She is still here. (The sister-in-law who couldn't complete the rehab program.) She seems mostly sober, but sometimes over-medicated, and doesn't seem to have a plan of any kind. And I am, of course, still biting my tongue.
I know every family has its problems, but this one just seems so unbelievably dysfunctional, that I can't even BEGIN to describe it. My in-laws now have both of their 40-something children living back at home, and still have custody of their 14-year-old grandson, who is on medication for ADHD. My daughter has gone back to Baton Rouge to complete her final semester of college at LSU, so now there are only five adults, instead of six, but sister-in-law is sleeping on the couch. Not an ideal situation for anyone, but I actually have some sympathy for her.
On a positive note...Hubby had a job interview yesterday! He was so excited. He isn't going to be able to take the job, it is 45 miles away, one-way, and only pays $8.50 per hour so the commute would just cost too much. But he was very pleased with how it went, and knows that it is just a matter of time until he is able to start working. It's going to get better, I just know it is.
When I got back to work this week, my computer had bitten the dust. Completely. Not a tragedy, because I actually saved everything to an external hard drive, so no data was lost. The tech who came to look at it said to just order a new computer. (It had crashed two years ago, and they were able to resuscitate it.) The next day, guess what? My external hard drive wouldn't power on! SERIOUSLY, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN??? Anyway, the hard disk itself was still usable, and they were able to save all of the data to an 8GB flash drive.
But, you can't make this stuff up and one day, I am going to publish my memoirs. It will be very painful, describing the addicted years, but I am certain it will be cathartic as well.
Buon Giorno, Arrivederci
Friday, January 09, 2009
Saturday, December 27, 2008
...And a Happy New Year!
Okay, so I all but abandoned my blog. I have been struggling to stay upbeat--not always succeeding--but managing not to post every whine and complaint. (Of course, that means huge chunks of time go by between posts...!)
Since I last posted: Husband graduated with his Associate Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science! The ceremony was a week before Christmas. My daughter was home from college, and the ceremony was really quite nice. (Daughter will receive her Bachelor of Arts in English: Writing and Culture in May 2009!) Money issues will prevent hubby from continuing in school for now, so he is going to concentrate on passing his state licensing exams in early 2009. Then he will be able to look for work, and if he finds something that pays pretty well, he may take part-time classes toward HIS Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Laboratory Technology.
Hubby's sister decided in early December to check herself into a drug rehab facility for drying out/detox and inpatient treatment for her alcoholism and drug addictions. She stayed only ten days (the amount of time to complete detox) and was told there was nothing else they could do for her, because of her poor attitude. Seems she called a staff member an ugly name--think, "female dog"--and refused to attend scheduled meetings. So, she is here because she had no place left to go. She is depressed and sleeps a lot, but she is still taking the meds they prescribed for her at rehab, so maybe they will help her get her equilibrium back. (But don't hold your breath.) We are all "walking on eggshells" around her for the time being, and deliberately avoiding asking the tough questions like: "Why didn't you feel that you needed to comply with expectations at the treatment center?" and the burning question on the tip of MY tongue: "So, what are your plans, now?" And, so far, she isn't trying to jump back into the "mommy" role for her 14-year-old son and seems content to let her mother continue to make most of the major decisions that affect him. When she decides to assert her parental authority again (whether the courts have actually restored that authority or not), it isn't going to be pretty.
So, right at the moment, there are six adults (me, hubby, our daughter, his parents, and his sister) and one 14-year-old in this house. Still and all, Christmas was really nice! Scaled back, of course, due to the tough economic climate, but the gifts are not the point, are they? We had a lovely steak dinner, with several additional family members attending, including hubby's 96-year-old grandmother! There were no major conflicts and a good time was had by all.
Today, we leave for Houston, for our annual stay with my dad and brother. We will celebrate the New Year with them, before coming home. This will be the first time our daughter won't accompay us. :-( She has made arrangements to fly to Florida to meet her boyfriend's family for the first time. (I knew this was coming, of course, but it doesn't go down any easier.) AND...I don't have to be back at either of my jobs until January 5, 2009!! Now, that's what I'm talking about!
