Plum Crazy Millers...where purple, passion and peace reside.

...I am officially fried. Caffeine has started to make me shake, I'm not sure if it's the lack of substance in my body or increase of adrenaline. It's keeping me motivated though. Yesterday just sucked all around from a family standpoint...got a lot of work done, but J-man had a crappy day at school and Katrina decided to drop a tornado close enough that we had to rip the kids out of bed at a moment's notice and a fury of phone calls. We spent an hour in the basement and then every two hours getting up to make sure our basement wasn't flooding due to the sump pump being shut off. Power went back on after about 4 hours. Thank God!

J-man's day was bad because he dropped his star for "disrespecting his teacher and sneakiness." I love this man. He is a phenomenal disciplinarian, but I can't help but feel like a bad parent when my kid acts up...I want him not to be a follower and do well in school. I think part of it is that this is the first year he's been challenged and he's not quite sure what to do with that. He wrote a letter of apology to his teacher and promised to "try" not to do it again. I explained that it takes practice to be good and that we all make mistakes, but we also need to learn from them. J-man #2 woke me up twice last night afraid of the thunder and has had two accidents in the past two days. I swear I feel like I have to be superwoman to handle it all. If I can get through October all will be well. I've also decided that I can't post and read all at the same time. So thanks for putting up with my slackingness...but something's got to give, I guess.

Off to cut out stuff...this work stuff is for the birds!!

...says that this is the way Policemen looks a long time ago...back in the '80's. Check out the seriousness of his expression ..LOL!

Today was his first day of 1st grade and he almost didn't make it...as it is, I'm picking him up early and taking him to the Dr. for sever ear pain. He was throwing up and feverish yesterday...I'm thinkin' swimmers ear...but we got some numbing drops yesterday from DR.S.ON CALL great program that our Pediatrician runs and he's fine today. Doped him up with IB and hopefully he'll make it through the day. Here's a photo of the two J-Men on their way to the bus stop. Thankfully my camera is semi-working...I have to hold the button on and I can't zoom in on a whim...but you get the idea. See how foggy it was this morning? It started to clear up a bit when we went out but first thing this morning you couldn't see 10 feet in front of you. Well hears to hoping the grumbly stomach I have this fine a.m. is due to too much caffeine and sympathy pain! Have a great day!

are starting again. Please, please PLEASE be wary of children on the go. There are so many kids who are impulsive and unaware of the road in rural areas. This happened on what should have been an exciting and adventurous first day of school. Please teach, caution, remind, and impress the importance of road and school bus safety to your children, especially those of you who live in rural areas and your child(ren) may not be conscientious of motorists on the even the smallest of roads. It would be tragic if something happened to your child or mine because of a lack of information. Knowledge is power people. Lets all have a safe and happy school year Thanks!!

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J-Man just told me that he didn't want to eat anymore junk... I think he's sick.

Mornin' sunshine!! I slept til 10 a.m. sort of, this morning! This is what I look like today . Not really but we head over to the for Meet the Teacher Night..(in the middle of the afternoon go figure) and then it's fun and games! Yesterday's luncheon went very well yesterday and was not as stress full as I had thought it would be. I am working with some very enthusiastic and competent people this year, YAY!! I know this will be a great year, but change is always difficult.

We slept with the windows open last night...I can smell Fall! I will de lurk at somepoint, when I can actually focus for longer than 5 minutes. Please know I love you all! School starts Monday for J-man and I will have an easier time of things. The fear is slowly dissapating...so thanks!

Having fun playing with smileys as you can see . Have a great day!!

This morning I have a meeting with the preschool teachers, tonight I have a PTO meeting, in between I have to go to Walmart to buy the rest of the stuff for the teacher survival kits because I couldn't go last night because we had friends over yesterday who stayed 3 hours longer than planned and I couldn't go last night because J-man #2 was worn out from the pool and took a nap til 7 pm so he was up til 11. I also have to go to the grocery store to buy fruit salad makings for tomorrow's teacher luncheon after which I have a Ladies Night Out dinner with the preschool teachers. Thurs I have to be at school for 5 hours to sell t-shirts, bracelets, and maganets AND sign up volunteers for this year at Meet the Teacher night...oh and I have to squeeze a visit to my own kid's teacher in there somewhere. Then Friday is my husbands company picnic and Saturday is the soccer Parent meeting. Do I want to be on the zoning committee? NO. Do I want paint a back drop for the high school play? NO. Do I want to be team mom for J-man's team this year? NO! Whew that felt better...

