Memorial Day 2010

10 Random Things for a Friday

1. I still haven’t finished my to do list from Wednesday. Maybe taking next week off is not so hot of an idea.
2. I am doing 2 of the things on yesterday’s “fun” list today.
3. We are not going camping this Memorial Day weekend.That’s unusual for us. We will instead be going camping on the most ungodly hot weekend on record later in the summer.
4. The Babe’s favorite food this week is Stonyfield drinkable yogurt.She is REALLY unhappy that she can’t have more than one a day.
5. We have most of the garden planted.Again. Stupid deer.
6. I switched to iced coffee instead of iced lattes at the coffee shop. It is WAY cheaper.
7. There is still an Easter kind of welcome sign on my door to my office. I should probably take it down. But it is such a cute bunny.
8. The Babe has a playdate scheduled with her cousin on Monday.She doesn’t know it yet because if she did she would drive me crazy until Monday got here.
9. Verizon keeps telling me I need to upgrade my phone. Or rather that I CAN upgrade my phone. I don’t use all of the features of the phone I have now. Because I am cheap. That and the idea of being able to access my email 24 hours a day on my cell phone doesn’t really seem like something I want to do.
10. I found the piece that was lost for my sewing machine. Now I can't remember where I moved the sewing machine to. It's probably on the front porch.

Happy 3 day weekend everybody. Think of us on Sunday. But more importantly, on Monday remember the reason we get this 3 day weekend in the first place.

Kisses all around.

The Things I Am Going To Do So I Don't Lose My Mind

I HAVE to get out of my head and plan for something. Anything that doesn't involve causing additional anxiety. I have enough of that already. So we are going to plan fun things. Stress relieving things.

1. Take the majority of next week off. I have a ton of vacation days I need to burn.
2. Spend as much time as possible cuddling with Lucas and telling him how much his Grandma loves him. Because you see... I get to be Grandma ALL OF NEXT WEEK!! I'm stealing him and making him come back with us to Omaha next week. It's going to be GREAT!
3. Eat Sushi.
4. Drink Sake.
5. Have lunch with a friend I haven't talked to in at least a month.
6. Take a nap.
   
7. Call a friend that I have lost contact with.
8. Get a massage. Doing that tomorrow. What do you bet I fall asleep?
9. Watch a stupid sappy girly movie.
10. Sing along to Mama Mia.
11. Teach Lucas how to sign at least 5 new words. We'll shoot for 10. Taking suggestions on which words.
12. Go to the library. Find the stupid CD that I checked out that I had to pay for but that I know is somewhere in this house. Which will probably cause more anxiety so maybe we'll leave out that part.
    
13. Plant flowers.
14. Take a nap.
15. Hang a few pictures.
16. Take at least 50 photos. Think I can definitely do that with Lucas around. :)
17. Go into the place I usually go through the drive thru at and drink my coffee inside.
18. Stick my feet in a body of water.
19. Clean out my car and make it smell pretty.
20. Go shopping for a dress for my cousin's wedding.

Ok. That's 20. How many do you think I can pull off?

Invitation to Balloon Release

This is the press release that we sent out today. All of my lovely bloggy friends are invited as well. Consider this a personal invite. If you can make it to Cedar Rapids we'd love to have you. I understand that not all of you can make it. I mean, some of you live a few miles away. We'll let those of you who fit that segment of readers off the hook. If you can't make it please think of us on Sunday at 1:00 Central. Pray that we aren't losing our minds. Or more to the point that everybody else isn't losing their minds. Y'all are witness to the fact that I've already lost mine.


For Immediate Release:

Balloon Release and Event to Remember Still Missing Cedar Rapids Child
Release of New Age Progressed Photo

The family of missing Cedar Rapids child, Erin Pospisil, invites the community to join them in a balloon release remembering the 9th anniversary of Erin’s disappearance.

June 3, 2010 marks nine years since then 15 year old, Erin Pospisil was last seen in front of the home of a friend in the 1500 block of Second Avenue SE. Family and friends will mark the anniversary with a balloon release Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 1:00 PM at the First Church of the Open Bible at 1911 E Avenue NW Cedar Rapids, IA.

“This is the ninth anniversary of our daughter’s disappearance. Recent events in Cedar Rapids give us hope that Erin can also be found. No one can understand the feelings a parent goes through knowing your child is missing unless they have gone through it themselves.” States Jim Pospisil, father of Erin Pospisil. “Nine years later, the not knowing isn’t any easier. It leaves you numb at times but the sadness is still there. All of the time.”

