Not the break I wanted...

Ok, I hate housework, but this is not the kind of break I wanted....

My best neighborhood friend called a little bit ago and asked if she could stop over for a bit. I had a feeling something was up because we stop over each other's house a lot, but we either do not call ahead or call ahead because we want to borrow something or return something...or see if it is a good night to walk her dog...

Well, she told me her family is moving out of the neighborhood for personal reasons. And they are moving this Friday. I am bummed...she is moving only a few miles away, and I will visit until she is sick of me...but it will not be the same as having her in the neighborhood. She has been here since I moved up here...she has been here for all the neighborhood kids whenever they needed anything...and she does not want to go...I wish there was something I could do...

I am getting more bummed the more I think about it...

New Plans...

So the chores are getting there...time for a blogging break:)

This morning, on my way to Bally's, (which I forgot to put on the chore list) I went to the library to pick up a couple of books I had reserved. Going to the library is like feeding an addiction for me. I try to reserve books so I just go in and get what I reserved and get out quick....cuz I could browse all day and not get much else done...like chores:)

Well, the WH library makes the mistake of putting new releases, 14 day checkout - no renewal, right by the desk where ya pick up reserved books. Now that's a problem...because over the summer I started stumbling (in more ways then one) and slowed down on my reading. In the meantime, all of my favorite authors have released new books, and there they were right in front of me...I could not resist.

Needless to say, I have a lot of reading to do in the next two weeks....

But this could be a good thing...because I have a plan...ya see I put the books in the room with my exercycle/clothes rack and I have made up my mind that I will only read while I ride.

Reading can be good exercize...
read the pounds away...
let's see how long I keep that resolution...

Planning my Weekend...

I figure if I am going to blog this morning, I should make it useful...
So...boring as it is here is my weekend to do list...

• Laundry...lots of it
• Clean G-man's room, my room, living room, kitchen, bathrooms, basement...
• Check schedule for OSU game...done - how can I schedule rest of day w/o knowing?
• WHills Library to pick up reserved reading material (thank you Janet and Sandra)
• Grocery list (it's Thanksgiving week - yay)
• Grocery shopping - cuz turkey needs to thaw (otherwise this would probably be on Wednesday's list...)
• Budget - before I grocery shop so I do not overdraw at the grocery store...
• Sunday Mass at 2:00 or Browns game on tv (ok, ok, it is for G-Man)
• Update football profiles on web...
• Add countdown....to web
• Catch up on G-man's calendar
  
• Find some time for me...
• Quit blogging and stumbling and get to it....

I will add to this blog as I think of things to add to list...(you know how good I am at finding ways to get out of chores...)

Happy Weekend!

My Football Hero....

So last night was the High School Football Sports Award banquet.

G-man was voted by his teammates as Best Offensive Back for the 2nd year in a row. I am proud of him because he worked so hard this year to come back after a season-ending ACL tear late last year.

I try to let G-man understand how proud I am of him, not because of his God-given talents, but because of how he makes use of them to better himself and be a good team leader. Earlier in the week I decided that I wanted to do a little something to show him I care.

He plans to participate in a teen retreat this weekend, so I thought I would pick out a Bible and a rosary for him, not just for the retreat, but because he has been showing an interest in the Catholic Youth Group his girlfriend encouraged him to join. (I believe it may have been more of a shotgun type encouragement from her Dad, but that is another story.)

I started with my usual approach to shopping...on-line:) I did find a few choices in the $15-$45 range. But since I wanted this Bible pretty much next day and I wanted to look at it to make sure it was something that would interest G-man, I knew I was going to have to visit some bookstores.

Where to start....not too many Christian bookstores in the area...but then any bookstore would have Bibles, right. And I just happen to know a guy who own a bookstore....And would you believe, he actually has a used copy of an Athletes in Action New Testament. Hmmm, not sure I wanted just a New Testament and not sure I wanted a used Bible....

But then I got to thinking. Until recently, G-man was almost as religious as I am. I want to encourage his faith formation, but I think he may want to pick out his own Bible. So all of a sudden Athletes in Action is sounding pretty good. It's a deal.

Now for the rosary - not at this bookstore. So, I head to the nearest religious gift store I can find. Now mind you, I am looking to buy an inexpensive (~$5) corded rosary. This store has a few different rosaries. And they are beautiful...and they should be for $40.

