Farewell

Goodbye 2010...you have been quite unpredictable and have really thrown me for a loop at times.  I will say that I am glad to begin anew yet somewhat will miss what was in 2010.

Homecoming 2010

So JC's homecoming was last weekend.  I wished I had been able to be there, but sadly, I couldn't. I did get pictures....Here they are:

Spirit Week at school before homecoming....each day was a different way to show spirit.

I have no idea what he is supposed to be.

I love him so much!

I hope he was supposed to be a geek :)

Here are pre-dance pics (I don't have any after-dance pics)

 This is Alaina Proctor.  I love Alaina and have always wished JC and her would "hook up"...but they are just good friends, she is one of the sweetest girls ever. ------------------------->

 Hmm, what's up with the pink ruffled dress on the end???
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 Pay attention!! Apparently he was having the hideous "mum" thing issue------>

                                   

 He's hot, they know it :)
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I really wish I had been there, {sigh}, He's growing up too darn fast!


On a completely unrelated topic,  I BOUGHT HIS PLANE TICKET TO COME HOME FOR THANKGIVING!!! YAY!!

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HIM!!

New job, same job

So, I started work about a month ago at THD At-Home Services.   If you don't know what THD stands for, its The Home Depot.  Yes, that's right, Home Depot.  I got the job through a temp agency so technically, I'm not an employee of THD, I'm employed by Kelly Services at THD.  I'm only supposed to work there through the busy season which is now till the beginning of December.  The office is in New Castle, PA which is about a 35 minute drive from where we live in Ohio.  Sometime the end of November/beginning of December they are moving the offices to Cranberry Township, PA which a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA. That would be over an hour drive one way for me.

But whatever, I'm working and it feels great.  The job is very, very similar to the job I had in Lousiana, except I don't have to deal with any of the install issues.  They have someone else that handles that, which is great as far as I'm concerned.  I really enjoy going to work and having other adults to interact with during the day.

One of the girls that works there had a birthday on Tuesday, I baked her a home-made cheese cake and made mixed berry sauce for the topping.  She liked it so much, she has asked how much I would charge to make one on a weekly basis for her sister's Bar & Grill restaurant.  I am really enjoying working.

There's just one thing that is niggling at the back of my mind though, I am getting way too invested in the job and I don't believe that things are not going to end very well.

Oh yeah, P.S. Jackie, you have not posted a blog in a very, very long time and I think you need to.  Love you :)

Killing Time

I start work on Tuesday, September 5th.  I am excited.  To kill time and try to not be so BORED, I decided to go to Dayton to see my mom and Jackie this past weekend.  I brought Jules with me to keep me company on the drive, plus, he's as bored as I am due to the job he had didn't work out (that's another store all on it's own!).

We got on the road about 4:30pm.  I had a hair appointment that I couldn't change and when I got home around 3:30pm Jules was in the shower (he had mowed the grass). 

Rob was up and in a very grumpy mood...I asked him why and he said, "someone mowed and let the dogs bark the entire time."   I thought to myself, "baby...at least you don't have to mow!".  BUT, I kept that to myself (working on the self-control thing) and said "Oh, well after we leave you can go back to bed and sleep as long as you like."
He snarled a little.

So anyway, I went out and checked the oil in the car to make sure it didn't need any, which it didn't (yay)  becuase Rob said he was going to go fishing and to leave the truck (I knew that he wouldn't get motivated enough to go but I wasn't going to argue with him).  I put the suitcase & bag in the car and then waited for Jules to get done.  I swear he takes longer than a girl to get ready!

We finally got on the road around 4:30pm.  I had the gps set to mom's and off we went.  Well about 20 minutes into the drive, the gps said to stay on 80, but the map showed to go on 76...I freaked out a little and ended up getting on the 80 turnpike.  Right after I realized I had made a horrible mistake but there was NO WHERE TO TURN AROUND!!  So, we went 45 miles out of our way and even had to stop at a rest area so I could get some cash to pay the stupid toll!

We got to mom's around 8:45pm (not to bad of timing considering the detour).  The rest of the evening was uneventful.

We got up Saturday and went to see Grandma & Grandaddy Baxley.  Let me tell you, I love them to pieces, I hope I am that happy when I get to be there age!  Grandma had made some buffalo chips and boy were they good!  I went outside with Grandaddy and we picked some cherry tomatoes, green peppers and looked at his flowers....I loved it!

We left there around 11:00 and headed back to mom's.  I had made plans to go over to Lisa Russell's (a high school friend) and see her house she just bought in Belmont.  It's in the neighborhood right behind the church that Rob & I got married in...Lisa and her ex also was married in that church.

So, we got Jules out of bed and he showered and we left and went to Lisa's.  It is a cute little (and I mean L.I.T.T.L.E. house), but it suits her just fine!  We went all went to Frickers for lunch and it was yummilious!  After we dropped Lisa back off at her house, we went over to Jackie's and visited till her friend with the twin girls came to visit.  They are adorable but mom was tired and to be truthful, I was too!

