Current mood: hopeful
Every weekday and three out of every four Saturdays (and some Sundays sprinkled in for good measure), for five years, I got in my car and drove to the radio station. I loved the job and I loved the listeners and I loved the music (I really, really loved the music) and the job was custom-made just for me. It was a beautiful life for me, aside from the time I missed with my kids. And, there was a lot I missed.
I left the station in 2003 after Travis being gone for four months on his first tour to Iraq. Working the morning show hours, plus all the remotes and weekends was killing me and the boss who only took his desires to heart made it the perfect time for me to go. And, with the boss, I would have hated radio had I stuck around any longer. I quit at the top of my game, I went out my way and I still loved radio when I walked away. (Plus, I got to be with my kids all the time!)
I was so nervous to return five months later for the radiothon. I was uninvited, but I felt the cause calling me and I could not resist the pull St. Jude has on me. I knew at that point there was something foreign in my body but the "c" word hadn't entered the scene yet. That came about two weeks later. So, then I was "sick" and then I was in treatment and then I was well, and the following week my dad was gone. Five months after that the radiothon came back around and I heard the call again.
Every year for the next three I went back, while the same programmer was there and was unwelcoming and disingenuous but I would have never missed the radiothons. Especially not because of him.
Last year was the first one in five years where he was not present. And let me tell you, it renewed my spirit and the existing staff welcomed me and we had a kick butt radiothon and our total was higher than the last couple of years and it was awesome. Even though only one of the full-timers on staff was there when I was, these people are members of my extended family and always will be. I love them with all my heart. I love the volunteers who come back year after year to answer our phones and I love the St. Jude staffers who come to train us and encourage us and organize us and keep us in the game. They help fill my heart.
Today I went back to KHEY for the radiothon train-up. Six of us gathered in the conference room with the two reps from St. Jude and we went over facts and figures and had such a nice time. After the meeting I went to Marty's office to chat radio chat. I love Marty and I am so excited for the wonderful things on his horizon, even though there is some uncertainty. The longer we talked, the more I realized that leaving when I did is what preserved the golden memories of my radio career for me. It is so nice to know that you are where you are supposed to be in your life.
I feel changes coming. They've actually been coming for a long time and I've known it (duh), but I sense them so much more now. Premonitions or divinity or disillusion, I know not, nor do I care. But today, I realized I AM where I need to be right now. I was meant to be here in El Paso for this radiothon. This is what I am supposed to do for the next two days. But, here's the thing... I've always had a mini-dose of nerves before going on mic, even when I was on the air every day, but tonight I have this odd case of the nerves. I am a wreck in one way, but feel a calm in another. Whatever it is, I hope it helps me do well tomorrow and I hope it helps me and Marty and Scott and Vickie and Chris and Bobcat (shh, it is radio, we are allowed funny names) to inspire hoards of people to call in and pledge and save kids lives.
And, after that, I will continue to look upward instead of right in front of myself.
Currently listening:Happy GirlBy Martina McBrideRelease date: 1998-05-12
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Looking Forward
Current mood: contemplative
Craziness abounds at Casa Bee. Jeesh, one would think that our insane schedules would be a piece of cake for me by this point and that abnormal is somehow comforting to us, but I am tired.
This week we have district honor band for Nolan. Of course, since our home is in the Northeast and there are only five of the district's schools in the Northeast, we have to drive to the eastern-most depths of El Paso for every single district event. I understand holding the performances at the district office because that is where functions should be held, but rehearsal locations should be rotated. Oh well, no one cares what I think and we are moving (some stinkin' day) anyway so I guess I'll get over it. Two nights down, two nights to go.
Tomorrow we have to leave rehearsal early for wrestling weigh-ins. That's on Fort Bliss. Ugh.
I've been so negative lately. I know that the current state of our family and our seemingly never-ending separation is the primary culprit, but I am sick of me, so I am sure most of you are as well.
Normally, I am a pretty happy person. I would even venture to say I am a content person. I miss me. I miss being fun. Having fun. I really miss laughing. Sure, I giggle with the kids, but there is absolutely nothing as funny as Travis. There is just something about his demeanor which sends me arse over tea-kettle laughing and I've only had very small doses of that over the last ten and a half months.
I have tried doing all the things people suggest for our situation. I've somewhat staged the house and I am not doing any more staging because we do have to live here, after all. I've kept it clean. I've made it available. I've followed the Realtor's advice. I've priced the house competitively, then lowered the price and lowered it again below market value and below what EVERYONE else is asking for theirs. I've marketed the house myself in addition to what the Realtor has done. Prayer. Tears. You name it, yes. I have tried it. Well all except burying a statue of St. Joseph in the yard next to the for sale sign facing the house. That's next.
I need to find me again. I don't know for sure, but I think part of me is hanging in some kind of limbo over the interstate between El Paso and Columbia. A big part of me (wish it had taken a big part of my butt along with it) just seems missing. So, I am going to set my mind to feeling better. I am tired of feeling tired. I am tired of feeling run-down and crappy all the time. I am not sure how I am going to pep myself up, but I will. I don't have a choice any more. If I do this for much longer, I'll really lose my mind.
