Annette

What is everyone up to next week? I am usually a stay at home person and now I have to come up with something fascinating and fun for my company. I will tell you that I am so excited I think this week is going to be the slowest week ever! Annette

What an awesome anniversary to celebrate. Huge congratulations! Annette

Judy - animal farm at the jail - what is that. One week to go - next Sunday - I don't know how I'm going to contain myself to wait for that train - I am truly just really excited. I just hope I don't bore the pants off Eric.... hmm..... maybe that's why he is wearing a kilt - how can we not cause excitement wherever we go. (Please note that I did not call it a skirt - my fingers really wanted to type it but I managed to overrule.) I was happy to hear from KarenW this morning - I sent her a pm some time ago since we hadn't seen her. Now we know she is busy working and undergoing treatment. She went up on my admiration scale that's for sure. I will admit to being a lazy bum this morning - afternoon - and now I have to get motivated. I am going to jump in the shower and take a run down to figure out exactly where the hotel Eric will be staying is - so I can check out restaurants that we might be able to have a relaxing early dinner so he doesn't fall out from jet lag. Then I have got to do some grocery shopping. If you really want to know I have been a bum pretty much all week and now I need to do some cleaning too. That just is not my thing. I will check back in later. Annette

Very glad to see you posting - and actually reminded me that Sara is now going through the WBR treatments too. From things she has said I think that she may be copying you - now we have two super women! Annette

I know it is already Sunday - but boy was it a slow day Saturday. I stayed up late and ran away from home Saturday. I drove to West Virginia to Charles Town Slots and donated some money - sigh. Now I am home and relaxing - it was nice to be away from here! --- one week to go til Eric arrives in Richmond!!!--- Annette

It's Friday - I'm really busy at work today - but wanted to pop in and say good morning. I've got a lot to try and get done before the holiday - July 3rd at approximately 1p.m. - I wonder how on earth I will recognize Eric when he gets off the train. I mean there will probably be a lot of people and I've only been to the train station once. Oh - wait - I keep reading here that he is going to wear a skirt ... hmm... a kilt. Well I won't look for that I'll look for the Lungevity teeshirt. (I am laughing and smiling as I think of this - now it's only one week away give or take a day). I am trying to decide if I want to take a chance and drive down to see my daughter or take a bigger chance and drive myself to Charlestown Hollywood Slots. Hmmm. Well, if I go to the bank after work and make myself turn off the DVD player at a reasonable hour - maybe I will get up in the morning and flip a coin. No matter what I am having a male teenager free weekend! Yeah!!!! I hope everyone enjoys this weekend as well - I will try and pop back in later and check on everyone. Annette

I forgot to mention that while you are here Eric, if you get to meet my daughter you should mention the Titanic - lord when she was young she was overly fascinated by it - thought she knew everything. She even got a replica of the plates they had on the ship - she loved them - wonder if she still has them....

What am I gonna do with Eric - the first thing I thought of when I saw his bucket list was New York - I've been there - nobody wants to put Richmond on their bucket list - but I would not mind seeing the Statue of Liberty - and it just happens to be pretty near the Chrysler Building - and my mind starts turning.... Silly mind - I think it would be about an 8 hour drive (on the right side of the street by the way). Travel abroad - I may be well rounded but it's food that did it to me. I did get to some places while I was in the Navy - Malaga, Spain; St. Thomas, Singapore, Mombasa, Africa; the Gulf of Oman (that one I saw while on the water - lol - it was the only one that I didn't visit a bar in too - tells you how young I was back then). I keep saying it is too hard to get a passport - but some of Erics' pictures make you want to see Scotland first hand - I would have to take my daughter on that trip though she loves everything Scottish. I would like to go to a casino in Morocco; the pyramids and I have thought I'd like to say I had been to every one of the 50 U.S. States - maybe an Alaskan cruise. Nothing that great here - but this was an interesting, thought provoking question.