After we got home, I called Emily and she ended up coming over and we ate Cassano's pizza and played some 500 Rummy...Jules kicked our butts!

Emily and Jules both left and I put my jammies on and went out to the backroom and watched some tv with mom for a while.  All in all, it was a great day and I didn't get bored.

We got up Sunday and Jackie had some running around to do so she came over and we all went shopping for the better part of the day.  We went to Kohl's because Jackie needed to return a pair of Capri's (which she forgot at home so we didn't really need to go there but did anyway:)  I got a couple pair of jeans that were on clearance and a couple tops on clearance...Mom got some underwear and Jackie got....hmmm, I don't remember what she got.  But we left there and went to Bed, Bath & Beyond and Jackie got the chopper I had told her about and mom and I just wandered around the store looking at everything.  We left there and went to lunch at Fox & Hound.  It was delicious. I had a french dip sandwich with sweet potato fries and mom & Jackie shared a bbq chicken pizza.  We left there and of course, had to stop at Target (Jackie needed her fix!).  I ended up getting an insulated lunch bag since I'll be starting to work NEXT WEEK~~YAY!  Mom got some more underwear and again, I don't know what Jackie got...that's weird that I can't remember what she bought at any of the places we went...oh well.

It was getting late and I didn't want to drive back home in the dark so I decided to stay until Monday morning.  We got up around 7:30am and drank coffee, played on the computer a little, I packed up our bags and put them in the car and we left around 10:30am.

Jackie had mentioned that there was a Raising Cane's in Columbus and Jules & I were all over that!  We stopped there around 12:30pm and let me tell you, as long as I didn't look out the windows, I felt like I was back in Louisiana...it was g.r.e.a.t. 

The one thing I didn't foresee when stopping at Cane's for lunch was how sleepy it would make my son.  

He couldn't keep his eyes open, so for the better part of the drive, this is how he was:

We arrived at home around 3:30pm and Rob, of course, was still in bed.  But all-in-all, it was a good visit and trip.

Bored....

Just wanted to put it out there....I am bored silly!  I have ZERO motivation, ZERO interest and hope I get the job at THD even though it is a 35 minute drive one way.  I don't think it would be so bad except I have to be QUIET all day because Rob is working nights and sleeping days....it's excruciatingly B.O.R.I.N.G.!!!

Whew, ok, so I hope you get it, I'm bored :)

IHop Anniversary Lunch

Ok, so this is a little late, but I wanted to share our lunch at IHop.

After we dropped JC off at the airport in Pittsburgh, we were supposed to spend the day exploring and site-seeing.  Unfortunately, neither Rob nor myself handled dropping JC off very well and I ended up crying and Rob ended up being sarcastically mean upon leaving the airport, we ended up driving straight back in tense, awkward silence....happy 21st anniversary to us!  Well the drive is about 50 minutes so by the time we got back in town, we were hungry and settled down so we decided to eat at IHop (my favorite place when there's not a Frisches nearby).

This is what was waiting for a table at the same time we were.....

 They were seated before us and it was about 45 seconds after they were lead to their seats that they came busting back up front yelling at the manager that there was no way they could fit at the table that was given to them!!  There were three of them and the table seated 6!!!   It was hysterical.

Please notice that they were in their "Sunday best" ;)

One Month in Ohio

Well, we have been here a month, Jules and I that is, Rob's been here since May.

It's not as bad as I thought it would be, but it is harder than I realized it would be.

We sent J.C. back to Louisiana for school, but before we did, we gave him a partial emancipation, which basically gives him the rights of an adult, like where he can live, where he can go to school, sign legal documents, etc.  Rob, J.C., and myself went to the GM Attorney's office on the Friday before he flew out to sign the documents, have them notarized and copies made. After that was completed and we were headed back home,  J.C. was so excited that he took pictures of the stupid documents to send to his friends back in LA, Rob was too tired to have any thought on the subject due to dragging him out of bed before he was ready and I, being the extremely good actress that I am, appeared as if it was nothing.  On the inside though, I was devastated, weeping, and so sad that my heart actually hurt.

Let me explain myself, I love ALL my children with the same intensity, but we all have very different relationships.  My daughter and I have developed a very close mother/daughter/friendship bond, Jules and I have a love/hate relationship, I love him but hate a lot of the decisions he makes :), J.C. and I, well we went through 3 of the most difficult years of our family's life together.  We I depended heavily on each other him.  Every time I would get to a really low point, J.C. knew exactly how to bring me out of it, whether it was with a "feel-good" hug or to make me laugh.  He can make me laugh quicker than anyone I know. He is brutally honest but with so much compassion that it softens the blow of the honesty.

