Choose to Remember the Good Times

So last week my stepfather passed away.  Well, I don't know if I can even call him that.  I mean, he and my mom were together for like 20 years but they had been divorced now for about 5.  They had a fairly complicated marriage and somehow we all never quite meshed.

There were many years where we didn't speak and weren't part of each others lives.  There were times when there was a lot of anger and hurtful things said.  I spent so many years of my life focusing on the negative that it got to be exhausting.  Wouldn't you rather laugh than cry?  Wouldn't you rather smile than frown?

So as many people rejoiced in this man's passing, I felt grief.  I was saddened by the fact that there were people who were happy that he was gone.  I don't ever want to think that there will be a day where people are dancing and clapping because I am dead.  I am choosing to remember the good times.

I can remember the time he brought me homemade chicken soup when I was in high school because I was home sick.  I remember getting take out Chinese on a Friday night just because.  I remember him calming me down after a fight with my mother and telling me that he loved me.  I remember all of the times that he was good to my children.

Believe me, if I allowed myself to truly be honest, there were much more harsh memories than good ones but what good does focusing on the bad do?  A life is over.  Wouldn't you rather be remembered for the things you did right than for the things you did wrong?

Rest in peace... 

Diet Issues...

Can You Please Help Me Reach My Goal???

As I mentioned previously, my book is still out there and I'm finally in a place where I have help with marketing it and promoting it.  For those of you who are just stopping by for maybe the first time, last year I wrote a book.  "Jordan's Return" is a contemporary romance that is available through Amazon in paperback and for Kindle as well as through Barnes and Noble and the Nook.

Part of my struggle is getting my rank to go up on Amazon.  In order to do that I need people to go to the page and click "Like".  Just having the page views and the "like" button clicked will help enormously.  If you frequently shop on Amazon and are feeling especially helpful, you can write a review!  It doesn't have to be a long review, it could just be a sentence or two.  I'm a particular fan of seeing "Great book!" or "When's the next one?"  LOL!  

My goal is to get 100 likes by the end of October.  We are currently at 10.  Kind of annoys me when I have over 700 friends on Facebook and I cannot get more than 10 people to just click "Like".  But that's a post for another time.

So please, if you haven't done it yet, please head over to Amazon (click here) and click the "Like" button.  I desperately want to see some action on the page.  I'm not looking to make a million dollars, I'd just be thrilled to see my page rank go up. 

Thank you for your help and I look forward to being able to update you with some positive news!

Uniquely Organized and Utilized

Remember how a long while ago I was looking for a virtual assistant?  Well, I have been blessed with a friend who is starting up her own business and that is one of her skills!  Who knew!

Uniquely Organized and Utilized is the brain child of my friend Dot and is described like this:

 "Offering wide range of consultation and coaching with passion and dedication to assist YOU with YOUR goals, plans and projects to improve your organization of your home, work and play. I am able to identify and understand health and learning challenges, difference of styles within the family, and lack of support and resources. Success and achieving goals of organization and utilization is possible with challenges, it just takes adjustments, accommodations and support. We will talk and write out a plan to get your goals achieved, resources found and fun and enjoyment for all. To achieve the goals we layout I can assist you with the work necessary and offer entrance into an understanding and supportive community of Unique, organizing and Utilizing people."

With her skills, we are finding ways to help market my book (yes, it's still out there!) and see what works and what doesn't.  Besides being my marketing guru, she offers services such as organizing your home, office, business and pretty much being a well rounded virtual assistant - meaning, you do not have to live near one another to utilize her services!  How cool is that?

You can learn more about her using the link above or by following her on Facebook.  So if you are in need of some organizational help or an assistant, look up Dot and Uniquely Organized and Utilized.  You won't be sorry! 

I Want to go Back!!!

Amtrak Sucks...Part Two

Okay, so on our last day at Disney our town car arrived a little before 5:30 p.m. to pick us up for our train that was due to depart Orlando at 7:24 p.m.  We were practically giddy with the fact that it was on time and I was extremely optimistic about the ride home - even if I never got anyone to approve the upgrade.

