Weekend Warrior

Whew! Busy weekend! I am so not used to it!

Friday night, we all went to the Varsity Football game at Will's high school, fully expecting to just watch the game with the rest of the Freshman parents... just there to show support...

and Lo and behold!!!

WILL GOT TO PLAY! He didn't tell us! We knew he was dressing out, just so the team looked bigger and formidable, and we thought it was all for show... but then, in Half time,

we noticed Will being prepped for play!

It was soo exciting!

The Team won 60-22 and Will ran like the wind and sacked the Quarterback!

It was such fun!

We had the band, cheerleaders, announcers, mascot, and the whole enchilada there.

For JV games, we don't get all those perks.

It was very cool. Very, Very cool.

***

The next day, we had to move our money from our accounts with failing banks, to other banks that aren't stupid, in between soccer games and my Pampered Chef show in Chino Hills.

That feat was such fun! NOT!

***

Then we rented movies and vegged in front of the boob tube.

Love Guru was really dumb, and BabyMama was hilarious.

***

Today, I had two shows at the same time! I loved it!

One was my Sis in Law Tammie, and the other was Sharon.

They all ate well, ordered well, and hopefully will close quickly and neatly.

Hint, Hint!

My niece Jennifer is signing up to be a consultant in Oct!

Yahoooo!

She loves to cook and knows a lot about my tools already...

so she just has to get on the phone and ask, ask, ask.

***

Tonight we made homemade pizza. It was yummy and I am exhausted.

Now I get to go do a ton of laundry!

Doesn't my life sound like a dream right out of a Fairy tale?

Yeah, I know... you are jealous of my laundry aren't you?

I get that all the time.

Yawwwwwnnn!

***

OH! It seems I DID have a witness when the She Devil came a-knocking at my door!

We have a neighbor on our street, who, in the past has not been the kindest gentleman, but kept to himself, kept his lawn perfect, and never made a peep unless someones kid was 50 yards from his lawn. He has since been diagnosed with inoperable Lung Cancer and has recently has a "come to Jesus", and seems to have grown a heart. (We have a colorful neighborhood) Well, he told another neighbor that he saw She Devil marching toward my house, and he kept his ear open on his porch, and he heard every. single. word, she said to me, and wondered what on earth I could have done to deserve that. The other neighbor friend filled him in, and he was disgusted.

And, my next door neighbor found out, having had altercations with the Clueless Wonders in the past, and told Bill that if it EVER happens again, I am to call her immediately. She works from home all day every day. She is NOT GOING TO HAVE IT! she said. They are awful people those Clueless Wonders.

I feel so much better knowing someone has my back on our street. I am home alone a lot.

She says we all have to stick together and make our neighborhood what we want, and I couldn't agree more.

Yawwwwnnn.

I'm out!

More Neighbor Nuisances

What. A. Day.

It's not even over and I am ready for bed.

I will try to tell it all without too much confusion...

but suffice it to say that the "lady" down the street came to my house and threatened me today and threatened my children.

Remember last month when I wrote about the kid that was arrested for being drunk and running up and down the street, and I called the cops?

Well, that wonderful family gave my phone number to the arresting officer as the contact number for the juvenile deliquent.

His Parole Officer called my house today, looking for the Mom.

I gave the PO the grandfather's number, and told the PO to tell the grandfather to tell the Delinquent's Mom not to use my number for anything again.

An hour or so later... she was at my door, pounding in it, ringing my doorbell like crazy.

I saw who it was... took my time and answered the door.

I counted about 30 F bombs in her fantastic speech.

She assumed that I have been the one calling the cops the last 5 times they were there.

I wish I had been the one... but I wasn't. Oh how I WISH it was me.

The last time I called was the big incident in the middle of the night.

So she came over and told me she was gonna get us.

I called the cops, and the cop made me out to be the bad guy. He said he may have to arrest me based on her story if she decided to say that I was the one that threatened her... I was flabbergasted. She came, she threatened, she turned around and left.

I didn't get to speak a word.

I am going in for the restraining order tomorrow.

They are the drug dealers, they are the ones that steal cable, and their neighbors electricity, they are the ones that defecate on their neighbors yards, and dump their trash in the park across the street, and play their music in their cars until our ears bleed, and their kids are the ones with suspended licenses for drunk driving, and 14 yr olds drinking underage.... and I AM THE BAD GUY!?!?

Apparently it is a crime to watch out for our neighbors and try to protect a neighborhood from trash and drugs.

I am just trying to do what is right. Some people in the world are proactive and take an active part in trying to protect what is left of common decency. Others are old and scared and need to be taken care of, and still others claim they hear no evil, see no evil, so there must be no evil.

Whatever... what me and my two neighbors do now, will eventually help future neighbors and all our neighbors kids.

I feel like the cop wanted me to just sit idly by and let her come to my property, and threaten me and my family and just poo poo it away.

