Photos and a "pimp"

As promised, I've added some pictures from Christmas. (Please note: When choosing these pictures, I managed to select the ones where the kids had their eyes closed! This was by mistake! LOL. But, since this is the second time I'm doing this {because I accidently deleted everything last night} I'm not changing them AGAIN!)

Also, please visit Ali's new journal and welcome her to AOL j-land. Ali is a long-time member of TSPR and a good friend of mine!

On other fronts, Herman is off all week! Yay! I have to work but I was off Monday and I'm off today. I may even get off on Friday! Wooo-hooo! Herman is hard at work painting my family room a cool shade of blue. I'll do some laundry and clean my leather furniture. (Yeah, we're a fun crowd! LOL)

Anyway...lots to do today so I'd better get going...Peace!

Christmas, parties and other stuff..

Above you'll see pictures from Mark and Heather's Christmas party which took place on Dec. 18th. We all had a blast! (Some had a better time than others, tho...LOL) We didn't leave there til 230am. YIKES! Didn't get to sleep til well past 3am. I will add Christmas pictures at a later date. Have to upload them from the camera.

We were supposed to host 18 for Christmas dinner but once again, Herman's sister and family didn't make it due to one of her kids catching the flu. So, we were 13 instead. Our menu was: Appetizers- cheese and crackers, chips and dip. Dinner- Ham, ribs, shrimp scampi, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes. Dessert- Mini eclairs and cookies.

Herman and I busted our butts off yesterday, between cleaning, making dinner and then cleaning it all up. but, WE DID IT! Everything was cleaned up and put away before we went to bed. I conked out way before Herman did. I was up til 3am the night before. I served communion at the candlelight service on Christmas Eve so I was wound up for awhile after we got home at 1230am. I just hung out and watched TV for a bit. Our children all slept in on Christmas Day. They're all older now and besides, since they already knew what they were getting, there were no surprises waiting for them. Kinda sad, if you ask me. I used to love it when they still believed in Santa..they'd be up bright and early, checking out the loot before we rolled out of bed. ANd then squeals of delight. I miss it.

I'm gonna go for now...I'll add more pictures later. We're just hanging out, snuggling on the couch and watching movies. (If you get a chance to rent "Collateral", do it! Great movie! Even if you hate Tom Cruise, it's still a great action movie.)

Peace!

Mondo bizarro!!

I was just on "Hoaxbusters" and saw this!!! What some people do with their spare time!! LOL!!

This, that and other stuff..

The photos are from The Snow Ball that Becky attended on Saturday night. It was held at the high school. She looked so beautiful! She really had a great time..she was so excited!

I've stayed away from journaling for a bit because Jackie had a "setback". (Read: fell off the wagon, slipped, etc.) She used again and it was very upsetting because she knew full well that if she used again that she wouldn't be able to return to our home. She OD'd at her girlfriend's parent's home on Thursday Dec. 2. She managed to dial 911 and the police found her nearly unconcious. Oh, and she managed to call and leave a message on Rachel's cell while she was at school. Scared the hell out of Rachel as she was barely coherent and her message was to call an ambulance. Poor Rachel called me at work and all I knew was that Jackie had OD'd. For about half an hour, forty five minutes we had no idea if she was dead or alive. When Herman finally blasted the woman at the ER, she said that they had stabilized Jackie.( Very strict with the HIPAA rules.) So we knew that she was ok. SHe spent 2 nights in the ICU and then was moved to a semi-private room. She's still there, 11 days later. Because of all the years of heroin abuse, her veins are shot. They had to run the IV thru her groin. A few nights after she was admitted, she had a pain by the IV. They took it out and a day later discovered that she had blood clots in her leg. So they started her on coumidan, a blood thinner. She can't leave the hospital until they achieve the right level of coumidan in her bloodstream. Once they discharge her, she'll need to go back every 3 days to have blood work done to make sure that the levels are OK. They said that it may take as long as 6 months for the blood clots to dissolve.

My mom knows how upset we are with Jackie and has offered to allow Jackie to live with her for a bit. My mom has had Jackie there before and it wasn't easy on her. Jackie is a handful, to say the least! (I'm just gonna leave it at that, because Lord knows I could go on and on.)

On other fronts, I have not yet started Christams shopping but not to worry! I usually do it a few days before Christmas! Our tree is up..and it's choking me. We may have to re-think the whole live tree thing because the past 2 years I have had a hard time breathing while it was in the house. Oh, the tree isn't decorated..it's just up. LOL!

Herman is taking Rachel shopping for her presents tomorrow night. He takes the girls out and they choose what they want: the correct style, size and color. They bring it home, we wrap it and they open it Christmas Day. I'm really torn over this way of doing things for a couple of reasons: No surprises. No excitement of picking out something for them that I think they'll just love. Clothes..just clothes. That's all they pick out. What about cd players, cds, books, stuffed animals??! Where is the fun in it all??!!  HOWEVER, there is a part of me that LOVES this way of doing it: I don't take them Herman does! No exhanging clothes that are wrong style/size/color! AND I DON'T HAVE TO GO SHOPPING!! (I know I said that first but I really felt that it needed to be repeated.) John's another story. He has "pedals" picked out for his guitar. Oh, and a half-stack amp that I cannot possibly afford right now. I can still buy surprises for him because, unless it's pink or girly looking, he;ll wear just about anything I buy him. Besides, I have his whole look pinned down: black, big and no dragons on the shirts, for Pete's sake!

Ok..I'm done.

Peace!

(P.S. Would it be asking too much if I told the kids that they should wrap their own presents?! Just a thought...)

Some photos

Not too much to report. I had the day off ..YIPPEE! It's really windy here today. I'm kind of waiting for my front tree to lose it's last rotted branch. Won't that be fun? That, and all the leaves that were in nice neat piles in the backyard are now all on the other side of the yard...in NOT so neat piles. Actually, no piles at all! (We're paying the next door neighbor to clean up the yard..I'll bet he's wishing that he had bagged those leaves yesterday!) Jackie is staying at a friend's house all week..wooo-hooo! Peace and quiet! (I say that not because she's loud, but because it will eliminate my need to yell at her constantly! LOL) OK..well..that's all I have today!

Peace!

A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!

LOVE, SHARON

5 days off..in a row!!!

Thanks to the generosity of my boss, I have the next 5 days off!! (Ok, I'm including the weekend, but every day counts here!!) SO what if I'm only getting paid for one 4 hour day...who cares?! I HAVE 5 DAYS OFF!! Yippeeee!!

I have another investigation on Sunday night. Can't wait! which reminds me..I need to order special batteries for my EMF meter.

Ok..lots to do and accomplish today so I'd better go! Peace!

The adventure continues..

Well...went to gastro dr on Wednesday and he said that the HIDA scan came out normal so it's NOT my gallbladder for sure! But, since I'm still having pain, he wanted me to have an endoscopy on Friday morning. That's done. Except I have no idea what turned up because he left right after he did it. I'll go see him in 2 weeks. IF the pain weren't getting worse, I would just deal with it. Now that he cannot figure out what's wrong with me, he's made it his mission to figure it out. Unfortunately, this takes up alot of my time and money (can you say $40 co-pay?!) and I've got things to do, folks!! Oh, and to top it all off, while I was awakening from anesthesia, I had an irregular heartbeat that they're insisting I have checked out. STOP THE MADNESS!! LOL!!

It's been a dreary weekend here in the Northeast. Rained Saturday. Cloudy and gloomy today. Had a nice dinner last night: seared sea scallops in jerk sauce and crab fried rice. Herman also had a lobster. (I passed on the lobster..was too full from everything else.) Watched stupid movie, "Lost Junction" with Neve Campbell. Still can't figure out the point to the movie or if it was a drama or comedy. Very confused. Watched "Jersey Girl" on Friday night. What a good movie! Funny! Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler (who I just love) and George Carlin as Ben's blue-collar half in the bag dad. And some little girl as Ben's daughter...she was adorable and funny! Needless to say, since no one died (or was brutally injured) in the first 5 minutes, Herman wasn't that interested in it. Me, I just sat on the couch busting a gut laughing! (Hmm..nice imagery, isn't it?!) Oh yeah...did I mention that Ben Affleck is in the movie?!

Well...I should go and do more stuff around the house..seeing as there is lots of "stuff" that needs to be done. Poor Herman..he promised The Boy that he'd take him to see a movie today and The Boy chose "Seed of Chucky"!! maybe I'll go see "Finding Neverland" with Johnny Depp..wooooo hooooo!

Peace, everyone!

