A-w-e......s-o-m-e

A-w-e.....s-o-m-e
awes ome, awesome
to-tal-ly

Football season is over. Leaves are falling. Fall is here.

We had been busy as all get out. Logan and football....Uriah and football....practices/games. I truly enjoy the game, but glad the nub bub is ending. Football season for the little ones is over, we have about 1 more week of equipment turn in, parties and the like.

Uriah's team won third place in the I-5 conference...he is a part of the Dixon Junior Dukes. He did not get to play much. The 2nd day of camp, he overdid it. It was hot, he was out shape....and he experienced chest pains and light headedness. He was born with heart defects, but nothing that really should have triggered that. He was pulled from the team for playing until we had clearance. He saw his cardiologist and we found out his heart is actually better and stronger than it was the year before when they checked it. Uriah got in a little over a week of practice in. He was supposed to play his first game that weekend, when at school, he was getting off the bus, and some 8th graders he claims to not know, were playing tag by the bus load/unload....'accidentally' pushed him, forcing him to break his fall with his hand......breaking it. Of course I am getting no assistance from the school. They are supposedly not at fault...it was an accident. What I would like to know is what the hell kids are doing playing tag/running/goofing off....where busses are loading and unloading students. Those are some awful big tires those busses have if you get my drift.

Logan is a part of the Northern Illinois Youth Tackle Football team. Their team I think is either 4 losses and 4 wins or 5 losses and 3 wins. NIYTF does not have conference games....it is strictly all in fun and teaching kids the basics of the game. Sportsmanship, teamwork....those fundamentals. Not necessarily who is the winner and who is the loser.

Here's some piccies :) They are handsome young men if I say so myself :)

Uriah age 12





Logan age 8

Been too long

Sorry, it is if I fell off the planet. I didn't, but I have been overwhelmed.

School started, football started and work is hopping. I did end up having to give up my job as a cashier at Wal-Mart to retain my sanity. They wanted more hours and I just couldn't give it.

School started and so far so good. Logan is in third grade, Urith in 7th. Both seem to like their teachers. Logan is doing excellent. Uriah though, we just got his progress report and he is slacking off in turning his homework in. So far he is sporting three failing grades :(

Football started and the 2nd day into football camp, Uriah complained of chest pains and light headedness. He was pulled off the field and unable to play. I was unable to get a decent dated appointment. It took me a month to get him in to see his cardiologist. So for a month he was "equipment manager". Early September he as cleared to play any and all sports. His heart is actually better than it was the year before. One of his murmurs is closed, the other barely noticeable. The valve still will not open fully, but his doctor doesn't see it to be so much a functionality issue as a cosmetic. So, Uriah is realsed and he gets in one full week of practice in. He was scheduled toplay in a game on Saturday...and that Thursday afternoon, he comes home with a swollen hand. Some kids knocked him over in school. Doctos visit and x-ray show that he broke his hand. Again knocked out of playing football. He is helping out with the team....so far. he may not be able to play the rest of the season.

Logan is going full force. He plays center, right end, tackle and special teams.

Go Dukes!

Anyway, just letting you know..... I have not fallen off the planet. Matter of fact, I just celebrated my 36th birthday last week. I was spoiled. Dave took me out to dinner, made sure I had plenty of warm fuzzies...then took me to my parents for cake and ice cream.

Scouts started back up again....I just can't wait...in a month....football will be over and my evening will be back to being mine and maybe it won't take "warm fuzzies" to retain my sanity. I have a bad feeling that, with football being over, will just lead to more hours at the job trying to play "catch up" with everything. It has been an expensive medical summer.....and my car STILL needs fixed. But the money tree died and I haven't found a sapling to grow one.