Now, to do it in real life...see you around midnight!

On August 15th J-man #2 officially turned 3. I was hoping to have pictures of his cake by now, but I'm waiting on Mom and my Sis to send me a disc from my MI trip, as my camera is busted. So, that will come with time. It was a Thomas the Tank Engine cake and there's a story to go with it, but I'll save that for the pictures.

J-man #2 has been the highlight of entertainment for us. He is blonde, and now green eyed (they've officially turned from blue) and terribly cute if I do say so myself. Looks just like me! LOL! He can melt your heart with his frowns just as easily as his smile, which I'm thinkin' is going to be a very dangerous thing! He knows his alphabet and can count to "twenty-ten". "Mommy are you Happy?" is his question, especially after getting in trouble! He's stubborn and sweet and comes up with the most hilarious forms of the English language I've ever heard. Including his first word which was "Spongebob". No, really it was "Hi"...but "spongebob" was a close second! Other things include:

"I'm not happy because you're not behaving."
"Mommy, I'm being-have!"

"J-man we're both going to be mens okay?"

"Oh, crabby patties."

He's independent and gets along with everyone, but shy and nervous when it comes to new things. Preschool should be fun! ;0) I love that he still needs me and wants his hugs and kisses and snuggles before bed, in the middle of the day or whenever. That he pronounces all his L's like W's. That he has a favorite blanket..just like me. He has a huge heart and a strong spirit, and I can only hope that he continues that way.

Yesterday he was playing with playdough and I heard from the kitchen "Look what I made Mommy! A #3! That's how old I am!"
Now being the ever clever Mom/Teacher that I am, thought "Hmmm...great learning experience here right?" So, I proceeded to tell him that if he added a 7 to that 3 he would have how old Mommy was. I walked out of the room and finished what I was doing on the computer and heard from the kitchen "Mom I made a #7!" "That's great buddy what number do you have now?" Silence. "J-man?" "Ummm....I...hold on!" "I know! Seven-three! That's how old you are Mommy!!"
Silence on my end this time....heh...heh.
I walked into the kitchen to find this....

Now don't that just make you go "Hmmmm."

LOL!

Happy Monday everyone and thanks for all your honest and thoughtful comments yesterday. This post is orange per request of my good buddy Hoss... Purple and orange go well together don't you think ;0) All Halloweeny!

For lack of anything better to say..I will talk about something we can all relate to...Blogging (sorry Hoss...I said "IT"). I can describe it in one word...DRAMA!! Has anyone else noticed that there are several fights, pot stirrers and general nastiness floating around lately? At least 3 people I currently read are having serious troll issues, whether it be someone they know or someone they don't. Some have had profane things done with pictures they've posted of their children, others have written things needing obvious support and received really hateful mail and commenting. Why? I would really like to know what you all think.My reasoning is simply this. When you wear your heart on your sleeve you're bound to get stomped on. Now, I'm not being pessimisstic here. Really. I'm a very positive person and I admittedly got caught up in how many comments I could get and what people thought of my postings, so I started writing for "them". I got caught up in the Drama. I then became a basket case...obsessed almost checking comments 10 times a day, trying to think of something "good" to write, but it was driving me crazy!! A lot of you don't have any clue who I really am and when I went back to read some of my earlier posts...I couldn't remember writing them. I got the most feedback and kind words, when I was real. So that's what I did. I started to be real. Sometimes things are funny, sometimes they aren't. My friends and family read this blog and don't always like or agree with what I have to say, but they are kind or they just don't respond. I don't say anything that I wouldn't say to them personally.

