Tuesday...feels like Monday...

Wow...hard to believe this is a cat. I think I need to go puke now...

'kay, I'm done.
I'm really happy. My old friend, Mousy, from the store we worked at in, like, 1986, up north called me and we talked for an hour!! It's so cool that we're still friends!! And nobody would've ever guessed that would happen when we first met. People were surprised the first time they saw us out at a bar together, cuz at first when she was hired, we hated each other. I called her (behind her back, of course), a stuck up little teenage cheerleader. She called me (also behind my back) a skinny blonde bitch.
But after a few weeks, we realized that each one was nice (kinda), and everything was great...
I swear, we just sat here & caught up on everything & everyone that we used to hang out with at the store...okay, we gossiped, I admit it! We even laughed about my old boyfriend up there, who turned out to be dating her at the same time, on & off! Whoredog!!
Anyway....my dad was taken to the hospital from the nursing home yesterday, cuz the nurse said he was really unresponsive. Bro & Mom called me from the ER and told me. Then they called back a few hours later and said he was better now since he'd drank a glass of apple juice, and he was on his way back to the nursing home. When I called Mom this morning, she said it's like Dad is trying to starve/dehydrate himself, cuz he's not eating or drinking anything at all out there! Bro had told him the other day that if he wanted to go home, he had to eat something! And Dad told him that he never thought he'd end up like this, for God's sake. He's tired of this. Oh, shit...that's the same thing I've been saying about my health for years! I never wanted to end up like this, either! The big difference is that I was 30...he's almost 90! Okay, okay. I really feel like my whole fuckin' life is out of control right now. Not getting along too wonderfully with my husband right now either. But, I can't go out and 'walk it off' or drive it off...probly a good thing I can't drive at the moment, anyway. I would 'drive it off'. Off the highest fucking bridge I could find!! bullshit, horsepiss, ratshit, batshit...that's all I can think of, anyway...besides fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck ALL of this bullshit!! The last time Tiff mentioned moving out, cuz she's getting to be that age, I said, 'You can't leave me here!!'

Libby

Friday, Memorial day weekend..

Okay, I'm taking today off from thinking about serious shit...
I think it's about time to go get some French vanilla ice cream outta the freezer. I'm kinda gettin' sick of salad. Kevin and his brother are going over to the Nascar truck race tomorrow. I had a ticket, but I really don't wanna go. I guess I'm just not into racing...unless it's a road race. Now that's interesting, more so than going in a circle...

Okay...here's another 'Kim & I story'.
When we were about 15, we were out walking around one night (evening, I guess), and, of course, you know how guys honk at you when they drive by & see a girl (idiots!). So these 2 guys stopped & asked us if we wanted to ride around with them for a while. Of course, we said yes, cuz they had a few quarts of beer in there that we could see. We climbed in, and rode all over town with them, even waited while the driver drove the car over on the really, really, really, bad part of town, and said he needed to go see someone in an apartment upstairs, to get some 'doobie'. So the other guy & us waited in the car (in the dark, behind the apartment, beside a creepy alley...), drinking all the beer and talking. Well, he came back down, and got in, and had the pot. The other guy rolled the joints, and we just sat there and watched, and ooohed & aaahed over his skill (like nobody else in the world back in 1979 knew how to do something that clever...yes, girls learn about manipulation around the age of 15 or so...). Then we rode around town for awhile longer, then went over to the high school and ran around on the football field for awhile...then we had to go home. They dropped us off a few blocks away from home, and we went home, and pretty much forgot about the whole thing. You know, it was just a fun evening, and nothing more.
A couple weeks later, Kim called me at dinnertime. She sounded like she was having a freakin' heart attack or something and asked me if I'd seen the paper yet. I said no, hold on, and went to the living room & got it. Got back to the phone, and she said "Open the cover". I did, and, lo & behold, there was the guy that went up to the apartment that night...he had been indicted on two rape charges! Yeah...don't ever try to tell me that someone wasn't watching out for us. We also found out a few weeks later that the two guys had a habit of hanging out in a parking lot a few houses away from my house!
Libby

Wednesday...can't get MUCH worse, can it? (please no?)

Mmmmmm.....this MUST be a Texas picture, huh?


I had Tiffany take me out to the nursing home Tuesday afternoon so I could see Dad. And, oh, my God. I am so fucking glad I went, just to see for myself how bad he was. I had called the nursing home Monday, and talked to Dad's nurse, and she said he was doing the stuff they told him to.
I STILL am in denial that it was really my DAD!! I know I haven't seen him since Christmastime, but still! I've talked to him on the phone a lot since then, and he's always talked to me, and everything, but yesterday when Tiffany pushed me into his room at the nursing home in my wheelchair, she just stopped and stared, and I was glad she stopped, because I was staring too! That was NOT Dad (it really was)!!When wegot there, and he was laying on his back with his mouth open...and I really thought we were in the wrong room, because that wasn't my dad...it was just an anonymous 150-year old man. And that's exactly what he looked like.
I was trying to wake him up, calling, "Dad...Dad...", and he didn't move or open his eyes, or anything. Then Tiffany starts calling, "Grandpa..Grandpa...", and he still didn't hear us. I got real scared, I was afraid he was dead or something, but Tiff said his chest was moving. We just kept it up, and finally he did wake up, but it took him a few minutes to figure out who we were. And then, when we started talking with him, he hardly said anything, because he really sounded like he had no breath. Then he sat up on the edge of the bed, and I got up out of my wheelchair, and went over & sat on the bed beside him, and just leaned over and hugged him real tight, and put my head on his shoulder, and I had the big 'cry hiccup' so I wasn't sitting there crying on his shoulder, cuz I knew if I did that, all three of us would be crying like idiots, and making a scene or something! Or making 'a spectacle of myself', as Mom always put it! When I was hugging Dad, it honestly felt like hugging a skeleton! Shit! I know he weighs 102 lbs now, but I didn't realize how much different that was from me, at 108 lbs! He's lots bigger-framed than me, and his shoulders felt like there was no skin or anything over his bones. Honestly, I love my Dad, but...Mom isn't well enough right now to take care of him. But I still don't like the thought of Dad living in a nursing home!! I never would've thought it would be like this. Tiff was upset at how Dad couldn't talk, and she took her cell phone out in the hall and called Bro, to tell him how Dad was, cuz we weren't happy at how he was. Bro couldn't come right then, cuz he was on his cell, & on his way to a business meeting, but said he'd send his son over later.
I haven't talked to Bro yet, but I AM gonna ask him, WTF was he thinkin', when he & his wife & kids said, "He looks a lot better now!" No he doesn't! Even Tiff said he doesn't, and she saw him last weekend at home!! God, I SO neverwnt to get to that point!! I hope Dr Kevorkian is out of prison!I Tiff brought me home after that, left, and I went in the bathroom and buried my face in a bathtowel, and screamed & cried. I hate saying that, but DAMN, did I feel better after that!
Libby

Monday, Monday...lah,lah..lah lah lah lah...

All right!! I've fucking HAD IT!! I've been calling Mom at least once a day to make sure everything's okay with her, and she always says she's doing well, but then tells me how bad Dad's doing at the nursing home, and how he calls her all the time & says he wants to come home, and won't cooperate with anybody there. Our oldest brother (54) is at Mom's house all the time for dinner, & to hang out and visit for a few hours afterwards. And, no, he has no girlfriend, no kids, no wife, and no friends! Just cats...TERRIBLY VICIOUS cats that he has brought home when he saw them living wild out in the country when he sees them from his car!

