the concert & he is still getting straight A's (he did have a B in PE, which is crazy, but it turned out his PE teacher didn't know that the reason he'd missed PE a couple of times was for the Cross Country meets, so he bumped his grade up now that Tyson talked to him about it)! His teachers seem very pleased with him & not just for his academic ability. His Health teacher actually told me that she just loves having a kid like him in her class & that he's a real leader. I was one proud mama!

Work is still fairly crazy - we have a luncheon tomorrow that includes a mini-training & Q&A from the people who we bought the new software from. Then, on Thursday or Friday, I have to go to Medical Eye Center to shadow their billing dept to see how they do things & come back & put some of that into practice & teach everyone else. On top of that, the docs are having a get-together next Friday after work, which will be the day after a get-together for my friend, Denise, that her office is throwing her for her birthday. In addition to that, I have another collections seminar coming up sometime this month (can't even remember the date right now) & the worst part: a coding seminar that I go to every year. It's not so bad that I have to go, or even that it's in Eugene or even that it's on a Saturday, but it happens to fall on the very day of the Out-of-the-Darkness Suicide Awareness & Prevention march that I do every year in honor of Shannon (ironically, the first one was on her birthday, Oct 16, and they always fall within a week of it)! I don't know what to do!

Well, that's all I have time to write for now (not to mention that those of you reading this probably have better things to do!) & I've got to get started on some transcription & some dinner.

Wow! Joe Bonnamasa put on a GREAT show last night! Allen, Lisa & I went to the Rogue Theater in Grants Pass too see him. My brother has been telling me about this guy for at least a year, but I really had no idea. There's just nothing like a live show. The music was awesome & we had a lot of fun. After the show, we tried to get on Joe's tour bus or at least to sign some CD covers, but the bouncer & his drummer said that he wasn't feeling well & after a while we decided togive it up & went to an all-night diner & hung out eating breakfast & Mexican food and entertaining the entire restaurant, along with the waitress. A couple of guys sitting next to us had just been at the show, too. When we left, the waitress literally hugged me & begged us to come back & see her again! I guess we make an impression, lol! Next week, we go see Foreigner at the new Lithia Ampitheater in Central Point out by the fairgrounds. I can't wait for that, too. I'm sure Joe has them beat hands-down as a musician, but it's always fun to go see a show where you know all of the songs.

Tyson had his second Cross Country race last week & once again placed first out of all the 6th graders competing & came home with a medal! Gooooooooooooooo, Bulldogs!

My silly dad - he thinks that I didn't know that he moved his ex-lover back in & is worried about telling me because I told him I think she's a psycho & he should've been happy when she up & married someone the same week she left him with only a note & that it was a narrow escape as far as I was concerned. (Wow - what a sentence!)

Dad, first of all, I've known for about a week. Second, hey, if you can deal with the mistakes I've made in my love life & still love & respect me, I think I can do the same. I just don't want to see you get hurt or have a love affair with somebody for the wrong reasons. Just lookin' out for my old man! I'd love to see you happy & if Polly does it for you, then so be it. But she'd better not pull that crap or anything else like it on my watch...Anyhoo...thought I should address that. I tried to talk Lisa into saying something like, "Oh, yes, Polly, I've heard about you from Mandi" and leave that open to interpretation. I guess she's just not the passive agressive hoochie mama I can be sometimes.

In other exciting news, the Season Premiere of Prison Break starts tonight (at 8 pm on Fox) & I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited! I haven't watched any TV for a long time, but all of my shows are coming back for the fall lineup, so I'll have to work my transcription around that. Unlike my spoiled rotten big sis, I don't have Tivo. I do plan to miss one Prison Break a month when I go to my Booster Club meetings for Tyson's school & I'll just have to watch the episode online, which is so cool that I can do that! BTW, the last Booster Club meeting went well & I got my foot in the door by volunteering to "spearhead" the box-tops & Campbell's soup labels project. I figure, why not? I've been saving this stuff for years!

Trying to stay on top of everything in my life, this blog included. I don't know why it feels like a constant juggling act. Actually, I do - I have a very full life & I'm always going in many different directions at once. As crazy as it sometimes makes me feel, I do believe it suits me!