But when you put your feelings out there or offer opinions, people will disagree with you. I get that now...I know I live in a bubble, so sue me. It's the law of opposites. For every good, there is a bad. For every right there is a wrong. For everyone who loves there is someone who hates. It's really a matter of who chooses to share it. I have had my share of drama, albeit early on in my blogging career. And some other nastiness since, but so what? I've never been one to be bullied and to what end? To me, people who leave comments and don't leave a way for me to respond are just that...bullies...cowards. I don't have time for crap like that. I won't delete your comments, andI will respond, but that's where it stop. I will not get into a meaningless banter that has no purpose other than to belittle and demean me. And you will realize that I just don't care what you think if you choose to continue. Some of us thrive on the Drama...but quite honestly, how does is help? It's not healthy, it's not resolving any issues and it's a really poor way to get attention.

This is not to belittle the very really problems people have and have had. And if I can offer any support in any way, I will bend over backwards to do it. I admire the strength that some have shown in their writing and the things they have overcome. Who am I to judge? My point is this should be a safe place to write those feelings and thoughts and issues and not be slammed for doing so. I think writers, all of us, write from the heart. Being anonymous makes it that much easier to say what's really on your mind...or does it?

For all my friends, and I do consider you all friends, those I've met and those I haven't, thank you for letting me learn through your mishaps, but more importantly I'm sorry you had to suffer through the forces of this virtual world that will not let you be who you really are.

Why do you write? Has your reasoning changed since you've started blogging? All comments and thoughts are welcome, even those who think I'm full of Sh**.

Thanks for joining...peace.

I love music from the 70's and 80's. Today's music is good, but it just doesn't have the emotional impact it did back then. Life was full of growth and fun and broken hearts. And if it's all the same to you, it can stay there. I'll remember happily through my music thank you very much.

So, we left at the crack of early on Tues to drive home frome MI. Mom and I were chatting. The boys were semi-sleeping in the back of the van and a black-spankin' new Lincoln Continental pulls up next to us. The windows are blackened (tinted VERY dark) so much so that you can't see inside. Obvious antennae and the big ol' honkin' spotlight on the side made me say out loud "Look at that Cop Car!" or was it? Mom thought it might be the Mafia or Secret Service...we pondered a bit and it turned off and was forgotten. Until about 5 minutes later when it, or one just like it, pulled up right next to us at yet another stop light. Hmmmm....

Me: "So I guess this illegal right turn I was going to make isn't such a bright idea right about now huh?"

Mom: "Not really, because you know you'll get caught."

Me: "Yeah, and usually when you see the cop, it's too late."

I have no idea whether or not it was actually a cop, but better safe than sorry right? So, I wait for the light to turn and drive on my merry little way. It's quiet and I decide we need a little a little mood music. I popped in my America's Top Ten: 1970's CD and Track 1 begins to play.

J-Man pipes up from the back seat: "Hey Mom. Is that the title?"

Me: "What?"

J-Man "Is that the title of the song? You know what you were saying about once you see a policeman that it's too late?"

Heh..heh...Name of the 1st song on the CD "It's Too Late" by Carol King.

or just an extra one that I can borrow for a while?? Man! Got home last night and the phone calls started at 8:30 this morning. New logo/mascot for our school needs to be approved, six phone calls from parts unknown need to be returned for fundraising, programming and personal issues, have to go pay youngest J's tuition that was due Aug 1 ooops! The director wants me to come in and see if I like my room arrangement and a list of what other "neccessities" I might require, hubs got his new job!!! Yay! More $, more travel and more fun! He hits Vegas for his first "official" trip on the job. The pool is finally fixed!! We've been in it three times this summer...but they were relaxing times to say the least. J-man got the 1st grade teacher I was hoping for. He's a young man..3rd year teacher..phenonmenal. Thinks outside the box, has great repoire with really active boys and recognizes when kids need a challenge, all the while keeping them in check and interested in school. I'm terribly greatful this worked out. Now if I could just get my #2 son to realize that school is fun...we'd be all set.

