Before I forget

I just want to make a very special mention of my sweet boy, Andy.  Over the last 3 weeks, he has been my rock.  My solid anchor of goodness & kindness.  He's been nothing short of even tempered, doing everything I asked of him without complaint or fight, been ever so loving when it came to me, constantly asking if I'm okay or if I needed him to do something.  While I don't want to knock the rest of my kids, I think Maia wasn't quite able to deal with it all & Kyle is 16, what teen cares?  The one I've been challenged by most in his young life has been the most awesome boy in the world.  If it is indicative of what he's going to be like as an adult, I can say I am overflowing with pride for him.

I love you sweet boy - you have proven that I really might not have to worry so much about your future.  I'm amazed!!

His latest self portrait:

One life for eight others

The damp air outside was almost a relief.  I'd been shivering because of an untoward feeling in my stomach.  Not quite queasy, but not right at all.  I sat on the deck & watched the glowing yellow-orange bats swooping to catch their food.  The mill provided the mesmerizing light for the big insects to flock to.  That's what drew the bats.

Two of them swooped in & out of the bright lights in a kind of dance.  It was a little bit calming watching them attack the bugs.  I'm not sure how big the bugs were but because the lights were in the distance, they had to be gigantic - they sure looked that way from here.  Maybe it was a play from the light on the wings.  It was nice to think about something else, even if it was still related, predator & prey.

In 22 minutes time the drugs would be pushed through the IV and shortly thereafter, he would be gone forever.  Maybe from the earth, but never from my mind.  12:01 am was significant because the man who murdered my best friend was about to die.

I smoked my cigarette trying not to look at my phone.  I didn't know if I would get any calls, but I thought I might.  I was just trying not to look at the time.  11:51.  10 minutes away.  I sat & wondered if he would feel anything.  I know lethal injection is supposed to be painless.  But what of the emotional feelings?  Is it terrorizing knowing that your last breath is about to come?  Knowing there is not another minute for you - ever?  I hope it's a long suffering thing, those emotions.  I hope it hurts the core of him, even though I'm sure it won't.

He was a serial killer & Jenna was his 8th victim.  He was brutal.  He liked to torture his victims.  Listening to all the coroner had to say during the trial was more than any human being should ever have to endure.  And we were just listening...

My mind wandered back to the bats.  They seemed happy in a bit of frenzy.  It's just survival, but it was almost beautiful.  I started to feel a little warmer and my chills had subsided.  I looked down at the phone, hesitated, then opened the slide.  My body tensed.  He was going, now.  Right this very minute.


This is an idea I had in the past.  I found some scribbled notes about where a serial killer might go when he dies.  I wanted to explore that a bit so that is what I'll do.  & I can do it right here.  Lovely having a blog again.  My urges to write lately have been incredible.  I think it's coming from reading the many wonderful writers here in this blogging community.  It's very inspirational. 

I'm on my way

Now that the evil gall bladder has been cut clean from my body, I am on my way to a brighter world.  Tuesday was a good day.  I am happy to have this minimal soreness because I know the worst is finally over.  I am not spending a lot of time sitting in front of my computer because it isn't all too comfortable.  I will be back to my regular blogging ways very soon and pain free. Oh happy day!

I want my brain to function

Okay, I know it does otherwise my fingers wouldn't be moving to type this up.  I just don't feel like it's working right.  This lapse in brain power will be over soon, hopefully within the next 2 weeks.  My surgery was moved to next Tuesday (cause in my mind a badly diseased organ should not be left to fester in my body for longer than it has to - it's already been too long).

Anyhoo - I have been looking at the photo for this week's Red Writing Hood prompt and I can't even tell what types of weird have been entering & flowing through my thoughts.  Makes me wonder if I'm a freak in normal clothing. 

We tried a gaming free day yesterday.  It lasted well into the evening.  Then I went to get some clothes, forgot my all important coupon and got sidetracked to GameStop.  I have a new game & so do the youngsters.  I have no will power!  (Okay, technically, I didn't start playing til well after midnight, but the kids got to play before they went to bed.)  I'm a gamer - in case I haven't mentioned that.  Maybe not a real gamer, but if I get a new game I enjoy, I can become obsessed with it.  If I find the notion to, I will let you know how I feel about LA Noire.  I've wanted this game since its release back in May.  I just can't always go pick up things I want when I want them, you know the whole food, bills & family thing.