I have removed one thing from my life (hopefully for good) & that is the unrequited love that I've been carrying around with me for my whole life, but especially in the years since my divorce. I thought it was reciprocal & that someday circumstances would change & we'd live happily ever after, but I really have to face the facts & move on with my life. I've been in limbo for way too long & I know that I deserve more than that.

I am pleased to report that Lisa & Allen are still going strong. They went down to Eureka this weekend to settle some things & bring some stuff back so that Allen can move in. I was really hoping they wouldn't move in together right away because this will be the first time since Anthony was 6 years old that Lisa & her son have had a place of their own & they really only have 3 more years left until he's out of the house. But Anthony seems gung-ho & really digs my brother, so who am I to interrupt the flow of wherever this will lead? I do wish them all the best. Great people deserve other great people!

In other news, I've managed to stay caught up on all my transcription throughout the last week, even with the new dosc from the surgery center & the money will be rolling in soon! Thank goodness, since I've been spending more than I have these days, between all these unexpected expenses with Tyson's school & sports & my own binge-shopping!

And on the topic of finances, as some of you may know, I'm flying to San Diego in November for my friend, Maya's, wedding. I purchased the ticket a little over a month ago & then, unbeknownst to me, she changed the date of the actual ceremony to the day that my flight leaves first thing in the morning! Now I'm having a heck of a time, because apparently, it costs $50 to change the dates with the airline & another $50 with Cheap Tickets, where I bought the ticket online, not to mention any extra charge that the new flight difference will be (I'm hoping I'm wrong, but when I plugged in a search, it told me it would be an "additional $321")! My tickets are non-refundable, so I can't just cancel (although that's another $100) & purchase new ones. So I'm freaking out a little bit, since I already couldn't really afford to pay all this $ for the original ticket, but I do try to make it down there once a year to see them, so I justified it that way. So, we'll see...

September 21, Allen & Lisa & I are going to see Joe Bonamassa play in Grants Pass. This is the blues guitar legend that my brother has been raving about for so long, so I decided to investigate further! And then, on the 27th, Lisa & I are going to see Foreigner at the KBOY 40th anniversary bash (I bought her tix for her birthday).

Anyway, that's what's been going on in my world...off to do one last tape of transcription, then maybe to clean my room...?

I just picked Tyson up from his first Cross Country meet. He placed 18th out of 140 kids from 15 different schools in the 3000 meter (1.86 miles of up & down hills & across creeks & through trees, etc.) & was the first place out of all the 6th grade runners, so he gets a blue ribbon! He said that motivation was all around him because there were all these tall, skinny runners whose jaws dropped each time he passed them. At one point in the race, they were running through the woods & he said that one of the people ahead of him totally biffed it in the creek. This is pretty hard core stuff! I thought it would be running laps on a track, not like this! Anyway, just wanted to brag on my boy a little. Toodles...

