For once I am glad the weekend is over. 

Don't get me wrong, it was a good weekend but it was a busy weekend.  Saturday started bright and early with a 9am soccer game.  9am is early for us on weekends sometimes.  Both coaches were gone so one of the other moms and I did the work.  It was fun and I had no idea what I was doing.  I helped the girls warm up and made a total fool out of myself in front of the other parents of our team, the parents and boys of the game that was before ours and embarrassed Emma thoroughly.  Good day....  anyways...   

I didn't know coaches were out of town so I just slipped on some comfy shoes as I headed out the door.  The grass was pretty wet with dew and the girls were slipping all over, even with their soccer cleats on.   When I found out that coaches were gone I said I'd help warm them up and be goalie.  Goalie doesn't have to do much during warm up.  Just try to block the balls.  That didn't happen as I planned.  Emma started teasing me about being out there and being an old lady and old ladies don't know how to run and play anymore.  Being the way I am I had to prove her wrong. 

I did pretty good if I do say so myself.  I ran the field with the girls.  I passed the ball back and forth.  And then one time when Emma was taunting me again I ran after her to try to steal the ball from her I slipped and stumbled and almost righted myself but not quite.  I landed on my right hip with my left leg flying up in the air.  Emma and I had the giggles so bad that the pain didn't even register until the game had started and I sat for a while.  Emma was bent over giggling so hard she couldn't catch her breath and gasping 'mom get up mom mom mom get up'.  When she finally calmed down she fell on me and yelled, in my ear, MOM YOU ARE SO EMBARRASSING!!!

Soon after that the game started so I sat for a while and let the coach's wife do the coaching.  At the end of the game the girls were thrilled because they tied 5-5.  They have lost all but 2 games this season.  This one and the one a couple weeks ago, which they did win.  Emma raced off the field and did a flying leap at me and her knee landed right in my left breast.  She hit so hard she knocked the breath right out of me.   It was quite a morning.

The afternoon was spent battling people in the grocery store.  Almost 3 hours just to get groceries.  I wanted it done though and that afternoon was free to spend the time wandering around trying to avoid hitting other people's cart with ours. 

Saturday night was spent playing racing games on the Playstation.  Scott and I sent the kids to bed kind of early and it was just the two of us playing.  We made a drinking game out of it.  Whoever lost had to drink.  We started with a big bottle of wine and it was gone before 10pm.  I couldn't believe we had drank that much in just a couple of hours time.  Wait, I couldn't believe  I drank that much in a couple of hours.  Scott lost like 2 races, I lost like hundred races.  Ok, not that many but by the time I was tired of racing the bottle was empty and I was pretty toasty.   I slept sooooooo good that night.  I was sure I would wake up with a hangover but I didn't, I woke up starving.

Sunday we skipped church and cleaned up the house and got some stuff put in the in-law's basement for a yardsale in the spring.  We have decided to turn our front living room into a toy room.  Granny was really the only one that used the front living room and we decided to rearrange it and get rid of some furniture and put all the kids' toys in there so they have more space in their rooms.  Mom decided she wanted everything done as soon as possible.  I think she is trying to think of all the stuff that needs to be done to keep herself busy.  She had granny's clothes given away within the first week that granny was gone.  When the family was here for her memorial service they went through her stuff and took what they wanted.  Mom has even started calling granny's room the guest room already.  It's helping her cope I guess.

Scott and I rode his parents 4-wheelers around for a while and then went back home to get supper ready.  It was my first time riding or driving a 4-wheeler.  It was lots of fun and I wasn't ready to go home but kids were getting grumpy, tired, and hungry. 

Now it's time to go because the school is calling and apparently Ethan is sick.  He was fine this morning so who knows what's going on.  He could be faking, he has done that a few times.

Today's theme at HeartSongs is Cooking Disasters. 