Hope everyone has a New Year filled with awe and wonder! Ciao!
Since I last posted: Husband graduated with his Associate Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science! The ceremony was a week before Christmas. My daughter was home from college, and the ceremony was really quite nice. (Daughter will receive her Bachelor of Arts in English: Writing and Culture in May 2009!) Money issues will prevent hubby from continuing in school for now, so he is going to concentrate on passing his state licensing exams in early 2009. Then he will be able to look for work, and if he finds something that pays pretty well, he may take part-time classes toward HIS Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Laboratory Technology.
Hubby's sister decided in early December to check herself into a drug rehab facility for drying out/detox and inpatient treatment for her alcoholism and drug addictions. She stayed only ten days (the amount of time to complete detox) and was told there was nothing else they could do for her, because of her poor attitude. Seems she called a staff member an ugly name--think, "female dog"--and refused to attend scheduled meetings. So, she is here because she had no place left to go. She is depressed and sleeps a lot, but she is still taking the meds they prescribed for her at rehab, so maybe they will help her get her equilibrium back. (But don't hold your breath.) We are all "walking on eggshells" around her for the time being, and deliberately avoiding asking the tough questions like: "Why didn't you feel that you needed to comply with expectations at the treatment center?" and the burning question on the tip of MY tongue: "So, what are your plans, now?" And, so far, she isn't trying to jump back into the "mommy" role for her 14-year-old son and seems content to let her mother continue to make most of the major decisions that affect him. When she decides to assert her parental authority again (whether the courts have actually restored that authority or not), it isn't going to be pretty.
So, right at the moment, there are six adults (me, hubby, our daughter, his parents, and his sister) and one 14-year-old in this house. Still and all, Christmas was really nice! Scaled back, of course, due to the tough economic climate, but the gifts are not the point, are they? We had a lovely steak dinner, with several additional family members attending, including hubby's 96-year-old grandmother! There were no major conflicts and a good time was had by all.
Today, we leave for Houston, for our annual stay with my dad and brother. We will celebrate the New Year with them, before coming home. This will be the first time our daughter won't accompay us. :-( She has made arrangements to fly to Florida to meet her boyfriend's family for the first time. (I knew this was coming, of course, but it doesn't go down any easier.) AND...I don't have to be back at either of my jobs until January 5, 2009!! Now, that's what I'm talking about!
Hope everyone has a New Year filled with awe and wonder! Ciao!
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Nine Kinds of Hell
Being married to a drug addict is nine kinds of hell. Even one who is supposedly recovering.
Right now, I am so angry, I am trembly.
My recovering addict husband has relapsed. Proof? All circumstantial. But our cell phone records show that he called a known pill dealer at 3:30 and 4:00 this morning. He was unreachable for about 8 hours. Finally, he called and asked where I was. (He had asked me to be at his place about dark.) I asked him why I couldn't reach him. He said he fell asleep. Wrong answer. I had campus police check on whether his car was in the lot. He wasn't home. He hung up on me.
I want out.
I stayed with him for the sake of our daughter. She is grown now. I stayed while he was in rehab, and I lived with his parents while I worked two jobs to make it possible for him to go to school. I'm done.
It's all very sad.
Ciao.
Right now, I am so angry, I am trembly.
My recovering addict husband has relapsed. Proof? All circumstantial. But our cell phone records show that he called a known pill dealer at 3:30 and 4:00 this morning. He was unreachable for about 8 hours. Finally, he called and asked where I was. (He had asked me to be at his place about dark.) I asked him why I couldn't reach him. He said he fell asleep. Wrong answer. I had campus police check on whether his car was in the lot. He wasn't home. He hung up on me.
I want out.
I stayed with him for the sake of our daughter. She is grown now. I stayed while he was in rehab, and I lived with his parents while I worked two jobs to make it possible for him to go to school. I'm done.
