'Home Sweet Home....sort of...'

It's been thrilling to be back in Indianapolis the past three days:)  Sunday, as I was driving MDQ and ME home, it was nice to first pass by the old homestead in Morgan County, and then to see familiar sights along the west side of Indy.  So much has changed in the six years since we've been there!

The Airport Expressway has been renamed, now that it no longer leads to the airport.

There's a huge 'sound barrier' wall all along 465, but I WAS able to point out the apartment complex where I lived first as a single woman, then later married.  The kids were impressed.

Crawfordsville Rd interchange has changed; there is now a HUGE ramp leading from I-74 onto 465 N.  They are still working in that area; I'll see the finished product next year when I go up for the 500.

Thing got comical the closer I got to the kids' home.  I wanted to go 'wander' the route I used to take to St. Vincent's Hospital, and ME kept telling me where to turn, to go straight, etc.  I kept saying, "I know honey; I used to live here.'  Guess he was being overly helpful, in his eagerness to be home?

MDQ was in a sulk, because she didn't want to leave; wanted to stay with us longer.  And when that child isn't happy, she tries to make everyone around her miserable.  I only hope she changes her ways once she gets to middle school!

Mom's surgery went well; the doctor is highly optimistic.  We were finally able to see her around 6pm last night, and she was happy to see me.  Dad, having been up since 6am, dozed in the chair while she and I watched the Olympics.  Around 11, Dad and I went back to his hotel, and I finished watching the Men's Gymnastics (more on this in a moment).  I slept on the pull out couch, then had breakfast this morning and returned to the hospital.

What Happened?
The USA men fell apart!  Leading in the team competition, mistakes were made, and China took over.  And just when Great Britain thought they had the silver locked in, Japan lodged a protest about their final pommel horse competitor.  It looked as if he didn't complete the final handstand element, but after reviewing, the judges upped his score, giving Japan the silver.  GB had to settle for the bronze; US finished 5th behind the Ukraine, who were NOT happy at being knocked out of medal contention by Japan.

Tonight is the Women's Gymnastics final, so hope the women can keep it together to win a medal.

Edits:
While Mom was in surgery, I began editing book #6, Searching For Love.  Made it well into Chapter 2; not sure if I'll edit or not, since Mom's got the Olympics on.

Currently Reading:
Began reading Jean Joachim's The Marriage List, and enjoying it!  Recommended Read so far:)

Saturday's Stupid Saying

Fire investigator:  Do you know how the fire might have started?


Homeowner:  Yes.  I smelled gas in the basement.  So I went down there and lit a candle so I could see where it was coming from...

actual conversation after a fire in Medina, Ohio

I'm off to do laundry and watch some Olympic coverage.  Then tonight, Nunsense with friends BC Brown as a blind nun, and her niece Ashlae as another nun!  Break a leg, girls!

Currently Reading:  I've been a busy reader this week.  Finished Kellie Kamryn's Perfect Score, and OMG! GO pick this up!  I loved how she included Jacques' daughter into the plot line, with her teenage angst, and how she tied it in with Shelley's own turmoil over relationships!  Definite Recommended Read:)

Also read Jamie Carie's The Forgiven Duke, book #2 in the Forgotten Castles series.  Loved the descriptions of Iceland!  If you're a fan of Christian Inspirationals, and Regency, go get this one also!  Recommended Read:)

Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell:  Interesting; I'd watched the first episode of the series, but forgot to watch the rest (probably due to a scheduling conflict with two other shows).  If you enjoyed Sex and the City, read it.  Otherwise, you're not missing anything.

I downloaded Kellie's Lost In Her Mind yesterday.  Don't know if I'll start with that, or go find Amber's Skyze's Pretend With Me.  I really want to finish it!  (I was reading it when my Sony died several months ago.)

Also up:

Print copies of:

-Dragon in the System by Cindy Spencer Pape

-Brotherly Bonds by Brynn Paulin

-An anthology with Lori Foster.

I should have lots of reading time ahead of me; as I mentioned yesterday, my mom's having surgery on Monday, so heading up there tomorrow when I return the grandkids.  I'm taking my laptop to the hospital and going to try to work on self-edits while in the waiting room.  Or I might try to read.  Just not sure at this point.  It all depends on how long they need me after she's released.

Posting will be sporadic; I'll have to go somewhere else to get on the internet, other than to check my email.  Mom's internet is slow, and there's no wifi.  But I'll get to chat with friends while sitting at McD's or a coffee shop!

Flashback Friday: Westward Bound!

First of all, I've been interviewed over at Jennifer Labelle's blog.  Drop by and say hi?

Secondly, on with the flashback!