I have no idea what to write about.  I discovered a few years ago that I am a better baker than a cook.  I can make wonderful desserts and dips for fruit.  Give me a complicated dessert recipe and I'll make it perfectly.  It will look just like the picture, unless it has decorations on it.  Writing on cakes with frosting, not my thing.  I'm awful at it and just won't do it.  I have also perfected cooking desserts without eggs.  Half of my family is allergic to eggs so I'm always looking for ways to make things taste good and come out right without the egg factor.

Cooking used to be a daily disaster for me.  It took me years to coordinate the whole meal so that everything was ready at the same time.  I used to cook the pasta too soon so it was cold when the rest of the meal was ready.  The meat would only be half way cooked when the veggies were done so we either had cold veggies or over-cooked veggies.

One cooking debacle that sticks out in my mind is just a couple of short years ago.  Ethan was in Special Olympics at the time and I was pregnant with Harley.  I had called in sick one day because I had spent most of the night worshiping the porcelain goddess and felt like I had a horrible hangover without the partying of the night before.   By the time Ethan's practice rolled around I felt better and had kept a little food down.  My mom was nice and took Ethan to practice for me if I would make dinner for her. 

I decided to bake the chicken she had pulled out of the freezer that morning.  I mixed up some ingredients to coat the chicken and when it was all coated popped it in the oven.  It wasn't too long after that when I became queasy again.  I decided I would set the timer and lay down on the couch for a while. 

Scott was playing on the computer and said he would start the veggies for me soon.  Well, he forgot and Emma turned off the timer for the chicken but didn't tell myself or Scott it had gone off.  Scott startled me awake when he realized how smoky the house was.  I ran into the kitchen to black, billowing smoke rolling out of the oven.  The smell was horrible and it was hard for me to walk to the oven to open it. 

When I did throw the door open I was greated with more smoke and FLAMES.  I don't know why the chicken caught on fire but the suckers were flaming hot.  Emma was running around in circles screaming FIRE at the top of her lungs, granny was standing in the door way of the kitchen confused about what was going on, and Scott was hunting for the baking soda to throw it on my ruined dinner. 

As the last of the flames were going out mom and Ethan walked into the house.  Ethan's first words were aimed at me "you made my house stink".  Mom just laughed and picked up the phone to order pizza. 

By the time the pizza got there it was way past bedtime for the kids and Scott had joined Emma and they were both running circles in the kitchen, still screaming FIRE at the top of their lungs.  I was back on the couch, in tears because dinner was ruined, Ethan was mad because the house smelled (he really didn't care that his favorite meal of chicken was ruined), and I was pregnant and the puking had started again because of the smell of charred chicken. 

I pretty much refused to cook again until after Harley was born.

If you go HERE it will tell you that if you eat fish at least once a week it could slow the age related mental decline.

My Granny did eat fish at the very least once a week for most of her life.  She was still diagnosed with dementia before she was 70 years old and it did progress into Alzhiemers. 

She even caught her own fish, cleaned it, boned it, and cooked it, while she lived in Minnesota.  I watched her do it a few times.

All these studies done and half of them I don't believe sometimes. 

Oh well

My own mortality reared its ugly head yesterday morning when I opened up our local paper to find that a guy I had gone to school with from the 7th grade til we graduated had passed away last Wednesday.  People my age shouldn't be dying.  There is the occasional accident that will take someone's life, but cancer, for some reason you never think that will hit close to your age.  You don't think of heart attacks, strokes, or cancer becoming a cause of death in your age group, at least I never did, not at my age.

We never really knew each other but always had a locker right next to each other because of our last names.  You know, the alphabetical way and all. 

He was the cute, popular jock whom everyone loved.  I was the chubby nerd who kept herself buried in a book as often as possible. 

I still remember the first day of 7th grade when all of us new "sevvies" were trying to get into our lockers.  His locker was right below mine.  I thought 'wow he is Cute'.  He said 'great, a chubbo'.  For the rest of junior high we weren't very nice to each other. 