I would appreciate it if those of my friends who are reading this will forgive me my crappiness. I promise to try to be more me the next time you see me.
Currently listening:Classical ChilloutBy Various ArtistsRelease date: 2002-05-21
Craziness abounds at Casa Bee. Jeesh, one would think that our insane schedules would be a piece of cake for me by this point and that abnormal is somehow comforting to us, but I am tired.
This week we have district honor band for Nolan. Of course, since our home is in the Northeast and there are only five of the district's schools in the Northeast, we have to drive to the eastern-most depths of El Paso for every single district event. I understand holding the performances at the district office because that is where functions should be held, but rehearsal locations should be rotated. Oh well, no one cares what I think and we are moving (some stinkin' day) anyway so I guess I'll get over it. Two nights down, two nights to go.
Tomorrow we have to leave rehearsal early for wrestling weigh-ins. That's on Fort Bliss. Ugh.
I've been so negative lately. I know that the current state of our family and our seemingly never-ending separation is the primary culprit, but I am sick of me, so I am sure most of you are as well.
Normally, I am a pretty happy person. I would even venture to say I am a content person. I miss me. I miss being fun. Having fun. I really miss laughing. Sure, I giggle with the kids, but there is absolutely nothing as funny as Travis. There is just something about his demeanor which sends me arse over tea-kettle laughing and I've only had very small doses of that over the last ten and a half months.
I have tried doing all the things people suggest for our situation. I've somewhat staged the house and I am not doing any more staging because we do have to live here, after all. I've kept it clean. I've made it available. I've followed the Realtor's advice. I've priced the house competitively, then lowered the price and lowered it again below market value and below what EVERYONE else is asking for theirs. I've marketed the house myself in addition to what the Realtor has done. Prayer. Tears. You name it, yes. I have tried it. Well all except burying a statue of St. Joseph in the yard next to the for sale sign facing the house. That's next.
I need to find me again. I don't know for sure, but I think part of me is hanging in some kind of limbo over the interstate between El Paso and Columbia. A big part of me (wish it had taken a big part of my butt along with it) just seems missing. So, I am going to set my mind to feeling better. I am tired of feeling tired. I am tired of feeling run-down and crappy all the time. I am not sure how I am going to pep myself up, but I will. I don't have a choice any more. If I do this for much longer, I'll really lose my mind.
I would appreciate it if those of my friends who are reading this will forgive me my crappiness. I promise to try to be more me the next time you see me.
Currently listening:Classical ChilloutBy Various ArtistsRelease date: 2002-05-21
Monday, January 26, 2009
If You Can
Current mood: hopeful
This week marks the coming of another milestone for me. Thursday and Friday are the days of the annual KHEY St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Radiothon. This will be my eleventh and final radiothon with KHEY.
When I first started my radio career, I was a board-op. I worked the undesirable shifts when pre-programmed shows would air and I would be off-air handling the commercial load, news feeds and the like. It was boring, but good for me because I was in school full-time and it gave me time to study without too many distractions.
I had "won" my position at a city-wide talent search for a new morning show jock. I came in second to a television news reporter who was looking to broaden her horizons. She lasted a few months in the job, but I got the best end of the deal because I learned hands-on how to handle a shift. I could produce my own show, once I learned the ropes. Somehow it clicked with me and I was a relatively quick study.
K.T. left the position after a few months. She generallly worked the late news shift and coming in for a morning show which went on the air at 6am must have been grueling for her. During that time, I started working my own on-air shift on Saturday nights. I was air-checking with our Operations Manager regularly adn I was improving. Our station was also in a time of transition as our Program Director, Danny, was leaving. He held on longer than he wanted to because our General Manager hadn't found a replacement for him. Danny needed someone to work the board while the staff did the radiothon from a local mall, so he asked me. That was my first long-term remote broadcast. It wasn't entirely perfect, but I did ok.
Shortly after that, our new PD, CM, came to town. He was full of energy and wanted to make a killing in the ratings. For a while, he was just what we needed. He had infused our station with his drive and it was a very good thing. He was the person who fought to bring a female voice to the morning show again. I was the one he wanted. He, and Mr. Randy and I all seemed to gel very well together. We had a few months before it was time again for the radiothon. That year was when the importance of the radiothon became a reality to me.
I worked two incredibly long thirteen hour days. But, I learned so much. I learned about the human spirit and what life means to a child. I met a local girl who had survived Acute Lymphotic Leukemia (ALL), which is the most common type of childhood cancer. I heard her speak about what she could remember of her ordeal and I listened intently as her mother spoke about the impact Tori's illness had on her. I cried with her, I soaked in what she said and I thanked God that I hadn't had to endure that kind of tragedy. And, that was the beginning of a relationship with St. Jude which has touched my heart and changed my life.
