RSVP, y’all!

I got a call from my grandmother last night. She had received our wedding invitation her last day in the hospital (my aunt had brought it up there to her) and she was so excited to get it, LOL. I think I spoke to her for a good half an hour or so … she sounded a LOT better. She was asking about where the reception was being held and whether Jim and I needed a tablecloth, punch bowls, silverware, etc., LOL! I assured her that we were going to use “throw-away ware” and she needn’t worry about dragging out any of her good dishes or china for our wedding because I didn’t want to worry about any of it getting broken, lost, or ruined. She then started on about food and drink and invited me over to pour over some of her many cookbooks to look for appetizer and dessert recipes.

Of course she gave me a verbal RSVP. (John, you get the prize for being the first to send in an RSVP but you forgot to tell us who you were bringing … as if we didn’t know already *grins*)

Speaking of which, those of you in the metro area (hell, in the whole state!) should have received our invitations by now. Out of state may take a few days longer depending on local delivery (and may take longer with the upcoming holiday).

Please RSVP as soon as you can so that we can get a head count for the reception!

Please also let us know how many is in your party and who they are.

We’re looking forward to the weekend. I’ll hopefully be finishing up my side project. It’ll be nice to get paid. I’ll be able to pay off a few bills early for this month and maybe some of next month — which will be nice because I will have to pay off the dress fitting next month, and we’ll have car tags and property taxes next month too. I’ve got wedding-related events almost every single weekend for the entire month of September, which makes planning family time hard, plus we’ve still got to get anniversary gifts for a couple friends of ours whose anniversaries are coming up, plus we still have to schedule a time to speak to Jessie’s principal about taking her out of school for a week to go with us for the honeymoon (assuming she brings her grades up — they’re slipping!), my God we’ve been busy!

I swear wedding planning is hard enough, planning plus having a life plus family plus a job is harder. LOL! Then here’s the reality of it hitting you when it’s so close. A year — even six months ago it seemed so far away. Only a month and a couple of weeks to go now … I’m nervous …

… nervous … nervous … nervous …

Excited. But nervous … :grin:

Linky love, stealin’ your heart

I’ve been following a blog called “Tha Fuzz” for a couple of days that I ran across via my server logs — he’s using an early version of my “Jim’s Monkey” theme for WordPress and someone followed the link to my site and I in turn followed it back to his via the server logs. It’s run by a young man in central Florida with Leukemia named Sabastian.

So here’s some linky love to Sabastian, ‘cuz his blog (and his story) stole my heart.

Corruption, extortion uncovered at DMOZ

This morning I ran across this story at Blogging Pro about a scumbag editor who attempted to extort funds from the site owner of Shoemoney.com for his already existing listing at DMOZ. Read this snippet:

A while back I got a email from a guy claiming to be a DMOZ editor saying that I had to pay him $5,000.00 or he would have my site: shoemoney.com removed from the dmoz.

I thought nothing of it … then today I got a email from him saying it was removed and I might want to rethink not paying him. I thought I would check just for grins.

It was removed … WOW

:shock: WTF?!?!

You know, I had have the hardest time getting my listings moved to the correct categories. I am tempted to just remove them altogether. That’s a despicable act, and I’ve heard rumors of that sort of thing going on for years, but this is the first time I’ve actually seen it in “print.”

Sixty-five roses

For years I have done charity work for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, or as a friend of mine’s daughter, Natalie, used to call it, the “sixty-five roses” (she was only four when she was diagnosed but oh so damned cute and stole my heart instantly!).

I stayed up late last night working on one of my side projects but couldn’t help thinking of her because the website for one of the kids of the client I was working for is her age. Sadly I lost touch with her mother when she moved away from Birmingham years ago. I’ve had several “lost” friends run across my site over the years and I’m hoping to either run across her on the web or her run across here by chance. I’d love to hear how she’s doing. The last work I had helped her with was for an event I had done on the side … her daughter needed a portable oxygen concentrator (aka, a “tank”) so she could breathe more easily more easily … back in the day these were big bank, so I threw up a quick website on her employer’s host and we hit Southside after I got off work. I think we spent the better part of the weekend bar hopping and hitting up every shop owner asking everyone to give out our flyers advertising the site asking for donations. Within a few months they had the amount needed for Natalie’s tank and her momma cried happy tears for a week.

I hope she’s doing well … I hope they both are …

Quick update

Just a quick note: Again, I’d like to everyone for their well wishes and prayers. I’m sitting at Jim’s mom’s house right now. My mother called me on my cell earlier to let me know that the doctor says that Grandmother should recover fully from her stroke. She’ll begin therapy Monday. I’m going to go see her after I leave here … I just wanted to post a quick update and say thanks again.

