yipee skippy

This picture is of Nancy and me at my graduation from college. Hope to do it again in about a year!

• Quick updates:My camera is fixed! happy happy oh so happy- just needed a new card.


• Jay won with the cable company- he will find out tomorrow how they will settle this.


• I got an "A" on a paper from a prof who said he doesn't give "A's".


• Our new blinds are up and look really nice.


• My eye, although not back to normal, isn't any worse.

Bureaucracy is a way of life today

• I called several bookstores including the University one. "Yes, I'm calling about a book I need to order for my class. Oh, there is no book?" Move ahead a bit. Then I get wind that I do have a bunch of books needed for this class.
• I call the bookstore back and get another surly person. Your professor's fault not ours, he says. Ok. thanks. I order it online. Take that bookstore!

• I got another letter from college addressed to the wrong address. Thank goodness my aunt is good about getting mail to me. Somehow she is my permanent address. I have called Kent several times to change this. She is your next of kin, they say. Why is this even in there to be confused? They say it is fixed.
• Call back to change address AGAIN because my aunt keeps getting mail for me from school. Another surly operator. It is changed, she says. And you need to call another department. I did, I say, and they both sent me to you. She then gives me an address where I change it myself. Fine.

• I call my doctor and inquire why they haven't given me the doctor referral. They say the doc was supposed to call me by now. You call them, they say. Of course I will. That's what I do.

• Professor says to go to special web site for tests, etc.. This site is not there. Of course it isn't because this is the Twilight Zone where nothing goes right today. E-mail for help and haven't heard back yet.

On a positive note: All whining aside, I am still grateful that I am able to be in college at all. This must not be forgotten.

Jay's turn at the bureaucracy wheel:

• In July, 2005 we enrolled for a premium service for our computer/cable. This upgrade has been billed and paid for since that date. At this stage it appears very likely that our service was never actually activated; but we were certainly billed for it! Jay explained this to three different representatives today and all three are united in their exquisitely simple response. "It looks like you have the service because you are being billed for it." This is followed by hair pulling frustration. How do you argue your way out of a circular argument? Oh, and we are talking about hundreds of dollars in dispute. The cable company, ironically brought this to our attention when we were inquiring about a separate issue. They said there was a service order back in '05 that wasn't put through but still charged. Now they are back peddling.

No camera blues

Uh oh. I broke my camera. I feel dizzy. I feel sick. No camera? This can't be happening! And I have stuff I really want to photograph. Geez, I sound like a junkie.

I just finished another paper for school. Only 204,574,197 more to go!

We just moved around all the furniture in the living room and got blinds to replace some really old, musty curtains from before I was born. That is really fun. Some people keep their living room the same for years. Others change it up. I can't imagine keeping it the same. How boring.

Clearly I have nothing to say. ha ha. So good night!

The Paaarty

If you only knew how much she loves Sheri!

The "cake"

Visiting in the yard, watching Tara ride her bike.

You guys are saints.

Who doesn't like throwing a ball?

I love her expression here!

All the way from New York. I love this picture of them reading with her.

Tara cashed in big. I mean big. :) She even got a bike from my dad and mom. She was reticent to try it at first but my cousins and aunt and uncle got her up and on it in no time, although they bribed her with 1 dollar each to try. I want that deal! Try something fun and get paid! That's the life for me.


Tom, I bet you will be sore tomorrow after schlepping her up and down the street four hundred times. Uncle Jim, you are a wonderful person for putting the training wheels on and teaching Tara AND Emily how to break on their bikes and to balance.


Tara got all kinds of cute clothes that passed her fashion test. And I don't know how everyone knew just what to get her. She got balls and Dora things, books and stuffed toys. She went to bed tired but happy and with the full knowledge that she is loved. Thank you for that, Dee, Jim, Dad, Mom, Joe, Sheri, Tom, Kathy and Hank.

Tara had, oh about 6 clothes changes today, which is above average even for Tara! Oh, the laundry.

The cake I made looked pretty funky but tasted alright. I am not a baker. Mommy tried Tara. Next year I bet you won't ask for homemade. Those Giant Eagle cakes are looking a lot better to you now, huh Tara? :)

And it was good to see you too Nancy, although you don't read this blog. You stayed till 1 am so I am tired but glad to have seen and visited you.

Words to live by

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck (written after she found out she was dying from cancer).

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner." There would have been more "I love you's." More "I'm sorry's."

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it . Live it and never give it back.

Fun was had by?

Week one of school - done.

Jay's new job- moving along nicely.

Em had a thing at school today for me to come and have doughnuts. Sounds nice, huh? Not so fast. Without sounding like a complete whiny baby, I'll stick to my biggest grief with the event. When Jay had his Em and Daddy time at school last week, they sat; they visited; they had a doughnut; they bonded. Move ahead to today and my turn. No bonding, no visiting, no chair to sit.... why?... we had a PROJECT to do. Oh, and it was a math project. Oh, and we had like 3 minutes to accomplish it. Oh, and it involved coloring, measuring, gluing, solving and otherwise stressing over. Oh, and it was for a grade. Oh, and the teacher came in the room in a snippy mood. Oh, and Emily had to present our project after I left. Oh, and she said we did it wrong when she got home. Yep, It was a swell time.

Happy Birthday!

Coming in from school with stories to tell about her day.

Homework on birthday? Not fair.

Emily calls her MP3 player an "IPad" We're working on it...

What a day!

Em took this of Tara and Debi yesterday.

Em took this of Tara watching herself on screen. Cool.

Dad reads Tara's award. Another Emily photo

We are officially celebrating Tara's birthday on Sunday but here are some pictures from her birthday today. Why? Because it's fun and I love pictures.
Oh and we got back the photos Em took. Not bad at all! There were some pictures with heads cut off and walls and such, but some were actually cute. Good job Emmy!