I didn't get to post a SYTYCD recap last week, so look for one this week.  The All Stars were on this week & I am so glad to see them!  The dancers this year are stellar, but the levels of greatness is always lifted when the All Stars are in the mix.

The Scyfy channel was left on last night (meaning no one changed it over night, not that the tv was left on - I'd kick some ass for that).  And I start to hear this familiar theme music.  I turn my head & couldn't help but smile.  I did not know they still had syndicated episodes of The Greatest American Hero on the air!  I didn't love the show, but it was fun.

This would be a great post for Friday Fragments.  I'm thinking I will link it up tomorrow, with maybe a bit more.

Monday Listicles (on Tuesday) - 10 things I say too often to my children

Brought to you by - The Good Life.   My entry, better late than never.  These are things I say way too often along with some things I never wanted to say as a parent, but understand why I say it, now.






1. No running in the house!  Do you want to break your neck?

2. No jumping on the bed/couch/chair/furniture! This is not a gymnasium.  Do you want to break your neck?

3. Because I said so!

4. What do you think you're doing?

5. Who do you think you are?

6. Please rinse your dishes, I make the food, I serve the food, the least you could do is rinse your plate.

7. Please don't stuff wrappers (any garbage) between the couch cushions! Or, please don't leave your garbage laying around for me to clean up.

8. If you take something out, please put it back the way you found it.

9. Quit bickering/arguing/fighting/yelling/crying/being annoying! Or just plain CUT IT OUT/KNOCK IT OFF!

10. Whaaaaat?!

RemembeRED - Beating a dead horse

This week's prompt asked us to write about a time that rhythm, or a lack thereof, played a role in your life. And don’t use the word “rhythm.”





I've been blogging about my issues lately, hence beating the dead horse.  If you've dropped by my blog, you've read about it all.   I apologize for it now.

I don't think I've ever felt so out of it.

I feel like there's so much to be done & there's nothing I can do about it.

And I know I can do something, it's the absolute lack of motivation to do it that is in my way.

I should be courageous & fight through it all.

That's not me, I give in to my weaknesses.  Especially the ones that involve pain.

This...pain...it's all consuming.

If you've had issues with your gall bladder, you know it.

In the morning, it sears through my middle asking for immediate attention.

Often times it doesn't wait for morning to scream at me.

Usually, if I had an attack, it was short lived.

It came & went by way of a single pain killer.

I'd go to bed at night & not have to think about it for a long time.

I started to learn what triggered an attack.  Most often avoiding these foods (everything I love).  Once in a while, I would eat without consulting my awareness.

Then I would pay.

Since last week (today is day 10),
it doesn't matter what I eat,
it doesn't matter if I don't eat,
it doesn't matter what I do, I hurt.

While taking the pain killers does eliminate the pain for a bit, it also lands in my head like a dead weight, crushing my brain.

I can't function with the pain, I can't function with the pain killers.

I sleep when I can
& do what I can - if & when I feel okay.

I feel like I'm a juggled ball, hanging above the world waiting to drop.  Once in the hand, I feel suffocated.  It's no win.

Add into the mix the children & their needs.  I do everything I can & attend to them.  They seem to be no worse for what I'm going through, with the exception of extra crabbiness.  I ask for a little bit extra from them & sometimes I get it. 

It's a phase in my life & it will be over soon.  The pain is lessened when I don't eat, sometimes.  I'm scheduled for surgery on the 2nd of August.  If I stick to a mostly liquid diet, including hot soup in 100 degree heat indexes (yeah, I'm all over that), I should live with little or no pain.  Hopefully, we can get that date moved up a week because I want my life back.  Sooner is better than later.  The bright side - a liquid diet will bring down my weight.  Yay for a sliver of positive!

The pain killers totally dampen my mind. I hate feeling like I don't think right & I hate knowing that I'm writing wrong.

 
I wrote about a lack of rhythm in my life.  It just so happens that this is an issue lately, no rhythm, no sense of control.  I don't know why I feel I need a disclaimer, but please don't apologize.  It's not your fault & everyone goes through their rough patches.  I just happen to be living one of mine through my blog.  For me, just getting it out is helpful.  I don't know that I've ever felt this out of sync with me.