THEY, 2 boys collectively, got along great with their cousins and my grandma and aunt and uncle in MI. They even managed to NOT drive me crazy insane on the 11 hour car ride up and back. We did, however, have many late nights after several busy days one of those being J-man's #2 3rd birthday...I'll back track on that one tomorrow, another we went to a really cool indoor waterpark and J-man#1 got up the guts to go down the waterslide!! And today he swam all the way through to the deep end in our pool! His confidence just keeps growing and growing. J-man #2 has woken up dry for 7 days in a row...HE'S COMPLETELY POTTY TRAINED!! YAY!! His true test was the super long car ride of course, and he did just perfectly! I can't believe he's three!!

Spent lots of time with mom discussing politics, religion and such. Missed an exit here and there because of it! Pretty much decided that we need an independent party that will be somewhere in the middle of the Donkey's and Elephants. Maybe a Tiger? A purple one would be just dandy. We're stuck in the Middle East people and there ain't no turnin' back. I don't have to like it or even accept it...but as an American I need to support the people there fighting so I can have this crazy so called life of mine. Where that puts me in the grand scheme of things? Don't know...I blame it on the Libra in me.

Spent lots of time talking with me sis who is a reservist in the AF. She's a Major and used to teach at the Air Force academy. Total brain and has done pretty darn well for herself. Her boys are cuter than heck and smarter than God knows what. Her baby boy is 17 mos old and learned to walk this past week. He also knows how to color and put caps back on markers the "right way". When it goes on the "wrong way" he turns the cap over and tries again. He knows sign language, hence doesn't talk much, but still gets his point across. Her oldest reminds me of a little man...totally old soul and brilliant. He's al ready counting to 100 and reading simple words at 3. We all had a great time.

Sound disjointed? Am I rambling? Well, that's what's swimming around in my head right now.. see why I need a newer full capacity brain? Or maybe I can just borrow yours! There's so much to say and no energy to say it. I'll start over tomorrow. I'm going to spend the day catching up ;0) It's good to be home.

I'm weird, I get that, BUT look at this! In my everlasting quest to find all things purple I came across this little tidbit...Can you believe it?

Don't adjust your computer screen, your eyes are not fooling you. And no, the images aren't a result of digital enhancement or a Photoshop trick.

A female polar bear named Pelusa turned purple after she was given a special treatment to clear up a skin condition.
The strange sight has attracted crowds of visitors at the Mendoza City Zoo in Argentina. Zoo officials said her fur will go back to her normal cream color in a few days.
The 14-year-old bear suffers from dermatitis.
Copyright 2003 by TheDenverChannel.com. All rights reserved.

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Thanks everyone for your words of support yesterday...this is the real reason I love blogging. You all are a true gift. I really am fine, just needed to validate some things and get over some others ;0) I'm off once again to visit my 90 year old Grandma. She's the only on I have left. Mom, the boys and I are driving up to MI to stay with my Aunt and Uncle and cousins. None of the extended family has met J-man #2 nor my sister's kids. We tried to get my brother to come too, but that's another story all together. I'll save it for a rainy day. I'll be back Tues and probably won't be around til then...kids and family, late night talking, ya know ...general craziness!!! Have a great week! I'll see you all really soon! Peace....

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Utterly humorless? Devoid of any creativity whatsoever? Completely lacking in ability? At this very moment...I'm afraid. Afraid of people discovering that I'm not only feeling these things, but feeling them, living them, all at once. That while I'm nervous about venturing into a new world, I'm excited at the same time. Afraid that once people discover these things about me that I will not meet their expectations. Afraid that they will want more from me than I can give. Afraid I took on too much. Afraid my family will suffer. Afraid that I won't be able to give my all to everything and if I can that I will be too exhausted to be useful to anyone.

