Reunion with old friends

Well, although I'm not sure about this Facebook stuff, it did bring back some friends from my past life back to me - went out this past weekend with Mike and Robin (they never went away), Liz Miller and John Dillard (who were both recently 'found'). John came along too and was just one of the gang. We sat for a few hours and shared laughs like you don't often find these days - talked about some of the ridiculous stuff we'd done in the past. Mike reminded me that I was particularly bossy with him when a few times when we were 'children.' Very funny and very sweet times. Hope to see these folks again and, next time, I'm betting there will be more of them! Liz took the picture to the left which John and I just love. Best pic of us ever. Here's some more pics of the motley crew:

















John and I went down to the boat yesterday as the marina was having a boater's yard sale. John was thrilled to find a hatch air conditioner so that when we're at dock, the boat will be nice and cool. I was also thrilled! Spent a nice lunch hour at the local tiki bar down there and walked the marina. His old boat, Namaste, is back in the original slip after having been somewhere else for a while. Kind of sad to see it as we both did enjoy it so much. But, then again, Namaste II is a delightful time too.

Took mom 'out' to dinner last night...

...We went formal and dined in the diningroom for a big change from the kitchen counter. With the swine flu stuff going around, neither of us is eager to go out and there's no reason at all to take a chance with her so we'll be sequestered in the house for a while and will make sure that anyone with even a sniffle doesn't come close. Better safe than very sorry. Rockville High (a local school) is closed today with a suspected case so it's closing in.

Anyway, had a great time. Sat in the diningroom, just the 2 of us, (well, just the 7 of us if you consider the 4 dogs and the cat). Made some grilled chops, brussels in the oven, roasted to perfection. Delicious. Mom had her sherry, I had wine. 4.5 hours just flew by as we sat and chatted. I love these times the best as I really get to know her as a person. It was like sitting and chatting with any of my other close friends. These are the exact times when I'm reminded how lucky I am to have her living with me. What a treasure she is. And, a pretty funny lady too - she was cracking me up!

I've started a contracting job and the commute is a bear - over to Ellicott City. Takes about an hour eatch way but it's a great job (CRF design) - Vic: that means that I design the forms that clinical trials use to collect data! Right up my alley. The company is full of great people too so it's quite the great gig for a while. I left mom alone 2 days and I think she was VERY happy to see me each night when I came home. So, for the future, I'll work just 4 or 5 hours a day so I don't have to leave her alone as long. We discussed getting another home care worker but she's just not very happy with anyone her except her 'crew' so we'll just do what she wants. And, the job is very flexible so I'll just make it fit. Here's a picture of a gorgeous sight I saw on my trip in yesterday:

Dogs do too have souls!

I totally love, love, love this - Bobbi sent it to me by email. You'll need to click on the photo to the left to enlarge. I was actually crying when I saw this. I suppose it takes all kind.

This is literally a 'church signs' debate, being played out in a Southern US town, between Our Lady of Martyrs Catholic Church, and Cumberland Presbyterian, a fundamentalist church. From top to bottom shows you the response and counter-response over time.

The Catholics are displaying a much better sense of humor! You get the impression that the Presbyterians are actually taking this seriously and are getting a bit upset...

Now, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to get the dogs baptized or christened or whatever it's called , but I, for one, am absolutely certain that if there is a Heaven, every one of my dogs (and quite a few cats...), will be there to welcome me - provided of course, I'm invited - well, except the ones left behind that Bobbi is responsible for caring for...

Here's the latest in eHow articles:

How to Clean Makeup Brushes To Make Them Last

How to Use a French Press To Make Fantastic Cup Of Coffee

How to Brush A Cat

How to Set Up a Home Gym

How to Keep The Aqua Globe Automatic Watering System Clog Free

How to Buy Fitness Equipment You Will Use

How to Find A Weight Watchers Meeting

How to Host A Garden Plant Exchange

How to Save Money With Smart Energy

How to Exercise At Home

How to Set Up a Home Gym

Ah, spring flowers...

Spent most of today outside planting loads of pots with fresh herbs, some flowers, and rearranging such until Mom and I were just DONE with it. I need help rearranging stuff - Gert is better than I am but neither of us is Martha Stewart... We're not even Joan Rivers - although we're closer on that one...

Found out today that an age-old friend whom I recently reconnected with on Facebook is throwing out the first ball at an Orioles game in May so, of course, I just can't miss this opportunity! John and I are both looking forward to seeing Liz, aka Boom Boom, and probably making fun of her like I did - well, a long, long, LONG time ago... I'm trying to lose 40 lbs between now and then... Either that or invest in a good body stocking....

Speaking of needing a body stocking...