Aren't teenagers wonderful? This is my life. A hard, honest post.

Last week, I had an eventful week with our 16 year old. I want to say it was a good event, but it was not.  We had, oh, let's call it a falling out.  I could have let a lot go, but the mood of me this week just wasn't going to let anything go.  He claims I kicked him out. I know he said he didn't want to live here any more because he hates it here, so I said he could go anytime.  I won't deny that I was horrible when we fought.  At one point, I did spit in his face (awful, I know - better than punching him, which is what I really wanted to do, and I wasn't in the mood to get into a fist fight with my 16 year old son) but he opted to say the things people say with only the intention to hurt.  He spit back in my face.  What does one do when a child will not back down?  When discipline is failing & lack of respect is prevalent?  I keep thinking - did I create this mess all on my own?  I know I didn't by myself, but we can't go there because I would be remiss to tell only my side.

Update

The testing has been done.  I'm not sure what is going to happen next, I just know that the dye didn't expose my gall bladder issues.  In fact, it didn't expose my gall bladder at all.  It makes me wonder if the organ has died.  RIP, but it's time to go.

I was told that the scan told the techs that my gall bladder was non-functioning.  I'm not sure what that means, & it seems they weren't all that sure either.  Or they didn't want to tell me & scare me.  I'm not consciously worried about it, but in the back of my mind I'm wondering why a dead or non-functioning organ isn't an emergency?  It's the passive in me that may very well kill me one day.  I did try asking, so I should get credit for that.

I guess I will find out on Monday after my doc gets the results.  In the meantime, I am surviving on pain killers.  Thankfully, they are working.

Testing, testing, 123

I haven't been hopping around as much as I usually do & there is a good reason for that. Pain.  I posted not long ago about my gall bladder.  The thing that's failing, or seeming to fail, more & more each day.  Dr. visit has brought me to testing stage - because the pain is not going away like it used to.  I have to go for some kind of scan (the dye injection, then contraction & study of the little useless organ) and then I will be scheduled for surgery.

I only tell because I have not been reading blogs & I'm missing it!  I was so looking forward to the fiction fest today, with shoes & I won't be able to until much later today, the gall, I tell you!  I just can't sit.  The most comfortable position is standing.  Don't really want to do much of that, either, who stands all day without getting paid to do it?

For now, I bid adieu.  I will be reading you all later.  I can't wait!!

Writer's Workshop - Not so much writing today...

On a piece of paper write down something that makes you happy...take a photo of your paper and wa la...there's your post.

Hope on over to visit MamaKat & see what many other people are writing about!

I opted for easy this week.  But it is a very worthy easy!  I posted earlier this week about how my 7 year old daughter is enjoying writing. Okay, it's kinda last week, but still.  It made me feel all fuzzy inside & I plan on doing more writing with her this coming weekend.

Rockin' the baby! My chitlins...

I didn't have any "baby bump" pics to share because I don't think I ever allowed anyone to take photos of me while I was preggers.  Except at my shower, but I only have one of those & the bump is not visible due to the gift in front of me.

I'm so glad Shell over at Things I Can't Say decided to do a Rockin' the Baby share!!  I have to thank her, too.  I spent better than an hour going through some of my photos & got so many giggles seeing them all when they were beebies.

It was very difficult picking just one photo of each of them.   But I managed & I picked a few of my faves.  I'm the last one.  That was eons ago.

My only daughter.  She had to have been just over a year (and still barely any hair!).  She's now 7 and those 7 years feel like a millisecond!

 My Andewd.  He was my happiest baby, and around 5 months in this photo!  This was the way I remember him being...always!  I don't remember crying, fussing or being, well, a baby.  I just remember him being the sunshine in each & every day.  He's now 10 and my biggest challenge.

Don't mind the wet mark on the photo, that's what happens to those oldies sometimes.  I didn't always keep them in the safest of places.  Kyle was about a year & a half in this one.  He's now 16, almost 17. 

My charmer!  He was a very happy baby, too.  (all of my kids were, I was so very fortunate!)  I think he was around 5 months old in this one.  Steven is now 24, almost 25.  Yeewe...that's almost a quarter century.