In two weeks I am sending my oldest child to 1st grade and my youngest to preschool. I will start work again, as a teacher, but this time to mold the young minds of 4 year olds. I am PTO President and responsible for the biggest event and fundraiser our school holds during the year. As you well know, I don't speak my mind unless asked and it's not always what people want to hear. I am strong in my convictions and people mistake that as strength in leadership. Do I have what it takes? I don't know. It's like planning a party right? Teaching is teaching ...I'm a people person...or am I? I haven't done any of this stuff in years!! I've got people; friends, readily recruiting other people on my behalf, setting up meetings, phonecalls, references. Friends who believe in me, know me and have faith in me saying all these wonderful things about me. Who? Who are they talking about? Am I really doing what's right for my kids? For me? For my family? The Hubby will hopefully be starting a new job soon...which means more travel, which means more alone time with the kids, which means emotional upheaval, which means stress, which means confusion, which means what? I'm over analyzing I know...but I'm afraid.

I'm not looking for answers...just asking the questions...it's all a process and it will all work out the way it's supposed to. Peace...

I'm baaaaack!! Did you miss me huh...did ya? Well, no matter. I missed you! ESPECIALLY since my puter went on the fritz about Wed. Something with the mouse in my laptop died..dead...not working. So I had to suffer with long walk on the hard sand beaches with my pooch, building mile high sand castles, buring my kids up to their necks in sand, and floating for hours in the gentle waves of the Atlantic... I love anything that can make me float and feel weightless ;0)

Some things I discovered and re-discovered: the CA girl in me is not lost and that I am a naturally born fish. Going on a family vacation is all about the kids. I love my own bed better than anything in the world. A pool is a nice thing to have after spending 4-6 hours on the beach in 97 degree heat. I know how to read and why I don't read at home (finished 4 books...HP6 being one...OMG!!! No spoils...don't worry.) My favorite times on the beach are early morning, late afternoon...and overcast days. I love Thunder/lightening storms. I love the Hard Rock Cafe...(this makes my sixth, I think...Vegas, NY, Aspen, Hollywood, D.C., and Myrtle Beach). The gifty thing for the kids worked! I'll do it again in a couple of days when I head up North to visit Grandma. Even kids get sick of movies. And lastly, that I can eat the heck out of oreos...4 packages in 1 week!! (I had help!)

My hubby realized that you can tan through 30+ sunscreen and you can load 4 adults and 4 kids AND boogie boards, towels and sand toys on a Club Car Golf Cart and drive 4 blocks to the beach and you won't pop the tires.

J-man #2 loves his big brother, will cover his entire body in sand and not care...will sleep anywhere if he's tired enough and can head bang with the best of 'em!

J-man learned to jump waves, dig for clams, catch fish with a hand net, and can do somersaults under water!

We all had our share of fights and fun and we were all glad to come home even in the raging thunder storm and sleep in our own nice warm beds. I leave you with my number one son's startling realization this week as confessed to the Hubby.

"Dad, I have a really smart brain...but sometimes is doesn't work so well."

Kids say the dardest things ;0) Until tomorrow!....

But first!! If you haven't done so already, please go wish Momma K a very happy birthday #32!!


We are headed to the beach bright and early tomorrow a.m!! YEAH!! I'm exhausted from this week of potting in the 100 degree heat. I still need to pack and wrap stuff for the kids. When I was little my Mom would confiscate the cereal box toys and keep them for long trips. She would wrap them up and when we were bored of riding in the car she'd grab her bag of goodies, we'd pick one out and unwrap it. SURPRISE!! A toy to entertain ;0) Well, they don't put toys in cereal boxes so much anymore, so the dollar store will have to do! I'll have the laptop and internet access there so I'll be by to visit! I'm hoping to post some while I'm gone, but who knows???! Have a fantastic week and stay cool!! I'm sure I'll have much to share when I return! 7 Glorious days of fun and sun...hopefully! No hurricanes please. Bu-bye!

I was babysitting for a friend of mine and she needed a diaper change (the baby, not my friend). and I had the following conversation with my youngest son while performing this mundane activity.

J-Man #2: "Mommy? Why doesn't Jordyn have a penis?"

Me: "Because she's a girl."

J-Man #2: "Girls don't have a penis?"

Me: "Nope."

J-Man #2: "Oh. Why not?"

Silence...before I could answer, he smiles really big and says.