I have to say that I don't drink a lot of water - even though I guess I should but Dr. Pepper is my friend. I do buy jugs of water and make sweet tea because the "city" water is not very taste friendly. I know that some of what you buy is municipal water - but they are not getting it from Richmond, VA I guarantee. So I understand why Lillian gets bottled water and that is an excellent idea to divide it up into several bags - I know I about kill myself dragging a 24 pack in and then add a couple of cases of soda and well yikes. Ahhh, Judy, where to start. Tuesday when I got home - part of the closet was empty. I said something that was mean and hateful and that put him over the line I guess. Then my mom had dropped the kid off at the mentor's office to go to an AA meeting and he called me and said he was bringing him home - he was sick. My mom had allowed a little girl over all day to visit with him but he was too sick to go out with his mentor. He has been staying at my mom's since the hearing Monday afternoon. When the mentor dropped him off I invited him to put some bodily fluids into a package. The results were not good. Positive for whatever is in marijuana and positive for opiates (new one on me). I am not a happy camper. 8 weeks of negative screenings and now this. I went to school on Monday and defended that kid to the hilt after he got caught "possession and consumption" of alcohol on school campus. And now the story is changing - he also left campus before drinking the alcohol and smoked some marijuana. An hour or so after I called my neighbor down because I was concerned for my safety (him screaming - veins popping out of forehead - please don't call my probation officer). My neighbor was going back upstairs and told him now was the time to come clean - now he says he also snuck out of his grandmothers house one night and walked some 20 minutes to get something called suboxone. I am just over it - tired of having a stomach ache every day because of the stress. I went to the WaWa and purchased something that I haven't had in over 2 years. Came home and told him to get all of his stuff out of my house he was not welcome there anymore. So Tuesday night, yesterday and today I have been a bad girl. I don't know what I'm going to do - he is supposed to go on a camping trip this weekend and I am gonna relax. Technically he is supposed to be staying with me Sunday - Thursday by court order and I don't know what to do about that. But for a few days - I'm cutting myself off from it. Well that's what you get for asking. I think I'm gonna go get my hair chopped off this afternoon - really looking for something new. Sorry to "sound" off on here - but my fingers feel better - my sense of humor seems to have gone missing - Annette

Well this is not what we wanted to hear that's for sure. But take heart - I think there are members here that have successfully had WBR. Hopefully the results start taking effect sooner rather than later. Please let us know how things are going - and know that my prayers and thoughts are with you and your family. Annette

Great news - what a way to start the summer! Annette

nevermind

Ann - I am so so jealous of your count down clock. But that's okay cause Eric is almost here and that means - Annette and Keith will be on vacation - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and maybe Thursday will be Friday - - Now that will certainly bring a smile to my face - and speaking of exercise - everyone can smile - just a little - we all know I need a vacation. Ok - let's face it I will never make it on Master Chef - or Gordon Ramsey's other fine show that contains a curse word. But seriously sometimes with all this talk of exercise and eating right just makes me need a nap (well after the hamburger of course). I think I will go on a short walk outside so it will feel like the air conditioning is working in my office - I chose the office in the very back - there is no circulation in here I may have to get me a little fan. Check back in later, Annette

I think we will all pass on the way you spent the time not worrying about your scans. Heartfelt congratulations on the 8 year mile marker. And prayers that your mom gets through this surgery and the next. Annette

As usual I'm in a rush this morning - have a lot of work to do and well just other junk too. Honestly don't know how yesterday went. I got some positive feelings but you just never know. This big mean woman says she has to go talk to the Deputy Superintendent with her findings and then she will call. And it probably won't be before Summer School starts next Monday. So the problem is do I call Social Services and say hey it looks like they aren't going to let him go so could you use this money on another child - or hold off. I just don't know. And this is only about the school issue. He will still have to go to court on the charges in August. Although the Supreme Court just passed an opinion that I know will help with that- just don't know if his court appointed lawyer will have a clue. Sigh. I went home afterwork and just relaxed. Played a Playstation game and then watched the Bachelor - first time I've done that in months. Tonight i will have to make the kid stay with me - I am really worried when he stays at moms - they went to the grocery store and for some reason she bought 2 lighters....what for - then i found another one on the floor - - I went over once every hour to "smell" the house - but never smelled smoke - I will absolutely wring her neck if she bought that kid cigarettes. But I just have that feeling. Anyway - I have to get busy. It has been a struggle to get any work done. I am mentally just not able to concentrate on anything - I know I can't but that just doesn't help. I'll check back in later (this is always a great place to hide out instead of work....lol). Annette

Cindy - who said it has to get easier - no matter what you will always miss your dad. The easy part is saying how important it was that you got to exchange I Love You's on Father's Day - what a great memory to cherish. Wishing you gentle memories that make you smile, Annette

I agree with the others - after you made the hardest decision of your life - it's now time to let your mom have the benefit of hospice. They can come in and help you make sure she is comfortable and give you some respite. I wish you all the best and hope you are finding some peace with your mom. Annette

