Here it is...

Nate got his new bike...
Yes, is has some weird lady painted on the front shield...
But it's pretty kool. The blue bike is his friend, Will's bike. Will painted his blue. It's purty.
Luke thinks he gets equal access...
Nate is a happy boy. Since the bike has been at the house, the boyz have proceeded to remove all the red parts because they plan to paint everything. Luke has the tools and the college training to do the job. He doesn't however, have that "clean" environment to paint in. I'm a little scared. I'm not sure what they are planning, but they have been fully focused on it over the past 32 hours. I'm not sure they ever went to sleep last night.

Meanwhile, I've decided to paint the master bedroom upstairs. I knew the bathroom project would get me hooked. What else can I paint? What else can I paint... before I put everything back in the basement again.

But Daddy!! I Want it NOW!

What was her name? Veruka? Are we perpetuating this... this... spirit of Veruka in our second son?

I think it was last week--the one where I was driving like mad all over the place from writing classes to VBS to picking Anika up from work to bring Nate to his job and then back to get him and bring him to his next job... yada yada yada. Well, it feels like it was yesterday. But painting the bathroom has given me a mission at home that forces others to step up. (I think I'll let the mission be extended to the next bathroom and then maybe a freshing up of the trim).

Anyway... during that week from hell, while in the process of raging-about-my-life and fighting about the boyz constantly taking my vehicle, they got the bright idea and began looking on Craigs list for a vehicle they could buy. They found these two amazing motorcyles for a ridiculously low price. Nate was all excited. When the boyz get excited--nothing of reason, that you may want to say, is accepted. They just WANT IT NOW! and they seem to want to learn the hard way... of course, in most cases they don't have quite enough money to learn the hard way so... that leads them back to the part about listening to reason.

I'll tell you here and now, Nate was very close to being scammed. Those two bikes listed on Craigs' were actually too good to be true. When he read me the email from the seller, I warned him to check further into things because it didn't sound right. So he did!!! He actually took my advice, and found the whole thing to be a scam. Phew. He also proceeded to sent the guy a very nasty email. Um. ok. (...shame on Mr. Scammer for building up his hopes like that only to dash them into a million pieces on the ground).

A few daze later he found another good deal, and it was legit. Guess what. Nate purchased the bike! He and Terry went to look at it yesterday and decided to go for it. I just so happened to be bringing Caleigh to the dentist directly across the street from the DMV today, so Nate said he wanted to come with me and get his motorcycle permit. Just like that. As we were hopping in the car to leave this morning, Luke jumped in and said, "I may as well get mine too." They both now have their motorcycle permits along with their dad, and Nate has a Ninja Kawasaki 750. And two beautiful helmets. That baby is Stinkin' fast!

After drooling over his bike all evening long, Nate came in from the driveway and immediately proposed to his dad that he get insurance tomorrow and go back to DMV and register it! But Daddy! I want it NOW!!! The kid can't even wait a day.

Meanwhile, Luke had BJ at the computer all night looking for some quality, used cars for a good price. He's got that same Veruka syndrome! I think we've raised monsters.

Feeling Ambitious

Tomorrow the upstairs bathroom is finally going to be painted. I just decided! It was all spackled and prepped about 2 years ago, but then left unfinished. I think one of the reasons for this is its not a bathroom I ever use. The boys use it and its gross. I don't think they ever knew that it wasn't painted. That's a boy for ya.

So, I'm hitting it hard tomorrow. Well... I'm starting the project tomorrow. We'll see how far I get. Meanwhile, we are changing all the sleeping arrangements around. Luke is preparing to head back to college in about two weeks, and our exchange student will be arriving from Germany about the same time (very exciting). We're going to move Nate to the downstairs bedroom and all the girls will be upstairs. (I'm gearing up for Prince Nate's refusal tantrum--we haven't broken the news to him yet).

Caleigh Caleigh Caleigh

My little 8-year-old certainly is ambitious and independent! A little more so than what is good for her. Ayiyiyi!!

Yesterday I had jury duty about 30 minutes away from home. Nate also had his driving test in the same direction I was going. His first test was scheduled several months ago, but he had to cancel due to reasons I won't mention now. And every time you reschedule it means you wait another 2 months to get in. So, we worked out a plan for Nate to take the county bus in, and Terry would meet him there, because I didn't know how long my day was going to be. He was going to take the county bus home. I was excused (I knew the defendant) from duty in time to bring him home.

Meanwhile... back at the ranch...

I had arranged for Caleigh to go to tennis camp with Jennah for the day, because Lizzy had pottery class and both Luke and Anika had work. Caleigh didn't WANT to go to tennis camp. She really REALLY didn't want to go!!! But there wasn't any other option!!! Except...

