Pep-Talk

The in-laws will be here Wednesday. I am placing the duct tape over my mouth now, just to be safe. We will have a pleasant visit. I will not get agitated over opinions I don’t share. I will not be put out because I disagree. I will not focus on the negative. I positively will disassociate myself with any friction. Icky attitudes will not be contagious; I’ll wear the duct tape and a surgical mask if needed. General disgruntled persons with hypocritical tendencies and a better-than-thou aura will not rub off on me. Remember Jamie, they are caring, loving, and mean well. They love you. They love your family. They do not mean to be overbearing and obnoxious. They don’t mean to exhaust your mental capacity to the size of a pea.

Things To Do: (before they arrive)

• Clean up guest room – change sheets, dust, put extra hangers in closet
• Change light bulbs out in bathroom & Clean the lights and fan
• Clean the air vent in the hallway (might need to buy Swiffer Duster refills)
• Organize the down stairs toys
• Dust the computer room
• Get oil changed in S’s car
• Buy Duct Tape

Total Tube Immersion

Days is awesome this week - LOL. Brady put Vivian in the coffin she poisoned for Maggie - LOL. Sammy shot EJ and only her son knows the truth - LOL. Oh the things I miss when I travel. I love love love trashy TV. Speaking of which I hear the premiere of Always Sunny is on tonight. Life is good in TV world.

Now I must spend the eve programming my new DVR. Third one from Verizon. I suppose it doesn't matter where they come from they all suck. The newest dude told me it was because our high def TV on vivid messes up the IR from the remote and I need to put the cable box under the TV. Right - so I don't know how to use an F'in remote? Yeah - I've got like 30 years experience. There is no new technology there. And my TV doesn't have a vivid feature.

Speaking of Verizon, this is week four and we haven't gotten a bill yet. Also we are still getting all the extra free preview channels. I have a sinking feeling that that is going to backfire. I better get my butt in gear and call them.

After I catch up on yesterday's episode of DAYS.

Restless Slumber

Two nights in a row I have had horrible nightmares. (Actually it has been in the morning) Very terrible things. Each dream revolved around something bad happening to C. They are devestating and so bothersome. What if dreams are a warning, what if they are ways of putting little things together that work as clues? What if I am just that horrible of a mom that I am thinking those things when I sleep?

Not too much time to dwell, I suppose. Today is Monday, so C has a half day and then after that a dentist appointment. Once S gets home from Work I will be hightailing in to NJ for the wake and funeral. Busy day ahead.

Life, On Hold or LIfe, Moving On?

I heard the sad news on Friday night. My Grandfather has passed away. The wake is Monday and funeral Tuesday in New Jersey. No one seems to be heaving crying with no reprieve were all just sad. He was very ill and in care of hospice, and you cannot have hospice care (24 hour nurses & no cures, just pain management) unless you have a prognosis of less than seven month to live. So as a whole I think the family (certainly me) feels sadness and a sense relief for him.

Which is why life just kept going. We heard the news when we were on the way to the movies and when we pulled into the parking lot S asked "Should we be having fun?" I said something about us not going to a party, it is just a movie, and we went in. We watched Salt, which I really liked. My mind wondered back to my grandfather quite a bit, but only to happy memories. The movie stopped a few times during the show, the theater was having technical difficulties. In the end we had about 30 minutes of "breaks" which equated to two free movie tickets on the way out.

On Saturday we had a yard sale. We'd had one last month and still had some left over items. Plus on Friday afternoon before I picked S up from the airport I cleaned out the laundry room. We're getting our cable re-wired and were asked to empty the closet down there. After I pulled out boxes and boxes of junk (that we never unpacked the last time we moved!) I was determined not to shove it back into the storage closet, so I stuck it in the living room and asked S if he minded if we had the sale. We sold a ton of stuff, including our sofa and some old chairs that were in our shed. We filled our yard and driveway and when it was all said in done we headed over to the goodwill to donate our leftovers. The 'leftovers' all fit in the back of S's SUV. We had so little left. In fact we set up for 8:00 and didn't even have a slow moment until after 2:00.

Today Cooper and I are just going to hang out and relax. It is drizzling a little bit and it should make for an easy day for us, but S will still have Wiffle Ball league this afternoon. I may head out to the mall to try to find an outfit to wear to the funeral. Nothing I have seems appropriate. But at the same time, black is black; and I have plenty of that.

Tomorrow after S gets home from work I think I will be heading to Jersey. My little guy and hubby are going to stay here in VA. It took us a few hours to figure out that detail but we think that is what is best for our family. We just feel that C is too young, bottom line. There are tons of factors we could fret over, like is it okay that S won't be there, and what if we leave C with the Neighbors, Could S take a later flight to Denver or fly out of NJ if we needed, but in the end the bottom line is that C is too young. S had a real fondness for my grandfather and over the winter when we all swarmed the Garden State because we thought grandpa would make it through the weekend he was there, he was there when Grandpa could still remember, still talk, still smile. So S is going to call his boss today and see if he can shorten his hours over the next few days and make sure they book his flight to Denver for Thursday not sooner so that he can keep care of C and I can go represent our little family, saying goodbye to Grandpa.

It's What We Signed Up For

S called last night with the news: He will officially be traveling at least once a month and most likely two times a month. Hmmm: Well: Currently he "officially" travels once a quarter which has really worked out to be once a month, so now that they are saying one to two times will it be more? He already travels that much. Odd that he was worried to tell me. I mean lets be realistic here, the man is gone a lot. He travels so much we always have a balance on his government credit card. As we get reimbursements I just turn around and send it to the card. But it never covers the balance because by the time he gets the money from one trip he is already on another.

Last night a friend called as I was talking to her I mentioned that S wouldn't be back until tomorrow and we had a busy weekend ahead of us. She responded "you're so lucky, oh wait you guys get along" She meant that she'd like it if her husband was away this much. That made me pretty upset. I didn't really notice that was the reason until later, but it was. It made me think of M & S. M is our cousin. He is in the process of getting divorced from S at her request. One of the reasons according to M's mom (I heard it second hand) was that he traveled a lot and S missed him but then after awhile she started to like the time alone more than the time together and things started to fall apart. Not that this would happen here, but I still found it upsetting.

Love It! Hate It!

I have a love hate relationship with Craigslist. For example; Today I sold a large bag of old C clothes for 15.00, Love It! However the lady that bought them was really strange. I mean, she seemed nice enough but for some reason assumed I would just be home waiting for her.