So, last evening, X brought Mom by our house because she wanted to drop off some cake, and then he was going to take her to the grocery store. I think so he could pick out what he wants her to make him for dinner or something...:-/

Right after she left (and, no, X didn't come to the door, he knows he's not welcome here and never will be, after the way he's treated all 3 of us!), Bro called and said he wanted to talk to me. I sat down here, and started to tell him about Mom having been here for a minute with X, and what she said that X had said about the way Dad was doing, and halfway through my sentence when I said X's name, Bro burst out, "X is a fucking asshole!!" Huhh?? I was shocked!! This is the 'diplomatic' brother, who owns his own successful company, has been married for 26 years, has 4 kids, 2 of who have graduated from college, the oldest with a master's, his boy is taking over the company soon, youngest girl still in high school. Ya know, it was like hearing Condoleezza Rice spitting "Kofi Annan's an asshole!!" Anyway...he saId to hold up, I've only heard one side of the story. He said that he, his wife, and all of his kids have been out to see him at various times, and they ALL think he's doing a lot better than before, now that he's eating, and exercising. I talked to his wife, and she said he looks a lot better, and is getting a better attitude. Then she gave the phone to Bro,it turns out he's worried about them wanting to keep him there from now on, when it seems as if, with a nurse that came to visit a couple times a day, and maybe Mobile Meals, he could come home to his house, that he bought back in 1986 and they've lived in since then...and he had it paid off in 5 yrs. Holy shit!! He's right, Mom was bitching to him about Dad yesterday, and Bro said, "Mom, come on. You two have been married way too long (56 years!) to let it end up like this!" Shit, I cannot believe this!! Everyone can think "Oh, it's just sibling rivalry, that's it..."....No, that's not it.You honestly would have to know our family. Bro & X always got along well. I was the only one that didn't like X when we lived at home, and I was in, like, 3rd grade, and X was making me cry and he was yelling at me all the time. I remember crying to Mom about him always picking on me...and he was in his 20's (?). Mom said Libby, he's just jealous of you, I think. What?? I was 8!!, how fucking pathetic and dysfunctional can the situation get?? Yup...say it all together now slowly...Oe-di-pus!!

Libby

Saturday...

I don't know what to write about today. Well, I do, but I'm using severe avoidance tactics to deal with everything going on right now.
My bro went to the hospital Thurs morning, and talked to Dad about the fact that he was going to have to go to a nursing home because of Mom's stage 4 lung cancer, and that she needs to take care of herself right now, and when she's dealing with her diagnosis, she shouldn't have to be depended on to be someone's maid or caregiver. From what I understand, it was all very calm and civil and Dad understood completely where he was going to go, and why. Bro wouldn't let Mom go out there with him, he told her to stay home, he could take care of this...and it seemed like he did, he handled it very well, and diplomatically. (he's always been the go-to guy when me & our oldest brother, or our parents got into it...he likes to say "I'm neutral....think of me as Switzerland!").
So they took Dad to the nursing home yesterday and got him settled. This morning Mom called me and said that Dad had called her Friday night and demanded for her to get him out of there...now! She said well, where should I take you? He thought about it for a second, and said well, maybe you could take me home? She told him no, his doctor and hers both said he can't stay at home with her on their own with no nurses. Turns out, she found out that he wouldn't do anything for himself, refused to eat anything, refused to get out of bed...today he'd refused breakfast, refused to get out of bed and get dressed and get up...holy shit! Now you can see exactly where I get my bullheaded-ness from, huh? I don't know anything about nursing homes at all, but in my Dad's situation, the doctor wants him to get up and move, even if it's just to the tv room where other people are, he even wants him to get some physical therapy. Which Mom joked with the dr about...'you gotta be kidding! somebody's gonna have to be standing over him with a whip for that!' and the dr said, well, somebody out here WILL make him do it. Aaahhh, it really is worse than anybody knew. Mom said he's had a habit lately of sittting in their rocking chair in front of the bigscreen tv with a blanket...over his head. And when she was there this morning, he looked at her and asked her who she was. She said Oh Bob, you know exactly who I am! But yet, all the tests they've done on him, all the dr's say he does not have Alzheimer's.This whole thing just sucks, and nobody can DO shit about it! I just found out today that my oldest brother was the only one who talked to Mom's dr after surgery, and when he told him about the cancer being stage 4, he also used the word grim. I know, I know....It is what it is...well, pardon my mouth, but what it is, is a big fat load of horseshit!! Dammit!!
Libby

wednesday....

Well....now my dad's in the hospital. He went to his regular dr for, like, a checkup yesterday, and the dr checked him out, and said, "You belong in the hospital now!", because he's so unhealthy, is now down to 102 lbs (he used to be 150+!), he does nothing but sleep all the time, doesn't eat more than a couple bites of food at a time, then goes back to the couch and goes back to sleep. Holy crap!
My bro took them to the dr yesterday, Mom called me last night & told me about him having to be in the hospital, and she actually sounded a little relieved that she'd be able to sleep. And I felt good for her too, as bad as I feel for Dad. Life will be much more settled and peaceful for her.
But I called bro on his cell today, and he said that honestly, he thinks Dad walked out the door of his house for the last time yesterday...he's going to a nursing home next, as far as what his dr thinks. Dr has set him up with all kinds of tests for the last year, chest x-rays, and every other test they do to an 88-year old man. And Dad never went to any of them! Now bro & I are worried that even if they find something wrong, they won't be able to fix it, because he's so weak now! Geeez....a month ago, everybody thought everything was great...including Mom! She said before she found out about the cancer, she felt great! Actually, she still says she does!! So WTF is up with life?
Outta here...
Libby

Monday...and Kev's on vacation this week!!

No, no, this isn't Truman...he's far too sophisticated for this kind of crap (at least, that we know of).
I hope everybody had a great & wonderful Mother's Day!!
Kevin made me a cool card on the computer about how raising a daughter is so hard, and we'll laugh about it all someday...cuz that's what people usually do in insane asylums. And Tiff got me a Cookie Monster card that said I love cookies...& Mommy!!! And flowers. Tiffany & I went to Kev's mom's church with her and Kev's sister & her daughter (5 yrs old) for the mother's day mother/daughter thingy, and Tiff & Kat & her little girl showed up wearing t-shirts they'd made that were cool, and said "I love Mom!". How keey-ute!!
My mom still can't go anywhere, but I do call her everyday, and Tiff's over there right now, and so is my cool brother, and they're having Chinese food for dinner...GOOD! Better them than me!! I'm picky, don't like Chinese food...well...I like Ramen noodles (did you say Ramen poodles, Jill??).
Anyway, all the shit's still up in the air about what'll happen with Mom (& Dad). A social worker from the assisted care place they've been talking to was over there with my brother Friday, doing an evaluation on their levels of disability. I guess they're coming back this Friday to go over it. But, as far as anything goes, I absolutely am sure my dad needs a nursing home, and Mom would be great at an assisted care place. And she's saying that too. Because, ok, Mom has already had about 4 heart catheterizations, and her blood pressure is up around 180...she takes a lot of heart pills...today when I called her she had just taken a digitalis, cuz she said her chest was feeling tight. I asked why, she said my dad's still laying in bed, and just called her to bring him a ginger ale (from the other end of the house, of course...). The dr's have Mom on oxygen sometimes (she can take it off & put it on when she feels she needs it). So the company delivered it the other day, after the guy left, Dad walked in there and looked at it, and said "Insurance better be paying for that! I personally don't even think you need it...." and walked away 'grumble, grumble...' And this July will be their 56th anniversary....anyone with a doubt of whether love or money is more secure...read this again!
Okay, I'm done with this for now...
Libby!

Thursday....

