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.......

Well, so far so good...I did catch Tyson's cold, which progressed into sweats & vomiting last night, but I managed to work until 1pm, then finally gave in & came home for a nap. When I woke up, I did a few tapes, then had to go pick up 5 more in town. I've already done one more & all of these are due on Monday, so I think it'll work out ok. I do still have to clean for the candle party & Tyson has a basketball game tomorrow beforehand. It doesn't help that my garbage disposal backed up & the Drano didn't work. I'm not quite sure what to do yet, but I'm thinking I may have to be Ms. Amateur Plumber sometime tomorrow & open up the pipes under the sink, since I can't call the maintenance guy in, because he might see that I have a cat & I'm not supposed to! Never a dull moment!

Well, I'm off for now to actually sit down & watch a movie with Tyson. He's been so helpful & understanding through all of this. Man, I've got the best kid ever!

I really shouldn't be up right now, but this is my last night before all hell breaks loose & I'm drowning in transcription & candles, so I feel obligated to at least say a temporary goodbye to all of you...so if you check in here & don't see anything new, keep coming back - I'll return to the cyber world before too long!

Back to the craziness of my normal life! I guess that's what I get for complaining of a plateau period...

Tyson started basketball on Tuesday. I know both of his coaches & they're great guys who are less concerned about winning than teaching the boys & giving everyone play time, so I'm thrilled! Tyson's really enjoying this & the schedule is much more convenient than other sports have been, since both of the coaches actually work until 5:00, so practice is from 5:30-6:00 on Tues & Thurs., with games on Saturdays.

So, this Saturday is his first game. I was going to have my candle party afterward, but I've rescheduled it to the following Saturday & it will be my starter show, because I'm going to become a consultant! This means that I'll be earning points toward a trip to Aruba, as well as actual income, along with free stuff & discounts on candles. I'm really hoping I can make it work & not totally burn myself out. I will also be working in the 3-4 y/o classroom at church on Sunday, as I've mentioned before, so I went over the curriculum last night & gasped in horror! I mean, we're talking a real class here, not just babysitting! I think I can handle it, but it will be a lot more work than I initially thought!

On top of all this, I've agreed to do some backup transcription while the regular lady is out of town for four different days & five different docs! This will be the same weekend as my candle party! I'm probably crazy, but it helps to keep busy& extra cash is always nice!

Well, I figured out a solution to my need for spontanaety and change: I got a Jeep Wrangler! I've wanted one ever since I was a kid; then later my dream car was between that & a VW bug convertible. (At one point, I desperately wanted a 'Vette convertible that would be either hot pink, turquoise or a purple body, with a checkered top - thank goodness that was just a phase! Can't tell I was a child of the 80's, can you?)

Anyway, after church today, Tyson & I stopped by a couple of lots & test drove a Jeep & a Dodge Durango. Between the two, we were actually moving in the direction of the Durango, because the Jeep we drove was all jacked up & really tossed us around. I had my reservations about the Durango, though, because of the high miles. The next lot that we pulled into, I just wanted to compare prices on the Durangos, and we know a guy who works there (from Ty's football team), but when I pulled in, I immediately saw a pristine white Jeep Wrangler with a tan soft top. I was thinking that this was a beaut, but would be out of my price range, since I really didn't want to increase my payments beyond what I was already paying on the Honda. It didn't have a list price on it yet, because they had just gotten it in. Well, we talked to Dave & took this baby out for a spin, and I fell in LOVE! First of all, it's a 5-speed, which is a must when you're driving around something like this - I mean, you gotta feel all manly! It ran much smoother than the first one, & the engine idles really nice & smooth, plus, both the interior & exterior are in incredible shape! It's a '98 with only 53 K miles on it. Of course, it has 2 & 4-wheel drive (which I've never used before, but I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner or later)! I managed to get it for no $$ down, except for what I'll get back from Honda on my warrantee, and my payments will be the same. (They would've been about $20 lower, but I wanted to buy the 3 year warrantee, since it is a little older.) It also came with a really nice Clarion CD player with a removable face plate & a car alarm, which is something I didn't have on my Honda. All of the other Jeeps that I've looked at in the past week have only come with tape decks & no CD player. I just can't wait to be able to take the top off & cruise around! Down the road, I'd like to pick up a little trailer so I can haul stuff if necessary, like the quad that I hope to eventually get, or a little tent trailer/camper. One thing at a time... The only negative (besides the excellent warrantee, gas mileage & resale value of the Honda) is that I had a lot more cab room & trunk space with the car, but the back seat of the Jeep folds down & I can fit Tyson's bass in the back, even though the neck of it extends to between our seats.

