Post-It Note Tuesday...Stick 'em Up!

I'm trying post-it note Tuesday, just because it seems like something fun to do & I want to make sure I stay out of any sort of rut. Link up if you like it :)

So sad...

I went to the eye doctor back in January.  It had been more than a year since my last visit.  The doc was great, figured out that my eyes are indeed oddballs, and took care of my prescription.  Yay for new contacts!

Ahem.

To clarify, oddballs = differently shaped.

To further clarify, differently shaped = two different shapes.

To clarify to the fullest?  two differently shaped eyeballs means two different BRANDS of contact lens.  And two different prescriptions.  (Yes, I'm legally blind, but that's another entirely long and rather boring story.)

My new doc was kind enough to mail my prescription to me - wahoo! - no 40+ mile drive to his office just to pick up two boxes of contact lenses.

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Did I mention I'm legally blind?  

I did?

Ok, no big deal, just making sure you're paying attention.

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Anyway, the doc mailed my scrip to me and I was oh-so-excited to receive them.  I eagerly opened the box and found two different brands (as expected), but no note within indicating which brand/lens was for which eye.  I puzzled about it, pondered, examined the boxes, flipped them all around, scoured these silly packages and found nothing.

That was in February.

So I kept reminding myself EVERY DAY to call the doc's office to see which contact lens I should switch to when my lenses wore out, and which one was for which eye.

And I kept forgetting.  And forgetting.

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Have I ever mentioned that I have twin daughters who participate in multiple sports & I'm sucker enough to volunteer for board positions because I enjoy being able to make a difference where my kids and/or twins and/or multiples are involved?

Ok, maybe I didn't mention that part.

Anyway, I get sidetracked working on other stuff and frequently forget things like...phone calls to doctor's offices.  Like the one I made for my annual exam that was due May 21...and is now scheduled for July 8.

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So, back to the contact lenses. 

I had searched these boxes and was unable to figure out which lens was for which eye.  And one night, after working on the deck project (another story to follow sometime in the future), I got some solvent in my eye, my lens promptly dried out and nearly fell out of my eye.  

Since I'd been wearing the same lenses the doc gave me (back in January)(have you noticed the date? in case you haven't, it's JUNE) I thought I'd better pull them out and toss them and give one last shot at the box to maybe be able to figure out which lens was which and how on earth to put the right prescription into the proper eye (yes, I've done it wrong before)(and it resulted in a migraine).

And guess what?  

I'm old.

Happy birthday to me!

Just Thursday

Outside my window... um, yeah, don't have one.  

But inside my cube there's a new photo flower (thanks, Mom)!

The time is... 7:50am.

Today I feel...tired.

I am thinking... it's going to be fun at the church festival tonight!

At the moment, I am thankful...my cube neighbor isn't talking.

I am going.. to be hungry today.  I forgot my lunch at home.

I am wearing.. olive green shirt, khaki pants, ultra-comfy Keens.

I wish...I could have slept a teeny bit longer this morning.

I am reading...Microsoft guides to Sharepoint.  Excitement galore.

I am working on...learning Sharepoint so I don't wander aimlessly around the site when I'm asked to work on something!

I am hoping...the IFMOTC convention goes well this weekend.

I am hearing...typing typing typing.

Around the house...are 3 ladders, 3 scrapers, a heat gun, 
a sander, and a bunch of deck boards (in a pear tree).

I bet you didn't know...I get incredible motion sickness.

One of my favorite...coffee cups is permanently broken :(

What are you doing, thinking, wearing, and hoping for this Thursday?  Click on over to Murdock's Mama and join in.

oops

I am terribly sorry for the miscalculations of my name it is really and truly Yell, sorry for the inconvenience.