Good Morning - well it's Monday so I'm not so certain it's good - I refuse to look out and see. I got some new pretty shoes yesterday and it was wet out this morning - I wore them anyway. My nephew was a slug all weekend - he has been running a temperature of over 100. Not sure what is causing it - just hoping it doesn't come my way and he is better to go on his weekend trip next weekend. I worked on a speech and questions for every witness - so I am prepared to go whatever way this thing goes today. If they decide to recommend expulsion - then i am prepared to get a lawyer to fight it. I honestly think the supreme court helped me out Thursday with the new ruling on requiring that a student be read their Miranda Rights before questioned regarding any activity in which criminal charges could be forthcoming. I'm still stressed to the max - but we shall see. Anyway - want to get busy so I won't feel bad when I don't come back after 2p.m. this afternoon. I will check back in on everyone. Annette

Judy - Who uses the pet door....those are your babies!!!

All this cleaning is making me hungry for those beans Lillian. (I won't mention that I just got back from taking my mom go get her car from the repair shop - I beat her home even though I stopped at the grocery store and got a few things for dinner tonight and tomorrow and picked myself up a snack (cracker Jacks - yumm). I think that I have discovered a way to help everyone here.... You are getting sleepy, very sleepy, your eyelids are getting heavy, very heavy, Bruce put down that eyeliner, you are getting very sleepy. Now when I clap my hands and your eyes open you will awaken feeling refreshed and your house will seem to be cleaner. Ok - how many people have cleaner houses? A whole bag of cracker jacks gone - it must have been whoever was here cleaning up while I was resting earlier. LOL Annette

I did try and sleep a little late. But a friend sent me a text message and I need to take my mom to pick up her car at the Dealer. I ran to the post office and picked up a letter and I'm now back to the computer waiting for mom and guess I'll review my information for mondays hearing. Sigh. I will take a break this afternoon and go get my nails done later. It is already warming up out there. If I was in better shape I might walk up and get my mom's car it is less than a mile away. Me walk - nevermind. I hope everyone is going out and having fun today - I will check back in later. Annette

Eric - Bud's picture is great but I wanted to point out that the round one below the two straight ones is not necessary. It is really funny because I have one on my computer power cord but not on my calculator adapter. I know I purchased an adapter many many many years ago when I was in the Navy and we were going to Spain, France, Africa, Singapore so I don't know why they wouldn't have one here if you can't find one. Oh you know what - I bet I know what kind of plug they gave you - it is the one they use for huge appliances like washing machines. If you go back you are looking for one that carries much lower voltage - I want to say 240 or even 120. Hope this helps. Annette

Lillian, maybe the letter from the management was a blessing in disguise. Now you will have your car and be able to pay the cost off slowly. Seems to me it would be better to do the bus rides when summer starts to fade - it's just too darn hot out there right now to walk all those miles. I know I was worried about how you were making it so I am glad to hear that your nephew is helping you out - makes me have hope for my nephew! Annette

What's up - where is everyone - don't you know you have to check in early to start your weekend early. I have work to do - wait a minute - I have goofing off to do - well I have a lot of work to do which will probably make me do a lot of goofing off. (Is it 5 yet?) The mornings are so pleasant - the drive into work is nice and cool - perfect for sleeping. What is wrong with this world making us go to work on such pretty days. I am looking forward to a busy weekend preparing for the nephews disciplinary hearing on Monday - can't think of anything else right now - not even work - I am totally OCD and I seriously think I may need to go and see someone after this circus is over (will it ever stop?). Anyway - I better attempt to work - or look like I am doing so because I have to leave early this afternoon to drop the kid off at his mentors house. (He has now gone to 3 AA meetings - seriously he is doing well - knock on wood!!!!) Annette

Bruce - I have learned a lesson today - that I should not be taking a drink when I read these posts - because - gay bull - literally laughed out loud at that one. Eric- Four hour gym workout - I am in serious trouble - you and Keith are gonna leave me in the dust walking places. Four hours - okay - tell the truth is this a gym that has good looking women in it or are you really working four hours. I'm tired thinking about that one. We do have a two pin type of plug so I hope it works - If I am sure we can find one at an electronics store. I won't admit it but I had to "google" the roku box thing myself. I am going to work on my "speech" to give to the review board this weekend. Although there may be an issue with me attending - because they are saying my mom is the only one that can as his "guardian" - so I have the court order, a power of attorney and a really mean attitude to go in with on Monday. I will worry about alternatives after they decide. But I did start doing a little research on "homeschooling" - I will be devastated if they really kick him out. I know it's tomorrow there but I hope you check back and read this tomorrow. I need to get my mind on writing now, Annette