Opening of Bill Clinton's Library

Am I the only one or did you also think that the PERFECT memento that should have been hand out at former Presidant Clinton's library opening should have been a cigar?!

Hangin' out..

Been awhile since my last post..not too much goin' on here! (And somethimes that's a GOOD thing!) Had a HIDA scan for the pain that still exists in my upper right side that they cannot say for sure is my gallbladder..or not. This has gotten to be such a circus...if I'm not at the doctor's, I'm having yet another damn test. It's gotten to the point that I'm just ready to say, "I'll deal with the pain...I'm obviously not dying."

The Big One (Jackie) is being a total pain in the neck. She treats our home like a hotel. IF and WHEN she comes home, she helps herself to whatever food is around and then plops down on the couch and falls asleep. She gets up, leaves her mess, jumps into the shower (MY shower) and leaves another mess there. In between she manages to argue with at least 1 or 2 other family members so that NOW everyone is pissed off. Then she leaves for work, boyfriend's, girlfriend's..wherever...and doesn't bother (most times) to call and let us know that she won't be home. Oh yeah..she drives around in OUR car (Ok..it's our 3rd car that we don't really use but it's the principle of the matter) and expects us to take care of it when there is a problem. ALL FOR FREE. She doesn't pay us a dime. Now...before ya'll start..I KNOW THAT YOU CANNOT BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF UNLESS YOU LET A PERSON TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU. So..this is my fear..if I throw her out, she's gonna start to use again. Yes, irrational, I know...and enabling, to some extent. But I just can't bear to go thru that again. Arggghhhhhh..OK...done.

On other fronts, TSPR is looking for an indoor investigation to do. I really need to get my reports in for the 3 investigations I already did...so darn busy, tho. Herman and I may go to a new tapas and wine place in town..sounds good, doesn't it? I read the menu last night and it all sounded so good. Besides, they have sangria, the ultimate "happy juice"!!

Work is going good. I like my job. I do almost everything except run service calls!! (I work for a local HVACR company.) I order parts, run parts, schedule, do sales, dispatch, file, answer phone..you name it, I probably do it. My boss and I get along like brother and sister. We fight, call each other names, tell bad jokes, share confidences..yeah..like brother and sister. His wife is a doll...and she's going to Heaven for putting up with him. He is neurotic, anal and has a bad case of OCD! I have NEVER in my 43 years ever met such a compulsive neat freak! Everything MUST be lined up properly or he freaks out! It makes me laugh...and you can upset him so easily! The UPS guy is always moving the security cameras to face a wall, the electrician messes up the pillows on the couch and I re-arrange the zillion pens he keeps on the so-called "showcase"...Such fun!!

I hope all is well with everyone of you..Peace!

A great entry by someone else!!

I found this over at John's journal, Grace Kept Me from Losing It. I got such a kick out of it and I wanted to share it with people who may not have seen it. Please stop by John's journal and say "hey!"...He'll be happy to say hi right back at ya!

My favorite journal entry title today was over at Amy's Hippies in Yuppieland. If you read it, you'll see why..it was hysterical and pretty much sums up the way alot of us felt today.

Please stop over at Brian's Becoming a Firefighter and check out pictures from his wedding. Looks like he had a great time! And what a beautiful bride!!

Well, that's all I have for tonight..Peace!

The 3 dirty words

Four More Years

Never have these words sounded so awful.

<<<sigh>>>>

While you're in the voting mode..

                                     TSPR

Would you check out the Tri-State Paranormal Research website and if the mood swings you, would you vote for us in the Paranormal Vortex at the bottom of the page? There is also a very cool picture of Bannerman Castle illuminated by the moon in the background...really spooky!

Thanks!!

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

The Bannerman Island Investigation

Well, the investigation was as interesting and exciting as promised! We got to Newburgh around 430pm. We had to wait for the harbormaster (George) so we had a bite to eat at a great New Orlean's type bistro. I had chicken and chorizo gumbo over rice..Mmm-mmm good! We got on the (overloaded) boat around 545pm and headed to the island. Boy, was she beautiful! There are 67 stairs up to the main walk way. Whew..we were all out of breath!

What a great investigation! Ali and I just wanted to pitch a tent and stay for the night! I cannot go in to details about the invest but as soon as the invest is posted on the TSPR website, I'll let you know!

It was a WAY COOL place! And I had a WAY COOL time. Oh, and the boat that was coming back to get us after he dropped off the film crew..well...the propeller broke! For a few moments we thought our wish to stay overnight on the island would come true!! But he made it back to us and we were safely back on land at 10pm.

Anyway...a great fantastic WAY COOL time was had by all!!

For my bestfriend, Darlene

Let me preface this entry by saying that I have been a terrible friend...I totally forgot Dar's 40th birthday. For that, I am truly sorry. I have been so wrapped up in my "hobby", work, family and Church (not necessarily in that order) that I forgot. (Note to self: Stop being so self-centered BIOTCH!)

Let me tell you about Dar...Dar doesn't cry...but I made her cry!! (Gold star on my chart! LOL) Dar busted into tears when I surprised her by going down to her home in FL..she had no idea that I was coming! "Boo" was down there visiting/on vacation and I decided to fly down 5 days before Boo was leaving to come home so that she didn't have to fly alone. Dar had NO IDEA..A few days before I left we were discussing weekend plans over the phone and I metioned that I was going to visit my girlfriend down South..Well, she had NO IDEA how far South I was going! It was a great moment!! She looked at me for a minute, burst into tears and cursed me as she ran from the room! Too funny!

Dar was Cheryl's (my sister) friend long before I became friends with her. One day Chryl told Dar to call me and ask if one of my girls could babysit for her. Sure they can! I knew her, not well..but I knew her.Besides, she lived a mile from my house so it was convenient. Well, I'd go and pick up whichever child was babysitting for her (Ray in the beginning, Boo later on) and sit with a cup of tea and chat. We became fast friends. To make a (VERY) long story short, we became very close and to this day my sister INSISTS that I stole Dar from her. Not the case, but I'm done pleading it.

Dar is NOT like me. She is very cut and dry. She makes a decison and sticks with it. She knows what she wants and she goes after it. She is self-reliant and self-sufficient. She is independant. She is brave. When I'm in her company (which I haven't been in for over a year now) we laugh like crazy! We had a water fight at her house in FL that will go down in history! I LITERALLY peed myself! (Yeah..I know..TOO much information!) Dar tells it like it is...shoots straight from the hip. She will tell you the way she sees it and if possible, offers a solution. She doesn't back down to a fight. She satnds up for what she believes in. She is STRONG.

Since this is about Dar and not me, I won't share the parts of her that are like me. No, this is about my best friend Dar.

She has been a friend thru and thru. She truly cares about my children. She likes my husband. (Ok...maybe TOO much..I'll save this one point for another catty entry! LOL!!) She loves me. I can count on her. When you look up "best-friend" in the dictionary, there is a picture of Dar. (Waaaayyyy over the top but in my dictionary, she's there!!)

Anyway...

HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY TO MY BESTEST FRIEND, DARLENE! I HOPE THAT THE COMING YEAR IS FILLED WITH JOY, HAPPINESS, MONEY AND A HUNKY MAN!!

Thanks for always being there for me Dar..it's been a long hard row the past several years but you always paddled it with me...

Now go dry your eyes, Dar...Love ya, miss ya...Ciao moomama!

Odds and ends..

First, let me spread the good news by announcing that CHOY from "A Life With A Million Smiles" journal is BACK!! His new journal is "A Life With A Million Smiles:A New Beginning". Please stop by and welcome him back to j-land, won't you? He writes with such enthusiam and gusto...what a great perspective on life this guy has! WELCOME BACK CHOY! Now, how's that for "pimping"?! LOL!

I've been doing really well with my "eating better" (not even eating right, just better!) plan. I've cut out most fat from my diet but I'll have butter-blend on my potato (because alternatives plain suck..sorry)..sorry, this girls loves her some butter! I've avoided sweets, fried foods, chips, snacks etc. I've added more fresh fruit and fruit juices in place of sweets. And I'm telling ya, if you close your eyes really tight, prunes really DO taste like candy! (No, really..they do. I'm a HUGE prune fan, and not for the obvious reasons...I just really like the taste of 'em.) I've also replaces potato chips with Terra Chips, a slightly healthier version of chips. And tasty!! (My personal favorites are the sweet potato chips.) Ok, so I'm trying. I'm quietly lowering my cholesterol by eating handfuls of Cheerios (dry, no milk)for breakfast. Now, of I could just find the time (energy, motivation, etc) to start exercising. I figure that I should start slowly, like walking. I walk at a fairly rapid pace (trust me..only Ray can keep up with me..the rest complain that I need to slow down) so this should be a real good start. Then once I build up some sort of tolerance for exercise and the weather turns colder, I'll head to the gym (that we've been paying for for 2 years and I've only gone 3 times). Anyway, I do look a bit thinner and I fit into a pair of jeans that was giving me a hard time a few weeks ago, so it's all good.