C and I went out to dinner and apparently we missed her by just a few minutes. We were gone an hour and when we got home she was here. In an effort to just get her on her way as quick as possible I ran inside grabbed the bag and ran out to her car. She handed me the money and said she'd been waiting an hour. It was weird, why didn't she call first, or email me back with a time. I had no idea she was coming today. Not only that she had told me earlier she lived about an hour away in DC. So why wouldn't she call before she left? If she had, we would have been home.

Anyway after she drove away C and I got the puppy ready for her walk and left again. On our walk I just kept thinking I should have offered her a discount for waiting so long. After all that same bag of clothes I had listed at my yard sale for only 7.00. I feel a little guilty over that. Once we got home though I started to think more about the time and figured it really was her fault not mine and that I shouldn't feel guilty. My add said 15.00 Firm, unfortunately my email says "I am home most of the day" and I suppose she could think I was waiting for her. I could keep picking this apart, seriously I put way too much thought into things sometimes. All this put aside, in that hour, she left NINE messages on my machine. The first five or six were only two to three minutes apart!

Aren't We Funny

I spent the better part of the day researching information regarding a becoming a real estate agent. I actaully enjoyed looking up all the ins and out and even contacted one of my aunts who is an agent for information. I have three or four scribbled pages of notes and contacts. I chose a school and filled out the enrollment papers. I even wrote out a check. Tonight I was going to talk to S about it when he called and just double check the class dates with him. I have a few to choose from. So that is my idea, I can work part time or less off commission and work towards becoming a broker. Once that happens (2 years) I can run my own business. I like the plan. I should say ... I liked the plan. Until that is I logged on to the computer this afternoon and found an email from the government job I was hoping for, asking me for an interview. YEAH!!! I was just about to give up on them. Actually I gave up on them. This morning. Funny how that works ey? So I think I will sign up for the real estate class for December. If something ever comes of the interview than I may cancel the idea, but if not, I have a back up plan ;)

Just a Thought

I have been saying all summer that I'd be going back to work this fall. Well; it isn't as easy as I had anticipated. For the last month I have been sending out resumes with little to no response. What I really want is to work for the government, but that doesn't seem to have gone anywhere. So, I've opted to switch gears. I am looking into a few options such as being a real estate agent, working in retail, or a as substitute teacher. [Although, randomly you need character reference letters, one from your last employer and one from another supervisor. (that is so stupid; my former supervisor owns a company,and although we parted on good terms and she is nice, she has NO time for that - getting one would take months) ]

The most interesting option is real estate agent. But I am not sure there are jobs out there for that either. Just a thought. I'd have to go to a certification class and take a state test for an agent, but it looks fairly do-able. We'll see.

The Kids Are Back In Town

As the title says; the kids are back in town :) and they are here, well, at least one of them. And I gotta say, it is SOOOOOOOOOOO nice to have C playing with someone. Although I think I got the short end of the stick ... as I am stuck in the computer room while C and his friend are playing games downstairs on our NEW couch!

We've had quite the day and it is only 4:00. This morning we all slept in and then went to a few yard sales. I got a few small things including a 5.00 MP3 player, as my shuffle is nutty after getting a surge from the lighting that one time. Anyway, then we went over to Uhaul and rented a truck. For a grand total of 30.00 we rented the truck and picked up our new sofa. The furniture store wanted to charge us 85.00. It was really easy and uneventful. S went to pick up the sofa and C and I went home and made room for it. We got the same one only slightly bigger and brown instead of off-white. And it looks so nice and pretty.

After the sofa switch we dropped off the rental and went out to Subway for lunch and then to Sully Historic Park, where we hiked around the grounds of General Lee's uncles house, who also happened to be the first governor of Virgina. It was pretty neat and fun. The weather is absolutely wonderful today so it was a great hike. We went on one path that wasn't actually a hiking path that brought us to a field with electrical lines (that was pretty funny) but the next path took us all around the grounds and perfectly ended where we parked.

Next we headed over to Walmart to pick up some supplies for the house and dinner. Now were just hanging out and enjoying the day. I love it. I can't believe we don't have anything planned for today - that is just so unusual.

Feeling Better

I am feeling better after four or five days of a killer cold. Now my family is sniffling and coughing, but I think they have a different strain than I because they seem to be functioning well, if that is at all possible, after all I am no doctor; I just play one on TV.

In other news: I went to Khol's the other night and did a little bit of school clothes shopping for C. To my surprise he grew 6.5" this summer! Sadly that means the hand-me-downs I was saving for him are almost all too small. I figured I head over to the store to see what they had. I was happy to see that for the most part they were cheap, especially since I asked him what he wanted and he said " A red shirt, green pants, comfy pants, and cool stuff." Well, I got him 10 shirts, 1 pair of jeans, 4 pairs of running / track pants, and a coat for 160.00. In the end he asked me to return a few shirt he said were "too babyish", so the bill ended up being only 135.00.

One funny part: C was actually out golf ball hunting with S when I got back from the store, so I set up all the clothes on our bed and when C got home I asked him to go up there and check them out, pick out the ones he wants to keep. He was pretty excited at that prospect and went running up the stairs, then C yelled "MOM SKINNY JEANS!!!! HOW DID YOU KNOW!!! I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!" He was peeling off his shorts and T shirt by the time I made it up stairs so he could try on his new clothes.

So, it is Labor Day weekend. I am looking forward to just hanging out with my family. We were going to go camping, but we opted to stay home and relax. We've been so; go, go, go that we've hardly spent anytime just being at home. This weekend there is a ton of community stuff going on here in Herndon that seems fun. On Monday they have a Bruce Springsteen tribute night, where all these bands only play Bruce songs for 5 hours. I can't wait!

To Go or Not To Go

I have the worst sore throat on the planet. In fact even NyQuil hasn't kept it at bay. I've been up since 3:30 sipping hot tea and nursing a bag of cough drops only to give up and switch to Diet Coke. The cold actaully feels slightly better. Regardless it is almost impossible to swallow and it feel like razor blades running down my throat with every deep breath. Also, my brain may be turning to mush as, I have been watching two straight hours of Teen Nick.

I need a flash light - Maybe I have white marks, isn't that the sign of Step? Maybe I should go to the ER? Blah, blah, blah ...