St. Jude is truly an amazing place. This is a place where children go to live. The halls of this hospital do not bring to mind the hospitals that you and I know and hate. It looks more like a child care center. There are murals and wagons and aquariums and busy bead tables as much as there are catheters and chemotherapy. The hospital staffs social workers and counselors to aid not only the patients receiving treatment but also the families who suffer alongside them. They nurture and teach and encourage. They reach out and embrace all who enter the doors behind a massive statue of St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes, regardless of race, creed, color, religion, or most importantly, a patient's ability to pay for treatment.
That's right, St. Jude never turns a patient away for financial reasons. If a patient has no insurance, the bill is paid and the family will never see an invoice, statement or bill. NEVER. If a patient is covered by insurance, they never pay a co-pay and are never charged for anything not covered by their policy. And again, no statements, no bills, no fees. How beautiful is that?
St. Jude is funded by private donations. As of last year's statistics, more than 82% of all funds was applied directly to patient treatment and research. That is more than any other non-profit organization in our country. That means that less than seventeen cents of every dollar raised is used for administrative fees and advertising costs, which help generate more donations. We seek Partners in Hope to help us in our quest to end childhood catastrophic illnesses.
What does a Partner in Hope do? The most important part of what a PIH does is save the lives of children. Through a Partner's generous donation of just $20 per month, St. Jude is able to treat and explore illnesses which affect innocent kids, thereby saving them from suffering, saving them from death, and saving their families from insurmountable loss. Your $20 puts more than $16.40 in the hands of researchers. It buys IV bags. It supplies port-catheters which deliver life-saving chemotherapy to kids who might otherwise die if they didn't have treatment. And, that $3.60 I didn't mention helps to make sure the hospital is staffed and runs effectively, that it is clean, that more life-saving dollars can come in to save more kids.
If you don't have kids, you might wonder why this is such an important entity to support. That's fair. Now, allow me to educate you. Researchers at St. Jude work day in and day out looking for things like genetic markers which signal that some children will likely develop certain types of cancer. That research helps scientists develop things like new drug protocols to fight cancer and other catastrophic illnesses. These protocols don't just help kids. These new treatment options are being used to treat adults stricken with cancer as well.
And just what are the other catastrophic illnesses about which I speak? Influenza, HIV/AIDS, Sickle Cell, and many, many others. Docotors at St. Jude have helped in the development of the Flu vaccines so many of us take every winter in an attempt to stay well. The most beautiful part of this research is that when the scientists and doctors at St. Jude find a cure and eventually the ability to prevent the onset of cancer and other diseases affecting children, that treatment protocol will be given away. Yes, you read correctly. The cure will be freely given away. Pharmeceutical companies are conducting research of their own, as we speak, but they will never give their research or treatment methods away. St. Jude will and they will never ask anyone for a dime when they do. And, I believe with every fiber of my existence that these researchers and scientists and doctors will find both a cure and the measures needed to prevent these illnesses. There is nothing greater than that.
St. Jude was founded when the actor Danny Thomas was down and out. Danny's wife had just given birth to their first child, a daughter they named Margaret Julia. We would later come to know her as Marlo Thomas, an actress of much critical acclaim. At the time of Marlo's birth, Danny was an out of work actor with just a few dollars to his name. Knowing he didn't have enough money to pay the hospital bill to get Marlo and his wife, Rose Marie out of the hospital, he attended a mass. He was so moved during the service that he put his last $7 in the collection plate and prayed to St. Jude the following prayer: Help me find my way in life and I will build you a shrine. The next day he was offered a job which paid $70, ten times more than he had placed in the collection plate. Shortly thereafter, his career took a turn for the better and he became a well-known actor.
And build, he did. Chosing Memphis, Tennessee as the location of the hospital, Danny sought out the support of local business leaders to help him fund the initial phases of the project. He carefully chose Memphis as the location because it was a location central to most Americans. It was, and still is, just a day's travel away from any location in the United States. Danny carefully orchestrated fundraising efforts and even loaded up the family station wagon with his wife and growing family to criss-cross the country seeking out those willing to help him fulfill his promise to St. Jude.
By 1960, Danny and his organization, ALSAC (American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities), were ready to fund the hospital but faced the task of operating funds to run the facility. In 1962, the doors of the hospital opened with the pledge that, "No child should die in the dawn of life."
So, I ask today that you help us continue Danny Thomas' dream. Please listen to KHEY 96.3 (www.khey.com) this Thursday and Friday from 6am-7pm MST. I will be guest co-hosting from 10am-2pm MST both days. If you are able, you may call in to the toll-free number we will provide and become a Partner in Hope. If it is more convenient, you may go to the station's website and become a Partner by clicking on the St. Jude link. I understand that these are difficult times and our current economic situation is affecting everyone. If $20 a month is not something you are able to do, consider joining with a friend or loved one to share the Partnership. Or, you can always make a one time donation. There is no more noble cause than that which strives to better the lives of children.
Please join me and the staff of KHEY this Thursday and Friday for two days which will change not only the lives of children, but also your own.