Jackie was in the hospital again this week...a virus she picked up from the other kids. In and out in 4 days. She really needs to start taking better care of herself and her diabetes. It's so frustrating to watch a "grown child" (and that's what she is...a 22 year old child) have such little regard for her health and well-being.

Tonight I have my first cemetary investigation. Should be interesting. It's just that it's quite a way from my house. I'll drive up to Jersey City and then Ali will drive the rest of the way. Long day/night ahead of me. Only 5 more days til the BIG INVESTIGATION!! We don't really know too much about what's going to happen but the 2 stars from "Dead Famous" are supposed to be there with their TV crew and their own paranormal research team. God, I pray that they bring bathroom facilities with them...even a porta potty will be fine. 6 hours on a deserted (and supposedly haunted) island with no bathroom facilities..no way. Especially if the "ghosts" scare the piss out of us! (Sorry..couldn't resist!) I really hope that we don't get "punk'd"...anyone know the whereabouts of Ashton Kutcher?! Just asking..

Well...I'm gonna close for now and get some house stuff done before I leave..Everyone enjoy the rest of their weekend..Peace!

 

Wish these two well, won't you?!

Brian and Kathleen are getting married this Sunday in Vegas. They leave in the morning. If you get a chance, please stop by their journals and wish them the best. They've been thru a lot lately...

My First paranormal investigation!!

Sunday night I did my very first paranormal investigation!! We went to The Virginia Tavern in Jersey City, NJ. When you go to the link, you can clearly see a picture of me (staring at a monitor with my back to the camera) with an orb on my shoulder!! The owner of the bar took the pictures. The experience was fun. People ask me if I'm scared or nervous when I'm doing this. The answer is NO. I'm more excited than nervous or scared.

Next week we're doing a cemetary investigation. That should be really cool! The week after that is the Bannerman Island investigation with the crew of  "Dead Famous", a show that is aired in England. We've been told that we'll be there from 330pm til at least 9pm! I'm actually more excited about the investigation than I am about the TV part of it.

Finally, my son had a major "gig" this past weekend. He is in a band and plays the electric guitar. They totally rocked the house! (And, yes..it was a real house! LOL) Ray, Boo and I caught their performance in the 120 degree basement of someone's really awesome mom who allowed this!

I hope everyone is well ...Peace!

Exciting news!

Well, I did my "textbook training" to become a TSPR member. I get to do my first paranormal investigation this Sunday at a tavern in Jersey City. Then a graveyard investigation the following week. But the EXCITING news is that TSPR is doing an investigation of Bannerman Island in the Hudson River and a British tv crew is filming it to air in England! The island is supposedly haunted by the captain of The Flying Dutchman, which sunk not far away from the island. The island's official name is Pollepel Island. It is said that Native Americans also felt that it was haunted way back when and wouldn't set foot on the island. I was picked to do the investigation, which is such an honor because it will only be my 3rd investigation!! I will keep you posted!

All is well here. Jackie is being Jackie-ish but what else is new?! At least she cleaned her room today..I've only been telling her to do this for a month. Kids have been sick with various stomach/sinus/virus thingys. I'm a bit concerned about The Boy, tho. He pointed out a lump in his left nipple the other day that is about the size of a nickel. He has dr appointment on Monday to check it out. Herman is doing well but has started to snore as of late. So much so (and so loudly, I might add!) that he not only wakes himself up but also wakes me up. This is not good. I'm suggesting that he do a sleep study to see if he has sleep apnea.

My dad is down from Vermont to celebrate his 65th birthday. We're all going to The Portuguese Manor tomorrow night for dinner...13 of us in all. Should be nice. Now, what do you buy for a man who buys whatever he wants for himself?! He is the most difficult person to buy for!! For Christmas one year I called the coffee shop he frequents and arranged to pay for his coffee for a few months. He doesn't drink as he's been in recovery for 20 years so a nice bottle of scotch is OUT...LOL!! Any ideas?

Work is going well..I really do like my job. And I often impress people with my knowledge of heating and air conditioning terms!! There are a few guys at the supply houses we deal with who are kind of snotty to me but for the most part, they are very nice and helpful. I've been averaging about 27 hours a week. Not too bad.

Had colonoscopy last week because I've still got the pain in my upper right abdomen that they cannot figure out what it is. Results were fine, as I had expected. Now he feels that it's IBS, which would suck. He put me on an anti-spasmodic and mild muscle relaxer. Unfortunately, there is NO WAY I'm taking this during the day as I need to have my full wits about me. So I only take it at night. So far, the pain is still there. It's not a sharp or constant pain so I'm just dealing with it for now.

Went to see my endocrinologist last week for my Addison's disease. Seems my cholesterol is high (227) and he wants me to lose 20 pounds. Yuck. I'm 5'10" and 165 pounds so it's not all that bad. I started watching my diet, eliminating unnecessary fats and calories. Let me tell you, the pumpkin cheesecake at Charlie Brown's last night was YELLING my name! I'm not into deprivation, so I'll treat myself sometimes. I swear that all these problems started after my hysterectomy 2 years ago. Up til that point, my cholesterol was great (170's) and my weight was 135 pounds. (Of course I was painfully thin.) I just wanna get back down to 145 pounds, then I'll be happy!

Ok..I've gone on enough..I've been keeping up with most journals and most of the dramas. I'm hoping that with my new hobby underway that I'll post more..and it should be scary stuff! LOL!!

Peace!

Just a few words..

Well...Jackie is sick AGAIN. Her girlfriend just picked her up and took her to the hospital. I told Jackie that she needs to make sure that they do a drug screen and I want a copy of it. I also told her that should there be ANY drugs in her system, she should speak to a social worker and have them find a rehab for her.

I CANNOT DO THIS ANYMORE.

I cannot go around the house and hunt down bags that she has vomitted into. I cannot clean the vomit stains from the carpets. I cannot watch as my 22 year old daughter refuses to take care of her diabetes yet has the time to party with all her friends. I cannot watch my daughter lay around on a couch just because she has the day off from work and feels that she is entitled to "just take it easy" for the day. For God's sake, you are 22 years old!! I manage to work, take care of a house (with alot of help from Herman) and 4 children, be very involved in Church and the many many other things I do in the course of a day. Please, I don't want any awards or special recognition...just please don't lay around my house when your room is a disaster area and your laundry needs to be done. DO SOMETHING! Damn it...she's only 22 years old!! Pick your damn self up and just do something. Why don't you just start at taking care of yourself?!

About 6-7 years ago, Jackie went to a psychic and the psychic told her that she was going to die at the age of 23. So, what is this? A self-fulfilling prophesy?

(Her friend just called..The ER says that her blood sugar isn't TOO bad {204}but they will probably keep her because she's vomitting. Also, according to her friend, she's been on a drinking binge this past week...something that I had no knowledge of. I do know that she has woken us up many times early in the morning when she came home, supposedly from work.)

I AM DONE.

Going on hiatus..maybe for good...

Not finding much to write about these days, I've decided to stop journaling for the moment, possibly for good. I have a daughter ("Boo") who likes to read my journal so it prevents me from sharing everything I'd like to.

I've decided that I'll write when I want to or when I have something to share and to not pressure myself into making a post..

I will be reading everyone's journals and occasionally commenting..

..til then, Peace!

Labor Day Weekend..

Well....another summer here and gone..Kind of sad but yet, kind of refreshing! Kids go back to school in the morning..7am is the rising time in this house (ONLY during school, tho!)..Herman and I have had a wonderful summer together..what, whith the youngest being 13 years old....we were ALWAYS alone!!

I start my 8am til 4pm shift next week...thought I'd savor "sleeping in" for just 1 more week..Herman is off this week (Lucky bastard!) so we;ll have Wednesday together! Yippeeeee! I wish that amusement parks stayed open the week that kids went back to school so that parents could enjoy the park sans children! Ahhhh! To be in Dorney Park without a million screaming children! No lines, no screaming..pure fun!! Well...maybe we'll do something, even if it just turns out to be breakfast at the diner!