No... not gonna do it. I wasn't raised to just pretend nothing happens.

I wasn't raised to "always be nice, and don't cause waves" or to "protect your own, let everyone else fend for themselves". I HATE THAT MENTALITY!

We are all in the world together, and sometimes you have to speak up!

So the officer that made me feel like a felon, just left her house a few minutes ago.

He tried talking to her right after he showed up to get my side... but SHOCKER! She didn't come to the door, for her father in law or the officer!

But she answered the door just now, and she is flailing her arms around and yelling at the cop.

I'm sure I am the one that did all the threatening!

I never got a word in at all!

She yelled, and walked off. I almost laughed at her, but refrained. I went directly to the phone and called the cops, and then called her father in law and let him know what she did.

He just said stuff like

"Oh, I am so sorry that happened." "Oh, she isn't well in the head".

"Oh.. she did?"

He was useless.

He walked over to her (his) house and tried to talk to her, and she played gone.

So...

I feel like there is no help here in our fair city.

If you are drug addict... WELCOME!

If you are good citizen? Hmmm. you look suspicious!

Don't call too much or you will look like the bad guy!

God forbid we get trash out of our little city... but no, I don't think so!

I asked the Grandfather why he doesn't just evict the idiots, and his answer was...

"Well, I would, but then I would have to take care of the kids, and I don't want to do that"

Perfect.

Juuuust perfect.

So now we have to live with the filth because Grandpa doesn't want to take responsibility.

Nice.

Oh! The future looks so bright for our kids!

My new Game!

OKAY!!!

GET OUT YOUR PENS!

I found the MOST awesome site to do stuff with words, and names and just any text!

Ready?

www.wordle.net

IT IS SO ADDICTIVE!

I put my kids names in, and a bunch of things about them like...

Johnathon

loving

caring

smart

witty

handsome

Johnathon

sensitive

hard working

strong

Johnathon

Why did I repeat Johnathon's name? Because the program used on the site, recognizes important words and makes them bigger the more you use them!

You'll see what I mean when you start playing with it!

It is so easy, its ridiculous!

You can use your own colors, fonts, whatever!

Go try it!

You'll ADORE it!

I am going to make these in frames printed on great paper for Christmas for everyone in my family!

You know how much I adore the written word.

It will do as many words as you wish. Make sure you have nothing else to do for the night, and play! It is awesome! I only allow myself 10 minutes of playtime a day... or I would never leave this computer!

Enjoy!

I'm back from Vegas!

What fun!

We are back!

No, no pictures... I totally forgot to bring my camera.

So all I have are my memories.

We shopped, ate, gossiped, shopped some more, giggled, laughed, just had a wonderful time!

My Mama even had fun!

She was the life of the party!

She took such good care of us!

We met lots of new people, talked to everyone, and fed strangers!

Yes, we fed strangers.

My Mama's Cinnamon cake was the hit of Polo Towers.

My best friend Mari is 40 now, and some guy at the mall just up and kissed her right in the middle of the mall! OUT OF THE BLUE! Then he swing danced with her!

Completely random!

No, I did not plant him there!

I wish I had... he was very cute! but unfortunately, also very drunk.

She did look kinda fabulous that night.

***

I hadn't driven to Vegas in about 6 years, and it was nice, just being with my Mama on the ride.

We got to bond and talk girl talk and just be.

I forget how much I like my Mama.

I got on her last nerve last night, when I refused to stop talking in a New York Bronx accent, and an old Jewish Mutha accent.

I finally got a giggle out of her, and then I stopped.

She had a blast last night. At dinner, she played one $2 round of Keno and hit 5 out of 6 numbers and won $170 bucks!

Today, we deposited that money at the store Sur La Table!

It was her first time there, and she christened it well.

I came home with 4 huge bags of kitchen goodies.

Yeah, I know... I sell the stuff... but not the stuff I bought!

I can't wait to use it all!

I'll take a picture of all my stuff!

***

I broke my baby toe this morning, on our way out of our suite. I went to open the door for the bell boy, and hit the couch foot and snap! out went my baby toe.

It hurt so badly I think I cussed in 3 different languages.

Ow!

***

This morning the boys had soccer games and they both won, and Will's won his football game on Thursday, and they won on Friday too!

It was a winning weekend all the way around!

Tonight, I heard William on the phone talking to...gulp... GIRLS!

So now the phrase I yell all over the house at random is...

"William... who's your number one girl?" to which he is required to reply..."You!".

Oy vay.

My heart just broke again.

Girls....

Ugh.

Vegas Baby!

I am off to Vegas! for my friend Mari's 40th Birthday Bash!

There are 7 of us girls going, and we are all ready!

I called to confirm our suite in my timeshare and everything is ready!

I've arranged for special treats for each night we are there during turndown service!

