Doctor Sleep

Took me over two months to get it read, but I finally just finished "Doctor Sleep" by Stephen King.  Loved it.  It didn't bother me that I read it slowly.  It was a continuation of "The Shining" so it felt familiar. And a story that you didn't want to end too soon.
I, for one, was happy when Mr. King decided to write some more.  I love his imagination and his stories.

At the Island

Pat goes camping on Sargent's Island a few times a year.  He had invited us out one time last year, but I wasn't ready to take two kids to the river.
So this is the last open camping weekend on the island and Pat is camping.  He was told to invite us again and he did.  We went for the afternoon evening and had a great time.  Connor played in the sand.  Connor climbed on root balls.  Connor played ball with the dogs including the new one he met named Roxie.  Connor ate and ate and ate.  Once we got home he slept a good sleep all night long.
Pat was camping with his friend Deion so we got to meet her and her dog.  We had a lovely camping dinner.  We brought camp stew while they had steak.  Pat had told me to bring food and charcoal.  We sat around the campfire.  Pat thought he lost a lure so we went for a walk to look for it.
It was a really great day and Mom had a good time.  Connor had a good time.  I had a good time.  It was really nice and peaceful there even with other campers milling around.
Thanks Pat and maybe next time we will camp.

Mowing Jean's

Looking up at the upper field.

Looking down the upper field.

Almost to the side section.

Looking down the side section.

Front yard.

Orchard.

Behind the orchard.


About nine years ago Jean hired Mike to mow her yard.  Her own kids didn't want to do it anymore.  They had their own lives to live.  So Mike did it once and then said he didn't want to do it.  So I took it over.  And I did it for many years.
When Dave retired money was tight and he wanted to smoke.  So I let him have the lawn job for the money.  Then I moved and he kept doing the job.  Well skip forward to this week and he is tired.  Says he doesn't need the money and would I like the job back.
Yes, yes I do.  And so I did my first mowing in two years and my first mowing of hers in probably five years.  It is still a big job.  Takes about five hours to do the whole thing.  It's all good as long as he watches the littles and I get to use the kubota.

Acting Out

Well after a short visit with Daddy I knew the acting out would come.  We have had some epic meltdowns.  Over the stupidest stuff.  But it does seem to be easing up some now.  I know no visits would be easier on me but I still maintain that all contact that is not drug laden is good for them.  They love their parents and need to see them in good lights and just see them.  So I get to deal with the consequences of the abandonment issues.  And that is my job.

Family Dinner

We bbqed at Mom's again.  Brats, hotdogs, chips, deviled eggs, and cantaloupe.  Lovely.  Audrie as usual declined but we brought chicken nuggets with for her and she ate those. No sweets and it  helped a bit with the over rambunctiousness before dinner. Still on an every other kind of schedule for doing this.  Mom really likes it.

Visiting More With Daddy

Audrie and I took Daddy to Farmer's Market.  She got to spend some time on the playground playing with Daddy while I shopped.  Got a nice little haul from the market.  We ran into Josephine who was Connor's CASA person.  Showed her pictures of the little man.  She is a wonderful artist and had a booth at the market for her stained glass.
Late afternoon we all ran Mike up to Kelso to catch the Greyhound bus back to Wenatchee.  He still has business there to tend to and needed to get back.
It was good seeing him.  He looked good.  The kids interacted.  My heart broke as he got on the bus.  Audrie kept saying "that is my daddy, that is my daddy, I want to go with him." She hasn't ever reacted that way before.  Poor little girl.

Daddy Visit

Mike was suppose to spend some time in rehab again via DOC.  However after one day he called Dave and asked for a ride.  Came back to Clark County for a couple of days.  Spent a little bit of time with his children.  They were quite happy to crawl up on his lap and let him read books to them.  Usually they are standoffish as he is usually high.  So it was a good moment and created a memory for them.

