Hot Road

I went to see my family in Northern California. We enjoyed seeing family we haven't seen in quite sometime.

I was so stressed out before and during the visit. My face took a real beating. I got a rash on the left side of my face and had an ugly red bug bit on my chin that was in the process of healing. The bite was red and it was also healing and in the healing it was quite ugly and had started peeling and looked hideous.

We had to do a lot of driving to get to the family. It wasn't too far too drive, but it was a tough drive for us. We just don't drive as far or as fast as we used to drive. After a couple of hours any vehicle is too cramped and uncomfortable and every child gets bored.

We are back home now and glad to be home.

Sizzlin' Saturday

It is way too hot today. I went out at 2 pm and it was 103. It is supposed to be 106 on Sunday. It's hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk, may be.

Family ***What the **ck, is it for?

All morning long I have been discussing a variety of issues with my husband. Now after two hours of conversation, it all boils down to this family. What did we learn and what is the reason and cost of having a family.

We talked about what we learned about being parents. Whether we like it or not, we learned to be parents from watching and experiencing what we received from our parents. Our parents learned from their parents. Scary isn't that thought?

We now pay a tremendous cost for the way that we learned and the way that we have taught our children. Now all the family is pretty messed up. We are now dysfunctional as a society. Everyone is afraid to raise their children. Afraid to make a mistake with their children. Fortunately or unfortunately we do learn from our mistakes.

So many families are splintered and nearly dissolved into our society. The family means something different now. It is not a unit, not here, no in my community. When it is all said and down is the family any better or worse off. Should we just get an empty photo frame and insert anyone and claim them as our family.

Old Movies

I love watching old movies. I love to tell other people about old movies. There are so many great films to watch.

Great scene to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7h-Igawp5Y

Here is my list and it so long:

I like Imitation of Life-1959, The Nutty Professor-1963, Baby Doll-1956, The Girl Can't Help It-1956, The Fox-1967, The Apartment-1960, Midnight Cowboy-1969, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner-1967, The Graduate-1967, Psycho-1960, Rosemary's Baby-1969, Cool Hand Luke-1967, In The Heat of the Night-1967, A Raisin in the Sun-1961, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?-1966,All About Eve-1950, Touch of Evil-1958, On the Waterfront-1954, Sunset Boulevard-1950, A Streetcar Named Desire-1951, Giant-1956, Marty-1955, The Godfather-1972, Taxi Driver-1976, Last Tango in Paris-1972, the French version, Young Frankenstein-1974, Deliverance-1972, Scenes from a Marriage-1973, Being There-1979, Monty Python's Life of Brian-1979, A Woman Under the Influence-1974, The Man Who Would Be King-1975, Enter the Dragon-1973

This is just my short list. I love movies of all types and genre.

What a mess

Our family went for a nice walk this morning. On the way home from our walk my husband stepped on a catsup package. I was so ticked off, but why. He didn't notice that with his big boots that he had stepped on the packet of catsup.

I felt something wet hit my mouth and then I looked over and noticed the packet. I then looked at my pants, then shirt and my glasses. My son noticed the catsup in my hair. All this from a small packet of catsup. I was covered head to foot with catsup. I looked like a big mess, all from one packet.

Sometimes life is clean and sometimes it is a mess, a messy mess, lol.

Just Sunday

Went to church with my hubby and son today. First time that we have all went together.

Nothing much is happening today. My son tried talking to me and his dad in a disrespectful way. I told my son to make his own meals for he rest of the day. There is plenty of food already cooked that he can warm in the microwave.

I will not have him talking to me in a disrespectful way or using a nasty tone. He has to respect me and his father. He will get over it and be thoughtful in his town next time.

Keeping It Altogether

It's been awhile since I have had time to say anything. I have been so busy keeping my husband calm and collected. His blood pressure is high and he is starting to have heart problems. If he would just do like I tell him and that would all go away, but who listens to me.The doctor's want to perform an Angiogram and the may want stick a stent in him. He doesn't want this, but is realizing that it might be the option for him, plus we are running out of medical benefits. For the time he has decided to get this scheduled. I hope that this can be done without a lot of problems and long recovery. It is worisome thinking about all of this, but I do want him to do something. I want him to live along time and be there for and with me.