Currently listening:Thank You St. JudeBy Peter CaseRelease date: 2004-05-04
This week marks the coming of another milestone for me. Thursday and Friday are the days of the annual KHEY St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Radiothon. This will be my eleventh and final radiothon with KHEY.
When I first started my radio career, I was a board-op. I worked the undesirable shifts when pre-programmed shows would air and I would be off-air handling the commercial load, news feeds and the like. It was boring, but good for me because I was in school full-time and it gave me time to study without too many distractions.
I had "won" my position at a city-wide talent search for a new morning show jock. I came in second to a television news reporter who was looking to broaden her horizons. She lasted a few months in the job, but I got the best end of the deal because I learned hands-on how to handle a shift. I could produce my own show, once I learned the ropes. Somehow it clicked with me and I was a relatively quick study.
K.T. left the position after a few months. She generallly worked the late news shift and coming in for a morning show which went on the air at 6am must have been grueling for her. During that time, I started working my own on-air shift on Saturday nights. I was air-checking with our Operations Manager regularly adn I was improving. Our station was also in a time of transition as our Program Director, Danny, was leaving. He held on longer than he wanted to because our General Manager hadn't found a replacement for him. Danny needed someone to work the board while the staff did the radiothon from a local mall, so he asked me. That was my first long-term remote broadcast. It wasn't entirely perfect, but I did ok.
Shortly after that, our new PD, CM, came to town. He was full of energy and wanted to make a killing in the ratings. For a while, he was just what we needed. He had infused our station with his drive and it was a very good thing. He was the person who fought to bring a female voice to the morning show again. I was the one he wanted. He, and Mr. Randy and I all seemed to gel very well together. We had a few months before it was time again for the radiothon. That year was when the importance of the radiothon became a reality to me.
I worked two incredibly long thirteen hour days. But, I learned so much. I learned about the human spirit and what life means to a child. I met a local girl who had survived Acute Lymphotic Leukemia (ALL), which is the most common type of childhood cancer. I heard her speak about what she could remember of her ordeal and I listened intently as her mother spoke about the impact Tori's illness had on her. I cried with her, I soaked in what she said and I thanked God that I hadn't had to endure that kind of tragedy. And, that was the beginning of a relationship with St. Jude which has touched my heart and changed my life.
St. Jude is truly an amazing place. This is a place where children go to live. The halls of this hospital do not bring to mind the hospitals that you and I know and hate. It looks more like a child care center. There are murals and wagons and aquariums and busy bead tables as much as there are catheters and chemotherapy. The hospital staffs social workers and counselors to aid not only the patients receiving treatment but also the families who suffer alongside them. They nurture and teach and encourage. They reach out and embrace all who enter the doors behind a massive statue of St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes, regardless of race, creed, color, religion, or most importantly, a patient's ability to pay for treatment.
That's right, St. Jude never turns a patient away for financial reasons. If a patient has no insurance, the bill is paid and the family will never see an invoice, statement or bill. NEVER. If a patient is covered by insurance, they never pay a co-pay and are never charged for anything not covered by their policy. And again, no statements, no bills, no fees. How beautiful is that?
St. Jude is funded by private donations. As of last year's statistics, more than 82% of all funds was applied directly to patient treatment and research. That is more than any other non-profit organization in our country. That means that less than seventeen cents of every dollar raised is used for administrative fees and advertising costs, which help generate more donations. We seek Partners in Hope to help us in our quest to end childhood catastrophic illnesses.
What does a Partner in Hope do? The most important part of what a PIH does is save the lives of children. Through a Partner's generous donation of just $20 per month, St. Jude is able to treat and explore illnesses which affect innocent kids, thereby saving them from suffering, saving them from death, and saving their families from insurmountable loss. Your $20 puts more than $16.40 in the hands of researchers. It buys IV bags. It supplies port-catheters which deliver life-saving chemotherapy to kids who might otherwise die if they didn't have treatment. And, that $3.60 I didn't mention helps to make sure the hospital is staffed and runs effectively, that it is clean, that more life-saving dollars can come in to save more kids.
If you don't have kids, you might wonder why this is such an important entity to support. That's fair. Now, allow me to educate you. Researchers at St. Jude work day in and day out looking for things like genetic markers which signal that some children will likely develop certain types of cancer. That research helps scientists develop things like new drug protocols to fight cancer and other catastrophic illnesses. These protocols don't just help kids. These new treatment options are being used to treat adults stricken with cancer as well.
And just what are the other catastrophic illnesses about which I speak? Influenza, HIV/AIDS, Sickle Cell, and many, many others. Docotors at St. Jude have helped in the development of the Flu vaccines so many of us take every winter in an attempt to stay well. The most beautiful part of this research is that when the scientists and doctors at St. Jude find a cure and eventually the ability to prevent the onset of cancer and other diseases affecting children, that treatment protocol will be given away. Yes, you read correctly. The cure will be freely given away. Pharmeceutical companies are conducting research of their own, as we speak, but they will never give their research or treatment methods away. St. Jude will and they will never ask anyone for a dime when they do. And, I believe with every fiber of my existence that these researchers and scientists and doctors will find both a cure and the measures needed to prevent these illnesses. There is nothing greater than that.