Me, me, me!  I won't say how long ago this was.  I'm thinking I had to be around 4 or 5 months old.  I didn't have much hair when I was a baby, either.  Mom told me I didn't have barely any until I was around 2 or so.

So that's that!  I don't have a single pic of my husband from when he was young.  Not one.  Otherwise I would have shared something of him.  Thanks to all of you who drop by!  I will be dropping in on as many of you as I can fit in tomorrow & over the next few days!

RemebeRED - Sophomore Geometry

Your assignment this week was to write a post about an embarrassing moment.

Many of you asked, "We can only pick one?" Because it is, unfortunately, part of life.

So let's see what you came up with for your post.

Link up - but ONLY if you've done the prompt. 

I guess this may not be funny to everyone because not everyone will remember 10th grade Geometry.  Theorems ALWAYS have a given, I think, cause I really didn't learn about them.  We are supposed to be able to deduce the conclusion (or whatever) from what the theorem gives us. 

I was never an outstanding student.  I could have been.  How do I know this?  Because so many people throughout my youth stated, time & again, that I "was so smart, just lazy" or "She just doesn't live up to her potential" or, my personal favorite, "if she would just apply herself".  I was that kid, and there were a lot of us, I think.

Now that you know I was a stellar, fully devoted student I can tell you my story.

There was this mean teacher in High School.  I want to say her name was Mrs. Hilton.  I may not be right about that name.  She was brutal - with her lessons, with her tests and her pop quizzes were popped at us often, like a bare fist in the face.

It had to have been somewhere towards the end of the second semester.  She'd been teaching theorems (what?  I still don't know what those are, nor did I ever need to) for at least a week & a half.  We were all supposed to have understood what they were & how to work them by the time of the *ahem* incident.  She was good at calling on those kids who really wanted to answer.  She paid little attention to those of us who were disinterested.  Except on this day.  Yeah...she called on me.

"Alexis," I'm surprised she even knew my name. "What do you know about this problem?"

At first I didn't even think I heard her right.  I sat upright, cause I was all slouched & low - head down, bored to death, legs stretched & hands folded across my lap in the back row.  I may have even been almost asleep.

"Huh?" I don't think it was a clear "huh", probably more like a grunt.  I scooted my chair  back up to my desk.

"Um..." I acted like I was reading the problem and I even strained my face to make it look like I was thinking.  Because for some reason, everyone in the class was staring back at me, and they never did that before!!

"Well..." she said, an inner finger was drumming on her brain waiting for me to answer.  She pointed at the problem on the board & asked again. "What do you know of this problem?

After another long pause...

"The given?"

The class erupted with laughter.  It startled me!  After my mini jump, I felt my face flush & realized I must have said something insanely funny, so I chuckled a little, too.  To give the air of "MAN AM I FUNNY!", but I was so embarrassed, I felt like a complete dumbass  and Mrs. Hilton (or whatever her name was) was pissed.  She obviously thought I was being funny intentionally, too.  I sure fooled them!  HA!

I know I have more stories to tell about my numerous embarrassments, but that one stands out the most.  I was laughed at and felt so stupid.  That's what I get for not "applying" myself.

Monday Listicles - New meme, Types of young women for young men to avoid

If you love to make lists, then swing on over to northwestmommy.com, AKA The Good Life & link up with her on Mondays.

I am typically not a list maker, as I tend to stray away from the "to do" type things, just like when I was a kid & someone told me what to do - I just didn't want to do it!  Even if it's me telling me.  I'm not organized enough to want to keep lists of things that are important.  I think it's time for change.

I'm taking my cue from Stay at Home Babe because I think my boys need a list like the one she wrote for her daughters.  She made a list of the top 11 guys never to date.  I think another disclaimer to be added is "never to marry".  These are in no particular order, they are all avoidable.

 

My list contains 15 types to be avoided and, if pressed, I could probably think of more.

What a ride!

My first time traveling around to the Red Writing Hood bloggers was such an awesome experience.  I probably spent too many hours reading other people’s blogs today.  I think I want to manage that each week, but I know sometimes I won’t be able to.

It has been an inspiring kind of day.  I keep thinking about what I want to write next.  I keep thinking of things I have written & want to share them, maybe look at them with fresh eyes.  I’m not sure what it does to the rest of you, but this is what it did to me.