Mom's Day

It's upon us again, another mothers day. I have no mom, my mom died 34 years ago. It is hard to believe that she has been gone longer than I knew her. I have my mother in-law, but she just isn't my mom. My daughter is a mom and I am her mom and her kids grandma, but that doesn't take away the sting of me being motherless. Happy Mothers Day Mom.

My Kind of Town

I think I am really getting older. I am 49 now and I am noticing things more so than I used to notice. Last week I was almost enthralled with the weather and the look of my town. The sky was so clear, clean and just beautiful. I couldn't stop taking pictures and telling everyone what a beautiful day it was. I treated myself to a new camera and I just love taking pictures with this camera.

Awards

Today, me and Kevin went to Kahlil's school for an Assembly. This was the first time that Kevin has went to an activity at any school Kahlil has attend. Today was a family day. Him getting surgery has allowed for time for these types of activities. Kahlil was very happy to have his mom and dad at school. Kahlil got an award for Honor Roll.

New camera

I just got a new camera on Thursday. I have wanted a newer camera for quite sometime. I said I need more megapixels, but what do I know about megapixels. I have went from two to ten, may be that will make my life more fantastic. May be not so much better but more interesting?

I am not working and bought a new camera. I convinced myself that this is okay. The money came from sources that were not part of my none income, income. So I didn't waste money or squander it right? Doesn't matter, because I am going to get fantastic photos?

I downloaded the software for the camera onto my computer. I uploaded one picture and I cannot figure out how to get the rest from the camera to the computer, back to the instructions. I think someone needs to send my life back to instruction mode.

Urban Hike

Today Kahlil and me, I, whatever, I can't remember which one. Anyway, we want downtown, downtown Los Angeles for those of you who don't know what downtown I refer to. We took the Goldline, the train, to Union Station, the train station downtown. We took the Dash, a small bus for 25 cents, and went to the skyscrapers. Kahlil wanted to see the towers, that is what he calls the skyscrapers.

After and hour and some lunch he was ready to go home. He did take some pictures. I wish I had my new camera with us. When I got home my new camera had been delivered in the mail. My new camera zooms in and out.

I don't think he wants to go downtown again for awhile.

Craigslist Innocent

Today I picked up something that I found on Craigslist. I am no longer a Craigslist virgin. I scored my first freebie. Most of the time I sit on the List sidelines and just check out what other people are giving away. I go to the Free section because that is my budget.

Some times I see things that I might really want, but the person lives too far away or my husband wouldn't want to have the item. I have emailed people minutes after the postings and no luck. I have to become a go getter not a watcher.

More Anacapa

I just have to say, feast your eyes on this, just one more.

Anacapa Island

What a beautiful land that we have here right under our noses. Just $34 to get on a yacht and be taken to a remote virtually unspoiled land. Right off the coast in Ventura, Ca, the Channel Islands are there for your eyes to see. One of the Islands in the chain of the Channel Islands is called Anacapa Island. This Island does not have what is on Catalina Island, no shops, restaurants are the few residents. This Island has just nature at its pinnacle.

We, the school my son attends, took a boat to this island and spent the better part of a day exploring the small (and I do mean small) wonders of nature. There were many flowers, birds, flies and sea animals to see. The views were stunning to behold. Words just don't do this experience justice. We need to slow down and find a day to experience such as this one. Happy birthday to us, enjoy.

Anacapa Baby

My son, myself and the whole fourth grade class and some fifth graders went to visit this remarkable, remote and beautiful Island on April 8, 2010. This happened to be my birthday. My son was miserable the whole day. This whole beautiful Island and nothing but whining and moaning and complaining. We never appreciate things until we are ready to appreciate, until our lives are at their end.

Another year older, not younger

Today's my birthday. Last night I thought, I am not this age anymore. This morning when I woke up, I thought, nothing. I truly had forgot my birthday, but not my husband. Ordinarily he can't remember anything past being hungry or thirsty, but this morning some how, he remember that I am another year older. Am I happy about it? Does it matter? Aren't there worse issues to be concern about, how selfish of me to be concerned right? Let's pick a real issue to be concerned about, hm, too many to pick.

Kevin wanted to know, last night, what kind of cake I wanted? What did I want when I got home from the big field trip happening today. I said nothing, I want nothing, just some quiet.