Vacation Days

Wow, this summer has flown by. A brief run-down;

1. Gymnastics camp for C (2 weeks)
2. Camping at Salomon's Island for the fourth of July
3. Vacation with the S's to the Poconos. (I loved it there)
4. A trip to MA for the week (C went to beach for a week with his cousins)
5. The cousins visited us for a week
6. Skateboarding camp (1 week for C)
7. Friends visited us for a week (Super fun)
8. My parents visited us for week (With in that week we went to Beach for a few days)
9. Camping next weekend for Labor Day (we're working on that)

Crazy and wicked fun. Last week my parents drove down from MA to stay for the week. It was a really nice visit. We went to Salomon's for a few days, went to the waterfall park, visited the skyline caverns (really nice tour), went out for a celebration anniversary dinner (my parents 39th) at a Japanese Steak House, and played a lot of golf. It was so fun and as usual bittersweet to see them leave.

C starts school next week. I think I am going to take him out tomorrow or Wednesday and buy a few school clothes for him. So far all we've picked up is one pair of warm sweat pants and a matching shirt for gym days. It is hard to think warm when the temp is 95. However I did manage to get all of his school list crap. When I say crap, I am being nice. The list is quite detailed and quite ridiculous. Clorox wipes, zip lock bags, 20 glue sticks, 8 boxes of 48 count crayons (never did find those, just bought 16, 24 counts), and so on and so one. But at least this year I was able to get all the stuff. Last year we shopped to late and I couldn't find half the stuff on the darn list. In the end the list cost 25.00. I am sending his same pencil box from last year, rulers that were free from a base event last year, a used binder, and notebooks we already had; at least I saved a few dollars there. Oh well - the life of a soccer mom... minus the soccer.

Dear Procter & Gamble

Dear Procter & Gamble,

I am writing you today to inform you that your Crest brand of Glide dental floss is defective. Yes, my pearly whites are gleaming, and yes, I floss daily, however today I have discovered a defect.

I enjoy flossing my teeth in the evening. Last night I opted to floss while having a "seat" in the bathroom. Normally it isn't my practice to kill two birds with one stone (or turd as the case maybe) however, last night my better half was also at the sink brushing his teeth and it was crowded. Before you get all grossed out on me, yes we do all those things in front of each other. But I digress, so there I sit; flossing away when the secondary business ends. So I leave the container of floss on the side of the tub, take care of some paperwork and proceed to the sink to wash my hands and use mouth wash (sorry, that is Target Brand).

Fast forward to this afternoon, when I again use the bathroom and notice that the shower is dripping. As I fiddle with the handle for the water I notice my container of floss. Hmmm, flossing - that sounds like fun I think. (I ate popcorn) So I grab the container and attempt to pull out a huge string, only to find it has adhered to itself and can no longer be pulled through the little hole. No finagling in the world could make my floss unstuck. It is obvious that the mint flavoring was way too sticky for the floss and when it got wet from the shower it dried in one big lump. I would like a refund please.

Also, you may want to write a warning on the side of the packaging that reads "Do not get wet" or "Do not use while pooping" or "Don't be a dumb ass" or "Jamie, don't be a dumb ass" which ever you find most fitting.

Sincerely,
Your Loyal Un-flossed Customer.

I love My House

Nice & Clean.

I wish we could take this house with us when we move next time. I sort of love it. I remember when we looked at it and thought it was so small; we couldn't picture where our furniture would fit or how we'd set up the computer, C's toys, or anything for that matter. But a year later we are comfortably basking in the fact that we make 500 dollars a month extra and that that was more than enough to pay the utilities and the cable all year. In fact according my my spread sheet (such a geek) we actaully made just under 1600.00 in 12 months. So the USAF paid us to live off base and gave us cable. Plus, the house is bigger than we thought, we basically have three living rooms, two small bedrooms and one large, kitchen, dining room, laundry room, and two bathrooms; all with a great layout.

Speaking of cable... I ordered Fios the other day. Our cable bill from Cox came last week and I noticed our amount went up by 80.00! WOW, that made the bill 220.00! I wasn't really upset, it was obvious that our promotional rates all expired, so I called the company and canceled all the premium channels, lowered the internet speed, nixed the HD, and still the bill was 178.00. I told the girl that was way too much and asked if there was anything else she could offer. (this is where it gets good)

Cable Girl: "Let me see" (extreme amounts of typing heard and long pause) "Mrs W, yes, I can offer you the same package for a two year agreement at your old rate."

Me: "My original package or the one you just created with no extras?"

Cable Girl: "The new one."

Me: "So, you mean I have to agree to carry Cox for two years for that price and if I don't, what there is a cancellation fee?"

Cable Girl: "Well, military just has to submit orders to get out of the fee"

Me: "Yeah, sounds like extortion to me"

Cable Girl: "I am sorry, what?"

Me: "Extortion"

Cable Girl: "Great, so hold on the line and I will have a supervisor witness the agreement and we will lower your bill to your old rate."

Me: "No, extortion is a bad thing."

Cable Girl: "Huh?"

Me: "No new agreement, please lower my bill to the new package you just created and I will call Verizon when we hang up."

Cable Girl: "Great, so thanks for Calling Cox cable, is there anything else I can help you with?"

Me: "Am I talking to an automated voice system?"

Cable Girl: "I can switch you over to the phone tree if you'd like to access those services"

I hung up.

Chain of Events

Is it normal to do spring cleaning at the end of summer? Well; if I have to ask, probably not. Besides, I already did spring cleaning; it is just that the house got a little grungy with all the company and I got a little lazy, cutting corners so I could enjoy the summer heat. And now, I have a list:

1. Organize Kitchen Cabinets
2. Mop behind the fridge and stove (so nasty!)
3. Organize Maggie's food and toys
4. Steam Clean the Carpets
5. Pick up and reorganize the Office
6. Change the sheets in the guest room
7. Dust the light fixtures
8. Mop the base boards
9. Wax living room & Dining room floors
10. Clean the bathrooms
    

Over Zealous

What a freaking day; both good and really annoying. 1st I went out to DC to see my friend T and the triplets. Had an awesome time visiting and seeing the kids have a blast. However, the traffic there was insane and the traffic back even worse.

DC is a nightmare sometimes, zapping the fun out of me. The only solace in the going home traffic was that C and I had just gone to the commissary ( I haven't been to one in months and months) and we had a car full of food to snack on. We opened the chips, the Power-Aid, the fruit snacks, and some mints. The second saving grace is we weren't the ones in the accident. There was a flipped tractor trailer and a smashed mini-van. We heard on the traffic report that there were fatalities. I suppose that was the major point, we weren't the cause, but we did find reprieve in the snacks before we saw the accident, so it isn't as ungodly as it all sounds. Anyway...