Had a barbeque this evening, family (mine) only. My family wouldn't care much for our friends so we decided to spare them..(our friends, that is! LOL) Shall we review the menu?! OK: Appetizers were your basic "chips 'n dip"...tortilla chips with a taco- seasoned sour cream  and salsa plus potato chips with onion dip...nothing extravagant; Hamburgers and Boar's Head hot dogs, pretty yummy if you ask me!; Herman's famous barbequed ribs!! Mmm-mmm! We passed on the flank steak this evening...just too DAMN much food! For dessert my mom brought over fresh baked brownies and Sara Lee's chocolate-dipped cheesecake squares! ( Oh yeah, throw in some shrimp on the barbie, pickles and home-made potato salad {Mom's} and let's call it a party!!)

All in all, it was a success. I had not seen my sister since she came back from CA so it was good to see them, especially my 8 year old nephew. We had a few good laughs and reminisced, which is always fun...

The kids are sort of glad to go back to school this year..Please, dear God..I pray that this year is a realllllly good one for my children! I have to have The Boy evaluated for ADD or ADHD this year as his concentration skills are NOT where they should be.."Boo" is back on her ADD medication so I believe she'll be ok this year. The child that I think "might" have it hardest is Ray because her boyfriend graduated in June so she's without him this year. I think she'll pull thru, tho...she's an A/B student so I can tell if she's having problems if her grades slip..

Hmmmm...any ideas re: what Herman and I should do on our day together on Wednesday?!

In the meantime...a very close friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) has been on my mind alot lately. Things aren't going her way and she's anticipating making MAJOR life changes..(Love ya, miss ya!)

Ok...I hear my dear sweet Herman walking around looking for me so I should go for now...Dar has actually recommended that I give up this journal because I don't update as much as I should and she gets frustrated...Ohhhh..she got pretty punded by Hurricane (by the time it got to them it was a tropical storm, tho) Frances...When I spoke to her the other day they were experiencing 55- 65 mph winds!! (Gusts, not steady winds)..Damn!

I'm rambling..gotta go..Take care and peace!

(OH! Check out this website re: The Pentagon attack on 9/11...I found it fascinating! {I'd like to thank Dar for the following link..}

The 9/11 Pentagon Attack...What REALLY happened?!

I'd appreciate ANYONE'S input as to the validity of this question...make's you go "Hmmmmm..."

Sorry...

Sorry..haven't felt much like journaling lately..life has been getting in the way!

Had a CAT scan of my abdomen and pelvis yesterday..no results yet. In the mean time, I still have the pain and discomfort from whatever the hell this is..

Not much to report so I guess I'll pimp some journals..

Need some male insight? Well...it's only a click away! Remo has one of the funniest damn journals around! (Caution: this journal is full of adult content and it MAY make you pee yourself! WEAR DEPENDS!!)

If you're looking for some female perspectives, well hop on over here! This is a GREAT journal, full of the wisdom of 3 terrific women journalers here in J-land! (And they even have male guest writers sometimes!)

As you know, Amy The Hippie is always one of my favorites! She's into astrological potpourri right now..She never fails to either crack me up or make me think..

Looking for a great story? This chick has some of the best stories around! And don't call her "Deb"...it's Deborah to you!

Jeff over at "What the Hell?" always has a story to share...and he's in love with Annalisa over at Simple Yet Satisfying...

Can't forget good ol' Gordy...go over and give him a big ol' hug, wontcha?!

Looking for some homespun stories from a sensitive and wonderful man? Go visit John at Losing It..He tells great stories about his nephew Bubba..nice pics, too!

Looking for some heartwarming stories about love and teaching? Ms. Hillaree Day has some wonderful stories to share about her life...and she's in love, too! She'll make you cheer "Brava!!"

Ok..I'll pimp some more journals at a later date..but for now these should keep you plenty busy!

G'night and peace!

This and that...

Been on vacation all week long..Went back to Dorney Park with all 4 children and a friend..Had a blast! Went to Pt. Pleasant one night and walked the boardwalk...nice night...Celebrated Herman's 45th birthday yesterday!! He and I went to The Lobster Shanty in Point Pleasant last night..disappointing. My steamers (clams) were soooo sandy and had an awful stench to them. I had to send them back. They are also overpriced as far as lobsters go. Herman had a 2 pound lobster dinner that cost us $36!! (The portuguese places we normally frequent usually have twin lobster specials for less that $25) All in all it was nice night..the kids were all away for the night. (This was not an accident...we threw them all out! LOL!!)

Had an abdominal ultrasound two weeks ago for the pain that I have had for a month. According to my primary doctor, it came back "esentially fine" but as to why the pain still persists, no answers...So I headed off to the gastroenterologist on Thursday morning. He is concerned that something is going on (I have severe reflux which has resulted in a pre-cancerous condition of the esophagus, Barrett's Esophagus..yuck..) so he wants me to have a CAT scan. He thinks that it may be my gallbladder. All I know is that I have had a pain in my upper right side for 5 weeks now with no relief. Thankfully, this doctor WILL get to the bottom of it.

I heard from Lila!! She's doing well and wants me to tell everyone that she says "HI!!" and hopes that all is well with everyone. She likes her new job. Shane (her son) is doing well...I'll be writing back to her soon..

We're supposed to have a party tomorrow but it doesn't appear that the weather is going to cooperate. May have to postpone to Sunday or next weekend..It's going to be mostly Herman's gym friends so it should be a wild party!! LOL!

Dar and her family evacuated for Hurricane Charley but went back home when it turned east and headed a bit south and east of her. I don't think they even got rain from the hurricane! Lucky, lucky break for them...

Well..that's it for now..have tons of laundry to do and then I need to address the needs of the house! LOL!

Peace, everyone!!

 

"I am a gay American"- NJ Gov. McGreevey

Bravo, Governor!

"I AM A GAY AMERICAN"

I'm so proud to have my Governor come out of the closet and to proudly announce that he is gay!

Bad, bad blogger!!

Sorry...it''s been a long time. Let's play catch up, shall we?

Boo came home this past Monday. Her flight (into Newark) was delayed by 1 1/2 hours. Of course, this was the day after the terror alert went up for NYC, Newark and DC. So, she wasn't too thrilled to be flying that day. She had a good time with Dar and the boys, hanging out and going to the beach.

I was supposed to do the paranormal research training thing last Friday but I haven't been feeling well. Stomach problems that may be gallbladder problem. I'm having an abdominal ultraound on Monday morning. In the meantime, I've been rather uncomfortable and not much fun. :(

Jackie is thinking of moving out into an apartment with her friend Dana. (Let's see...how many ways are there to say HIP HIP HOORAY??) We'll see. She is seriously delusional in thinking that she'll be able to support herself. But...hey! GO! :::picking colors for my office (her bedroom) as I type this:::

The Boy has had band practice every day. They're sounding great! He plays the electric guitar and sings (warbles)..He has the whole "rock star" attitude and look, to boot! :::picking out my new mansion online for when he becomes rich:::

Ray has been out with Bryan every day. They're so cute together. She's going to come to work with me for a few hours next weeek. I'm going to have her pull files for me. It gets too confusing when I have to do that and answer the phone at the same time. Keith (my boss) gave me the go-ahead to hire her to help me out for a bit. (I have a $100 limit, tho.)

Work has been good. I more than likely have sold a new ice machine to a local college. This results in a $150 reward! Woo-hoo! Making the "big bucks" now! LOL!!

Herman is doing well. He has to judge the WNPF World's meet tomorrow. He's not looking forward to it. How'd you like to have to tell a 300+ pound guy that his lift was no good?! Didn't think so... Hopefully Wayne and Brenda will go to watch tomorrow. Don't wanna have to sit around there all day by myself.

Boo has made friends with Mark's (of Mark and Heather fame) cousin Monica. She's a year older than Boo. They're both being trained at the gym by Heather, who is currently in training for the nationals body building event to be held in Dallas in November. Boo is leaving for the Poconos today with Monica and her family. She'll have a blast!

Well...Herman is back from the gym so I guess I'd better go motivate him to clean out the shed for Monday's metal garbage pick up. Ugh. So much to put out by the curb. Then food shopping. Fun, fun, fun..

Peace!

My last day at the restaurant..

I did it...I quit my 1 day a week job at the restaurant today. My reasoning is this: My "new" old job wants me to start working a 5 day work week come September. I would like some time off this summer, maybe take the kids to the beach or just hang out. This way, I'll be off on Mondays and Thursday til September. I'll miss the place, the people but not the gossipy bullsh** that goes on day to day. Sure, every job has some of that going on but it really seems to be more prevalent in the restaurant industry. They recently hired another woman for day shift. I met her today and really liked her. So much so that I gave her my much coveted M&M tie because she loved it. I'll never wear it again so it should be given to someone who will be happy wearing it. I'm going to give away my Dr. Seuss "One Fish, Two Fish" tie and my flags of the world tie, too...Maybe Donna would like one. I was known for my quirky ties. Whenever a customer saw my tie, they would usually smile and tell me how much they loved it.