J-Man #2: " I know! They have two butts!"

I was told to consider myself tagged by True Jersey Girl. Go to Google and type in "(Your Name) is.." This is what came up for me. I used my real name in the search but will substitute J&J's Mom for this. The cool thing is ..I think they describe me pretty well. Kinda creepy almost!

Here goes...

J&J's Mom is dedicated to the education and well being of her students.
J&J's Mom is a graphic designer for wedding invitations, logos, t-shirts, etc.
J&J's Mom is barely legal.
J&J's Mom is a self-published author.
J&J's Mom is a founding member.
J&J's Mom is dedicated to the promotion of women.

Pretty cool huh? Who da thunk I had done all of these fabulous things already?? I especially like the "barely legal" one...no I didn't go there!

I pass the torch onto the rest of you who are struggling for something to write about ;0) Let me know if you partake...

Later peeps!

Vacation Bible School starts tomorrow and I've volunteered to be a Potter. Do I know anything about clay? Just how to make an ashtray and that I learned in Girl Scouts. Should be interesting regardless. Pray that I don't have to sit out in 100 degree heat for a week!

I'm finishing up another paint job and should have some pictures by Tues. Just some flowers and bugs and such. Nothing fancy, nor was it something I'd planned on being paid for. Extra $$ for the beach!! 7 days and counting! We're wireless there too...so I won't have to take a hiatus ;0)

The boys were at my parents house last night and had a great time. We had a fabulous dinner and drank way too much wine...came home and went to a neighbor's and drank more ! I probably polished off a bottle o' red all by my little old self! No drunkin' posting...sorry ;0) Home alone, with no kids...what do you think we did? Sleep of course!!! Sorry. I never kiss and tell...or drink and tell for that matter...heh..heh.

The pool guy finally came yesterday and guess what???? The liner doesn't fit!!! We'll have the damn thing fixed in time to close it for the freakin' winter! I'm ready to push the whole thing in and make it a vegetable garden! Sheesh!

I leave you today with a conversation Dad had with J-man during his stay this weekend.

Dad: "How much is 1+1?"

J-man: " 2"

Dad: "How much is 2+2?"

J-man: "4"

Dad: "How much is 3+3?"

J-man: "6"

They continue through 5 and then...

Dad: " How much is 5+6?"

J-man: " I don't know."

Dad: "Well if 5+5 is 10 then 5+6 is only one more which is?"

Silence

Then J-man #2 pipes up with "11!"

I love my mensa children ;0)

Look at me ;0) Don't I look pretty? No? Well you have two other choices over there on your right under "skins" thanks to Miss Lovely Lisa!!! She is the most creative person I've ever met. Worked like a dog too!! I told her things I wanted and she just went for it. You can find her at http://designablog.blogspot.com/. She also has her own blog of course, here. Thank you Lisa!! You're the best!!!

I'm doin' the happy dance ;0)

We're off to a birthday party, then to Mom and Dad's to drop off the J-Men for a sleepover. We have a date night!! Any good movie suggestions?

I'll be back to visit everyone on Sunday!! Happy weekend!

I believe that everything happens for a reason. A Ying for every Yang. An equal and opposite reaction for every action. And so on, and so forth.

I pride myself on being kind, tactful, and supportive, but honest. Don't ask me my opinion if you don't want the truth. Or the truth from my perspective anyway. And by these standards, I assume that I give fairly decent advice as people seem to keep asking my opinion.

So, when I sat at dinner last night talking about a man who was dying of cancer after a long life of smoking, drinking, drug abuse, spousal abuse and just a generically not so nice kinda guy, sympathy was not high on the list for me. I chose to keep my mouth shut, as the woman who was speaking was speaking of her brother-in-law. Ex-BIL actually. She was going on about how the whole thing has thrown her family into upheaval and upset the kids (his kids) more than anything and that the whole thing was really sad. I agree..sad that the kids won't have a life with a decent father. Sad that he's dragging his family through all of this. And sad that he didn't take better care of himself and try to be a better to person to possible avoid this to begin with.