The first day of high school showed a change in both of us.  I had lost some weight over the summer and he had grown much taller and filled out.  This time when opening up our new lockers he said hi to me and smiled at me.  I smiled back and said hi as I walked away.  A few days later he apologized for being so mean to me in junior high.  I told him I accepted his apology and let on that I made it way too easy to be the butt of everyone's jokes.  After that we never spoke much, just nodded and smiled as we passed each other at the lockers and in hallways.

I never really knew him.  I knew he was a jock and had turned out to be a pretty nice guy.  I knew that he died of Melanoma and he was married with 3 year old daughter and a 16 month old daughter.  He moved to Arizona sometime after graduation and became a train engineer.  One thing I remember about him is that he always had a sunburn. 

I cried for this guy I never really knew.  Part of what scared me is that he is my age.  I shouldn't see people my age in the obituary.  A parent shouldn't have to bury their child.  A baby and toddler should grow up with their father.  Life is never fair and his death certainly wasn't fair.

My thoughts and prayers go out to this family.

In the past year and a half my husband has had 2 spots of melanoma removed.  His diabetes was so out of whack that he was extremely close to a heart attack and a stroke.  My daughter also had to have 3 spots removed. 

I cherish my family but my classmates death has made me realize I need to live my life more.  I've always known this in the back of my mind but haven't really done that.  I will definitely hug my kids alot more every day, tell my family I love them more, and relax and try not to stress out so much. 

It is theme Friday over at HeartSongs.   This week's theme is Dating. 

My dates have almost always consisted of some kind of dinner and a movie.  There have been just a few times when something different happened.

The worst date I have ever had was a blind date set up by a co-worker.  This co-worker (we'll call her Jay) felt sorry for me for some reason.  She thought it was horrible that I was a single mom and just worked and then went home to my kids.  I was happy with that at the moment though.  I didn't want anything else. 

Jay thought I was lying though and set me up with a guy her husband worked with.  Jay's husband works for the Coors delivery company in this area. 

I gave in after much badgering and said fine, if nothing else it will get me out of the house one night.  My mom didn't mind babysitting and told me to have fun.

It was decided between Jay and another friend, M, that it would be a group date.  Jay brought her husband, M brought her sex partner (how dare anyone call him boyfriend, she used him just for sex), and myself with this guy.  I found out that night why this guy liked to work for Coors.  They got free beer just about every night.  whoopee....

It was decided that we would eat at Red Lobster so we could get to know each other a little and then after dinner we would see where the night led us.

This guy was 3 years younger than me.  No big deal I thought. 

When I pulled into the parking lot Jay and M were outside waiting for me.  Seems that everyone else had planned to show up about 15 minutes earlier than me, to this day I still don't know why.  The men were sitting at the table and all three stood as we approached the table.  Jay's husband had removed his ball cap, I thought the thing was permanently attached to his head, and guy had removed his cowboy hat and had it sitting in the middle of the table. 

The conversation actually went smoothly with very few uncomfortable lulls.  We ordered and guy removed his hat from the middle of the table and placed it on his lap. 

So far so good.

All of us but guy had ordered salads and some kind of shrimp platter.  Guy ordered the lobster plate and a beer.  I didn't think anything of it at the time.  Conversation kept up through their yummy cheddar biscuits and salad and guys next beer.  When the main course came everyone dug right in.  Well, except for guy.  He just kind of sat there watching all of us and poking the huge, dead lobster that was sitting on his plate and taking swigs from his next beer.  He'd poke it with his fork and then his knife and then eat some potatoes and drink some more beer. 

We were about half way through dinner when I looked up because guy had stood up.  Before I could say anything he pulled his POCKET KNIFE out of his back pocket and sat back down.  He proceeded to tear that poor lobster apart with his POCKET KNIFE.  He had it ripped to shreds within minutes.  Enough so that I'm not sure how much of the meat he actually got to eat.  

