Category Archives: Family Stuff

I am exhausted, big time.  Doesn’t help that for the last 2 nights I didn’t hit the hay until 5 am and got up around 10am………and that was on top of drinking.

Friday I stole Sandi away from her family and headed  to a mall not that far from her.  Pretty much just did the woman thing and walked the mall.  We pretty much talked, talked and talked.  We are lucky to see each other once every few years and even though we spend a lot of time on the phone, it is not the same.

Then we went a few towns over to a hotel that Harold booked for us.  The hotel had a bar that had live music on Fridays and Saturdays.  So we went down to do some drinking.  Since we originally planned on finding a dance club, I want to do my drinking while all we had to do was walk to the room.  =)  That night we got a table towards the back of the bar and talked some more….lol  We were there until the bar closed, I got drunk and then we stayed up talking about our old school mates and what we knew about them, seeing if we could find them online.  It was weird to see some of their names again.

We finally crashed and Sandi is so use to getting up for her kids, so we ended up coming alive around 10.  Didn’t mean we really got moving………..lol  Then it was on to another mall.  I’m not really a mall person, but we wanted to look for xmas present ideas.  Both malls we ended in didn’t have really what we were looking for.

In one mall, we did find a music store where you just scan the cd and you can hear samples of the songs off of it.  So I with her help, I was able to find some more update artists that I would like.  Luckily for me, her having kids kept her update……lol  Without them, you get to busy in everyday life you just can’t keep up.  So when we were there I used my ipod to voice record the artist and albums, now I just need to listen to it and type it out.  Then I’ll have my xmas wish list.  =)

We were originally going to go to a dance club Saturday, but it was a drive away, Sandi didn’t bring any dance clothes and it isn’t really her thing.  So we cheated and stayed at the hotel, got a table at the front and just enjoyed ourselves.  She feels we had more fun then if we had gone to a club, partly because we knew 99% of the songs that the band played.  Most of it was from our teen years, so it wasn’t like we had to guess the songs.  She would dance in her little corner of the table.   I actually got up on the dance floor a few times later in the night and neither of us was feeling any pain.  =)

After the bar closed, we headed back up to the room.  Our room had a 2 person jacuzzi.  So we got some wine out and spent several hours in it……….grin.

It was a great weekend.  It was just us two and on one hand I felt we should have gone out and done more, but all we wanted was to spend time together………and boy did we talk, talk and talk.    I so missed that.  We can so fully be ourselves with each other.
When we were talking on the drive back to her place about making up a scrap book for each other, it dawned on us that we don’t have many pictures of us together………..and didn’t get any this weekend……….doh…. we are usually just enjoying each other’s company so much and talking (boy, we talk a lot and seems like we are never done…lol).So on my long drive back, I keep trying to figure out why I don’t take many pictures of people…..because I don’t.  Even of my family, I have to force myself and that is only because I don’t see them often and when it comes to the kids, they change so much. If I do take a bunch it is due to an event or gathering, family wise.  And the more I thought of it, I don’t like the pictures that I take of people.  I really prefer and enjoy taking scenery pictures.  Maybe it is because the subject is stationary and to get the right picture, I just make the changes…..zoom, lighting, etc…..instead of also having to worrying about someone’s facial expressions and movement.  Unless I can get people to pose for a few moments, I suck at the spontaneous shots and they frustrate me.

Tomorrow, luckily everyone is going to be busy, because I have neglected my online work for that last few days and need to spend a day on it.

After working on this post on and off for the last 2 hours, I better get my ass to bed.

The weather is beautiful now. When I got to Indy it was rainy. It finally started to clear up Friday evening, been pretty nice ever since.

The trip had been good. Melinda and I went up to NW Indiana to visit our great aunts, Mary & Evenly. We don’t have many left of that generation so I wanted to see them while they are still around.  Aunt Mary is 95 and the Evenly is about 90/91 area. Had a good visit them, especially with Aunt Eve. Her mind is as sharp as it could be with her age, still living on her own and total frustrated that her body doesn’t allow her to walk very normal. She has always been very active and not being able to go out drives her nuts.

We also stopped and visit Aunt Shelia. She is battling cancer on her head. =( Our cousins Amanda & Elizabeth came over. =) I love visiting with them. =)

I did head up to Merriville and picked me up some Fannie May Candies. I love that stuff and was not happy when they went bankrupt 3 years ago. I went a little over board, but it will last me about 6 months since I love to savre it and take my time.

Saturday I left about 5 hrs before the wedding. Packed up the clothes I was going to wear and headed out.

I needed to pick up my wedding/engagement ring set up from the jewelry. I’ve worn the engagement ring for 12 yrs and the wedding for almost 10yrs, so the prongs needed work. When I had them checked out down in Florida, the jewelry I went to was one of those pretentious one…total snobs, with high sky prices. I’m like I don’t think so, Harold worked at a jewelry store years ago and I know how they up prices. So I don’t trust any of them. There is only one that I trust and that is Vierks in Indiana and if I have to I’ll ship it to them. So I finally got my rings back….they look great….I didn’t have them for just over 24hrs and it drove me nuts!!! You don’t realize how much you miss it and fiddle with it until it was gone.

