Memorial Day Monday

[Norma]

Remembering with love all who have been lost in the service of our country.

Yes, Sadie, this guy needs to be fired How dare he cause her to quit her job and he keeps on working. Not right!

The weather has improved here a bit but not what we would like. As soon as the Memorial weekend is over it will go to 80's and 90's+. It always does.

I have prepared our meals for 2 days now and I want to go out!! So, Tacos, Rice and Margaritas at Francisco's for us today.

Tomorrow we will be back on track with appointments and stuff on our list. The fence did get painted on Friday- finally - so that is off the LIST.

Happy Memorial Day to all. (Oh! just about forgot! Kasey Kahne from my home state of Washington won the Coke 600! Way to go Kasey. Now we just need the other hometowner Biffle to win!

[DeeClutter]

It's 93 out and I finally gave in and turned on the AC. In a RV, it just gets too hot. Oh-oh! Only to find it won't work! Call going in to C World tomorrow morning. We do have 2 and I turned on the AC in the bedroom, hoping it'll spread out here a little.

Thundered like crazy this morning and poured for about 2 minutes. People were working like crazy to close up and get out of here -at least the 'weekenders'. We don't have to close up until November.

DH just came in for a bite of lunch. Warmed up some left over chicken barbecue for him. Probably the best barbecue we've ever had here. Was really good!

Imagine DS-R/DDIL/DGS7 have gone home by now. Tomorrow's back to work and school. School here has another month almost.

I'm getting nothing done here today. If I read I doze off. Too hot to do much else.

I echo opinion about worker, Sadie.

[OKay]

I'm back on schedule today and am pleased how much I have accomplished by having a time limit to accomplish specific tasks. Parkinson Law is always so true for me. Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion

After talking to DMom, DGS15 and DGS17 this morning my evening schedule and tomorrow's agenda has been juggled around to mesh with their needs. This change will make a birthday gift a day late getting mailed, however the recipient is only 1 year old so I doubt if she will care.

CCC = 81

[OKay]

DGS17 is crushed that his biological Mom is now saying she doesn't know who he is when he called to talk to her. He next called his biological Grandmother....same thing. Why are they claiming to not know who he is?? These are the same people who sent him very nice birthday gifts LAST month. This is crazy!! DGS17 gave me permission to contact them in an effort to find out what is going on. Unfortunately DGS17 doesn't have their phone numbers anymore (he smashed his phone). I haven't had much success reaching them through FB messages and it appears they haven't had any FB activity since May 1st. I am now branching out and messaging biological Moms FB friends and giving them my phone number to give to her. I hope they don't think I am a crazy person. I probably should stay out of this, but dag gum it...no one fights for DGS17 ...including himself. He just rolls the hurt into a ball and stuffs it deep down inside of himself....trying to not think about it....which we all know doesn't work. I refuse to let him go through life not knowing FOR SURE and why he has been cut out of her life again. I can't think of any reason why his biological Mom/Grandmother would do this to DGS17. He doesn't want anything from them. What if he called the wrong phone numbers and was talking to strangers instead of Mom/Grandmother??? On the slightest chance there is a logical explanation that will help DGS17 hurting heart - I'm willing to be a crazy person attempting to tracking them down.

[Harriet]

OKay, I've had to read that twice, but yes, the whole point is, your last sentence is quite correct - a "must-do". Frankly, I've watched my own darling boy "accept" some really out-there happenstances as fact when in reality he had just gotten his own information wrong, bless his heart. I think at that age, boys are more likely than girls to get a social miscue like that and be bewildered. Let's hope you find this is what has happened. However, it is possible that something this untoward really is going on, so God bless you as you try to wade into this. If you know their names or where they live, seems like you could figure out phone numbers without involving their friends, though... ...does his father know info... ...

Nothing compared to what OKay's dgs is going through, but I've just spent 2 hours struggling though ancient paperwork at my parents' home, part in an antique trunk I have never seen opened in my lifetime. At the bottom were some heart-wrenching things about the tragedies in the family's past before I was old enough to blow my own nose. Notes in my ddad's hand about sadnesses that haunt him to this day. Sigh.

