Confessions...

Today I must confess a few things...

I confess today that I am not a camper. I've never had a desire to camp or even the small thought of 'Oh, maybe that would be fun. Let's try that.' Like as in NEVER! I don't enjoy being outside at night, sleeping, nor do I enjoy being cramped into a tiny space with no protection other than some flimsy material between me and the outside elements, which in my mind include weather, animals, and other people. But I do love my son, so last night we went camping...

As a part of the munchkin's cubscout pack, we went to our local farm team (baseball folks!) to do a sleepover. First we arrived there early enough so the kids could line up and partake in a little cubscout's parade on the field before the game. Then we were to settle into a whole baseball game. This is always fun with a child diagnosed with ADHD! Especially a 9 year old boy who is there with five other 9 year old boys. At one point I thought if I hear "Hey guys, he has 3 balls!!" one more time I was going to pop off with, "We all get it...he has 3 balls instead of 2, it was only funny the first 3 innings!"

After the game some of us moms trekked out to the cars to grab the camping gear. This was super fun for me since the shoulder strap on the bag that my parents' tent was in snapped within 10 feet from my car. Always extra special! Luckily the only dad who trekked out with us put my bag on top of their bag on wheels and hauled it in. Of course me and one other mom were at the end of our group coming back into the stadium and were stopped to be told that we couldn't re-enter until the fireworks display happened. It was irrelevant to them that our children were inside waiting for our return or the fact that the rest of our group had made it in. So instead we stood, out on the street, while the fireworks happened and the non sleep-over folks left before we could reenter.

Once we were allowed to reenter, we made our way back to the group and waited until they cleared the field so we could go in the outfield and set up our tents. And by setting up our tent that meant me waiting for someone to feel sorry for me and come over and do it. It is extra special when you pull something out of a bag and ask, "Is this the tent?" Tents were set up and we were advised there were going to be 700 campers out there in the outfield for the night. Oh boy! What fun!! 698 other people plus me and the munchkin.

The lights were finally shut off at close to 1am and I was exhausted. I couldn't wait to go to sleep! But there were a few things that I hadn't considered or taken into account...

1. It was frickin' hot as hell out there! It had been hot all day and at game time, 7pm, the temp was 88 degrees and muggy. Being down in a stadium cut off a lot of the breeze and after being in the heat and humidity for over 7 hours, it is a bit unbearable because you have sweat your ass off and are just disgusting and sticky!
2. The parents' tent was the size of my kitchen table, which seats only 4 people!
3. Tons of cubscouts and their leaders, parents, and siblings equals a lot of noise...ALL NIGHT LONG!
4. Our wake up call was coming in less than 6 hours!

This leads to confession #2...I am old!!

Sleeping on the ground with only the same flimsy material between your body and the ground provides no protection down there either. And the thought that a sleeping bag will provide some cushion is a cruel joke. Needless to say after a couple hours of light sleeping I started to fear that I may not be able to stand up when our wake up call happened, let alone walk, or lift anything! This realization came at 3am and I had 4 more hours to discover if I would need to phone 911 to get my fat-ass out of the tent and out of that stadium!

At 6:30am I couldn't wait to get this "camping trip" over with. Of course the munchkin didn't sleep well either so we opted to get up, walk up to the restroom, and then come back and start packing up our "camp", which of course required me waiting for someone to help take down the tiny tent too! Then we sent the kids and the other moms upstairs to breakfast while the dads and I took all of our stuff out to our cars. Yes, I play both roles...mom & dad! I hobbled back to the stadium wishing I could just stay out at the car and the munchkin would come out when he was done eating, because I was going to have to walk up 4 flights of stairs with my sore back, sweat drenched clothes, and exhausted butt dragging to go and eat cold scrambled eggs, cold frozen pancakes, cold frozen hashbrowns, sausage links and bacon.

After coming home, laying down for about 2 hours, and taking motrin and while I sit here considering taking some of my pain pills from 2 months ago when I royally screwed up my back I am here to confess...I hate camping! I am damn old and no longer ashamed to admit it!