Michael and I had purchased our dinner while still at Disney's Coronado Springs and had planned on having a picnic on the train once we were moving.  They lined us up, the boarded us...and we sat.  And sat.  And sat.  At the station.  

WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF THIS???

Within 15 minutes, my bold twelve year old boy went in search of an attendant and asked when we were going to get moving.  The first response was that they were getting some elderly passengers settled in their sleeper cars.  

Um...I'm sorry.  But last I checked the CONDUCTOR does not tuck passengers in their beds for the night.  Sleeper car or no sleeper car.  Uh-uh.  Try again.  

The next thing we were told was that we were waiting for a Southbound freight train (Oh, how I LOATHE the freight train) to pass us but nobody knew where it was or when it would pass.  

Someone should have just shot me with a tranquilizer dart at this point because I was just vibrating with anger.  My son kept me sane.  We ate our dinner, I texted anyone and everyone I knew and let them know we were hostages AGAIN and then Michael and I settled in and watched some TV via Netflix on my iPhone.  

Unreal.

At 11:56 p.m., we finally pulled away from the station.  Turns out with the torrential rains earlier in the day, part of the tracks had washed away/there was a sink hole, no one REALLY knows for sure but the fact is, we are once again leaving 4 1/2 hours late.  The train was much less crowded this time around and so Michael and I each took two seats and I did get a good bit of sleep.  

Our train had originally be scheduled to arrive at 8:40 in the morning and by noon (and several more "unscheduled" delays") we were told that we wouldn't be getting in until almost 3 in the afternoon.  I was ready to peel my own skin off!  The crew came around and offered us a complimentary meal in the dining car.  Okay, this could work, right?  We're hungry and could use a good meal.

So Michael and I head down to the dining car (about 4 cars up) and get yelled at to sit down at a specific table.  Actually, I realized that Michael wasn't with me and so I stood back up to look at the car behind us to see if he was still in there and this same woman yelled at me again to sit down!   Seriously??  He joins me, gets yelled at to scoot in because they have to seat 4 to a table.  There were three empty tables...I think we were safe for the time being.

We looked through the menu, decided what we wanted when two plates were thrust in front of us with what can only be described as tiny portions of canned Dinty Moore beef stew (sans beef!) over rice a roni!  Oh, and unsweetened iced tea.  Did I mention how much I despise iced tea or tea of any kind???  So clearly, we are not entitled to a real meal of our choosing.  We ate it but it just added fuel to the fire.

My older son was supposed to meet us at the station but since we were going to be so late, he had to go to work so Frank was going to have to leave work early to get us.  The train finally arrived at 2:40 and Frank couldn't leave work until 3:00 so we had no choice but to SIT in the stink hole of a station and wait.

So I finally heard back from Amtrak and you know what their solution is?  A $150 TRAVEL VOUCHER for my next Amtrak vacation.  

I kid you not.

I asked the woman, "Do you seriously think that I EVER want to get on one of your trains ever again???"  She gave me corporates address.  They will be receiving a letter from me.  

I'll keep you posted.  

Disney World!!!

Although it took a while to recover from the trauma of the train ride down, Disney did NOT disappoint.  Bad weather and all!

We stayed at Coronado Springs Resort.  I had won a free night there through Magic for Less Travel and I could not have been more pleased with the resort.  It was HUGE.  When we arrived and checked in, bell services got our bags, check in was super fast and then bell services took us by golf cart to our room.  Which was a good thing because after 19 hours on a train, all I wanted to do was get to our room and change in to clean clothes!

The theming of the resort is southwestern and just beyond beautiful.  I've stayed at a lot of Disney resorts but this was our first moderate resort and I do believe we will stay here again.  Our first day (although 3/4 over by the time we arrived), we went to Magic Kingdom because it was open until midnight.  So after getting to our room and doing a quick freshening up, we ran to the bus stop which was fairly close to our room and hopped the bus to Magic Kingdom.  It drizzled a little bit but we were just so happy to be there that it didn't matter.  We ran like crazy people from 6 p.m. until midnight.  I don't know how we were still walking at that point but we slept very well that night!