It's all very sad.
Ciao.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
The Good American
Like a truly patriotic American, on this morning-after, I am trying to find the good qualities in President-elect Obama, even though he was not the man I felt best qualified to lead the United States. For one, He is an outstanding public speaker, with much more polish and finess than John McCain. We need those qualities to repair our battered national image in the rest of the world.
Right now, that's all I can think of. Perhaps others ideas will come to me.
Arrivederci.
Right now, that's all I can think of. Perhaps others ideas will come to me.
Arrivederci.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Better
Okay, I'm better now. I'm in Alexandria, enjoying a MUCH NEEDED three-day anniversary weekend. The weather has been absolutely amazing; who in the world could stay in a blue mood with weather like this? The peace and quiet is awesome...truly healing.
Arrivederci!
Arrivederci!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Shades of Blue
How appropriate that my layout is done in shades of blue.
The weather has been absolutely glorious...cool, crisp, invigorating, and the sky so blue it almost hurts to stare at it. Perfect. I need to live in a place where the weather is like this year-round.
Still, I feel depressed. I plod along day in and day out, doing pretty much the same thing everyday. Eat, sleep, work, work. And husband is doing pretty much the same thing everyday, too. Eat, sleep, study. There just doesn't seem to be any end to it, although I know that there is. We should be ecstatic about planning and attending the graduation ceremony at which he will receive his Associate degree. But it all just seems like a hassle. And it shouldn;t be that way.
And, our anniversary is Thursday, October 23. We will be celebrating 26 years of marriage. I know that he has class that day, so I have made arrangements to be off on Friday, October 24 and we will have a three-day weekend together.
I have been trying not to think about it.
Ciao.
The weather has been absolutely glorious...cool, crisp, invigorating, and the sky so blue it almost hurts to stare at it. Perfect. I need to live in a place where the weather is like this year-round.
Still, I feel depressed. I plod along day in and day out, doing pretty much the same thing everyday. Eat, sleep, work, work. And husband is doing pretty much the same thing everyday, too. Eat, sleep, study. There just doesn't seem to be any end to it, although I know that there is. We should be ecstatic about planning and attending the graduation ceremony at which he will receive his Associate degree. But it all just seems like a hassle. And it shouldn;t be that way.
And, our anniversary is Thursday, October 23. We will be celebrating 26 years of marriage. I know that he has class that day, so I have made arrangements to be off on Friday, October 24 and we will have a three-day weekend together.
I have been trying not to think about it.
Ciao.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
It's Time!
www.NationalPopularVote.com
If you believe, as I do, that the Electoral College must change (see my previous post), then PLEASE visit the website above. I had no idea that a movement to accomplish this was already underway!
It's the right thing to do. It's time!
Ciao!
If you believe, as I do, that the Electoral College must change (see my previous post), then PLEASE visit the website above. I had no idea that a movement to accomplish this was already underway!
It's the right thing to do. It's time!
Ciao!
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Electoral College
First, happy birthday...to me! I turned 47 this weekend, and got to enjoy my husband, my daughter, and her boyfriend. It was a lovely weekend!
So, let's make this the year we abolish the Electoral College! This body is no longer needed, as we now have near-instantaneous worldwide information exchange. The President of the United States should be selected purely on the basis of the popular vote. The EC served a purpose when our popular vote had to be hand-carried across the country for inclusion in a national consensus. We should not continue to bind ourselves to this antiquated method of selecting our national leaders! In addition, it is designed to give more weight to votes cast in population dense areas--very unfair!
A movement to accomplish this must begin at the level of the people. Join me!
Arrivederci!
So, let's make this the year we abolish the Electoral College! This body is no longer needed, as we now have near-instantaneous worldwide information exchange. The President of the United States should be selected purely on the basis of the popular vote. The EC served a purpose when our popular vote had to be hand-carried across the country for inclusion in a national consensus. We should not continue to bind ourselves to this antiquated method of selecting our national leaders! In addition, it is designed to give more weight to votes cast in population dense areas--very unfair!