Absent

hellllllllloooooooooooooo, people of earth!!!! It is me Jelly Belly speaking and I have never posted before. It has been too long since I have been here!!!!! I hope that you all welcome me!!!!

weird -- and completely freaking SCARY start to the day

It was 6am and I was in the living room, looking for my cell phone. Crab had just gone out to the garage to get something for me. Yell was already in the car. I heard this explosion that reverberated -- like thunder almost -- but really sounded like something crashing down twice - or like the noise a little boy makes when he's pretending to explode tanks & army men. I ran to the garage to see what had happened. Thinking the garage door had fallen down, the hanging racks had fallen, picturing the girls standing there in a cloud of dusty drywall. I opened the door & nothing seemed wrong. I asked, "Are you okay? What happened?" Both girls looked at me with blank looks and responded, "What, Mommy?" I said, "Is everything okay? Didn't you hear that noise?" "What noise?" "Oh my God, the ceiling fan must have fallen down in your room!" I had heard the girls' ceiling fan squeaking like crazy before I went downstairs this a.m. & had 'adjusted' it so it quit squeaking. I remember thinking it odd as it hadn't been squeaking 30 minutes earlier. My heart was pounding, I could hear popping & squeaking upstairs as I got to the foot of the stairs. Yelly was close behind me. She tried to go upstairs in front of me, but I said, "Get the phone. Call 911 if I call to you." All the time I was wishing Ironman was home -- how on earth would I handle someone having broken into our house? What did they want? Why did they crash through the walls of our house? While trying to calm my nerves, I heard the squeaking of the girls ceiling fan. How on earth did the motor keep going if the blade & unit had fallen down? Did it shred the girls' bedding? What would their room look like? Had plaster fallen? What the... Random thoughts were flying through my head while I was ascending the eleven steps to our upstairs. I could hear the squeaking...and a weird popping sound. But the popping was ahead to my left. The squeaking was ahead to my right. I glanced in the girls' bedroom and it was as messy as usual - with the ceiling fan intact. I turned around, where the popping was really a LOT louder, thinking "Oh my gosh, someone is in the bathroom..." and saw glass. All over the floor. "OH MY GOSH!" Yelly was up the stairs like a shot. I turned on the light and surveyed her bathroom. The shower door had shattered. The girls hadn't used the shower since Wednesday night. It's Tuesday morning. What?!? I checked to make sure no one was in the shower - and left the glass literally popping in the air like popcorn kernels on the bathroom & shower floors. I wanted to make a video because the glass was popping around all over. It was truly weird. I'll clean it up after I take pictures later. So...no prowler, no injuries, just a random shattered shower door. Why do these oddities occur only when Ironman is gone?! Just to reassure you all, I originally wrote this way back on June 23, 2009.  No, we still haven't replaced the shower door (but we did put up a shower curtain so the girls can use the shower).  And yes, I can still remember that exploding crashing sound like it was yesterday.  Freaky freaky stuff...

From the mouth of...Aunt Kake

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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From: Kate H

Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:40:17 -0700 (PDT)

To: Susan H

Subject: I miss the girls!!!

That's all.

============
Kate H
Writer, Editor, Proofreader
www.kateharold.com
Read my latest story for Ohio Magazine, Get Out and Play, about summer events in the Dayton area.

Camp Suz fun!

Whether it's painting bucket hats or soaking up the sun while sliding on our slip n slide, our brief Camp Suz fun has been a blast! Preparation did take a while, including 2-3 days of cleaning and tons of posters being made,but in the end, it was all worth it! Activities that were enjoyed included slippin and slidin, going for walks, painting bucket hats, swinging, napping, and just playing with good ol' toys all weekend long. Unfortunately, the cousins' stay was all too short, and, as of today, Camp Suz has come to an end. :( =D

From the mouth of...Scooby

"Aunt Suz, when you're finished making your coffee, can I have the grounds for my composter?"

From the mouth of...Crab

While at church today, Crab leaned over and said, 

"Hey, Mom, that guy looks like Jimmy Buffett..."

(she was right)

Thus Our Last Fun Day Ceases...