RIP Sen. Kennedy

Days ago we learned of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's passing. We knew it was coming, but the morning it was announced as breaking news as I was getting ready for work I was shocked at how fast it had happened. Yes, he has had cancer and been battling it for 16 months, but I guess I expected some sort of pre-warning that "this" was it. Similar to what we were given just weeks ago when his sister, Eunice, passed.

I knew I wasn't going to be home this morning to watch the funeral coverage (yes, I am in to that) so I decided to set up TIVO to record it and watch it after I returned home. Of course it went longer than I recorded and I wasn't even able to see Pres. Obama's eulogy. Now I sit here and watch the graveside services and so many memories come back to me...the loss of my own grandparents (my Nana and my Papa) and what I feel is a loss of such a great generation.

Many years ago (okay, maybe 5) I wondered what would happen as we continue to lose the WWII generation. I do not know if it is the closeness I had with my grandparents and my loss of them, but I have always considered their generation as the greatest generation that ever lived. I feel that we...my generation...do not live up to the challenges that we have been given. I am often saddened, because I do not feel that we have continued to live up to their expectations. With this week's passing of Teddy Kennedy, it feels so much closer to me that one day we will wake up and realize what we have done and not done and what we have missed after it is too late...

And as I sat here listening to the 21 gun salute and the playing of Taps, with tears streaming down my checks, I pledge to you Nana and Papa that I will continue to live up to your expectations of me and hope that I can one day be as proud of my generation as I am of yours, because I am still in awe of yours.

Thank you, Sen. Kennedy for all you have done for us and for all that your family has gave and continues to give to us. You were and are still awe inspiring and one of my heros. RIP Sen. Kennedy...

Fridays during Lent...

Am I the only person abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent? Am I the only Catholic that is still "falling for that trick" (as one co-worker said to me)? I don't know if it is because I'm around all new people this year for Lent, outside of my family, that is, but I appear to be the only person not consuming meat on Fridays this Lent.

Exhibit #1) A week ago today, the first Friday of Lent. We decide to go out to lunch for my co-worker's last day. We go to a more upscale restaurant within our office building because of location and because the leader of the pack is convinced that he gets better treatment there because the "guys know him there". The fact that he gets better and is "known" to the guys could be the fact that he puts away a 5th of vodka a night there, but that is a story for another time. So I comment to someone thought to be going in the group that I hope this place has a special of fish/seafood of sorts because it is Friday. He looked at me funny and asked why and I said, "because I'm Catholic and it is Friday." He responded in the affirmative, so I added "...and it is Lent." His response was "Yeah, I'm catholic too, but I'm not falling for that trick. It is optional." I laughed and said "okay". He later no-showed to the lunch upon which I inquired if it was his heel spurs acting up again...

Upon going to this lunch I encounter a $30 salad for trying to be a good Catholic. I don't know if I previously clued you in on my $30 lunch. I was so not happy, because it wasn't even a great salad! I ordered a Thai Chicken Salad and asked if I could get Shrimp in place of Chicken. The waitperson said sure, no problem. Well, yeah, until I got my bill! My salad was $10, the shrimp was $6. My coke was $3. My side of pasta salad (to ensure that I got my main course salad at the same time as everyone else's lunch) was $3. I'm now up to $22. Add tax and a 20% tip and my bill now totals: $27.98, so I put in $30 and figured my $2.02 could go toward the co-worker's lunch. Now I've spent some coin on meals before and don't usually complain, but when the food sucks, you are the only non-heathen, and you aren't pre-warned that your meal is going to practically double in price exchanging seafood for the meat, then I'm going to bitch about a $30 crappy meal...

Exhibit #2) This morning I had to leave and go somewhere for breakfast. I picked a Bob Evans, which was probably a mistake, but I ordered hotcakes to avoid the sausage gravy that I really wanted! The crabby waitress (some people shouldn't be wait staff and when you are in your 50's or 60's and still crabby because you are a waitress, I suggest you turn in your pencil, your nametag and your hairnet. So I ordered the hotcakes and she asks if I want a side of meet with that. Of course I do, but I'm not carrying sausage links in my pocket until Saturday! So I respond, while smiling~"No, I can't. It is Friday!" She looks at me strange and then I did the whole 'I'm catholic and it is lent.' Do you know what the crabby waitress said and did? You will never guess!! She said, "Oh...[rolled her eyes at me]...whatever." So I ate my pancakes, which weren't all that great (and certainly were not nearly as good as the Pancake House!) waited for my call and left.