My friend Annie had wine glasses engraved to commemorate the occasion.

They say Mari's 4oth Vegas Bash then our individual names on the foot of the glass.

I need to go out and buy a big white T shirt for Mari so we can all decorate it for her, as a night shirt with all our sweet dreams wishes on it.

***

So naturally, as every woman does before leaving for a couple of days... I am getting more done in 24 hours than I ever have in the last 6 months.

I prepared meals ahead of time, so Bill doesn't have to think, made lunches for the next 2 days,

scrubbed the floors, the toilets, windows, watered the garden, done every single piece of laundry,

packed, and am now getting blogging done for the next couple of days.

Nah... I'll wait to blog when I get home.

***

I haven't driven to Vegas in years. I usually fly. How long does it take by car?

I'm very impatient.

***

I'll add more later... my laundry is done.

Manic Monday

Well, right now I am supposed to be at our local Market Night.

Needless to say... if I am typing this... I am not there.

Alex blew chunks in class today, and Daisy is not acting right, so I have 2 sick patients today and I just couldn't leave.

I was all ready to go too.

I sure hope they don't drop me from the roster. Today couldn't be helped.

***

I asked Alex if he was embarrassed he heaved in the classroom, and in true blue boy form he said "Heck no! They're lucky I got to the trash can in time, I was ready to blow!"

When I asked why they didn't call me he said it was only 2o minutes before carpool and also I'm always saying they can't miss school unless I see them cough up a lung, and he didn't see a lung... so he didn't ask them to call!!

LOL! That kid! It's so true!

I'm not the "Mama, I don't feel well enough to go to school today" pushover.

Show me the lung! Hee hee!

Worst. Mama. Ever.

Whatev~!

He is feeling better now. He is helping Daisy push fluids.

She isn't eating, so she needs to stay hydrated.

I'm also not a dog-in-the-house girl, but today, she has been in with me all day.

She hasn't moved.

Poor little girl.

***

Have any of your seen the Oprah on today?

I am not one of her biggest fans, but as I was looking through the mish mash of all the things taped on my DVR, the internet predator one caught my eye.

I "watched" it while cooking dinner tonight and I was completely astounded at what I heard and saw. Watch it. Not with kids in the room.

It's heart breaking but very important.

My kids have NEVER been able to spend the night at ANYONE'S house, ever (except grandparents) and now my resolve is more so.

Oh. My. God.

I am probably going to remove all pictures of my kids from my blog, and only show feet and hands and the backs of them.

I have already made a rule for myself to be responsible and never post a picture of someone else with out their permission, especially children, but now, I won't be posting anyone else, I don't think.

Watch it and tell me what you think.

Dog Day Afternoon

Whew! What a fun, eventful weekend!

We had a very successful soccer game on Saturday for Johnny, he won 5-1!

He made two of the goals himself... so he was beaming!

***

Then it was off to the Varsity game for ACA at Webb in Claremont.

It was scoreless until the 5th quarter in overtime, and WE WON!

7-0!

Will dressed in his jersey and supported his team on the sidelines.

It was fun!

AND! as an added bonus, someone recognized me from my other boy's school and we got to talking and she booked a kitchen show! and I never even mentioned I did PC... she asked me if I was the one she sees in carpool all the time with PC on the back of my car! Such fun!

I just love new clients!

***

Immediately after the game we drove over to Mari's for her 4oth Birthday Bash.

We had a blast!

I was the DJ for the evening... with my little Ipod blaster.

***

Jack is getting better everyday... but now our dog problem is with Daisy.

This morning, when we woke up and went to feed the dogs, we noticed blood all over the patio floor. We checked the dogs, and Daisy's right leg, her neck and her chest all had gashes in them. Something got to her in the middle of the night.

She was barking incessantly at 6 a.m. and we just shushed her... we were tired from the party the night before, and they bark at every animal, or stranger that comes within 50 feet of our property, so we thought nothing of it, we just wanted her quiet so she wouldn't wake the neighbors.

We felt really badly when we saw the blood.

Bill is awesome with dogs, and he fixed her up, but she is in a lot of pain.

This is the second time I have cried for my dumb dogs this week!

I washed her dog bed, changed her dressing Bill gave her and made her a nice dinner.

She just whimpered. Poor little thing.

Oy! I can't take any more sick or hurt dogs!

Bill thinks a Possum got to her. Or a raccoon. I was thinking coyote, but he said she wouldn't be here at all if a coyote got to her, and neither would Jack.

So tomorrow, she is taking a trip to the vet.

***

Tomorrow night is also Market Night again!

So, that's where I'll be!

Come see me!

I'm going to go watch a new show called Fringe that I taped.

My hubby is waiting on the couch for me!

Friday Night Football

Friday Night Football is back!!

Just like when I was in Drillteam!

Only now I'm the MAMA!