In the events of the day, we have been doing everything fun left on our list, proving an insanely hysterical close to Camp Kake! Visiting our favorite ice cream parlor today, we enjoyed licking and slurping up all of our fabulous ice cream. We were also fortunate enough to be joined by our good friends T_____, and her dogs, Huey and Gypsy, who also got a good lick of my cone while I wasn't looking! (was the mint ice cream good, Huey? Hope so!) We also thoroughly enjoyed taking our last swim in the pool and had a superbly fun shaving cream battle! (and yes, my hands do indeed still smell like Barbasol!) Making gifts for relatives and friends was also a fantastic passtime, after all, who doesn't love hand making painted magnets? (It really was fun!) Little cousin N_______ was enjoying her new nickname "Sea Biscuit" for about 20 minutes. 'N____ would you like to have dinner?' 'I not N____, I See Bithcut!'
To wrap it up for our Camp Kake fun, I would just like to say thank you _______ so much for letting us stay and enjoy such greatly awesome activities, I cannot wait until next summer! =D

Guest Post: How not to tow an RV

Sent via BlackBerry

June 10 was my dad's birthday.  It's fairly common knowledge that he enjoys 'tinkering' with machinery, tools, wood, cars, etc.  It's also fairly common knowledge that he will invariably 'find' a project when left to his own devices.  Below is his tale of yet another 'project' that fell into his lap.  Thanks for sharing, Pop!  

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From: Dick Harrold 

Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:07:46 -0400

To: Kids5

Subject: How not to tow an RV

Guys -

Uncle B___ and Aunt M___ arrived last night in their petite four door diesel duely (from Suz: sp? dually? duelly? dual-ie? dual-y? help people!) 350 Ford truck pulling a block long fifth-wheel RV! Of course the first order of business was to get the "rig" backed into our driveway and next to the shop during 5 o'clock traffic.  We had traffic backed up for a quarter mile in each direction while Benny fought the truck's steering wheel, I gave directions standing out in the middle of the street, Mary ran from side to side to see what he would hit next and mom worried about the grass and flowers.  

To say that it looked a lot like a three ring circus gone bad is an understatement.  I finally took the wheel of the truck and managed to get it all stuffed into the drive and spotted next to the shop.  You ever drive one of those things?  Interesting.  Especially with a massive semi trailer on the back.  And it backs differently than that of a normal trailer on the rear of a pickup.  

Anyway, we finally ate supper and settled in front of the TV to drift off now and then while attempting to get caught up on the family news.  The three dogs collapsed after a couple hours of playing and found soft spots to nestle down in.  

We all felt much better this morning after a good night's sleep.  Breakfast was one of mom's best and filled us to the brim.  

For the past two weeks we have been expecting some guys to arrive and seal coat our driveway.  You guessed it.  They arrived today!  

The first order of business was to get any vehicles we might want to drive in the next two days parked on the grass out front and off the driveway.  Since Uncle B____'s truck was on the drive, we'd have to disconnect it from the fifth-wheel RV and move it to safer ground.  

I watched as B___ prepared the rig to be supported by the two on-board jacks -- allowing the tow vehicle to be removed and parked elsewhere.  He disconnected the heavy electric cord that goes between the two vehicles that operates the running lights, brakes, etc.  

Next he got in the truck and eased it forward and out from under the RV.  Everything went well.  Once the truck was clear, he accelerated slightly.  The electric cord stretched out, flipped around and hung up on the rear bumper of the truck.  Despite the electric cord being maybe an inch in diameter, it wasn't up to pulling the RV!  The stress on it pulled off the plug and ripped the cord out of the camper!  Needless to say, the RV didn't move one inch.  

We spent the next two hours making repairs.  

So, how did you spend your last birthday?

I bought my first car, a Model T Ford Coupe, 57 years ago.  We've owned a Tudor for 49 years.  

Dick H

N, IN USA

The Third Day Comes to an End...

Today contained several more exciting events including more swimming, a board meeting, a water balloon fight, shopping, tennis lessons, and buckets more!!!! 

As learned today, tolerance of shopping with two little ones proves difficult. We visited the mall today and only managed to fit in two stores before the whine-fest began. Hunger, sleepiness, and boredom was indeed too much to handle, so we had to go home. 