So then I got to thinking, again...I saw a corded rosary in G-man's car a few months back after one of the Youth Group sessions. I'll bet it was a gift from his girlfriend and he would rather use it than one from Mom....

So last night, just before we were ready to leave for the football dinner, I give G-man a card and he sees the Bible in my hand....

Is that a Bible, Mom. I don't need a Bible - I asked the group leader last week. I do not need a Bible. Why did you buy a Bible?

Ok. Ok. Calm down. I guess you do not want a rosary either...

I have a rosary in my car somewhere...

So why are you going on this retreat? For your girlfriend?

And the other kids...I made a lot of friends in the program and it is fun and I am learning a few things and Fr. Andy is a nice guy...but I am not getting all religious or anything...

Well, just take the Bible on retreat in case you want to read it...or if you want to look up a passage they are talking about...

Yeah, let's hope it's not in the Old Testament cuz this book comes up short in that department. Or maybe one of the cute girls will have the Old Testament and I can be her study partner....

Yeah, that's the G-man I know and love...

Hmmm...wonder if I could get those letters back I wrote....

Ahhh...so that's what I have been doing wrong...

Further Aventures of Peyton PHlaCe...

So I am sitting in a defect scrub (aka, a long boring meeting) when my phone vibrated...yes, an excuse to walk out of the meeting.

After I answer and assure G-Man I will be home in plenty of time to get to the sports awards dinner, I decide to take the long way back to the meeting. Through the ladies' room, past a friend's desk (who also found an excuse to leave the meeting), grab a jolt (gum), and ok, if I have to, back to the meeting.

Sitting there I am thinking that this would be a good meeting to program my phone to ring automatically. I can fake answering my phone as good as the next person.

So I sent a message to my walk-out cohort suggesting we figure out how to do that. He replies 'good idea' and at that exact moment a phone rang. It was not a phone belonging to anyone in the meeting. It was the Peyton PHlaCe phantom phone that we hear every so often. The ringer sounds like an old-fashioned ringer. I am not talking rotary phone bell ringer, older than that - Alexander Graham Bell-Watson age ringer.

And no one knows exactly where in the building that ringer is coming from...it sounds the same wherever you are in the building when you hear it. And apparently not every one hears it at the same time...

My Futurama....

Fool me 7 times...
shame on you!

But fool me 8 or more times,
shame on me...

Yeah, I was watching tv again...

From Scoop Sunday into Blue Monday into White Tuesday...

Sunday was a busy day as far as Sundays go... I got myself out of bed relatively early, did a load of laundry, made breakfast for G-man and prepared to take on the chores I skipped on Saturday.... Then the call came....yesss....

What ya doin, Mom? Ya know we need to renew our phone plan and I have have errands to run - so why don't we go to lunch in Akron?

I will do anything to get out of housework:)

So now I have a new phone instead of a clean house... Scoop, scoop...please be patient over the next few months while I figure out how to answer, text, save numbers, etc., etc...but I did figure out how to take pictures...now what do I do with them?

On the way back from the Alltel store, I did stop at Ballys to work off the Steak'n Shake lunch (cheddar topped fries with extra chesse on the side...yum) and a deluxe topping burger with musrooms and grilled onions (double yum).

Then I headed home to fill out paperwork for a LifeTeen retreat G-Man decided he wanted to participate in...no problem, except all paperwork and registration was due last week and $70 does not grown on trees...but we got it handled...never discourage spirituality in a teen...even if the initial intent is to impress a girl...:)

After G-man left for teen life I did start a few chores and then the call came...:)

Mom, guess what I left at home...the forms and money you for retreat...can you rin them up here?

I am not meant to do chores...I am sure of it...

And when G-man came in the door later that evening, he was upset...hit the punching bag across the basement floor upset....must be girl problems...stay out of his ways and pray for his safety...by morning all was well again...

Except for the swollen cheek...it was bigger and more painful than it was last night...did I forget to mention that above?... ok, that is pretty tough to fake...G-man gets the day off from school... And I am off to a day of meetings and office chatter about what the morrow will bring...

And hoping for a snowstorm tonight so tomorrow is white-out Tuesday instead of black-layoff Tuesday:)

But hope the snow holds off till we get back from Kaiser...cuz the cheek is suddenly worse...