Once we got home and starting unloading the car I realized I haven't cleaned out my cupboards in a long, long, long time. They were a mess. Well, they still are. I started cleaning the food cabinet out and realized that job sucks. Granted at some point I'll have to finish it because as it stands right now one cabinet is spotless but the crap that was in it is all over the table and the counter.

In other news: I've had IVF on the brain lately. I so badly want to go back to work but at the same time I am wondering if it might be time to give it another go? Obviously the last round screwed me up, and is still swirling around in unnatural ways in my brain, but it doesn't make me want to crawl under the covers and suck my thumb until my mommy calls anymore. Maybe if I go back to work, I'll have better insurance??? IDK, it is all so expensive and we're still paying for last years rounds. In fact I almost fainted when I added our two credit cards together. Mind you I can tell you how every dollar got onto them, but when you add it up, holy shit! Let's just say - S doesn't make that much in a year. Seriously. Student Loans, IVF, two car repairs, one dermatologist visit, 6 cavities and one crown in two years, and boom a black whole. Yup, still thinking of IVF - surprisingly the money isn't really scaring me - it is more like a hurdle.

UTD

I have a lot of details I've been forgetting to write about; Obviously I am way too important and busy. HA. Seriously though, I don't really want to forget it all. I like the details of vacations, visitors, and the daily grind. For example, today I fell in exercise class, while standing still. Just a little stumble, but really pretty funny. Also during the same class I managed to kick the instructors balance ball, count out leg lifts as "1,2,3,6, I mean 8, oh wait, what?", and I realized by deodorant really wasn't working. But I digress my point: I've had a lot to say but haven't been able to.

T & B's visit. We had fun. At night the grown ups stayed up playing Uno. It was pretty funny to see all of us getting so into such a simple game. B and I lost terribly. Still, the great Uno Challenge of 2010 was awesome. Besides being dorks, we also went to see the usual sights and touristy stuff in the area. The kids (they have two boys) all seemed to get along fairly well. C wasn't all that enamored with the pair of them. However, he loved each boy on their own, too much sibling rivalry for his taste. It was cute to see C and D (the youngest boy) get dressed up in costumes and run around for hours playing battle. It was also super cute to see C and CB (their oldest son) curled up on the sofa watching TV together. It was sweet seeing our kids play. It was also bittersweet when they left.

I wished they could have stayed an extra day or two. However, it was nice to have my family to myself again. :) I also proved my theory that after you spend a significant amount of time with another family you really, really appreciate your own. For example, every time we got in the car their was a problem; either someone didn't want to sit in the way back or someone was starving, even though I offered them all snacks just before we left. Nothing to get my panties in a bunch over, really, I can just block out all that stuff, I just noticed the nice calm quiet about it all the next day :) Our friends have a rough road to travel, having one son who has some special needs. It creates a cycle of doing anything just to keep the peace. They do the best they can with what they got; my heart goes out to them.

On the brighter side here are some funny things I overheard during the visit

D: "Cooper you need to just leave"
C: "I like sorta live here."
D: "Well I am not going anywhere in your mom's car!"
C: "Okay, want to play outside?"
D: "I miss Sophie" (that is his 4H cow who is the cutest thing I ever saw and D is sooooo cute when he talks about her)
C: "Me too. Want to play Lego's?"
D: "Sophie is mine!"
C: "Well, I'll be playing Lego's"

I don't think the boys were having the same conversation there. Here is another between CB and D their two sons.

CB: "Cooper is watching stupid music videos."
D: "I like them"
CB: "Mom doesn't want us to watch them."
D: "We're not"
CB: "They are on TV and I am going to tell her to ground you for life because you like them"
D: "JAMIE!"
Me: "Coop, just change the channel"
D: "I am going to go wake up Daddy and tell him you are going to tell Mom on me, Sissy"

D calls CB sissy as if it is his name. It is so wrong that I find that hilarious. I giggle just about every time, especially when CB got upset over it. Mean, Jamie. A few more that I found funny:

CB was sort of pouting one morning and I asked him what was wrong. He said "Well, Maggie looked at me and now won't leave me alone." The dog was sleeping at his feet ....

C was stuck on the swing set. He tried to climb around the outside and got freaked. "Life isn't fair, I want to do all the cool things D can do." Crying and sniffiling. B ( the mommy) is right behind me and says "Now, that is one I haven't heard before." Wicked funny.

D had an afternoon shower after a small mishap. His mom and I were talking about something totally different when he came out and said "Did you tell Jamie!?!?!?" His mom said no and we kept our conversation going and I hear D say "You better not tell her women" under his breath of course. Kids crack me up. He no doubt got that line from C who thinks calling me women is the funniest thing on the planet.

Between CB and T (the dad): "you should just ground D, why don't you ever ground him?!" T: "If we did that we'd never see D." AHAHHAHAHAHAH

A few other details I keep forgetting about:

• I went to a funeral a few weeks ago. My Uncle Ed died after a long battle. I was in Jersey dropping off my cousins and was able to stay for the funeral. It was more like a memorial luncheon, very sweet, and very calm. A few tears but mostly just a lot of good memories being shared.
• My parents are coming to visit next week and we are going to Solomon's Island for a few days. (super excited, although S won't be there)
• S is in Denver this week for work, next week he'll be in Baltimore
  
• I am actively looking for a full time job ... it is a slow go.
• I am reading the Kite Runner - interrupted the Dead Lie Down - but both are so good.

Mr. Sandman

I had the strangest dream this morning. It was 4:50 AM and I dreamed that my father was standing next to my bed and leaned over me while yelling "HEY!" That was the whole dream. I woke up and just layed there until S's alarm went off about a half hour later.

Happy Ham Sandwiches

I should be more productive today, but I am thinking that isn't really going to happen.

I pissed of a guy named Brent today and am feeling a little bad about that. The story is pretty dull; but I will enlighten my readers with it anyway. Actually I could go quite into detail ...

Once upon a time Jamie wasn't all that in love with her in-laws. In fact she was down right ticked off at them and vowed to stop complaining and even spending an ounce of effort on them. And she actaully did quite a good job at this. Then something happened: They started being nice and stopped being negative and down right mean. I also started ignoring the majority of their behavior. (I have enough self confidence to take my credit in the situation :P) ) So, here we are months later and another something happens. We get screwed by the USAF and out of kindness and no ill will the in-laws help us fix it, with cash, lots of it. And then when we try to give it back to them, they say "Keep it, you need it, buy your self a couch and put the rest in C's college fund." and they meant it.