I think the dust in there is going to haunt my sinuses and eyes, too.

Dd13 was with me and did some of the high/low/pulling work and also helping me get up from sitting on the floor too long! But I didn't really show her the serious things. I was able to show her some comics - Andy Gump, Bringing Up Father. And some newspaper clippings showing her grandfather as a young man.

[helia]

I am having the most wonderfully, gloriously, lovely LAZY day ever!

I think I'm recovering from the busy weekend, people at our home Thursday night (dinner crew - S, R, and A), Friday (friends S, R, and A again to watch a movie - fun! No meal provided.), Saturday night (small group), and Sunday night for dd14's birthday: 3 of her friends + friends S and R. Yes, S and R were here every one of those nights. They really are like family to us. No matter that we don't really look like "family" since they are American-Koreans and we are very white and blond. We behave like family -- except, we haven't gotten into a big argument with them yet. Plenty of time for that.

Actually, friend A is also American Korean, now that I think about it. . . LOL!

I got up after 9. Dh made waffles for the girls (dd14 + 3 sleepover guests). I helped dh get the kitchen ship-shape again. I registered dd16 for segment 2 of drivers ed in late June, discovered I had left my credit card at the fondue place last night, called and learned that they do have it. I should head downtown to claim it pretty soon. I've looked over the paperwork I need to fill out to finish registering dd14 for church summer camp. My goodness - 10 pages of forms. And I filled out a couple when I first registered her. I also looked over the route of the race on Sunday; the last quarter mile is a gradual uphill. Not too steep, I think about 50 feet. But still. If I can get up that hill at the end of the run without walking, I'll be proud of myself.

Dh and I need to get in a jog/run today. Our race is on Sunday, so we need to finish prepping this week. Unfortunately, my weight is probably at its highest point in the last year or two. I'm not overweight, but I could stand to lose 8-10 lbs. I have not been diligent with WW. It is not ideal to be carrying extra weight in a race. I'm thinking of finding another race in the fall when hopefully, my weight will be lower. Anyhow, it is so hot that we will get in the jog after dinner, which means we need to eat fairly early so we can give our food 2 hours to settle beforehand.

You're an inspiration, OK.

Norma, your meal at Francisco's sounds great!

We didn't get rain today, Dee. We got rain earlier this weekend and we really needed it. 3? more weeks of school here.

((Lilac)) I'm sorry about your dd2. She is really fortunately you help with the kids at all! I've never had that luxury. We've never lived close to either set of grandparents, plus, they're just not inclined to be that way.

Wow, Sadie. That guy is bad news. He might just do that to another employee if no one lets the manager (or whoever) know. I'm sorry for the other employee; that is really not right.

harriet, I hope all are enjoying the nice weather! We have a hen who is broody and she will not stay outside for more than a few minutes - only if we grab her and take her outside. My kids seem to be spending the day inside, though dd14 is mowing the lawn right now.

I love your PODA, MT! Especially the latter items.

You're having a cooler day than we are, Nancy.

I'm wondering if your hair is now a different color, Kathryn.

That's as far back as I can scroll! Hello to others!

Alright, I'm off to finish the a.m. routine now that it is after 3 pm. Then, I'm going to go pick up my credit card. I hope you're all having a great Memorial Day. I'm grateful for our military.

[helia]

(((OK and dgs17))) Yes, echoing Harriet - God bless you as you wade into this. What a loving grandmother you are, fighting for your dgs17. As someone who was adopted, I can imagine his confusion and pain. I have never felt "called" to look up my birth mother, partially b/c I've been worried I might get this sort of reaction. Also, I don't know what I might find and I don't have a lot of extra time and energy for more family members. I can't keep up with my family as it is. It sounds like there has been some connection between him and the family in the past, though. Perhaps it was just a simple mistake. People behave in odd ways sometimes.

