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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Feel-Good Songs:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You're an Expert Kisser

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

What Kind of Kisser Are You?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 Ways I Like to Relax

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

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

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

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

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

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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS MIRANDA!!! XOXOXOXOXO