... Just a side note, the USAF didn't totally screw us, all parties involved made mistakes that ended up delaying a huge payment of over three grand to S's government card. The minimum payment was half of that and if we withdrew our money from our savings account to pay for it we would have had to cancel our trip to Florida and Pennsylvania. S told his parents we were thinking of canceling the Florida trip and they basically told him we'd worked hard for that money and would like to lend us the 1500 bucks until the USAF pays us back. We accepted. Me with a chip on my shoulder (bad Jamie). Being proved wrong, as I thought for sure that it would be a problem later on, especially since we have been vacationing ALL summer, has never been so sweet.

So moving on: I bought our couch used in Minot for 35.00. The person I bought it from asked if her husband could deliver it the day they move out (like a week later) and I agreed. The husband worked for a furniture store and said he'd bring it over after his delivery on base. A week later when they arrived they delivered a similar couch but it was all wrapped in plastic. And it had a tag on it. New. I called the store right away to tell them but they insisted that wouldn't happen. I went back to the house I bought it at but they'd already moved. Almost ten year later and the couch is gross. It is ripped on the side of two cushions, it is missing a leg, and it sort of smells. So we are on the search for a new one.

We've been to a few stores but haven't found anything. All the couches look alike. Brown and expensive. Yesterday I was browsing on Craig's List and found one that looked really nice. I arranged to take a look at it today at 11:00. (this is where I get back to pissing Brent off) So I get to this house with C, who was wearing a nija costume, at this house at 10:50. I called first and got voice mail. So I knock, it was pouring rain, a cute puppy starts barking in the window, and we wait. Nada. So we ring the bell. The dog goes crazy again and we wait. Nada. So we leave.

Once I get home I check my email to see if I missed a reschedule. Nope, the guy is home but his phone is dead. (no word on weather he is deaf or not) So I email him and write :

Morning,

Looks like we missed each other. Cute dog, by the way.

But really, after I remeasured our rooms it looks like unless we could reconfigure the sofa it would block our entire fireplace.

Thanks anyway,
Jamie

Then he writes back:

When did you come? I have been sitting here waiting for like 40 minutes, I had a bunch of other people that wanted to come then but I told them you were coming. The dog in the window is a dog we are dog sitting and has never touched the couch.

Okay, really I could cut and paste the entire banter but basically he thought I was being sarcastic about the dog so I emailed back assuring him we love dogs and we really just missed each other. But in the end I just deleted him because he seemed pissed. Oh well, the search continues.

BTW: Lunch ='s ham sandwiches, and they are delectable.

DC in a Nut Shell

Our friends are here! They've only been here one entire day so far, but we are having fun. Yesterday I took them to see Arlington Cemetery and some monuments. The heat was insane, but everyone did pretty good. We almost killed on of their kids, if you asked him anyway, hee, hee. Poor thing didn't like the walking. But really all the kids were so good. I think my friend, B, was worried about her kids behaving. No need, they are so sweet and really pretty good sports, after all they have never even met my C before and now we have three boys in one room and are forcing them to pose for pictures together at every stop :P) I love vacations.

Baseball game tonight. 1.00 tickets and 1.00 hot dogs for the Single A Nationals. I love it, Can't wait.

YippeeKi-i-Ey

Life is good today. Woke up in a good mood and stayed that way. We've got company coming tomorrow evening and I am starting to get really excited. I love company and chaos. I always say: We breed chaos; can't breed anything else, but chaos we've got down.

So, In the good news department. The guest room took only a few minutes to spruce up. I washed all the bedding yesterday after the puppy decided to sleep there after a rainy afternoon; muddy prints. Shame on me for not closing the door :P) Anyway today I remade the bed, dusted up, and ran a quick vacuum. C's room is going to be done later this afternoon. Then that is it, we are ready for our guests.

In other good news department my sister has a new job starting in a little over a week. For some reason I am finding great joy in her accomplishment. I just know how much she detested working for Boston University and always hoped she'd leave on good terms and find something to make her happy. Sappy, sappy.

More good news; I got an email from an employer that I applied with sometime ago. It takes months and months to get an interview there. Anyway, I received an email asking me to take a few employment tests - so that is a step in the right direction. Also I have a tentative interview with Kaiser in a few weeks. We'll see how that goes. They might not want to wait a month for me to be ready to work. I am going to call them here in a bit.

I think I am going to go walk to pick C up today. It is perfect outside. 85 Sunny, and low humidity; compared to the first half of the week anyway. And on that note, I'd better run. Skateboarding camp is officially over in 11 minutes.

3:27 PM & I'm In My PJs

Seriously, I am in my pajamas; it is raining buckets and I had just got out of the shower when I realized I am exhausted and need to just relax. Seems like I am always gearing up for the next big thing; understandably as on Saturday my newest BFF and her family get here. Zippidedoda. So, this afternoon, I am just lounging around. I hope for once it keeps pouring, that way I have more of an excuse than the truth.

The truth of course is that two days in a row I have spent about 12 hours catching up on old Days of Our lives episodes, plus three HUGE episodes, and two Army Wives, so that would be 17 hours of TV in two days. I feel my arteries hardening just thinking about it. My only justifiable action, I had three gym classes this week. I have to catch up on all my shows before B and her family get here, LOL just so I can build the DVR back up again :P) Plus I need some sleep. I've been watching all this crap at night after the boys go to bed. Soooooo Tired.

The M's Go To VA

So, they are gone. I had three extra kids for a week and now it feels so quiet here. :P) We have so many funny stories: like E trying to pick up or dog, who weighs more than her, and getting hit near the eye with Maggie's tooth - E got a black eye. A had a match a few days later when she kneed her self in the eye. Yes, she kneed her own eye. CM was a pain, he's 13 and thinks he is too cool for everything - but when no one is looking he can still be a kid again, like when he played cops and robbers with the littler ones - and it was all his idea. My C loved it all, every minute of every day. We all had fun. Trips all over the place including the DC Zoo, The Air & Space museum, the movies, mini golf, water park, and a concert in the park downtown. The M's are hilarious. The one liners are never ending. It was so cool to see them in action. It was also really cool to see then in action with their mom as they drove out of my grandparents driveway...