Seems like...the more I work...the worse the bills get rather than better :(

yearly physicals

BSA is requiring all Scouts and leaders receive a physical every 12 calendar months. That and my insurance company required one before September....so here goes. I had mine done on Tuesday. I have been being monitored anyway for my thyroid. Last year, my physician found a nodule, ultrasound was done, biopsy was done...it was all good. This year was another ultrasound, no change from last year so nothng more to do than to have another ultrasound in a year. I did shrink half an inch though...I am now officially 5' 5.5" and 129 pounds. Lab work was done, cholesterol checked, thyroid levels check (just making sure the nodule isn't messing with things) and a basic panel. Everything was found good except iron deficiency.

Uriah and Logan had their's done today.

Logan is 8 years old, going into the third grade. He is 55 inches tall......70 pounds. Found to be in great health. Has a dip in his chest, but that is nothing to be concerned with. She pointed it out to me last year, I really wasn't concerned with it. Everything underneath of it works.......hopefully it will fill in as he gets older.

Uriah is 12 and going into the 7th grade. He is 63 inches tall.....and weighs 107 pounds. I never weighed near that until I was about 23 and pregnant. He's not following my growth range......he is growing well. I was freakishly skinny. No heart check up this year, that is only done biyearly. He did end up getting a booster immunization for Hep A. I was surprised o find outthat they are recommending the HPV shot for boys as well. I didn't have that was administered.....it's a 3 part immunization that I still have questions about. When she mentioned it, I thought it was a girls only immunization, but they have included boys to it too.

So...other than us becoming sunburnt at the lake on Tuesday...we are all doing pretty good.

Utah came a visitin'

It's been a busy and fun week. Monday the 14th my Mom and her other half Jim drove in. They left on Sunday and at 4:15 a.m., as I sat in Donaldson break room drinking my cup of morning joe...I get the text, "are you up yet?" Of course I was, but what's this...they are in Illinois all ready? I wasn't expecting them till noonish or later..and here they were, Garmin battery died, it was as foggy as pea soup and they were at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Sterling. I so wanted to leave work, you couldn't have wiped the grin off my face no matter how hard you tried.

It was a short week for me, I left early fromwork every day, had Thursday off to visit, which then we headed to Sterling to see my brother, had breakfast,, went to the park.... it was a good day





Then on Saturday we had a combination Uriah's birthday/family get together/father's day cookout. Uriah turned 12 on Sunday, but I knew Mom and Jim were looking to head for home that day AND..... Uriah was also heading off to Stockton for Boy Scout camp.....so Saturday is when we had all the fun. But before we did Saturday, we had to pick up Supplies on Friday. We got to Ace and the sky was getting dark, the clouds were rolling in fast... we got out of Ace and mom says, "are we looking at the possibilty of a tornado?" I tell her, "no...Dixon is in a valley, we are rarely ever hit." We pull out of Ace and the rain comes down in sheets, she pulls over into a drive which is ironically our dentists. It is raining sheets, and then you hear "thunk, thunk, thunk." Ladies and Gentleman....we have hail. I try calling home to no avail....my phone is not picking up a signal. After the storm passes we finally get to moving and head to Sterling. Dave eventually gets a hold of me and reports to me that we have no power, please pick up something for dinner (I grabbed some Angelo's) and that a small tornado came thru our subdivision. I thought he was lying...but only to find out, no he was not and there was some real severe damage to some homes. I don't have pics on this PC..they are in my cell phone... you'l just have to take my word for it. ANyway...to Saturday....

Donnamom, Dad, Debbiemom, Jim, Russell, me, Heather, Dave and the boys.....it was an awesome cookout and something that may never happen again, but at least the boys got to see everyone together. Uriah had his brithday party, the dad's got their gifts later in the evening...it went well...burgers, brats and if you left hungry...it was your own danged fault :)






On Sunday Mom and Jim left....and then we sent Uriah to camp....there are pics on the Facebook page if you'd like to see more. I don't want to overwhelm the blogspot :)