Mouth still shut. Then a flicker of understanding flashed through my brain. She was saying all of this for my benefit. She was saying it because HER husband, who I love dearly, is following along the same lines as the BIL ..minus the abusive nature. He drinks...nearly a case a day...1/2 consumed on his way home from work...yes driving...smokes 3 packs of cigarettes a day...has incredibly high blood pressure....a very stressful job...and spent almost 2 weeks in the hospital last year due to 100's of blood clots in his leg. You think this would've been a wake up call. Nope.

Mouth still shut, though getting much harder. SHE continues to tell her hubs, in front of me that he should go visit the BIL to see where he's headed. Subtle. That this is what will happen if he continues to drink and smoke and not take care of himself. He'll leave his family alone and destitute and longing for his company. Okay...a little drama added, but definitely the feel of the conversation. Then she says...

"Don't you think?"

Huh? You tawkin' ta me??? "I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I might say something incredibly heartless and mean and possibly sticking my foot way down my throat."

HER Hubs " No, really we want to hear what you have to say."

"Nope." I'm really trying here!!

"No, really. Tell us."

"Okay you asked for it. What goes around comes around. The BIL is a nasty, rotten man who didn't take care of himself for years. He was a borderline alchoholic who drank too much, smoked too much and found himself invincible...until he wasn't. Now he want's everyone to feel sorry for him and make up for all the wrong he's done in 56 years in one weeks time simply because he's scared and doesn't know how much time he has left. He's sick and dying and alone and scared. He put it out there his whole life...and now it's just coming back to him. I think its' sad. There are so many people in this world who have screwed up and continue to screw up. They blame it on the past. Dysfunctional families, abuse, whatever. Guess what? It's in the past!!! It's done. Over with...there is nothing you can do to change it..but there is also, nothing you can't change if you want to bad enough. It's a matter of priorities, asking for help if you need to, and taking care of you. If you can't take care of yourself, no one else can. No one else should and you certainly can't take care of others. Life has a way of giving you what you deserve. It's up to you to make it positive." Mouth opened. I told him how I felt.

Hubs got up and walked into the house. SHE was happy I said something...and backed her up. I felt like shit and pissed at her for bringing me into her crap..but satisfied. It's been building up for 4 years now. Now it's out there, finally.

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Now, let me counter this by saying. I still believe everything happens for a reason, though many times we don't know what that reason is. Why do bad things happen to good people? Please go visit Elle, as her son has been in the hospital for a couple of days and nearly died from what they thought was the flu. This is a woman who is a true testament to overcoming the odds and putting pain behind her. Please go say "Hi" and share your well wishes for her, her family and her son.

Thanks. Peace.

James Doohan as Montgomery Scott in 'Star Trek'

LOS ANGELES - James Doohan, the burly chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise in the original "Star Trek" TV series and movies who responded to the command "Beam me up, Scotty," died Wednesday. He was 85.
Doohan died at 5:30 a.m. at his Redmond, Wash., home with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side, Los Angeles agent and longtime friend Steve Stevens said. The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease, he said.
He had said farewell to public life in August 2004, a few months after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

The Canadian-born Doohan was enjoying a busy career as a character actor when he auditioned for a role as an engineer in a new space adventure on NBC in 1966. A master of dialects from his early years in radio, he tried seven different accents. "The producers asked me which one I preferred," Doohan recalled 30 years later. "I believed the Scot voice was the most commanding. So I told them, 'If this character is going to be an engineer, you'd better make him a Scotsman."'

The series, which starred William Shatner as Capt. James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as the enigmatic Mr. Spock, attracted an enthusiastic following of science fiction fans, especially among teenagers and children, but not enough ratings power. NBC canceled it after three seasons.