July 2002

Our family traveled to Estes Park, Colorado for a week of fun and relaxation.  My mom and grandmother flew out earlier in the week, so we drove out with my dad.  Spent the first night at Little Amana, Iowa, and the kids enjoyed swimming in the pool.  I had decided to use the time to work on book #6 of my Arbor U series, so instead of having my nose buried in a book the entire time, I scribbled away in a notebook.  Dad was amused to see me working at the poolside; I was amused by the way my handwriting got progressively worse while drinking three white Russians!  And two days later, we pulled into Nicky’s Resort, just outside Estes Park and Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park. 

Mom, Grandma, and my sister and BIL were happy to see us, and the next five days were spent shopping in Estes Park; touring RMNP; braving the switchbacks of Trail Ridge Road; and celebrating my mom and dad’s birthdays.

The night we ate at the resort, our friends in Ft. Collins drove over to spend the evening with us.  After dinner, we returned to our suite for some fun and reminiscing.  My sister handed out the presents she and I had bought, and I stood up and read the two poems I’d written at my sister’s suggestion.

We reminisced about past gatherings and telling stories about kids’ achievements.  And finally, around midnight, Mr. & Mrs. H left so we could get some sleep.

Several years earlier, there had been a flood in RMNP; the now-dried area renamed the Illuvial Fan.  We spent half a day in that area of the park.  My spouse and two kids climbed to the top of the rock pile while I parked myself on a rock and wrote nearly four pages.  The scenery was breathtaking; the weather calm; and the only sounds were children playing and the gurgle of the creek.  And all too soon it was time for lunch.

Mom had arranged for a photographer; we had a family picture taken. Mom and Dad are seated in the center with my kids on their laps; My sis and BIL are behind my dad; my spouse and I behind Mom; and Grandma in the center.

On the way back, we stopped at Cabella’s in Sidney, Nebraska.  Got several items, including blankets, socks, shirts, and hats.  We also ate lunch:  Caribou sandwich, buffalo burgers, and pizza.

We stayed at the Ramada Inn in Iowa, and enjoyed the water park.  Got several pictures of my kids and spouse going down the tube slide!  I prefer the open slide, and at first, my then-eight y/o balked at going down the slide.  But when Mommy went down first and agreed to catch her at the bottom, she discovered it was a lot of fun after all!  And went down several more times without needing any ‘catching’.

And my husband cracked me up:  He griped all the way to the Indiana/Illinois border about missing work and how vacations were a waste of money.  But once we crossed into Illinois, then Iowa, he relaxed and enjoyed himself.  But on the way home, he was fine until we crossed back into Indiana.  And all of a sudden, he was mad at me for ‘dragging him away from a perfectly good job.’

But I didn’t care; we’d never had a family vacation like that before, and the kids enjoyed having him around.

Present Day:

Tonight is the Opening Ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London:)  Starting next week, expect Olympic updates at the top of my blog posts.

Tomorrow, I'm going to go see a friend in a production of  Nunsense,  She plays a blind nun, so this should be comical!

Sunday, I'll take MDQ and ME back to Indy, then spend the night on my SIL's couch.  My mom's having hernia surgery next Monday, and then I'll go home with the parents to help out, if necessary.

"Satan Called; He Wants His Heat Back!"

So says a FB picture floating around.

Seriously, the temps the last several weeks have been in the mid 90's to 108.  Our two a/c units are working overtime, along with four fans.  But with the addition of two kids, the spouse bought three more fans to help with the heat.

My concentration is poor; I'm not sleeping well (due in part to needing a new bed, coming next month); and I'm trying to hang onto my temper.

We DID take the kids to the pool on Tues, and then to the fair, so everyone had a good time.

Yesterday was one of those days where nothing went as planned.  Daughter thought she was having an appendicitis attack; turned out to be just a cyst on her ovary.  Then her boyfriend made threats, which caused her more stress, and thankfully I was able to get her to think straight again.

It's supposed to rain tonight, and the temps are supposed to fall back into the high 80's/low 90's.

I've made some calls for my 'tour' in the coming months; check out the calendar to the right.  Not sure if I will be able to attend all, but I'm going to try:)

In the meantime, check out this awesome picture of Miss Alex:)

Youngling, "Bombs Away!"

Mr. Energy:  "Whoo hoo!"

Miss Drama Queen won't go off the diving board, so here she is swimming away:)

Saturday is Dollar Day again, so we may make one more trip back to the pool to cool off.

Come back tomorrow for memories of July 2002; we took a vacation to Estes Park, Colorado:)

Life With The Grandkids

We kidnapped Miss Drama Queen and her brother Mr. Energy last week.  Took them to the pool on Tuesday and to see Ice Age, Continental Drift on Thursday.  Church on Sunday.

The phone rang on Sat.


"Since I had to take two weeks off for my surgery, finances are tight.  Can they stay for another week so I don't have to pay for a babysitter?  If not, I can see if my sitter will do it for less until I can catch up..."