A movement to accomplish this must begin at the level of the people. Join me!
Arrivederci!
Monday, October 06, 2008
A Lovely Weekend
I spent the whole weekend "elsewhere". I drove to Baton Rouge Saturday morning to attend the Louisiana Book Festival with my daughter, and then late that afternoon, I drove to Alexandria to spend the rest of the weekend with my husband! It was so nice. The weather was just fine and I had my tunes cranked up for the drives.
The Louisiana Book Fesitval was really quite amazing. Held on the grounds of the state capitol, here were vendors, book-signings, crafts, live music, authentic cajun cuisine, etc. And my daughter and I went up to the observation deck in the state capitol building--she said she had never been up there before.
It was really quite a lovely weekend!
Ciao...
The Louisiana Book Fesitval was really quite amazing. Held on the grounds of the state capitol, here were vendors, book-signings, crafts, live music, authentic cajun cuisine, etc. And my daughter and I went up to the observation deck in the state capitol building--she said she had never been up there before.
It was really quite a lovely weekend!
Ciao...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Why Don't Kids Play in Attics Anymore?
Why don't kids play in attics, anymore? (I realize that this is a most random rant.)
When I was young(er), I spent countless hours in our attic...digging through old photo, looking at old clothes, marveling over dishes or appliances from the past. And then there were the make-believe games we played and secret clubs we "founded".
Did you ever play in an attic?
Maybe kids don't play in the attic anymore because people are no longer storing things in attics. Now everyone has a storage building or room, or leases storage in a mini-warehouse type facility. Or just gets rid of old things periodically in a yard sale
It's really quite sad, isn't it?
Arrivederci.
When I was young(er), I spent countless hours in our attic...digging through old photo, looking at old clothes, marveling over dishes or appliances from the past. And then there were the make-believe games we played and secret clubs we "founded".
Did you ever play in an attic?
Maybe kids don't play in the attic anymore because people are no longer storing things in attics. Now everyone has a storage building or room, or leases storage in a mini-warehouse type facility. Or just gets rid of old things periodically in a yard sale
It's really quite sad, isn't it?
Arrivederci.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Dry Ice
Two hurricanes this month. Not good. Ike was more intense than Gustav, but neither one caused any real damage where I live.
My dad, who lives in Porter, TX, (about 50 mi. N. of Houston) got pounded by Ike. No damage to their mobile home, but now they are without electricity, water, and phone service. And one shed got crushed when a tree fell on it. They have given him a tentative date of October 5, for his power to be restored.
So, my in-laws have graciously invited him to come stay with us, in their motor home. At first, Dad (who is 74), said he would just try to tough it out, but yesterday he called to say he had changed his mind. Three weeks without any electricity/water is just too much. My brother will stay...he was told to report to work! (Apparently, Humble has power.)
Now, dry ice. I am aware that dumping dry ice into hurricanes would release CO2 gas into an already greenhouse gas-filled atmosphere, but would it produce enough of a cooling effect to weaken these potentially destructive storms a bit? I mean, they are already flying into and around them gathering data, couldn't they try something to reduce the energy they contain??
I believe that if it worked, it might be worth whatever miniscule increase in global warming occurs.
My dad, who lives in Porter, TX, (about 50 mi. N. of Houston) got pounded by Ike. No damage to their mobile home, but now they are without electricity, water, and phone service. And one shed got crushed when a tree fell on it. They have given him a tentative date of October 5, for his power to be restored.
So, my in-laws have graciously invited him to come stay with us, in their motor home. At first, Dad (who is 74), said he would just try to tough it out, but yesterday he called to say he had changed his mind. Three weeks without any electricity/water is just too much. My brother will stay...he was told to report to work! (Apparently, Humble has power.)