My brother brought Mom home from the hospital Tuesday...now she's at home with Dad, and, actually, well, she told me the first time I called her after she got home she wished she was back in the hospital. Not because she feels bad physically, but because my dad is driving her crazy. I guess he's being his usual happy-go-lucky self...not! No, my dad has always been the crabbiest person I know, and bossiest...he was a pretty big boss at work, he must have been hell to work for. I know when he retired from his job, when I was a junior in high school, he never had friends that called him or anything. I thought that was weird at the time, but as I've gotten older, I realized you reap what you sow....
When I talked to Mom yesterday at 10 am, she was really pissed, & I don't blame her a bit! Wouldn't you think that when a person has been in the hospital for 4 days, had a lung biopsy, and been told that she has stage 4 lung cancer, she ought to be in bed, not doing SHIT, trying to get used to everything you've learned? Well, turns out Mom had to make dinner Tuesday night & clean up after, of course, yesterday he yelled at her to make his coffee, then while we were on the phone, he was yelling at her that he wanted her to make him a scrambled egg for breakfast...
...and here I sit, halfway across town, and I can't drive to get over there or anything, and she better not drive either...Kev's at work, Tiff's at work...I was on the phone with her this morning, and heard the other phone click a couple times when he picked up the phone to listen. Unbelievable! Now does everybody understand WHY I got pregnant & married before I graduated? And when I took Tiffany & left him, I rented an apartment for me & Tiff...no freakin' WAY was I gonna go home, even though they wanted us to.
Mom told me on the phone today that my older (not oldest) brother is coming over today, and the two of them are gonna go check out an assisted living/nursing home for them today. He & I talked about it over the weekend, and, honestly, Dad's the one that needs a nursing home, but assisted living will be good for mom too. Brother's been going through all their insurance papers to check stuff out all weekend, they still have his ins from work,+ Medicare, & Social Security, pension, so a lot of stuff'll be taken care of...the whole thing just sucks ass, that's all! When they sold the big 3 story house in 1986, & bought the one story house, everything was supposed to be perfect, wasn't it???? SHIT!!!
But I'm awful glad I had the steroids when I did, so I still feel good enough to deal with this. Oh, by the way, I found a really good breakfast today...a 1/4 gallon of Nestle's French Vanilla Ice Cream!! Mmmmmmmm....
Libby

tuesday...

I guess I was wrong when I thought that life was done kicking me in the ass for at least a little while...teach me to think, huh? No, that's not right. Usually if that ever happens, I get over it, blah, blah, blah. But, everything since Friday still has me fucking trying to figure out which way is up or down...I've heard the term 'soul searching' before, but I truly never grasped the real concept until this weekend. Mom had a biopsy on one of her lungs Friday at the James cancer center in Columbus. She's already had a third of the other lung removed about 5 years ago...she's never had anyproblems with that one anymore,but a few weeks ago, the dr didn't like what he saw on this one, so he biopsied it Friday. My Dad didn't go to Columbus with her for the 4 days, cuz his health is not even close to being that good anymore, so my middle brother & his family have been keeping him fed, taking food over to him, etc. And my oldest brother works in Columbus, so he's been able to be at the hospital a lot with Mom. Oh, by the way...my middle brother called me Friday night...Mom has stage 4 lung cancer...
Before Kev, Tiff, & I went down there to see her for a few hours Sunday, my midddle brother called and told me that Dad had called him that morning at 8 am, and told him "I've looked all over the house all morning for your mother, and I don't think she's here. I don't think she was even home last night..."
Libby! Gotta stop...

Friday!! and it's SUNNY!! two days in a row!!

Wow!! It's really great to feel like this. Ya know, not tired & dragged out all the time. Prednisone has to be my favorite drug EVER!! uhhh...do I sound like Patrick Kennedy here? Nope, not touching that one....

Okay, I've got a few of the pictures from the radio show...Tiff's doing the eyebrow waxing, & you won't believe Candy / Jesse!! Candy's about 7 months pregnant with her first baby (she's the one I told it'd be a girl a couple days b4 she got her ultrasound). When they were on the air, one of the dj's said she should name her daughter Jesse, when she has her! I think that would be neat! Even as a middle name!
I am getting way worse about eating today! It's weird, sometimes when I'm on pred, I get real hungry, then other times, I don't....guess what kind of time this is...I've tried to explain it to Kevin, it feels like my stomach is just eating itself! Between 7 am & noon, I had 2 strawberry shortcake ice cream bars, one of those new Wendy's deli-style sandwiches (leftover from last night), a handful of twizzlers, and a pepperoni hot-pocket...oh, yeah, and don't forget about 1/2 gallon of chocolate milk, a bunch of orange juice...holy shit! At least my jean shorts don't feel too tight...(yet?).
Tiff did my ms avonex shot again last night. She's been doing it once a week for at least a month now, and she's so good at it! I told her last night I was really proud of her for doing that for me...especially since I know she has absolutely no interest in doing anything 'nurse-like'...I watch all the surgery channels on tv while they're eating, and Kev & Tiff bitch when we're eating pizza & I turn on the show about Dr G, Medical Examiner. She's pulling the brain out, Kev & Tiff & Zak are retching, and I'm 'diagnosing', while I'm eating! :-/
I was wrong about Zak's graduation, it's this weekend. So Tiff's up there til Sunday. She got stuff like, hundreds of balloons, and a huge blow-up palm tree that holds a bunch of beer & ice, and everything.
Okay....Kim called this morning, and I'll do something about that tomorrow...it's kinda funny, but really gross, mixed in with something very odd...
BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

More randomness...

Hmmm...happy Mother's Day??

I'm just happy I didn't qualify for this picture!

Tiffany & a co-worker, Candy, did a commercial yesterday on a local radio station. Actually, they were there during the whole morning show, from 7 to 9 am. Tiff waxed one of the dj's eyebrows while they were there, and they were all making fun of him for whining, and they put pictures of it on the website! There's also a picture of Candy beside Jesse, from Toy Story 2, because they look SO MUCH alike!! (keep in mind, Jesse is a WOODEN DOLL!!). Then they were doing the promotion for the commercial, it's a big bunch of stuff for Mother's Day and everything. Then they were asking the girls 'tell us about your mom', and Tiffany said "My mom's my hero! And I know you're listening, so Hi Mom!" I almost started crying! But....I guess that's what comes with pms, & all...my cousin & I laugh about the time we were watching tv, and she started crying at a coffee commercial, for heaven's sake!!

Kevin said a lot of the geeses' eggs are hatching out at Verizon, too. They have a big pond out behind the building he works at, and there's so many geese out there, I always tell him he should have his dad & brother go out there hunting one night, and we could have a deep fried goose for Thanksgiving...anyway, he said the babies look funny, they're all green, their feathers don't get that brown mix into them for a while. I said, so it looks like a bunch of mama geese with frogs following them around? He said, well, actually, yes! But he isn't sure how long the babies will be there, cuz there's some stray cats hanging out there in the country around that building...mmmm, lunch!

And I just ripped up some pieces of bread in little pieces, and threw them outside for the birds that always hang out chirping here outside the window, so Truman could hang out here on his 'kitty condo' beside the window & look at them. Then it started to look like it was gonna rain! Kev called on lunch, and I said 'I threw bread pieces out in the yard for the birds, and now it's gonna rain!! Wahhh!' He said that's ok...we'll just grow a bread tree, I guess...

Okay, I guess I'm done...not much else...I'm just really restless now after the steroids, and I'm busy, uhhhhhh, eating!! As a matter of fact, I hear a box of strawberry shortcake ice cream bars in the freezer calling me right now...after I finish my second sloppy joe here...

BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

continued from Mon, May 1 post...if you didn't read that, you oughtta read it first

Okay…to continue with yesterday’s post on “the rickshaw solution”. My cousin and I had an extensive conversation on some more creative and fun ideas to do with them…I know if I could do the rickshaw drag, I’d have a helluva time with it! We decided that, since we’re in Ohio, and people here always talk about “we’re going to Amish country this weekend! Yippee!”…sounding like they’re little kids talking about going to Cedar Point or the zoo or something…sheesh! I know, it’s something enjoyable to a lot of people, but just not my cup of tea (or can of Coke). It just brings me a picture in my mind of people going there, wandering around among “the Amish”, looking curiously at them like they’re wandering around in the exotic animal exhibit at the zoo. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d feel all degraded if I was Amish and people treated me like that. But anyway, we decided that we could set up “rickshaw town”. She even chose the perfect town for it up in northwest Ohio! That would be a huge income for the whole part of Ohio! A tourist attraction, if you will…
Okay, that thought led to something…during all the festivals in that area all summer (like the testicle festival…do not disbelieve me here…I worked in that area for two years, and I KNOW FOR A FACT they have one up there…look it up! They actually deep-fry them and serve them…TO EAT!! They’re said to be delicious with beer.) We could set up rickshaw races, with just the ‘draggers’ pulling empty carts around the track…for an extra challenge for the men & women that were the best, maybe we could have them compete against horses (not real racehorses) with a sulky with a rider in it. Then I had to put one more nail in the coffin when I caught my breath after we’d been killing ourselves laughing for about 10 minutes. For the really daring, tough guys that wanted to…we’d let them do a rickshaw demolition derby! I’m disturbed and out of control now, maybe I could blame it on the 1000 milligrams of ‘liquid prednisone’ that’s going into my veins for a half hour a day!
But, I’m working on something that could tie it in and maybe help the illegal aliens with working on getting citizenship. Our federal government could supply a rickshaw to people that wanted to become legal, and once they did that job for 5 years, and take the citizenship classes, and be fluent in English, and had no criminal record or arrests, that could maybe somehow speed things up for them. Also, Tx brought up the point yesterday that it may not be good for some people’s health. Okay. We’ll also spring for a total physical exam, to be repeated every year. We can afford that, because we’ll be getting taxes on their income, and hopefully some deal can be made with an insurance company to give a super good deal to all ‘draggers’, illegal or citizens, and that may help defray the losses of the hospital bills that don’t currently get paid (like emergency room visits).
Well, I think that’s all I can come up with for that right now…
BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

I am SO friggin' smart....

