Summer...

This summer has been a busy one, but a relaxing one.
The kids have been off to camp for 3 weeks at this point - they did have a 20 hour turn around on Monday along with a 2.5 hour USNA interview tossed in there for good measure.  (We just cram it all in there when we can! It's a good thing that Gram's washer was available, as she did all of #1's dark clothes for me - what a blessing! Boy, do I owe her big time!  That interview really messed up the timing of the washer/dryer/folding/packing routine I usually have going.  But, you gotta do what you gotta do - right?)

I dropped them off on Tuesday - they are counselors for a camp for mentally disabled kids. I think they may have been more excited for that than they were for their regular camp.  They love those kids! They can't imagine a summer without them. That is so cool!

While the kids were gone, I proceeded to clean my house from top to bottom. (All I've got left to do is the windows -- and I'll get those done eventually.)  I shoveled out. I sent stuff to the Salvation Army. I organized. Heck - I even dusted and vacuumed! I went to lunch. I watched TV!! I got LLB's new retainer and drove it up to camp. I fought city hall -- and I'm not sure if I won, lost, or drew. I relaxed. I ate popcicles. I facebooked. I went to polo and more.  Mr. and I enjoyed our time together - we consider this practice for when they are both in college and are gone for months at a time.  AND once marching season starts next weekend, life as we know it will be over until Christmas.

Today we are moving slowly. We are sipping tea and enjoying the quiet that is Saturday without children or early morning plans. We are considering a run to C*sc* for exciting things like paper towels and toilet paper. We will make a dump run to dispose of the chicken bones from last night's delicious supper.  Tomorrow we will relax and try to soak up all the peacefulness and silence because on Monday -- they're BAAACK!

The craziness starts - but it's okay... we wouldn't have it any other way.

SAM-e Complete

SAM-e Complete is a supplement you take to keep your mood healthy and steady. For someone who gets particularly cranky the week before Aunt Flo visits, this is a godsend!  Well, it's a godsend for my family anyway...

As we get older our bodies start making less SAM-e, a naturally occurring compound, which ultimately works to maintain a balanced mood. Nature Made SAM-e Complete helps replenish your body's natural levels of SAM-e and when taken daily it can begin to help naturally restore a healthy mood in as little as 7 to 14 days. What is SAM-e? Since I can't explain it very well - check it out here.  I'll wait.

Okay - so now you want to know if it works... umm.. yes! As a matter of fact it does.  Amazingly enough I received my trial box the week I would have been a cranky pain in the butt... I took one before breakfast every day and believe it or not... it worked!  My family was shocked to find that I was my normal jovial self that whole week. I've continued to take it and I honestly think it does make a difference.

Now for the best part:  Nature Made wants you to try SAM-e! They are giving away a 3 month supply of SAM-e along with a water bottle and a mood journal.  So - if you want to win, leave me a comment by August 5th.  I'll pull names out of a hat. I will post the winner on August 6th. Nature Made will send your prize directly to you. (US addresses only...)


 “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Nature Made and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review.”

That Uncle Sam I Am...

I found this on a friend's FB status.
I'm borrowing it to share with all of you.

I do not like this Uncle Sam. 

I do not like his health care scam. 

I do not like when Congress steals. 

I do not like their secret deals. 

I do not like this speaker Nan. 

I do not like this “YES WE CAN.” 

I do not like their spending sprees. 

Because I know that nothing’s free. 

I do not... like their smug replies, 

When I complain about their lies. 

I do not like this kind of hope-

I do not like it NOPE NOPE NOPE!

If Technology...

Doesn't actually work the way it was intended, shouldn't we find a better way?

#1 has started his application to the US Naval Academy - chances are he won't get accepted as he is no athlete.  But he does have excellent grades, is a leader, and wants to serve his country. That's got to count for something, right?
He filled out the form online and chunked in his teacher's email addresses for recommendations.
His Math teacher filled out the form and clicked submit. She let us know that she had done her duty. We were very appreciative.
Fast forward 2 weeks.
Mr. was checking on #1's application status and it seems that the recommendation and his transcript AND his guidance counselor's input are all missing. We KNOW all of that was sent. We have proof. We sent a quick email to find out what happened.
It seems that the USNA doesn't have the stuff because maybe the teachers and the guidance counselor used "Internet Explorer" as their browser and the module they use doesn't work quite right with Explorer...
Huh?
They are telling me that if the teacher used Explorer, the recommendation she typed won't submit?
Great. Thanks.
I emailed the teacher what they sent and I'm hoping she doesn't just throw her hands in the air and say forget it!
So much for paperless... give me back the old fashioned college apps - all paper all the time... done on a typewriter...

While the kids are away

The LadyBug gets to cleaning...
Why?
Because there is nobody here to tell me that they might wear those broken flipflops, or that they might need that tiny scrap of paper...
I can get it all done in half the time... Besides, with the chaos of camp packing, they have no idea what they left where -- so if something disappears, they don't know where they left it or if they even owned anyway.
How's that for pretzel logic?
I am almost done... and when I'm done, you can find me on my couch watching my TV - and I don't even have to share the remote!
It's the little things....

Oingo Boingo

#1 has a Yamaha acoustic guitar.
He and Mr. were changing the strings the other day and all of a sudden, one of the guitar pins let go and the string went, "Boing!"
When the string went boing, the pin went up...
We all know that "what goes up -- must come down..." Yes, that's a lyric...
FYI: Newton was wrong.
The pin did NOT come down.
It did not land anywhere.
The boys are convinced that it went into a black hole.  A black hole in my family room??  I dust, honest! I clean - really... I do!!
But, I have to say that I think they are correct.
I have moved furniture.
I have swept.
I have shone my flashlight into every crevice and corner of the lower level of this house looking for the pin. I even looked under the stove and the refrigerator.
It is nowhere to be found.
When your guitar strings go boing... just call Yamaha and tell them about the black hole in your family room. They will take pity on you and send you 3 new ones -- free of charge!
Thanks Yamaha!!

Do Cats Fart?

Well, believe it or not, they do!!
I've been a cat owner for about 20 years and until this morning at 5:32am, I had no idea that cats actually  COULD fart!
I was blissfully facebooking on my iTouch from my soft and comfy bed in the early morning silence when I heard it... the soft pffft.  I knew it wasn't Mr.  The sound didn't come from his side of the bed - and it was WAY to soft and sweet to be his anyway.
That pffft -- It came from across the room... across the room by the window.
I pulled my head up to see who had made that noise.
Mini Kitty looked at me... there was guilt written all over her face!
She quickly turned and looked out the window as if to say, "Lady, it wasn't me. You're hearing things."
Well, my friends, I know what I heard...
This morning for the first time in my life I heard a cat fart!
And I just HAD to share!