We slept in a little the next day and didn't get up until 8:30.  Then we sort of just rolled out of bed and decided to not hit the parks right away but to go for a swim.  I am so glad that we did.  The pool was amazing.  There was a great water slide and after 15 minutes of trying to convince Michael to try it, it was a chore to get him to get off of it and leave! I'm not going to lie to you, I went down about 5 times myself before finally letting myself sit in a lounge chair and just enjoy the sunshine while relaxing.

After a quick lunch up at the main building, we went back to our room to shower and change and then caught the bus to Hollywood Studios - which was also open until midnight that night!  What I soon learned about my young son was that he is a thrill ride enthusiast!  I was hoping for a little less enthusiasm but he just loved it all so much that I had no choice but to let him take the lead.  We rode Tower of Terror twice and Rock N Roller Coaster twice.  My favorite ride was Toy Story's Midway Mania - which I made him ride.  Twice.  LOL!

We ate at Pizza Planet, we shopped, we ran all over the park and yet even with all of the time that we had, we missed a lot of things because they did not stay open all day.  I was a little disappointed but the things that we missed were trivial and the stuff that we did do was awesome.  We did leave the park by 11 p.m. and were fine with it.  Back in the room we realized that our trip was almost over and we'd have to check out in the morning.  I was so sad that it was so short!

We were up at 6:00 a.m. and out of the room with bell services taking our bags by 7:10.  By 7:20 we were completely checked out and at 7:30 we were boarding the bus to Epcot that had early morning extra magic hours so we could be in the park by 8:00 a.m.  

What hit me immediately when the gates opened was that there were no photographers.  I was a little alarmed but figured it was because of the early hour.  Well, when the park opened to the public, I still could not find one.  Now I'm mad AND disappointed because we had gotten our picture done in the other parks and I wanted one done in Epcot!  By 11:00 it was looking pretty gray out and by 11:10 it was raining.  I thought it was just that quick Florida rain but that was not the case.  By noon it was a full-blown storm with thunder, lightening and severe winds!  Luckily we had our emergency ponchos and although the weather slowed us up, we still were able to do almost everything.  Michael even rode Mission Space alone because I was too chicken to do it!

Except getting my picture with the Beast.  It's too upsetting to even talk about.

On our way out of the park at 3:30, we FINALLY found a photographer.  He got some shots of us and that slightly made me feel better.  We took a round trip tour on the monorail and headed back to the resort to pick up dinner and snacks for the ride home and to wait for our town car.

Can I plan my next trip now???

So Amtrak Sucks... Part One

Remember my excitement over taking the train to Florida?  Remember how I was almost giddy at the thought and how clever I was and how much money I was saving by traveling by train?

Well forget all of that because AMTRAK SUCKS!!!

That's right, Amtrak SUCKS!!!

I won't say it again until later, I promise.

So we arrived at the station the night we were leaving, an hour before the train was due to arrive.  Why?  No one knows.  I mean, there is NOOOO security, the station was in a sketchy part of town and essentially, there was nothing to do but sit there.  And just to be clear, the station itself was like having a train station in a gas station bathroom.  That hasn't been cleaned.  Ever.

So we line up and I specifically ask if we could NOT be seated near the family with the screaming child and I was assured that we were not.  Well, guess what?  Screaming child 6 rows up.  Thank you, Mr. Conductor.  We get to our seats, get settled and comfy and take off.  Michael and I are both super excited about the journey and comment to each other on how smooth the ride is, how much leg room we have...basically, we are pleased.  

Then we try to go to sleep.  

NOT as easy as it sounds.  I am a very fussy sleeper.  The planets have to align just right in order for me to sleep and so I already knew that it was going to be rough for me.  What I did not expect was how it was going to be near impossible.  I took Z-Quil, I took Melatonin... I FELT tired but could not get comfortable.  I finally managed to doze when the train stopped.  Okay, no big deal, we were making stops and I was fully aware of that fact.  But when we didn't start going again, I got suspicious.