I wanted to walk Purdue. I love that campus. So I went around and got some shots of the things I used to know so well. Ironically I saw a wedding party out getting pictures by Hovde Hall and I thought of Jessie & Chris’, I took a picture from the distance but didn’t get too close because I didn’t want to intrude…………well I should have, it for the wedding I was here for…….doh!

****My connection is too slow to be able to load up any pics. =(

After walking around Purdue, I headed down to the village so I can blow our money on some Purdue stuff, since I don’t know when I will be back and all of our other stuff is a couple years old and starting to fall apart.

The wedding was beautiful. Between the wedding party (3 members, including the bride Jessie, Mary & Michelle) and some of the guests (Stephanie, Adam & Matt) is was a small reunion from Fannie May. It was great! I had so much fun. One of my girls, who barely use to talk, now talks so much more. One of my troubled kids, is all cleaned up and doing good. I was afraid that I won’t have anyone that I really know to share a table with. I had fun and loved seeing all the my kids grown up.

This morning I had to my oldest niece to get her some elbow and knee pads for a rollerskating party. Everything has been going good until Harold called me about 10am…….Diesel’s wife called, he is not doing very well at all. He has blood clots in his lungs from the treatment he is getting for his tumor. =( All Harold could get is that the doctor told his wife that she needs to prepare. So he jumped into the shower and headed up to Vancouver, BC. I don’t know what is going on. Harold may have to change his flight so he stay up there longer. I’m taking off 3 days next week, which we were going to do our anniversary stuff, well I may have to fly out…………I don’t know. I’m really hoping that I don’t have to. Diesel is too young and has 2 young boys with his wife…..I want to be able to go and visit him when we move out there. =(

***Just heard from Harold.  D had been in the hospital since Friday and Sunday morning was the 1st chance that his wife had a chance to call anyone.  When she called, she was crying and overwhelmed with the info she gave….   He is in the hospital for about 10days, but D doesn’t think it will be that long.  I don’t know, Harold hasn’t been able to talk to him one on one very much since D gets a ton of visitors.

**on the plane, somewhere over this great country of ours about 13:30 EST.

Well this sucks, I wanted to watch a movie that we’ve had forever and it is playing rough, where the sound is broken up.  I’ve played dvd on my vaio before so I don’t know what is up.  I tried 3 different programs, but no dice.  Even tried it with a dvd that I’ve played on here before.  I see what I can figure out when I get to my folks.

I’m exhausted.  I try to nap on and off and it just doesn’t happen.  =(

While at the airport, I took care of a few store orders, surfed the local news, got 2 of my Time magazine read…..now I just have 2 more to read.

I must say that I love having my sprint wireless card.  Now, keep your fingers cross that I get a signal at my folks. I would really hate to use their dial up, even though I made sure to set up for it last time I was up.  =(  Now that I think about it, I don’t remember if I have my phone cord for that………..mmmm………lol

Here is a blonde moment.  I’m coming up to attend a wedding and guess what I forgot?  The invite!  Doh!  Good thing I know the area and know where things are taking place.  I’m going to email the bride to confirm my memory.  I’m just stunned that I forgot it.  I remembered when we pulled up to the airport.  Duh!

As you have read, I need a root canal….icks.  But honestly I rather go thru one of those then go through this pain.  It is a relief. I’m so hoping that I can find a dds to take care of this when I get back and not have to wait until the 11^th!!  That would really suck.  =(  And I’m not taking those damn pain killers, codeine makes me sick……ggrrr…..nasty crap

If you read Harold’s post, he had a good visit with his folks.  He brought back about 1500 pics.  He got some great ones in there.  His mom sent me some crochet dollies.  I like those.  I have so many knick-knacks that they are great for.  We are thinking of trying to get up there in Oct.  He has been trying to find a different place to fly in other then Minneapolis.  That was the horrible part of the trip and then he had to drive about 4-5 hrs. to get to his folks from there.

Not sure what else to say.  Sorry I haven’t been around as much.  I’ve just been totally swamped here with everything.

I do plan on stepping down from my position and cutting back on my hours at my day job in June after I use up all of my vacation.  There is just so much that I need to do online that I’ve been neglecting that it sucks.  But by stepping down and staying on some, I can help with the transition.  

Oh well, maybe I should finally respond to some emails so when I get online they will send out.

***It is about 9:30 and I still haven’t had any slept.

I spent time talking and visiting with my dad.  Learned how he got his 2 bronze stars in ‘Nam.  For the repairs he did under fire (he was ordinance) and he had the best repair record out of the whole battalion.  That is cool.  I knew his helicopter got shot down once, but I didn’t know he got shot down 3 times…….1 taking off, 1 coming in and another a few hundred feet up.  Lucked out and had a good pilot that was able to land on the beach.  It is hard to imagine my dad out there as a young GI, but wow…..then learned that he was stationed right at the front by the DMV, where the VC would send over a few bombs over at the same time everyday like clock work.  One left a 15 ft crater right next to his bunker………….damn

He brought up some very interesting insights into ‘Nam & Iraq, but of course, I’m way too exhausted to write them out.  But if I remember I want to explore those ideas.

Time to hit the hay.