St. Jude was founded when the actor Danny Thomas was down and out. Danny's wife had just given birth to their first child, a daughter they named Margaret Julia. We would later come to know her as Marlo Thomas, an actress of much critical acclaim. At the time of Marlo's birth, Danny was an out of work actor with just a few dollars to his name. Knowing he didn't have enough money to pay the hospital bill to get Marlo and his wife, Rose Marie out of the hospital, he attended a mass. He was so moved during the service that he put his last $7 in the collection plate and prayed to St. Jude the following prayer: Help me find my way in life and I will build you a shrine. The next day he was offered a job which paid $70, ten times more than he had placed in the collection plate. Shortly thereafter, his career took a turn for the better and he became a well-known actor.
And build, he did. Chosing Memphis, Tennessee as the location of the hospital, Danny sought out the support of local business leaders to help him fund the initial phases of the project. He carefully chose Memphis as the location because it was a location central to most Americans. It was, and still is, just a day's travel away from any location in the United States. Danny carefully orchestrated fundraising efforts and even loaded up the family station wagon with his wife and growing family to criss-cross the country seeking out those willing to help him fulfill his promise to St. Jude.
By 1960, Danny and his organization, ALSAC (American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities), were ready to fund the hospital but faced the task of operating funds to run the facility. In 1962, the doors of the hospital opened with the pledge that, "No child should die in the dawn of life."
So, I ask today that you help us continue Danny Thomas' dream. Please listen to KHEY 96.3 (www.khey.com) this Thursday and Friday from 6am-7pm MST. I will be guest co-hosting from 10am-2pm MST both days. If you are able, you may call in to the toll-free number we will provide and become a Partner in Hope. If it is more convenient, you may go to the station's website and become a Partner by clicking on the St. Jude link. I understand that these are difficult times and our current economic situation is affecting everyone. If $20 a month is not something you are able to do, consider joining with a friend or loved one to share the Partnership. Or, you can always make a one time donation. There is no more noble cause than that which strives to better the lives of children.
Please join me and the staff of KHEY this Thursday and Friday for two days which will change not only the lives of children, but also your own.
Currently listening:Thank You St. JudeBy Peter CaseRelease date: 2004-05-04
Sunday, January 25, 2009
This and That
Current mood: hopeful
The plan was to hit the gym or the track or the 'hood or something yesterday for some cardio. Didn't happen. I woke up with big, old dog, Phoenix, four times between 11:00 Friday night and 4:30 Saturday morning. That's OK, but when I woke up at 4:30 I knew something was wrong.
I've been having some pretty intense headaches over the last couple of weeks. I have had serious allergy/sinus problems since I was a very little kid, so I recognize my sinuses when they are out of whack. I've been Tylenoling and Mucinexing and that has seemed to relieve some of the discomfort. When the symptoms go away, so do the meds because I already take enough flipping pills every day anyway. I stopped taking the stuff Tuesday. So, yesterday morning the plan was to get up and get dressed and work out in some way or another, then come home and get ready for the wrestling tourney in the afternoon.
I woke up dry heaving. Sorry, I know it is gross. So, I couldn't even lay down after that. I went to the family room and had to sit up while I was sleeping because I felt like I was going to hurl again.
I did get up for the day about 7 and I started cleaning. Eventually the kids woke up and I gave them their lists, which for some reason seemed unfinishable to them. That ticked me off. I hopped in the shower and the kids and I all got ready and we left about 12:30 for the tournament.
Amanda is still out of wrestling. Her physical therapist wont release her yet so she can't compete or stunt in cheer. Her new thing is to wander around the tourneys bothering her brother (nothing new about that) and check out the older wrestlers. Yay. How nice.
When Nolan's bracket did begin, he was in the mindset that he was going to win a gold. Maybe I shoudln't have, but I reminded him that the boys he was wrestling were boys who knew his weakness is his neck. It isn't that I want to discourage him. I simply want him to be aware and remember that he can choose to overcome his weaknesses. I guess I am a cow for that.
