Ours wasn’t perfect but it didn’t suck either. I guess these days that should count for “good”. We had Christmas Eve off and for the first time was able to go to the family Christmas Eve at someone elses house. Usually it’s at our house due to the store being open until about 4 or 5 that day.
Christmas day started off great. Mom and Dad and Grandma came up as did my Mother-in-law. The husband didn’t go to work until 11. Later in the day however plans changed and Mom realized that she wasn’t feeling well enough to stay. At that point the store was pretty busy so I draggged the kids to work and we worked the rest of the day until we closed an hour early to go out to dinner.
Now, there have been countless times that I have worked Christmas Day. Even after having the kids. It’s a fact of life and the luxury of always having a holiday off just hasn’t been in the cards for me. (Hell, my kids worked this year) I’ve even worked for the selfish you-know-what of a co-worker who refused to ever work Christmas Day regardless of who she inconvenienced. It never ceases to amaze me how many people absolutely do not appreciate the fact that you are giving up your Christmas Day to be open for them. I probably had about 3 people express gratitude. Most did not. And a few were downright bitchy. Shoplifting was, of course, another thing I had to deal with. One I kicked out but the other two thought they were being sly by just slipping one thing in their pocket while buying a few other things. They never caught on to the fact that I added the item in their pocket to their total and they paid for it anyway. Sometimes that’s a much better route to take than a confrontation.
We closed early to go out to dinner at a place that we know is always open, 365 days a year including holidays, and I made sure to thank each and every person who served us for working Christmas (not to mention tipping well).
So while another year with my family was great, my faith in humans in general just slips lower and lower as times goes by.
I managed to break away from the store long enough to see the kids in their 4th of July parade. This year I didn’t stay any longer than the kids karate demonstration though.
Breaking bricks.
Demo Team
The parade was as good as usual. The kids did very well. Kenny had 3 bricks stacked to break at the end of it all. I missed the shot of him actually breaking but you can see in the picture that he managed to break 2 of them.
When we got there, there were two women standing at the edge of the shaded area. We needed my husbands dad to be in the shade so we started to set up his chair so he could sit down after the walk from the parking area. The women said they were saving the whole area. The entire shaded area? Ok. I can understand attempting to save some spots and I said that was fine, I had no problem setting my chair up in the sun but told them we had one person who absolutely needed to be in the shade. I even set my chair up behind someone else in the sunny area. The two witches (with capital “B’s” I might add) wouldn’t stop complaining to each other. Unbelievable. His need was pretty obvious and they would begrudge him a spot at the edge of their saved shade? After listening to them he decided to just go on home. Said the heat made it hard to breathe which it may have but I hope like hell those women didn’t drive him away with their pettiness. He recently saw another of the kids demos so it wasn’t like he missed it. Then I find out those women were with someone else from the Dojo! I’ve yet to have a bad experience with anyone from the Dojo so I’m sure they were just relatives of someone. Who, I don’t know, and I don’t care to know. As it was, when I got back they had their chairs all set up and they didn’t even have all that many. They certainly had no reason to bitch about my father in law needing a bit of “their” shade. But, karma being real and all, the shade had moved and they ended up sitting in full sun the entire time and we were in the shade.
It’s likely the last Fathers Day for my husband and his dad. They are at Infinion Raceway and with any luck, my son and his Grandpa will get to meet Matt Kenseth. They have my camera so they’d better get plenty of pictures.
So far anyway, people are behaving very nicely. They’ve been polite, talkative… it’s really helped my mood. A complete 180 from yesterday.
I thought I’d post about what’s going on. It might explain why I don’t post so much about art or photography like I used to as well as explain my moodiness w/regard to politics and store customers and why I’ve been getting more verbally aggressive with my political posts. Normally, I’m able to suppress that and for a long time I did. But I am a blogger. I’ve always worried too much about what effect my opinions, put to blog, would have with those who know me and read here. But this is me. It’s true that I don’t agree with the way this country is heading. Not at all. As a business owner (yep, I’m a Capitalist) I feel like one of those in Obamas’ line of fire. I keep wondering if his next policy “change” will be the one that puts us out of business. All of which is simply heaped on top of what’s going on.
My father-in-law is dying and it’s such a sudden thing and as we are extremely close to my in-laws it’s absolutely devestating. He always seemed like the type to be the last one standing among all of us so this is a real kick in the gut. As I’m the one who will be working the family business this summer almost exclusively it’s taking it’s tole because I would love to also spend some time with them and it’s just not feasible. I am needed here. We can’t afford much help and I couldn’t live with myself if I deprived any time my husband or mother-in-law could be spending with my father-in-law. My arthritis is flaring right now at a point where it’s the worst it’s ever been and that’s been making me cranky as well. I’m hoping that the word is getting around town by now because it’s been very hard to explain what’s going on to the people in town (everyone pretty much knows everyone) over and over again. We don’t shield the kids from things and so they are upset and asking questions. My daughter especially. I’m hoping my doctor won’t be stingy with the Xanax this summer and I may need a stronger pain med as well. :) I’m trying to go today without either.
Last night was great though. It was my son’s 8th grade graduation and I closed the store early. Just about all the family was able to be there and afterwards we went to dinner and bowling. I took a ton of pictures. :) I’ll post them tomorrow as the husband took my camera today for the kids karate demonstration. If you’re on my facebook friends list look for all of them there.