This was just what I needed to shake things up & feel new again! Next Saturday, the church is having a snow day up in Greensprings at the Box R Ranch, so that'll be a fun little trip. After playing in the snow, I'm going to host yet another candle party. I know, call me crazy, but I'll tell you what: it's the best way to get great candles & holders etc. for free & for incredible savings! Partylite has a bunch of new stuff, including new scents that just came out. I've been thinking about becoming a consultant...there's no buy-in, and if I could do that & my transcription, I really think I could make around what I do now, with working 8-5 + transcription at night. I'll probably continue to just think about this for now, though, because dangit, I really am responsible, and I know that if I hang in there & stay on track that things will continue to get better.

I'm getting excited about just waking up & driving my Jeep to work tomorrow! I'm such a dork! I'll take some pics soon & post them here so y'all can eat your hearts out!

I figured I'd better post something before I completely lose any audience I may have acquired...

Life is in a plateau zone right now, which is better than it could be, so I'll be grateful for that! I have many great friends, a good job & extra side career, a wonderful family & a sweet, albeit incredibly strange, cat. What more could a girl want, really?

I don't know - I have this underlying feeling lately of needing to break free - ride a roller coaster, eat a hamburger (even though I stopped liking those about 15 years ago) or ride a quad & get dirty. I just feel that I've become so focused on being a good parent, a responsible person, keeping everything organized, clean & just so, that I've strayed too far from the spontaneous, loud, trusting, grubby country girl that I used to be. Not that I want to have a crazy, dirty, disorganized life; I've become quite comfortable in my sane zone, but I think that I need to have a release of some sort to help me remember who I started out as & to know that it's okay that I still have some of that in me somewhere. Maybe this won't make any sense to you, but it's very real to me. I just don't know what I'll do about it yet. Of course, my spontaneous escape from my everyday reality will have to be meticulously planned, so that I can maintain the balance that I've fought so hard to keep.

Maybe I just need to have a day/night out without Tyson...I love that kid with every fiber of my being, but it's not good for either of us to spend so much time with eachother & no one else. He's getting way too used to having me all to himself. Sometimes I feel just a little suffocated by him; for instance, if I try to read my email, he's right there looking over my shoulder & gets his feelings hurt or gets suspicious when I ask him to leave my room so I can check my email or write in private. I know it's irrational, but I feel guilty about it, too! But, you know, if I wanted to complain about something Seth did, like in my previous blogs, or write about it to a friend, that's not something I want Tyson to see. At the same time, if I can't express my frustrations to others, how am I supposed to deal with it?

Anyway, enough whining...off to church tomorrow morning, where I'll be given my curriculum for the 3-4 y/o childrens' class I'll be starting to help with on the 15th. I'm really excited about the opportunity, if a little apprehensive.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2005 wasn't nearly as bad as I'd figured it would be, and I just know that 2006 will be even better! I've given up on resolutions long ago, as they tend to be just another way to feel guilty about all the things you know you should be doing, but aren't (or maybe, the things you are doing that you know you shouldn't be)!

This was a very relaxing weekend - we did the usual clearing out of Christmas stuff, and I went after Christmas shopping, which I probably shouldn't have done, because I spent entirely too much money at Bath & Body Works, but what was I supposed to do in the face of 50-75% off sales? I really had no choice! I also scored on a great area rug & picture for the living room, so I did some redecorating. I've been perusing this Trading Spaces book that Robbin gave me for Christmas, and it really gets me going! The picture is actually a painting on canvas in black, with a spotlight on a trumpet player sittig on a stool. I don't know the correct term for it, but he's made out of some sort of material that stands out from the canvas, all 3-D like. Really cool stuff!

Anyway, today is the last day to veg before our work & school week start again, so we're taking full advantage. As a matter of fact, I'm typing this naked! Just kidding! Wanted to see if you're really paying attention...But I am in my PJ's and have no desire to do anything about it! Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas & a safe & fun New Year.