Well, I made the mistake of mentioning (this was at 8 in the morning mind you and I was running out the door) that I wouldn't be opposed to a play date if it could work out last minute, BUT she wasn't to call any of her friends until 8:45 and that if arrangements couldn't be made by 9:15 she would have to go with Jennah, like it or not.

Interpretation of that idea in Caleigh's mind: You don't have to go with Jennah. No problem. You can be at liberty to work something else out. Anything at all, my love! but you'll have to figure it out yourself. Bye sweetheart! Have a nice day, darling princess of the house.

So, as you may know, cell phones are not permitted in the court buildings and no one had called right up to 9 am when I had to go through the x-ray scanner machine. But during the time I was in the court house 9-10:30, Caleigh let Jennah leave for camp without her, and spent the next 45 minutes (Anika was still home) calling every friend she had to no avail, and then moving on to every friend of her mother and father, telling them that NO ONE WAS GOING TO BE HOME TO WATCH HER AND COULD THEY COME PICK HER UP OR COME WATCH HER AT THE HOUSE??!! AGGGHHHH!!!

Truth is, I was home by 12:15 and she could have handled it for all of 90 minutes if it came to that, but she was able to arrange with Nicki to send her son Brenden over to watch her. Nicki, of course, had her whole office cracking up about it--she knows Caleigh well--but I had a few other friends worried about the whole situation, thinking "Oh HORROR OF HORRORS! she was going to be alone all day with no one to watch her."

Can't tell you how annoyed I was when listening to my voicemail, all the messages coming in from the various friends, with a worried tone. Nice!

Caleigh had the gall to ask if she could go to the carnival that night!

Feeling Torn

This is my new baby. It's smaller than the Yamaha :-(. The Yamaha was 5'7" and this is Knabe is a mere 5'1". I don't know how I missed that important piece of information in the series of events that quickly transpired over the weekend.

My Yamaha was a beautiful shiny black with a variety of bumps and scratches (that somehow showed up over the past six years--wah waaaah). Who would have expected my piano to take a beating from children the way our family room coffee table/s has/have? Even with all the minor dings and couple of scratches, its always looked new at about 36 years old. Shiny black is the charm.

This Knabe isn't quite as pretty! It's mahogany and well-built. It's not the shiny finish that gives a piano that newer look. The former owners obviously used it as a candle stick holder :-/ with the candle wax on the lid. I need to figure out how to gently remove that... if you have any ideas.

Redeeming factor: even before having the piano tech do his magic on the instrument, when I play it... somehow I get drawn in. There's a connection. I can't explain how that happens or what I mean exactly. Do pianos have a soul?

Memories and Exciting Prospects

I'm very excited. It looks like we may be hosting an exchange student for the school year. So far it seems that it may be a 15-year-old girl from Germany, but nothing is definite yet. In fact, the people from the organization may come to the house for the face-to-face interview and run away screaming, "NOOOoooooooo! Shut it down. SHUT IT DOWN!!!!" The inteview could go well, but then they could even stumble upon this blog and black list us forever!!!

I was rummaging through the old posts looking for some photos of the house (mandatory photos for this extensive application). The thought occurred to me that I could use some of the photos I've posted on my blog in the past. Photos of the amazing organizational talents I possess would be perfect!!! LOL. I stumbled across quite a few laughs.

Remember this lovely piece of twisted artwork? I thought I would repost this photo-memory for a little chuckle (all for you Ginger! all for you).

There was one vlog I posted a while ago called piano snippets which was ridiculous, but maybe I will make a new one. Anyone remember the lisp? LOL!!! But first...
This lovely dear I've owned for about 6 years now... well, I've so enjoyed it (on and off) but it has some problems that require a bit of work that I'm not willing to have done. The work isn't imperative for someone who wants to have a piano to tinkle around on, but for the pianist who plays regularly or gives lesson etc., the work should be done. Anyway, a wonderful situation has opened up for me to trade my Yamaha for a Knabe. I'm going to DO IT!!! TOMORROW!!!! woot woot. I'M SOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!

Maybe I will try VLOGGING again, and even play AND sing for you a bit... maybe. Aren't you ever-so-excited?!!!

Who Knew?

...that a pack of AA batteries on a lazy, cloudy day could be such an answer to boredom. Guess what's been rediscovered. And that's obviously not a photo of us. The room is too clean.

I Knew What I Was Getting Into...

but not really. Not really, at all.

This is VBS week where 3 of my daughters volunteer and the youngest one attends. It's a week-long treat of great evenings for the kids. They have to be there between 5:30-6:00 and they are finished around 8:30. So I have to remember to put some food together early for them or they are starving by the time they get home.