William started tonight and the team

WON 42-0!!!!

It was beautiful!

William sacked the QB in the first 2 minutes!

He was so fired up!

He got to wear his spirit shirt to school today, and he got his number "68".

It was all very exciting!

He texted me during his bus trip to the game, he was really ready to hit someone and not get into trouble for it.

We celebrated with a dinner out.

It was a great way to spend a beautiful, cool evening out.

***

Before all that... Mama and I catered the Fohi Football team again.

This time it was Lasagna... miles and miles of lasagna.

I now officially hate lasagna.

We made 12 trays of it.

22 loaves of garlic bread, and 12 pounds of salad.

I'm pooped.

We won't be having pasta for a very, very long time in this house.

***

So tomorrow its Soccer, and the Varsity Football Game, and my best friend Mari's 40th Birthday Party! Next week I take her and our friends to Vegas for the weekend!

I have some fun surprises planned.

I can't wait to take pictures and post them!

Whoever said "What happens in Vegas... stays in Vegas" wasn't talking to me or my camera!

Sunday, I have a show.

This weekend is full. Yeah!

Have a great one!

I never said I was a photographer...

Last weeks scrimmage. That's him in the middle. Okay. Okay...so i forgot to turn on the flash. My new camera does it automatically. Maybe I should have forgotten this old camera about 4 years ago?

Yeah... I suck at the aperature thing, Sue me. That's my baby somewhere in there! Tonight is an actual real game. We are playing an all boys Boarding School in Claremont. Yeah, I know... but we have to play schools with the same number of students. The cool thing is, all the boys get lots of playing time, offense AND defense, and there aren't many benchwarmers. Let's hope we pulverize 'em. I am so excited! William just has to ace a vocabulary test, and then we are in football mode! Academics before Athletics... Wish us luck!

I remember 9.11.01

Today brings with it a multitude of memories for we Americans.

Today was a day I held my children tighter and didn't send William to school on 9-11-01.

The only day he has ever missed that wasn't an illness.

***

I remember waking up, and Bill calling me from a rooftop at John Wayne Airport, asking me to quickly run to the TV and turn it on. He didn't know why all the planes were grounded, the noise was deafening from all the jets, and he needed to have some information so he knew what to do with his crew.

I turned the TV on and fell to my knees.. stunned. Instantly crying, shuddering at the horror.

A plane had flown directly into one of the Twin Towers.

I ate at the Windows on the World restaurant at 107 stories high in August 1990 in the North Tower. I remembered taking the elevators up... up... up... so high my ears popped numerous times.

We were above the clouds.

They were so high, one could never see the top while being at the bottom.

It was like flying... only more serene. No noise.

I remember how quiet and wonderful everything was up there. I remember thinking this must be what being a bird feels like.

I remember seeing the sheer magnitude of how many offices and people worked in these two awe inspiring buildings.

They weren't pretty to look at. Lots of grey and concrete. The windows at the restaurant were long and lean, in between the metal pillars left laying bare at the bottom after the tragedy.

I was at in the Towers prior to the 1993 bombings.

After those bombings, I remembered thinking... "There's no way any of those people knew what was going on down there" It was just so high up.

I could NOT believe I wouldn't be able to take my children to those towers. I couldn't believe a plane took them down. I wanted to believe no one saw the planes coming.

I remember how long a trip it was to get up and down on the elevators. Minutes and minutes, and switching elevators. I was sick to my stomach at the memory of people scrambling to get from one office and building to another, under normal conditions. It was gut wrenching to even fathom what it must have been like on 9/11.

I remember thinking how I understood the peoples decision to jump off the building before it comsumed them. They wanted their lives to end on their own terms. No one was going to take that decision away from them. I remember someone saying at the top of the Empire State Building that if you dropped a dime off the top of it, if it hit the ground it would bore into the concrete a foot down. The towers were so. much. taller.

***

We've taken our kids to Ground Zero twice.

Twice, they marveled at how... in middle of the extremely chaotic Financial District of Manhattan, everyone speaks in hushed tones at the site, in reverance to those fallen.

Even babies were miraculously quiet... like God spoke to them and asked them to be quieter.

The pace of walking slows, hands are involuntarily raised to mouths in shock.

We saw it raw, with remnants remaining, and the following year, concrete was covering the remnants and progress was made to rebuild.

Names... so many names engraved on metal.

So many pictures of that awful day.

The Fire Station #10 forever immortalized as it was that day.

All my relatives from New York have never been to the site. It is still too raw.

So many different nationalities at the site. Many people praying, many people crying, many people silently cursing.

***

May today be a way of always reminding us to say I love you, hug tighter, be nicer to one another. Not just those of us here in America, but those that are different from us.

Let's not blame an entire race of people for the actions of a few evil, vile humans.

Love one another.

If we all did that, none of this would ever happen again.

Ever.