A recently released age progression from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children gives the Pospisil family and the Cedar Rapids Police Department a new tool to assist in the investigation into Erin’s disappearance.

“As we have reiterated for nine years,” says Erin’s step-mother, Carolyn Pospisil, “Somebody out there knows what happened to Erin that night. It is our hope that the reminder of her disappearance and the new age progression will help someone to remember something that will give us that all important lead that will help us to bring Erin home.”

All in the community are welcome to attend the balloon release remembrance 1:00 PM Sunday at First Church of the Open Bible at 1911 E Avenue NW Cedar Rapids, IA.

For more information contact:
Carolyn Pospisil
Email: carolyn@helpfindachild.com
Website: www.helpfindachild.com

From the Mouth of the Babe

"Babe. What the heck were you thinking?"

"Well Mom. Obviously I wasn't."

Garden Progress 052410

Let me just say first of all that compared to all of the decades of gardening experience we have in beautiful and fertile Iowa top soil, gardening in Nebraska clay soil SUCKS. And why is it that the big garden that was obviously intended to be a vegetable garden seems to have the clayiest soil on the property? We saw on a gardening show that you could test the "mix" of your garden soil pretty simply. You fill a quart mason jar 2/3 of the way full with soil. Then you fill it with water. Shake it up until your arm is going to fall off. Then give it to someone else and they shake it until their arm falls off. Then you set it on the counter and leave it there for something like 24 hours. Don't remember exactly. But anyway, while it sits it separates. You should end up with 1/3 sand, 1/3 clay, and 1/3 loam. We ended up with 1/8 part sand and 7/8 parts clay. I don't think there was even 1/32 part loam.

So last year we didn't garden in the big garden. We were going to spend the summer amending the soil. Um. Yeah. Not so much. It was kind of a cash thing. Kind of a finding someone to haul that beautiful and fertile Iowa top soil all the way to us clay losers in Nebraska thing. Kind of a two little ones at the house all of the time thing. Kind of a the tiller is an old dinosaur that Husband was sure he could get running but decided it was a piece of carp thing. Kind of a we were just lazy thing. So we gardened a few tomato and pepper plants in the little garden. And they did pretty good. And the big garden was given over to the weeds. Or natural prairie. Just depends on how you frame it, right?

But we still try. Again this year. And yes. I know. It's a little late to be started gardening this year. But that's how we roll. We've been acquiring plants from various venues over the last month. We've planted seeds. Or rather, I've been buying. Jim's been planting. We've lovingly tended little plants and helped them grow to strong. And this weekend was for planting.

Husband spent all of Saturday evening tilling the garden. Then he spent most of yesterday afternoon and evening after the 90 degree weather let off, planting things in the garden. The Babe helped by planting "wonions". I stayed in the air conditioned house and cleaned. See how I am? And what is it with 90 degree weather in May? I mean, it's May for goodness sakes! Not August. And muggy. The dew point yesterday was somewhere in the high 70s. And why is it that I even KNOW what impact the dew point has on the mugginess of a day? And does any state really have 90 degree weather in late May? Certainly not normal for Nebraska.

Sorry, got off track. To the point. Husband planted yesterday.

Today the deer ate most of the plants.

Um. Yeah. I hear ya. My thoughts too.

Now he's out deer proofing what we already thought was deer proof. Which involves fishing line. Which is clear. So you know it will be ME that hits the fishing line.

But that's OK. We'll have Brandywine Tomatoes. So it's all good.

10 Random Things for a Friday

1. The bedbugs I talked about on May 7th, were not in my own house. So quit your worrying. But do you know they are EVERYWHERE? And they are expensive to get rid of.
2. I used to be friends on Facebook with a couple of people I know from back in the day. I am no longer "friends" with them. They must have "un-friended" me. I wonder what I did? Not that it really should matter but a little of that "I want them to like me" anxiety from back in junior high comes up. It's Facebook for heaven's sake. It doesn't matter. But I still wonder why.
3. My BFTCMHBFTLFA commented this week that she "swears on everything holy - if HOUSE is hallucinating - I'm never watching it again!!!!!" I agree. It would just be too much.
4. I'm allergic to codeine. And sulfa antibiotics. And paper tape. And mustard. Ever known anyone that was allergic to mustard? Nope. Me neither.
   