At the moment I have a quiet house. C is at skate boarding camp. He is loving it. Yesterday was the first day and he wasn't all that excited about it, but as he was getting ready he started to get into it. When I dropped him off he was like "well mom, see you later, I know the guys over there, so you know don't kiss me." Too funny. Then I picked him up later and he actaully rode his board over to me! When I dropped him off he couldn't even stand on the thing! I was super impressed.

Actually C has been really agreeable lately. Three straight weeks of VK served him well I suppose. He's even been going to Taekwondo do with out complaining and actaully doing great.

Loosing It

The husband is beginning to loose his luster regarding the family fun time; he just contemplated adding Kahlua to the after dinner ice cream shakes to help the kids sleep.

Busy Bee's

What a summer. 100 degrees regularly, lots of water, lots of fun. PA was a blast, MA was wicked fun too, 500 miles down the coast with the cousins was entertaining, and now we're in VA loving life. Mini golf yesterday, a water park today, movies tomorrow. The fun continues...

Gotcha Day

Just one more note. 6 years ago today S and I took official custody of our baby boy, the baby boy who told me today he'd like to marry a good looking blond with a bankroll but who doesn't wear too much pink eye shadow because then she'd look like a zombie and that would make her not so hot, not hot like the temperature, hot like hot hot, like iCarly hot, or maybe Sam. Then he asked me if I could help him put on costume so he could pretend he was the general.

Life Goes On

In a slightly better mood today...

We leave for the Pocono's on Saturday Morning. I am really looking forward to it. The other night S and I looked on the campgrounds website and linked around to different "must see & do" things in the area. It put S's mind at ease that there would be entertainment. It annoyed me. I like camping. I like lounging at a dingy lake and hiking through woods. I like revolving the whole day on when you need to start the fire or grill. S likes to know there is something to do. It isn't like this is new news, I have met the man.

You really should have seen him; I equate it to a kid in a candy store. Each site we visited was followed by "oh boy!", "oh, that's cool", "hey J&K might like that too", "ooooh can we do that one?". Some of the activities looked fun. There is a water park with a zip line and there is one restaurant I'd like to go to, but I want to make sure we stay at the lake -you know that cabin on the lake that cost more than six hundred dollars? LOL - we really are a pair.

In other related news: We were going to board Maggie at a local kennel here. It is expensive, but cheap for the area at 29.00 a day plus clean up and bath charges at about 35.00. But I kept whining (more of less) that I really wanted to bring the dog with us. We are going to the lake and then to Massachusetts for a week. All in all she'd be there 13 days. Then suddenly, as if I'd been on a rooftop toilet, I had an epiphany; kennel the dog in PA near the campground and then bring her to Massachusetts with us. Savings: 11.00 per day plus no clean up fees, plus she'd only be there 7 nights. So instead of 412.00 it is costing 126.00.

Of course now, I will have to make at least one kid ride on the roof on the way back home from Mass, since the dog will take up a seat ...

The update there: We are going home, home, after PA. C is going to the beach with my cousins in Maine for the week. S is staying in Worcester until Wednesday and then flying home. I am driving from Worcester with C and three of my cousins and the dog. The kids are staying a week and then I am driving them to NJ to my Grandparent's and meeting C (my cousin with the four kids, but only three are visiting us because one, A, my God Daughter, is going to college in the fall, too old for the family Vk) there to do the switch.

Busy, Busy, just the way I like it. See you in a few weeks my friends! Right now it is time for a bowl of pasta and Days of our Lives. Thank God my DVR is fixed.

Pissy & Pissier

I am so ticked off. I had a crappy night. It wasn't suppose to be that way. Everything was good until I asked my husband if he could bring me a Diet Coke. Like it would fucking kill him, he says "why do you always do that to me?" Seriously! I just asked for a soda! Then when I balked back he got all ticked off and started slamming things around the kitchen. Whatever. In the end I apologized but totally didn't mean it! What the heck, I seriously only asked with a big cheesy wife smile for a Diet Coke. He was standing up in the doorway and I had just sat down to the computer. Errr.

Great, so then he says he is going to bed. Fine. Go. Then he takes at least a hour freaking shower. By the time he is done I am already in bed, reading. Then when he finally gets to bed he is tossing and turning. He wakes up all sweaty, he moans and groans. He turned the AC down to record lows and freezes me out. By this point I was sure my cold shoulder was making the bed a glacier anyway, but no, he has to waste even more money and make a big huffy puffy show of turning down the AC and complaining that the sheets are wet on his side of the bed. So fucking gross. Needless to say I didn't fall asleep. I couldn't; he actaully fell right back to sleep but he was so restless that every time I moved even slightly he'd wake up and whine about it. Eventually I ended up downstairs drinking warm milk and falling asleep to old Cheers re-runs sometime after 2:00.

He woke me up, on his way out the door sometime around six. Four hours of sleep. Four.

What the frick? I apologize when I didn't do anything. He is all high and mighty and doesn't even acknowledge that maybe he could have just gotten me a drink without complaining? I suppose four fitful hours of sleep has done very little for my levels of grace. Whatever. C has camp in a little while. After I take him over there I am just going to run on the treadmill and then get my own icy cold Diet Coke.

Waking Beauty

I am reading the best book, Waking Beauty by Elyse Friedman. I bought it at a yard sale a few weeks ago and totally judged it by its cover. The main character in the story wakes up one day with a completely different body. She goes from Fat, slovenly, snaggle-toothed, and hook nosed to a knock out blond with model like features. I don't know why I am finding it as page turning as I am, but it is good. Sort of dark English humor and at the same time it sort of makes you believe in fairy tales. Odd mix. Anyway, I am about 3/4 of the way through and just got to the part where the new beauty queen is starting to find trouble with being perfect looking. I am amused.

Tuesdays are busy here, C has camp, I have my gym class, then it is camp pick up and then back to the gym for his Tae Kwon Do class. Recently I had vowed not to use the car as much for these half mile trips, but today it is already 100 degrees - so the car is the winner. The fun side of that is that I had time between C's drop off and my class to read another 50 pages or so of Waking Beauty.

Oh well, tomorrow is a calmer day. I think I am going to load up on goodies for a Vk with a trip to Costco. Hmmm, also I have much blog catching up to do. Oh well - off to the kiddie pool!