I couldn't help it when the giggles started.  They just kept bubbling out of my mouth like hiccups.  Before I knew it all three women were laughing so hard we were crying.  We excused ourselves to go to the bathroom to compose ourselves.  We had quite a few others staring at us as we RAN for the bathroom. 

When we got back to the table guy apologized and said he had never had lobster and wasn't sure how to eat it.  He had really wanted to try it though so he thought since he was there, he'd just do it.

Jay's husband picked up the utensils the waitress brought to use to eat the lobster and gave a nice demonstration on how to eat lobster properly.  This brought on a fresh wave of giggles from us girls. 

We all decided to skip desert but stuck around for guy to finish a couple more beers.  I think the other diners were ready for us to leave.  Jay and her husband went home; they were trying to get pregnant.  M and her sex partner took off leaving me with guy, just standing there in the Red Lobster parking lot. 

He asked if I wanted to go to his favorite bar, a place called the Top Deck.  Even though I'm not really into country music I said yes.   I was curious to see what other weird things he would do that night.  He said we could go in his truck and he would bring me back to the restaurant when we were ready to call it a night.  I said thank you but no I would drive my own car.

To my dismay all he did was get drunk.  We had all had a couple drinks at Red Lobster and when we got to the Top Deck I asked for water.  He asked for another beer.  He had at least 7 beers while I was there.  I was only there for about 45 minutes. 

He said hi to a few friends of his but other than that he paid total attention to me.  If I needed more water he ran up to the bar to get it for me.  The one time I had to go to the bathroom he "escorted" me.  I told him it was ok I could find the bathroom by myself and he said "Oh, I know, but it's only polite for me to walk with you so know one else tries to take you home."  WTF  I had never heard that before. 

It wasn't long after the bathroom trip that I told him I needed to leave and get home to my kids.  That's when he asked WHAT KIDS, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD KIDS!  He totally freaked out about it even though we had talked about my kids, M's kids, and Jay's trying to have kids all through dinner.  He had laughed at some the stories I had told about Ethan.  I reminded him of that and he calmed down. 

He walked me to my car and asked if I minded if he went back in for a while.  I said um yea sure why not.  He said well, if we are going to be together I don't want to start off on the wrong foot and anger you about the bar. 

All I could say was AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH, ok BYE.  He backed up just in time for me to drive away as fast as I could.  I hadn't given him my phone number or address so I figured I would be ok and he'd hopefully forget about.

He remembered me though and called me the next evening asking when we were going to see each other again.  It seems that Jay was nice enough to give him my phone number.   I had to be blunt and just let him know that it wouldn't work between us.  I told him the main reason was his drinking.   He didn't understand my reasoning and apparently chose to disregard it because he changed the subject and started talking about his dog.  I don't remember now what kind of dog it was but apparently the dog liked to tip back a few bottles of beer with his loving owner every night.  I said ok goodbye, please never call me again and hung up!    If I remember correctly he had at least 15 beers in the few hours we spent together.

I never heard from him again!!!!

Why in the world do we teach kids how to read or write?  Or even talk for that matter.  They are so cute when they are little and toddling around.  Then they get older and start talking and walking and climbing and asking questions and OH NO, the HORROR, memorizing things.  They memorize your address, home phone, cell phone, work phone and any other number you might be able to be reached at.

Then, then...  then they call you at work because they don't want to do their homework and they still want to do fun stuff like go to soccer practice and go to the bowling alley with mom and dad tonight.  Then they throw a screaming fit because they have to do homework and throw the phone down as they race to their room and slam their door shut.  Oh, you can still hear the screams from their bedroom.  Then they call you again at work on your cell phone just to tell you they are mad and feel they should get a snack because they need to go to soccer practice and go to bowling because they have candy to sell for school.   They manage not to throw a fit when you tell them they are still not going to soccer or bowling.  They just inform you that you are not fair and too tough and need to rethink your discipline policy. 