Blacktop

So the parking lot got a sealant.  Made it all nice and new looking and very black.  All the cars had to park on the street.  By tonight the black was dry.  And boy oh boy, did the kids have a blast.  The bikes and scooters came out and they rode and rode for a couple of hours.  No cars in the lot and none to worry about coming in.  There were at least 11 kids out there including mine. Wish they had a place like that all the time besides the skatepark.  The skatepark is great but not for two year-olds.

Applied

So work did an internal posting of a new position at work.  It is a cross between my job and Jacob's job.  Still part time but more money.  I didn't have to think about it very long to know I was applying.  Took me three days to get it done.  Online applications are a little bit different than old paper ones.  And I didn't want to do it with the littles around.  Anyway it is completed and submitted.  Now the waiting game begins.  There have to be enough applications and then there have to be enough diverse applications. Very complicated stuff.  Who knew I fit the diverse category though.......got to love that.  43 pays off.  Over 40 counts as a diverse category based on age.

Drama

Apartment drama is just getting annoying.  Supposedly the one person who causes most of it is moving at the end of the month.  I am so hoping.  It's not the end of the month though and anything can happen.  If she moves it can go back to normal here.  Tired of all the ups and downs of addiction.  Thought I only had to deal with that stuff in my own family.

Fun at Work

So due to a mishap the computer network went down at work.  I actually think the problem started yesterday but full force today.  So we worked for several hours without benefit of the computer.  Luckily for us we were able to stage a couple pallets and have them ready to go out as soon as we were able to receive them in the computer.  Doing the work backwards made us feel like we weren't really getting much done.  And yet we were.  Three pallets today.  And Brenda got a lot of returns heading out.  Got to love when incoming and outgoing are at same time.

Ghost

There was a CSI" about a homicide in a high school.  The characters in the show talked about what they were in high school.  Jock, brain, cheerleader, etc.  Grissom answered he was a ghost. It was like a bam.  Exactly.  That is how I felt.  I'm sure not that many would know who I was or even that I was there.
It has been proven a couple of times.  I went to my ten year reunion and saw a guy who lived a block away from me, went to school with me from sixth grade on and rode my bus. When I said something to him at the reunion he had no clue as to who I was.
Then I had a dealing with a sheriff deputy almost ten years ago.  This guy went to school with me from seventh grade on.  He didn't remember me either.  Now granted by this time we have aged quite a bit.
That is all kind of expected as I was a quiet kid.
But this last month I found out I am almost a ghost in my own life.  I had a brief conversation with an old friend and he spouted off about not remembering something from back in the day.  It was something of great importance to me and he can't even remember it.  Then another old friend did more than that in not remembering me when we spent a lot of time together.
I understand that every one remembers what they remember and that we are not all going to remember the same things.  I just find it a tad unsettling when I discover I am a ghost in my own life.

Party With a Cop

Marti invited us to Jessi's Welcome Home Party.  The kids had a blast.  They ate and played hard.  They got soaked in the sprinkler first thing.  Then they played yard games and ate cake.  Jessi looks so good.  And Alan is always a kick to be around.  He shared his glazed donut vodka.  Every cop has to have his donuts.  Those that tried it said it was sweet.  Didn't sound very appetizing to me.
It was nice to meet all the people I have heard Sarah and Marti talk about.  Met an interesting photographer and his SO.  They were both great and had great stories.
Both kids were so worn out afterwards that they took a very late nap.  That may have been a mistake but we will roll with it.
Thanks for a great afternoon Marti and Alan.