I'll begin this post with saying that Tyson & I had a wonderful Christmas & enjoyed the Christmas Eve service at Applegate Christian Fellowship very much! We were invited by my good friend, Denise. We arrived in a fantastic winter wonderland in the middle of nowhere! They had hundreds of thousands of lights in every tree & bush, plus white & red poinsettas strategically placed & decorating the main stage, next to which was a gigantic bonfire, about 8-9 feet high! They had a formal choir in robes & did a gospel-choir type thing with Christmas carols & several different soloists.

On Christmas morning, Tyson was very excited to see that his two biggest (literally!) gifts were from Santa - a coffin guitar case & a fender guitar stool that he'd been looking at in his Musician's Friend catalog. We both thoroughly enjoyed all of our gifts & eachother's company all morning, then went to Denise's house for Christmas dinner with her & her daughter & hubby. We sat around playing spoons & movie trivia games & had a good time.

Now then, let me vent about the screwy things that happened with Seth! So, Tyson went Christmas shopping for me with his Grandma Robbin on Saturday. Seth was coming into town with his girlfriend for a Christmas party at his sister's, so it made sense for Robbin to just take Tyson over to his Aunt's house to meet his dad, then go home with him over on the coast for a few days. When we made these plans, I made it very clear to Seth that I thought enough time had passed that it would be ok for Tyson to meet his girlfriend, but I asked him to sleep with Tyson while he was visiting, since I didn't think it would be appropriate or comfortable for him to see them going to bed or waking up together. He agreed that this would be fine. I also asked, since Seth doesn't have a phone, that Tyson give me a quick call every night to tell me goodnight & just check in so I knew everything was going alright. I didn't hear from Seth until Tuesday, when he called me from the bar next door to his place, to let me know that he didn't know how Tyson was getting home, but thought he'd send him home with his brother (interjection: the ex-con scam artist/theif/druggie/alcoholic/dealer who doesn't like kids & has demonstrated sadistic tendencies all of Seth's life, not to mention stole Seth's identity on three different occasions, which resulted in suspension of his license!). I said HELL NO!! I told him that I couldn't take any time off of work, but if he'd keep Tyson until Friday, that I'd drive up there & get him myself after work (7 hour round trip)! He then had the balls to say that driving one way was the least I could do. That got me really steamed, so I told him that I made Tyson readily available to him & that it was his choice to not call or visit, and that he has to make that effort. I finally got to talk to Tyson the next day, but then Seth called me Friday morning & when I asked him why they hadn't called me the previous night, he said that his mom said she didn't have time to take Tyson to a phone. He then said that he thought it was ridiculous that I wanted him to call every night, anyway, and I told him what was ridiculous is that I'd talked to my son once in six days & that it didn't matter if he thought it was ridiculous; it was what I'd asked, and it wouldn't even be such a big issue if he had a phone & I could reach Tyson in the first place! Anyway, Seth was calling to let me know that I'd need to stop by his sister's place in Medford to pick up some of the presents that Tyson had gotten me, since they forgot some there & told me that he'd called ahead & Traci had reassured him that the bag was right there. I stopped by on my way out of town, but no one was home except for their 10 year old daughter, who knew nothing about the bag of presents. By the time that Tyson & I got back to town that night, it was 10:45, much too late to drop by. So I told Tyson that it was no biggie & I'd just get them after Christmas, since I really didn't want to bug them on Christmas Eve, which was the next day, but he insisted that the majority of what he got me was what got left behind & I had to get them. So I called first thing in the morning & left a message at Traci's, asking to please call me back & let me know when it would be convenient for them for us to stop by & pcik those up. I finally got a call back at 3pm from Traci, acting all put out & imposed upon, saying that she didn't have the presents & knew nothing about them. I told her that Seth had told me he called her to make sure they were there & she said he never called her. Long story short, I still don't have the presents & have no idea what happened to them. What pisses me off most is that Robbin told me he knew exactly where he wanted to go & what he wanted to get me & got some great deals & ended up with exactly 50 cents change. All that time, effort & thought (not to mention my damn money!) and someone takes that away from him.