Primitive Sites

We went camping this weekend in Solomon's Island at a Navy MWR Resort. It was only 19.00 a night. If you stay for a week the price is only 12.00 a night. That is really cheap, dirt cheap. The trip was really fun. Our friends from Bolling AFB were there also, in a cottage with their triplets and Nana. We met up for meals and swimming and then for the holiday BBQ and fireworks. We were actaully a little late for the fireworks because the grownups were fully immersed in a badminton game. We all totally sucked, BTW, but had a blast. Next summer, I think we will go there for a whole week. The camping is primitive, no electric or running water, but the place is great, free mini golf, 3.00 driving range, 5.00 kayak rentals, beach, four pools with water slides, beach town just a few minutes away, and only 2 hours 10 minutes from door to door.

Today the boys are both off from work and Gymnastics camp. They're watching a Band of Brothers marathon and I am just relaxing and watching a few movies. Currently 500 days of Summer is on. It is interestingly compelling, stupid, funny, and boring all at the same time. Not what I expected, then again movies rarely are.

Tomorrow the temp is suppose to be 101 with humidity levels at unbearable heights. Kiddie pools and ice cream. (Yes that really is its own sentence)

It Felt Longer

Yesterday we had our cable drop line replaced. It entailed digging up the old line from the little box on the curb and putting in a new one that was covered in PVC all the way around the house to the back yard. When the guys were done, the foreman asked if our TV was working. So I ran downstairs to check the cable box we were having trouble with; it worked perfectly, so I sent them on their way. A few hours later I noticed we had no Internet connection or cable in the den. Errr. But all is fixed now; leaving me with the question, What the Fuck do I do all day?

I had so much time on my hands last night that I was actually pacing around looking for something to do. Without the internet distraction, everything was so easy. Laundry got folded the same day it came out of the drier ... seriously huge, Everything was clean, and I had time to start pulling out the camping stuff for tomorrow. I seriously need better time management. Today, C had camp and I had my gym class that meant three complete trips to the community center. I had time to walk C there and walk to pick him up. Plus I went to the store and started cooking for the 4th. The internet has been fixed for about ten minutes. My production is over.

LOL. I need help.

Oh Come On!

I took C to his first taekwondo class this afternoon. He hated it. He cried half way through and sat on the side lines. I was that parent with a crying kid, trying desperately to encourage him to try again. He was that child that couldn't be consoled. Couldn't he have had his meltdown before we paid 40.00 for the uniform? My head hurts.

It has been so long since we've had these type of meltdowns. Ever since the IEP went into place C has been happy and worry free. Today everything we've worked so hard for just seemed to come tumbling down. I don't want to get in the pattern of a major pep talk every time he cries. If we do, then he cries more because he likes it. It is so hard to strike that balance. And poor C, he just got upset and overwhelmed and he just wanted to hide.

He's fine now, playing a video game and vying for the next snack. But man, what a day. He had camp, I had a strengthening class, then he had taekwondo. I was back and forth to the community center four complete times. Tomorrow, C just has camp; we're riding bikes, so that should be nice. Since; you know; tomorrow is a new day and all.

Shocking

I totally got shocked to day by the computer. Lighting & thunder were lighting up the afternoon sky and I was running around trying to gather up all the chairs outside when I realized I needed to stop playing with metal objects during an electrical storm. The sounds were so loud and so close that for the first time in a years I was actually a little nervous over it. Normally I love the chaos of storms. Anyway, I head inside and that is when lightning starts coming down in bolts right between our house and the woods on the other side of the gold course! Good thing I got inside, only then I remembered that I was using to computer when I heard the first roll of thunder, so I went to turn it off and ZAP. Frick that hurt. My right hand got a jolt from my middle finger up through my shoulder. It is still sore, hours later.

So after the shock of a life time, other than the time I licked the end of an electric blanket just to see what would happen, I tried to boot the computer back up but got nothing. S gave it a try when he came home too, but nothing worked. Well, I had the magic touch I suppose because I flipped the switch on the surge protector and everything came back to life with no damage. S did the same exact things with no luck at all - poor guy. :P)

Burrito Burgers

Burrito Burgers:

A pound or more of ground meat or ground turkey

A half cup to a cup of rice (pre-cooked)

A small can of Pinto Beans, or any kind you like

An envelope (more or less) of taco seasoning

Any Tex-Mex seasoning you like. I added Chipotle hamburger seasoning - just because I had it.

Rachel Ray has the same recipe, sort of, but she adds different seasoning and actual Chipotle sauce. She calls them Stretch a buck burrito burgers.

Mix and fry.

Terrible for the grill, they are really messy. But I bet if you cut the rice to just a half cup and the beans to half and add an egg they'd be okay for the grill.

Babble Babble

I seem to have a lot to say over the last few days. I think I am going a little nutty because I have lacked adult interaction. Thank God I got to talk to my sister last night or I would be totally off my rocker. S travels so much these days, and this week has been no different. However, some good news. He called late last night to say he was able to get his flight changed and he will be home around five tonight instead of ten. So we're happy about that.

I told C the new this morning and asked him what he wanted to do tonight for dinner. We normally go out when dad gets home from a long trip. But to my surprise he didn't yell out "Red Robin Yum". He wants something at home. I am glad that is what he chose. And, actaully I am glad we didn't go out last night in the end. I was trying to go an entire week without spending money unless it was needed items at the grocery store. Low and behold, we actaully did it, for the most part. Our only expenditure was a Diet Coke while we were out and we shared and the money came from the ashtray in the car (I don't think that counts as real money)So back to my point; We're making dinner tonight.

We can't decide between Mexican style burrito burgers or tacos. They both sound pretty mouth watering to me. Oh well, three hours till S gets home. I suppose I should clean up a little. Maybe do the dusting and pick up the toys that seem to spill into every room as the day goes on :P)

How to save $24.00

Don't go to the movies.

I am a sucker. So, that just has to change. I am tired of complaining about others kids and listening to myself rant and rave on here and my head about them being rude, fighting, and just plain obnoxious, but man - they really are those things! Well there are new rules in the Wagner household. Starting with, the kids aren't coming over unless someone is home at their house. I am not the babysitter. They can play out front in the circle, no in my house eating my food, drinking my drinks, or annoying my puppy.