Now, dry ice. I am aware that dumping dry ice into hurricanes would release CO2 gas into an already greenhouse gas-filled atmosphere, but would it produce enough of a cooling effect to weaken these potentially destructive storms a bit? I mean, they are already flying into and around them gathering data, couldn't they try something to reduce the energy they contain??
I believe that if it worked, it might be worth whatever miniscule increase in global warming occurs.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Gustav, Revisited
To call Hurricane Gustav a non-event would be trivializing the reality of what actually happened.
With Gustav, we dodged a bullet. It was supposed to have hit our area point-blank. We ended up not even losing our electricity, and only received a couple of inches of rain! (They had told us to expect 10-15 inches!)
My daughter and my husband were in Baton Rouge for the first LSU game of the season (which was pushed up several hours, to 10:00 a.m.), then they left town and headed to Alexandria, to my hubby's apartment at LSU-A, which was supposed to have been far enough north to be out of the most violent weather.
Wrong!
Baton Rouge got pounded, and then Gustav drifted just a tiny bit north, which meant that Alexandria got hammered too! Hubby and daughter, who were in Alexandria when the storm hit, said that Gustav was to Alexandria what Rita was to our area in 2005. Not good. Alexandria received nearly 8 inches of rain. The power was out all over Baton Rouge and Alexandria, and Alexandria lost its water pumps all over town. They were actually down to less than half a day's worth of water at one point. (Ironic, isn't it, that an area can be almost out of water after 8 inches of rain?) Classes at LSU and LSU-A were cancelled for the entire week, but are scheduled to restart on Monday, 9/8/08.
Yeah, for us it was definitely a close call. If a mandatory evacuation had been ordered, instead of a recommended evacuation, we would have gone.......to Alexandria!! Gosh, I'm glad we stayed...and I'm glad the other members of the family came home AFTER the excitement!
Ciao!
With Gustav, we dodged a bullet. It was supposed to have hit our area point-blank. We ended up not even losing our electricity, and only received a couple of inches of rain! (They had told us to expect 10-15 inches!)
My daughter and my husband were in Baton Rouge for the first LSU game of the season (which was pushed up several hours, to 10:00 a.m.), then they left town and headed to Alexandria, to my hubby's apartment at LSU-A, which was supposed to have been far enough north to be out of the most violent weather.
Wrong!
Baton Rouge got pounded, and then Gustav drifted just a tiny bit north, which meant that Alexandria got hammered too! Hubby and daughter, who were in Alexandria when the storm hit, said that Gustav was to Alexandria what Rita was to our area in 2005. Not good. Alexandria received nearly 8 inches of rain. The power was out all over Baton Rouge and Alexandria, and Alexandria lost its water pumps all over town. They were actually down to less than half a day's worth of water at one point. (Ironic, isn't it, that an area can be almost out of water after 8 inches of rain?) Classes at LSU and LSU-A were cancelled for the entire week, but are scheduled to restart on Monday, 9/8/08.
Yeah, for us it was definitely a close call. If a mandatory evacuation had been ordered, instead of a recommended evacuation, we would have gone.......to Alexandria!! Gosh, I'm glad we stayed...and I'm glad the other members of the family came home AFTER the excitement!
Ciao!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Gustav: See You On the Other Side
Every parish around us has issued a mandatory evacuation. Jeff Davis, Cameron, Allen, and Calcasieu. Hurricane Gustav will make landfall in South Louisiana in less than 24 hours.
We chose not to act on the "recommended" evacuation order. We will stay.
We stayed through Hurricane Rita in 2005. We were without electricity for seven days, but we never lost water pressure. It was really, really scary. I just knew that one of the oaks in the yard would fall on the house or the wind would just take the roof off. So loud...for so many hours. Trees went down in the yard, but none landed on the house and the roof stayed on.