Before I finished reading, my kids were in full bicker.  One trying to get the controller away from the other because the other was doing something in the first one’s level.

“Hey, that’s MY game!  You can’t do that!”

“It’s mine, too, yes I CAN!”

Andy accidentally knocks her on the head with the nun chuck, she grabs the cord & tugs & I had it.  I yelled at both of them "Give me that!" (we all do it, I do it probably way too much, but damn it I was busy reading!!) and turned off the Wii, grounded them from playtime for the rest of the day.  Dew did his usual howl of demise (it really does sound like he’s dying) and Fluffy Fart just got mad.  Only a few moments later, they are both asking again to play.  Mere seconds later!

Luckily, I had just read from the last tab in my open browser & commented.  I was done, for now.

Dear So & So

Dear lady at the Tupperware party,

Hi! How are ya? Good I hope? Enjoying your new Tupperware, are you? You know those cute RED measuring cups & spoons. Yeah, the RED ones. You came over to me and paid me cash for the set? Yeah, those. The ones from my cash & carry, the RED ones you waved in my face, as I was seated & you were standing, right at my eye level.

The Red Writing Hood: Siren

My first contribution, yet again this week. I'm feeding my writing urges, while not really having any. I read blogs & some of them are so inspiring, I want to write. Here we go.

This week we were asked to challenge ourselves & write outside the box. I don't even have a box I write in, so anything would be good. I don't think I necessarily have a comfort zone, either. I write anything, even if it doesn't turn out well. I decided to try writing from the male POV. I can't say I've written from this POV before, so it should be interesting. Be forewarned about cliche. I can't really help it.

Siren

The violent waves shook the bowels of the ship, undulating it heavily. After too long, you would think I would be used to this, thought the captain. Years at sea have his skin aged with salt and sun, rum and smoke. He emerges under the cover of the deck, having trouble keeping his feet. Without seeing he knows the sea’s reaction is from that of a massive storm. Whether or not they will see it, he doesn’t know.

“Aye, Captain,” said his first. “What brings you topside?”

“No rest for the wicked, lad. Having trouble with my thoughts, and the sea.”

The moonlight caressed the water soaked decks with its shimmer. It showed that the ship was more worse for wear than Ethan wanted. Not much out here, lately, though, he thought. Hard to maintain without the much needed gold.

“Aye, Jonah, why not take the night to sleep. At least one of us should, better to take on the sun light tomorrow.”

“Aye, will do, Cap’n,” said Jonah, leaving the ship’s command to Ethan.

As the ship lolled in the vicious water, Ethan could see the clouds slowly moving across the sky, eventually choking what little light the moon offered.

I guess we won’t be missing this, he thought. He began the preparation for the storm, not knowing how long it would be before it hit.

It didn’t take long & it blew through like a cyclone on the sea. Winds howled, tearing the sails on the masts, lightning crashed overhead, across the sky & near the ship. The thunder rumbled in him, exploding in his ears & careening to the decks through his feet. It shook everything. How can they sleep through this, he thought. A helluva lot of rum, that’s how.

He scanned the sea and noticed some shadowy movement, though the movement was the ship & not what was there on the sea. It was an outcrop of large rocks. He didn't remember ever coming past these before & they'd journeyed this way many a time. He took out the spyglass to get a closer look, see if there was anything to be had. The large jutting boulders had to have caused a wreck now & again. He could see nothing but the shadows.

Dawn was on the slow approach, but the sky was still very dark, especially since the clouds were still hanging under the moon. He took to the rocks again and this time, he did see something. At first he thought it was an illusion, in his mind. He looked bare eyed then lifted the spyglass again. It was still there! Watching in a still horror, he saw what he thought was a woman leap into the water!

His heart resembled the thunder from the night's storm. He scrambled to the life boat & dropped it down into the water. He hurried to the site & found this beautiful, raven haired woman gliding across the water. She swims like a fish, he thought first and then, my GOD! She's a woman to keep me!

She approached the tiny wooden boat with ease and climbed in. She said nothing. Her eyes blazed blue. Her skin was pale porcelain.