Cooking with kids

Let's just say I don't let my kids cook very often. I let them cook with me and hope they learn. So, I thought I would give them a chance. I told them, "why don't you make some macaroni & cheese and some hot dogs." I figured it would be pretty simple. My favorite dish to make at Logan's age was beans and dogs. I figured I was in the next room, in case something went wrong..I was still there, but I let them pretty much go on their own.
After about 30 minutes Uriah says, "Mom....do you use the same amount of water that the box calls for?" I told him no.....that you are just bowling macaroni so it really doesn't matter. About five minutes later I hear, "are you sure? My mac and cheese doesn't look like your mac and cheese." So then I asked them if they added the milk, the answer was yes. The butter? Yes. Did you add the cheese packet? Yes. The ENTIRE cheese packet? (I had visions of Logan treating the cheese packet as a Lik M Aid candy packet.) Yes mom....the entire packet. After I questioned Uriah, I then questioned Logan geting the same answers....and then.....it dawned on me. I looked at both boys and said, "and at what time.....did you drain the water off the macaroni?"
You are supposed to do that????????????
That's you answer ha ha ha........ they never drained the water off the macaroni......

and yes, I ate every bite on my plate.............BLEAH!!!! But don't tell the kiddies......I hated it. I think they know it...but I never voiced it. All I said was...it's OK....you'll know better for next time...it's how we learn.

Children grow so fast - Uriah

On Sunday, Mom was over at my house (I have 2 Moms). She was talking to Uriah and said, so what grade are you going into next year? "Seventh" was his answer. OMG.....seventh grade...he is going into seventh grade! Seventh....wow that brings back some memories. I was held back in fifth grade, so my son is one year younger than I was in these grades, but to compare as far as grade wise, we'll just have to go with it.

My seventh grade year....Alta Loma Elementary...in Peoria AZ. A year I was trying to figure out who I was. Keep in mind.....I was meek, mild, geeky.....big time geek that refused to accept that. Clothing would be jeans.....usually 2 different colored pair of socks (slouched) to match whatever shirt you happened to be wearing. Rubber bangles and rubber rings, plastic earrings....some is shapes like arrows that actually looked like they were going through your ear. Freindship bracelets, and for some reason Metallica sits heavy in my mind.

His 7th grade year.....Reagan Middle School...and we have lived in the same school district/town his entire student career.

I was in the choir. I think I sang quite well and I enjoyed it. He is in band playing a saxophone.

I also tried, and I emphasize TRIED to play volleyball with the school team. An Alta Loma Lobo. I made the team, I was on the team, they kept putting me in and for what reason I have no idea....cause to look back at it...I SUCKED. I probably volley'd the ball behind me EVERY time. But they let me play.......sucking or not.

I may have been geeky, but I had alot of energy and could follow a beat. I joined clogging with a freind of mine named Mandy. I loved to clog, and I was good at it. Dance dance dance....... loved it. Messed my knees up something awful....but I enjoyed it.

I also remember doing paper mache. It was then I found another freind. A dark haired hazel eyed boy. This was my first crush. He was in a different grade, so he was on the other side of the campus wall. This was also when I learned if you want something to stay a secret, you don't write it on a piece of paper and give it to another student figuring they would respect privacy and pass said note to person you asked them to give it to. Instead they will look at it, laugh and then show EVERYONE, much to your embarrassment. It takes a long time for a "geek" to live ANYTHING down.

My first crush on a boy..........makes me wonder about my own little man. I know he has talked about a "girlfreind", which I approved of.....her Mom is a freind of mine. But Uriah has not gone out on a "date"......I think they are too young just yet. But it still seems kind of cute. Uriah had a "girlfreind" and I have also noticed these kids swap girlfreinds/boyfreinds like they swap notes in class.

I was also taught by some young lady freinds who took pity on me, on how to properly "tease" hair. Before then I always seemed to have "little kid" hair styles. They don't know how that one act, actually boosted my confidence enough to actually feel like I finally belonged. I am sure to them, it meant not much, but for this young lady, it made a HUGE difference.