So, why in the h*** would we stay for Gustav?? Couple of reasons. One reason is that Gustav is behaving differently than Rita. Gustav will come ashore a couple of hundred miles away in southeastern Louisiana and come at us from an angle (we are just a few miles from the Texas border on the west central side of the state). Rita came at us from due south, right up the Sabine River valley. Not a lot of land there to break the forward momentum before it hit us. And it was supposed to have hit Port Arthur!
And another reason, for me anyway, is that I want to come back when I get ready. When you evacuate, you have to remain outside the area until the authorities deem it safe to return. That might be weeks.
Also, we have two, big dogs and two cats. The dogs really don't get along, and the cats merely tolerate each other and the dogs.
So, we are staying. My daughter left Baton Rouge (AFTER the first LSU game of course) and then she and my husband--who had attended the game with her--both left Baton Rouge and went to his dorm/apartment in Alexandria, where they will ride out the storm. Today is my husband's 45th birthday. Happy Birthday, Dear!
See you on the other side!
Arrivederci!
We chose not to act on the "recommended" evacuation order. We will stay.
We stayed through Hurricane Rita in 2005. We were without electricity for seven days, but we never lost water pressure. It was really, really scary. I just knew that one of the oaks in the yard would fall on the house or the wind would just take the roof off. So loud...for so many hours. Trees went down in the yard, but none landed on the house and the roof stayed on.
So, why in the h*** would we stay for Gustav?? Couple of reasons. One reason is that Gustav is behaving differently than Rita. Gustav will come ashore a couple of hundred miles away in southeastern Louisiana and come at us from an angle (we are just a few miles from the Texas border on the west central side of the state). Rita came at us from due south, right up the Sabine River valley. Not a lot of land there to break the forward momentum before it hit us. And it was supposed to have hit Port Arthur!
And another reason, for me anyway, is that I want to come back when I get ready. When you evacuate, you have to remain outside the area until the authorities deem it safe to return. That might be weeks.
Also, we have two, big dogs and two cats. The dogs really don't get along, and the cats merely tolerate each other and the dogs.
So, we are staying. My daughter left Baton Rouge (AFTER the first LSU game of course) and then she and my husband--who had attended the game with her--both left Baton Rouge and went to his dorm/apartment in Alexandria, where they will ride out the storm. Today is my husband's 45th birthday. Happy Birthday, Dear!
See you on the other side!
Arrivederci!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
100
Happy 100th post to me! So, this is my first post since mid-July, and I have much to tell. So much, in fact, that it may turn into more post than I can stand at one sitting.
First: I PASSED! I have been trying to pass the new statewide notary public exam since June, 2007. I paid $700 for a notary exam prep course taught by an attorney from Lake Charles in early '07, and took the test three times--June '07, December '07, and June '08.
And I failed all three times. Yep, that's right. I failed all three times. No one from my class passed the first time. Some took it one more time. I took it on all three of the next test dates, and had decided that I would take it just one more time, in Dec. '08. Then, out of the blue, I got a call last week from the test administration agency saying they had revised the passing criteria and that my score now fell within the passing range. Can you say, "Oh, yeah!"? I really did it! My paperwork came in the mail yesterday, and I filled it all out and will start the filing process with the Clerk of Court and Secretary of State.
Second: Hubby has finished his Associate Degree in Clinical Laboratory Technology! He has applied for his provisional CLT License, and when that comes in he is going to start working part-time. (Part-time because he has decided to take a couple more classes this fall that he will need if LSU-A ever does implement a four-year degree program in Clinical Laboratory Science.
I am okay with that for now.)
So, I will try to be more expansive another time. For now....Ciao!
First: I PASSED! I have been trying to pass the new statewide notary public exam since June, 2007. I paid $700 for a notary exam prep course taught by an attorney from Lake Charles in early '07, and took the test three times--June '07, December '07, and June '08.
And I failed all three times. Yep, that's right. I failed all three times. No one from my class passed the first time. Some took it one more time. I took it on all three of the next test dates, and had decided that I would take it just one more time, in Dec. '08. Then, out of the blue, I got a call last week from the test administration agency saying they had revised the passing criteria and that my score now fell within the passing range. Can you say, "Oh, yeah!"? I really did it! My paperwork came in the mail yesterday, and I filled it all out and will start the filing process with the Clerk of Court and Secretary of State.