This from my 8 year old daughter. 

I told Emma last night that if the fits don't stop very soon then I will take her out of soccer and she will not be allowed to do much but go to school and come home.  I know that might be extreme but her homework is sloppy and she gets so angry when we tell her she needs to redo it and write neatly.  She has some of the prettiest handwriting I have seen in a while.  Last year she was reading 3 grade levels above her and this year, so far, she is in a reading class because her reading has gone down to a first grade level almost.  Now, at home it's a different story.  She reads anything and everything and she flies through the books she has to bring home and read to us.  She needs very little help with a word she hasn't come across and understands what she has read.  I know she can still read at least 3 grade levels above her but she just won't do it.   

I am wondering if all of this extra attention Ethan receives is taking a toll on Emma.  I hope she isn't going to let her school work slide for more attention.  I don't know how to stop it though.  I can't seem to get her to understand that keeping up the good grades is so much better for her than the fits and ignoring homework.  She must think if she does bad and needs that extra help than she'll get more attention.  She cries at the slightest thing anymore and screams at everyone at the smallest glance her way.  

I can't say that Ethan gets more attention, it's just different attention.  He needs someone to sit with him for the majority of his homework.  Not because he needs the help to do the work but because he needs the help to stay on track and keep focused.  His meds have worn off by homework time and he just can't concentrate.  If mom, Scott, or I sit with him and keep him focused on his schoolwork he can do the majority of it by himself.  The kid is almost better at math than I am, which really isn't saying much because I hate math.  I was in a general math class all through school except for one year.  I had Algebra I my sophomore year and was so ill the first semester that I don't remember most of that year.  I managed to ace Algebra and most of my other classes that first semester though.  I'm not sure how I did it, luck I guess. 

At homework time mom sits at the kitchen table with both kids.  She will help both if they have any questions.  When I get home I go over all the papers and check and then Emma reads to me. 

Once homework is done Ethan is happy to play by himself.  Emma wants to play with friends or follow grandma or dad around and talk non-stop to them.  She has so many questions about anything and everything and it seems like she almost always needs someone to be with her. 

I hope this is just a stage Emma is going through.  I didn't think this kind of attitude and demeanor hit until at least 12 or 13.   

Jen was curious how Scott was feeling after being a stay at home dad for awhile.  Well, so far so good.  The homework part is rough from what I have heard.  The kids think dad is too hard on them and dad thinks the kids goof off too much.  I am sure the kids DO goof off too much and I am pretty sure that dad is a Little rough on them.  He can be gruff and blunt and loud.  He is a MARINE and I think that is where he gets it from.

But the rest of the time is great.  Scott plays with Harley, they nap together, eat everything under the sun together. 

They share jars of cashews and that is dangerous to anyone in the same House.  Cashews produce the nastiest farts I have ever smelled.  They are worse than rotten egg farts or brocolli farts.  Or even Taco Bell farts.   These farts are so bad that even the dogs will leave the room, seaching for the quickest exit to the backyard.  You can see the air turn a murky green when these two let loose with their cashew farts.  I think our living room has a permanent stench in it.  I need to hide the cashews if there is any hope of cleaning out the stench and the green mist stuck to the walls.  ew 

Harley loves his cashews and will bring anyone the huge can we now have, grunting and begging for someone to please open the can.  He'll yell HEY HEY HEY and then grunt and pound the top of the can.  He'll try to removed the lid by himself but can't seem to do that just yet.  Thank god.....

Scott will play racing games on the Nintendo 64 and the Playstation with the older kids and Harley will sit right in front of the tv with his controller (that has no cord because Pongo ate it, I think) and thinks he is playing too.  I wonder if he will feel robbed once he realizes he really isn't playing the game? 