A freight train had derailed ahead of us and we ended up sitting for 4 1/2 hours!!!  I was BEYOND pissed.  Was my towncar going to wait for us in Orlando?  What about our hotel reservation?  I tried contacting Amtrak but no one could tell me anything about how long we were going to sit, etc.

So we finally start moving and okay, we were assured that we'd make up some time and could be in to Orlando by maybe 12:30-1:00 (they were eliminating some stops to make up the time).  Then we stopped again.  And again.  And again.  Honestly, it was ridiculous.  The crew disappeared, the customer service people on the 800# had no idea why we were stopped and essentially we were like hostages on a train.  

Did they offer us a complimentary meal?  No.  We got a "snack pack" that had cheese and 3 crackers, some dried fruit and a cookie, plus some bottled water that must have been bottled in the now overflowing and extremely nasty smelling bathroom.  Gross.  So thank you, Amtrak, so glad that we're all stuck on the train without food and you cared about us so much.

We did not arrive in Orlando until 4:30 p.m.  We were supposed to be there at 10:20 a.m.  My entire day at Disney - which was already paid for - was gone.  I am now OUT that money.  Thankfully, our town car driver stayed and waited for us all day.  That man was a blessing.  When we were finally released from the hell-train, he helped us with our bags, waited for our checked luggage and got us in the car and out of there in a flash!  I was never so happy to be in a car in my entire life.

There was no traffic but storm clouds were coming and by the time we hit our resort, some rain was falling.  But I didn't car because I was off the train!!!  Three emails, three phone calls and no real response from Amtrak.  I was hoping for an upgrade for the ride home to the sleepette car (tiny 3x6 rooms with bunk beds) but no one can authorize that except customer relations and they're not answering their phones.

So on our trip down to Florida, just to re-cap, AMTRAK SUCKED!!!

Happy Birthday, Marine!

So flippin proud of my Godchild!  Happy Birthday, Punkin!!!

 

Let's Try This Again...

Okay, so I'm back.  Again.  Hopefully with a little more staying power.  I do think of this blog often but don't seem to have the time to really sit down and do a whole lot with it.  So for you who keep checking back, I apologize.

In the last month I have worked, worked and worked some more, faced the challenge of having my older son finally decide that he wants to go to college (and not here), I took my younger son to Disney (post to follow soon), I think I've found a new church and have had a a request from an agent to see more of my work.  All and all, when you add that to just the usual business of life, things have been pretty full.

So I do promise, staring tomorrow, that you will be seeing some new stuff here and I will get caught up on all of the craziness.

Tune in tomorrow...

Duran Duran Rocked!!!

Okay, so last Tuesday night I finally went to see Duran Duran in concert.  Let me say this...TOTALLY WORTH THE WAIT!  

No lie, this was quite possibly the greatest show I had ever seen.  And believe me, for guys who have been doing this for 30 years and well in to their 50's, this show just could not have been any better.

No, wait.  I'm lying.  The opening act was some weird chick.  I had never heard of her but it was her and a glorified Karaoke machine on the stage that CLEARLY no one bothered to do a sound check on.  It was the loudest, most offensive noise I had ever heard.  All I kept thinking was that if this lone person is THIS loud, how much worse is the band going to be.

Luckily it was just her and her annoying box because when the FIVE PIECE band came on, with an additional saxophonist and backup vocalist, the sound was amazing.

Here's a cool observation about going to a concert as an older adult:  the crowds are nicer and much more well organized.  Now granted, the DPAC is not a huge venue (approx. 3,000 seats) but we never felt crowded or that we were caught up in the throngs of people.  Honestly, from the parking of the car to leaving after a wildly impressive show, everything was really well organized.

Our seats were good and next time I will invest in spending a little more and getting as close to the stage as possible because they really interacted with the crowd down front.  They played all of their classics and some of the new stuff and played a solid two hours.  GREAT, GREAT night.  I was extra blessed because my girlfriend Krista was just as huge of a fan as I am and so we were extra giddy and silly and just had an amazing night.

Getting up for work the next day, however, was no easy task.  As I told my bosses as I dragged myself to my desk, I wasn't so much Hungry Like the Wolf as I was tired like the dog.

