Saturday, July 31, 2010

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.

Friday, July 30, 2010

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.”

Thursday, July 22, 2010

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!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

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...

Monday, July 19, 2010

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....

Sunday, July 18, 2010

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!!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

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!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Polo Ettiquette

There are 3 sections of seating at polo.  There are the super high priced seats along the rail, the high priced seats where you can pull your car in for tailgating up in back, and the cheap seats on the hill in between the two.
You all know that I'm a cheap seater and proud of it!!!

A friend of ours has a high priced spot up behind where we sit. They pay a LOT of money for their spot.  Last night they weren't there. Some people who paid the cheap seat price put their chairs in my friend's spot. The Polo Police came and shooed them out. We were very glad to see that happen.

Shortly after the Polo Police left, another group of people came and sat on our friend's bench. I was furious! We are very careful not to crowd our friend's spot, sit on her bench, or intrude. To have someone sit on their bench while they are gone just makes me crazy! If you pay for a spot, you get to sit on a bench. If you pay the cheap seat price, you bring your own chair and sit with the rest of us.

LLB was furious as well. She glared at them until they left. Another group of people was on their way to sit on said bench. LLB decided that they were NOT going to take over our friend's spot. She trotted her little self up to their bench and plunked her rear end on it.  One of the people made like they were going to sit with her - we didn't know ANY of these people - and LLB swung her leg up.

She was incensed that someone would think it's okay to take someone else's spot. They could be showing up later. They could be showing up in the next 5 min. Or, they could not be showing up at all. The point is: They paid for their spot. No one should be in their spot unless they've been given permission.  As soon as she was sure that the spot would be vacant for the rest of the evening, LLB came back to her chair in the peanut gallery.... She did, however keep one eye on our friend's spot. 

As she said, "Mom, it's the principle of the thing. They wouldn't mind if we took over their spot, but they know us. They don't know those people and those people don't know them. AND, we would never sit in their spot unless they specifically told us we could."

She's absolutely right!

So - if you go to polo and you pay for the cheap seats - you need to sit in the cheap seats. 

Thursday, July 08, 2010

Be Prepared

I was recently seated listening to a speech of sorts and it dawned on me that the person giving the speech was not prepared to give it.
As I sat there, I thought to myself, "This person has no clue what he is saying or where his train of thought is. He is talking in circles and he's making me dizzy. I wish he'd just shut up."
Since this was a 4th of July type thing, I thought maybe patriotism and/or freedom might be mentioned once. Umm... no.  Nothing like that.
How sad that on such an important day, the speech maker was unprepared. It shouldn't matter if there are 2 people in the audience or 150... if you are giving a speech, you need to be prepared.
What do you think?