Last year, Nolan lost every match. He hated everything about wrestling, but we wouldn't let him quit in the middle of a season. I thought once it was all over that he would never wrestle again, but two weeks after the season was over he told us he missed it and couldn't wait to wrestle again. He felt like this season was going to be all about him. So, he took the mat for his first match. He won. He's beat the boy several times in the past weeks. Even so, A.H., the other boy, is progressing very well and seems to be really working at improving himself. During their bout, Nolan hurt him. It wasn't intentional, but he jacked up A.H.'s wrist pretty badly. They used an injury timeout to wrap his wrist and he got back in it. He did very well, but Nolan pinned him. His second bout was with a kid from the WW team. I forgot his name. This kid doesn't look like he's a contender, but he is. He is the boy that challenged Nolan's silver at this season's first tourney and won. He got Nolan yesterday too. I think they went into the second round, but he got Nolan's neck. Then it was over and he pinned Nolan. His third round was against G from TeamF. G has beaten Nolan in every match they've had together. Of course, TeamF is staffed by Nolan's coaches from last year so they know what Nolan's soft spots are. Maybe they do and maybe they don't coach him as to Nolan's weaknesses, but he gets Nolan every time. So, they went to the buzzer in all three rounds. Up until the last five seconds of the third round, they were tied 5-5. G got Nolan in the hold which always freaks Nolan out three separate times, and I don't think I have ever been prouder of him (at a match). He got out of the hold each time without losing focus, without freaking out, and without giving up. And he went to the final buzzer. In the last five seconds G scored three points. None of us saw the move that got G the three points so we all thought there would be another round to break the tie. But, he did and there wasn't. Nolan was heartbroken. I think he thought I would be disappointed in him. I wasn't, and I told him as much. He had his heart set on a trophy (1st place) but he took his bronze with a smile on his face. He walked out of that gym feeling like a winner, and that is what counts most.
*Sidebar- He's medaled at every tourney he's done this year! Woo-Hoo! Yay for Nolan!
We got home and cleaned some more, I made dinner and hung out in bed watching TV. The kids watched a movie and we all went to bed around midnight. I woke up all night again with the dog, and got up this morning with a killer headache and the gut ache. I finally put it all together. I think I have a sinus infection because the headache is in my left sinuses and the drainage makes me nauseous. I guess I'll go in this week. I am supposed to have sinus surgery and have a nose job to repair the deviated septum, but I can't do that when I am here alone. Hopefully they can dope me up really well and then I can worry about surgery later.
I was making cookies this afternoon whent he doorbell rang. It was a guy asking about the house. I asked him if he wanted to see it. He seemed apprehensive about it but came in and saw the house. We talked for a while and he seems very interested. He doesn't have a loan yet, but he said he can work on that. I don't want to get my hopes up too much, but I want him to buy this place.
So, please, send good house selling chi our way.
Currently listening:The Bronze Buckaroo (Rides Again)By Herb JeffriesRelease date: 1995-06-13
The plan was to hit the gym or the track or the 'hood or something yesterday for some cardio. Didn't happen. I woke up with big, old dog, Phoenix, four times between 11:00 Friday night and 4:30 Saturday morning. That's OK, but when I woke up at 4:30 I knew something was wrong.
I've been having some pretty intense headaches over the last couple of weeks. I have had serious allergy/sinus problems since I was a very little kid, so I recognize my sinuses when they are out of whack. I've been Tylenoling and Mucinexing and that has seemed to relieve some of the discomfort. When the symptoms go away, so do the meds because I already take enough flipping pills every day anyway. I stopped taking the stuff Tuesday. So, yesterday morning the plan was to get up and get dressed and work out in some way or another, then come home and get ready for the wrestling tourney in the afternoon.
I woke up dry heaving. Sorry, I know it is gross. So, I couldn't even lay down after that. I went to the family room and had to sit up while I was sleeping because I felt like I was going to hurl again.
I did get up for the day about 7 and I started cleaning. Eventually the kids woke up and I gave them their lists, which for some reason seemed unfinishable to them. That ticked me off. I hopped in the shower and the kids and I all got ready and we left about 12:30 for the tournament.
Amanda is still out of wrestling. Her physical therapist wont release her yet so she can't compete or stunt in cheer. Her new thing is to wander around the tourneys bothering her brother (nothing new about that) and check out the older wrestlers. Yay. How nice.
When Nolan's bracket did begin, he was in the mindset that he was going to win a gold. Maybe I shoudln't have, but I reminded him that the boys he was wrestling were boys who knew his weakness is his neck. It isn't that I want to discourage him. I simply want him to be aware and remember that he can choose to overcome his weaknesses. I guess I am a cow for that.
Last year, Nolan lost every match. He hated everything about wrestling, but we wouldn't let him quit in the middle of a season. I thought once it was all over that he would never wrestle again, but two weeks after the season was over he told us he missed it and couldn't wait to wrestle again. He felt like this season was going to be all about him. So, he took the mat for his first match. He won. He's beat the boy several times in the past weeks. Even so, A.H., the other boy, is progressing very well and seems to be really working at improving himself. During their bout, Nolan hurt him. It wasn't intentional, but he jacked up A.H.'s wrist pretty badly. They used an injury timeout to wrap his wrist and he got back in it. He did very well, but Nolan pinned him. His second bout was with a kid from the WW team. I forgot his name. This kid doesn't look like he's a contender, but he is. He is the boy that challenged Nolan's silver at this season's first tourney and won. He got Nolan yesterday too. I think they went into the second round, but he got Nolan's neck. Then it was over and he pinned Nolan. His third round was against G from TeamF. G has beaten Nolan in every match they've had together. Of course, TeamF is staffed by Nolan's coaches from last year so they know what Nolan's soft spots are. Maybe they do and maybe they don't coach him as to Nolan's weaknesses, but he gets Nolan every time. So, they went to the buzzer in all three rounds. Up until the last five seconds of the third round, they were tied 5-5. G got Nolan in the hold which always freaks Nolan out three separate times, and I don't think I have ever been prouder of him (at a match). He got out of the hold each time without losing focus, without freaking out, and without giving up. And he went to the final buzzer. In the last five seconds G scored three points. None of us saw the move that got G the three points so we all thought there would be another round to break the tie. But, he did and there wasn't. Nolan was heartbroken. I think he thought I would be disappointed in him. I wasn't, and I told him as much. He had his heart set on a trophy (1st place) but he took his bronze with a smile on his face. He walked out of that gym feeling like a winner, and that is what counts most.