We finally got the house in LA rented (we really wanted to sell but the market sucks right now) so that was a HUGE relief off our shoulders.  I really need to find a job, even if it's part-time.

We will be purchasing a vehicle soon (as soon as I find a stupid job), then we will begin the search for a home to buy. And let me tell you, we moved from a 2103sf house in LA to a much smaller (I say around 1400-1600sf) house.  All of our crap stuff will not fit!!  We had to get rid of one of our 5 couches (yes, apparently I collect couches!), I have the garage at least 2/3's filled with tubs/boxes that I can not unpack due to NO WHERE TO PUT THE STUFF!  My shoes (my beautiful, wonderful shoes) are STILL in a large tub because I can't find anywhere to unpack them!  My purses are in the same predicament--in a tub with no where to put them.  So come spring when we begin house-hunting, there will be some requirements, LOTS OF CLOSET SPACE, a LARGE KITCHEN and no less than 2000sf.  I  we need my our space and I miss my stuff  :)

Ohio

So we are here.
In Ohio.
The weather this summer is spectacularly wonderful.
We LOVE being closer to Jackie and Mom.
This summer is going by waaay too fast.
I don't want to send JC back to Louisiana for school.
I wish someone other than me would say he couldn't go.
We miss Louisiana.
Depending on how things go, we could possibly transfer back to Louisiana in a year.
It probably won't happen though.

Menopause, Teen-angst and New Orleans

I decided to take Cathy to New Orleans before we moved.  We have lived here 6 years and she had never been.  Of course she had to bring Jessica so I made JC go too.

The trip was, hmm, how to put this? Not what I expected.

Cathy has recently began experiencing night sweats and hot flashes.  Her hormonal imbalance has also affected her mood, and not for the better.  She was a B.I.T.C.H.  She even admitted to this, so I am not saying anything that she doesn't know.

The two teens we brought with us was just as much of a joy as Cathy.

Here are a few pictures depicting our experiences in the Big Easy.  Please keep in mind, we had to WALK everywhere we went.  We probably logged approximately 75 miles of walking in the 2.5 days we were there.

This is in the French Quarter.  The Mississippi River is on the other side of the wall.

Statue of Andrew Jackson in the middle of Jackson Square in the French Quarter

Santa on the Square--Now you know where he vacations :)

They are built exactly alike

The next few pictures were taken when we took a bus tour of New Orleans, the Garden District, the cemetary, and the 9th Ward where Hurricane Katrina had hit.

The devastation is still evident--Hole in roof where the people living in the house had to climb out of and wait for help.  The picture below is of a school where a lot of the people in the 9th ward took refuge during the flooding, waiting to be rescued.

The buildings are spectacular.  All of the iron work is just fabulous.

Outside the cemetary where Mary Laveau is entombed.

Mary Laveau's Tomb.  She is the Queen of Voodoo.  It is believed that if you put 3 red X's on her tomb, leave a gift and make a wish, she will grant your wish if she likes the gift.

JC was overjoyed with the amount of sightseeing we had done that day :)

Jessica was just as excited, if not more.

The next set of pictures were of the rest of the time we were there.

We were very lucky to get to witness the wedding of a US Marine and his lovely bride leaving the St. Louis Cathedral (built in 1849).  It was quite a sight to see!

After the wedding party left the Cathedral, they entire wedding party & guests paraded up and down the streets of the French quarter.  A Dixie Band lead the procession!  They all danced as they paraded and the guests waved white handkerchiefs in the air while dancing.  It was a sight to behold!

Cathy and I took a stroll down Bourbon Street one day and left the kids at the hotel.  We stopped in a bar called "The House of Blues".  We drank exactly one beer, listened to the band for a couple songs, then went back to the hotel.  We are such the party animals :)

The band at the bar was really good.

We were at one of the more pricey restaurants and were waiting to be seated.  Cathy got bored.  She amused herself and anyone walking by on the street (which were many) by smashing her nose on the door glass.  JC was not amused. I, on the other hand, was extremely amused and went outside to get this picture.

We went to the Aquarium one day, by this time, all four of us was faking the smile :)

Only in New Orleans will you see the following:

One morning early, Cathy and I walked down to the Cafe Du Monde for coffee and beignets (the coffee has chicory in it and is a.w.e.s.o.m.e. and beignets are just the french word for donuts~~they tasted like funnel cakes)  Anyway, a newscrew was there interviewing people about the Gulf Oil Spill.  Cathy was one of the people they interviewed!

The last night we were there, we went on a Vampire Tour, it was a walking tour, by this time, I hated Cathy for wanting to walk more, BUT walk we did.

One of the tour guides that had fangs, real fangs...it was...creepy

Jonathon was our tour guide, no fangs, but he was still kinda creepy.  He was a fabulous storyteller though, I could have listened to him for another 2 hours if it wouldn't have involved walking!

All in all, we did have a good time and I wouldn't have missed the experience for the world!