5. When a mix of some kind just says "spices" I should really pay more attention. Probably shouldn't eat it. Because as was discussed above, I'm allergic to mustard. Ask the pusher. She made me shrimp with the mystery spice mix. It must have had ground mustard. Because I thought I was going to choke to death.
   
6. My friend at work and I scheduled massages for next week. We made each other accountable for making sure that we go. I've been second guessing spending the money ever since.
7. The Husband ended the conversation with the Babe last night, by saying "if we find a bug in the house that is half your size Babe, we will probably move out immediately." That is the only part of the conversation I caught. I didn't want to know the rest.
8. Toy Story 3 opens on June 18th. I have already written it on my calender and scheduled the afternoon off to go to the movie with the Babe and her big sister.
   
9. If you are standing on a bridge and the bridge is burning get off the bridge. -- The Husband
   
10. The babe's favorite food this week is peanut butter.

How did your week go? Big plans for the weekend? No? Me neither. Probably should clean the house. Need to scrub the basement floor. Anybody want to come help? No? Me neither.

Be well friends. May your angels always move faster than you do.

Random Photos

This is my niece Emma. She turned 4 yesterday. Isn't she adorable!

Hard to believe she was so small when she was born. So glad she's a healthy 4 year old now. The million dollar baby. The miracle baby.

Random Photos

This is my husband with his two best friends. Willy on the left. Sally on the right. I miss Willy.

Do you see how young she was? And that smile. She could get away with about any thing with that smile. And see that stupid stretchy necklace. I don't think she took it off for more than a year and a half. One day it just fell off. And left behind a patterned tan line. :)

This is the Husband. With catfish. Imagine that.

Why the heck do people take pictures of fish anyway? Why do I take pictures of fish? Good thing we have a digital camera. I used to waste 1/2 of a roll on the fishing excursions.

Random Photos

This is the Husband. He's happiest when he is on or near any body of water. Preferably one with decent fishing. Doesn't have to be though. He'll sit out there on the water for hours regardless.

I have NO clue why I took this picture. I used to love those flip flops though. Loved them until they fell completely apart. Ever had a pair of shoes like that? They just yell summer don't they.

This is Sally. She loves being anywhere that we are.

Here is the Husband on the boat again. I have A LOT of pictures just like it. :)

Hold on. More to come. I'm on a photo roll.

Random Photos

These photos were taken some time around 2004. Was looking for another photo and ran across them.

We used to have this cat. I can't remember the cat's name. We think she got carried off by a hawk. She disappeared out of the back yard one morning.

I think she was posing with the new boots. I have NO clue why the air compressor is in the living room.

I took this picture of the decals on the back of someone's SUV. Someday I'll get it as a tattoo. I'll probably be about 70. Or drunk in Hawaii. Either is reasonable.

This was the bounty from the garden one day. We really need to get out and plant the garden.

Hold on. There is more. Just couldn't fit them all in one post.

I Get Stuck In My Head

Sometimes I get stuck in my own head.

It's usually about this time of night. The time after the Babe is in bed. Husband asleep on the couch. The dogs have been let out and back in for the night. Too late to do laundry. Probably should be cleaning something. But haven't the energy. Nothing on TV that I really want to watch. Why do we keep cable anyway?

Need to head to bed but my brain doesn't agree. It won't turn off. It won't slow down. It's been this way as long as I can remember. Except of course when I used to used to take those meds that made me just pass out. Those didn't last long. Couldn't shake them the next morning. It's this time of night when I used to get my best work done. I'd work on whatever assignment I had for school. I'd scrapbook. I'd sew. I'd moderate on that forum I was an admin for. I'd work at the bar. I'd play darts. I'd do the accounting for my clients. And yes, it was all still accurate. :) But I used to always have something to DO.

Making plans for when and what. Sometimes for the next day. Next week. Next month. Sometimes for things in the distant future. Plans that will probably never come to fruition. But plans all the same. Planning vacations I don't have the money for. Researching odd topics. Stalking people on Facebook. At what point is it really stalking? Reading blogs. Doing a lot of nothing consequential. But keeping my brain busy.

But now a days I tend to just get stuck in my head. Playing things over and over. Not really second guessing. I don't tend to play "what if"s or "if only"s. I get stuck in scenarios. You see, planning and doing keep me from going crazy. They keep me from losing my mind. I have to make a conscious effort to keep my brain busy. Or the memories will tear me apart. They try to. A little at at time. And the anxiety then keeps my brain going faster. So I "do" to keep my brain from taking on ideas of its' own.

