Time to go, almost!

Wow, it has been busy! My two-step sisters wedding on the 19th was great! The reception was held at the Antique Automobile Club of America in Hershey, PA. I'll tell you what! That was incredible. Beautiful. They cleared an area in the lower level and it was so pretty. We were surrounded with 'sets' that they had cars in. Like an old time gas station. A Coca-cola drive-in restaurant. A 1940's street. There was the one for the Hudson. What a cool car?! A Nash. (seats laid entirely flat- not with my daughter around!) And the bus from Forrest Gump is there. There is a rumor of a Tucker but I didn't see it. I'm going to find it and go see it. Did you know that car has a helicopter engine, modified of course. And it was the first car with seatbelts. And there is a center headlight that follows the motion of the steering wheel. I'm going to see the movie Tucker too.

Last weekend, I was supposed to go to Bristol, TN for a nascar race. I'm not a nascar fan but I'd like to experience that. Didn't work out as my kids dad got hurt at work. Can't leave when you think the father of your children might not make it. He is an electrician and got zapped. The hospital stay was more for observation, to be sure he didn't have a heart attack. He's fine and wasn't hurt as badly as they first thought. Better safe than sorry, for sure. I never want anything to happen to him. My dad was killed when I was 9. I don't want my kids to go without their Pops. So, anyway, I think there is one in richmond that my friend said she'll get me a ticket for but that is a busy time and I don't know if I can swing it.

Today I'm leaving for Columbia, SC. I'm picking up my eldest child from basic training in the Army Nat'l Guard. On Friday she graduates and then, if it's not crazy hurricaning, we're going to Myrtle beach for Saturday day. All of my kids will be staying with their dad down there for a few days and I'll be coming home Sat night, my 40th birthday, to PARTY it UP! A bunch of my friends are taking me 'somewhere' and all I know is to bring a change of clothes and expect to be drunk. I'm a lightweight with the booze so as long as I don't puke, I'm good. I hope it's Philly. I haven't been there much this year.

I'm going to Baltimore for an O's game (vs Red Sox- go O's cause I'm a Yankees fan!!) on Sept 14th and that will be some kind of fun play at Inner Harbor. Actually, a few blocks back from the Harbor. Jeremy, I'm going to chow on crabs, be thinking of you buddy! Actually, no matter where my friends take me, it will be excellentay!

Sunday night, gots me a date with that hottie again. Yeah yeah. Saw him last week twice. Broke the one week self imposed sorta-rule. If I had timed all of this right, I mighta actually got an 'O' on my big Four-Oh. But, no. I'm really not ready for that. I mean, yes, sex, yes yes ready for sex, oh yes! But I'm not ready for a relationship. Soooooo. Damn me and my morals. I don't know. I mean, I want to have sex. I want to have a relationship. I want to have sex. (did I already say that?) And this guy is really nice, so sweet, very good looking, hot as heck bod, nice job, owns his house, good kids, super father. Holy crap, what is my problem? I think because he lives 70 miles away and winter is coming and school has started, my time for goofing is cut way back. No more late weeknights. Our weekends with/without kids don't exactly match up although it does a little every other week. And I definitely am a girl that when we have sex, I develop an affinity that may or may not be valid. Best to not get mixed up in all of that just yet. Best to wait and see what's what. Besides, the next time I make love, I want it to be just that. So, next year, I'll have a Big Forthy-One-Oh. And maybe get an 'O'! (I'm a proponent of the mandatory sex rule too, ya know. If I'm with someone, that is.)

I'm really not a good writer! I reread and I'm like- man I wish I could write like Amber. I'm pretty busy too. Right now I need to leave and go to a Target or Walmart and get a cooler. If they still have them. I'm looking for the slim but tall kind that will sit behind the car seat. I used to have one but it's gone. I haven't seen it at all this season. How do you lose a cooler?? I hate to shop and I'm sure no one will have one left so I'll be running around to different stores wasting time and getting pissy. I can't stand Walmart ever so that is the last place I'll try... and probably where I find something that isn't what I want but will work. Story of my life.

Okay, really, I have to get a move on now. I've gotten calls and have wasted a large part of my day. So, I'm outta here! I'm going to have a blast... And I hope that you do tooooooo! Take care, everybody, enjoy the time off work and with your friends and family!