Sophia came over tonight with loads of chinese food for dinner so the three of us feasted. I bought some unknown green at the local chinese market earlier today and tried a new recipe I found on the internet - note to self; don't do that again. This chinese market just sucks me in though as the produce is so fresh and about 1/2 the price of the local Giant.

John and his Dad turned over a pretty large plot of land for me to make a garden. Sophia has requested tomatoes, red chili peppers, and green beans. In addition, I'll plant zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers and green peppers. Am looking forward to just going out back and getting fresh veggies this summer. Also put some arugula out today in pots - love that stuff!

Killian was antsy tonight so took him out back with a frisbee and made him run for it. He got some pretty spectacular catches in and made 8 out of 10. Pretty amazing dog.

Sittin' outside with 'Trudi-licious' today

That being Vic's name for Gert. Love it. She is totally Trudi-licious in, oh, so many ways...

Had a very nice talk for a few hours on the back deck about life, expectations, etc. We talked about how she was raised and how she raised her children. About her hopes when she was growing up and her hopes for us.

She went up for a nap and I took and ruminated on what we'd talk about - being brought up a certain way, what we expect out of life based on what our parents gave/taught us, maturity and lack there of...etc.

My mother is remarkable in more than one way. She and Dad were very hands on parents yet they allowed us to make our own mistakes and live our own lives. They always offered emotional support, whether we were stupid or not and, sometimes, yes, financial support too. But, in the end, the thing they imparted most on me was how to live and enjoy life. Don't sweat the small things. Gotta love parents that teach their offspring to handle life. I'm so grateful for the two of them.

Just for grins, here's a few of my favorite youtube videos:

I LOVE this reporter's reaction to this lizard - OMG, rolling:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIrq_wnNNnY

And, here's Carolyn and Rowdie. Killian and I took a doggie dance class with Carolyn a few years ago in PA. She was as excellent as this video shows. I love the connection the two of them have and particularly love that Rowdie choreographs his own moves - Killian does the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqbVbPvlDoM

Oh, and this is funny, two of my eHow articles got picked up online by NBC, the NY Times and the Vancouver Sun. Cracked me up.

My 92 year old Mom's 'Baby' brother

Here's a picture of my Mom's baby brother (at 91..) with GREAT granddaughter - PJ. Isn't she just darling? Looks to me a lot like the little girl from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas...

Mom and Uncle Al are only 14 months apart and used to get into a lot of trouble when they were younger - not sure they wouldn't still if he lived closer. But they have some great stories to tell...

Like the time they 'borrowed' Zadie's (my grandfather's) wall papering board. They greased it and used it as a sliding board. Both report that they couldn't sit down for quite a while after being found out.

Or, the time that Uncle Al got in trouble for ducking when a brick was thrown at his head. The brick went through a plate glass window behind him at the drug store 'on the corner.' First time in history a kid got smacked for ducking...

Uncle Al actually introduced my folks. He knew Dad from a Jewish fraternity in Kansas City which used to meet at a Jewish community center on Sundays. Mom says it was the Y-baks.

Uncle Al got to talking to Dad. The Y-bacs were going to have a hay ride around Thanskgiving, 1936. Uncle Al had a date but Dad didn't. Dad wanted to know if Uncle Al knew someone he could take. Uncle Al said 'Well, my sister is going to be in town on Sunday. You might ask her.'

The very first think out out of my (future) Dad's mouth was 'Is she cute?'

Uncle Al's reply was 'Hell no. But you'll have a good time with her.' And damned if he didn't - for the next 70+ years (they dated 5 years before she gave him 'the' ultimatum and he took her up on it and they married). He died just short of their 66th anniversary. True love. Very true love. The truest I know of.

Handicapped, you say?

So, I took Mom to the eye doctor today for her 6 month checkup after her cataract surgery last year.

He takes out the remaining stitches as she's reported that she's still in pain, very periodically - feels like something is in her eye.

So, he takes out the stitches and has to patch her eye for 24 hours as he had to scratch it to get the stitches out. So, she's got this big white patch covering 1/2 her face but she says she feels fine as he numbed her before starting in.

We decide to stop at La Mex for a cocktail on the way home and a bite of lunch. I go to the parking lot in this huge Honda I now own (which I can't park worth shit...). I go to park in a handicapped space so I pull in, sorta straight for once.

I tell Mom to hold on, I'm going to pull into the next spot which isn't handicapped as I'd rather leave the handicapped space for someone who really needs it.

Mom looks at me (now, she bandaged on my side so she sort of looks at me like a parrot would quizzically look at its owner...), cocks her head and says:

'I can't see. I can't walk. Exactly WHAT do you call THIS?'

I rolled, died, gone. Had a hard time pulling the car in anyway but I was totally rolling. Nice one, Gert.