Monday

This is what Monday does. It totally zaps every bit of energy out of your body so that you finally cannot go on anymore. On Monday's I wake up tired and look to the caffeine for a lift...when the first cup does not work..a second is a must. By mid-afternoon you frequently check the clock and feel as though it must have stopped or it is moving backwards..because you know over the weekend the clock moved much faster than this. When 5 hits...it's time to head home...dinner and a little tv. I decide to lay down to watch tv. Big mistake. Before I know it I am out cold and totally miss the show I wanted to see. Monday....Monday....why do you do this to me?

Doggie Tantrum

Last night we decided to chill out after a rough week with drinks and dinner......we left and our son decided not to go with us cause he was at a friends. We gave the dog a bone (see how cute he is right there) and said our goodbye to him. We offered him one last "out" before we left and he refused. We thoroughly enjoyed our drinks (cosmo and gin martini) and our dinner (scallops & filet & surf & turf) and we even decided to stay for coffee and dessert which we rarely do. But, we needed the relaxation and this dinner was exactly what the two of us needed after a week of shit pouring down on us. We were happily heading home. We came in the door and our son came home at the same time as us. Then I saw something on the floor...it looked brown! Damn...I said that dog must of laid a turd. Well when we turned the light on...he did not just lay one turd...he laid about 3 or 4!!! We then realized he peed too and our son stepped in it. Ewwwwwww we were all hollaring. We then were busy cleaning everything up and then I looked in our bedroom and the dog intentionally knocked over our trash can and took every tissue out (there were ALOT of tissues) and tore them up. This is when we realized this was no accident...this was the dog saying how dare you leave me!!! You left me here and I did not want to be here!! A doggy tantrum.

This morning we woke up early and while I was getting ready I looked over to see "the face" looking at me and watching me get ready. We go to breakfast on Sundays and now as we are preparing he has that look that says go ahead and leave...go ahead and see what you will come home to. I will keep you posted and let you know if that little black ball of terror strikes again. LOL....poochies gotta love those little personalities!!

Ready to spring into summer......

These are some of the pretty signs that spring is here and summer is around the corner. The sun is shining, the air is warm. It's time for a new beginning and a better day/week ahead! I love spring and I love summer even more....looking forward to weekends down the shore, martinis outside, and food on the grill. Just the thoughts of it all...make me smile. Bring it on summer...cause I am ready for you!

Thankful

OK, so I had a bad week and one way I thought I would make myself feel better is to write down all the things I am so thankful for:

My husband, my love, my best friend. We have been married for almost 26 years and we can have lots of fun, laughs and good times together……we are true soul mates who will love each other to the bitter end. I would be lost without him, he is my rock.

My kids. Truly blessed with 2 boys I am thankful for them and love them. They are both teenagers and can certainly make me laugh and cry for all different reasons. They both have their own unique qualities that make me admire them both. Of course they are teenagers and as quickly as we can love them…they can drive us crazy too. But no matter what my love for them will never end.

Mother. Speaking of mothers I am truly thankful for my own. She is 88 years old and she is still very easy going and not very demanding. She understands what it is like to be busy with your family & work and she appreciates every little thing you do for her.

My siblings. I am very thankful for all my sisters and brother. I have 4 sisters and one brother and I must say that we all get along quite well and we all get along with each other’s spouses very well too. When we get together we have a blast and we laugh….we laugh really loud! I have a special blessing to be thankful for and that is the fact that my brother’s tumor is shrinking (in his brain) and he is doing good….this blessing is beyond measure!

My in-laws. I have been very fortunate because my in-laws have welcomed me into their family from the very beginning with open arms. A lot of that probably has to do with the fact that they knew my parents and it paved the way for an easy in. They have always been good to me and I am happy for the good relationship I have with them.

All of my extended brothers/sisters. I am very blessed to have my husband’s brothers/sisters and consider them as such too…as a brother or sister. I have a special relationship with each and every one of them……all 6 of them. I love seeing them and have a good time with them all when I see them. But each relationship I have with all of them has their own unique history and that is what makes it so special to me. I get along with and love their spouses and their kids too...some of their kids are grown adults now and I love that I have now been staying in touch with them...it makes me smile when I think of it.

Work friends. Where would I be without my work friends who provide an ear when needed, cheer me up when I need it and just be true friends to me. I would be lost without them. They have helped me work through many problems….big and small.

All of my counted blessings came tonight in the form of family and friends….I am feeling better at having just made such a list and it was a nice reminder for me of what I really need to stay focused on.

Shit's hitting the fan....

Did you ever have one of those weeks where the shit is hitting the fan no matter where you are? Normally if you’re at work and the shit is hitting the fan then you know that solitude awaits you at home. Or when you’re at work and all is going well and there is currently shit hitting the fan at home. When it happens in both places you begin to feel like you’re in a deep sinking ocean and the waves keep taking you down and every time you go to come up for air another wave whacks you right in your face….you can’t catch your breath, you can’t swim from exhaustion and you just need to succumb to beating of the waves. That’s the kind of week it’s been. We are now at the end of the week and I am hoping and praying that the shit is going to settle down and maybe those large waves will become small breakers.