Sheeya!

The ride home

The ride home from the concert. Well, traffic. And then more traffic. Then we got out of town, onto 476 and guess what? 3 lanes of highway being necked down to 1 and yep, traffic. So what should have been a 15-20 minute drive takes just over an hour to get to the turnpike. We enter the turnpike, I get the ticket and we're off. I didn't drink anymore alcohol other than at dinner but hey, I gotta go. I mean it. Really badly, I gotta go, now. The PA turnpike is famous for it's kidney-bursting-30-miles-to-the-next-rest-area. Grrreat. FINALLY we get to Peter J Camiel (I always wonder who he is, I should look it up. Someday.) Rest Area. Wheweeebubba, thank you holy Jesus. I grab a coffee cause it's my turn to drive and it's like, 1 am. I've been up since.... what...... 4:30 am. Yeah, I get freaky when I'm excited and can't sleep when big things in my life are happening. Like a concert. I'm only 8 on the inside, folks! Now the 'event' is over and my body is crashing. Expresso brownie, anyone? Yes please! It's prob just over an hour to my house yet. (I'm also spacially challenged so really, I have no idea how much further or how long it will take. I think that was around mile marker 303?) Drivin drivin, happy with the replays of the Foos on 94.1 WYSP and the cool tunes in between. We get to Gettysburg exit and what happens? No ticket. Noticketnoticketnoticket. If I would be the type to say the big bad words, that would have been the time. Hippo, please fill in the blanks for me? ____ _____ ____ _____ ____ _______ ______ _____ _______ _____ _________ _____ _______ _____ ___!!!!!!!!! I tore that car APART. Keep in mind, it's not my car. It's a friends that has 4, count em, 4 kids. 4 kids junk in a little honda. Plus the case of beer I bought at VBC, the two other specialty beers that are belgium-like in that they are 'wine-ish', the soda pop bottles and candy wrappers and a big ole baby seat and dammit, the ticket is nowhere. That's bad. You pay the full price of the pike when you do that. That's around 30 so dollahs! This guy, asked me where I came from, I showed him my concert ticket. He said he saw me come from the West bound lane and so--- he won't charge me the whole pike amount, just the $12.75 it would have been from the top of the extension. I can live with that brother!!

I got home in the nick of time. That means my mother didn't kill me but she really wanted to. (not new) It was 2:32 when I walked in the door. Sleepy me! Tom went home and mom went home (in a flurry of those words I dont typically say) and I went back to my room and changed, brushed my teeth, washed my face and couldn't sleep. I ended up reading up on you guys for an hour or so and then passed the heck out until this morning and here I am! Hiiii!

I was supposed to go out tonight but he cancelled. I kind of offered to cancel. I'm a yutz. I know he's completely swamped at his work (a very physical job) this week and really tired from staying up late on Tuesday with me and he didn't catch up last night cause he TOLD me to call him when the concert was over and believe it or not, I babbled for a little bit cause I'm a talker, alright, geesh. So his rest was interupted then. He's working a couple hours ot each night till this project is done, deadline tomorrow. I just figured it would be easier and nicer to let him rest. He lives a little far and it's a haul for both of us and is letting him get a good nights rest so bad? I'm not comfy yet with getting all cozy with someone. I want to take it slow, see how it goes. I'm busy with family stuff until next Tuesday night so, maybe then we'll go out? He mentioned it and it's a probable yes. Seriously, is that so bad? I am going to go out with some girlfriends locally but not to hook up. I never hook up at clubs anyway. It wasn't to go out with my friends. I guess it was not only to give him a chance to rest but also to keep some distance there. I don't know. Usually by the 3rd date I know it's not going to work out. This will be the 5th in just over 2 weeks.

I'm going to get dressed and get the towel off my head so my hair can dry some before I head out. I'm curious what comments I'll get on this one. Boy. This thing took a nosedive. The ride home was still nothing compared to how freaking AWESOME that show was. LOVED IT! Just loved it.

Later, guys. Chat it up with you tomorrow...

PS Hippo, thanks for the help! Good luck with your party!! I mean, Redirts party!!!!!