Today I will be with my son on a field trip to Anacapa Island. Anacapa Island is an Island off the Channel Islands in Ventura, California. This field trip will be all day. We have to be at the school by 7 am and not back before 5 pm. Just me, Kahlil and a few hundred elementary kids, yippee, what a day? Can any body say: shouting, pushing and grumbling kids, no, they are little sweet hearts.

Post Surgery

I picked up Kevin from the hospital on Thursday afternoon. He stayed overnight at Kaiser in Hollywood. He was ignored by the nurses during his stay. He said the bathroom was not cleaned. He was not assisted or looked after. When he stayed last year at Kaiser in West Los Angeles, not only was he looked after, but he was doted on and quizzed by the nurses and other staffers.

On Friday I took him back to the hospital to have them look at the catheter that was attached to his shoulder. The catheter was shaped like a ball and was filled with pain killer. No one showed us how to use the device. The nurse I spoke to did not know what it was, but later I found out the device was self sustaining and that we did not need to do anything to maintain the device. The tubing on the device had some blood backing up from is shoulder into the tubing. When we showed the nurse at Kaiser, she said that we should not be concerned and that this was normal. She said we should come back on Monday for his scheduled appointment. We insisted and were seen by a PA (Physician Assistant). He changed my husband's dressing (bandages) and removed the catheter, but not before he asked my husband if he used street drugs.

I was very preturbed by the Street Drug question, but did not say anything. Kevin (my husband) was and remains in pain. This shoulder surgery (Rotator Cuff) is a very painful surgery to recover from and has a protracted recovery time. Tomorrow we are going to see the doctor that performed the surgery and Tuesday Kevin is having his first physical theraphy appointment.

Kevin's surgery

My husband, Kevin just had surgery today on his shoulder. He had a tear in his rotator cuff. When the doctor did the operation they found more damage and made the correction. Kevin is all patched up now, but not ready to go home. The hospital wants to send him home. The doctor says that this kind of surgery is just fraught with pain. Kevin just needs to deal with the pain for now. Who knows for how long he will feel the pain, but this is what I am told is the case.

It is hard to see such a big guy go through this kind of pain and not be able to help alleviate his suffering. I went to the hospital, but then left. I have to go pick up her son from school and then pick up my husband from the hospital. Hopefully I will not have to pick him up during rush hour.

We all got up at 4 am to get him to the hospital by 6am for surgery check in. I am tired and wish I could just get in the bed and go back to sleep, but my family needs me and sleep will just have to wait. I hope Kahlil, my son, will be in a good mood this afternoon.

Family Road Trip

Does anyone still get in the car and drive? Whether your drive has a purpose or it is just an old fashioned Sunday drive. Kids, at least my kid doesn't like going for any drive that is not going to get food or going home from getting food. He gets worried when he gets in the car with mom and dad. When both mom and dad are in the car, there is a chance that the family is going somewhere as a family and that means, a long drive.

All the smart money says take toys and games for him to play with. Bring something to distract him with for the ride. I don't think about doing this until I am already out driving. I want my son to learn how to go along for the ride, but of course he hasn't so far. We took him for a long drive recently and you would have thought that someone was killing him. The complaining, the deal making and then finally he started screaming at us to turn this car around. He let out all his thoughts, "you two are fools, turn this car around, I am not going." Normally this is something that gets him in big trouble, but we were out in the middle of nowhere, well somewhere, but nowhere that I was familiar with, so what to do. Commit child abuse, stop the car, go straight home, no. I tried ignoring him, but that made it worse. I finally turned around in my seat and probably said the dumbest and most chancy thing of all, "you can get out right here if you want." He did not want to get out and he shut up on the spot.

I don't recommend asking your kid to make the choice to get out of the car when you are out on the road. I was so frustrated, my lack of planning and fore site almost did me in on that drive. Sometimes I do so things that I think, what the heck was that? I wouldn't even do that, but wait, I did do that, that was me. Was that an out of body experience? Was that my dream that this was happening, a nightmare, no that was a page from my life. Let me out, let me out of this car.

Getting what you need

It seems like it is easiest to get what you need, but not what you want. Everyone wants to give advice, but do we ever want to follow advice? What is the right advice and how do you know it when you see it or hear it being offered? Is it like seeing a sign on the road: turn right, road narrows, stop, no right turn on red. If it were only that simple.

Is getting what you want like picking fruit off from a tree. You find the tree that has the fruit you want and you just pick it off? If it were that simple.