So, Monday was fine. I had my car running again, so that was good. I ran my errands and planned out the day with the driving and all.

Tuesday was a little more hectic. Elizabeth had pottery class from 9-1 , Tue-Thu. I had to get some of my own work done and I was helping a couple of kids land a temporary job. Jennah's writing workshop began, also. Little did I know, I was going to be driving her back and forth from the Southampton college. The workshop is from 10-3, Tuesday-Friday. Yesterday worked out fine. Once I picked her up, I was going to drop her and a friend off to deliver ads to the stores in the village (i.e. temporary job) but the big downpour came right about 3:00. And a little later I was making them dinner and scrambling to get them to VBS on time.

Today it got worse. I ended up offering another girl a ride to the writing workshop so that she could attend. (No one else wants to drive). After not being able to locate the car keys that Luke had last!!!! I found a second set and I ended up driving up and down the wrong street looking for her house and I didn't have her phone number. So... eventually we thought of someone who knew the street and house number. Needless to say, they were all 20 minutes late for their class on the second day and it was pouring rain with huge puddles and ridiculous drivers on the road. AND I was starving. Grumpy. Resentful about my life.

Now, as I sit here in all my continuous grumpiness, I consider the fact that I'll be picking them up at 3, taking them to town to hand out ads, bringing one of them to karate class, dropping off the other one, getting home hopefully in time to make dinner before the VBS departure and youth group, which is also tonight. I plan to come home for a few precious moments to breathe before having to go back and pick them up from VBS. I'm already dreading the entire scene.

Tomorrow I will do it all over again. I HATE THIS WEEK! Someone should say a prayer. My attitude sucks and I don't seem to know how to get out of it. Some of this if probably related to hormones. HORMONES SUCK TOO!

(Updated) Pool Rules

~written by Caleigh for Elizabeth's 6th grade graduation party and transcribed exactly as written

1. NO pretend drounding



2. no tugging


3. NO tripping



4. NO playing dead


5. NO hitting

(save screaming for when your really heart)
________________________________
No one said anything about NO trying to throw the fully-dressed 6th grade teacher in the pool and in the tussle falling off the steps into a heap on the bluestone patio, only to hear some rumbling thunder nearby and quickly getting everyone out of the pool just in time for a huge rogue lightening bolt to strike a mere 200 yards away.

Did you like that nice long sentence?

Dinner and Entertainment

I made a recipe called beer butt chicken. It's a total redneck meal, right? I just so happen to have one can of beer in the garage frig so I put on my cutoff shorts and halter top and started up the grill. I didn't have a whole chicken which the recipe called for, but I decided I'd try my own version using the split breasts. I think a whole chicken would have been more effective in containing the juices, but it was still no bad. I may try it again with a whole chicken.

As for the entertainment:
Caleigh has blue teeth from her raspberry ring pop. But this is her new bob. It's nothing spectacular but she absolutely loves it. She doesn't stop talking about it. Who knew such a simple thing could bring and 8 year girl such joy. Have I mentioned how many questions she asks every single day? (It's probably close to 150).

I was testing my camera for spots for these photos. Can you see them? That's not junk in the water. Those are spots from my camera--but it's not the lenses.I think my sensor needs cleaning.

I do love "splash" photos.

I'm wondering if I should ask for a central vacuum or a new camera for my birthday. It's coming up in a few months, so I though I should start planning ahead (HAHAHA). If you don't throw it out there you can't expect to get what you really want, right. BJ got a MOTORCYCLE!!!! for his birthday... which is why I kind of lean towards the new and improved camera, although a central vac would make my life soooo much easier. Both items are way expensive... but I have been working. hmmmm...

They Found Me

My car was broken down OUT OF GAS in the driveway for FIVE DAZE. (I don't want to talk about it!) But on Saturday I finally ran to the post office, being that Terry was home and I could use his truck. Needless to say, I came home from the PO with a huge pile of mail. Birthday cards for Luke and Terry, bills, stuff from the school. "Oh looky here! Two official looking pieces of mail for moi!! Huh?."

Guess who has come a callin'? JURY DUTY! Not one summons... but TWO! [heavy sigh] One is from the county and the other from the town, only two weeks apart from each other. Every other time in my entire life that I've been summoned I had reason for an exemption--usually having a nursing baby or being pregnant was the reason. Of course, I could play softball and do a cartwheel while being pregnant... but jury duty was out of the question. (Honestly, I don't even remember being called, but pregnancies kill brain cells).