There.

My bangs are longer now and I dyed my hair back to being medium brown.

Happy?

Where to begin??

Holy canoli. Okay, right up front, I feel like babbling like crazy so I already know this post is going to ramble. Now, so do you. Look away, if you must. Read the entire thing, if you can stand it. Keep in mind, I consider myself still kind of new to this blogging stuff PLUS I'm getting over the whole 'I'm not a writer' thing and figure you know that by now so it's on you anymore. This whole post may suck big ole hiney. Forewarned, you are, muahahahahaaa!

Let me start with last evening. I'm not going to do it justice. I don't even know words to describe the concert. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Mom took the kids to Hersheypark yesterday. That worked out perfectly. They wouldn't be home till around midnight and I shouldn't be far behind that. A bit after 3 pm, my friend Tom showed up. I had to borrow my kids godfathers car again cuz the Saaby (Sobby? nah!) isn't finished (but will be today, yay!) I was driving the typical pothole PA Turnpike from exit 236 (4 miles from my house) to 326, Valley Forge, Rt 76. Not long before Downingtown, Tom says he's starting to get hungry. No problem, I know this place. Well, I know lots of places between home and NJ cause I used to commute every day for just over a year. Another story, and yes, I'm a crazy person. Anyway- I took him to Victory Brewing Company. (I'm not a computer geek and don't know how to do that link thing that shows a different name than the actual link so just copy/paste www.victorybeer.com) Their HopDevil won some award in 2003 in Britain. Something like 'Best American Beer' or some shit. I read about it that year and have gone a few times as all my guy friends love beer. Imagine that. Tom has always wanted to go and go we did. The burgers were good but not excellent. Their dinners are excellent. The beer.... excellent. I do not like HopDevil but the Lager is so so yummy. 2 put me in the spot that I wasn't driving now. Tom got behind the wheel and after about an hour, away we went.

We did well, no traffic, until the last 5 miles. Geeezuz. Between 30 second light changes and dumbasses (driving OTHER cars), even I, Miss Notevenaniotaofroadrage was getting irritated. Clocks a ticking and time's a wastin, people! I got a show to get to so MOVE! We are within a block and there is no parking in sight and who knows where to go because there is just a cluster fuck of vehicles everywhere. I see 69th Street is right ahead and there is this meter maid, putting tickets on cars all down the street. I decide who better knows where to park? I call to her and she comes over. I ask where's good and she tells me about 3 different lots, all behind us mind you, and the 45 minutes it will take to turn around and get to them. Bummer dude. She's pretty nice and must see that I'm super bummed and she says- 'alright, you see up ahead just before the light?' 'Yeah.....' 'Well, that has yellow tape around the parking meters. People think it's for the parking but it's really because they are working on the building. That's a spot, so pull in and it'll cost you 50 cents cause you have to pay until 9 but there you go. Have a great time. I'm envious.' I wanted to have mad lesbian sex with her! No, I didn't but Hippo, that was for you;o) We parked 1 block from Tower Theater. 1 block! I think Tom was almost as happy as me but who could tell? He's a very understated person.

We walk up to this place and if you have never been, please go. It's beautiful. Old, majestic, plushy, beautiful. Back in the day, I am sure it was 'the' place. It sits facing the corner and there is marble and burgundy velvet everywhere. The acoustics are probably the best I've ever experienced. Lights low, grabbing stars off the ceiling, just beautiful. ( http://www.glidemagazine.com/7/columns101.html)