To make matters worse, Tyson tells me that Seth & his girlfriend got a motel room & he stayed with this aunt that first night, then Seth asked Tyson if it would bother him if he slept with his girlfriend for the duration of his stay, to which Tyson of course said no, he didn't mind - what else could he say?!? As bad as this was, that he'd deliberately disregard what I'd asked him not to do & putting Tyson on the spot, this meant that Tyson had to share a room (used to be his; now belongs to Seth's girlfriend's daughter) with a six year old girl! Tyson said that they were told to take turns sleeping on the floor or the bed, but since she was just a little girl, he gave her the bed every night. Not only is this not ok that he had to give up his bedroom and didn't have a bed to sleep on, it is completely inappropriate for him to be sharing a room with a six year old girl! I am so furious I wouldn't be surprised to see steam coming out of my ears as I type this! So, now how to proceed? I realize that it's not illegal for Seth to sleep with this girlfriend when Tyson's over, but he did directly go against my request & in the interrim, put Tyson in a compromising situation. The correct thing to do would have been for Seth to sleep with Tyson & have Sherry sleep with her daughter, which is what I specifically asked him to do! The thing is, I don't want Tyson to get in trouble for telling me what happened or put Seth in defensive mode, to where he asks Tyson to lie to me & puts him in a bad position, but I don't feel right about not recongizing the fact that nothing went as we'd discussed: I spoke to Tyson once instead of every night. I had to go pick him up myself. Then the sleeping arrangements. So I think I'm going to approach the subject by asking him & telling him that I didn't want to ask Tyson (which I didn't - he brought it up to me), so I'm asking him. Then, if he tries lying to me, I'll call him out on it & say that something Tyson said clued me in on it...I want to strangle him right now!

PHEW!! What a whirlwind it's been since I last posted! I guess it's that slightly frantic time of year for everyone, though, which is probablywhy I haven't had anybody whining that I never blog anymore!

Let's see...I've taken on even more at work (despite my emphatic protests!) and have been doing tons of transcription in Tyson's absence...he's at his dad's until Friday, which is a whole other story that I'm not even sure I have the energy or inclination to write about, but I will say that I finally let him have it a little bit today...I'm all ready for Christmas! All of my cards & presents have been bought & sent, which is a wonderful feeling! Tonight I'll do some baking (during which I intend to drink myself silly & rock out to some loud music to blow off some steam) & tomorrow we do our "Secret Santas" at work. I'm really excited, because I know mine pretty well & burned three CD's in addition to some other stuff (like her favorite cookies that I'll be baking tonight). I did a Parodies CD, an Adam Sandler movie songs & quotes & an 80'2 hair band ballads CD. I think she'll really dig 'em.

Anyway, work is screaming my name again, so all for now...AAAAAAAAaaaaaarrrrgh!!!

So I have big plans to get stuff taken care of this weekend! Other than some things for Tyson, I only have one more present to get. I finally found my address book so I can send out Christmas cards. I'm making some CDs for my Secret Santa at work, so that will be all taken care of, along with the candles I ordered from the candle party.

Tomorrow after church, we are going to Robbin's (Tyson's surrogate G'ma) for a luncheon & white elephant gift exchange. She goes all out & thinks of all the little details, so I'm sure it will be awesome.

I'm reading Mary Higgins Clark's new book "No Place Like Home" to kill some time until I reach the top of the reserve lists for Diana Gabaldon's newest book in the Outlander series, "Snow & Ashes" (I started at #80 & am now down to something like 48) and Dean Koontz's new sequel to "Odd Thomas", "Forever Odd". I love it when my favorite authors come out with new material. It's like reaquanting yourself with an old friend...

I am so disgusted! I know I totally shouldn't be surprised, and really I'm not, but still...

Seth finally called for the first time since Thanksgiving, whining about being sick as his excuse for not calling like he's supposed to on Mondays (or any other frickin' night of the week or weekend, for that matter)! I told him he could tell it to Tyson. First thing Tyson says when he picks up the phone is, "Why haven't you been calling, Dad?" Rest assured I do not point this out & I only talk to Tyson about it if he brings it up, but he has been asking & I just tell him I don't know, because I refuse to make excuses for him. After he talked to Tyson, Seth & I talked so we could go over Christmas details & such, and he informed me that he will be moving in with his new 42-year-old girlfriend, so when Tyson comes to stay a few days over Christmas break, he'll be staying there & have to share his dad's attention, not to mention that he won't have his own room. I insisted that Seth sleep with Tyson while he's there, because as much as Tyson says he wants us to date other people, he hasn't dealt with the reality, and I don't want him to see them going to bed together at night or waking up together in the morning. Why is Seth such a jack-ass? I don't really care if he wants to sleep around (as long as he doesn't expose Tyson to this) but this will be the second woman he's moved in with in the first year (technically six months) since our divorce! Yuck!