The Rescue of Sylvester

John finally named his kitten.  And so far Sylvester is surviving the littles.  The littles slowly are comprehending that he is a baby and not a toy.  It is all a learning thing.  Anyway.....
I"m just finishing up cleaning carpet (again) and I hear Sylvester meowing.  I'm amazed because I should not be hearing a cat from three doors down.  Went to investigate and he is hanging half out the window on the screen.  Seems he got lonely and wanted out.  Pushed the screen and it gave from the top.  Once he got part way out he was stuck and couldn't go either way.  Kristie was standing there looking.  I have a moment of deer in the headlights and then act.  Jeremiah was coming out of the office and I had noticed he had a ladder in  his truck.  So I asked him if I could borrow it.  Yup.
While he was getting the ladder Bianca came home.  Her only comment is to catch him if he falls.  Well duh.  But have you ever caught a falling cat?  She said she didn't care if she got scratched up as long as the cat didn't get a broken leg.......okay but I'm the one under the cat. I would have caught him instinctually if he had fallen.  Sylvester was squiggling and the screen gave some more which gave him the opportunity to move.  And out he came but he caught the screen and was hanging on the outside of it with all fours and for all he was worth.
Jeremiah got the ladder up and climbed up and rescued him.  Brought him down and Bianca grabbed  him, said he was scared and put him in her house before leaving.  Jeremiah went back up the ladder and fixed the screen.  So all's well that ended well.  The kitten is fine.  The screen is fine.  And we will all survive the repercussions.  Who knew that a cat rescue could quash my co-dependent tendency towards taking care of things?

Later Brandi

Brandi is moving on.  She is the cashier manager at work.  I worked for her for awhile before moving to the warehouse.  She is so happy and gregarious and friendly.  After 14 years of customer service she has decided to move on.  Customer service can be a tough job.  And to know that it is time to move on before the job makes you less happy, gregarious and friendly is a gift.
She is moving to the IT department at the college.  So we will still see her on occasion.  A lot of time when people travel on their journey they never look back.  It will be nice to keep a little connection with her.
So we had a gathering to honor her 14 years at the bookstore.  About 30 of us met up at BJ's at Jantzen Beach.  It was a good time.  Listened in on interesting conversations.  Jacob came so he and I caught up on each other since my birthday. Heidi brought cake.
Bon voyage Brandi.  Keep smiling and laughing and enjoying life.

Whoa

Bianca is away for the night.  So John came down to my quad for amusement.  And we had an actual conversation that wasn't all twisted and convoluted. I learned a little more about him.  I found out he has paid attention to things I didn't think he had.  We ever so carefully touched on the subject of sex.  Now I don't talk about sex with men not my husband.  And since I don't have one of those now........
But we are going to have to go back there because he had caught my comment about handcuffs the other day.  And then he said interesting things.  Delving into my fantasy world.......Whoa.  Glad that Audrie needed something about then.  Not ready to go there today unprepared.

Snickerdoodles Again

Every so often the Conway driver really really annoys us.  He refuses to deliver to our dock even though we pay for that privilege.  Most of the time we roll with it. And then we get annoyed.  And right now we are getting a lot of pallets.  And our ABF driver always delivers to us.  So I bake.  Tomorrow or Thursday he gets snickerdoodles.  Whichever day he delivers next because we know he is coming again this week.
Also we are celebrating Spencer moving on.  He has given his notice after working with us for three years.  He is pretty much working full time at his other job now.  We wish him well on his journey as we eat snickerdoodles.

And So It Goes

The creepy neighbor continues on his quest to get me to talk to him.  I'm so not sure if he is stupid and hoping for reconciliation or trying to be intimidating.  He never says anything inappropriate...he just keeps talking.  And I keep ignoring.  I guess he doesn't realize that keep pushing me means I am pushing back....you just don't see it yet.

At the Fair

The littles and I went to the fair. We were joined by Uncle Pat, Grammy, Zaysha, John and Bianca.  Grammy rode a few rides and got tuckered out.  Pat took her home.  It was extremely hot and she was feeling it.  But she had a good time before she left.  Zaysha was our rider and she did a lot of the rides with the kids where they needed someone with them.  Then she went off and did her own thing.  There were quite a few rides the littles could do on their own.  We were there all afternoon and the kids had a blast.
We could see the Monster trucks from the ride area.  We could hear the Monster trucks from the ride area.  I only lost Connor three times.  Once when he took off to catch up with John.  Surprised John a bit, but Connor did find him.  The other two times he had jumped the barricades to the games and was trying to get the balloons.  Funny boy.
Audrie said her favorite ride was the swings and Connor said his was the cars.  Figures on both.  We had a great time with great company.