...sometimes I scare myself!!

Would this be a solution to some of America's problems today??

This would kill a bunch of birds with one stone. RICKSHAWS, that's the solution!

#1 - no more gas stations for you. You could sit there on your cell phone, and not have to worry about paying attention to the road, or other crazy drivers. You could calmly sit there and wave leisurely at the 'dummies' that are sitting in line at the gas stations, waiting impatiently to pay $75.00, just so they can get to work faster! What?? Why? So they can make more money to give to the gas station, etc, etc, etc. And so it goes....

#2 - Obesity in the United States is at a record high, and people just don't know what to do to lose weight. Eureka!! No more crap about how expensive a gym is to work out in! Walking & liifting weights are some of the best exercises you can do for yourself! People would start to be fit again, and feel much better about themselves, therefore, America would be the good looking nation it has always been!

#3 - This could do away with a lot of the unemployment. Rickshaw drivers (draggers) would get paid just like taxi drivers. Only they would have a lot less expensive maintenance on their vehicles! I can just see a body shop with a rickshaw on the lift.."Well, it looks like you're missing your catalytic converter, your muffler must've fallen off at some time...."

#4 - You have lazy teenagers that just WILL NOT get a job? There'll be no better of a character-building tool as a rickshaw dragger for their first job. When they're finally ready to grow up & realize that you HAVE to work in the real world, there will be no other 'first job' that'll speak better of their character, their commitment, oh, everything! After all, if you want a damn good worker, you hire the person that really wants a better job than what they used to have. And, as far as a lazy person thinks, well, what job wouldn't be better than 'rickshaw dragging'?

#5 - And last, but not least...so much for the fallacy that America does less than nothing to help out on the 'global warming' problem!

Okay...those are just some ideas I've been working on this weekend...

....another idea just came to me...'undocumented workers' could get applications for citizenship after they are rickshaw draggers for 5 years, if they have no criminal record, and are fluent in English after taking classes for it. Also, they MUST pass a yearly physical....I'm still thinking about some more stuff to put in here...

BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

Friday! Tiff's boyfriend graduates from college this weekend

I put this pumpkin picture on, in honor of the fact that Halloween is only about 6 months away! Is everybody gettin' ready?? Naw, it's probably gonna be how everybody in Zach's class is gonna be celebrating this weekend. He's actually wanting to go to law school now that he's done with 4 years of college (on a scholarship! brainiac!)
I have no idea what's on my mind today, so I guess this is just gonna be an amalgam of subjects (ooohhhh...good word!).
What the hell is up with Iran's leader, Ahmadinejad!! And, bigger question...why are the two countries in the Security Council that are the closest geographically to Iran opposed to diplomatically passing a resolution to put sanctions on it? Even better question...who in the HELL decided that Russia & China should even be ON the permanent United Nations Security Council?? Oh, yeah. The leader of the UN is Kofi... No, hopefully it gets handled peacefully. We have enough SHIT on our plate now! Okay....
All illegal immigrants are supposed to not go to work Monday? Well...maybe that's gonna be a good day to go job hunting for legal Americans...they're talking about building a big fence on the southern border. Could they legally make it an electric fence? Or maybe dig a moat instead, adding alligators & sharks? (now, that's thinking outside the box.). No, I welcome everybody from every other country that wants to come here, to work, and better themselves. But...everybody needs to know that we don't now, and have never, had 'open borders'! Why do people think they're 'special', and, therefore can work and get paid 'under the table', and not have to pay taxes, like LEGAL AMERICANS do every week?? And then use the 'free' (to them) health services like the ER and having a baby purposely in this country?
Sorry...just some of my pet peeves...
BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

alright, alright! i'm tagged! (thanks, you michigan peach!)

Haha!! I'll think of this every time I hear the phrase used!! And I'm not saying shit about the first picture!!

All right, I'll do the tag from Peach...I'd hyperlink her name, but I don't know how, so any hints would be welcomed!! It's for me to list 6 weird things about me...which will be really hard to do, since I AM the world's most perfect person, as I'm certain everyone reading this + my husband & daughter know!! Seriously!! I mean it!

#1 - I reread my books over & over, and I never get rid of any book. I have bookshelves in this house that Kevin built for me years ago, & they're ALL full! And I have a closet upstairs full, floor to ceiling of old paperbacks!
#2 - I still have lots of stuffed animals...mine, not just Tiff's!
#3 - I'm pretty much hooked on tv, but I usually have a book in my hand to read during commercials!
#4 - But I watch Fox News Channel all day, and then turn it back there at 10 pm.
#5 - Leftover pizza is my favorite breakfast...and just like Peach...COLD, not heated up!
#6 - I really don't like dogs. I'm not afraid of them, I just think they're, well, a lot more trouble than they're worth.
#7 - (oops...too many) I do like Tiff & Zach's papillon, she's more than welcome here, but only cuz I can tell them to get her outta here now...

That's my work for the day. !

The guy from the drug company that supplies my iv's & steroids showed up today, to drop off the bags of liquid steroids, the iv pole & needles, and everything. If I still had good enough balance, I'd be jumping up & down, clapping my hands, yelling "Yay!! Hurry UP!!" However, even with my stupid walker, I fell down in the kitchen (again) today. I think I'm like the peanut butter sandwich that always falls p'nut butter side down...whenever I fall down, it's ALWAYS in the kitchen where there's no carpet!! But, I lived...nothing a few Excedrins & a can of Coke won't help!

BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

i'm freekin' FREEZIN'!!!

I absolutely LOVED this stray kitten!! Our little neighbor girl brought her up to our door one day in the summer of 2003, and said this kitten & her brothers & sisters had just been turned loose, and she & her friends were trying to find homes for them..that was really nice of them, actually! I fell in love with this one, told her to leave it here....but, you see Truman's look of disgust at little Tinkerbell, so eventually I let her stay in the fenced backyard, & she lived on a lawn chair back there, and I fed & watered her til we found somebody who wanted her. I miss her still...