The candle party was a smashing success! We did get a late start, since the candle rep was just returning from a trip to Eugene, so the party lasted until 11pm! I can't wait to get the stuff I ordered!

On Sunday, Tyson and I went to church, then out to breakfast at Witham's Truck Stop (that brought back some memories!), where they were having a 40 year anniversary special & had all of their prices lowered to what they were 40 years ago! We're talking $.10 for a cup of coffee! So we ordered a french toast breakfast for each of us, in addition to ham & eggs with hash browns & toast, plus a soda for Ty, a coffee for me, and a pancake, egg & sausage breakfast to take home for Tyson to have this morning, and we paid all of $4.90! We sat at the counter, and we each spoke to some really interesting people. Tyson had two old ladies next to him, one of whom kept teasing him about how yummy his ham looked. When they left, one of them gave Tyson a $5 bill & told him that he was a really nice kid. The guy I sat next to was a truck driver who is one of 20 boys and 3 girls, all by the same father, who died two years ago at age 110! Afterward, we went Christmas shopping at the mall & entered a bunch of contests, then headed home to chill out for the rest of the evening & played a couple of games of chess (I won once, & Tyson won once!) I went to bed with Tyson at 8:30, and I still woke up tired, although I do have a little more energy than I did last week.

BTW, Kathy, I'm sorry I keep missing your calls!

I figured I'd muster up the little energy I have these days for a quick post...

Tyson & I did go to the open mic Thursday night & met my friend, Susan, there. It was a school night, so we didn't stay really long, but did hang out long enough to catch some pretty good performances. We haven't figured out what we're going to do up there yet, but we do plan to go back.

Yesterday, I left work early & went home to sleep. I had to get up to pick Tyson up from school, and we dropped by the university so I could talk to some people about placement tests & just how the whole thing works. I was incredibly discouraged by the answers that I got regarding financial aid. I guess they go by your previous year's tax returns, and on paper my income looks pretty good (not to mention that Seth & I both worked & filed together last year). They don't take into account the fact that I would only be working part-time if I were to enroll as a full-time student. I'm not sure what to do from here...

I just couldn't bring myself to go be an extra for the movie today, as much as I have always wanted to do something like that. Instead, I got up with Tyson & made my weekend breakfast of eggs & fried potatoes, cleaned house & did some laundry, then came into town to put in some hours at the Women's Clinic. I'm going to have a candle party tonight at my apartment. It will be a very small, intimate group, consisting of (I think): Twyla & Krista & Susan, Misty & Lisa from work. It will be nice to have some company over for a change, and the candles always make your house smell great! When I socialize, I usually go somewhere, but I do like playing hostess. Tomorrow we'll go out to church, then go Christmas shopping. Anyway, there's the latest. I'll slowly,but surely, be posting more as I rejoin the land of the living...

I'm ba-aaaack.....
Sorry I haven't posted in so long (or written to any of you, for that matter! It's really not personal)! I have been totally exhausted since my trip to Eureka.
Thanksgiving was not restful, but definitely enjoyable! I got to spend some quality time with my dad and my niece, Mary, and very little time with my brothers & my mom. We managed to pull off the "First-ever Adams Family Thanksgiving Breakfast" & had all the fixings ready to go by 11:00, which my dad thought would be impossible. My sister, Kathy, called from AZ, where she was having to deal with her monster-in-law being a total snob about her Thanksgiving plans to eat at the local buffet restaurant, even though they're living in a camper until their house is built. I know she really wanted to be with us, and I really wanted her there, too...she stayed on the phone for quite a while, though, and was passed around so she could "visit" with everyone. It seemed a little quiet this year. The only "kids" there were John, Mary & Joey (and they're 18, 16 and 12, or something like that). I really enjoyed seeing everyone, though, and my dad & I went to see Walk the Line on Friday. The theater was so packed that we weren't able to sit together, but we both thought it was one of the best movies we'd ever seen. I'm planning to take Tyson to watch it, too. On Thursday night, after my sister Laura got off work, we jammed out down in the basement with her husband, Mark, who plays the electric bass, and Mary. Unbeknownst to Laura and myself, Mark had set up a recording device before he & Mary had gone upstairs, and of course, at this point, Laura and I were getting a little goofy & making up our own words and such. I haven't heard it yet, and I'm not sure I really want to...Over at my brother Carey's (aka Allen), I video-taped him and my dad singing & playing guitar in his "studio" in the back room. I'm so glad that I finally got them on tape! Tyson said Uncle Allen should be famous & that Grandpa Charlie is "really good for an old guy". (LOL!)