Second: Hubby has finished his Associate Degree in Clinical Laboratory Technology! He has applied for his provisional CLT License, and when that comes in he is going to start working part-time. (Part-time because he has decided to take a couple more classes this fall that he will need if LSU-A ever does implement a four-year degree program in Clinical Laboratory Science.
I am okay with that for now.)
So, I will try to be more expansive another time. For now....Ciao!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The End
The End. Doesn't that seem like a funny way to begin? But "The End" is why I have been working twelve and thirteen hour days for two years. "The End" is where we have to arrive before we can start. "The End" is going to be the beginning...
We got my husband's billing statement from LSU-A today. He still has an outstanding balance of $60, but this bill includes a "DIPLOMA FEE"!
HOORAY! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...and it's not another train! (Fingers crossed, knocking on wood, etc.)
I won't have to be exhausted much longer...
Ciao!
We got my husband's billing statement from LSU-A today. He still has an outstanding balance of $60, but this bill includes a "DIPLOMA FEE"!
HOORAY! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...and it's not another train! (Fingers crossed, knocking on wood, etc.)
I won't have to be exhausted much longer...
Ciao!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Hands Down: The Best Concert EVER
June 19, 2008
Baton Rouge River Center
Top: STYX
Bottom: BOSTON
Comment: Oh, yeah, they've all still got it, and they know what to do with it!!! Really awesome concert. Hands down...the very best concert I have EVER seen. (Last time we saw them was in 1997. My daughter was only 10 years old, and she never did stop talking about them!)
And that's all I've got to say 'bout that.
Oh, yeah, here's a couple of photos of us at the concert:
Husband and Daughter
Daughter and Me (It's a first! Probably a last, too.)
Buona sera!
Baton Rouge River Center
Top: STYX
Bottom: BOSTON
Comment: Oh, yeah, they've all still got it, and they know what to do with it!!! Really awesome concert. Hands down...the very best concert I have EVER seen. (Last time we saw them was in 1997. My daughter was only 10 years old, and she never did stop talking about them!)
And that's all I've got to say 'bout that.
Oh, yeah, here's a couple of photos of us at the concert:
Husband and Daughter
Daughter and Me (It's a first! Probably a last, too.)
Buona sera!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Concert: Styx and Boston
Baton Rouge or BUST! Today is the big concert...Styx and Boston at the Baton Rouge River Center. My husband and I are taking our daughter to see possibly the two best concert bands of the 1970's. She was raised on their music, has several albums and mp3's, knows almost all their songs...it's going to be great. We have floor seating 25 rows from the front--we bought our tickets in April! (We all got to see Styx in Houston at the Woodlands Pavilion several years ago, but not with Boston!)
Soooo, we won't think about the car problems we have had this month. Long (very long) story short, we had to put over $1,000 worth of car repairs on our credit card. :-( All three vehicles needed something: we bought brakes (Hubby--$100, incl. installation), harmonic balancer, fuel injector, water pump (Daughter--$417, incl. installation), fuel pump, fuel system computer module, and fuel filter (Mine--$537, incl. installation). Unbelievable.
And on Friday, the 13th, as I was driving my father-in-law's car, because mine was still in the repair shop, HIS car broke down! (A switch in the clutch.) And after I called my daughter, who just HAPPENED to be in town, I locked the keys in his car! Really.
I am SO ready for this weekend away! You just have no idea.
Arrivederci!
Soooo, we won't think about the car problems we have had this month. Long (very long) story short, we had to put over $1,000 worth of car repairs on our credit card. :-( All three vehicles needed something: we bought brakes (Hubby--$100, incl. installation), harmonic balancer, fuel injector, water pump (Daughter--$417, incl. installation), fuel pump, fuel system computer module, and fuel filter (Mine--$537, incl. installation). Unbelievable.