Anyway, I've never served until now. Lucky me. I will go ahead and answer the call for both summons (if they need me) and get it over with for a couple of years. It's totally stealing my summer. Someone's gonna pay!!!! I'm just sayin'.

j/k j/k

Don't talk to me about "bored"

It's amazing how quickly we can all go in and out of boredom. I love it when they (the children) figure out ways of entertaining themselves. They totally crack me up with their random creativity.

Caleigh was off fishing last night with her friend. It started out as "going out on the boat" and then I got a slightly panic stricken call, telling me that they were going to be fishing. He friend warned her that there would be a lot of blood. "NO THERE IS NOT!!!" I countered. I told her that she was going to LOVE it and I was absolutely right. That's her above, proudly catching porgies. This morning she was right onto the next event--a birthday party. After that it was out to dinner, and then sleeping over. (Tomorrow is going to be a total bummer for her).

Elizabeth had a friend sleep over last night after marimba practice. They played in the pool all day, making up songs about unusual animals, and ran off to see a movie about a half hour ago. She gets bored SO easily!!!

Jennah was at the tennis club all day. She came home looking hot and bothered. I think she's presently in her favorite place--the couch--watching tv. She and her friend spend a lot of time making THE goofiest videos and putting them on youtube. Maybe they will become a youtube hit some day soon. "The A & J show". Jennah keeps herself busy and doesn't mind, sometimes, doing nothing at all).

Anika has a nice job hostessing at a restaurant in town. She had today off after jet skiing during the day, yesterday and then working the night shift. She slept until 11 today and lounged around on her computer until heading to a friend's house to help the mom throw a reunion party for the dad's high school class. They'll be prepping, serving, and cleaning up (supposedly) because they may get a bonus ($) out of it. She's staying over night.

Nate worked some of the day until there wasn't anything left to do, then hit the beach for a bit, came home long enough to change and catch the blue bus to his friend's house the next town over. He's staying over night. (It's nice not having to be the taxi driver--benefits of a broken down vehicle).

Luke came through in a brief flash from work, told me he was catching the jitney to the city to catch a ride back to college (8 hours away) with his friends. The purpose of going this weekend is so that they could get their choice of living quarters in the frat house this coming semester. He said he'd be back on Sunday. Oh and could he have some money?

It's 6:15 and Terry hasn't made it home from work yet. I'm thinking, if he's not riding in one of those 25 learjets overhead coming into the private airport a few miles from here, he'll be stuck in the weekend traffic for a little while. So... I have beer butt chicken slow cooking on the grill and it won't be done for another hour anyway. I've never tried it before and it's my own rendition of the recipe... but I was feeling a little bit bored with all the kids off running their own directions, so I searched on line for an interesting way to prepare chicken on the grill. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Cheers to a lazy but chore-filled day.

Specialized Tasks

I understand that a leaking faucet may sometimes require a professional repairman (such as a husband who knows what to do). The same is true for a broken down vehicle in the driveway (a brother or son who's mechanically minded may be able to find the problem and fix it--OR NOT!!! agh!). Sometimes, when the internet is blinking in and out, it requires a service call (or a computer savvy friend to take care of the situation--OR ANOTHER SERVICE CALL).

But... I never realized that it required a specialized task force or uniquely trained individual to empty the kitchen garbage... or to "properly" dust i.e. moving all the items out of the way rather than merely dusting around them... or to change over the laundry once the buzzer has sounded. How about emptying the dishwasher? Oh yea. That's seriously difficult!! I mean, where do the grill utensils even go??

Gotta love summer.

This daily overflowing-garbage-can in the kitchen is going to be the detonator for a good-ole-fashion-mama-explosion!!! FAIR WARNING!

More Crazy Times

We had a 5th of July party for Terry and Cristina's Birthdays. It was terrible. We didn't have any fun at all!!!
Why the wigs came out of the dress up drawer, I will never remember know.

Aunt Jemima here was NOT happy at all!!!

Who knows what the two were up to.

Joe is waiting patiently for Raul to douse him with the bucket...

but alas... Lillian gets it...AGAIN!

Joe rejoices!

Jennah was going to take over with the bucket while Lizzy minded her own business with the strange toy in which I don't understand the point.

Everyone is faking how refreshed they feel from the pool on this hot hot day.

And the laughing is solely for the photo op.

OK, Jennah was actually having fun.

And of course, the spanking machine had to happen for the birthday children. That's Terry trying to crawl his way through at 44 years old. Poor poor old man.

The expert paddy-whackers. (I am so in trouble when mine rolls around).

I really can't make a comment about what was going on here... but I distinctly remember Darryl (in the orange wig) eating two live worms!!! and no tequila was even involved. The worms were straight out of the garden!

