I have lived in the Erie area for 11 years. I am used to the local phrase, “if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes, it will change.” But I have to admit…I am simply pissed that it is the middle of August, and we have yet to get a good day to go to the beach. I have had 2 outdoor shows this summer, The Erie Festival of the Arts at Liberty Park, and Dan Rice Days in Girard. It rained at both. The wind blew so badly at the Arts show that I broke my tent. My new tent did NOT enjoy the constant pushing on it’s roof to spash down the rain we got at DRD. I attempted a yard sale a few weeks back. it rained all weekend. With the exception of selling the door we bought from the auction (I bought the wrong size), I made less than $50. Joshua’s company picnic was last Sunday at Waldameer. It just happened to fall on the hottest, muggiest day we have had all year. We stayed less than 4 hours. I can deal with the nutty weather this area produces in the winter, but it is seriously fucking with my summer. Even my husky, Kira, is tired of the Cybil like weather. She is the only husky I have ever known that hates water. She won’t even consider stepping outside if the grass is wet. She steps onto the concrete as long around as she can before she has to llay her paws onto wet grass. OK, I guess I am done whining about the local weather. There is an Arts/Craft show at the Harborcreek fire hall Aug 29 & 30. It is an indoor show and supposed to be really nice. If you aren’t busy, come down and see me. I could use a good show experience after the last two. Peace.

WARNING- this is not for the weak of stomach…

All is not well in the Vadney house. Yesterday morning, Joshua the husband woke up to an urgent need for the bathroom (I’ll spare details). He laised around until 10, then went to bed and did not wake up until 830. This is monumental, he never naps that long. He wakes up to tell me he has been shivering and everything aches. You have the flu, I tell him….No I don’t…whatever. So we go to bed at 930, and he sleeps all night through. I wake at 430 (it’s not intentional, my body and it’s pharmacy have designated 430 to be my wake up time) and go downstairs. As I am passing Mel’s room, her bed is stripped and she isn’t in there. Oh great, I am thinking the dog made a deposit on her blankets last night. This was NOT the case. I find Mel on the couch, shivering despite the massive amounts of fleece blankets on her. She proceeds to tell me that sometime last night, she woke suddenly and knew she wouldn’t make it to the bathroom, so she threw up into her blanket. Then she says she has done it 5 time more since. Great, 2 peeps with the flu. I get her some Immodium and some dramamine, hoping to stop her explosive upper and lower issues. Just before she falls asleep, she tells me that Mike was also up last night and that they were taking turns in the bathroom. WONDERFUL!!!!! 3 peeps with the flu.

So, I seem to be the only one not sick, therefore taking care of everyone else. It’s been a few years since more than one of us has been ill at the same time. Gotta go, I have more blankets to wash. What a Monday….

As my children have grown older, their interests have gone from power rangers and barney to IPods, cell phones, and xbox…I am mostly ok with that. But I think I am losing my connection to what little kids like.

My dearest friend, Christine, is having her son’s 6th birthday party this Saturday. Billy is a great kid and very much a part of you family. Since he and his sister were born (Ana is 4), all of their gifts from me have been handmade (don’t conjure up images of Ralphie and Aunt Clara’s gift, I am MUCH cooler than that).

So Billy’s party is less than a week away and I spent today crocheting this:

I was pretty impressed with myself considering it took less than 4 full hours to complete. Then my 17 year old son walks in the room and asks who it’s for, I say Billy’s birthday. So my son proceeds to tell me Billy is too old for a dinosaur and I should think about a trip to ToysR Us. I was heartbroken.

Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Melanie and her friends got dressed up and went to see Hairspray last night. This was the picture I managed to take before she ran out the door.

Last night, Melanie had a sleepover with 4 friends. I love it when they all come over. They take over the living room and play music (mel and MelL play guitar), watch movies, gossip, giggle, and basically make me want to go back to being a teen again. This, of course would be one of the VERY few reasons I’d want to be a kid again.

They stayed up into the wee hours, and were all still snoozing when I got up this morning. So, I got dressed for the weather, and drove to Shur-fine and bought donuts and orange juice for their breakfast.

Now, they are all up again and watching another movie. After a little fighting (my hair isn’t done blah blah blah) I got a great shot of them.

I love these girls.

From left to right, Nikki, my Mel, Mel L, and on top are Sara and Pia.

You are an Extroverted Self-Knowing Tree Hugger

1% of the 44144 people who have taken this quiz are like you.

I think I am computer challenged because the site said “just cut and paste to your site” Well, I did that and all I got was code. ;( But the test was almost right on, I am still learning more about the self, but I am definitely a project in progress tree hugger.