I never really felt I had belonged for a long time. Of course I did move around alot for a few years. Utah, Arizona, Utah, Arizona, Utah, Arizona, and it continued until my freshman year at Peoria High School...... where nearing the end of the year, we moved and settled in Illinois.

Anyway........that one statement, "I'm going into 7th" just brought back a flood of thoughts and memories.....some good, some bad. Don't get me wrong..... geek or not...I still had an excellent year. I still have some good freinds from those years I can still count on. You know who you are.......you know your in my thoughts alot. Even one is now a Sister in Faith.....no longer just my freind, but a Sister.

Please Lord, don't let me fail my children and please make life a little bit easier for them. I know at the time I thought it was dang tough...but looking back, it was just learned lessons.

By the way.......I'm still a geek...... LOL

My son is too...but hopefully he accepts it a whole lot better and easier than I did.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

My day started out awesome...actually my Mom's day started yesterday. I came home from work, ate lunch and then sat down in the recliner. I passed out of exhaustion. I wasn't even meaning to take a nap, I just did. I woke up to fiond the dog laying on my side, my right leg completely numb and then it occurred to me I had a blanket covering me. I got up, and the house was quiet. They had covered me up and left to go shopping. How sweet was that? Dave wanted to take me out to dinner, but I begged off and instead we had chili at home. To me...it was great. I mean his plans were great too. He had given me a choice of three restaraunts....excellent choices... I would have loved nothing more than to go. But exhaustion said no and truthfully I would rather not spend the money...though you know inside I was drooling big time. But like I said, instead I made chili...an we stayed home...then here the fam had went shopping and spoiled me. He bought some ghiradelli choclates, Lindt truffles, chocolate cake, flavored coffee, roses, pistachios and that was just my surprise Saturday. Sunday morning I woke up to fresh coffee, cinnamon and spice oatmeal and a blueberry bagel. Then came the presents. Both boys made me homemade cards, and I had a store bought card. A little trinket here...a little trinket there, some jewelry, some from the store, some they acquired somehow, some plastic. I was spoiled :) I did get a set that I am slightly concerned with. Logan got me a necklace/earring set from Wal-Mart. I put them on anyway....saying a small prayer....please don't have nickle...oh please oh please, don't have nickle. I'll find out by morning..... but there was no way I wasn't going to put them on...he really likes the set he picked out. The necklace is a locket in the shape of a heart.....and the earrings are heart as well. I may wake up in the morning with swollen earlobes.....and then jewelry has been getting better at not adding nickle......let's just hope this is one of those cases.

Now I am just cleaning while I still have some energy. Working two jobs can take alot out of ya. I started putting my laundry away and that led to cleaning my room......the cat hair...holy cow..... can them cats shed. Then I worked my way into the laundry room. My dryer vent has ripped and I was leaking moist air into the house and lint. It has been like that for a while..I finally got tired of it and fixed it LOL yeah for duct tape. LOL vaccumed up the lint in the laundry room...which led to vaccumming the hallway LOL

Now I am sitting on my butt...waiting for the dryer to finish so I can do another load..the boys are in the shower and soon I will heat up the leftover chili and we can have dinner.

My little men love me :)

Happy Mother's Day to all :)

Picture fun :)

These are my handsome boys. I am quite proud of them both.
Uriah is 11 and Logan is 8


This poor flower, Logan brought home for me. He did it with the best of intentions, but sinceit was picked, I knew it's beauty would be fleeting, so I felt the need to capture it before it was no more. It was a long hard winter and Logan thought he would cheer me up with a bit of Spring.



This pic, I was waiting to g to work, relaxing on the couch and found a pair of plastic glasses with bushy eyebrows. Dave was taking a pic with his phone cam while Uriah had my phone.



