rogue's ramblings

Since the daughter won't be getting done with everything she needs to do by Tues, I'm now flying out on the 15th (Wed) and then driving back with her. And when I tried to explain it at work, they were all 'well, we can't cover your hours' and then preceded to do just that. Stupid stupid stupid. But I don't care, I don't have to go back until 2 weeks from today!

So I've bought extra batteries and am now ready to go. Just hope the daughter bought the ticket after I talked to her...

Because real life just has been totally sucky to the extreme.

Really.

Between family dying, my father "gearing down" (yes, the doctor actually said that, he's 87 and sleeps the majority of his time, but is still well otherwise), my son is still trying to get back into the Army Reserve from the Guard, my daughter is getting out of the Marines and going back to school (hopefully with more determination than the first time she went) and work is absolutely friggin' horrible.

BUT...

This week Tuesday, I am on vacation for 9 wonderful days and the daughter is home on leave, we're going to WI for my nephew's graduation, most of the family will be there and we are going to actually sight-see on our way up and back! (Cave of the Mounds and House on the Rocks!)

So, with some solid sleep and downtime from the horribleness that is wm, hopefully I will be back on track and be more 'present'.

At least that's my goal.

I had to use the last of my vacation before my hire date, and so here I am, trying to get the taxes finished, clean the house up a bit, finish up Kracken's book and oh yeah, get rid of the freakin' head cold that I now have!

I'm not sure who to blame for it, the husband (who has been sick since before the last weekend) or the stupid weather that can't decide whether it wants to be cold or warm. Not that I've changed how I've dressed, that's always a disaster if you do that in the middle of winter.

So even though today is Valentine's Day, we did nothing. I did cook lunch (most of mine went into a container and I'll eat it Fri when I go back to work -- for one day before having Sat off!) and then I had a nap upstairs where it was nice and quiet.

But at the moment, breathing is an issue (as in, I can't) and thinking is almost painful. So I'm thinking that nothing much is going to be happening until I get by the worst of this.

At least I can relax and not worry about not going to work.

The confirmation went well, and then we went to my brother's, although we left my husband and father at home due to the fact that my dad was having a migraine and my husband really doesn't do loud crowds real well. We're back, and it's 85 in the shade up here. I'm wondering just how hot it got down in Avon!

So, tomorrow we go back to IL and I have to call the dentist so that they can get me in and poke medicine through a hole in my tooth. (Should have done that when I was there last week, oh well).

But I still don't have to go back to work until Thurs!!

And we're going up to Wisconsin to see my parents and my youngest niece is getting confirmed this weekend.

And I don't have to go back to work until next THURSDAY! (wild rejoicing!)

And now starts a whole week of vacation.

Not that we're going anywhere, can't afford it and it's cold (everywhere) and I have to do taxes, get my hair cut, celebrate our anniversary (25 yrs on Tues!), clean up the house... AND NOT WORK AT WM ALL WEEK!

At least it's sunny out... even if it's cold.

And if the daughter reads this, it would be nice if you let your poor old parents know that you make it back to Okinawa alive...

And I have more vacation later on in the month, might try and go to WI and the parents then...

So, I'm off to Appleton to see my parents and am taking the son and granddaughter with me.

And when we asked Allie if she wanted to go see Great Grandma last week, she went out to the porch and go her boots, she was ready to go! So funny.

And when I get back on Thursday, I'll still have 2 more days off! Yea!

You know that you haven't posted for awhile when the list no longer has your address...

Really!

Anywho, I am now on day three of my last bit of days off, it's the last day of the Avon Fat Steer Show (more on that later), I went car shopping (so need to replace the vehicle before it falls apart) and I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO WORK TOMORROW!

I think I'm spoiled...

Avon Fat Steer Show: I forget how many years this is, something like 50+, and this year I actually put a picture and a bunch of flowers into the Home and Garden section. And won a 1st place on the picture and a 3rd on the flower arrangement (it wasn't). And the dil and I entered cakes in the cake auction and although neither of us won anything, her cake brought $200, and mine brought $225 and $250. So we have supported the AFSS quite well, I think.

The Steer part of the show is tonight, the kids all showed their steers earlier today and tonight they are sold at auction. They really don't win a lot of money, it's all in the auction afterwards. Some of these kids make enough in the 8 (I think) years of showing to go to college on it. Mine were never all that enthusiastic about the whole thing, I think we showed one year, maybe two... And it's too much work if the kids don't do it themselves. And expensive...

But it has been a wonderful three days off, and I have enjoyed playing with the granddaughter. Even though the whole carnival thing isn't all that great.

And today I went to Galesburg 'cause I got this "You have won $300 worth of gas" and wanted to see if it was actually true or just a lead in. Imagine my surprise when it was true! And I did look at cars, 'cause let's be truthful and honest, the car I have now is a '95 and has over 191,000 miles on it. It's not going to last the winter... And the guy I talked to was very nice, and not pushy and even would work within my price range. (And a Green Bay Packer Fan!) And so the car hunt begins... The husband would rather I didn't go any further into debt, but let's face it, the cars I looked at were not new, and so all the depreciation was already done... And I really liked the one... And to make it more entertaining, I was at a Toyota/Honda dealer and he was showing me Ford's and Mercury's! Gotta love it!