Sorry to be such a downer. But I'm stuck in my head. I'll try and be better tomorrow. I'll plan for it.

10 Random Things for a Friday

1. Tomorrow is graduation day for Jr. I will be the proudest mother in the room. Because I know what this means. I know what he has overcome to get here. And it wasn't just the accounting class he had such a hard time with last semester.
2. What do you think the guys on Imagination Movers wanted to be when they grew up?
3. Andy was the first child I ever babysat for. We shared a love of Sesame Street and Mr. Snuffleupagus. It was the coolest because only Big Bird and Andy and I knew that Snuffy was real. Andy was crushed the day in 1985 when the rest of Sesame Street could see Mr. Snuffleupagus. I wasn't real happy about it either.
4. I recently subscribed to Cooking Light. It is currently the only magazine coming to my house. Apparently Mother Earth News has divorced me. Not sure how that happened. And not sure why it took me this long to figure out that I wasn't getting it anymore. huh. I do however buy just about every copy of Real Simple from the store. I probably should subscribe.
   
5. I love that the Babe is pretty much done shopping at the grocery store as soon as we have been through the produce and bread aisles. Grab some juice from the freezer section and she is happy.
6. I hate that the Babe is pretty much done shopping as soon as we have been through the produce and bread aisles. It makes it hard to get the rest of the shopping done. It does however force you to shop the outside aisles of the grocery store.
7. It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
   
8. The toddler BAM is growing like a weed. He seems to have lost his baby face. He is starting to look like a little boy. I sure will miss the baby stage. But this stage sure is fun too!
9. I have always wanted to take a ride in a hot air balloon. I used to see them all the time when we lived in CR. Not so much here in Nebraska. Pretty rare actually.
10. My mom has purchased the coolest present for Hubby for his birthday. Which isn't until July. It's going to be really hard to keep it a secret until then. Because I SOOO want to tell him before then. And I want to give it to him before then. But I will not. Because he deserves a rocking birthday present.

And thus is just a small portion of all of the things flying through my head this Friday morning. And now I have to fly. I have a lunch meeting. At the Thai place. Sounds like torture doesn't it? lol

Be well friends.

I Need a Vacation

This week bites. And it's only Wednesday. I need an escape. So now my brain is stuck in "I need a Vacation" mode. Anywhere really. Just away from real life for a while. But this of course involves more disposable income. And we all know how well I've done with THAT lately. So in the meantime, I'll just listen to "I'm on vacation" music. Won't you join me?

This Too Shall Pass

Have I shared this already? This just amazes me. I'd love to be in the mind of the person that put this together. Oh how that mind must work.

Hope you enjoy it too. The message in the song isn't so bad either.

I Stole This

"Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air - explode softly - and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth - boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn't go cheap, either - not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination." ~Robert Fulghum

Originally quoted by Kelle Hampton here in a very beautiful post that makes me want a vacation even more than I did this morning.

10 Random Things for a Friday

1. When I am at work, I have awful cell phone service. We are in a cell service "hole". Service is there but just barely. When it isn't receiving or sending text messages very well, I have a tendency to hold it in the air. Because, you know, that extra 2 feet really does make a difference. right? right.
2. I need a new iced tea flavor. I am bored with the ones I have. The passionfruit that was my favorite is no longer available. And I can only take Ginger Peach for so many days in a row. Anybody have any suggestions? Loose leaf tea, not bags. IMHO, Most of the bags taste like dust.
3. I find it hard to read web pages that are white written on black. And any color written on yellow. Don't know why. It just plays havoc on my eyes.
4. I need new glasses. But that requires cash that isn't already obligated to somewhere else. Besides, Hubby needs new spectacles worse than I do. He'll be getting his first.
5. I'm working on a 100 Things Life List. 100 things that I want to do in my life. And, no. It's isn't just places I want to go visit. However, winning unlimited mileage on American Airlines would help a lot in that direction. Or winning the lottery would work too. But we've seen how well I do with that.
6. John Lennon's final live performance was with Elton John onstage at Madison Square Garden in 1974. "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" was a song that they had co-wrote.
   