Now, I've been to more than my fair share of shows. It just works out that way. I am the type of person that when I want to do something, it usually works out. Sporting events, music, these are high on my interest list so I tend to go, a lot. I absolutely LOVE the song Everlong. Acoustically and rocked out! It's the first song I've ever narrowed down to possibly be 'my favorite'. I have so many songs and bands that I feel move me, and it's pretty incredible for me to come up with just one overall. And sometimes it's still not only that one but yeah, that song is in me. Foo Fighters are great but until last night, I had no idea. No clue. There are much more than great. David Grohl, no, everyone of them, very talented, very professional, very...... oh man, no words. The show is a physical experience. I know it wasn't just me. Most of the time there was not a lot of yelling or clapping (thankfully!) because we all just wanted to hear, listen, hang on each note, each lyric. My stomach was light and fluttery, I got goosebumps and my heart actually tugged. They talked enough but not too much. It was about the music, where it came from, how it came to be and then, what it IS. Now, I'm not a patient person for the most part and acoustic shows tend to bore me a bit. I love acoustic music but not an acoustic show, if you know what I mean. I get to thinking 'oh shut up and play' or 'for the love of God, play something a bit more alive pleeease' but last night, not one thing was out of order. The slow, the fast, the words, the history, the single note, each instrument singularly and then, profoundly melded together. I'm trying to figure out how to get to NY or Boston or Toronto or by golly, Chicago or F it, California, here I come! Except I can't due to the hectic schedule of my life. Or can I??????

They are making a dvd of the show. I will buy it. A cd is to be released soon. I will buy it. If you can make it to a show, I suggest you go. Hopefully the place you see it is 1/2 as beautiful and perfectly tuned as Tower Theater. I know the Foos will not let you down.

This is a really long post and I hope you get even a little bit of the way I felt last night. I really wish I was more eloquent for you. I wish you could have been there. We'd a had fun!

Freaking cars.

I am going to complain in this post. I'm not a complainer for the most part. Today? Today I'm going to try it on. Alright, so in the spring I bought this cute little used Saab. It was supposed to be for my oldest daughter, Denna. At the time she was 16 and we 'thought' she was going to get her license soon. Ya with me? All good, right? I'm an awesome mom buying this for her before she even had a license, yes? Wellllll one day she was driving with my mom on the way home from guitar and she was doing 65, 66 in a 55 and my mom tells her she needs to slow it down a bit. Denna, all knowing teen that she is, says 'they don't even think about pulling you over until you're doing 70'. Two things. 1) How the hell does she know? b) Wrong ANSWER, Kitten! So, no license for a bit. Turns out she didn't want the Saab anyway, it's a manual. Whatever, she's going to learn manual just because my daughter is going to be able to drive whatever is in front of her if there is ever an emergency that she would need to.

In the mean time, my van (yes a minivan. Warning: Not a word out of you.) takes a dump. I am pissed but there's this guy that will fix it and blah blah blah. Whatever, fix it and get it back to me. That was...... May? Don't have it back yet. Another story and I'm not in the mood. Back to the Saab. I have it and it's just sitting there and so, I drive it. Oh man, it's cute and peppy for a little 4 banger and it's fuuuun to drive. Sunroof. Cool tunes. I'm digging a car? Yep, a car. I'm kind of a truck/suv girl in my heart. But this little baby, with 28 mpg, is niiice. So, I'm driving back from my office over in da burg yesterday morning and what's that? Above the hood. Smoke? Is that smoke?? Oh shit! I'm on the phone with my cellular carrier cause I can't log in to pay my bill, they changed everything and now I have to gobut she's not done with me. But I have to go. So I'm like-listen, I will figure this out when I get home, IF I get home. You did a great job so let me GO! Her (southern accent): Well thank you, have I answered all of your questions today? Click. Anyway. My temp gage was nearing the red. Uh oh. I want to try to make it to my mechanics place and he is only about 4 miles yet. I better not. So I pull over and wait and wait and wait. I can see where the fluid is steaming out. It's from a hose that runs from the radiator to the engine. Right where the clampy thingy is beside the engine, there popped a leak. I have antifreeze in my trunk. I fill it up and I'm on my way. I call the mechanic. Tell him I have to have the car back and running by tomorrow late afternoon, can it be done?? He says no problem. ....... ......... ........Here I sit. I have a date tonight with someone nice- that hot one from last week. And here I sit. I'm not ready for anyone to be at my house just yet. The mechanic hasn't called and well, he's not answering either. Dammmm dammmdammdam! I'm just complaining.


By the way, tomorrow night, Foo Fighters acoustic show in Philly. Gots my tickets and ready to roll. You know. If I have a car. (I will rent one, you got me???)

I'm still not feeling it with this writing thing. I'm impatient. I've noticed that. I'm trying though! You can tell me if I suck. I don't mind. Facts are facts. I'm outty fer now. Byes!