Busy, busy, busy!! But I called in sick from work today, so I figured I should take the time to post, since I never know when I'll get the chance again! The visit in Eureka was awesome - it's always so great to see everyone & it really lifted my spirits. The first night, we went straight to my brother, Allen's house & picked up my oldest brother, Deland. Our other brother came over with his son, Joey & we surprised them by bringing Heather (Joe's daughter) down with us. Allen bought pizza & beer & we all just hung out & did some karaoke, including Lisa, who usually won't sing, but I think she got warmed up by all the air-rocking that we did in the car on the way down. We didn't get over to Dad's house until 2:30 a.m. The next morning, we got up & I went to get Allen & Joe & Joey to bring them over so we could all have coffee & chit-chat. Mom had dialysis that day (Saturday), so we just visited until it was time to pick her up, then we all went to the park for a picnic/BBQ & to walk through the zoo (an old family tradition). Afterward, my niece, Mary, & her boyfriend, Matt, met us in Old Town Eureka for an Art Walk they do there. We wandered through the galleries & listened to musicians on almost every corner! It was pretty cool. Also a nice way to introduce Lisa to Eureka, since she'd never been. From there, everyone went their separate ways & we headed back to Dad's for some much needed sleep. On Sunday morning, we hung out some more at Dad's over some rice & chocolate gravy (my dad's specialty!) & waited until Mom got home from church, then headed over to Fortuna to pick up Heather, who had stayed the night with Mary, & go see Mom. Deland, Allen, Lisa, Heather, & I made a detour by the restaurant where Mary is waitressing. (Joey & Tyson stayed at Dad's & played Deland's video games & watched movies.) After visiting with Mom, we all headed back to Eureka for the final night of our stay. After much begging, Dad reluctantly pulled out his guitar & serenaded us with some of the old favorites, including "Amanda" & "No Use Pretending", two of my personal faves. We headed back Monday around 1 p.m. & didn't get home until 5 or so. The next day, Tyson had a half day at the middle school, his first day as a 6th grader! He really likes most of his teachers so far & thinks middle school is pretty cool. They have lockers, they have PE uniforms, there are all kinds of clubs to join & I guess the lunches are better than some restaurants as far as selections go. On Tuesday night, they had an open house for new students & 6th graders & their parents, so we went & I got to see Ty's locker & meet his teachers. He is signed up for Leadership, a club that sends the kids into the community to help elderly & disabled people, which meets every Wednesday morning before school, Lifers, a drug-free club, which meets once a month during lunch period, & Cross Country. His first meet will be this Wednesday & practices will be every day after school following that. We went in to talk to the Chess Club advisor (Tyson loves chess!) & it turns out that he's also the basketball coach. (I'm incredibly grateful that there's a big, buff sports guy teaching chess so that Tyson won't feel the stigma of "only nerds play chess" & sees that he can be smart & athletic!) Since only 7th & 8th graders are allowed to play for the school, the coach suggested that Tyson could be his manager & travel to all their away games with them & maybe even practice running drills with the 7th & 8th graders if he shows that he's good enough to hang with them. That won't start until November or so, right around the same time as the Chess Club. Tyson has chosen Band as his elective this year & we found a trumpet at a yard sale with a case, the cleaning equipment & the book that they need, all for $75, so he'll be playing trumpet. Tonight is the first meeting of the Booster Club, which I'm planning to join so I can get involved in Tyson's school & fundraising efforts & also meet some of the other parents. Thank goodness we live so close to the school! I don't know if I mentioned previously, but I picked up more transcription work for the docs at the Surgery Center, so that's been a challenge, but I know that it will get a lot easier as I get more comfortable with formatting & terminology for these docs. This last weekend, Lisa & I drove to Crescent City to meet Dad & Allen & to bring Allen back to Medford with us to help Lisa & Anthony move into their own place! (This will be the first time in over 9 years that they've lived together without anyone else & I'm SO happy for them!) On Saturday, we got all their stuff from storage & made some progress on getting the townhouse set up. Allen & Lisa have really hit it off & I'm praying this will be a good thing for both of them. They both deserve so much happiness & have settled in the past. My own love life is still non-existent but I just hope that, if I stay busy enough with Tyson & work, I eventually won't notice. Here's the link to the pics from the Eureka trip: (Thanks for the suggestion, Kathy!) http://picasaweb.google.com/amanda32876/VisitToEurekaLaborDay2007

WOW! It really has been a while - sorry, but not lots of time to post. Just here to confirm rumors that I'm going to Humboldt County to see my bros & parents this weekend! Quick update consists of: Ty & I didn't go on that road trip. Basketball is over & practice will start again any day for the upcoming season. Ty starts 6th grade (GASP!) on Sept. 4th at the middle school. I picked up another two doctors' transcription from the surgery center next door to work & that's going pretty well so far. Speaking of work, they finally hired me an assistant in billing & she's way cool - very smart & has a really great subtle sense of humor & is a good worker, to boot! My friend, Lisa, and I went to see Chicago perform at Britt last night & they were AWESOME! I got to see my childhood best friend for the 1st time in almost 20 years & it was AMAZING! I'm sure there's more, but that's the skinny on the highlights, anyway...Oh - the party: my friend, Becky's, parents have a really great place in Gold Hill & they threw a huge party in honor of her return to OR from So Cal. Live band, open bar, great people, one guy hit on me but never called afterward & a good time was had by all.