Over Christmas, my mom flew to California to spend the holiday with my brother. A nice, quiet Christmas. I was greatful. Then she comes back and brings me a box of Dewar’s Chews from Bakersfield. Their shop was a few blocks from our house and we used to take the kids there for caramels and fresh home made ice cream. The chews were yummy. Then….my 18 year old sister, Julie, runs into our older sister, Mary on myspace. We have been out of contact with her for about 3 years. Our cards and letters returned, her phone disconnected. We have found her again. I spoke to her tonight and it was like no time had passed. My parents took Mary in when I was a kid. She was a foster kid, but I always called her my sister. She taught me how to be beautiful, to wear make up, to style my hair. She taught me to take a stand even if it meant getting my ass kicked. I am so glad I found her again. Life is way too short to miss the ones you love.

1.Stanley, see this? This is this. This ain’t something else. This is this. From now on, you’re on your own.—--Robert DeNiro in The Deer Hunter

2.Paulie may have moved slow, but it was only because Paulie didn’t have to move for anybody.—-(V.O) Ray Liotta in Goodfellas

3.If war produces one thing, it’s many cemeteries. And in cemeteries, there are no enemies.—-Leelai’s mother in Heaven and Earth

4. Got a minute? For you, Brad, I’ve got five! Eden, American Beauty

5. Only I didn’t say “Fudge.” I said THE word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the “F-dash-dash-dash” word!Eden, A Christmas Story

6. Once upon a time, a woman was picking up firewood. She came upon a poisonous snake frozen in the snow. She took the snake home and nursed it back to health. One day the snake bit her on the cheek. As she lay dying, she asked the snake, “Why have you done this to me?” And the snake answered, “Look, bitch, you knew I was a snake.”The Indian as told to Mickey and Mallory in Natural Born Killers

7. Lucky tie, Lucky Guy!—-Robert DeNiro in The Fan

8. Well, that was absurd, let’s eat dead bird!Robert Downey Jr in Home for the Holidays

9. It started with a chair, Ron- Juno

10. You know, it’s always a business doing pleasure with you, Charlie!—Dolly Parton as Miss Mona in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

11.I could do this, I could be a fucking housewife.Angelina Jolie as Gia Caronji in Gia

12. I bet she gives great helmet.Eden, Spaceballs

13. This fog is getting thicker. And Leon is getting laaaaarrrrrger.—Airplane

14. Him-Why do you have to look so *luminous*? I mean, it’d make things so much easier if you woke up with puffy eyes and blotchy skin like everyone else.
Her- Guess God thought chubby thighs were enough.Alan Alda  and Ellen Bertsyn in Same Time Next Year

15. Isn’t it funny – on the one lousy day you wanna put a gun in your mouth, everybody wants to come over to celebrate.Danny Aiello as Joe Bella in Once Around

I have a friend whose hubby is an OT.  A few weeks ago, my neck went out again, and he offered to give me a maiofacial massage (I KNOW I did not spell that right, but whatever).  WOW, did it make things better.  He explained that this type of massage releases toxins and bad energy out of your body for the body to recover faster.  Yeah Yeah, blah blah, I really didn’t believe him…..until the next morning.  I get up I feel great (that’s a definite change), I grab an apple from the fridge and eat it.  10 minutes after I am finished with the apple, I vomit into the garbage can (luckily I was in the kitchen, the bathroom is way upstairs).  After I was done “purging” I felt great again.  I have had 3 treatments from him and everytime it’s the same thing.  Massage in the evening, purge in the am.  I guess he was right.  Except for the morning after issue, I feel great.  He is going to show Joshua a few exercises to practice on me at home, so at my next appointment, there will be a master and grasshopper.

On top of the reoccurring neck issues, I finally saw a neurologist for my migraines.  He prescribed propanalol, a cardiac med with the great side effect of preventing migraines before they start.  The only problem is that you still have the efects the drug was intended for.  Low BP, low heart rate.  I started Monday am, and for rest of the day, I was couchbound, too weak to even get up without help.  So I called his office, told them I was not taking any more and we could discuss alternatives at my next appt.

The one of few things that has kept me somewhat sane through all this is my IPOD.  My playlists are designed to consider how i am feeling.  There is Healing mom, Mellow mom, Angry mom, Mosh pit mom, and happy mom.  Right now the winning playlist is a tie between angry mom and healing mom.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  The WQLN Holiday Craft Show is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Start your shopping early with handmade items.  My friend, jody, has a table with painted items.  She rocks in her art so you should check her out.

Peace.

B

Melanie is going to homecoming tonight with her boyfriend, TJ.  She has a beautiful dress (purchased at Fashiob Bug.com for a whopping $13), and we are doing up her hair and make up later today.

This morning, Mike is already up and dressed since his SAT’s are this morning.  When he is finished, he is traveling to Pittsburgh to visit his beloved Danielle at Point Park University.  He will be back on Sunday afternoon after a tour of the campus.

Things are just moving too fast…..