The straw that broke the camels back: Yesterday after all the hub-bub the boy, A asked if he could sleep over and C was so excited at the prospect that I said yes. So A went home and called his mom and then ran back over to say his mom said yes, but she'd talk to me when she got home. I asked what time she got home and he said 4:30. I know that is what the kids always say, and she really gets home at 7:30 but I thought maybe she'd be home early since they got home at 11:20 from school - last day and all. Anyway, it started to rain a little and every one was back in their respective houses and C and I were looking for something to do, so we decided to go to the movies. I said we could bring A. So we picked a show and saw that it played at 5:30 and 7:30, so I said that when A's mom called I would ask her if it was okay. Well, sure enough she didn't even get home until 7:30 (we saw her drive up). But there was no phone call. So at 8:00 I called over there - they didn't even answer the phone! Needless to say A never came over and we never made it to the movies.

I don't get it. My mom thinks I am complaining too much about it - she's probably right. But in the moment I just don't get it. I just don't remember this much chaos when I was a kid. Maybe my mother possessed more control than me. Or perhaps that is why she was always reading a book - so she didn't hear us all fighting and complaining. Hmmm, now I miss my mommy :P)

Not That I Didn't Already

Oh Man. I am right here watching all these kids and they are just so darn rude! I have had to just step back and let them all work it out themselves. Good Lord! I had planned on running on my treadmil while they all played but it is impossible as I have to keep stopping to separate them. One more outbreak in the ranks and I am sending the little buggers home.

And not that my kid is perfect or anything but for crying out loud he is the youngest in the group and is the one sharing all his stuff!

Two minutes later: I sent them home after a huge uproar. Apparently the brother / sister duo were fighting and it just trickled in from there. I think I am going to take C to the movies. I need a real break - LOL

Critics Corner

SYTYCD is weird this season. They've brought back 'all stars' from former seasons to dance with the contestants instead of pairing them together. The problem is; the all stars way out shine the contestants. It was actaully a little off putting last night. That and the fact that my DVR isn't working and I had to watch it live.

Ghost Hunters Academy proved worth my time this week. They nixed Roslyn which, from the first episode was my least liked 'cadet'. I totally laugh seeing Dave and Tango be hard asses, they are so funny on Ghost Hunters, I never expected them to be any different.

Secret Life has become even worse this season. We're only two episodes in and already another teen is pregnant. Mind you, when this show first aired it was hailed as a modern 7th Heaven! Of the original cast, there is only one virgin left. And they are juniors in high school. Gosh I love me some trashy TV.

Days of our Lives is blahh this month. They are finally killing off Alice Horton. But I swear she hasn't been on in years, so it is rather anticlimactic. However I am glued to the Chloe/ Daniel / Philip love triangle (well not really a triangle) but on Their wedding day Daniel and Chloe find out that Chloe is pregnant. Daniel doesn't know it is probably Philips baby. But here is a soap opera twist you never know. Is Chloe really expecting? Dr Manning, Carly, could have made that up because she Chloe to force Chloe to tell the truth about her one night stand with Philip. Carly doesn't know it is Philip though. So there you have it. These folks have been held up in a hospital room for a week trying to get through an impromptu wedding and keep getting interrupted. Oh, did I mention Chloe was in the hospital because she fell down an elevator shaft after trying to kill Carly but having seconds thoughts so she grabbed Carly out of the way but fell herself. Yes I waste an entire hour on this crap every day.

My newest fave: Pretty Little Liars is proving to be sort of Gossip Girlish with a hint of that 90s' show with Jordon Catalono. I can't think of the name. But you know the one with that girl from Photo Shop, and she has sort of a wild friend and a gay guy friend when that was sort of taboo. Anyway it is full of a big secret, and teenage angst, I don't see where they could go wrong. ... My So Called Life, that was the show. Anyway, they haven't really thrown boys in yet, except a few kissy kissy scenes between a teacher and student. I know - trashy - right? Ahh my new fave.

17 Days!

The countdown has begun. Only 17 Days left until our Pocono VK with J,K & Baby A! I am so excited. We are going for an entire week. We’ve rented a cabin that is just across the path from the lake. The décor is totally “gramma 70’s”. But there is a fridge, a stove, and a dishwasher so it isn’t like we’re really roughing it. Also, there is a Super Walmart 9.7 miles away. Yup … ROUGHING IT! But let’s see if we can manage a VK without having to go to Walmart the first day.

I asked C last night what he’d like to do at the lake. He let me know he really wanted to go out on a canoe but that Dad and I could do all the work. He then said “wait, are we like going to eat grill food all week?” to which I replied “we are probably going to eat a lot of food from the grill, so yes” then he gets this really goofy smile and says “Okay, but for one; don’t burn my hotdogs and for two; you might want to wear an apron if you are going to grill naked, you know like the volleyball games.” Then we both started laughing. C just thinks that one ‘clothing optional’ campground is so funny. I asked him if he really thought we’d go someplace like that and he said “Mom, I just don’t know these days, I mean look you won’t let me play Gears of War or Halo anymore, what is next, Naked Land roller coasters?”

In other news: We fixed the school bill issue with the bonds. I can’t believe we had that much money just sitting in our firebox. In the end we had enough for the school bill and enough to pay for the tires I put on a credit card a few weeks ago. I suppose, the money wasn’t just sitting there, so many times we contemplating cashing out the bonds but decided that it really wasn’t worth it at that moment. But this time around we knew it made the most sense.

Well, it is suppose to hit 95 again today and 98 tomorrow. I am going to go set up the kiddie pool and maybe mow some of the yard before the temp reaches its peak… maybe on the second part :P)

25 Things for June

I love lists. I make them all the time. Cleaning lists, shopping lists, general to do lists, TV must lists, and every other type of list you imagine. For June, the list has been interesting, including two TDY's for S, vacation in Disney, end of school for C ... eventually, and the beginning of summer. I love summer. Without further delay: 25 Things I look forward to this summer:

1. Hot weather
2. The pool
3. Camping
4. The beach
5. Visiting friends
6. The extreme usage of the BBQ grill
7. Fires on the deck
8. Water gun fights
9. The end of the Silly Band craze
10. Golf
11. Hiking
12. Taking pictures of trees and water
13. Thunder storms after a really hot day
14. Playing board games and watching movies on a rainy day
15. Riding my bike down hill
16. Having a killer yard sale
17. Going to killer yard sales :P)
18. Getting to know the neighbors
    
19. Sleeping past 6:30 once in a while
    
20. Coffee on the deck
21. Baseball games
22. Summer concerts in the park
23. The farmer's market
24. Harvesting my tomatoes, peppers, basil, black berries, and more
25. Eating ice cream