When I showed up to pick Tyson up on Saturday, Seth & his mom were just pulling out of the driveway to head to Gold Beach. It was really good to see Tyson again. Time away from eachother always makes us appreciate how special our relationship is. Seth was supposed to call on Monday, but didn't again, and I think Tyson is really starting to get angry with him, which sucks, because just as my mom had said, he then starts to feel guilty about being angry with his dad. When (and if) Seth calls again, I'm going to tell him what I think of him not calling. I won't include Tyson's feelings in the conversation, but I can tell him what I feel, that's for sure! I just don't see how anyone could turn away from Tyson after knowing what a great kid he is! He just got an award at school yesterday for his sense of humor. Tonight we're planning to go to an all-ages open mic at A St. Marketplace and tomorrow we might end up going to the kids' night at the church, then on Saturday I'm supposed to be an extra in a movie they're making here, Conversations With God. We'll see how many of those things we actually do... Well, they're watching us like a hawk here at work, so I'd better end this for now. I just can't bring myself to post from home these days - I've been so wiped out! Eventually I'll catch up, though, and email all of you that I've been neglecting!

I have to share a funny from this morning: Seth called to talk about the plans for Thanksgiving, and he finished one of his sentences with "Babe". I said, "Did you just call me Babe? You can't call me that anymore!" We both had a good chuckle over that. Anyway, here's my Top 10 on Tuesday:

10 Things You Like Eating at Thanksgiving Dinner
1) Well, turkey, of course! (White meat only)
2) Olives (one for each finger)
3) Mashed potatoes and gravy (no giblet gravy, Mom, pleeeeaase!)
4) Pumkin pie w/ whip cream
5) My dad's banana pudding with Nilla wafers
6) Apple pie (preferably Dutch apple)
7) Fruit salad with mini marshmallows - no walnuts!
8) Ham
9) Deviled eggs
10) Hmmm...other miscellaneous pies?

I've been shirking my duties as a responsible journalist for a whole week, so I suppose it's time to bite the bullet & do the whole "this is what I've been doing" thing...

So, this is what I've been doing:
Monday: All I remember now is watching Prison Break (I just can't get enough!) Oh - I also went to the music store & picked up a guitar string for Tyson's electric guitar & learned how to string it. Got invited to an open mic on Thursday by a guy who works there.
Tuesday: Worked & probably did transcription like the mad woman I've become. Also went to Applebee's for kids' $.99 night; a tad disappointing. Traded in Ty's old Nintendo for a Gamecube game.
Wednesday: More work, more transcription...
Thursday: Tyson wanted to skip the open mic & stay home to play his video game. More work...after watching Reunion, of course!
Friday: After work, Ty & I went back to the music store & played with different instruments (including an electric upright bass, that I'd love to get him, instead of the big old thing he has to lug around). The guy from the store said he was waiting for me to show up Thurusday at the open mic, but I told him he lost out to video games, which he in turn called "The Devil's Box". Rented two movies & fell asleep before the first one even started.
Saturday: Had some friends of Tyson's over & went to see Sophie's play with Susan. She was incredible! I'll be able to say "I knew her when..." Rented Stealth & bought Dodgeball (My Vinnie-baby!!! XOXO)& watched both.
Sunday: Went to the 11:00 church service & the Thanksgiving potluck afterward, then went across the street to see Harry Potter "The Goblet of Fire". Awesome movie! (Very looooooooonng, though.)
Then I got up this morning to do it all again! Actually, this will be a very short week. I get off 1/2 day on Wednesday & am going to lunch with a new co-worker at Senor Sam's, then to pick up Tyson from school. I just got a message from Seth this afternoon (WHY can't he call when he is supposed to?!?) that the plans have changed again & that his mom will be working until 3pm, then leaving to go pick him up in Gold Beach (WHY can't he get his license?!?), where they will stay the night before traveling back here for Thanksgiving. This means that now, even though I took a 1/2 day off of work, I can't leave until after 3pm to drive the 5 hours to Eureka! Grrrr....On the up-side, I picked up two new karoake CD's last night for the trip. One with old country hits, including "The Gambler", "Elvira", "On the Road Again", "Crazy", & two Johnny Cash songs. The other has all kinds of music on it & should have something for everyone. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone.

