Germs and flu hype

So yesterday I took the kids to storytime at the library like we often do and thoroughly enjoy on Mondays. "Miss" Donna is so fabulous with the kids! They sing, do a craft, obviously listen to books read, and watch a short tv show on the subject all within 45 minutes. It's incredibly entertaining!!! Yesterday focused on Halloween and the kids even wore their costumes. Such fun!!! Anyhow, each week afterwards, we go and read books on our own, play on the computer and have books read to us, do puzzles, and usually leave with our own selection of books to read for the week that we decided to check out. This time we checked out a Spider-Man video. Onward, my son really likes the computer part and putting on the headphones to hear a Dr. Suess book or something along those lines read to him while pictures flash across the screen. Well, those who know me know I'm not too concerned with the condition of my house and the clutter and whatnot. Or the appearance of my car. Or myself often. This doesn't mean I'm not clean or that I'm a germaphobe. Our personal stuff is just that...BUT, things that are touched by the public masses usually warrant a twing of panic from me. Gas pumps, public pay phones, water fountains, door knobs, definitely most definitely public restrooms, you name it...creep me out a bit. I use a lot of hand sanitizer needless to say. So, i wonder if the other moms and people in the library thought I was a head case and looney parent when I pulled out my small bottle of Purell and disinfected the headphones before my son used them and the keyboard full of who knows what. I mean, this is the flu season and all the talk of regular flu and swine flu right now...well, who cares what other might have thought of me at the moment. I don't want a case of lice either if I can prevent it. For now, there is no kachoo-ing in the house. I'm sure it'll probably happen sooner rather than later and I'll let you know, but for now, we'll just keep the supply of sanitizer readily available and go about our merry way! Hope each of you are feeling well!

Perhaps a little Vegas on my mind

Busy weekend. Fun, yet busy weekend! To begin with, Friday started off with attending a ribbon cutting for the grand opening of my good friend's first eco friendly "green" store here in the area! I know my family has a tremendous amount of respect for her and have learned a lot about taking actions to better our world and making it that much better of a place for the future of our kids! Here's hoping for the most success imaginable for her! Love you, my friend! And so glad there was such a turnout to support her and her efforts! She's worked hard and I'm glad to see so many others taking action as well! Even the county itself has discouraged the use of single use plastic bags. Now let's all try to save the forrest a little and bring in your reusable bags each time you shop...glad I can proudly say I've been doing this for a while now!!! After this, the kids and I hurried over to a pumpkin painting activity through an organization we are a part of...and that was fun! I was quite impressed with their artwork, and if I ever figure out how to upload more photos on here, I'll post some pictures for you to see their imagination and creativity coming to life. We were doing this at a park and it was a bit hot out there. I felt a little weak and actually had to leave, which was fine, because we all took great naps! About this park though, on this particular day, there were hundreds of people there. Literally! Inside the gym at the recreational park, Missions of Mercy was offering a free dental clinic to those in need and willing to wait patiently to have the work done. I'm honored and proud to live in an area where this is offered. From a person who actually has health insurance, the rising costs are incredibly hard to stomach and the lack of coverage even with a great policy is hard to understand. With my pre existing health conditions, I can never let my insurance lapse, for fear and knowledge that no other carrier would pick me up. So, we bite the bullet, pay insane amounts, and still pay insane amounts for all the procedures and tests I have done. So, I was excited to see the community and others giving to those who actually don't have health insurance and probably never will. We don't even have dental coverage on our plan!!! Onward, because I could vent about this forever...a sign we have major health care issues in our country that need to be addressed and taken care of somehow some way...I think we have some leaders working on that though. So after a wonderful nap curled up with my oldest child while the babe was in the crib, we played until Dad got home. THEN, I was out for a girls night out! Whoop whoop! One of my dearest and kindest friends invited some 15 plus friends over to her sprawling home (which I LOVE) to celebrate her upcoming birthday with drinks and a personal chef! Amazing company, amazing drinks (grapefruit and basil martinis), and amazing food!!! This was my type of celebration!!! I'm honored and blessed to have such great friends! On the way over to her house, 4 of us arrived in style and rode in a limo which one of the girls scored a great deal on for us!!! This allowed for us to not worry about too much consumption of any kind! ;) On the way home, I was the last of the girls to get dropped off. I sat in the very back, feeling a little like my girl Britney Spears, looking at the empty champagne bottle on the floor and listening to a song that kept repeating Waking Up in Vegas which I googled and found that Katy Perry sings...nice beat and catchy, though I don't typically listen to music of the day. When the driver opened the door for me to return to normalcy, I watched him pull away and realized there are a lot of people out there living this way. Fun as it was, I'll keep my modest family and home and friends here on the island! Then is was Saturday. My oldest had a soccer game, which we all look forward to each week. He really enjoys it...and I enjoy making sure the kids are outside burning off the energy. We were there for awhile afterwards since it as well meets at another park. Later in the afternoon, I took the kids to a trick or treat style festival at a local elemetary school where we admired the costumes and the kids had fun getting loads of sugar and playing games. It's so awesome that small as the area is, we can usually find lots of fun child related activities to do. Why I referenced this blog as Vegas, aside from the earlier story, here at the carnival the kids and I did the cake walk 3 times which had 20 spaces for people to participate in. And guess what...the kids one all three times! Perhaps I should take these lucky stars of mine and play the lottery and gamble!!! Just a little Vegas on my mind...been several years since our last visit to the Sin City, but I do enjoy it in small incriments. Best place to people watch and catch superb performances and dream a little dream! But I always remember that it's not true that all things that happen in Vegas stay in Vegas...my oldest child was conceived there and I'm so grateful that adage doesn't hold true and he's here with us today...lighting up my own little casino of a home!!! I'm rolling the dice and betting that today, Sunday, the day of rest and praise, is going to be grand as well!