I'm going to miss my customers, the guys in the kitchen and my manager, Eddie. I had so much fun working there. But like Herman says, sometimes it can't just be about the fun...gotta be about the pay, too. I do have fun at my new job, just not alot of people to have fun with.

So, I made $2.00 today..I took the lounge and it was DEAD. I had 1 table, 1 guy. Eddie bought me lunch: grilled chicken breast topped with garlic and olive oil soaked red peppers, fresh mozzerella cheese and pico de gallo...YUM! Then he made me an Electric Raspberry Martini which tasted really strange but I couldn't seem to put down! LOL!!

Herman went to the gym early so that we can spend some time together this evening. He knows that I was sad to leave the restaurant. God, I can almost feel tears welling up in my eyes...I cried (ok, sniffled) when I had to say goodbye to everyone. ( I don't do goodbyes really well.)

Anyway, it's been a long day so I'm gonna take a quick nap before Herman gets back..Peace!

STILL too busy! Sometimes that's not a bad thing...

If anyone has been checking in to see what's new with me, I apologize. Herman was on vacation all last week and required LOTS of attention...that I was more than willing to give him! LOL!

I took off Tuesday and Wednesday so that we could do something with Ray and The Boy. (Remember, Boo is in FL with Dar..) I'm always off on Mondays so this gave us 5 full days to enjoy ourselves. We decided to go to Dorney Park for the day on Wednesday..Of course, we couldn't go without inviting Mark and Heather...and they couldn't go without inviting their friends Steve and Kyle...so all told, 9 of us went! (Rachel's boyfriend Bryan joined us, too...) We had a BLAST! I would have liked to have gone on  the rides a few more times (we only went on each ride once) but it was a day well spent.

The rest of the week we went out to eat alot and just hung around, enjoying each other's company. We (Herman and I) are going thru a period of renewal in our relationship..we just plain adore each other! We are getting used to not having to cater to our children and I think that we're gonna like it! Several people have recemtly said to one or the other of us that we should teach marriage classes..or they've pointed out how they see the love in our eyes when we're looking at each other or speaking of each other. "Homey G" told me that part of the reason she threw her no-good cheating husband out is because, after working with me, she realized that there ARE people who love each other and who have fun in their marriage. Well...I certainly DO NOT profess to knowing how to make a realtionship work. I just know that our relationship does...and does it well. Sure, we have stupid petty arguments..we bicker...But I have never said a bad word about my husband to anyone...mostly because there isn't much bad about the man.

We so totally balance each other out. Like a seesaw, if I'm getting really crazy and going higher and higher, he can level me out...And when he's getting serious and going down, I lift him up...and vice versa, if you will. We make each other laugh...and that might just be the most important thing. If you don't laugh, then you cry...no one wants tears all the time, right? (Trust me, we've shared PLENTY of tears..but we've SHARED them, never have we suffered alone.)

Hmmm..I was gonna make this a light and airy "what we did on our vacation" entry but I seem to have digressed...and there's no better place to digress to then my husband's arms...

Peace! Hope everyone is well!

Too busy..

Quickly...

1) The "new" old job was fine...survived last week with nary a bruise or bump..I used to LOVE this job til the owner made me hate it due to issues with his temper. They were really glad to have me back, tho..There was coffee and donuts waiting for me on Tuesday morning when I returned..

2) I miss my "old" job..went in on Wednesday to work..my name wasn't on the schedule so I got pissed and went home..20 minutes later Eddie (manager) called and said, " Why the hell'd you go home, girl?! Get back here!"...Apparently he just knows that I'll show up on Wednesday's from now on so why put my name on the schedule?!

3) Speaking of my "old job"...my "Homey G" threw her husband out for cheating on her with the sister-in-law of the OTHER owner!! Can't say tooooo much but this is a really messed up situation...and my heart goes out to "G" and her kids...

4) Attended my first Unicameral Board meeting as an Elder of the Church..cracked them up when I said, "My name is Sharon...and can I just say that I CANNOT wait to vote on something?!" (As a Deacon representative, I was only allowed to give my report and NOT vote or voice an opinion..)

5) "Boo" leave for SC (Dar's sister's house) on Wednesday..She'll be there (with Dar and the boys) til the following Sunday and then back to FL for 2 weeks...Has she packed or done ANYTHING for this trip?! NO WAY!

6) Haven't done Paranormal Research Training yet...but it's been a busy time for everyone involved so I'm not pushing it..

7) Had a wonderful weekend with Herman! We had a barbeque Saturday (Mark, Heather and their friend Steve)...ice and quiet! Sunday we took a trip to Pt. Pleasant for a bit after Church..

8) Herman got hurt this evening while he was benching. (A little background: He tore his right pectoral muscle 2 or so years ago..his chest is lopsided because of it.)  This eveong he was doing light (ok, 315 pounds...light for him) presses and he felt something give in his left pec (pectoral muscle) so he came right home. His pec is swollen so we alternated ice and heat..we'll see how he is in the morning. We called Wayne (he works for his uncle, who is an orthopedic surgeon) to ask his opinion of what we should do. He said we were doing the right thing and he'd talk to hisuncle in the morning and see what Herman should do next and what sign to look for, as far as another torn pec. YUCK. He's in pain...poor Herman.

9) I've been "lurking" in other journals...too much going on to comment. No time to really sit and write an entry in my own journal. Lila from Dear Diary has had to take a few weeks off from journaling..I'll miss her..

10) Hi to everyone! And now, I shall say ....G'night! Peace....

I said YES!

Well, I made my decision today re: joining the ghost research team....And my decision was to say YES! I can't wait to get started! Since there are no requirements as far as the amount of time I must contribute, I thought that this might be the perfect "hobby" for me.

It's been really quiet here, what with Boo and The Boy gone all week long. I was kinda bored today. I took today and tomorrow off so that i could have a fresh start on Tuesday..Today I did a market research panel discussion about ADHD drugs and advertising. Interesting. The best part was the $100 pay, tho! I'm telling you, if you have a market research panel near you, have them add your name to their list. They call me every few months. I don't always qualify, but when I do, it's nice money! Today's panel discussion was 1 1/2 hours long. Not bad.

We're going to pick up Boo and The Boy tomorrow night...not looking forward to sitting in "heading to the mountains" traffic going and "going to the shore" traffic on the way back. UGHhhhhhh...

Well...not too much going on here..Herman and I are gonna go out (when he comes back from the gym, that is) for a beer or two, maybe some food...a kind of "last fling" before the young'uns come back home...Peace!

OK..is this an omen or what?!

My day thus far:

Worked..It was reallly slow..I was supposed to be 1st out because I have therapy on every other Tuesday BUT one guy that I worked with pissed and moaned that he shouldn't have to stay because he had to work a double on Wednesday..don't know how that applied to today but OH WELL...I told him to go home. Got 3 tables right after he left and made another $26!!

Therapy...Told my therapist about the email from the paranormal researcher..Was leaving her office, saying "Well...I need to decided wheter or not I;m going to join them.." With that , I told her that I smelled the scent of a Christmas tree! She said that was really strange..I pressed her for info and she told me that the office (which is actually a really old house) is haunted by a little girl who smells like a Christmas tree! And my therapist did not smeel the pine scent in the air!! VERY ODD...an omen that i should perhaps take the offer seriously?!

Dinner..Herman and I went to Stop and Shop to pick up some steaks for dinner but when we saw the price, decided that we'd just as soon go to Charlie Brown's for dinner because I had a $20 coupon..We get there and my "new" old boss, Keith, is there. I go to say hi and chat for a few minutes and tell him that I'll see him on Tuesday..He picked up our check!!! Then I'm telling Herman that I was pouring a beer for a customer (for the bartender who was on a cigarette break) and that the keg kicked it and I had to have someone change it..Well, as I told him that story, our waitress comes over adnd says, " the keg just kicked..it will only be a minute for them to cahnge it.." Strange, huh??!!

Mega Millions, here I come!!

Got me that pedicure!

Well...what a bargain I got! A pedicure for $20 and for $5 more, you get a pedicure! Stay with me here...$20 + $5 = $25...throw in a $10 for a tip and that = $35....so why did I hand her $45??!! I didn't realize it til I left...I counted my money when I got home and realized that I had done this..Oh well..I ALWAYS do sh%t like this..And I'm not about to run back and argue with them..They're so nice there..So they got a HUGE tip. Good for them! They work hard, bent over nails and feet all day.