This I post, supremely for giggles. It's not everyday I walk down the cereal aisle and see this...so yes, I had to take a picture. What does not belong here? Why, that would be the Miralax, aside the All Bran. I guess if one doesn't take care of the problem, the other will. LOL



Scout Night in Rockford. Yes...we enjoy ourselves some hockey. This would be the Ice Hogs game.



Logan and Uriah both got their shirts signed by Hammy :)



Hammy, signing the other scouts shirts as well



He's so pleased with his signatures :)



We finally got Logan's Pinewood Derby truck done. He wanted it to look like daddy's truck, excet daddy's truck doesn't have flames. Logan ended up not placing in the game, but he had fun nonetheless.




This was at the Eagle ceremony for Zach Woods......it had been a long week (as they have been alot of the lately) and as you can see, I really did not even bother to do my hair. I ran out of time. No make up either......WHA? That's right I went out in public...no make up and I wasn't even working in the factory that day LOL



Hi Dave....cheese much? LOL He's going for that crazy man...I hate cameras get it away from me look. But hey...at least HE did his hair LOL



Figures the ceremony was 2 days before their actual appointments to get their hair cut. Isn't that just the way it always seems to go?



As a "go see it" the pack went bowling. These are our scores at the end of the day :)




And this would be Logan's turn to "cheese" LOL




All done! Hope you enjoyed. This is ust a few of the things we have done as a scout group and family. Today is supposed to be my last meeting, crossover for my boys is next week. I may throw a meeting in here and there just to keep up.... but for the major part...after crossover....it's supposed to be the end of the year.

Ciao!

Uriah and Boy Scouts

Uriah received his board of review tonight.

I knew he had fulfilled every requirement for 2nd Class. I found out tonight after learning a few lashing, he has also fulfilled (which he has been working towards) every requirement for 1st Class. So, when it comes time, he will receive both awards tgoether :)

Great job Boo!

Oh please let this be the answer

Another whiny blog......LOL

Have been sick for quite some time. Last year it started around Thanksgiving and continued for months (thinking July). During that time I had x-rays, allergy tests, a lump was found on my thyroid, biopsied and found non-cancerous, they wanted me to have an MRI done, but I relented. Eventually I became healthy again and was able to go about my life.

This year it waited until February. By March, I finally relented and saw the doctor. Feeling extremely miserable was the final push. I went into the doctors office and I was running a fever (I had no idea) and determined to have an upper respiratory infection, sent home, lost 3 days of work and given a Zpack. In a few days I began to feel more human...my voice was gone...but I was feeling better. It has been almost a month and I still have a cough and that ran down feeling. I finally went back to see the doctor..I am stubborn..not a huge fan of seeing the doctor...so if I am going because I am sick...it's getting bad. She did not hear pneumonia, wheezing...but concerned about my complaint of heaviness and the chronic cough. I don't smoke, I don't inhale substances...... so, her answer we will try this time.......Prednisone. Let's hope it works.......

Dave told me...you realize one of the side efects is weight gain....well she is not too concerned as I have lost 6 pounds last time I saw her. The coughing, tiredness, being worn out...

On April 5th, my young man Uriah goes in for his Board of Review for his 2nd Class rank in Boy Scouts!! woot woot!

Bwahahahahaha! I'm a dork!

This morning...I finally get to the e-mail from Charity inviting me to her blog. I clickon....I try to log in...and it tells me my log in is old. What??? Boo to that... considering it has been a while since I have blogged, I figured they chaged their format or whatever...so I make me the new ID they seem to want. Then I try to get to my blog and it is not my blog...everything is gone...where is my blog and what is all this new stuff I am looking at.
I was not amused, I was not happy....I was very sad. I made my first blog in that ID expressing my unhappiness.....and disappointment. I was disappointed it was no longer linked to my Facebook, my picture was gone...it was just.....sad. But wait...there is more to the story that eventually leads to the obligatory palm slap to the forehead.
I went to my Facebook page....and clicked on my link for my blog. My ID everywhere I go is JNFR917. That would be my name...minus all vowels and on constanant. The 917...is my birthday 9/17. That's my ID...that's it... and every site I log into I choose that one first. Usually I have no problem getting it, but every now and then...someone else all ready grabbed it and so then my next choice is JNFR9174....imagine my surprise when I looked at the link for my blog on Facebook...and guess what the ID was..yep JNFR9174. DORK!!! My original blog was still here the whole time...I had whined over nothing. SO...now I have cancelled that account only because I really don't want more than one and I sure the heck am not moving everything over there, just cause I don't wanna and my home seems happy right here...even if it is not JNFR917. It wasn't there whenI first tried to sign up for a blog...it is there now, but it is all right...I think I will manage just fine right here.

