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

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

It's like a heat wave!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Okay, Kathy, you win!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 Things That People Do That Annoy You

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Update time again...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hello, my long lost friends! I feel like I've been out of the loop for a while, but I'm slowly catching up...For right now, I'm just gonna post my Top Ten on Tuesday & then I'll try to post an update later...Here goes:

10 Favorite Articles of Clothing

1) New z.cavaricci faded jeans with cool rips & patches
2) Tan hooded very heavy coat with fleece lining
3) Tan Lands End boots that go perfect with the coat
4) My staple Levi 501 button-fly jeans
5) My orange v-neck Gap T-shirt
6) Black petite Dockers-very slimming & go with everything!
7) My flannel jammie-pants that have snowmen & say "Snowbody's perfect"
8) My maroon tank-top that has a real bra built in!!
9) My tummy-socker-inner-aka-Bridgett Jones undies
10)My cream-colored satin cami w/ the wide straps so I can wear a bra underneath (but I never get to wear, since it's low cut)

Egads! I just finished the last tape that is due tomorrow, this one being for a doc that I've only done once before, who also has a special format & happens to pay the least! 18 patients on his, alone! This one took me 3.5 hours & I think by the time I got through, it'll average out to roughly $10/hr. That's just a little disheartening! Oh, well, it keeps me in Brenda's good graces, which means she'll keep giving me extra work, and all the other docs are getting really easy now, so the pay/time ratio is much higher. Counting this tape, I did a total of 9 tapes this weekend, plus held my starter show (which topped out at $507 in sales, so that paid for my $350 starter kit, plus gave me a $257 "shopping spree" for more product & brings me to 5,000 points toward the 19,000 needed by March 31 to get an all-expense 5-day trip to Aruba with a flight straight out of Medford! Woo-hoo!! THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH to all who attended, purchased or booked a party from mine - or did all three)! Today (after 2 nights of 5 hours of sleep), we got up & went to Hometown Buffet for breakfast (I'm SO hooked on their breakfasts!!) as a reward for Tyson for helping out with 5 little girls, two of which were 21 months old + two 5 y/o & a 7 y/o. He was NOT thrilled to be helping me with that aspect, but he did a great job & complained very little, for him. After stuffing our faces, we went to church, picked up my new license plates for the Jeep, then met with Tracey (my candle leader) and her leader, Vicky to sign all the formal paperwork, etc.

Part of me is glad that this weekend is over, but then again, I wish I could just have my whole weekend back! I just keep telling myself this will all be over soon...Oh, in the meantime, I woke up this morning with no voice & still can hardly croak out any words. I'm hoping I can talk at work tomorrow, but I may just have to let my calls go to voicemail & call them back the next day. I'll be doing payroll in the morning, anyway. Well, I think I've managed to stay up late enough tonight already, so I'm gonna fling myself from this desk chair to my bed in one swift movement on the count of 1.....2......ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......