I have been waiting for this for so long. I just love it hot; not to mention there is just so much more you can do up here in summer as opposed to winter. Yesterday we celebrated tax deduction #2’s birthday since her dad won’t be here on her actual birthday. She wanted to hit some golf balls and then go to the mall. :) So we did.
It was pretty hot at the golf course. I sat in the shade with my camera and practiced shooting in different settings.
Then it was on to the mall where we bought the teachers their end-of-the-year gifts, especially important this year as it’s tax deduction #1’s last year. Saw Mall Cop (yes, at the mall) and then it was the quest for skinny jeans for the soon to be 11 year old. She was pretty down that Hot Topic didn’t carry her size but we did find them. :) Had dinner at the Spaghetti Factory where they sang “Happy Birthday” to her and I quenched my craving for a decent Caesar Salad and a Chardonay. :) Tomorrow I’ll bake her a cake while she’s at school.
I am in so much pain. This week has been very hard on my arthritis. On the plus side, the house is in perfect order. I just wonder how long it will stay that way. What I wouldn’t give to be able to enjoy it tomorrow rather than work 11 hours and come home to clean up after the family reunion. Ah well, someone has to work.
Wagon train is coming in a couple of weeks and I’ve designed and ordered post cards for this year. I bought enough that I’m hoping to sell some to the businesses around. Other than that I’ve no other projects in the works. We are thinking about driving up to Yellowstone after graduation. I would love to take my camera there. I’ve been taking it to work with me since the Bear has been spotted already. This will also be another season for rattlesnakes but the only thing I’m shooting those with is the 22 with snake shot.
Vlade Divac’s jersey was retired tonight at Arco Arena. Had I known I’d have made plans to be there. We’ve always been Kings fans and although I’ve lost a bit of my interest lately in basketball I have some very fond memories of a hell of a lot of Kings games. We can definitely say we contributed to the Kings claim at having the loudest fans in the NBA. One night I recall hearing someone from the parking booths say they could hear the roar all the way out there and that had never happened before. We were there.
It’s been a relaxing day after a very, very relaxing (and non-drama filledweek)
Last night at Costco I ran across a record player that converts to mp3’s so that’s what I’m doing today. I have a few old albums, including an old Scott Baio album. (can you believe that?) :) I also have my mom’s old albums, many of which you can’t find in CD form.
Back when I was a kid, Columbia Christian College (now Cascade College and closing in 2009) had a group called “His Heirs” and we had many of their albums. Luckily the two songs I really, really wanted off the albums, Outlaw and Going Home (made popular by the Second Chapter of Acts group in the seventies) both played without skips. Now I’m recording “I know I’ll never find another you” by Al Martino for mom and dad. They’ve been wanting that song and I haven’t been able to find it.
Another album I’ve been wanting to convert is one from Margaret Lesher. Her’s is an interesting story and not many know that she wrote songs and produced an album. I met Margaret Lesher when I was in 4th grade and my teacher was a friend of hers. The whole class learned one of her songs and sang it at some school function. The song was religious and this was back when you could say the word “prayer” in school and not have to look over your shoulder for some liberal nutjob to slash your personal rights like they do today. Her home was amazing. Visiting her estate was a field trip and I have a few pictures of it still. One of me on her staircase, one of an indoor fountain of some sort and one of her that I took where she posed for me on the edge of an outside fountain.
Another album I’m recording for my dad is from the House Brothers. They were a local group that sang acapella gospel. I was only able to find one album but it’s playing perfectly so far. I hope I get this lucky with the other old albums.
Ok, first you have to see the old tub. This is what came with the house (this is the best room in the house) and I don’t know what the builder was thinking but since he was living there I suppose back then he had a monstrous water heater (or two) to fill the thing up. I, do not. Nor do I have the ability to pay a ridiculous amount per bath so when we put in a conservative energy efficient water heater it rendered the tub completely useless. Here it is:
The old tub
And here is the finished tub:
The New Tub
New tub
Isn’t it delicious? It was too good a deal to pass up. We already had the extra travertine tiles that matched the floor we had to finish when we moved in and it matched up well enough with the existing border. The faucet is re-used from the old tub and the tub itself is a Craigs List find for only $250. All it cost was the labor. We were able to decide just how it should lay out and where the faucet should go. I like the off center faucet and the handles by the steps. All it needs is to be sealed and I can put my candles around it.
The other day on the way down the mountain we passed a couple of people hauling their boats up to the lake. My husband started salivating over the idea that he could soon take the boat out. I enjoy the boat on occasion but I have such a fear of the water that I have to take a xanax to enjoy it. Once I’m out there and can make sure the kids wear their life jackets and don’t do anything stupid I do ok with it. And anytime he goes with just the kids I always worry but, hey, someone has to work, right? He’s competent and he doesn’t drink on the water but I’m always worried about everyone else on the lake. Seems like as spring begins we’re always hearing about water deaths that are the result of drinking. I don’t think we took the boat out at all last year. That was a slightly more relaxing season for me. I worry as the kids get older that their friends won’t be very smart or that they’ll bend to peer pressure. All I can do is try to drive home how to stay safe I guess with info like you’ll find at Boating OUI.