"Hello," was all Ethan could muster. His mind felt like it was literally blown from his skull. She still said nothing. He was beyond mesmerized.

She took his face gently in her hands and pressed her lips to his own.

As dawn broke through the clouds, the sun arose on the little boat. Jonah saw it, there on the water. He called to the crew, they turned ship towards the vessel. As they neared, they could easily tell that Ethan Morgan was gone. His eyes were open with a look that reminded Jonah of the days when he was happiest. He looked at peace.

SYTYCD Recap

Some points I feel I need to make about the show this week - the additions of the new choreographers - AMAZING!  I loved the audacious, weird Chucky Klapow - David Bowie Fashion piece.  He’s cool and I look forward to seeing what he will bring to the show.  Justin Giles, Chucky Klapow, Shaun Everisto, Liz Lira & Ray Leeper are the new choreographers on the show.  They did well their first go round with the exception of Shaun Everisto.  I thought his piece was sweet, but it lacked the energy & buckness (cause buckness fits) one expects from a hip hop routine.

10 shows that need a comeback - Writer's Workshop

I was thinking about posting something my mom would post, but I rethought because it would be kinda depressing.  Her life has some serious downer stuff going on right now & I feel for her.  Sharing that might not go over so well.

Instead, I'm opting for this prompt - 10 tv shows you'd like to see make a comeback.  I hope I can come up with 10.  I watch so much tv now & I did as a kid, you'd think it would be easy.  Of course, we can mention cancelled shows from recent times, too.  I just don't know if I want to admit to watching some of them. ;)

10.  Early Edition - in a better developed environment, the show may have lasted longer.  I liked the concept of the show & wouldn't mind seeing it back on tv - maybe with different actors, though.

9. The Muppet Show!  I'd love to see it in its original format & see the writing the way it was back then.  Are there writers like that still in existence?  I don't think the show would go over like it did back then, though.  I guess people quit watching for a reason.

8. Soap!  I loved, loved, loved Soap!  It was one of the funniest shows on tv at the time.  I was never really a fan of soap operas (by choice - except for a short stint when I had a job outside my home, it was forced, though...shhhh!) and I loved that Soap parodied them.  It was awesome & I was young - even then I understood what they were doing.

7. ER because I miss it terribly!  It was one of my favorite shows & it never let me down.

6. I read that Fox cancelled Lie To Me. I am a huge Tim Roth fan, the role of Dr. Cal Lightman was perfection for him.  I liked the concept of the show.  I'm not sure why they cancelled it since the ratings were good.  Maybe they ran out of ideas?

5. Six Feet Under - if only for the deaths at the beginning.  They were(and still are)  always my favorite start to any show ever.  The show itself was just awesome.  The story lines, the characters.  I really enjoyed the relationships that were portrayed on that show.

4. Brothers & Sisters - okay, maybe I shouldn't mention this one cause it really isn't all that relevant.  I fell in love with it after seeing a promo that had it starting *big announcer voice* from the beginning!  I enjoyed the characters & how it felt like a real family.

3. Medium - being a huge fan of Patricia Arquette and I really enjoyed the concept of this show, no matter how campy it may have been.  Maybe that was the draw for me?

2. 90210 - owp!  They already did that & it sucks...unless you're an other worldly teen who knows way too much about life.  If you don't this show will surely lead you there.  It's sick -sick sick, not cool sick.  A disgrace to those of us who loved the original, and I've said too much.


2. American Gothic - an idea that just never came across like it was meant to, or maybe it was just before its time.  Sam Raimi was the exec producer. He's a horror king!  I'm not sure why it failed, it was riveting & had an interesting story line.  I have a thing for shows that have supernatural nuances in them.

1. I don't think it was a show, maybe more like a short.  This desperately needs a comeback - School House Rock!  I learned stuff from that show!  Really learned & it's probably the only show I watched as a kid (besides Sesame Street & the Electric Company) that actually taught me things I really needed to know - especially since I was in school.

"Of course that's just my opinion.  I could be wrong". - Dennis Miller

MamaKat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop

Write what you know, or what you feel.  Just write.

RemebeRED - My first contribution

This will be my first time participating in RemembeRED.  I have a thing about taking trips down memory lane, so hopefully, my contributions will be worthwhile to those who take the time to read them.  I know I'll enjoy reading the posts of others, it's in my semi-voyeuristic nature (not the weirdo voyeur, the curiosity one - if there is such a thing).