Well, I suppose I should free up the phone line on the highly unlikely chance that Seth is going to call back at the scheduled time...

At long last, here are the Halloween pics! I have to say I'm a little disappointed because you really can't see the detail that I added to my dress (by hand-sewing, nonetheless!) or make out my head-piece, but still, you get the point. I've also thrown in a picture of our spastic kitty, Domino, since I promised that in August, when we first got him!

Been super busy working (transcription) and haven't had much time for anything else. So, as much as the men have been pestering me with phone calls, flowers and such, I've been having to decline their many offers...We did manage to go to church Sunday, which makes two weeks in a row! Tyson just about flipped when one of the band members started totally wailing on the electric guitar & people were bouncing up & down like a mosh pit (without the moshing). Next week there will be a potluck afterward. I'm looking into becoming involved in the children's Christmas performance, but there's a 4 hour class I have to take first, and it's on the same day as my friend Susan's daughter, Sophie, is performing the lead in a play here in Ashland, so I think I'm going to see if they offer the class another time. I don't get to do a lot with Susan outside of work, and I adore Sophie! Anyway, that's the latest...still looking forward to Turkey Day in Eureka!

My docs have been absolutely killing me with transcription! I've gotten pretty good with these guys, because I do their stuff consistently and they use a lot of the same wordage for different patients, but one tape actually took me 2 1/2 hours last night, and since I just had to watch My Name is Earl, that meant I didn't get to bed until 12:15! (Considering that a letter on one patient usually takes me 5-10 minutes, that's a lot of dictating!) It sure will be nice to get paid, though...

I've been having a lot of fun flirting with the delivery guy at work (and the cutie pie at Dutch Bros., and one of our sales reps....) and one of the ladies at the front desk asked him if he found me attractive, and he supposedly said yes (woo-hoo! I think he's pretty normal, too!), but that he's waiting for a girl that he loves to come around. I told him that works out even better, since I'm holding out for my Mr. R., too, so maybe we could be friends who do things together to kill the time while we wait...hey, it might actually work better than dating, since that's not something I really look forward to trying...anyway, we'll see if he takes me up on it. I took a pic of him yesterday, since I'm trying to use up my roll of film with the Halloween pics so I can post them!

Looks like Dad's and my Hometown Buffet Thanksgiving fantasy has been thwarted...I do love the family get-togethers, though, and it's been a while since I was in Eureka. I think I'll bring my karoake machine so we can all jam. It just won't be the same without Kathy there, though (no offense, Laura, I'd just love it if we could all be there)! I'm sure I'll be posting more on that before too long.

Still planning to go to church Sunday & am looking forward to getting to know more people there, so I'll be more comfortable. Krista says they're always looking for musicians, and that would be really awesome. I just feel like it's so important to not only talk to Tyson about God & the Bible, but to expose him to worshipping with others before he gets too much older. He asked me on the way back from church last weekend if I was going to be all religious now, and I replied that I've always been a very religious person, but he just didn't see that side of me a lot, and that I'd still be my same fun self. My beautiful friend, Mahvelous Mahge, taught me that you can talk nasty & have a good time, but still have a close relationship with God. I figure He knows me better than anyone else, so if I tried to hide my true self, that would be pretty pointless.

Well, I'm gonna try to actually get to sleep at a decent time since I'm all done with my transcription for tonight, so signing off until next time...

Quick post - I can't believe it's almost midnight! I had three transcription tapes tonight, and I decided to leave one for tomorrow, after seeing how far into the tape the doc recorded...ugh! But, hey, it's all about the money, right?!? What doesn't kill me makes me more tired...

Anyway, I just had to brag on my boy for a sec - what else is new? I'm just so proud of him! He got 98% on his state report! (Missed one thing in the whole report, just because he forgot to fill in the population of the tops 5 cities.) He also got 100% on his spelling test, now that we're able to study the words, and he got an A- on his "What I Did This Summer" report. I know this year has been tough on him, because he's in the 4th/5th blended class, but he's really rising to the challenge & making his mama proud! And he's made friends with a lot of the 5th graders that he used to not get along with! I could just burst, really!