7. Interesting commentary. It's Not the Recession, You Just Suck Posted this on my facebook yesterday. It all got weird after that.
8. Mark Twain also wrote under the pseudonym of Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass.
9. I often have a hard time with the whole "I before E except after C and when pronounced as A" thing. I have to repeat that stupid phrase to myself at least twice a day. Just had to do it up above in weird. My fingers type wierd. But I know that isn't right. And spell check often reminds me of the same.
10. Elvis and I found a couple of days in the middle of the week that will work for us to meet halfway. It is no longer a "no one that can pee standing up" excursion. But it will be fun none the less.

Well that was a lame 10. But it's what I've got this week. Not much at all. My brain is fried. I think we'll do a picture post tomorrow. We'll see what we get. :)

Loves!

Photo Meme

Harmony in Motion tagged me for this:

Now the rules:
1) Go to your photo files, select the 8Th photo folder.
2) Select the 8Th photo in that folder.
3) Post that photo along with the story behind it.
4) Then challenge 8 blogging friends to do the same!

This photo is of my niece Ella. And she's 3 1/2 now so this is a few years old. She's just as cute now. But with more curls. :) And she's the Babe's best friend.

As we have well established, I don't tag people well. I wouldn't want to stress anybody out. :) So tag yourself and then link in the comments here and we'll send you some linky love.

Random Photos

Hello? Is there anybody in there?

This Made Me Laugh

Cheap GPS

stolen from here

Audience Participation

What is your favorite frozen entree kind of lunch option? Looking for new ones. Keep in mind that I don't eat meat. Except sushi of course. And I don't even want to think what that would be like in a frozen entree kind of thing. eww. Any suggestions?

It's Sunday Night and I Can't Sleep

I suppose technically it is Monday morning. whatever. Regardless, here you get a bonus ten. I'd write a whole blog about some random subject but my brain isn't working that way tonight.

1. We watched Short Circuit on Netflix via the Wii twice today. Reminds of when my brother used to watch it over and over and over and over and over and over. It isn't nearly as annoying when you haven't seen it in 20 years.
   
2. While I don't think I can bring myself to try all 100 things on the Vegan's 100 foods you should try list, I'm going to make an effort to try most of them.
3. I totally and completely bawled after finding and reading Kelle Hampton's blog this afternoon. Start with the "Start here" right at the top of the page. Seriously cried people. Need to cry? Read it. Don't want to cry? Better not read it. It's amazingly written. But it will make you cry. Unless of course you are way more mentally stable than I and then you never know. You'll probably just read it and say "oh. nice story." and move on with your day. But I doubt it.
   
4. I tried repeatedly but was never able to solve a Rubik's cube. My brain just doesn't work that way. I did however take one apart and put it back together to make it look like I had solved it.
5. Christmas 1975 or 1976 I asked for the Jaws Game. I got two. I distinctly remember having to stand in the longest line ever to return one at Target. I also remember how cool it was to have a whole $10 that I could spend in Target all by myself.
6. I have a hope chest that used to belong to my dad's mother. It's a beautiful Lane cedar chest. It is in my parents' bedroom. I'm not sure where the key is. I probably should clean it out one of these days. But it's been nearly 20 years since I opened it. I remember some of the things that are in it. Yes. definitely need to clean it out one of these days. All by myself. This could take a while.
7. I type fast enough that sometimes my fingers type whole words that I hadn't planned on in my head. I guess that they get bored and tired of waiting for my brain to catch up.
8. We had morel mushrooms for dinner tonight. And roasted broccoli. and the hubby had dead cow off the grill. I'd like to tell you that the morels were from our mushroom hunting adventure earlier today. But that didn't go so well. Short version: do not tell a 3 year old that she can go potty in the woods. It's a lost concept.
9. There is a golf tournament tomorrow to raise money for our foundation at work. It's amazing to me that I am helping run a golf tournament tomorrow. Further proof that my life is not where I ever pictured it.
10. We are out of gummy vitamins for the Babe.

I wonder if I'll ever run out of random things?

I'm thinking not.

Because I'm cool like that.

I'd say "nighty night. Don't let the bedbugs bite." But that assumes that anyone reading this is ready to go to bed and not reading it in the middle of the day at work when they really should be doing something else. (Pusher this means you.) Besides. I've seen bedbugs in real life now. And they totally creep me out. Just ask Kevin the bug guy. He'll vouch. I'm kind of over zealous that way. And not in a happy go lucky kind of excitement. More excitable.

Nighty night. Here's hoping the bedbugs stay far far away.