Some days are just too busy and you have to use the past!!!

So I can tell as I just put my babies down to nap, I won't have time to write my thoughts of the day probably with having to go and teach dance later and my husband having to go out of town until late this evening. Who knows though...perhaps I'll blog twice today!!! Busy day already and it's not even 3 o'clock! Anyhow, as you will tell from reading the entry below, this blog was originally written almost 3 years ago. This was my first blog I ever wrote and I posted it on my myspace page which I rarely visit these days. i think I wrote a total of 5 all together before I began this site. Maybe in time I'll post those other ones as well. Hope you enjoy!


Written Tuesday, November 14, 2006



The 13th...and it's not even a Friday
Monday, November13, 2006.
Overcast, dreary, cold.
The 13th, no, not even a Friday, and not even a full moon in sight. Just an eventful day worth writing about for my first blog entry. Uncanny, though it is... Tired beyond any stretch of the imagination, I feel I have to share this tale. Today, I went from being the recipient of one lone parking ticket in college (which naturally, I appealed and lost, but I got a cool ODU parking shirt out of the deal...hmmm...) to the owner of a fresh, hot off the rack speeding ticket. I've labeled myself police catnip. I'm still confused as to how and why this really happened to me. And not because I think I'm above the law, for many of you know better. Everyone I've bombarded with this sad tale has welcomed me to the club. Is this a fraternity or brotherhood of sorts that is to enrich my life and social status? I'm not sure I like the initiation, let alone, having the "honor" of being an exclusive new member. It's not like a characteristically faded battle wound or death defying scar you can show as your badge of survival. My existence has been tested, possibly ruined today. I know, I know. It's not Armageddon, though you'd think it so, by the toll it has taken on me. Let me take your time to further explain this uncanny event in this hereto short story of mine. I mean novel.
Let's work backwards.
Driving along Highway 168, I apparently had a false sense of security. When I least expected for even the children to cry, BAM BITCH! (homage to you, Sarah) Blue lights literally surface out of nowhere. First thought, awww...someone must be hurt. I think this reasoning is the result of being around funeral homes my entire life. Then, the lights continue to flicker behind me. I look over to my girlfriend, Amy, and say nonchalantly, "I think I'm getting pulled over." Keep in mind, we took our children shopping in Virginia today and this being my first time driving someone else's child around other than my niece.
On with the story. I'm in what I believe to be a 55 mph zone. Wait, it is a 55 mph zone and the cruise control is set for 54 mph! Yes, I'm a cautious driver...so I thought until this afternoon. Cars are seriously zipping past me. Amy replies, "Maybe you have a tail light out." Yeah, that's got to be it, I think. Still, I could feel the tightening in my chest cavity. I was becoming claustrophobic within my very car. I felt like a caged bird lusting to fly or a parched plant craving thirst. Well, the arrogant SOB of a cop (and not just because he DID give me a ticket, though that intensifies my anger outburst) informs me that we had passed a school zone. He even goes on to explain that I was the car he "chose" to pull over. Again, like this is some sort of honor. First, no lights indicated that school was ending. I swear. Or either Amy and I both need to have our tunnel vision checked out. I'm a mother for crying out loud! I wouldn't jeopardize children's lives, let alone my own precious offspring!
Continuing. The deputy, (who severely lacked personality) wasn't polite--at all! My guess is that he is an ingenue cop throwing his weight (and he was rotund) around. I feel he chose to pull us over for two reasons. One, we were going SLOWER than the rest of the pack, and two, he saw two young females he thought he'd hassell for a bit. Too bad for us at that instance we had children in the rear. (For your information, they were being quite good for a 2 1/2 and 1 year old throughout this ordeal) I guess he felt compelled to be a jerk rather than hit on mothers. Yes, I'm insinuating this, but who knows. It's no secret that cops like coffee, donuts, authority, and ATTENTION. (I'm kidding people. Cops rightly deserve the praise they receive for their bravery and valor.) Though, Deputy Sutton, as his name would appear, was just inhuman! He must have been having a bad day. Cue up Daniel Powter's hit song here. Of course the deputy decided to take his time writing me up. I held myself together until he drove off and then...the tears flowed! It takes a lot to bring me to tears. For this, I give him due credit. As I stared at my new, crisp speeding ticket, a rush of adrenaline, of shame, of guilt, anger, and confusion set in. Apparently, I had endangered all of the lives in the car, other drivers on the highway, and innocent school children. Aghhh. Indeed, I'm no longer the model mother some believed me to be. For all I know, they'll make Bert a ward of the state, take my license and ship me off to jail in my designer jeans and unpressed shirt. However, as I write this, I'm beginning to push the incident into the cerebellum part of the brain, rather than the frontal lobe.
My mind is racing. Yeah, racing. I love NASCAR. I love Dale Jr. Maybe I can qualify for the Busch series. Yeah, I know, that's a stretch. Perhaps the Craftmans Truck Series. No. That's a feat in and of itself. 54 mph hardly would constitute awarding me that priviledge. I would imagine a speed limit of 54 mph is lame in a racecar driver's eyes. Probably even in Sutton's. So, I'm picking up the pieces and moving forward. I did call my brothers, since Mom and Dad are traveling throughout unknown parts of Amish country. Like always, they instantly made me feel better and loved! Older brothers are indeed the best! David thought someone had died (what is it with my family?) since I was so hysterical. He "made a phone call" and told me to rest my head tonight knowing it would get better. (Sadly, but helpful for me this time, it helps to know people sometimes. And no, this doesn't mean I'll completely get out of it.) J.J. on the other hand, resisted probably his usual urge to pick on me, though in due time people, it'll happen! Trust me! He still likes to bring up at family gatherings that I passed out drunk at a bar and had to be taken to the hospital via ambulance for fear of my existing heart problems. I could literally feel J.J.'s arms around me though, as he told me over the phone, not to worry. He knows what it's like to get MUCH worse. "It's not the end of the world," he says. On a side note, both brothers have called tonight to check on their "poochie." Did I mention that I LOVE my brothers? Let me also just continue by adding that the evening progressed with me starting my monthly feminine cycle (Rob is praising his "impeccable" timing skills in that I'm not preggers again, though we all know that synthetic birth control is almost 100% effective it taken correctly), Bert is teething (you parents understand how trying this is and feel my pain. We'll face him getting up even earlier than normal in a few hours), my cat got stuck behind the washing machine and she NEVER even goes in the laundry room, and Jackson, our beloved boxer, ate too much lawn tonight. (This meaning, I just finished wiping up vomit. Thank goodness for hardwood floors.) Lastly, after having spent my first night alone with Bert last evening, Rob returns home with a full load worth of dirty clothes from his quick trip to NY, where inevitably, the Giants unfortunately lost on home territory.
But, no worries! I'm not bitter. No. It takes more than that Mr. Sutton! I'm healthy, happy and blessed. Just the good deputy should keep his distance from me, for I fear the wrath of Whitney COULD rear it's ugly head with a vengenance. My Chardonnay is gone now, the house has stopped stirring, and I'm off to bed to seek solace with my National Enquirer that came in the mail today. I hope I can drift off to a titalating Britney Spears story announcing her huge comeback and continue with what I hope to include nothing except sweet dreams. My interrupted 8 hours of sleep is about to begin.
Tomorrow IS another day...