Of course they have to do their chores after homework.  The most horrible one is picking up dog poo.  I am the mean and horrible mother for making the kids pick it up.  I keep telling Emma I had to to it when I was her age with little or no help and now she can do it with Ethan.  That doesn't work though.  I am still MEAN.  Ethan doesn't really help and I know this.  He gets caught up in being outside and he'll start spinning and at one time he spun too close to Emma and she was covered in dog poo because he let go of the bag and the poo went flying.  Emma's screams could be heard for miles I bet.  She didn't talk to Ethan for a few days.  The house was rather quiet for a while.

Ethan is still having a hard time.  He was up for almost 48 hours straight.  He slept from 8pm last night to almost 7am this morning and he still had a hard time getting up.  He fell asleep on the 2 minute drive to the bus stop this morning and I had to remind him what he was doing.  I feel for his teacher and his aid.  They both need everyones sympathies for today.

We also discovered he has disposed of his homework before getting home.  All last week he swore he had no homework.  We're not sure if he has hidden the papers somewhere in the house or if he threw them away.  Mom and I have searched the house and found nothing.   So Scott and I went to school yesterday and picked up all the homework he has missed and everything from yesterday.  He finished it all last night by 5pm.  He was not happy...

Time to call the school to see how the big turd is doing.

I am hoping now that the funeral is over we can get back into a routine.  The kids have all gone crazy and need that routine, especially Ethan.  As of now he has been up for 30 hours.  Straight.  With no sleep.  With no naps.  Last night was crazy because I still had to come to work today.  I think I got about 2 1/2 hours of sleep.

The funeral was very nice.  Our preacher gave a wonderful mini-sermon and then a church member got up and sang while he played his guitar.  He has such a beautiful baritone voice.  There wasn't a dry eye in the church by the time he was done. 

While preacher was speaking I noticed Ethan starting to cry.  He managed to do it quietly and seemed to be ok so I left him alone.  We were arranged kind of strange and I'm not sure how we were seated that way.  In the front row was my cousin Julie and her two kids and then Ethan and Emma.  But, Ethan didn't sit near any of them, he made sure there was an empty chair in between him and the others.  In the second row was myself, Scott, my mom, my Aunt Gretchen and Uncle Ron, and my Aunt Ruthie and cousin Jacque.  You would think that Granny's daughters' would sit in the front row and then grandchilren and great-grandchildren in the next rows.  Oh well. 

When J started playing his guitar and singing Ethan lost it.  He buried his face in his hands and just cried.  I handed Harley to Scott & got up and grabbed Ethan's  hand and led him back to my seat and had him sit on my lap to hold him.  That wasn't easy because the kid is 5'3 and 110 pounds, I'm only 5'6.  He is a big boy for 9 years old.  

Maybe a minute after Ethan sat down on my lap Harley wanted back on my lap. He screamed and cried and yelled MAAMAA until I reached over and managed to wrestle him into my lap.  As soon as his butt hit my lap he quit yelling.  The noise just stopped.  He put his head on my shoulder and started patting Ethan's head.  He didn't like big brother being upset. 

Mom wanted the song "Friends" by Michael W. Smith played and I knew as soon as I heard it I would be in tears if I wasn't already.  That song was played at my mom and step-dad's wedding and then it was played again 3 years later at my step-dad's funeral.  I cry now everytime I hear that song.  By the time Friends was playing Harley had started crying again. 

SO, there I sat, squashed by my two sons, all three of us crying and sniffling.   One of the grouchy, old biddies from our church was sitting right behind me and kept throwing kleenex over my shoulders.  I really wanted to turn around and throw them in her face, after they had snot all up in them.  She is so mean and nasty and just can't bring herself to be nice to Scott, myself, or my kids.  I found out she was going around telling people I refused to take Granny to the hospital when she needed it and that is why Granny died, because I am a mean, awful, ungrateful granddaughter and I don't deserve anything that I have.  The day after I found out about this I told my mother-in-law that she is a sad, sad woman and I felt sorry for her.  I was also very angry with her for being so mean to my family when we were dealing with funeral arrangements.   It was a nasty thing to say and it still hurts when I think about it.

