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

In case anyone else was waiting with bated breath, as I was, to find out what Seth's deal was, it turned out to just be about the DA coming after him for child support. I basically had to reassure him that I really don't have any control over that, and that was that. I was sure it was something really major! Geez...

Let's see...As usual, not much happening around here besides work. I've been doing a lot of clean-up & back work, trying to get caught up from when we were short three people. It's actually kinda nice & gratifying to do this type of work & see the result, though. The nice weather has come & gone, so I finally resigned myself to putting the top back on the jeep.

I guess one exciting thing is that Rob Thomas & Jason Mraz are coming to town this summer & I'm planning to get tickets soon. Lynnard Skynnard will also be here, but Krista & Dustin are planning to go see them in Bend, with Dustin's bro & his wife (who we also went to school with) & go camping that weekend. I'm not sure yet if I'll go to that, but I'd sure like to!

Gary just came into my office & we were talking about being put under for the oral surgery & stuff & he said to check & see if my buttons are done up wrong when I come to & Lisa said, "Yeah, wouldn't it be your luck to miss out on the whole experience?!?" I thought that was pretty funny.

Well, back to the grind for now...I'll post soon if anything actually happens to post about!

Well, we were too late for the horse races, so we went to see Over the Hedge, which was pretty good. The next two movies on my list to see in the theater are X3 & Click, with Adam Sandler (of course)!

I called Mr. V back today, in response to a voicemail at work inviting me to lunch & (I hope) politely told him that, although I was flattered by his invitation, I'd prefer to keep our friendship on the baseball field. I hope I handled it ok. Another lesson learned: Just say no the first time, instead of figuring out how to get out of it later! I've also been toying with the idea of getting a fake wedding ring to deter the kind of guys I attract. I don't seem to have any luck with the guys I like, anyway, so I'm not worried about deterring them. (Side note: the church guy ended up being a sleaze - well, to be fair, I suppose he's sowing his wild oats after a long marriage, but I don't even want to go there - ick!)

I've missed a lot of work lately, so I spent today doing my best to catch up. I also had a voicemail from Seth from yesterday (while I was at an all-day billing seminar) that "we need to talk" & he sounded pissed off. I tried three times (in the middle of my already slammed day) to call him, but there was no answer & they don't have a machine. I went over to Krista's tonight, since I'm trying to spend any extra time with her before she moves, & we went for a walk. I came home to another message from Seth, saying that I "never" answer my phone at work & again, "we need to talk". I tried calling him back, but got no answer again. So now I'm already on edge just wondering what we need to talk about. What have I done now to piss him off? I guess I'll find out soon enough...Hopefully it won't result in yet another arguement. I'm so sick of fighting - isn't that why we got divorced?

On a happier note, Tyson's orchestra concert is on Thursday night. He has one more big project to finish (the one on Michael Jordan) before school ends. We are both so burnt out right now that it will be really nice once he's out of school! I'm also looking forward to my sister's upcoming trip from AZ!! And, yes, I'm thinking about finally making the trip to Eureka this weekend, since we have a three day weekend & my bro has generously offered to help out w/ gas for the jeep, if I'll just come visit!

Well, I'm really wound tight from just finishing my transcription & stressing over Seth's ominous phone call, so I'm going to try to find something on TV to put me to sleep. Good night!

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.