What does any of this mean? Nonsense, that is what it means, just silly waste your time nonsense. Does it help, is it useful. Like many things you don't know until time is up. Ding, your time is up and did you get what you wanted or needed.

This guy, my son always seems to know what he wants and he knows how to get what he wants, even if he has to shout out or scream for it. He doesn't take no for an answer.

Weight loss secret, how to lose ten pounds in minutes

I found out how to lose weight fast. The secret is to place yourself stragetically in a photo between to people larger than you. My cousin came over wih his cousin, they are both big guys, so there you go, I automatically looked smaller. What you have to do is squeeze inbetween the two and have them kind of squeeze close to you and you will look smaller. If only I could walk around all day with them squeezing the weight away from me by block it out from view.

Cousin unknown

Today I talked to my cousin Joe on my dad's side. Joe is 38 and doesn't know me. This just is how our family works.

Someone that I know came by this morning and gave me his card. I looked at the card and said, hey this is my relative. She didn't come by to give me the card, but was instead visiting a neighbor and there I was so she gave me the card. She said that this man could help us make some money. I thought scam, but when I looked at the card, I thought family. It could be scam still, but now it's get scammed by your family. That's great, who wouldn't want to know the person that could scam them, but he is probably a great guy that I just have not know for 38 years, right.

I called him up and introduced myself. He is coming over at 4 pm today. I hope he can share in the family warmth that we don't have. What a family. He wanted to know why we don't know each other. That is like asking most people why the sky is blue, it is just too complicated to answer in one gulp. I told him that I don't generally invite strange men over. He said he wasn't a stranger, but a relative.

That's great a strange relative in the house this afternoon.

Not locked out

I got out of the house today, despite the fact that the front gate no longer works. My husband, we call him Pops, Kevin 1 (one, there is a two) and some other names I shouldn't mention here. When I got home from my worldly jaunts, there he was waiting for me. Apparently he did not have the key to the back door. When the door wouldn't open I went out the back gate. This makes me feel empowered when he has to count on me for something beside food.

Hopefully Kevin will go out and get a new lock for the door so we can go out another door besides the back. I should be glad that we have more than one way out of this palace, not really a palace, but hey some people are living on the street. I like the convenience of going out the front door, just call me crazy. We always have some funny stuff going on in this house. Like the time we had our stove and plumbing go out on Thanksgiving and everyone wanted to eat, but the oven just dropped dead. We asked a neighbor could we finish cooking the turkey at their house, the nerve, but we had to eat.

More important the door lock is to unlock my mind.

Brain loss

I am losing my mind. I am not sure if it is in bits and pieces or some days just the whole thing. Many times I can't figure out how to say something. I can't remember how to spell. Many days I insist on using a certain word and I just wont relent. I have looked pretty stupid to people when I make them wait to catch up with my brain.

One day I was looking at a (there it goes now).....blimp, that is the word, and could not for the life of me remember what the thing was, I was so frustrated. This has happened to me a lot in this last decade. We all thought that the economy was the only place that we were losing something, but the brain loss is crazy for me. I am not use to looking at something and then drawing a blank. I have always had trouble remembering names of people, but I could always remember account numbers, telephone numbers and spell most words.

We can't have two people in our home losing their brains. My husband almost never remembers stuff. I tell him something and he says, "you didn't tell me that." I thought it was just me, but I think it is a brain drain.

Thank the Internet for Google otherwise I wouldn't know where to look for stuff.

I can't get out

This morning I went to open the front door, actually the iron security screen door, and it wouldn't open. I put the key in and nothing. I tried another key nothing. I went outside and tried it from the outside, nothing, I guess I just didn't want to believe that another money drain had opened up. You homeowners know what I am talking about. Everything is going along fine and then some little problem comes up and whamo, you are spending money.

My husband left for the day. He went out the back gate, thank God for that. Typically he locks the gate with a lock that I don't have the key for, but this morning, strange thing, he didn't lock the gate or even close the gate. I am glad that he left that stupid gate open, if not I would be writing or calling or texting to get someone over to open that door. Sounds stupid, but I don't like going out the back. By the way, I didn't mention this, but we have a side gate and its locked and I don't have a key for that lock. I feel like a princesses, but not in a good way.

That's enough whining for now. I have to go get my mother in-law and take her to the 99 cent store, She needs hair gup.