Edit:

(Sunday) I wanted to come on and post a bit more info (and clean up my horrible spelling, typing on a cell sucks!). Grandmother’s two doctors seem to be in a disagreement as to whether or not she’s had a stroke. When we left the hospital last night one was saying that he thought she has had a stroke and would make a full recovery, the other was saying that it wasn’t a stroke and could be something else affecting her. Mentally she’s been in and out of it. When we first got there she was incoherent and could not remember anyone’s names, but she started going on and on about various foods (my God, she went on about OATMEAL!). By the time we left, she was talking about her cat, Bebe (and at one point rambled on about each of our previous pets and various premium dog food and cat foods, and Big Man Gramps’ old goose, etc.) so we knew she was clearing up. One nurse wonders if some of her mental clarity problems are due to certain medications she’s been put on lately and I’m inclined to agree as that’s when all the recent trouble started, but we won’t know more until the doctors are able to run more tests and she’s able to start therapy next week.

Something that concerns everyone is that she’s refusing to eat or drink anything. If she keeps it up, they’ll have to tube her … and she definitely WON’T like that.

Saw Mother and Daddy there. Neither of them spoke to Jim, as usual …

It all piles up at once, don’t it?

I don’t really have much news to post but appreciate the well wishes and prayers. I’d called my mother a few times yesterday before leaving work and the last time I spoke to her she said she’d call me as soon as she knew when and where Grandmother was being moved to but I have not heard from her since. It’s possible they moved her during the night so I’m going to give her time to be up and around before calling this morning.

Yesterday was “busy from Hades” and then some. On the way home my windshield was cracked by an unseen object coming from — where, I have no idea. There were no cars directly in front of me at the time, so I can only assume that it was from the other side of the interstate. What pissed me off was that it is too large to be filled in and the windshield will have to be replaced altogether. I know my insurance will cover it, but it’s a hassle I didn’t need right now. This happened on my way to get several errands run late yesterday afternoon. I had a doctor’s appointment and several other things I had to have taken care of. I had a hair appointment last night and chopped my hair off — well, to me “chopped off” means shoulder length. It was well down my back and as much as 6 inches was taken off in some places. So now it’s a little more evened out and the top layers are a bit chunked. I really like it, but I think Jodi (the lady who cut my hair) wasn’t so sure about cutting that much off me, LOL.

Anyways, I get in last night and, Jess was squalling … she had closed the car door on her hand yesterday. I’m constantly on her to watch what she’s doing and where she’s going because she’s “almost” always about to hurt herself on something. Well, yesterday she learned the hard way. I put an ice pack on it and checked her fingers. There’s a LOT of bruising and it’s swollen (HUGE!) but she says that it doesn’t hurt and I don’t think anything’s broken. We’ll have to keep an eye on it over the next few days to be sure.

My dress fitting is today. We didn’t get to go see Jim’s brother last night, which is probably good because I was an emotional wreck last night and I don’t think I could have taken his kids for more than 30 seconds (I know that sounds horrible, but they ARE good kids, they just need disciplined BADLY!!). We’ll probably swing by there this afternoon. I’m hoping by then I’ll have heard something from my mother about Grandmother.

I’m supposed to start work on my side project today, but I don’t know yet if that’s going to happen. It’s a website for a client I’ve done business with in the past, nothing hard but a lot of coding involved. We need the money, and I need the distraction but I honestly don’t have the energy or the desire to get started on it right now. I’ve started having trouble sleeping again and have been having weird dreams, from one the other night about being back in high school, to another weird one with puppies and fishes, to one last night about me and Jim’s ex getting into it and I decided to take it out on her truck by taking it apart and throwing her truck toolbox into the yard. (I’m sure that felt very gratifying)

Anyways … I know it’s all stress. I’ve just got to find more “me time” and make more time for my outlets because if I don’t, it’s going to start getting to me again. I’m just now starting to get my headaches to go away … I can’t have them coming back.

Need some prayers

Spoke to my mother a little while ago. My grandmother has had a stroke and has been admitted to Monclair hospital. Please keep my family in your prayers.

Let it go, let it go, let it go

There’s a song I love by Cowboy Mouth called “Jenny Says” … a friend of mine used to send it to me all the time, especially the bridge, “Let it go, let it go, let it go.”

Wise words to live to by. Bloody good advice that someone else recently gave me that my ass really DOES need to follow more often.