When I was at the 'store from hell', I used to hang out with my cousin, who only lived about 20 minutes from there. She was in college in Toledo, and stopped by one day on her way up there to pay her tuition, to see if I wanted to ride up there with her and her friend. Well, it was only another hour north, I like Toledo, it was almost time to get out of there for the day...need I explain further why I said yes?
So we all got in the car (me, Lori, & her friend), and headed up there, stopping first at McDonalds on the way out of town. We were bee-boppin' to one of our favorite songs (Here I Go Again On My Own, by Whitesnake), and keeping time with the windshield wipers & the song, and chomping on McDonalds stuff. All fun & games, ya know. It was pouring down rain...and in the fall, when there were all kinds of leaves falling, it was COLD & UGLY out!!
We got behind one of the cars whose drivers go, like, 45 mph in a 55 mph zone, and we were all bitching about it, but we actually slowed way down and backed off a lot, cuz it was so shitty out. That car turned off, and we had an empty road ahead. Everything was all peachy-keen, til there was a car coming toward us in the other lane, and a car going fast in our lane to pass it! They must have finally opened their eyes and realized our car was coming, and they hurried up and passed the car and got over in their own lane, but Lori wasn't sure we were gonna miss them and put on the brakes (not slammed!). All of a sudden, we were spinning around like a top, and we ended up in someone's front yard! We got out and looked at the car (to this day, Lori laughs about the fact that as the car is spinning, I'm stuffing the last bite of Big Mac in my mouth!). We went & apologized to the lady in the house for messing up her yard, and she let us in to use her phone. I got to the phone and called..T, my dependable store mgr!! Told him where we were, asked him "Well, ummm, can you please pick us up?" He did and took us back to the store so I could get my car, and I had to get Lori back home, so she could get to her job on time...and I was the one that had to take her dad & brother to the car, and try to explain the whole fuckin' thing! This, to my uncle, who is a tuff, tattooed, Harley rider & collector, tobacco-spittin' farmer! Shit!! She had just ran in the house, grabbed her work clothes, and said "Dad, Libby'll explain everything to you. Gotta go to work! See ya!" and my aunt took her to work! We got up there to the car, turned out the frame was bent, so the car was fucked & taken to a junkyard, and, well, I've made it my lifelong mission to make sure nobody in the family EVER forgets about this!!
BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

fix a bad day fast with cake for breakfast,ice cream sandwich for 'breakfast dessert'

Okay... today is much, much better! I called my ms dr up in Cleveland yesterday, and set everything up to get my iv steroids May 1st for 3 days...ms really sucks, but I guess this would be a 'fringe benefit'...LEGAL DRUGS that work better than illegal ones!! Very speed-like!! And 3 days of 1 hour each day is a VERY small price to pay for it! Especially since insurance pays for it. So I guess I can go without the crack for awhile (haha!).
When I requested to be transferred to the store up north, I must have been a total Godsend for the company, because there were major problems up there! I originally thought that would be a cool store to work at, cuz T was the manager up there, and, well, I was having NO LUCK with Kevin my biggest crush, so I got pissed and decided to go! No, that wasn't the reason, T was married...but, yeah, he was abso-fuckin-lutely gorgeous!! And he had been our store manager for a few months, and we got along really well (as friends!!! & boss & employee). So, yes, I ASKED for it! And, come to think of it, it was, like 20 years ago today!! Holy shit! I'm fuckin' old!!
Well, I got up there my first day, and after talking to a lot of other people that worked there, I realized that I was going to work in a 'den of iniquity'!! And if anyone thinks mistakenly that's an overstatement, read on!
I found out first thing that the current dept manager that I was replacing, had also requested her transfer, cuz...her fiance had been screwing around behind her back with a girl that worked in the meat dept in the same store!! And now, the girl in the meat dept was hugely pregnant with his baby!! Yeah...I bet that was a calm & pleasant experience to work in...or shop in, for that matter! A few weeks later, the old dept mgr's mom was calling everyone in town to find out if they'd seen her the night before, because she was missing. Nobody had seen her, but then a few hours later, the sheriff's office called her mom and told her they had found her dead by the side of the road. Turned out that she was back with her old screw-around boyfriend/fiance, and she was out riding his motorcycle with him. After that all happened, well, after the funeral, he got back with A, and married her, and they had a baby girl! And, as far as I know, they're still married...
BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

Thursday...my tv night! (Survivor,CSI,W/O A Trace)!

I would pay TONS of money to see this actually happen! (no, with my luck it'd be me!)

Okay, I started something now...gotta write about the time up north...well, I'll get to a lot of it...
One time, Sue, M, and a lot of people from our store got together on a Saturday night to go out. We went over to the next town again, 15 minutes aways (like I hadn't learned my lesson before), but I was driving this time! We must've looked like a clown car, headed to the circus, cuz I had about 5 or 6 of us women in my my 1980 Honda Accord (the best car in the world!), and my kinda sorta sometimes when we got along guy was in another car with about 5 guys too.
We went to a different bunch of bars that night (one musta been in a gang area, cuz there was a big sign on the door that said "no colors"....and I don't think, even in that hick town back then, that was referring to black people...). We were just a whole bunch of friends going out and partying, not trying to piss people off or anything, but after a few hours, Sue pulled me aside and told me that M &, let's just call him John, were kinda hanging all over each other, didn't I care? I just told her, no, we each do what we want, it's not a real big deal...I don't give that much of a shit about him. After all, I'm hanging with Brian...
Well, after she heard that, I guess she really was mad at M herself, cuz it seems that she had plans for her to be John's next. But that had no chance of happening, for obvious physical reasons (she was twice as big around as John), but she had a really fun personality.
We were all out on the dance floor, and the music ended cuz it was about 2:30 am (remember when bars closed that early?). We all got together and headed out to the cars, when all of a sudden I was looking around for Sue, and she was nowhere to be found! Looked everywhere, went back in the bar, even checked the bathrooms in there, but no Sue! So most of the women got in the car with me to go drive around town and look for her. Up and down all those damn one-way streets, and everywhere, for about 2 more hours! Well, we were not to be trusted to watch out for each other, so...we met up with everyone else, and said goodbye, and took off back to the town we came from. God, I sound like a total shit, don't I? Group idiocy, I guess....I just stayed up there with M that night. The next Monday, we found out exactly where Sue had been....she had fucking WALKED home, 15 miles!! I was jumping up & down at her, wanting to know why in the hell would you do that?? She only shrugged and said she didn't wanna break up the party or anything, but the more I put it together, I think she had had 'plans' for her & John that night. (she's SO much better off without him! hmmm...maybe she oughtta be thanking us?)

American Idol last night...

Let's compare the IQ'S on these two...make sure you look closely at the date on the shirt at the left...then the kitten on the right. You pick. Which one graduated from high school?

American Idol last night was GREAT!! I actually think Paris deserves a recording contract right now, she sings so awesome, and at 17!! And, well, Ace, oh my God, he looked better last night than he EVER has! Holy shit! What sexy eyebrows!! (yes, that's my weakness...)

One time when I worked at the store up north, I went out drinking with a bunch of people from the store. It must've been in, like, December...I remember it was cold as hell! We decided to go over to the next town, basically, there were better bars (more hot guys) over there. I rode with another girl, which I almost never did, cuz I always had to drive (control freak..).So it was about a 15 minute drive over there. We parked in front of the bar we knew we were going to last, then just walked to about 8 or 10 different ones. Got back to the one we parked in front of, and went in, and went back to drinking and dancing. We all had a great time, cuz it was a Tuesday, and usually only we 'regulars' were there in the middle of the week. It got to be around 1 am, and I asked Sue to take me back to the store, cuz I still was gonna have an hour to drive to get home from there, and I'd have to be back to work the next day at 7:30/8:00 am. So we went be-boppin' out of the bar, all in a good mood and stuff...and it was snowing! There was about 2 inches of snow on the ground already. We were messing around, chasing each other and stuff, and I slid & fell smack on my ass! Which, of course, led to much laughing by everybody!! I got up, got the snow off me, and we all got in Sue's van to go back to the store. When we got there, she dropped me off at my car, and they all left. I went to my car, reaching in my jacket pocket for my keys...and they weren't there!! I was looking through every pocket in that jacket, and I just didn't have 'em! I went running in the store (it was a 24-hour store), so I could go in the bathroom and have a meltdown in private.
I slammed into the breakroom, and, I couldn't believe it! T, the store manager was in there still doing some paperwork! He was one of the best friends I ever had up there. I sat down across from him & buried my head in my hands "T, I lost my keys!!" *wail pitifully*. He stood up & smiled (who am I kidding? He laughed!). "Are you SURE you didn't just leave them in a bar?" I told him I NEVER take my keys out of my pocket and put 'em down on a bar, for Chrissakes! So (& this shows he really WAS a good friend!), he went to the office & called his wife, told her he had something to do before he came home (he lived about 45 minutes in another direction!), we went out and got in his truck. He drove us over to the town I'd been in, and went to the parking lot beside the bar, where we'd been. There was a guy out in front, using a snowblower on the sidewalk (at 2 am??). We just sat there & watched him for awhile. All of a sudden, I said "I bet I dropped 'em right there!!", and jumped out. I ran over, and my big group of key chains & keys were laying right there in front of the snowblower! I grabbed them right before he got to them! I still can NOT believe that!! Those keys, by all rights, should have been gone forever! I still wonder about what happened to make me so lucky!
BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

i guess it's only tuesday...

