AHHH, this is the life! (and scary near-miss!)

LOOK AT THOSE WAVES!!! This was at Salisbury Beach last Tuesday. There was some sort of tropical storm out to sea that day, and the ocean was MAD! Pal and his cousins had an awesome time running scared from the waves. It was the only day last week that was beach-worthy, which was not good news for Pal's cousins who were there for the whole week.


Aren't they the cutest?

After the beach we took a walk down to the arcades and the kids had a blast.


After all that fun, Pal and I said goodbye to the cousins and headed up to N.H. to our comfy RV. Except that Mother Nature had plans to ruin our stay and it rained for the next 48+ hours, also sending a TORNADO our way! Luckily we were about 10 miles East of the path of the tornado, so we narrowly escaped it. Very scary, and lots of people lost their homes and RV's, etc.



In a post last week I introduced you all to my niece, "K", who will be undergoing surgery to remove her colon this Thursday. Please, if you are inclined to pray, keep "K" in your prayers this week, and even after that so she can be healthy enough to return to college in the Fall.

Thanks! Have a terrific week!

G

Off to the beach...

If you happen to stop by here between Tuesday and Sunday, I will be (gasp) dis-internet-connected!!! I am going to spend some quality and quantity time with Pal at our comfy RV in New Hampshire, with a quick stop by Salisbury Beach in MA (coldest frickin' water around!!!). Hubby will join us in NH on Friday.

Here's my little silverback building a sandcastle last Summer....


Don't miss me too much.....come back on Sunday or Monday and check in with me!

Have a great week!

G

Happy Birthday, "K"

My niece, to be known here as "K", turned 20 today. She is my second niece, my 3rd sister's oldest daughter. I am her Godmother. She is a great kid. Seriously, though my sister and brother-in-law might disagree sometimes! Hubby, Pal and I genuinely enjoy her company. She is kind, thoughtful and sometimes downright gullible. I love it. I love her.

I almost got fired for her, 20 years ago today. My sister had a scheduled C-section, but since I had to work, I went in and then around the time she would be going into the O/R, I "pretended" that my sister went into labor and needed me to take her to the hospital. My boss at the time, who was a royal b*tch, didn't buy a word of it (was I so totally transparent?) and told me that if I felt I "had to go" then she couldn't guarantee that I would have a job when I got back. I cried and told her I had to go. Of course, I was only 17 and could have given a rat's patootie about the job. Looking back on that day, I am glad to say that I was in that waiting room when my brother-in-law came out of the O/R and yelled "It's A Girl!". I happen to think that's a better memory than processing some car dealership paperwork!

On a more serious note about K, she has been suffering from ulcerative colitis since she was about 13, and it has come to the point that her colon has to be removed. It is a daunting operation for a 20-year-old college student to undergo. She's trying to be brave but I know deep down she's scared. It'll be a miracle if my sister survives this ordeal with HER nerves intact, too. Please, if you are someone who prays, keep K and our family in your prayers. They are needed, badly!

So, on this July 20th, 2008, Happy 20th Birthday, K. I love you like you were my own child. I like you as my friend, and I wish you all the happiness you deserve.

Love, AG (Aunnie G)

Good cop, bad cop....

If you read my "One Word Meme", one of my answers refers to an incident involving the police being called to our friend's house. Here is the whole story:

Pal's friend calls and invites him over for a playdate. When it was time to pick him up, I went over and started chatting with the Mom & Dad about their upcoming Disney trip (as you get to know me, my family and my hubby's family - you'll learn that we are all Disney Fanatics! Any chance to share the excitement of going to Disney is relished!) Well, Pal's friend has a little brother who also likes to hang with the "big boys", so when the 3 of them were playing outside, something happened to little brother that sent him inside crying, and Pal's friend followed his little brother inside. Pal was left outside alone, and the doors were shut with the A/C running, so obviously the Disney chatter drowned out any sound from outdoors.

About 5 minutes goes by, and Pal comes in crying hysterically, saying "Why didn't you come and help me??? I was stuck in a thorn bush!!!!" He had little scrapes all over his neck and a few on his back and leg. Of course, I felt horrible for not hearing his cries for help. We cleaned the cuts and he went into the living room with friend and little brother.

Disney chatter resumes....until loud KNOCK - KNOCK - KNOCK on door. Friend's Mom opens the door and there is a POLICE OFFICER standing there. She opens the door and says "Can I help you, officer?" He wants to know if we happened to hear any "frantic calls for help" coming from the area!!!! OH.My.God-in-Heaven. I nearly fainted.

A concerned neighbor of theirs apparently heard the unanswered cries coming from somewhere around the area, but couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from, so the Police had done a house-to-house search for the victim!!!!

Officer was very understanding, but also wanted "a look at the boy"! I had to call Pal out to the kitchen for the Officer to check our story out!!! Oy Vey. And this is NOT the first time our town Police have been involved with Pal. I'll save the details of that for another time!!!

I can't stop apologizing to friend's Mom & Dad for embarrassing them!!!!

I swear a year is shaved off my life when I think of the teenage years. Hopefully they won't involve Police Officers.





G

Balloons, Balloons, Balloons!

Up, Up and Away!