Yes, That's Right

So Dave sends me this message because he is sure I don't know about it.  Seems I can go against his earnings when I retire and claim social security.  Yup.  He just found out about it.  Isn't that funny?  I told him this when I filed for divorce (but he rarely listens to me).  There isn't anything anyone needed to do, it is just law.  Kind of duh.
I certainly would not fair well on my own earnings.  :p

Lunch at Mona's

On Fridays I try and have lunch with my friends.  We have been together for ten years already.  Today we met at Mona's house and she baked a lasagna.  We brought the side dishes and dessert.  It was really nice.  For a change we did not talk about our problem children, which is what brought us together in the  first place.  We talked about the past, animals, fishing and yards.
Barbara and I went out back to smell the jasmine.  Still my absolute favorite scent in the world.  One of the plants suffered from a snow storm and is now only two feet tall.  I told Mona that if she ever sold her house I wanted that plant.  She never gets suckers or I would have had one already.
It was a great lunch and we all went home to take a nap.  Well except Mona who was already home.  :p

Passive Aggressive

So I label myself passive aggressive.  Someone said something about my personality and it got me thinking.  What is my definition of passive aggressive?  It is more than just doing what needs to be done to do what I want to do.  It is part of being non-confrontational.  I don't necessarily lie, but I may sin by omission.  That said I have no problem lying to an addict not in recovery.  Saves me the confrontation.  And they don't have my respect.  No respect.....means no respect.  They don't respect me so I have no reason to show respect to them.
I prefer to be quiet and unobtrusive.  I don't tend to get involved unless dragged in.  I like things peaceful with no stress.  I want to fix things behind the scene.  Yeah like that ever works out.
All my life I have been quiet.  All my life I have dealt with addicts and the consequences of their addiction.  All my life I have had great amounts of stress.  It is no wonder I learned at an early age how to stuff feelings and become quite passive aggressive.  Saves a whole lot of trouble.
Doesn't mean it is good.  Doesn't mean it is bad.  It just is.

Posting

Liz told us that they are posting a new position in the warehouse.  It will be a position inbetween Jacob's old job and our job.  The hours would be the same as we have now so no benefits, but the pay is substantially better.  Almost $3 an hour more.  The biggest thing would be learning to drive the forklift.  I CAN get over my fear of doing that if it means that much more money.  So I am going to apply.  I love the hours that I work now.  I work hard and yet I still have time to play with the littles.  And it feels like I have already been being groomed for it a bit. One of the things is this position is in charge when Liz isn't gone.  Well who has been doing that? I always go around saying I'm in charge.....of myself.  Crossing my fingers.  As well as if someone from outside our department comes in we all lose some hours and I don't like that.

Marionberries

And they are ripe and they are delicious.  I picked enough for cobbler over the weekend and made one.  Shared it with a couple of single moms here near me.  So much for that cobbler.  It was so good.  So yesterday when I went to pick up Audrie I picked enough for two more cobblers and made them last night.  Shared some with the guys and that left me one cobbler.  Sounds like my brother is hinting for a share so I will need to put that together for him before I eat it.  So far neither little seems interested in it.  They helped me pick berries and ate berries while doing so.
I'm using the easy easy recipe I found online.

2 cups berries

3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
4 tbs butter

Melt butter in cobbler pan.  Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Whisk in the milk and pour into cobbler pan.  Sprinkle berries over the top.  Spread another tablespoon of sugar over the top. Bake for one hour in a 350 degree over.

Car Blues

I got the Mini back yesterday.  Costed about $1500.  Ouch.  And to think that I did it to myself.  Last time I added oil I spilled and some of it ran down into the alternator and burnt it out.  Lovely.  Anyway now I have a new alternator, belt and battery.  And I have my car back.  Mom got her car back and feels better.  I wonder if she wasn't afraid it wasn't coming back.
You can bet I will be much more careful when adding oil.  Lesson learned.