It has been exceptionally busy...my life is nothing but that anymore. I mean...it is all ready mid march and it seems just yesterday I was doing Christmas. Donaldson has been working my tail off...I mean we are hopping at work. Still down one machine operator...it is just me, however they have now hired a back up for me and the pleater operator....she is almost done trained. A hard worker...her name is Kristina. Even though I am still working an average of 6 days a week (56 hours) at Donaldson (lots of overtime) I still have my part time at Wal-Mart (average 12 hours a week). Scouts at least once a week...though next week it is Spring Break so I will have 2 weeks with no Scout meetings and in truth, I will not know what to do with myself. I am so used to my life being busy and chaotic, that when something is taken away, the break in which you think I would be looking forward to (which I do look forward to) generally ends up unwelcome because I do end up being at a loss of what to do. It's like all of a sudden I have free time....and I have no idea what to do with it. I have fifty thousand things to do...it just is one of those things you go.....Wha........ what should I do...relax and enjoy it..or cross another thing off my list?
This last week I asked to have a day off from Wal-Mart and took a few hours vacation at Donaldson and we as a family...and the Scout group went to Rockford....and saw the Ice Hogs play.....they lost the game..but we had fun...I got to spend quality time with the fam...which was cool. Not something I get to do vert often because as in the words of my husband "You are either at work or sleeping anymore" We don't get much time together. I am hoping soon that problem will be remedied. I meanI am working mylife away...and it took me down a little over a month ago. I ended up missing three days of work, found out I had a respiratory infection, and I still have not completely shaken it. Antibiotics helped...breathing a little bit better, but I can still feel the crap in my lungs and I am still worn at times. Hopefully soon it will let go of it's grip. It's times like this I am grateful I quit smoking 13 years ago.....it would be even harder to regain my health had I not.
Currently it is going on 1 p.m., I need to get off my butt and get to wandering about the house. Figure out what needs to be done for the preparation of the week....laundry? food? house?
So.....gotta split for now.... until next time :) could be later tonight, could be tomorrow...could be next week.....we'll see LOL

Did you feel it?

That's right...Illinois...
Earthquake....4.3
Did I feel it? Sure, but I had no idea what it was. I was driving.....

the last two days we have received so much snow...it has been so slippery, that when my car started to drift to the left, I assumed I had hit a slushy patch (kind of odd for 4 a.m. actually).

I was driving and I could feel my car start to drift, you know, you get that butterfly feeling in your belly and you start thinking... "oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, please no please no please no" and then everything is back to normal..drive and mind your own business while wiping the new bullets of sweat off your brow.

It wasn't until I got to work that we were asked....did you feel it? So...that is what that was huh..... had you not told me, I would have been none the wiser, just thinking my car was being stupid that morning. That's right...stupid...an inanimate object under my power being stupid.... you would thinking after 10 years of having this car, I'd know it like the back of my hand. LOL I knew it was odd the way it was responding on my way to work, to drift like that is totally abnormal. Oh...and that's right *pats on back* I have had the same beautiful 1997 Buick Skylark Sedan....for 10 years :)

She's only been in the body shop once for repairs......A pedestrian hit my car. Yep, you heard me right, a pedestrian hit my car, not the other way around. I was driving down the road (inside lane), he bolted across the street through traffic and hit my passenger side fender and door. Police found me not to be at fault, because of where he hit my car. Had I not tried to stop, he might not have hit me at all. But I saw him, I applied the brakes and was stopped, when he ran knee first into my car. The police were beside themselves. So was I...a mess in tears, blubbering away because I thought I was at fault, that I had hit him. That I had just injured another human. I had seen him at full sprint, he was going so fast, his forward momentum, he couldn't stop. Just *wham* It's not everyday you see a face in your window. It took about 30 minutes to convince me it was the other way around.