Jackie and her friend Dana just ran to get beer and chips...said that they invited a few friends to come and hang out...Yay..there goes my quiet evening home alone! (Herman just left for the gym...he'll be gone for a good 2-2 1/2 hours...) Oh well..if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Maybe they'll watch "Road Rules" with me....

Doesn't that beat all?!

I received an email today from one of the paranormal investigators who participated in  the investigation of my house. They are looking for new investigators and my name was the first one to come up! HOW COOL IS THAT?! I have to give it some serious thought because I'm always so busy with Church and family..but it really sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it?! She said that I could put in as many (or few) hours as my schedule allows. I'll keep you posted about my decision..

On other fronts, I'm down 2 children this week..WOOOOOHOOOO! The Boy has been in NY with my sister-in-law since last week but when we went up this past weekend, Boo decided that she'd like to stay for the week. And of course, The Boy refused to come home so he's still there! Actually, Ray stayed up there Saturday night and was gonna stay til tonight but poor Herman had to drive up early yesterday morning to pick her up because she missed her boyfriend...boo frickin hoo..

I worked today...made decent money. Just have to work tomorrow and Wednesday then I'm off til Tuesday, when I'll be starting my "new" old job..Can't say I'm excited, but a steady income is something to look forward to, I suppose..

Herman and I had a nice quiet day yesterday (after he drove 1 1/2 hours each way to get Ray, that is...IN TRAFFIC)...went out for breakfast and then to dinner. (We are really bad..always eating out.) We went to The Portuguese Manor in Perth Amboy. I just had a seafood combo and he had baby lobster tails and filet mignon..Very good! Tonight he's getting frozen vegetable lasagna! LOL!!

Hmmm...maybe I'll get that pedicure I've been talking about for weeks now....Or I'll just hang out at home and enjoy the peace and quiet..Oh, I started the "new me" routine again...But I ate fries at work..I'll just have to watch what I eat for dinner tonight..Maybe a salad with chicken..Hmmm...and no more alcohol..welllll...maybe Michelob Ultra..I think I'll take it slowly this time..after all, I burnt out in just a week last time! (Can you say NO WILLPOWER?!)

Ok...peace!

OMG! This is TOO Funny!

While reading the Drudge Report today, I came upon THIS ARTICLE...Caution: Adult content, altho not too, too bad. Let's just saying this guy was grabbing the wrong "gavel" during trials! ROFL!! Here come da' judge!

Took a break...

Let's see...when last I wrote I was afraid that Jackie used. It appears as tho I may be wrong about that. She did another stint in the CCU for elevated blood sugar..Was very sick. As she gets older, she gets sick more easily and recovers at a very slow rate. Diabetes sucks.

This is my last full week at The Cornerstone..Next week I plan on working Tuesday and Wednesday and taking off Thursday and Friday. I think that we're (me, Boo and my mom) are gonna try to head to the city and go to MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) and maybe head down to the Village.

Yesterday was Boo's 15th birthday..Took her to get her belly button pierced. (I know...bad parenting.) I myself only have my ears pierced (ONCE!) and have no tattoos or other body piercings. HOWEVER! If I had a nice belly, I might want a belly button piercing, too! But that's it...I'm pretty anti-piercing/tattoing. Anyway...we took her out for a Japanese hibachi dinner last night to celebrate.

The Boy is in upstate NY visiting Herman's sister and her family. He's close to his cousin Mike. They're the same age so they get along really well. The girls are home. Ray got a job as a hostess at The Cornerstone, starting next week. She really needs to start making some pocket money for herself. Boo is going down to Dar's in July...gotta make those arrangements THIS WEEK. She's afraid to fly alone this year, what with the threat of attacks being high this summer. Can't say that I blame her...but life has to go on. Jackie starts her new job next week...can I get an Allelujah?! AMEN!!

Had a nice weekend...Saturday was kind of quiet. My mother and father in law came down for Boo's birthday so we took the out to The Steak and Ale for dinner. Then we stopped by The Cornerstone to listen to the music and dance. I only wanted to stay for 1 drink but we wound up there for 2 hours! Herman and I did alot of dancing. Gisella (the day hostess and owner's wife) showed up so she sat with us. I tried to get her to dance but she wouldn't. Her 40th birthday is coming up in July so a few of us are going to take her out. She wants a wild time, she claims. Hmmm..I may be just the person to show her a wild time! LOL!! She ALSO wants to see naked male dancers..not too sure if I can make THAT happen! But I will try!

Sunday we had a birthday party/ Father's Day barbeque...it was the most gorgeous day! Bright blue skies, not too hot or cool..perfect! Of course, as usual, we made way too much food...Jerk shrimp, ribs, steak, burgers and hot dogs...some salads, fruit....SOOOO many leftovers!

Well...that's about it..I've been pretty lax about updating lately..but I HAVE been reading everyone's journals, keeping abreast of all the latest dramas, trials and tribulations..I haven't left too many cooments, either...No reason...just not too much to say..LOL...Ok, I'm outta here....Peace!

Stuff and nonsense

I borrowed this from Lila's journal..looked like fun..

______________THEN_____________

Have you ever...

1)  Got so drunk you blacked out? 
 NEVER!
2)  Missed school, because it was raining? 
  No

3)  Put a body part on fire for amusement?
  No..that's just CRAZY !

4)  Been hurt emotionally?
  Oh yes..by friends, lovers and family

5)  Kept a secret from everyone?
  Sure I have!

6)  Had an imaginary friend?
  When I was about 4-5 years old I had an imaginary friend named Glenn..he was actually a 2nd cousin that I had only met once but had made quite an impression on me. My mom says that I used to make her set a place for him at the dinner table!

7)  Cried during a movie?
  All the damn time!   

8)  Had a crush on a teacher?
    Nope

10)  Had a new kids on the block tape?
  Uh-uh...they were much younger than me  

11)  Been on stage?
  Oh yeah..2 years of summer stock theatre camp (Hampton Playhouse in NH)  

12)  Cut your own hair?
 Yep...mine, my sister's and my ex-husband's! LOL..and it wasn't pretty!   

>-----Favorites--------------------- > >  

1)  Shampoo?
  Whatever is on sale...right now it's Pantene   

2)  Color?
  Sage green   

3)  TV show? 
  Six Feet Under 

4)  Store?
  Hmmm...difficult question...I guess Kohl's      

5)  Summer/Winter?
  SUMMER!! 

6)  Cartoon Character? 
  SpongeBob SquarePants

7)  Food?
  Applebee's Nachos (for the moment)  

8)  Commercial?
  I LOVE the Citibank (or CitiFinancial) Identity Theft Solutions commercial where there is an Asian dental hygenist who had her identity stolen by a guy named Larry who then had his "chassis waxed..OUCH! Stand back ladies, there's enough Larry for everyone!" Cracks me up every time I see it!!

9)  Movie?
   Oh man..I have to pick just one?! I'd have to say  "Almost Famous" followed by "The Nightmare Before Christmas" ..I'd better stop...did I mention "West Side Story"?

10) Holiday?
  Definately Thanksgiving 

11)  Non-Alcoholic drink?
  Water

12)  Alcoholic Drink?
 Vodka & tonic and beer 

------------------NOW----------------  

1)  What are you wearing?
  Jean capri pants and a white scoop neck tee  

2)  How are you feeling?
  Wired...worked all day and then had to go serve dinner at the battered women's shelter...and trying to catch up with the laundry 

3)  Eating?
  Just finished a macadamia nut cookie

4)  Drinking?
  MGD Light beer

5)  Thinking about?
  What to do about my oldest daughter Jackie who wound up back in the hospital last night...afraid that she may have used again... 

6)  Listening to?
  Led Zeppelin on AOL radio 

7)  Talking to?
  No one...I can't type and talk at the same time, never mind chew gum and walk at the same time! LOL!!   

------------In The Last 24 Hours-----  

1)  Cried? 
  Yes...angry tears

2) Worn a skirt?
  NO WAY!

3) Met someone new?
  Since I waitress, yes...I suppose I did meet someone new tooday!  
    
4)  Done laundry?
  Always...in the process as we speak!

5) Driven a car?
  Yeah

-------Do you believe in------  

1)  Yourself?
  Yes!    

2)  Your Friends? 
  Yes!!

3)  Santa Clause?
  I'd have to copy Lila and say yes, in the spirit of Santa! 

4)  Tooth fairy?
    Let's not push it! (NO)

5)  Destiny/Fate? 
  For sure! 