I’ve got no reason for the things I fear
The things that plague me when I see and hear
A dime’s a nickel and a nickel’s none
I throw myself into the Sunday sun
That summer Sunday when you went insane
You said you’re going, but instead I came
I’m throwing oranges in an apple cart
The ties that bind are tearing me apart

Jenny says turn off the radio
Jenny says turn off the light
Jenny says turn off the video
You beat yourself up to bring yourself down
Let it go, let it go, let it go
Let it go, let it go, let it go
When the world keeps coming down on me
I let it go

I’ve got no reason for the things I say
She turned toward me then she turned away
There’s lots of voices in a modern world
They take their toll upon a modern girl
I’ve got no reason for the things I fear
The things that plague me when I see and hear
I press my finger on an itchy trigger
What once was small right now is so much bigger

Jenny says turn off the radio
Jenny says turn off the light
Jenny says turn off the video
You beat yourself up to bring yourself down
Let it go, let it go, let it go
Let it go, let it go, let it go
When the world keeps coming down on me
I let it go

I’ve got no reason for the things I do
The dealer deals and then the deal is screwed
You throw your cards up on the playing table
My name is Cain and I am now unable
I’ve got no reason for the things I fear
The things that plague me when I see and hear
A dime’s a nickel, a nickel’s none
I throw myself into the Sunday sun

Jenny says turn off the radio
Jenny says turn off the light
Jenny says turn off the video
You beat yourself up ’cause you love it
Let it go, let it go, let it go
Let it go, let it go, let it go
When the world keeps coming down on me
I let it go
Let it go, let it go, let it go
Let it go, let it go, let it go
When the world keeps coming down on me
I let it go
I let it go, let it go, let it go
I let it go, let it go, let it go
I let it go, let it go, let it go

I’m stressing over too much stupid shit that doesn’t really even fucking matter tomorrow, much less a month from now. Money’s tight today, but I have a side project coming up this weekend and next week that will keep me busy for the next couple of weeks and I will hate every minute of it but it will be money in our pockets and pay for more wedding goodies and pay a few bills early. (Paying bills early is always good and I like doing things like that, I’m a super organizer freak when it comes to the bills.) Things at work are going well, I get along well with my coworkers. The guys are helping me out with my .NET project and we sit around and goof off when we can (obviously not with our feet propped up on the office desks or anything but we always get the work done and still manage to have a good time!) … it reminds me of the old MACESS.

*nostalgic*

Ketchup time!

With Jessie’s birthday being in the middle of the week last week, we had to have it over the weekend. We ended up having to celebrate it Sunday. I was a little disappointed because we weren’t able to do more for her because Jim had work-related obligations that had to be met all last week and for the better part of the weekend that prevented us from celebrating sooner. (not very fair to Jessie, but couldn’t be helped)

And bless her heart she winds up sick Monday morning. Jim called me early that morning. He had been at work only a few minutes and the school called. She had a fever and was sick. He left work and went to get her. I called the doctor’s office to find out how soon she could be seen. Luckily she didn’t have strep throat or anything bad, just the usual bug that’s been going around. She stayed home with me yesterday and acted up and bratty … I was ready to take her back to school. ;P

She was feeling a lot better this morning and was cleared to go back so she took her medicine before I left for work and last I heard she was doing OK.

She was telling a friend of mine yesterday about Jeremy and Christy’s baby shower this past weekend and I overheard her telling about her and her friend (Rachel) going to the restroom and playing with the bathroom faucets. I pretended not to hear and kept working. After she hands the phone back to me and I get off the phone, I let a few minutes go by and ask, “So, played with the faucets?”

*crickets*

:lol:

She then explained that her friend was playing with the faucets and that SHE told HER that she shouldn’t waste water like that. LOL!

Yeah, ok … I’ll take that … for now …

Work’s going well. Health-wise things are going well. The meds seem to be “taking”. I have one more appointment coming up, and it’s pretty much to make sure everything’s kosher. The wedding planning is finally starting to fall back into place. Jim and I have fallen a bit behind on the invitations because the enclosures are taking a bit longer than I originally planned.

I received another decorative bit for the reception:

Isn’t it lovely? I bought 10 of them and will spend the rest of the week putting them together … after the invitations are mailed, of course! I also have a dress fitting this weekend, so I’m anxious about that because I’m not yet down to my “ideal weight” so I’m stressing … which I know doesn’t help. My doctor has been fussing at me because she says that I don’t need to lose any more weight. She’s also a foot taller than I am and very beautiful … I’ve always been short and petite. I’m a perfectionist. Right now something isn’t just the way I want it … so I’m going to obsess over it.

*Obsess, obsess, obsess, …*

Anyways! That’s where we are right now … those of you who are coming, watch your mailboxes, they are coming soon … I promise!!!

You never know what you’re missing…

Someone once told me that you don’t know what you’re missing until you see it in someone else’s house. That much is true, LOL. The strangest thing occurred to me yesterday. I never knew these things existed until I saw it in one of the house ads on the Remax site. The house had custom range hoods. I had no idea such a thing existed, but apparently the owner was so proud of their kitchen that they took great detail in covering everything that had been done to it, including these. (I had to look up what those damned things were! LOL)

Not bad, huh?

At first I thought it looked like something that should go around a fireplace, but it did look nice and to be honest puts mine to shame. I never gave it much thought. The hood that is over my stove top looks almost exactly like my mother’s, my grandmother’s, Jim’s mother’s, … practically everyone I know … I never have seen anything different and never gave it much thought until I saw that ad for that house.

Now I know.

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