*Sidebar- He's medaled at every tourney he's done this year! Woo-Hoo! Yay for Nolan!
We got home and cleaned some more, I made dinner and hung out in bed watching TV. The kids watched a movie and we all went to bed around midnight. I woke up all night again with the dog, and got up this morning with a killer headache and the gut ache. I finally put it all together. I think I have a sinus infection because the headache is in my left sinuses and the drainage makes me nauseous. I guess I'll go in this week. I am supposed to have sinus surgery and have a nose job to repair the deviated septum, but I can't do that when I am here alone. Hopefully they can dope me up really well and then I can worry about surgery later.
I was making cookies this afternoon whent he doorbell rang. It was a guy asking about the house. I asked him if he wanted to see it. He seemed apprehensive about it but came in and saw the house. We talked for a while and he seems very interested. He doesn't have a loan yet, but he said he can work on that. I don't want to get my hopes up too much, but I want him to buy this place.
So, please, send good house selling chi our way.
Currently listening:The Bronze Buckaroo (Rides Again)By Herb JeffriesRelease date: 1995-06-13
Friday, January 23, 2009
Playlists
Current mood: okay
Yesterday's playlist: All You Ever Do is Bring Me Down- Mavericks, Candyman-Christina Aguilera, Can't Touch This- MC Hammer, Here Comes My Baby- Maverics, Don't Stop Believin'- Journey, It's My Life- No Doubt, Dirty- Christina Aguilera, You Look Good in My Shirt- Keith Urban, International Harvester- Craig Morgan, California- Pat Green, A Feeling Like That- Gary Allan, Rednec Yacht Club- Craig Morgan, Anywhere But Here- Cross Canadian Ragweed, There's No Limit- Deana Carter, Hillbillly Deluxe- Brooks and Dunn, Go Deep- Janet Jackson, Send My Love to the Dancefloor- Cobra Starship, I Wanna Love Somebody Like You- Keith Urban, Mashup-I Just Wanna Rock You ft. Joan Jett and Eve, Mashup- Smack Ma Bit**- Soulja Boy vs. Prodigy, Funky Cold Media- Tone Loc, Park the Pickup (Kiss the Girl)- Chad Brock
I didn't get to work out Wednesday because of a small issue I had to work out and today I have to clean, so at least I am doing "something." Hopefully I can squeeze something in tomorrow before we head to the wrestling tourney. Until then, where's the mop?
Currently listening:Funky Cold MedinaBy Tone LocRelease date: 2007-10-09
Yesterday's playlist: All You Ever Do is Bring Me Down- Mavericks, Candyman-Christina Aguilera, Can't Touch This- MC Hammer, Here Comes My Baby- Maverics, Don't Stop Believin'- Journey, It's My Life- No Doubt, Dirty- Christina Aguilera, You Look Good in My Shirt- Keith Urban, International Harvester- Craig Morgan, California- Pat Green, A Feeling Like That- Gary Allan, Rednec Yacht Club- Craig Morgan, Anywhere But Here- Cross Canadian Ragweed, There's No Limit- Deana Carter, Hillbillly Deluxe- Brooks and Dunn, Go Deep- Janet Jackson, Send My Love to the Dancefloor- Cobra Starship, I Wanna Love Somebody Like You- Keith Urban, Mashup-I Just Wanna Rock You ft. Joan Jett and Eve, Mashup- Smack Ma Bit**- Soulja Boy vs. Prodigy, Funky Cold Media- Tone Loc, Park the Pickup (Kiss the Girl)- Chad Brock
I didn't get to work out Wednesday because of a small issue I had to work out and today I have to clean, so at least I am doing "something." Hopefully I can squeeze something in tomorrow before we head to the wrestling tourney. Until then, where's the mop?
Currently listening:Funky Cold MedinaBy Tone LocRelease date: 2007-10-09
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Tuned In
OK, so I am pretty much back on track with working out again. For the most part at this point, I am just walking. I will get back to the gym, but I am waiting for all the Resolutionists to get sick of the gym so I don’t have to fight for a machine or the weights.