The water balloon fight was spectacular as we splashed our way through war and tossing the balloons.  All of the activities for today were discussed with our board members, Aunt Kake as our president, Scooby as our VP, Yell as our secretary, and me as our coordinator and recorder!  

As usual, swimming was a blast and full to bursting with fun as we splashed and soaked up the sun.  Scooby did excellently at his tennis lesson! (bravo!!) In all, our day was just as much fun as the last few days and I hope that we can have lots more before our fantastic trip comes to an end!!! Stay tuned! =D

And Camp Kake Begins!

So far, we (Crab n Yell) have done many things here in Cincinnati, including riding electric scooters, throwing tantrums, babysitting, playing with play doh, tie dying, and trampoline jumping!  The kids (Scooby & Niece-ling) were so enthusiastic that they made a list of things that they would like to do such as kayaking, fishing, painting the sidewalk, and more.  As you can obviously tell, many of these things are not possible.  We did however, enjoy making tie dye tee shirts, swimming, and visiting with friends! As for the exciting events of tomorrow, stay tuned to learn more about our splendiforous days at the relatives house!

and the Race Day I can't remember

Race Day 2010 dawned bright and clear.  Wahoo!  I woke up at 6am, 6:20am, 6:40am...every time I opened my eyes it was with a little bit more excitement - it's RACE DAY!!

Ironman and I got showers, got the car packed...chairs, grill, coolers, cheese, buns, condiments, grilling tools, water, soft drinks, beer...stopped for ice...repacked the coolers...and made it to our parking area by 8:45am.

Should I mention at this point that it was hot outside?

Patti had brought her sun shelter -- we've grown in wisdom over the years -- and we used the 'quote sheet' as a curtain.  Thank GOD for that sun shelter!  Before we even left for the parade laps, traditional songs, and general joy of the stands, I had consumed one traditional Race Day mimosa and 3 ten ounce bottles of water.  And I relieved my brother of a sixteen ounce bottle before we crossed 30th Street.

I broke down and drank a beer on the hike in to our seats with the National Guard.  Then I relieved Ironman of a bottle of water between the gate and our seat.  That's about the point where everything starts to get fuzzy.

I got really cold when we walked under the stands.  I kept shivering when I felt a breeze.  My foot kept feeling like it was on fire.  So I put more sunscreen on so I wouldn't have a burn on my foot.  I felt sick to my stomach.  Jim Nabors sang and the race started; I felt uncomfortably hot. 

Ironman told me to go relax on the golf course (for those unfamiliar with the track, there's a pro-level golf course inside & around parts of the course, perfect for relaxing when you've had a little too much to drink, when you'd like to get away from the noise of the engines, or escape from the 'interesting' strangers who happen to be seated next to you).  And the next thing I know, I'm sitting against a fence under the bleachers, there's a guy in a yellow shirt identifying himself as Carl, and he's offering to get me a wet paper towel.

Hmm.  Lost a little bit of time there.

And then there's this-woman-whose-name-I-can't-remember who is an EMS person who used to be in the National Guard unit Ironman was in who tells me I need to go to the infield hospital because she thinks my skin is too hot.  And Carl took my can of Cherry Coke, but I don't remember drinking Cherry Coke, but I must have gotten it from Ironman at some point because I know I had at least two in our cooler.

And then I'm in the ambulance praying not to get sick because it feels like we're driving 400 miles an hour and I'm facing backward which isn't a good thing in the past few years.  And then I see RG (guy from high school)(which totally shocks the heck out of me, what the heck is HE doing here? what's more, I have a can coozie hanging from my neck, I look like such a drunk!) in the hospital and they want to give me an i.v. but instead I suck down five glasses of water and they let me go and somehow Ironman is waiting for me outside.

What I can remember of the day is stretched thin and very surreal.

Poo.

I missed the whole dang race. Suckage supreme.





Oh, but I did see Elvis. In full 70s regalia. Surely that wasn't a hallucination? Wasn't it a scavenger hunt item??? Anyone???