Join in the writing, if you want to share!

 Family Time with the Browns

We moved to a suburban neighborhood when I was turning 12.  For my parents, it was the ultimate move because it was the first house they ever owned.  My dad was elated to have a mortgage, rather than a rent payment.  The house was his, ours.

Over the years, we flip-flopped rooms several times.  The split level house had 4 bedrooms.  One was an add-on to the garage.  The only people in the house who occupied that room at any given time were my older brother & when we first moved in, my parents.  I never wanted that room - it was in the garage, after all (blocked off by a wall, but still in the garage...).

I had the pink room - upstairs at the back of the short hall, common sense told my parents when they viewed the house that it would be my room.  I wasn't crazy about it.  Pink (carnation pink) walls & green shag carpet - ew!  I did have that room for most of my life in that house.  I also occupied the room downstairs & the master bedroom upstairs next to mine, across from the bathroom at other times.

When my parents occupied the master bedroom, they put a small tv (13 inch) on top of my mom's old wardrobe.  That tiny little tv was the source of so many fun memories & time spent together as a family.  My dad didn't often hush us when we were all together watching tv.  Because we did, in fact, watch the shows.

My parents LOVED China Beach.  Kind of a M*A*S*H for Vietnam.  I wasn't always interested in the show, but I did enjoy just being in there while they watched it.  The closeness I felt with my family is what always brought me in there to watch TV.

The Cosby show is probably the most significant memory evoking tv show that we shared.  That & Cheers.  So many laughs were shared watching those 2 shows & the comments we'd shoot around while watching would be sometimes snide, but oh so much fun!  We could pick on each other without anyone getting hurt or angry.  We would compare our own short comings with those the Cosby kids experienced.  Overall, I think we all took some things away from the Cosby family.  That was when tv was still wholesome & good.

It was so much more about the time we spent together, my dad in the chair, my mom, me & my little bro on the bed & my older brother either standing around or on the edge of the bed.  I never thought tv shows would be a source of joy, but it has been & whenever I see an old episode of the Cosby Show or Cheers, I can't help but feel nostalgic & want to be back in that room, hanging out with my family.  We all live all around the country, so the memories are like a warm, distant hug when I get to feeling them.

Holiday Celebrations Wordful/Wordless Wednesday

It was a kind of whirlwind weekend.  I keep thinking how fast the 4th came & went.  It never fails that time passes quicker each year that goes by.  It's kind of sick, not cool sick, sick sick.  Slow doooooowwwn.

The jello shots were a huge hit.  One of the couples that were at the party I went to Sunday had had their share of jello shots the night before and the jello shots lost their luster (I won't tell the story, funny as it is, because it isn't mine to tell.  Let's just say the wife couldn't find the bathroom in their house, but who needs one if you really have to pee!!  15 jello shots at the night's end will do that to you.).  After they had one - they were sold on them.  I found this website called My Science Project.  I was not going to make the shots (cause it was optional - it always is when you bring stuff to a party) but after I found the recipe, I had to.  If you get a chance to look around the website, do.  They have done lots of experimenting with the jello shots.  What flavors work best together & the like.

I'm not a food photographer & that will show, I also didn't do step by step pics cause I forgot.  But here are a few:

 Before the cream was leveled

 Adding the Berry Blue liquid for the one above & the one below

 The finished product.  How festive, no?

My recipe:

1 box each red raspberry & berry blue jello mix (3 oz. pkgs)

1 tub of cool whip

Either super mini-marshmallows (opt for the super minis) or cut some up (this is a real pain in the ass, let me tell you! But using water to douse the knife repeatedly & my fingers, it was doable)

My alcohol mixtures:

Raspberry - 1/4 c of Watermelon Pucker & 3/4 c of Raspberry vodka (can use pucker, too)

Berry Blue - 1/4 c of Lime Vodka & 3/4 c of Blue Curacao
50 pack of plastic shot cups
A popsicle stick

Boil 1 cup of water and dissolve the package of red raspberry jello in it.  Let the mixture cool to room temp.  Add the 1 cup mixture of alcohol to the room temp jello.  Pour into the shot cups, refrigerate for at least 90 minutes.  Once set, add cool whip using a popsicle stick.  Fill the cup to about 2/3, then level the cool whip as good as you can so no peaks will stick through the blue jello.  Return to the fridge. 