Thank you, Duran Duran, for making the 30 year wait to see you well worth it.  Rock on!

When the only child grows up...

When I was growing up, I only knew one friend who was an only child.  We spent a lot of time together; I practically lived in her house over the summer.  She was a little self-centered and selfish, kind of mean at times but for the most part, I didn't overly concern myself with those traits because she was my friend.

As an adult when you know someone who grew up as an only child, those traits are BLAZINGLY obvious to the point of being painful.

Case in point, we (Frank and I) are friends with a couple where the husband is an only child.  The man dominates every conversation, he'll cut off whatever is being talked about for the sake of being heard.  He is loud, offensive and basically, when he does not get his way he will go in to a major pout and then threaten to leave.  

A pouting, whining 50 year old man is not something anyone should have to see and really, he should be ashamed of himself.  He is married and he and his wife have only one child.  

She is the devil.

She is the reason that I refuse to go their home anymore.  She is the reason I do not invite them to my home anymore.  At age 6 I have watched her have her parents jumping through hoops at midnight because she wants something to eat, drink, etc. or because she wants to watch TV RIGHTNOW!  And these idiots do it!

I understand that clearly this type of child-rearing is all this guy knows; he was a spoiled brat so obviously, his child is going to be one, too.  I can only imagine what it's like in that house for his poor wife when these two want something at the same time!

There's another adult only child in my life and while I love this person to pieces, I have to limit the time I spend with her otherwise I get mean.  I've reacted badly to some of her behavior and while I know I was justified, the pouting that went on and the snit that followed were just ridiculous.

How do you make someone who grew up as the center of attention everywhere they went and who was taught that they are the only people in the world that matters see that as an adult, it's not all about them?  These people make lousy friends, neighbors, co-workers - you name it!  And yet I seem to be surrounded by them.

Makes for a pretty miserable day sometimes...

Love It or List It?

This show on HGTV has become one of my new favorites.  Each episode features a family/house where the spouse's are divided on whether or not they are going to stay in the house or sell it.  It's actually pretty funny hearing what divides people on this decision and why some people want to actually STAY in a house that clearly isn't working for their family.

The "hosts" of the show are a riot.  Hillary is an interior designer and it is her job to do the make-over on the house using the budged that the couple provides and actually give them all of the must-haves that the spouse who wants to sell gives them - thus making them "love" the house again.

David is a realtor whose job is to find the couple a new home with all of the must haves that the spouse who doesn't want to sell gives him and make it work in the budget that the couple gives them.

You would not believe the issues that come up each week.  It's a little predictable.  Inevitably, Hillary is going to dig in to a very ambitious home renovation (walls will be knocked down, rooms will be stripped down to the studs) and then BAM! Something happens that stalls the entire project and some of those must-haves will get crossed off of the list due to no money in the budget.

Then there's the new house hunt.  David will look in the "wrong" area and the couple won't consider it or the spouse who doesn't want to sell will be so obnoxious about knit-picking every aspect of the houses they're shown that you want to smack them.

Predictable and yet I can't turn away!  Monday night, 9 p.m. on HGTV.  If nothing else, you'll probably relate the these couples and try and figure out in the end if you'll love it or list it!

The Flour Baby

So Michael's taking a class this semester called Exploring Career Decisions and they do all kinds of things in it and not all of them are about career's.  They are doing the Red Cross babysitting course and they are learning about responsibility by making a flour baby.

Yes, a flour baby.

We are transforming a five pound bag of flour in to a baby.  I had to buy a sleeper, some material and poly-filler (?) to make it's head and fill out its body.  This was NOT an inexpensive project.  Besides those objects we needed safety pins, rubber bands, a Sharpee, masking tape...I mean, all of this for a baby that he's going to carry around for a week.

Seriously, couldn't I just buy a doll?  

I'll post pictures when it's complete.  

It was either this or carrying around an egg for a week.  He felt safer with the five pound bag of flour dressed as a faceless baby.  Go figure.

I'm not ashamed to ask for my money back...