Oh. And yeah.

Today would have been my 18th? wedding anniversary. Wow. That's right. 8-8-88. At 8 pm. I know, sick. Shoulda been a sign, huh? Everyones name in my family begins with a 'D'. What was I thinking??? Oh well, it's all good- NOW!

NOOOOoooooo...ooo...oo...oo...o...o... (cough, cough)

I have a mouse. A mouse. At this time of the year. What the heck is going on in the world?? The animals are requiring air conditioning now or what? So, I hear this noise. Rustling, really. I'm at my computer which is just outside the kitchen area. I walk over and open the cupboard. YES! There you are you little bugger! He looks at me, I look at him. I tell him, 'You know... You should leave.' He looks at me in his smug little 'yagottacatchmefirst' way. I then tell him, 'I have tools, you know. Implements of destruction. Things that will make you scream.' He stares me down. He might be winning the stare contest, actually. Not a freaking blink. I give him one last chance. 'If you leave, you can save us both a lot of trouble. I'm committed to a fight to the end.' I've given him fair warning. There will be no surprises. He will succumb. He then runs RIGHT AT ME and leaps, gliding through the air, landing on MY LEG! AGHHHHH! He looks at me for a split second with his beady little eyes, the evil laughter emitting from deep in his throat and he jumps away. Parting words shooting over his shoulder 'We'll see who wins'.

I'm scared.

Rapid... or not!

Did you ever notice how it doesn't matter WHAT you have planned, that your kids whine and moan and bitch about it?

Alright, so here's how the weekend went. Friday night, no kiddies. First, met Patrick for a lite dinner. He is 45 and French and his accent is beautiful. He is beautiful. And loaded. For some reason, I am not attracted 'like that'. It's a shame, I should be! After, I went out with a boatload of friends. Literally. We went out on the river and we had fun and it was very peaceful. I was not. I was in the mood to parrrr-tay! We hung out there for a bit and then decided time to go. Kelly, the other boat owner had been a bitch all night. First telling my friend Ben that he wasn't invited. Then telling Sandy and Don (a very cool older couple, prob around 55ish) that she didn't like them anyway. WTF? Then letting me know that she 'will have' my friend Nate (a very adorable 28 yr old friend of mine from Ohio, who is MARRIED and works here through the week) but she can't let her fiance find out. What an asshole. I didn't want to be around her anymore, especially trapped out in the middle of a mile wide riverand me all fired up and fiesty anyway. No fighting, not into that kind of drama so, time to go! We went back to shore (left her and the 2 other people that wanted to stay) out there. We went to the Alpine, my dive, and grabbed a drink. Then we decided to go to a place I've never been to before. I had heard a lot about it.... it was more of a dive than my dive. They said that I, being all of 5'1" could touch the ceiling. I gotta see this! All of us in our swimsuits with flouncy coverings. Nice. Away we went! I bought the first round and am still astounded. Get this. 4 mix drinks, 3 drafts and a pepsi for $9.80. I KNOW! No cover plus there was a dj who played anything we wanted. So, this cop I met there, he is a cutie. He bought my drinks for the rest of the night. Cops are so funny. They will get you completely loaded and then offer to take you home so you 'don't have to drink and drive'. Not this time, Copper! We left there and went back to the 'pine for last call. All night, I had this dude text messaging me. I met him on an internet dating site and we're becoming great friends and I kid you not, if he didn't live 8 hours away, it'd be on. Serious, ON! I'm totally infatuated with him! Oh yeah, my ex bf (a cop too, no I'm not 'into' cops) wanted to come back to my place. Nah. Wanted to follow me home to make sure I got there okay. Sure! You're not stepping one foot inside but you can be sure I get home okay you dipshit EX boyfriend. (He's got issues and I have issues with his issues.)