But after this 2nd encounter it lead me to ponder: Am I the only Catholic out there falling for this old trick refraining from meat on Fridays during lent?

Another Saturday Comes & Goes...

and I accomplished nothing. Well, not really but nothing I should have. I woke up pretty late today and jumped on my email because I knew I had several to respond to. 24 actually. So I responded to all of those and began reliving my week as I responded to my emails. What a week it was too...

Monday I made my way home after seeing my honey as you well know and I was so exhausted. I was in the bed by 9pm and then Tuesday I was back to a semi-reality with work. But no classes since it was Spring Break, which is now over. Then Tuesday night I had to go to the local charter school for an informational meeting to see if it would be a good fit for the munchkin. I'm so confused because I don't believe in charter schools. But my baby is having trouble with the other kids. So I filled out the application and submitted it and now we wait...we wait for a lottery to take place on March 9th to see if he is one of the lucky ones to be picked. And even if he isn't then we wait to see if he will move up on the wait list as others opt to not take the spot they were given. Nothing is more stressful than dealing with your child and what is best for them and whether they will get it! So please keep your fingers crossed that what is suppose to happen and what will be the best for my munchkin happens! :)

Wednesday after work I had to go to the DMV to get my driver's license replaced. The last day I went to see my honey I put it in my pocket and apparently didn't put it in there the right way because when I squatted down to dig our snacks out of the vending machine I cracked it. Normally I wouldn't have paid the $9 to replace it until I have to get a new license in 2010, except visiting my man wouldn't happen, because they won't accept a damaged license at MDOC. Of course the fact that I have to wait 10 business days to receive it irritated me and I told the woman behind the desk that they were wasting my taxpayer dollars by not printing licenses right there. She said their rationale is because if you have fraudulent papers they don't walk out with a picture id. No...they wait 10 days for it! But they still get a picture id...duh!

Thursday, as you know, was the day that the family drama heated up with my ex-s-i-l. I'm still kind of in shock about the whole thing. According to the detective that contacted my mom, he is building a case against her too. She thinks her life has been rough so far...let her do a little time in prison and she will reevaluate her life quickly!! Again, the only people who are hurt in this whole mess (outside of the gentlemen who was shot, of course) are my two nephews. According to the local paper, the boyfriend is only 17 and so was the victim. Just children themselves. She is going to be 24!! Maybe she was the leader of the pack.... SCARY!!

Later that night I met up with my car guy. I picked out my next car so I'm excited about that. I'm looking at a 2009 Ford Escape Limited 4x4, black pearl, leather charcoal interior, moon roof. I'm so excited about that, but not excited about the amount of money I have to put down to pay off my lease and get my payment to an amount that I can afford. I'm hoping my car insurance won't jump too! EEK!! We are in a recession and I'm trying to look at ways to cut expenses and I'm having to buy a new car. I guess I'm supporting the Big-3, so that is a good thing and since my aunt and uncle bought 2 new cars (a Dodge & a Jeep) I guess my family is contributing to keep the Big-3 going! ;) Way to go family!!! Now it is time to buckle down and go green! I have about 1500 miles left on my lease so I'm going to eat up more miles this month and get the car by the end of the month since my $5,000 rebates expire at the end of the month! LOL I'll post pictures once I get it. :)

Friday I said good-bye to a friend. One of my co-workers got a new job so we said good-bye to him Friday with cake (which is a staple in my office!) and drinks after work. After 4 drinks in 4 hours I left that bar and met up with my "other" aunt and my mom and had one drink there. Then we went to Big Boys to have fish since it was Friday during lent and I followed them home to make sure they made it home okay. Of course I didn't go to bed until 3am last night so I could digest my fish.

Now I'm off to write my honey as I haven't wrote him but once in the last 2 months I think! I'm sure he will be surprised!! :D I hope you all had a fabulous Saturday and was able to relax a bit too.... Enjoy your Sunday too!