VW...your a marketing genius!

About a week ago I got the bright idea on a trip to the mall to play the "VW" game (just like the commercial) and punch my hubby in the arm every time I saw a VW. It goes like this....punch..black one, punch blue one, punch red one...you get the picture! My son quickly joined in and soon to our dismay my husband and I realize what the youth has on us.....STRENGTH!! His punches were way more powerful and his eye sight at spotting those cars is exceptional! This game has been going on now every time we get in the car. We have come to the conclusion that VW has a Marketing Genius on hand who started this. Absolutely amazing and I have the bruises to prove it!! LOL!!

Reservations Please!

On our way taking my son back to college we decided to have a nice dinner at PF Chang’s. In route my hubby suggested I call and make a reservation. I called and asked if I could make a reservation for 4 and they told me “we do not take reservations, you have to come in and put your name in”. So, still determined that this was where we were eating…we headed to the restaurant. We “put our name in” and were informed it would be an hour & a half!! While we sat waiting we decided to take a little walk outside when directly next door was On the Border. So, OK…we jumped from Chinese to Mexican…but hey, we are all flexible and all hungry!! We went over and we were immediately seated and had a great Mexican dinner. So, thanks PF Chang’s for making us wait & not accepting our phone reservation!!!

Bumper Cars

Went out for the first gelati of the season….picked out my all time fav which is root beer ice with vanilla ice cream and while it is chilly outside the flavors blended together always make me feel good on the inside. As I was reveling in the flavor waiting for my son to get his ice cream I look over to see a Grandpop parking his vehicle and while I was praying he would not “bump” our car, as the older folks seem to do, he spared us and bumped the jeep parked in front of us. No one noticed except for us. And there is something about when the older folks actually do it…they get out and act as if they did nothing. Bump here….bump there….bump everywhere. It’s a no wonder their cars are dented and banged as much as they are.

My favorite “bump” memory is of my own mother (back when she was still driving) and we went shopping together. There were all these carts that were in the way of us pulling into a parking spot when I said “let me get out and move it” and she said “no, I can move it” and she then proceeded to push the cart out of her way with her car bumper!! It makes me laugh every time I think of it.

Take notice…anyone age 70ish or up and the bumper either front or back is guaranteed to be dented. I will not mention how they slam their doors into the cars parked next to them….ha ha….as I will be that age someday and I suppose will be doing some bumping and banging myself! I personally think at around 70 they should all be equipped with rubber cars so they can bounce off each other...like bumper cars!

Protocol

When on Facebook there are a lot of different things that happen and certain unspoken rules that need to be followed. Recently a certain person has had a rather great exciting event happen and while it may be tempting to mention it to others not on FB…that would just not be cool. So, while you sit waiting for the elders or others not on FB to mention this event to you….you have a decision to make….do you (a) act surprised like you’re hearing it for the first time or (b) say yeah I saw that on FB. My thoughts are the latter would just totally not be cool especially if the others want to believe they were the first to know. The hard part is you absolutely under no circumstances can deliver the news yourself…it has to come from them especially when it’s family. Now it does depend on which family member mentions it…if it is an elder like a parent, grandparent, etc. then you have to act like your learning it for the first time. But if it’s just a sister or brother…hell, you say yeah I know and then gloat that you knew something they didn’t. LOL! All in good brotherly/sisterly love, of course! FB Protocol.......it's a funny thing.

Springing into Summer

I love Spring...everything is blooming, the grass is getting greener, the birds are chirping...it's just a great time to get outdoors. I would enjoy the Spring much more if it would move at a slower pace....I would like an adjustment period..one month at 65 and then the next month at 70 then when summer hits.....hello 80's!! But, it never seems to work that way...tonight we had to break down and turn on the a/c because it got up to like 89 today and it was so hot in here you could barely breathe. Before the week's end it will be a high of 59. That's 30 degrees difference...I want my Spring but I want it at a gradual pace. Ease me into the new season...I need an adjustment period. Am I asking for too much?

Errand Day

Today was a "vacation" day or as it should be put...it was an "errand" day. So far we have spent the day paying bills, going to the bank, post office, running the van to have a tire fixed followed by taking the Jag to have it serviced, then to Mom's to install a pump in their pond, I returned a dish to my sister and then we went to the Mall....specifically the Apple Store so hubby could buy a new laptop. I do not call this a vacation day...I call it an errand day and I believe that the employers of America should give all employees 4 errand days..1 for each season...a day where you just need to do stuff and get things done. I personally think this is a fantastic idea...I know the employers would not like it but hey....doesn't it sound better than a vacation day when your really not vacationing at all?

Spring....

This is my first time blogging. Not sure what I am going to do with it yet but it's a start. I may use it to share something I saw, something I heard or something I learned each day or just something that happened to me. It's Easter and Spring has sprung in full bloom and now is the time for new beginnings....so here is my new beginning of blogging. Bear with me while I learn.