Saturday, I woke up at 7:15 am!!!!! Went and picked up my friend Tracy, went to the pet store for crickets (for the frogger:) then to my place to change into swimmies so we could go out on the boat and get a tan. Stopped for lunch at Dukes Riverside (yummy crab pretzel mmm!) and then to the boat. Tom, my best friend, met us there and drove around while we lazed. I know I was supposed to leave for WV then but my kids grandma bought them something and they wanted to go up to see her (about an hour away) with their dad so I let them. I'd pick them up early in the morning and then we'd go rafting. So, that guy from yonder, he called. Actually, he has his friend call and say something about me being hot or sexy or some crap but I couldn't hear him so them 'mah boi' got on the phone and we joked for the 20 seconds his nextel piece of junk held a signal. Around 8 pm, we came off the river and I took Trace home and then Tom and I went for dinner at JoJo's my favorite pizza joint. The building used to be a firehouse and I love it! I came home and watched Timeline on Sci Fi by myself and went to sleep.

In the morning, I picked up los banditos and we headed to the Shenandoah River in WV. Whine moan complain we don't wanna go why do you make us you're so mean......... Whatever. You're going. It is absolutely beautiful there! Absolutely! We stopped at the rafting place and they said the river was very low and it was class 1 to maybe 2 in areas. Well, I'm not paying that kind of dough to drift along on glass. And probably get out and pull the freaking boat a bunch of times due to rocks. What to do? Well..... the boogie boards are in the trunk of my car so we grabbed them and went and played on our own along the C&O canal. We had a BUHLAST! We kind of swam and the fun part for me is when we explore. We look for different forms of life. We notice the leaves and the clouds and the rocks and slope of the bank. We look for tracks and holes for 'what lives in there?'. We dig and turn over stuff and it's good fun. Some tubers come down through and one guy with his daughter stopped and played with us for a bit. It was fun! So, there we are skipping rocks into this little pool where the stream spills into the river and I say, okay gang, it's time to head. What do I hear? Whine moan complain we don't wanna go why do you make us you're so mean. Whatever. You're going.

Yeah.

I thought this was interesting. I'm not really surprised except I thought I might be more committed to hell by Lust. hehe!

Greed:	Very Low
Gluttony:	Very Low
Wrath:	Low
Sloth:	Low
Envy:	Very Low
Lust:	Medium
Pride:	Low

Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz

How's about West Virginny?

I do believe I'm going to pack up los banditos this Saturday afternoon and head to the beautiful WV. There are some nice, easy class 3 (right now) rivers out there that the kids would get a kick out of riding down in a big yeller raft. I've never taken them along rafting and maybe to Jim Thorpe, here in PA, might be easier but there is something about the hills in WV. One. After. The. Other. I think it's one of the prettiest states I've been in. And those southern peeps have such a sense of humor and good manners. It's obvious they are good sports when I pick on them about their relatives/lovers. Oh you know what I mean. When I was out in the spring (cold but superior ride!), some girl kissed her bf goodnight while we are all still out at the fire ring and I asked- that your sister? We all laughed and then, after a second or two of quiet, I was like, So is she? Now we all know though, that those kinds of rumors started with some basis of truth so....... but who am I to judge? I just make sure my car is in working order and I know my way. There will be no Wrong Turn made by me! Think of me on Sunday as I work it down the Cheat or the New or Yough. I don't know which yet. This is just a last minute thought. Should be quite cool in this heat! Good idea, isn't it?? Friday night, I don't have the kiddies or I'd leave then. They will be with their Daddyo and I'll have my boat (28' double deck pontoon, rated for 14 people) out on the Susquehanna River in Goldsboro, right beside TMI by the way, tied up with my friend Kelly (20' pontoon, rated 8 people) and a bunch of our friends with fishing, a cookout and party on. Hence the leaving Sat AFTERNOON. Yeah.

For now, I'm outty. I keep trying this writing stuff and when I get more comfy with the day to day bs, I'll might maybe try out something a little deeper and more personal. I'm not really one to unfold my life for others, I've been told. I believe the word used was 'guarded'. I consider that to be a character flaw so maybe this will help me open up and trust people. It's not fair holding someone accountable for anothers actions and that might be what I've been doing. In a twisted, bizarro, self-preserving kinda way. Or maybe I just prefer to let people bury themselves and do their own little elimination process from my life. Which seems to happen every time.

Freaking hell, Dr. Ethel. I'm hungry for a snack (gonna be a late dinner, gots me a date with a hot one) and want Doritos but thanks to your post yesterday, I can't bring myself to do it. Shit.