6)  Angels?
  Maybe not exactly "angels" but someone who watched over me      

7)  God? 
  YES 

-------Friends, Family, and Life---------  

1)  Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
  A husband 

2)  Do you love anyone? 
  Herman, my children, my family and alot of friends.. 

3)  Who is the loudest?
  That'd be "Boo"!    

4)  Who is the shyest?
  Hmmm...I don't think that any one of us could be labeled "shy"    

5)  Who's the weirdest? 
 Trust me on this on..it's ME!   

6)  Who do you go to for advice? 
  Herman (husband) 

7)  Over what have you cried the most?
  When my grandparents died...especially my Gram.  

8)  What is the best feeling in the world?
   Knowing that Herman loves me!

9)  Worst feeling?
  Loneliness 

 

Wedding Weekend Mania!!

Whew! What a weekend it's been! I bought my son a suit on Thursday to wear to the wedding...and they left the security tag in it. So back to Sears on Friday (after working all day) and then to Mark and Heather's rehearsal dinner. We had a great time! It was held at the Italian restaurant "The Tomato Factory" that their good friend Frank owns. Got up early (me) Saturday morning so that I could go for new officer training at Church..That was from 9am until 11am. Tried to get some sleep when I got home but that wasn't gonna happen.."Mom, can I...?" "Mom...so and so is on the phone..." "Mom, so and so is at the door for you..."..well, you get the picture. God forbid you should try and nap on a Saturday afternoon!! So, up I got and started cleaning up the house.

The marriage ceremony was nice.."Boo" did the video taping for them as they had not hired a videographer..Their friend Kyle had nowhere to go between the ceremony and the reception so we took him home with us. (We live 2 blocks from the church that they were married at.) McDonald's, food shopping occupied the rest of the afternoon. Soon enought it was time to head to the reception...Wayne and Brenda drove us there..Bren was the "designated driver"! The reception was BEAUTIFUL! We had such a great time!! They had a wonderful band...no "Chicken Dance", no "Macarena" no "Elcetric Slide"!! Yahhhooo!!Instead, Big Band, Frank Sinatra...very cool stuff! (I love to dance to Big Band swing musin...how can you not?!) Home at 1am..Kyle, once again, came home with us...and not in too good of shape, either. (Kyle is a 19 year old powerlifter who wieghs close to 280-300 pounds...He slept in my son's room. All night long I was afraid that Kyle would wake up and step on my poor son, killing him...Luckily, Kyle slept thru the night..)

No Church for me today..Instead, I slept realllly late and then we all (me, Herman, my son, "Boo", Kyle, Wayne and Brenda and their daughter Monika) went to Mark's parent's home for an "after the wedding" party. Had a great time once again!

Got home just in time for the season premier of "Six Feet Under"...and now I'm TOTALLY exhausted! LOL...wonder why?! Off tomorrow but I think Jackie and I are taking a ride down the shore to see my girlfriend and her son..Man, I sooooo need a day off! LOL!

This girl bids everyone a good evening...Peace!

My last Deacon's meeting...

Before anyone asks....yes, I cried. I told everyone how much being a Deacon meant to me, how much I've discovered about myself and my Church. I told them that they had no idea of the personal crises my family was going thru for several years and how my being a Deacon kept me centered, kept me sane. I told them that I would miss all them, and in my prayer at the end of the night, I thanked everyone for their guidance and fellowship.

This is a time of change for me...Deacon meetings will soon enough be replaced by Unicameral Board meetings, my waitress job will be replaced (in a large part) by my "old" secretarial job..

I'm looking foward to the challenges that being an Elder of the Church will bring. I look forward to new friendships and continuing old ones.

One of my favorite movies is "Godspell"...the following lyrics kind of sum up how I feel about my life..

All Good Gifts

We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land..
But it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand..
He sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain...
The breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain...

All good gifts around us
Are sent from Heaven above
So thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love...

We thank thee then, O Father, for all things bright and good,
The seedtime and the harvest, our life, our health, our food,
No gifts have we to offer for all thy love imparts
But that which thou desirest, our humble thankful hearts!

All good gifts around us
Are sent from Heaven above..
So thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love..

I really wanna thank you Lord!

:::eyes welling up with tears:::

I thank HIM for my past 3 years as Deacon and all my personal growth...and for all the good gifts He has rained upon me...

Spent time with my husband

Friday Herman and I decided to go to to Pt.Pleasant Beach. We had a lot of fun! We got there around noon or so and proceeded to eat our way thru the boardwalk! LOL! We started off with a sausage sandwich from Martell's . Then we walked up and down the boardwalk for a bit. When we got back up to the Martell's end, the Fun House had just opened so we ventured in. Then back to Martell's to the Tiki Bar where we had something to drink and I ate some great steamers (clams) while Herman feasted on a pound of snow crab legs. Then back down the boardwalk to play some miniature golf. I totally SUCK at this so I stopped keeping score after the 8th hole! LOL!!

We left the boardwalk to go have a very early dinner (it was only 3:15pm) at The Lobster Shanty but they weren't open til 5pm. So we went next door to their sister restaurant, The Wharfside. It was packed with early-bird-special-seeking folk. We decided to have a beer and a shrimp cocktail and head on back home for dinner.

Well...by the time we got home we were both so full that we didn't even entertain the thought of dinner til about 8pm! So I just had a California roll from our local sushi parlor and Herman bought himself a lobster from the store. All in all, a great day!

This past weekend we pretty much just hung out, watched some TV and cleaned up around the house. It was a quiet weekend...FOR ONCE! Anyone catch the season finale of Sopranos? Not that great...Can't wait for Six Feet Under to start their season. Love that show!

Well...that's all I have for now..Herman's coming home for lunch so I should starighten up a bit..Back to work tomorrow for me..I really enjoyed my week off altho it did go by quickly. ::sigh::

Peace!

The "identity crisis" is over!!

Well....my crisis of sorts is now over! I went to Seaside Park on Tuesday and picked up my marriage license to my first husband and then drove up to Elizabeth (the city I was born in) and tried to get my birth certificate. I say "tried" because when the woman checked the books, my birth was NOT recorded!! Sooo...she took down the info and called Trenton the next day to see if they had a record of my birth....and THANK GOD, they did! So back up to Elizabeth on Wednesday to get my birth certificate. (You may be wondering, "what's the big deal?" but Elizabeth is one the top ten list of places to get car-jacked...not the best place for a woman to be by herself..) Then quickly to motor vehicle and TA-DA!! I now am the proud owner of a digitalized driver's license!! Woooo hoooo!

Today I attended my 8 year old nephew's Spanish assembly (they performed a cute skit in Spanish!) and then to lunch with my friend Deb. I never get to see Deb any more as she works 3 days a week and we all know how damn busy I can get sometimes! It was great to hang out and talk to her..been a long time.

Herman is taking tomorrow off so that we can do something together, like maybe go to the beach...We'll see. I love being able to spend time with just him...no kids. It's nice to get up and have coffee together on the deck and talk about our day's plans..I told him that I want to do something  that doesn't involve the cleaning or caring for of ANYTHING...Just wanna do something fun....(get your minds outta the gutter!! LOL!!)

"Boo" and "The Boy" have been home sick the past 2 days. She has a pain in her side (not appendix related) and he has a really bad Spring cold complete with cough. Jackie is still out of the house...haven't heard a peep from her altho "Ray" did speak to her last night.

Well...I haven't even thought about dinner yet so I really should thrown something together soon..

Peace!

A nice, quiet Sunday..

Dar sent me this link "Can you pass the third grade?" today..I failed the first time because I didn't realize I was being timed. The second time I passed with flying colors! It was fun..Let me know how you do!

I wound up going to the PA powerlifting meet after all. Heather and MArk go to all Herman's competitions and support him so I felt that I should return the support. Heather and Elena (Heather's best friend) both did VERY well..Heather squatted 535 pounds!! I think Elena wound up with a 500 pound squat.  Unfortunately they're in the same weight class and had to compete against each other. I believe that Elena wound up besting Heather by about 40 pounds or so. It's all good..

Brenda (Wayne's wife)  and the baby also came so I had some company. Both Bren and I thought that we would only be there for the girls squats and boy, were we surprised when we realized that we had to stay for the whole damn thing! LOL!! We decided to stop and eat at our local Applebee's rather than have a barbeque when we got home. I'm not a huge Applebee's fan but I do have to say that they have the best damn nachos I've ever had!! LOL!