[Lilac]

(((Okay and dgs17))), wow what a horrible situation for your dgs17. Although I can see the hand of God at work, when he put you in that young mans life. I am sure he feels blessed to have your love to rely on. Okay, you do a wonderful job of looking out for so many.

(((Harriet))), were you aware of the past tragedies or was this news to you?

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

No luck with the hair colour. Forgot exactly what I needed to get and brought my computer to double check but then couldn't get it to connect to the internet in the two places I went with free wifi. Did get the apple cider vinegar which is part of the process.

Did get makeup. Not sure it won't be money wasted but I have the money to try this and at the very least have bought a red lipstick that works for me. (After a half dozen tries over my life.) The consultant was great and did half my face so I could see what a difference this new style BB Cream makes. It was exactly the look I'm going for - myself but better. The eye colour I picked was wrong so she tried the one she picked for me on the other eye and it was perfect. The concealer and powder were too much so they were not bought. The blush looked good so I bought it. Then she did the second half of my face so I could go out in public! I kept staring at myself in the rear-view mirror at lights!

Before all that, had a nice lunch with dd and ds. Then ds and I dropped her at the airport and chatted a bit more on the way back to his car. He's off on Wednesday and wanted to do something but I told him all I wanted him to do was make a dentist appointment. He agreed to do that. His sister was after him about his teeth as well (we are now up to 4 with visible holes.) He has at least decided to go to our regular dentist. He was hesitant because she is his favourite teacher's wife and he didn't want her to think badly of him, but she is most likely to give him more affordable options (since he has no insurance at all.)

I found out he's only working 3 shifts over the next 23 days which is very scary. Not sure how he'll afford to manage this although he's picking up side work (doing trade show booth installation) wherever he can.

Dh should be arriving soon in Bologna. His flight from Vienna was cancelled. He was pleased that they were giving him another flight plus a voucher for dinner. They were probably pleased that he didn't know he was entitled to 125 euros in compensation as well. Sigh... he should have let me do his travel arrangements.... he'd be in Rome by now if I had been in charge. Somethings are worth paying a bit more for. At this rate, I'm unsure he'll even get enough time in Rome to make that part of the trip worthwhile. If the extra strain of the travel makes him sick, he'll run into issues Wed - Fri which is the only time anyone is paying him to be in Europe.

[Harmony]

Indiana, I'm happy to read you did well with all that heat.
OKay, hope you get to the bottom of the family problem and it turns out to be nothing...
Sadie, yikes, that guy needs to be fired at least.

Liked the discussion about the half caffeine coffee. I'm going to try that. Although it might not work in the stay-away department.

Yesterday I stayed home from church in order to get ready for all the hours I'd need to be there. I had to do extra work with heat rollers to curl my hair so I could clip it all back in order to save the food from strays...and I had to make all that fruit for the platter. And I tidied up the house and got garbage together as I knew I'd be tired when I got back.

Funeral dinner and service and prep and cleanup took us 5+ hours. There was a nice crowd of about 100 and this time they really ate as it got on to dinner time. When we have a spread out in an off time there isn't as much food eaten. I was surprised at how much was consumed. It was a lot of work, but not hard at all as there were a bunch of us and we really get along well, so it was enjoyable.

I have a dinner to take to someone Friday, and another funeral Saturday. I've had multi phone calls to make this afternoon with a prayer request that was very distressing.

Quiet day here. But I'm on major burnout and would walk away from everything in a heartbeat if I could afford to and take a nice long long vacation in some cool mountains somewhere. I so need a vacation. I see our years slipping away along with our stamina and health, so by the time we can ever get away we might not have the strength to tramp around in a forest somewhere. ...sigh..sorry I'm feeling a bit down right now.

Weather is breezy and cloudy but the rain is all on the other coast and north of us. I'm afraid they are getting a bunch of rain. I hope Twins is far enough north to miss at least some of it.

Watched Memorial services on TV today; I'm also very grateful for those that keep this country safe.