While the raspberry is setting in the fridge w/the cool whip, prepare the berry blue jello as you did the raspberry.  At room temp, add the 1 c of alcohol mixture.  Pull out the set cups & gently pour the berry blue mixture onto the tops.  I used a tablespoon measuring spoon, but a kitchen syringe might be a good idea.  Let the blue jello set until tacky (around 30 - 45 minutes or so) then add the cut up marshmallows.

50 shot cups were the perfect amount for this recipe.  I added a little bit extra Lime Vodka for the berry blue, maybe an extra 1/4 c, so the mixture was more like 1 1/4 c total.  & after reading the website I mentioned above, you can do that.  The jello's consistency did not alter a noticeable amount.  It was firm enough for the shots.

I didn't want to get drunk, so I didn't have 15 of them.  I did have a few & they are a different joy as far as jello shots go.  The cool whip makes them more like a dessert shot.

I said will never make them again, but it was kinda fun.  So I might.

Wait, there's more...

My kids this weekend:

She's way in the back, see her? Water wings 

& all.

 Pool bully!

He loves being in the pool.  I couldn't get him out.

 Smoke Bombs

 Smoke bombs!

 Sparklers!

 Sparklers!

A roman candle.  I got lucky with the shot.

  

This one looks like a flower.

Join everyone for Wordful/Wordless Wednesday

      

A neat little web application

I found this little application on 2 occasions. One time reading an interesting blog here - Liberality, and another time just this morning over at The Good Life. I enjoy reading both blogs. What I came across was the "I Write Like" writing analyzer.

I kinda wanted to do a little experiment with my writing. Even though it says quite suggestively that "Check which famous writer you write like with this statistical analysis tool, which analyzes your word choice and writing style and compares them with those of the famous writers." Neither you or I can determine exactly how this little application garner's it's information (maybe you can, but I'm not all that technology adept), how was it coded to figure out our individual writing styles?

A Fragmented kind of week.

Weird how some weeks just feel like this. Bits & pieces.

Sunday I got to spend time with my lovely friend Jill & her family. We ended up hanging out all day, kids had smores over a bonfire. I wish I had my camera with me. Andy made his first couple of marshmallows and nearly burned them through. Didn't matter cause he ate them anyway. His cheeks & all around his mouth were covered in mallow ash. It looked like a he fell flat on his face in dirt.

I also got to cook in Jill's kitchen. Her husband redid it for her (lucky! cause he really did the work, didn't have to hire someone) a couple of years ago & it's truly a dream kitchen. It has a bow ceiling. It has mahogany cabinets (not entirely sure of the wood, but they are a gorgeous reddish wood), & a beautiful island with a huge pot rack over head. She is a keen decorator, too. I love being in her kitchen.

I am a home decor voyeur. If I take any kind of drive at night, I slowly pass people's home & try to peek in windows to see how they decorate. What do they have on their walls? What kind of furniture do they have? How did they paint or are the walls stark? I'm a weirdo like that. I really just want to see the decor. If I see a person, I look away. There's this one house around here. I think the guy bought it just to flip it. He's been in it for months & it has a large picture window (no window treatments at all). All I see in there is camping chairs, a big flat TV & much construction stuff. Either that, or he's just remodeling it for himself.

The weather was just about perfect last week. Not hot at all, perfectly cooler evenings.

I'm not sure what made me want to, but this week I watched a couple of 9/11 conspiracy documentaries. All I can say is there were a lot of things that were (seemingly) evidential and really made me wonder. In some aspects of each of them, I am on the fence with my opinion. Some of the evidence (and it's very convincing) seems downright realistic and terrifying all at the same time.

We need to start doing things of substance this summer. Haven't done much of anything.

Last night we had storms blowing through that were loud & bright. The loudest & brightest in years. I hate being woken up by thunder several times a night.

Big plans this weekend, maybe a "cup runneth over" kind of weekend. The in-laws in town, an open house & a good friend's party (with jello shots...maybe).

Friday Fragments, join the fray