So on Saturday Frank and I were trying to decide what we wanted for lunch.  Michael was out and it was just the two of us and we decided that we really wanted some sandwiches.  

I make FANTASTIC sandwiches.  

It comes from growing up int he deli business.

So I send him to Harris Teeter to get some Boars Head rare roast beef, some fresh Kaiser rolls and some provolone.  I write it all down including the instructions that the roast beef be sliced THIN.  I'm a freak about that.  For some reason, stores down here feel the need to slice their meat in slabs.

I do NOT enjoy that.

He goes to the store, comes back and I head to the kitchen to create sandwich masterpieces.  The first issue?  NOT sliced thin.  I commented on this to him and he was like "It IS thin!  The guy gave me a slice to taste."  Okay, fine.  Clearly we have different ideas on what is thin and what's not.  Fine.  I make his sandwich - and it was beautiful - and bring it out and present it to him.  

It just continued down hill from there.

I go back to make MY sandwich and I go in to the roast beef and it's really NOT rare and after taking off of the second slice, it was all fat!  It was disgusting.  I was beyond pissed.  So I told Frank that I would pick through and get what I could but then I am going back to the Teeter and complaining and getting my money back.  He thought I was crazy.

I am.

But 2 hours later I stood at the customer service desk with my bag o beef and got DOUBLE my money back!  At $13 a pound, that was a wonderful surprise.  I'm not going to lie, I did feel a little petty when she handed me that money back but then I did a major food shopping (NOT in the deli department!) and more than made up for returning the beef.

I don't do stuff like this often but I believe in getting what you pay for and if you let places get away with overcharging you for something that isn't edible, their service will never improve.

I'll get down from my soap box now.

Wish I was Here...

What Makes a Good Marriage

Today Frank and I celebrate 21 years of marriage.  We've been together a total of 23 years and I can honestly say that we are still in love after all this time.  

Marriage is hard work.  There have been many, many fights, many tears and many times that I just thought it was too hard.  But when emotions simmer down and you take some time to truly think about what's important, you realize that having someone to love who loves you for who you are - no matter how big of a brat you are being - well, that's just about the greatest thing in the world.

I know that I probably say it every year on our anniversary and so I will say it again; God did not bless me with great wealth or a successful dream career  but He blessed me with a great marriage to a man who makes me laugh and smile every day and who gave me two amazing children.

That makes me a truly blessed woman.

Thank you, Frank, for an amazing 21 years of marriage.  You are my greatest love, my knight in shining armor and I don't know where I'd be without all of the love and laughter you have brought in to my life.  Thank you for loving me unconditionally and helping me realize that no matter what other people may think of me, that I am okay.  Your acceptance of me means more that you will ever know; I never knew such a relationship could exist.  I love you and I am excited to face many more anniversaries with you!

Foot Danger at the Mall

No, not foot danger for everyone, just for me.  Honestly, if something is going to happen to me, it's going to happen to my foot first.  And you know what's weird about that?  I don't have obnoxiously big feet!  Seriously, I'm a size 8; fairly average, and yet, things happen to my feet all the time.

Back when Nick was a baby, boiling water spilled while I was draining pasta.  Where?  My foot.  Fell on the ice as a teen, broke my ankle.  Don't even get me started on why Frank is no longer allowed to push the shopping cart while we're food shopping!

So we go to the mall and we get out of the car and we're walking across the parking lot and Frank steps on my heel (ouch!) and I walk right out of my flip flop and almost fall on my face.  So I yell, I scream, I remind him that my feet are NOT ginormous as I slip my foot back in to the shoe and I think, okay, we're good.

An hour later I am in Bath & Body Works and I've got a 16 oz. bottle of Coke in my purse that I hadn't finished from lunch.  Not paying too much attention to it, I bend over to look at some yummy smelling sugar scrubs and BAM!  Coke bottle falls out of my purse, cap first and lands on the top of my foot.  It was about 3/4 of the way full.  I refrained from crying out but within a minute I have a large lump that is quickly turning purple.

Lovely.

So here I sit, back at home, ice pack on my foot.  

This is just ONE of the reasons I don't go to the mall more often...