Someday I'll trade her in for something bigger...... someday. But for now.....she suits me just fine.

Later all....we have a committee meeting for Cub Scouts tonight......

Awe...it is Superbowl Sunday and what am I doing? I was paying bills, trying to get organized....
The boys are playing the Wii while I keep my brain occuppied, ignoring the fact that there is a football game on we could be watching...or at least the commercials.

Yesterday my baby boy hit the big 8 for a birthday. 8 years ago he came into this world weighing 9 pounds 2 ounces and was 22 inches long. Today...he is 67 pounds and 4 foot 8. My how they grow. He had an OK birthday. I had to work...and he asked me twice before I went into work to call off. I told him I am sorry, but no. We had a small birthday celebration for him (and Mom Donna - hers was 1/14) last weekend. Complete with pizza and cake. I got off work yesterday, had told Dave to go ahead and take the boys to the movies (he wanted to wait until next weekend so I could join them). They saw Avatar...which I also want to see, but I can wait until it comes out on DVD. After they got home, we had more pizza, I bought another cake and we had ice cream. Not to long after that I headed for bed bacause I had to go back to work in the morning. I do dislike working so much, I'm tired, worn out, but something has to be done, bills have to remain paid, and it does help that I enjoy what I do. Even though some customers can be downright rude. Like todat for instance... the day of the SuperBowl, and Sunday to boot... guess what you can't buy before 11 A.M.. That's right...alcohol. I had started at 8 A.M. and by the time my forst hour was up, I had two cases of beer by my feet. One was extremely annoyed I wouldn't sell it to her and the other asked me if I could move the clocks. The one who was annoyed withme thought it was crap that alcohol can not be sold before 11 on a Sunday and made the observation that Rochelle does the same thing. I looked at her and said, "I beleive....it is Illinois state law...I could be wrong, but that is the way it is." I then asked Penny and we still are not sure if it is state law, but it is the rules we have to go by and no amount of whining is going to change it. She made the comment that she was just going to go somewhere else... fine..go for it.. you'll get the same answer.... no beer before 11... plain and simple. It's not just my rule deary. Now usually I am not that curt to customers and I should have known it was beginning of things to come. By the time my shift was over, my head was starting to pound. The left side of my gace felt swollen and congested. Am I catching a cold...or is it just my body saying...ok, had enough..rest needed..thanks.
That will still need to be determined as I went straight home, took an Advil Cold and Sinus and went straight to bed where I slept for 2 hours. So far I am still feeling OK... except a bit of dullness behind my sinuses..... maybe that could be the nedicine wearing off, I am not sure...it'll take till tomorrow to figure out the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth LOL.
Things are going to get easier for me here soon. I was listened to finally and they posted a back up position for my line. Martha, who has been off the line since August because of a back injury, is still off the line and now they are thinking that surgery will be the only answer to her woes. In the meantime, I have been the lone ranger...and wearing out quickly. 5 months of being the only machine operator... no rotation, and very little time off.... can take its toll..especially when were dumped on at one point with work and I was working 6 days a week. Add Wal-Mart to that makes Jen a cranky girl. It would be nice if Uncle Sam would not put his hand out at times like that. As working 6 days a week only throws you into a higher tax bracket and you make out with less than you should have gained. This annoy me to no end because my family...along with 50,000 others are barely holding on to what they have. When you think things are going OK...the government..whether natinal or local, throws a curve ball your way. Just this fall the tax assessor Wendy Ryerson, supposedly came through the area and reassessed the value of our home and others.
Dearest Wendy,
You valued my home at being at $150,000. Would you like to purchase it at that price? because I will happily sell it to you at that price. Good luck though finding a loan considering the value of our home is actually $115,000. You'll have to pull that extra $35,000 out of your own pocket because no bank on this planet will give you a loan for this house at $150,000. However we get to pay taxes of $35,000 that we can't get.
Our taxes went up 28% in one felled swoop. This happening...our house payment would raise. We are all ready struggling..so Dave figured that if they assessed our home at $150,000, we could refinance and lower our payment. One pest inspection and one assessment later, our refinance was denied. So now that is even more money out of pocket... for a pest inspection and an assessment that would not have been necessary, except now we have proof in hand that our home is not valued at was Mrs Ryerson claims it to be..... though.... there's nothing we can do about it. What they say is in stone..so screw you common person....we don't care if your taxes just went up 28% and that you are indanger of possibly not being able to make your new payments...no escrow for you HA HA HA (yes I am extremely bitter). I all ready work 2 jobs for pete's sake..... I'm not usually this crabby of a person.....until you put your hand in my pocketbook and create even more trouble for me. I didn't appreciate the blind sided swipe for my local government who just wants even more out of me.