Not feeling great today. Have been having problems with joint pain. Today it's really uncomfortable as it is in my wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees and ankles. Took 3 Motrin but nothing...No relief. My mother suggested that I be retested for lupus. I was tested years ago and it was negative. I'm thinking (praying, hoping) that it's just age-related joint pain or even my fibromyalgia re-surfacing. Yuck. All I know is that I'm in pain and I'm exhausted. And before y'all start on me...I'LL MAKE A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT----THIS WEEK!!! LOL! (Beat ya to it!)

I'm off to the food store to get a few things and then I'm gonna relax. Have to make a baked ziti or something for tomorrow. Maybe my special "chickatoulli" recipe...really just chicken, tomatoes, garlic over yellow rice. Umm-umm! That's lighter than baked ziti..

Everyone have a safe holiday..Peace!!

Been a long time, been a long time...

First, let me offer my sincerest apologies for not posting in over a week...

SOR-RY!

LOL!! I've been excrutiatingly busy..and aggravated to boot.

I DID take the job after much thoughtful deliberation. I've decided to start on July 6th. They were very happy that I accepted. The restaurant, on the other hand, is not quite as happy. Everyone wants me to stay..and trust me, I'd rather stay there. (That's why I'm not leaving there til the end of June!) I'm off this coming week to take care of....

MY freakin' license! In NJ you need 6 points of ID. If, however, you have changed your name from a marriage, you need to prove how you got from your maiden name that appears of your birth certificate to the name that appears on your driver's license. Easier said than done. My maiden name does not appear on my marriage license to Herman. It has my "pre-marriage surname"..that is, my ex-husband's last name. ARGGGHHH!! Motor Vehicle won't accept my birth certificate because, GET THIS ONE, it has tape on it!! SOOO..I have to go to the town hall in the town that I married my first husband and get my marriage license to him (it has my maiden name on it) and then bring it to the town hall in the city where I was born so that I can get a copy of my birth certificate!! YIKES! Then I can go to Motor Vehicle and renew my photo ID license. This, dear folks, had me so stressed out one day that I couldn't sleep. This shall forever be referred to as "My Identity Crisis"!

Last weekend was spent attending an all day powerlifting event. Our friend Wayne was competing and Herman was judging. So I spent the better part of that day with Wayne's wife Brenda and their 14 month old cutie pie, Monika. "Boo" and I entertained Monika all day. I had a lot of fun. And Wayne got his 700 lb. squat that day so all was good. Later that night wayne and Herman had Mark's bachelor party to attend so I went with Herman down to Wayne's house and Brenda, "Boo" and I went out to dinner and then waited for the guys to return. We got home at 1am so of course, I didn't make it to Church yet again. Sunday I put together a desk for my mom's new computer..a 3 hour project. Herman came over and set up the computer for her. We didn't get done there til 730 pm so we had a rather late dinner that night.

"The Big One" (Jackie) has been atodds with everyone here lately so on Tuesday I told her that she needed to go stay somewhere for a few days til she calmed the hell down. She was arguing over the fact that "Ray" had on a pair of her underwear. There is a constant problem with all my girls "borrowing" (read: TAKING) each others clothes/brushes/make-up/etc. without asking. I've addresses this time and time again but Jackie feels that I should beat the girls when this happens. The fact that they take her stuff and that I do nothing about it (her words) makes me a bad mother who cares nothing for her..Oh pul-leeze! I told her to take herself and her attitude elsewhere until she could express gratitude for the things that we've done for her. Remember, this is the child who is into me for approximately $2500.00 and thinks that we "owe her"..Sheesh! She was just here picking up some clothes so she could continue to stay wherever she's staying. I somehow suspect that she and her boyfriend may have broken up because she left with her girlfriend on Tuesday and showed up with her today. The girlfriend just smiled and waved at me...Not a word from Jackie. We are equally as stubborn, altho I did say hi to her when she walked in...ENOUGH! I'm upsetting myself...

Work was dead this week..so dead that I decided to start my little vacation early by taking today off! LOL!! So I spent the day cleaning the hot tub and planting some flowers that I've had hanging around since Mother's Day! I understand that we're going to go out to dinner with Mark, Heather , "Boo" and "The Boy"..Sounds like fun! Actually Herman and I went out last night for a couple of beers. We ran into the "kids" (ok, they're 25 years old or so but they're kids to me!) I used to work with at the Rock and Roll liquor store so we had a few lemon drop shots with them to celebrate the future employment of one of them. We had a really good time. Then Herman decided that he absolutely had to go and get breakfast...at 12 midnight!! He and I went to the local diner and then home by 1am. Poor guy had to get up for work..he may wanna re-think midnight breakfasts in the future!

Speaking of Herman, he had such a rough week at work this past week. He is a Telecommunications Specialist and LAN Administrator for the world' leading express package company..He's been with them for 20 years now! (This is where I was lucky enough to meet him!) The long and short of the problem is that the home company sent him the wrong software when he encountered this problem (with data) and he spent 3 days at his job trying to fix it. He didn't get home on Wednesday night til nearly 2am!

This weekend Herman, "Boo", "The Boy", Mark, Heather and Wayne are all going to PA for a powerlifting event that Mark and Heather will be competing in! (I just spoke to Heather..she's not even into it because their wedding is 2 weeks away and she's sooo stressed out over the million things that need to be done beforehand!) This mean "Peace and Quiet Weekend" for me!! Yippee! But by tomorrow night I'll be wishing that they were all home! ("Ray" is usually with her boyfriend all weekend.)

One more thing...Lisa and I are hoping to meet for a drink or dinner sometime soon. We live about 40 miles apart and thought it might be fun to actually meet an AOL j-land friend. She mentioned someone else that may want to join us but I have not yet approached this person as I really don't know her well. Here's the thing: If you live in the NJ/Eastern PA/NY area (or somewhere in that area) and you're willing to drive, DO YOU WANNA JOIN US? I think that it wouldbe so much fun if little clusters of us met in diffrent part sof the country. We could take pictures and share with everyone else. Right about now you're all shaking your heads and thinking I'm a nut but I really DO love to meet people..especially all these cool j-landers! LOL!! Anyway...just a thought..

At this point I shall depart..Everyone should be home soon and I'm getting hungry..Have a great weekend everyone! Peace, out!!

I ask again...now what?!

I spoke to my manager yesterday and told him of my job offer. I told him that, altho I really hate to leave, the other company was offering me more money. I asked him if I could stay on 1 day a week (Wednesday) and he said that he didn't think so. I was crushed.

It sucks to learn that you are expendable.

So...do I stay at the restaurant or do I go back to my old job? I have a lot to think about...

############LATER THAT SAME DAY##########

Well..it seems that my manager was kidding me! He said, "Shar...why do you look so down?" When I explained that I was upset by the fact that I may take the other job and not have 1 day a week at the restaurant, he said, "Shar..you'll ALWAYS have a job here, even if you just wanna come in for 2 hours! Of course you can work 1 day a week here! We'd love to see you stay, but we also understand that it's more money at the other place!"

So now I suppose I really need to make a definate choice here..don't you?! (Thanks janothy for all your advice...and yes, I did listen!)

Getting ready to do food delivery to a local women's shelter..The Deacon's serve a baked ziti parmigiana to this shelter once a month. I just hope that we have enough help...I know of only 1 other person who's definately going to be there...Should be interesting as we feed approx 50 residents a meal of baked ziti, farlic bread, celery, carrot, cookies and juice..This is not the time to be shorthanded..Oh well..gotta get out of my work clothes and into something a bit more comfortable!

Everyone have a great night! Peace!

Now what??

Ok..so I called my former employer and said "Thanks, but no thanks" and explained that I really struggled with this decision all weekend. Soooo...about an hour later, they call back and practically beg me to come back! They'll pay me $12.50 an hour to start and talk raise at the end of the summer!! NOW WHAT???!!! I told her (the owner's wife) that I really have to think about it some more and I would need to speak to my current manager to see if he'd allow me to work Monday and Wednesday lunches.

I'm so confused at this point...should I go back or not? I used to love the job because it was so diversified but it was stressful..

Ok..I'm gonna think out loud here...It was stressful partially because of what was going on with my girls and partially because the boss was a maniac at times. Now, the girls have calmed down considerably and, according to his wife, he's on medication for his anger management issues.

As far as money goes, I average about $30. a day at the restaurant, which is $120. a week plus about $25. in wages per week..so let's say I make (in a good week) maybe $150-$175 per week. If I go back to work at the old job, I'll make $225 a week for 18 hours ( three 6 hour days) of work. Plus, if I can work a lunch or two, I'll make even more..I'm so not about the money but I really need to be. I hate that.

Argggghhhhhhhh!!!!! What am I gonna do??!!

HELP!