When You Wish Upon A Star

Oh how tired I am right now and oh how I should be taking a nap with my two sweet little boys, yet I find myself delving right into this new form of communicating for myself. You may wonder why I'm so tired. Well, aside from the fact that I'm one of those people that like a full 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep, by which I never fully get, I also have two very active little boys that factor into why I say I suffer chronically with sleep deprivation. I'll get more into possible health related issues in the future of why I also am quite tired the majority of the time. But back to what this blog is about....where was I at 2:30 am? Well, I was sitting on my porch gazing at the Orionid meteor shower, and well...wishing upon a star. It was pure silence in my neighborhood with the exception of nearby crickets singing their songs. Now let me just say, this is unusual. We have a neighborhood full of outside dogs that bark continually throughout the night. But this morning was so dreamy and magical and pure. I was only out there for less than 10 minutes. Probably 9...ahahaa Suffice it to say, I would have been most pleased to have just seen one star. Instead...I saw 9! This was fascinating to me that in my allotted time I was giving myself before returning to bed, I saw 9. Isn't there a lot of significance with the number 9? Aside from it being the last what would you call it...single digit of the decimal system (?!?...many moons have passed since my last math class sadly) I believe it is also a revered and respected number amongst many religions. Feel free to correct me on this or talk amongst yourselves if you'd like...that is why we blog, correct? My Christian friends...there is the nine choir of angels you know? Anyhow, on with the show....I had two of my four cats on the porch with me. Maybe they felt the power of the nine stars shooting as well. They do say a cat has nine lives. None of this matters. What mattered to me at that moment though was I was on cloud nine wishing on those very stars!!! Wonder if Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails saw these very nine stars....hmmm...just a thought!

Whoa

Am I really a blogger now? Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet! Now, will ANYONE really read my words? Knock knock...anyone there???