Have you ever seen anything so colorful? If you have never had the opportunity to see a hot-air balloon up-close and personal, then you are missing something very, very cool.



This is one of the most beautiful experiences. It was even better because I was able to share it with some close family and friends. We had a wonderful time, and the kids just love it up there. Stowe, Vermont that is. Not up in a balloon!
The closest Pal has ever gotten was a tether-ride in a balloon with his Dad. I am completely happy right here on the earth with both feet firmly planted!


Too awesome to describe!

We also went up to the top of Mount Mansfield, which is the highest peak in Vermont. Here is a family photo at the highest peak! (Uh, oh, now you know what I look like!!!!)



It was a great weekend, and all in all I am glad I went. I admit I was not looking forward to it, but I ended up being glad I went. Now next year, I'm not so sure about yet!!!!

G

One Word Meme

Tonight, I linked onto my friends blog (http://shesjustanothermanicmommy.blogspot.com.) She posted a meme in which you have to answer each question with only one word. After her one-word answers she included a second set of answers expanding on her original single-word answer. I'm stealing both the meme and the extended mix version! (Thanks, MM!)

1. Where is your cell phone? charging

2. Your significant other? hubby

3. Your hair? short

4. Your mother? alzheimer's

5. Your father? alive

6. Your favorite thing? fries

7. Your dream last night? bizarre!

8 Your favorite drink? icedtea

9. Your dream/goal? appreciate

10. The room you’re in? living

11. Your hobby? reading

12. Your fear? mold

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? vacationing

14. What you’re not? thin

15. Muffins? Nah

16. One of your wish list items? camera

17. Where you grew up? Bostonish

18. The last thing you did? eat

19. What are you wearing? Shorts

20. Favorite Gadget? PALM

21. Your pets? annoying

22. Your computer? laptop

23. Your mood? okay

24. Missing someone? No

25. Your car? love

26. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes

27. Favorite store? Wal-Mart

28. Like someone? Hubby

29. Your favorite color? pink

30. When was the last time you laughed? earlier

31. Last time you cried? Monday

Okay - because I cannot possibly contain myself to ONE word, here is the longer version!!!!

1. Where is your cell phone? On the kitchen counter charging, because we are leaving early tomorrow morning for our annual Hot Air Balloon Festival trip to Stowe, VT. It is critical to have cell phones charged when driving 300 miles from home!!

2. Your significant other? My hubby, whom I have known since I was 12. Friends first!

3. Your hair? Talked my vacationing hairdresser (who also happens to be my favorite sister!!!!) into cutting my hair before said Balloon Festival trip!

4. Your mother? Unfortunately suffers from Alzheimer's and currently on a defiant streak at her ALF (Assisted Living Facility)

5. Your father? Alive, but not spiritually. Depressed from lifetime of dealing with above mentioned Alzheimer's patient (and I don't mean just since the Alzheimer's!!)

6. Your favorite thing? French fries, but not the new battered sticky kind - just regular old FF!

7. Your dream last night? Bizarre! If you ask my hubby, he will tell you ALL of my dreams are bizarre. Not quite sure why!!!

8. Your favorite drink? Is Iced Tea one word? Arizona iced tea is my all-time fave. But I do love me some DD Iced coffee, too!

9. Your dream/goal? To appreciate my life - each and every moment of every day.

10. The room you’re in? Living room, in the recliner with laptop...on my lap, go figure!

11. Your hobby? Reading. Love to sit with a good book and lose myself.

12. Your fear? I hate mold. It is gross, and ugly, and fuzzy, and it just plain scares me.

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Vacationing somewhere, anywhere!!! But seriously, I just want to be content.

14. What you’re not? Thin. 'Nough said.

15. Muffins? Nah. Can take 'em or leave 'em.

16. One of your wish list items? A Nikon D80 camera with lots of zoom lenses.

17. Where you grew up? About 5 miles North of Boston. Lived there for all but the last 3 years of my life. Now I'm about 20 miles North.

18. The last thing you did? Eat chicken parm at a local Italian place with hubby, Pal, in-law's and 2 nephews.

19. What are you wearing? Shorts and T-shirt.

20. Favorite Gadget? Palm Pilot - my diary, calendar, entertainer!

21. Your pets? One needy, annoying dog who I really do love, but wish he wasn't so needy and annoying all the time!

22. Your computer? Right now, I'm on the laptop, but also have a PC in the other room.

23. Your mood? Okay, a little tired, but I am going to bed soon!

24. Missing someone? Not really....

25. Your car? My 8-year-old Honda minivan, which I caress and profess my love for every day!

26. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes...is there anything else to say about this? Nope.

27. Favorite store? Wal-Mart, I can't get out of there without spending $100!!!!

28. Like someone? Hubby, still like him (most of the time!)

29. Your favorite color? Pink, as in baby pink, light pink. Not hot. No.

30. When was the last time you laughed? Earlier today, when my son's cries (after he fell into a thorn bush outside at his friends house) were loud enough that their neighbor called the Police!!! Try explaining THAT to the men in blue!

31. Last time you cried? Monday night, watching "The Bachelorette"!!! She totally should have chosen Jason!!!


Inspired? Try it for yourself! I will leave you with this picture of the Hot Air Balloons at the Festival.