Geez...hope this cat knows how to read!

When I was about 15, I started dating (well, kinda) the guy who worked at the pizza shop Kim & I always bought beer at. He was always really nice...actually, he was a true gentleman-type (he wasn't the one there that sold us the beer...the other guys were!). He was 18, and had his own apartment, which was the party-house for everybody...well, mostly the cute guys. This is the house that I got high with the guy in prison now for murder, I still don't think he did it, but that's beside the point. I used to be at that apartment a lot, cuz by then Kim & her family had moved, and I couldn't get to her house, she couldn't get to mine. And, like I said, C was a really nice guy, not like one of those oafs that only think about one thing when they're around a younger girl!
And this is what totally proves that he was truly a nice guy...my mom & dad let me go out on dates at night with him when he was driving! He used to pick me up at school every day when I was in 10th grade. Not that I lived all that far away, just 4 or 5 blocks, but we always played around in the parking lot after school was over with everyone else, stuff like Frisbee, softball, basketball, etc.
One day, everybody was in the parking lot, just messing around, somebody on the other side of the lot was selling drugs, pot & speed were the big ones, but acid had just gotten big. That and qualudes (sp?). So there's a guy over there selling 'Goofy acid'...acid must've been painted on a sheet of perforated pieces of paper with Goofy on them. He had a great big handful of those torn apart, and was selling them like hotcakes for $2.50 a hit. All of a sudden, the wind picked up, and all of them blew out of his hand, and scattered them all across the parking lot!! Now THAT was funny!!
One other time, we were all out there and it was a real boring morning. There was a little building out between the parking lot and the street, and one of the custodians walked out to it, unbolted the door, and went in to fix something, I guess. So, a guy I didn't know ran over to the building and put the padlock back on, and ran back & got in his car, & took off! Oh my God, I don't think I or anyone else had ever laughed harder! And, no, I was still the 'bad girl', and never told C to go let the guy out. *hanging head in shame*.
After I had been married & divorced (within a year, mind you! married at 18, had Tiffany later that year, divorced when I was 19...) C & I got back together. He was still as nice as he always was, and Tiff loved him! He always played with her a lot, & spoiled her, and everything. Everything was okay til it got to the point that he wanted us to 'be serious about each other'. I took about, mmm, a half hour to think about it, then said no, it's too soon, I don't want to be 'tied down' yet (as opposed to tied up). That night I went out with a couple friends from high school, and when I came home to my apartment, found a note in my door from C that said he didn't want to be with me if I was gonna date other guys too. That did kinda hurt...but not enough to make me change my mind. Ya know how a lot of single women with kids let their kids call their boyfriend 'daddy'? I never, ever let Tiff call ANYONE daddy till Kevin adopted her! She used to call him C-Mom, though. Now that was so cute! But Mom was so pissed cuz we broke up, I couldn't believe it! (well, yeah, I guess I can). She was uptight about that til Kev & I had been married about 5 years! Actually, Tiff & I saw him at Kroger once about 10 years ago...He was walking behind me down an aisle, and all of a sudden, I hear "Steelers? What a shitty team!", because I was wearing my great big Steelers winter jacket. I whipped around, ready to say something smartass, and it was him! I started cracking up, and he said 'Yup...still got that shit-eatin' grin, dontcha?
BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

more 9th grade stuff...

Tigger obviously had a wonderful Easter, didn't he? (I'm obsessed with Tigger, cantcha tell?). And I thought the other picture was very appropriate for this time of year!

Back in 9th grade, Kim & I couldn't hang out every day anymore, cuz that was her first year when they moved out to the country, and she changed schools...but we still hung out every weekend, and were on the phone every night.
That meant that I mostly hung out every day at school with Kris & Lisa, some other friends from 8th grade. Kris was pretty much just as nutty as I was, Lisa was pretty much our 'straight man'. We always walked to school together every morning, cuz the 9th grade was in its own separate school downtown (why?? cuz of the bad behavior?). And we'd always stop by a newspaper & cigar store on the way to school and spend all our lunch money on candy & gum...didn't you?
One evening, Kris was in a fight with her mom & dad because of her being mean to her younger sister. She was sent to her room & grounded. Well, Kris got really, really pissed cuz her sister had started it, after all, and when Kris was upstairs in her room she was pounding the pillow & screaming (yes, 9th grade). She finally sat up & looked around...caught sight of something interesting right outside her window. It was one of those great big antennas, made of really thick metal, and three-sided. She quietly opened the window, and climbed out, on the antenna, and down, and she was FREE!! She forgot her shoes, however, so there I was, in my room on our second floor, too, and on the phone with Kim. All of a sudden, I hear little rocks out of our driveway hitting my window. I told Kim to hang on, and went to my window...it was Kris! (she lived in town, about 10 blocks from me). She's down in the driveway, throwing rocks up, and she wanted a pair of shoes, so she could walk over to her boyfriend's house!! haha!! I threw them down, and she took off over there. Pretty soon, I was off the phone, and it rang...it was Kris's mom asking my mom if she'd seen Kris anywhere! Nope, she hadn't seen her since that morning before school. And, of course, I hadn't seen her since right after school...but, yeah, I think her mom found her...not that it was that hard! Didn't every girl in 9th grade run straight to her boyfriend after a fight with her parents?
Another day, Kris & her boyfriend had a fight the night before, and he broke up with her. Kris, Lisa, & I were walking down one of the main streets in town on the way to school, talking (well, Kris was 'ranting'. She couldn't LIVE without him!!). All of a sudden, she threw all her books at Lisa, and yelled "I don't need this shit!", and took off running in the opposite direction of our houses and the school. I dumped my books on Lisa too, and ran after Kris, yelling "Put these in my locker!!" We ended up running all the way to the end of the main street, before we stopped to catch our breath. Then stood there, bent over with our hands on our knees, looked at each other, and started dying laughing like maniacs! Then we looked at our watches and decided it was way too late to go to school, after all, who wants to be tardy? So we walked all the way to the railroad tracks, then up the other street, and all the way out to the outside of town. Had to stop and play in the park, throw rocks in the duck pond, etc...then we went on down that street, turned and walked down past the factories out there, and a lot of the guys were outside eating lunch. They started yelling over at us, telling us to c'mon over to that side of the road. So of course we did, and we were telling them to toss over any bags of Fritos or potato chips they didn't want, cuz, remember, we spent our lunch money on gum & candy?
So after standing around, talking and eating (& flirting...), we started walking again. At the end of that road, we turned and followed the next one back to town, and started walking back to the middle of town. We were gonna go to the 'head shop' we hung out at after school every day to talk to the owner & meet our friends. On the way out of an alley, all of a sudden, we walked right into (literally!) the school's secretary, who was walking from the school to the post office!! We turned around and ran back down the alley, and crammed into a doorway (yeah...like she'd NEVER seen us...even though she was calling our names...). We stood there and debated what to do, and came up with a most wonderful idea! We walked back to the school, holding our eyes wide open so wind would blow into them, and make it look like we'd been crying. Got to the school, walked up to the principal's office, looked in, and started crying for real, because both our moms were sitting in there talking to the principal while her little brother & my niece were playing together (both about 3). Anyway, nobody got kicked out or anything, but we both got in trouble at home!!
BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

Easter weekend...Saturday...

Nothing really needs to be said here, now does it?