Can Sandals even handle this gang in April?

Quotes

Foresight

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
- Thomas Watson (1874-1956), Chairman of IBM, in 1943

"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C’, the idea must be feasible."
- A Yale University management professor, in response to student Fred Smith’s paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service (Smith went on to found Federal Express)

"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
- Bill Gates (1955-), in 1981

"This antitrust thing will blow over."
- Bill Gates (1955-), on July 11, 1995

"We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."
- Decca Recording Company, rejecting the Beatles, in 1962

"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"
- Harry Morris Warner (1881-1958), co-founder of Warner Brothers, in 1927

Politics

"I don't know the key to success but I know the key to failure is trying to please everybody."
- Bill Cosby (1937-).

"We ought to be more focused on enemies without than preoccupied with finding them within."
- Alan Wolfe (1942-)

"A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government."
- Edward Abbey (1927-1989)

"Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has not heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains."
- Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

"I would have made a good Pope."
- Richard M. Nixon (1913-1994)

"I like to play poker with politicians. They’re easy to beat. Sometimes in poker it’s smarter to lose with a winning hand so that you can win later with a losing hand. Politicians can’t accept that."
- Havana (1990)

"The worst part about politics is that you're always right and no one ever knows it."
- Unknown

Proverbs

"A witty saying proves nothing."
- Voltaire (1694-1778)

"Hunger is the best sauce."
- Proverb

"Better to light a candle than curse the darkness."
- Chinese Proverb

"Even a stopped clock is right twice a day."
- Proverb

"A pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood."
- George S. Patton (1885-1945), US Army General

"Bad planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."
- Proverb

"99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name."
- Unknown

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, prepare to die."
- Klingon Proverb, Star Trek

"The greatest strength is gentleness."
- Iroquois Proverb

"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig."
- Proverb

"If you lose your temper, you’ve lost the argument."
- Proverb

Quotes from The Witty, The Though-Provoking, and The Humorous

Leader of the Pack

Yesterday was Luke's 19th birthday. He's a crazy boy. I think after we had a fabulous dinner he and all his buddies met up at the beach for a bonfire. According to some FB photos I believe at some point they took gasoline cans and in the wee hours of the morning, using the gas, created a huge radius of flames all around them. What to do with kids these daze?? AGH!

It's been a weird day. I finally finished a book that has taken me forever to finish. I started it before we left for Mexico in May. But I was determined to stick with it... and it left me annoyed at the end. I have a sequel waiting on hand. Dare I? I hate being suckered in after having to work so hard at staying interested (of course I must blame some of my struggle on being busy with the show I was in, as well as my recent battle with sickness and fatigue). I did just order two books from Amazon yesterday... I may wait until they arrive before deciding to start on the sequel.

The weather has been beautiful the past two daze. But the pool still is not clear! It's soooooo frustrating. We're having a big party on Monday--so I guess I have to visit the pool store AGAIN before the weekend hits. (Please clear up pool. Please clear up. Please oh please). The money is just flying out and nothing seems to be working. Have I mentioned that it really bothers me.

On another note, I saw the director today from the production that I was in of Grease. She's heading to Alaska tomorrow for a cruise!!! How divine. She's going with her adult daughter who has battled several rounds of cancer treatments including a double misectomy. (I'm obviously not spelling that word correctly and cannot found the correct spelling anywhere. It's beginning to feel like I just made the word up myself). Whatever the case... my director friend seemed kind of sad--maybe it was concern. I would have liked to chat with her for a bit. I think it's going to be an amazing trip for the both of them.

Seeing her and thinking about the conversations we could have had my thoughts went on over drive. I concluded with the idea that doing the two shows back to back may have cured my theater bug. [Terry rejoices]. There's just too much drama in theater! Seriously. I have so many questions floating around in my head and feelings of weird undertones whenever I see a particular fellow actor. It's as if, for a short time, we all become family even though most of us barely know each other at all outside of rehearsals, and the family unit lasts for about two weeks, or until the show's over--with all of it's intensity--and then a rapidly dissipates into a distant memory; into a collection of acquaintances. I have my opinions and feelings about the entire experience for each show I've done. They all have their amazing aspects and their "sucky" aspects. I'm usually straight forward and honest about those feelings--hopefully in a compassionate way, but then I wonder if some of my straight forward thoughts have been reworded and used to cause hurt feelings.

Well... I will chalk my feelings up to... um... waking up at 4:00 in the morning and not being able to go back to sleep... or... to the pool being green... or to the transition from school daze to summertime... or just needing a bit of adult conversation since I've had only a little of that over the past few weeks.

I need to hit the beach!