When the series ended in 1969, Doohan found himself typecast as Montgomery Scott, the canny engineer with a burr in his voice. In 1973, he complained to his dentist, who advised him: "Jimmy, you're going to be Scotty long after you're dead. If I were you, I'd go with the flow."
"I took his advice," said Doohan, "and since then everything's been just lovely."
"Star Trek" continued in syndication both in the United States and abroad, and its following grew larger and more dedicated. In his later years, Doohan attended 40 "Trekkie" gatherings around the country and lectured at colleges.
The huge success of George Lucas' "Star Wars" in 1977 prompted Paramount Pictures, which had produced "Star Trek" for television, to plan a movie based on the series. The studio brought back the TV cast and hired director Robert Wise. "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was successful enough to spawn five sequels.

The powerfully built Doohan, a veteran of D-Day in Normandy, spoke frankly in 1998 about his employer and his TV commander.
"I started out in the series at basic minimum-- plus 10 percent for my agent. That was added a little bit in the second year. When we finally got to our third year, Paramount told us we'd get second-year pay! That's how much they loved us."
He accused Shatner of hogging the camera, adding: "I like Captain Kirk, but I sure don't like Bill. He's so insecure that all he can think about is himself."
James Montgomery Doohan was born March 3, 1920, in Vancouver, British Columbia, youngest of four children of William Doohan, a pharmacist, veterinarian and dentist, and his wife Sarah. As he wrote in his autobiography, "Beam Me Up, Scotty," his father was a drunk who made life miserable for his wife and children.

At 19, James escaped the turmoil at home by joining the Canadian army, becoming a lieutenant in artillery. He was among the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. "The sea was rough," he recalled. "We were more afraid of drowning than the Germans."

The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren't heavy enough to detonate the bombs. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. Fortunately the chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.

After the war Doohan on a whim enrolled in a drama class in Toronto. He showed promise and won a two-year scholarship to New York's famed Neighborhood Playhouse, where fellow students included Leslie Nielsen, Tony Randall and Richard Boone.

His commanding presence and booming voice brought him work as a character actor in films and television, both in Canada and the United States.
Oddly, his only other TV series besides "Star Trek" was another space adventure, "Space Command," in 1953.

Doohan's first marriage to Judy Doohan produced four children. He had two children by his second marriage to Anita Yagel. Both marriages ended in divorce. In 1974 he married Wende Braunberger, and their children were Eric, Thomas and Sarah, who was born in 2000, when Doohan was 80.
In a 1998 interview, Doohan was asked if he ever got tired of hearing the line "Beam me up, Scotty."
"I'm not tired of it at all," he replied. "Good gracious, it's been said to me for just about 31 years. It's been said to me at 70 miles an hour across four lanes on the freeway. I hear it from just about everybody. It's been fun."

*sniff*

Today is a much better day. When I went down to change out the towels and mop the floor...AGAIN....I realized that the water was draining INTO the wall not FROM it! Thank God! We figured out that the basement is not, in fact, leaking, the Furnace is. Well, not really. We had it serviced a while back and they supposedly cleaned it when in actuality they took out the filter, left the dirty one in the bottom of the unit and replaced it with a clean one. So it hasn't been draining properly since, oh, March. When this heat kicked in and the A/C went down, the filter filled with condensation and started to leak out all over the floor. To make a long story longer...the hubs spent a couple of hours cleaning it out last night and I mopped up all the water and we are up and running again!! Sans water. Yay!!
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My friend left yesterday and it's been very quiet since. No more whining, crying, screaming and fighting children. I love them to death, but they are a very loud family. Her youngest son has sensory integration problems, so things get broken easily, he speaks at an average child's yelling voice and it is non-stop energy from sun-up to sun-down. His older brother loves to antagonize him, and of course he's the one who gets in trouble...add my two into the mix and you have 4 crazy, running, active, did I mention crazy? Boys. It's getting easier as they get older, but it's still a challenge. All in all we had fun. Went to a local water park on Sunday and the lake yesterday. It was hot and soupy yesterday and I burned my butt on the paddle boats. What do you get when you put water on a scalding hot seat? Scalding hot water!! And it soaked right through my shorts....and I have a Master's Degree...in Stupidity! Sheesh!
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Thanks for all you words of support yesterday...;0) Hope everyone in the South West is fairing well in this nasty hurricane season. My thoughts and prayers are with you!

Til tomorrow....