A phone prayer chain started a week after Granny died asking for prayers for this mean, old biddie.  She had been in a car wreck, no one was seriously injured and her car was just dented, no major problems.  She was on her way home from a prayer group with a few other women and she was complaining about my family and how awful we were.  I haven't heard if she pulled out in front of someone, lack of attention too busy flapping her yap, or what exactly happened.  The rumor is she was too busy yapping. 

It was really hard for me to carry on the prayer chain.  But I did.  COW

After Granny's funeral we all went back home and took a nap and then went out to eat then went back home and Scott made some yummy Margaritas!   I was drunk and slurring my words.  A few others were tipsy.  It was nice and relaxing though.  The kids were running around causing havoc while the adults were imbibing in alcohol.  Such a wonderful family we are. 

All the relatives went home Sunday so we just kind of sat around doing nothing all day until supper time.  We went out to eat at IHOP where Emma proceeded to throw a huge fit because she didn't get to sit by me.  Scott ended up sitting at the next table and Emma got mad and I didn't feel like arguing with her so I ignored her until she got up and sat at the booth behind us.  Good thing they weren't busy.  The waitress just giggled at us. 

Now I am sitting at work, finding different ways to avoid working, and searching my desk for chocolate.  And I CAN'T FIND ANY!!!!!

Scott's knee surgery went well.  The doctor just "cleaned up and repaired" his meniscus on both sides of the knee and didn't have to do anything with the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).  Doc said the ACL was beyond repair and if Scott has lived with it for 15 years he would leave it alone because the recovery time wouldn't be worth it for something that might not work because it was so far gone.  He doesn't need physical therapy (YEAAAAA) and is almost walking normal.  No more limping, or lumping according to Ethan, and he says the pain is non-existent compared to what it was before the surgery.

Apparently he was so entertaining before and after the surgery the nurses didn't want Scott to leave.  The other patients were probably glad when he left.  Scott is a loud man who says what is on his mind, no matter what.  Sometimes it is good and sometimes it is bad.  I love him for it either way though. 

He is unemployed again.  He couldn't have done the job even if they could have kept him.  He quit the day before his surgery mainly because he hadn't been there long enough for short term disability and when he was ready to go back to work he wouldn't be able to do the lifting he was required to do.  His boss was so nice about it and understood and said if he had an office job to stick him in he would do it but there wasn't anything open. 

We are going to try the one income thing for a while and Scott is going to try his hand at being a stay at home dad.  So far he enjoys it.  But he has only done it for one day.  Today.  I stayed home Monday and yesterday because I thought it would be a lot worse than it is and he would need lots of help.  I was wrong but it gave me more time home with Pudge. 

He feels so much better we did lots of yardwork yesterday.  He mowed the front yard, we cleaned out the front porch, started decorating for Halloween, and got most of the backyard cleaned up for mowing.  The wind picked up and then it started raining so we couldn't finish the backyard.  It is still a little too wet to mow so Scott will just have to do it tomorrow. 

Granny's memorial service is Saturday and it sounds like we will have a house full of relatives all weekend.  We get to spend tomorrow night getting the beds ready for the guests.  We decided someone will have to sleep in Granny's room or get a hotel room.  We have 3 hideaway beds and all 3 will be full.  Hopefully no one will mind.

I am actually looking forward to having us all together.  It will be crazy fun and we are planning a Margarita Night after the service is done.  It should be a great way to relax and unwind after the memorial service.  We'll also open a bottle of wine (her alcoholic drink of choice) or two to toast. Granny. 

Time to get back to work......

Thank you, Walker, for your suggestion.  No matter what I tried the words were still blurry.  I got frustrated and left it alone for a while and decided to change the background and when I was done the ticker was clear again. 

I still have a lot to learn about programming anything on computers.  Someday I'll learn, but not today.