Cool! The movie "Cowboy Way" is on right now! I love it!! One of Kev's favorite lines is in it.."just wipe its nasty ol' ass, and put it on m'plate!" when somebody asks how do you like your steak? Puke. I want mine almost burnt!
Anyway...this morning started out with my (almost) favorite game. I woke up to really loud music, and the bedroom door was closed. I waited for the first 3 songs, then got up, and on my way to the shower, said, " Aldo Nova, Rush, and Motley Crue...". We always do this shit, and I love it! He's the only person I know that knows more artists of songs from the 80's than me!! So he always plays the songs, and I (try to) guess the artists. I'm disappointed in my talents for this morning, though. I struck out on Kansas "Carry on my Wayward Son". Shit!
Truman was crawling up on the highest part of our desk today. All I heard was "Truman get down, dammit!" I asked why he was yelling at my swe' pea...and Kev said he was trying to get to the cactus we put up there. I said, "Let him get it. He'll only do it once...". Haha!! Obviously, Kev ignored that brilliant idea, I heard him dump Tru down on the floor...which I've asked him time and time again not to do..."He'll hurt his dear wittle front paws!!" So Tiff and Zach came in a few minutes later, on their way down to a Blue Jackets hockey game. And, immediately, Tru was back up sniffing at the cactus! I heard Tiff say the same thing I did, word for word..."Let him get it, Dad...he'd only do it once...". Nope...dump, again...
Kev just came home from the drugstore. He got the Easter grass, etc.
there (you just don't do WalMart the day before a holiday...). Anyway, he picked me up a pack of Sudafed there, and it's getting even worse than I thought...not only did he have to get it from the pharmacist, they also took down his DRIVER'S LICENSE and put it in the computer! For one fucking box of Sudafed! What is the Midwest coming to?????????
I absolutely know why kids' life are like this now!! Because of the music they listen to nowadays!! Okay, I'm my mom & dad...but, seriously! No matter WHAT we listened to in the 1980's, it wasn't 'gangsta rap', all about fucking every girl, calling women 'ho's' etc! Lemme tellya, anyone that would've had the guts to call us "ho's" in the 80's would've gotten their asses kicked by us!! All those songs were about was having fun, going crazy, drinking, dancing...just FUN!! Even just listening to the music without the words, you can tell, it's just FUN MUSIC!! Not all depressing. And I still say Nirvana was the first sign of this shit! No matter what anyone says. I still think that's when all the whiney-ass music started. Okay, I shouldn't rant about them anymore...I'm just gonna quit now, and listen to the Arena Rock channel on digital cable (channel 412, but it might be different everywhere)...White Lion is on now, and I always was in love with them...not much better than a guy who can play the guitar like that...except a guy who can sing like the lead with Creed! (oops...Scott Stapp!)
BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

whatta great day outside!!

I don't really know what I want to write about today, so I think it's gonna just be random!
Kevin was telling me last night that this year, he's definitely going to make sure he mows the backyard for sure, every week this summer! No matter what! Me, being the prime smartass that I am, I had to ask "Why start this year?" (ouch) He just looked over at me & said, "Well...last October when I did it, I found a Japanese family in the grass that didn't know the war was over...". Dammit! He ALWAYS gets the better line in last!!
He's going to the Blue Jackets hockey game tonight with his brother. That's really cool...and I'm gonna stay home & order a Mexican pizza, read, & watch CSI, & Without A Trace! & oh yeah, Survivor. That sounds like more fun to me right now!!
I'm sad cuz Bucky got kicked off last night. I was kinda (no, I'll be honest here...really hoping it would be the guy with gray hair). Yeah, I guess I'm 'age prejudiced'...even though he's probably WAY younger than me!! Shit! I'm starting to feel so old that if I look, my Social Security number probly starts with three zeros!
Wow, I just realized I still have to send something to Sharon in Australia! She bought a cane at the Smithsonian when she was in, well, wherever the Smithsonian is. I was gonna send it UPS. Uh-uh! We looked on the internet, and it'd cost $141.00 to send it! Holy CRAP!! I emailed her & told her that, and she wrote back that she planned on us sending it through the post office, she doesn't care if it takes a month or so to get there! Oh. Okay. That's better. We looked that up and it's only gonna be like $25.00. Pheeww. That's a lot better!
Oh!! The 13 year old that Tiffany was told was pregnant...well, we saw her brother working at Red Lobster when we went out for lunch the weekend before Sharon left, and (I still have a hard time believing this, even though I SAW it) Tiffany went over to him when he was on break, and she frikken' asked him, "I heard your sister's pregnant. Is that really true?" Oh, God. Yeah, she's her momma's daughter...the difference is...I might wonder like crazy, but I would NEVER have the balls to ASK!! Especially since they live close by! He said no, she better not be, I'd have to do some major ass-kicking!! (he is 18).
Tiffany is still real happy at Fantastic Sam's, cutting hair, and she must be awfully good at it, too. (well, I know she does well with mine...) A lady called her phone number last week (it's different than ours, but on our regular phone). Usually I just ignore it when her number rings, cuz it's 2 short rings, and she hasn't used that number since she got a cell phone, so nobody calls it except telemarketers. Anyway, when it rang, I looked at caller id, & it was a name & a local number, so I answered, and she said "Is this Tiffany XX's number??" I wondered "my God, what has she done now?" said a silent prayer, and said yes. The woman said "Thank God! I found her!" Turns out this lady was a regular customer of Tiff's when she was at Fiesta, and, of course, they won't ever tell a customer where a stylist went (understandable), she knew Tiff's first & last name, and had been going through the phone book for her!! And that's super funny to me, cuz when I got that number for her, I just had it put in as T XX, no address, and her number!! Wow! That's almost as good as the guy that came to our door to find out where she works now!
BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

Wednesday, Apr 12

Wow, this is impressive. And tell me...why is the guy in the truck smiling??
Now this is just disturbing.

I didn't even have time yesterday to write on here, cuz I was working on a birthday card for Kat all day! It's not like it was so hard to find a card for her on our greeting card program thingy...the problem was that I decided to be creative, and delete the nicey-nice verse on the inside, and replace it with my own creative verses. It was lots of fun, and I WISH I could do THAT for a living. HowEVER...it took like 5 hours! So we all went to Kat's birthday party at her house last night, and watched American Idol. (OH! Chris is SO freakin' hot!! Tiffany thinks so too, which is just WRONG! A mom & her daughter shouldn't think the same guy is hot & sexy!).
Anyway, this feels like the first day in a long time that I've had a chance to just sit & do nothin', like the blissful sloth I secretly am! It's a beautiful day (in the neighborhood) here, the sun is out, it's warm (70's), and windy, & oh, did I mention, I'm in central Ohio, and it's SUNNY!!
I forgot to mention what happened the day after Sharon went back to Australia! I was sitting on the couch, talking on the phone with Kim, and all of a sudden someone was banging on the front door. I told Kim, "Hey, somene's at the door. You hold on, I'll go get it, but if I scream, it's a killer, so come and save me, okay?" We laughed, I dropped the cordless phone down in the chair, but must've hit a button on it accidentally. I opened the door, and it was my youngest older brother (my favorite). He came in and I got the big ol' bear hug like always, and he called me 'baby girl', like he always does (cuz he was 11 when I was born!). And we just came in here to the dining room and sat around and talked about what Sharon & I had been doing....all of a sudden we hear footsteps running up on the front porch, and the front door opened, and Kim came in! When she saw me & Doug sittin' here, she 'bout shit, cuz she hasn't seen him since, like, 4 years ago. But, shit, I've not seen him since around Christmas! He's got a construction company here in town, and he's always traveling for it. And his wife and whichever of his 4 kids want to, go too, cuz all but one is graduated from high school and are in college. We look a lot alike, so much that his oldest daughter was in a bar last year, and someone came up to her & said "you have to be related to Libby somehow, right?" And then he told me when he was here the other day, that now his youngest daughter looks exactly like me now! He said looking at me is just like looking at her! And she's only 15!! Is that good or bad? So at least I know that Kim'll come over and save me from a serial killer. Yup...still my best friend!
BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