And on Friday, the 13th, as I was driving my father-in-law's car, because mine was still in the repair shop, HIS car broke down! (A switch in the clutch.) And after I called my daughter, who just HAPPENED to be in town, I locked the keys in his car! Really.
I am SO ready for this weekend away! You just have no idea.
Arrivederci!
Monday, May 26, 2008
21
Nope, it's not my favorite poker game...it's how old my daughter will be on Saturday! Hard to believe.
She's already put me on notice that she's going to go out with some friends and "have a drink".
How do I feel about that?
On one hand, I know it won't be her first drink. (But it will be her first one to legally purchase.) I also know that she is a smart, responsible kid--MOST of the time.
But on the other hand, I know first-hand what drinking can lead to. And so does she. She's seen it in her parents and she's STILL seeing it in her aunt. So, how do I come to terms with the fact that she's going to have to deal on her own with the addictive tendencies that she may have inherited? I want so very much to spare her the horrors and indignities I endured.
Is that fair? Is it even possible? Why do I have more questions than answers??
Ciao.
She's already put me on notice that she's going to go out with some friends and "have a drink".
How do I feel about that?
On one hand, I know it won't be her first drink. (But it will be her first one to legally purchase.) I also know that she is a smart, responsible kid--MOST of the time.
But on the other hand, I know first-hand what drinking can lead to. And so does she. She's seen it in her parents and she's STILL seeing it in her aunt. So, how do I come to terms with the fact that she's going to have to deal on her own with the addictive tendencies that she may have inherited? I want so very much to spare her the horrors and indignities I endured.
Is that fair? Is it even possible? Why do I have more questions than answers??
Ciao.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Final Grades
Two C's, two B's, and one A. Well my daughter passed everything AND kept her Honors award through the Louisiana Tuition Opportunity Program for Seniors. TOPS pays all of her tuition and depending on her grade point average, provides a cash stipend to help with other expenses. (There are plenty: housing, food, books, etc.) Because she had a 4.0 at high school graduation, she started college under the Honors award: tuition + $800/semester. She has kept this award level through all of her semesters so far, although this time it was by the skin of her teeth!
Louisiana doesn't do very much right, but TOPS is done right.
Hooray for the end of finals!
Arrivederci!
Louisiana doesn't do very much right, but TOPS is done right.
Hooray for the end of finals!
Arrivederci!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day...To Me!
Happy Mother's Day...To Me! And to all other moms and moms-to-be out there. May you have a truly relaxing and pleasant day, today!
RE: Daughter and College. Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be for my daughter. She got all of her papers turned in but one (The instructors may take off points for being late, but at least they are accepting the papers.), and it's to be emailed before 5 p.m., Monday. She thinks she passed all of her classes. Her grades may not be up to what they have been, and certainly not up to her potential; but as long as she passed, I think I can live with it. She has promised that this won't happen again. It had better not!
And on another note. Mother's Day is turning out to be much less stressful than I had tthought it would be. My hubby grilled pork loin chops and we bought ready- made sides and dessert from Wal-Mart. Hooray! We have eaten, AND the kitchen is already set back to rights! And now?
NAPTIME!!! Yaaawwwwwnnnn!
RE: Daughter and College. Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be for my daughter. She got all of her papers turned in but one (The instructors may take off points for being late, but at least they are accepting the papers.), and it's to be emailed before 5 p.m., Monday. She thinks she passed all of her classes. Her grades may not be up to what they have been, and certainly not up to her potential; but as long as she passed, I think I can live with it. She has promised that this won't happen again. It had better not!
And on another note. Mother's Day is turning out to be much less stressful than I had tthought it would be. My hubby grilled pork loin chops and we bought ready- made sides and dessert from Wal-Mart. Hooray! We have eaten, AND the kitchen is already set back to rights! And now?
NAPTIME!!! Yaaawwwwwnnnn!
Buon pomeriggio!
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