So yes, they'll be here another week.

In some ways, I don't mind their presence.  They're older now (10 and 9) and can entertain themselves.  Plus, since they were here all last summer, they have friends in the neighborhood to play with.

It's the little things which bug me.

-Not picking up their towels/wet items after showers or at the pool
-Constantly wanting to hold the remote control to the TV (we finally got them to keep it one spot!)
-If one child gets something, they all have to have it.  IE:  Popcicles, pudding, chips.(I know; this is typical.  But multiply it by 4 or 5 kids and it gets annoying after a while!)
-Not putting their dirty laundry in the proper place.  I know for a fact I've only washed one pair of undies and one set of clothing last week.

At least they no longer wake up in the morning and ask where we're going!  That drove me CRAZY last summer!

"Summer time is for taking it easy; go outside and play; chill out!  And don't wear black when it's supposed to reach 100 degrees....we are NOT going to the park in this heat....and yes, Aunt Molly has a few errands which doesn't require your presence:)"


And I've been enjoying a nightly glass of chocolate wine to unwind after they go to bed.

I'll post pics of them sometime this week.  They've enjoyed holding Alexandria and helping with feeding her:)

Saturday's Stupid Saying

This was too good not to post!

World History teacher:  What did Martin  Luther nail to the door of the Catholic Church that protested against the selling of indulgences?


9th grade student:  Was it Jesus?


Actual classsroom dialogue

Flashback Friday: Chick Magnet:)

July 1992:
For the 4th of July festivities, we went to my aunt's house.  Since I'd forgotten K's swimming suit, we first put him in a diaper, then later just let him skinny dip:)  My aunt had several floatation devices for young children, and he enjoyed his time in the water with various relatives.

A week later, Nephew D came to stay with us for several weeks.  Day #2, I left K at the pool with the 14 y/o while I ran back to the apartment for a bottle.  I arrive back at the pool maybe ten minutes later; D is surrounded by teenage girls, collecting phone numbers!

"Aunt Molly, I like this kid; he's a chick magnet!"  D called and took the bottle from me.

I went back in the water; D carried him to the shallow end and sat on the steps with his 'entourage'!

D would eventually strike up a small romance with one of the young ladies, but it wouldn't last.  More on this next month.

I also took K, who at 7 months had developed two bottom teeth and the ability to sit up, to get his picture taken.  I dressed him in his christening outfit, and he smiled his sunny smile and was very cooperative.  One of my favorite shots was him stripped to a diaper, inside a metal wash bucket, with a rubber duck and baby powder can on the outside.  I really wish I could scan this photo into my computer; it's priceless!

We were also looking to move into a larger apartment, and when I finally threatened to leave, the apartment complex promptly coughed up TWO for me to look at!  I'd been told to 'keep checking back at the end of the month to see if we have anyone moving out...' to no avail.  So I picked the one I wanted and we made arrangements to move:)

Next Month:  Adjusting to the new home and a mini-vacation!

Present Day:
Attended my SIL's wedding last weekend and ended up 'kidnapping' Miss Drama Queen and her brother, Mr. Energy.  Since it's unclear when they will be returning as of yet (they 'have' to be home the week of their birthday, Aug 6th), I'm taking more vacation time.  Took the kids to the pool on Tuesday and to see Ice Age #4:  Continental Drift last night.  FUNNY!

And I've got a slight problem:  Apparently, back in 2007 when I converted most of my 3.5 floppy discs to CD's, I neglected to put #13 and #14 onto the CD's.  I've checked my office supply store and Radio Shack; neither of them sell the external hard drives or have the means to download the files to my flash drive.  I still have yet to try the library, another computer store in town, or travel an hour south to Best Buy (I'll call them before we travel that far).

I know why I probably neglected to do so; at the time I was planning to put out each Arbor U book one book per year ( keep in mind it took five years between the first two, lol!), but it didn't happen that way.  I'm trying to now put them out two per year, which means I need to get cracking on #8-12.

Confused?  I don't blame you!

MFRW Summer Camp:
I spent three days copying and pasting all the pertinent details of the two day workshop, including the Q&A sessions.  The document is 50 pages long; however, I may go back in and edit it a little, breaking it up into smaller documents.


Currently Reading:
Finished The Time Traveler's Wife and now I really want to see the movie, to see how the screenplay handled all the bouncing around. Now I'm on Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell.  I had watched the first episode of the TV show, but it conflicted with other programming, so forgot to videotape/DVR it.  So far, the book is interesting:)


E-book:  Loved, loved, LOVED Kellie Kamryn's Rebound!  I'm now reading The Perfect Score.  Both of these are Definite Recommended Reads!  Pick them up here:)