Monday, April 10th

This is our 'pretty boy' Truman. Kevin took this picture the day after I brought him home from the animal shelter (Apr 2001)...and just look at him! He ALREADY knows he owns the place (& us!)!!
And the sign at the bottom is only funny because...well...do you really NEED a sign to tell you all that? If we do, well, the human race is in trouble, aren't we?
Well, life is pretty much back to normal around here. Kevin & Tiffany & I are misbehaving again...and all is right
with the world. Kevin's mom has been in a musical/play all weekend at her church, & everybody in the family (ours & his!) went to it on Friday night. But we couldn't, cuz Kev worked till 7 pm, and it started at 7! So Tiff & Zach went Friday, and everyone else did too....we were the only ones that hadn't gone yet. And, no, we weren't 'shunning' going to church!! So we went last night, and it was good...long, but good...anyway, Kevin & I 'misbehaved', like always. There was an intermission in the middle, and Kev stretched out his legs and asked if he could take a nap, cuz the minister told everybody to stretch & get comfortable. I told him I don't think so...but you could probably light a cigarette...? Then, at the end, there was a plastic(?) Jesus at the top of the thing over the stage. Kev said something to his dad, who was sitting on his other side, but I didn't catch it. So I was just nice & clapped, & talked to people (Jesus even waved to me as he walked by!). When it was all over (we didn't stay for the fellowship & refreshments...I asked Kev's dad if he thought I could get pie to go), in the car with Kevin on the way home. I asked Kev "What were you saying to your dad at the end?". He told me that all he could think of was how would the Burger King mask look on Jesus up there? He is SO wacky!! A polite way of putting it...
So...I'm kinda nervous about church on Easter Sunday...ya know what it's like when you just have to laugh, even though nothing funny was even said? That's how I am 100 % of the time! Most of the time, it's not a problem, but...
A couple years ago, we were all at church together on Easter Sunday, & I was sitting next to Tiffany, who was sitting next to 'Aunt Kathy' (she sounds dignified, doesn't she?). The minister was asking "What do you think of when you think of Easter?". I was thinking all the stuff you're s'pozed to think...hope, peace, love, forgiveness...when I hear Kathy whisper to Tiffany "Eggs", and Tiff whispered back "Candy". Whattaya think happened? Oh, I was so embarrassed. Well, not really, but I had to act like it!!
See how I am? Kevin & Tiff and his family encourage me!! Yeah, that's it! It's all their fault!
BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

the other Sharon (my friend & nurse)

God bless you, Sharon, for all that you've done for everybody you've touched in your life...

I'm just pretty sad today...my nurse was told about her cancer Mar 21. The doctors said she had 3 to 6 months to live..She died Monday at home with her sister. It's really bad for her sister, because their mom died about a week ago too...that leaves Bonnie on her own, in the house all three shared after their husbands passed away long ago. At the funeral home last night, I started crying when I saw Sharon in her casket. She actually looked very good & peaceful, like she was sleeping...but that isn't the Sharon I knew. She was never still. I got to hug Bonnie & hold her for a few minutes, we made plans for Tiff & me to go out to their house as much as we can, we've been friends since Sharon & I were.

Rest in peace, Sharon...I'll always remember your love.

Libby

Wednesday night..

I challenge you to not laugh your friggin' ass off at this!!

Man, I really wish Sharon didn't have to leave! We are having all kinds of fun...like with Kim, but I guess we've grown out of the "trouble factor". I HATE being a 'grown-up'!!

Okay, lemme try to run down the list of what we've done so far. Saturday, Tiffany & Zach & Jenga (the papillon!) took us to Polaris Mall down by Columbus. Of course, Tiffany acts like Jessica Simpson (her idol!...sad, isn't it?), and carries Jenga around in her leopardskin purse that I got her on eBay a while ago (yes, I'm an enabler!). And we went in and walked around (okay...they walked...I rode). Do you believe that they actually let dogs in there?? Not just seeing-eye dogs, but it seemed like all dogs! There was a big one that looked like a Labrador Retriever, & a teeny little 'teacup' poodle! Wonder how long that's gonna keep up? Then we went to the food court and got stuff to eat...Tiff got an ice cream cone for dessert and shared it with Jenga, and almost made Sharon & Zach puke...cuz Jenga would take a lick, then Tiff would take a lick! Zach watched that a few minutes, then said 'Nice. She was makin' out with her butthole a minute ago.' She just shrugged, and said 'I don't CARE! She's my baby!' Aaaaahhhh, youth, when you're dumb like that, and you DON'T care!

Okay, it's Wednesday night, and we had to take Sharon to Port Columbus today...sucked!! We ALL miss her! She is an amazingly good cook, and probably the biggest thing that makes her a good cook is that she really loves to cook! Huh...those people seem to be few & far between. In my opinion, anyway...

Sharon & I had Kev drop us off at WalMart Sunday, so we could just roam around & buy all kinds of stuff. The only thing different about a store in Canberra from here, is that she said a lot of our prices are lower. But she said they do have stores like that there, though. But our town only has about 45,000 people, and I guess Canberra has a population of about 350,000 , so, yeah they're not as hick town as us. Oh, and, that is the country's capital. That might maybe make a difference. Sharon does work in their gov't, and she told me the other day that President Bush came there once to visit their Prime Minister, John Howard, and she was just in her office working, and she looked out the window as she walked to her desk, and was just looking at the normal (for her!) trees with kangaroos hopping around them and all of a sudden, a big black helicopter flew up there and landed with President Bush!

So, her plane left today at 3:45 pm, and goes to Chicago, then back to Australia. So she's looking at sitting on an airplane until Friday! I was trying to get her to at least pack some boxes of raisins & stuff to eat on the way, but she said she can't, because they won't even let fruit from someone else's country into Australia, their customs is enforced so tight! And we spent all last evening laughing at the questionnaire she had to answer at the airport. The question we liked was "Have you ever engaged in moral turpitude?" She read that to me, then looked up at me, and said, "Hmmmm...no...but it sounds interesting..." Okay, see why we get along?? ;-D

Okay, I hafta go, been a big week, gonna try to go to bed at a decent hour.

BoUnCeS!! LibbY!

Friday night...

Now THIS is his dream...

We are having a BLAST!! Talking nonstop, & everything! And I was right, she really does have a lot of the same sense of humor I do.

Tiffany & I picked Sharon up at the airport yesterday at 9:31 am (yes, we were on time, & so was her plane!), we drove Tiff's new car (well, new to her, anyway...it's a 2002, got 66,000 miles on it...good car!! + good color...navy blue!)

So Tiff and I were standing where the passengers get off her plane (she came from Baltimore), and looking for her. Tiff says 'Are you SURE the picture you showed me was her?' I said 'Yes, I'm sure!', then turned around and saw her standing right behind me, with a luggage cart full!! OMG!! That was SO neat! She had already gone downstairs and picked up her luggage first, while we were standing there wishing we'd made a sign with her name on it. Like the little kid & his parents next to us holding a sign that said "Nana & Pappy" That was cute, the sign was almost twice as big as the kid!! Sharon has lots of luggage, but, considering that she's been out of her country since Mar 21...not even half as much as Tiff or I would've had!! We all got along so great driving home, too, Tiff gets along with her great too! We pointed out everything all the way home. Sharon mentioned the houses that are, like in, subdivision-type groups along rt 23 from Columbus north, getting close to Delaware. She remarked the same thing I always think..."Everybody's houses look exactly the same!" We laughed and said wait til you get to our house...they're ALL different...ours is a 2-story, next door is a 1-story, & they're ALL different colors.

We get home, and we're coming in the house, cuz Zach had promised to come over & bring in the suitcases. The weather Thursday here was just perfect, and as we're going to the house, a squirrel bounced across the yard in front of us, and Sharon said that was only the second squirrel she'd ever seen. The first was in Baltimore. Cuz they don't have squirrels in Australia. Well, they have flying squirrels, but you hardly see them, they're nocturnal.

It's been so neat to be sitting here bullshitting with her, instead of typing it! Oh, but she brought me a copy of the Dragon voice-recognition software! Actually, she brought us all kindsa stuff...I HAVE A REAL AUSTRALIAN BOOMERANG NOW!! I asked if she could throw it and make it come back, and she said she wasn't the expert on it, but they actually have some great big ones, like 3 or 4 feet, and hunters use them to kill kangaroos!!~ Also, I'd like to announce...I ATE VEGEMITE!! It really wasn't that bad, but Sharon told me the reason people don't like it is they try to put it on a piece of bread (or toast, or cracker) thick. You only use a thin scraping of it, like butter or margarine, but people here put it on like I do peanut butter, thick.

Okay, bedtime...big day tomorrow at a bunch of malls...

BoUnCeS!! LibbY!