Ok...enough crabbiness...... Phew...that was wicked. Night all..have dinner to get to.

Testing.....I just saw where there was mobile blogging...... so...testing it out..gonna try a picture one next :) *squee* if it works

Heyya!

It's 19 days into the New year and boy have I been busy. Work, work and more work. Between Donaldson and Wal-Mart, I'm pretty much tied up. We have been on overtime for forever it seems. Even Saturdays, which really cramps my Wal-Mart style because everytime they mandate me for a Saturday, I have to find some solution to cover or change my Wal-Mart hours that I was all ready scheduled. I feel awful everytime I have to because I feel like I am looking at Wal-Mart and saying...,"hey...thanks for the job, but you are not worth it. I choose this one." Granted Donaldson is my bread and butter, but sometimes the bread and butter needs to step aside and let the mashed potatoes get some gravy. So with that I have been working an average of 70 to 75 hours a week. I am the machine operator. If I'm not there...it don't run. There are two of us, but the other one injured her back in late July and has been under doctors care and light duty since early August. So, I have been on my own. She has about 4 more weeks of light duty and work to tolerance. If there is no improvement by then, her next option is surgery.

I did have one resolution and truthfully, I had that accomplished before the New Year and that was to update my address book. Which I accidentally packed in with the Christmas stuff and I still have been too lazy to go dig it out. Speaking of Christmas and Cards... I did have returned to me the original card I sent to Aunt Kay and Uncle David... I just got it back today and the envelope was torn up pretty good. Personally it looks like someone opened it at first glance.

Things have been going pretty well here. Logan brought his report card home and I am delighted to say he is making A's and B's. Uriah though... dropped in almost every single class. My A/B student is running at a C average. I am not amused...and guess who lost most of his priviledges/ He was supposed to go Skiig with his Troop...but I told him that grades like that, I will not reward him with a skiing trip and until he proves to me otherwise...all other things are gone as well. I spoke to his teachers and apparently someone was being disorganized and forgetting his homework.......repeatedly.

The mighty Rock River is pretty high with all the ice jams. The water is almost even up with the dam. It concerns me somewhat, but we are high enough we will be OK......it had been beastly cold for quite some time. Very very very cold...cold enough cars even groan at the thought. Seriously... it groaned numerous times LOL

Now let me see if I can figure out this picture thing... bear with me as I am going to try some pics that really have no point other than being random :)

Hey...that wasn't so hard now was it?????

Now... when I have time... you all are in trouble... is there a way to add titles to the pics? I am familiar with HTML...but very rusty.