Yesterday the kids were off school so Coach Avery held a conditioning practice at the track. The kids each ran somewhere around 2.5-3 miles and did about 45 stadiums. Yes, 45. The bleachers at our track aren’t that big, so 45 it was. I walked and ran during the practice. I am not a runner. I do not enjoy running. I just do it every now and then to boost my heart rate and to see if I can still haul it all around. Yup.
I have also rediscovered my iPod. I love my iPod. I have jacked up ear pods because I allowed both the kids to borrow them on a couple of occasions so now the soft rubber around the part that goes in the ear canal is starting to peel off. Never, will I ever allow the kids to use my ear pods again. Precious little angels.
So, I’ve decided to share my playlists again. I could build workout specific playlists if I cared that much, but I don’t. I just like to set it on shuffle and go with what I get. I skip the slow stuff and play with my heart rate based on what happens to be playing.
Yesterday’s playlist: Holiday(album version)- Madonna, One and Only- Timbaland ft. FallOut Boy, Heart’s Desire-LeeRoy Parnell, I’ll Take That as a Yes- Phil Vassar, Kerosene-Miranda Lambert, I Don’t Wanna be in Love (Dance Floor Version)-Good Charlotte, I Told You So-Keith Urban, Chase the Sun-Shannon Lawson, Good Clean Fun-Montgomery Gentry, Shoop-Salt n Peppa, Like a Prayer-Madonna, Say Anything (Else)-Cartel, Ain’t No Other Man-Christina Aguilera, When I Come Around-Green Day, Cars-Gary Numan, Guitar Town-Steve Earle, I Ran-Flock of Seagulls, Four Minutes-Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake, Can’t Touch This (Superfreak remix)-MC Hammer/Rick James, Just Like Heaven- The Cure, Good Little Girls-Blue County
Today’s playlist: All the Small Things-Blink 182, Lessons Learned-Tracy Lawrence, Lucky Star-Madonna, Amarillo Sky-Jason Aldean, When the Sun Goes Down-Kenny Chesney ft. Uncle Kracker, Desperate Times-Charlie Robison, Run-Pat Green, Where is the Love-Black Eyed Peas ft. Justin Timberlake, I Play Chicken with the Train-Cowboy Troy ft. Big and Rich, Peter Piper-RunDMC, Just Can’t Get Enough-Depeche Mode, Jack and Diane-John Cougar Mellencamp, Wildflower-Deana Carter, Genie in a Bottle-Christina Aguilera, Real Emotions-Los Lonely Boys, So Excited-Janet Jackson ft. Khia, Follow You Down-Gin Blossoms, Fast Cars and Freedom-Rascal Flats, Blues Man-Alan Jackson
More to come… Happy Cardio!
Yesterday the kids were off school so Coach Avery held a conditioning practice at the track. The kids each ran somewhere around 2.5-3 miles and did about 45 stadiums. Yes, 45. The bleachers at our track aren’t that big, so 45 it was. I walked and ran during the practice. I am not a runner. I do not enjoy running. I just do it every now and then to boost my heart rate and to see if I can still haul it all around. Yup.
I have also rediscovered my iPod. I love my iPod. I have jacked up ear pods because I allowed both the kids to borrow them on a couple of occasions so now the soft rubber around the part that goes in the ear canal is starting to peel off. Never, will I ever allow the kids to use my ear pods again. Precious little angels.
So, I’ve decided to share my playlists again. I could build workout specific playlists if I cared that much, but I don’t. I just like to set it on shuffle and go with what I get. I skip the slow stuff and play with my heart rate based on what happens to be playing.
Yesterday’s playlist: Holiday(album version)- Madonna, One and Only- Timbaland ft. FallOut Boy, Heart’s Desire-LeeRoy Parnell, I’ll Take That as a Yes- Phil Vassar, Kerosene-Miranda Lambert, I Don’t Wanna be in Love (Dance Floor Version)-Good Charlotte, I Told You So-Keith Urban, Chase the Sun-Shannon Lawson, Good Clean Fun-Montgomery Gentry, Shoop-Salt n Peppa, Like a Prayer-Madonna, Say Anything (Else)-Cartel, Ain’t No Other Man-Christina Aguilera, When I Come Around-Green Day, Cars-Gary Numan, Guitar Town-Steve Earle, I Ran-Flock of Seagulls, Four Minutes-Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake, Can’t Touch This (Superfreak remix)-MC Hammer/Rick James, Just Like Heaven- The Cure, Good Little Girls-Blue County
Today’s playlist: All the Small Things-Blink 182, Lessons Learned-Tracy Lawrence, Lucky Star-Madonna, Amarillo Sky-Jason Aldean, When the Sun Goes Down-Kenny Chesney ft. Uncle Kracker, Desperate Times-Charlie Robison, Run-Pat Green, Where is the Love-Black Eyed Peas ft. Justin Timberlake, I Play Chicken with the Train-Cowboy Troy ft. Big and Rich, Peter Piper-RunDMC, Just Can’t Get Enough-Depeche Mode, Jack and Diane-John Cougar Mellencamp, Wildflower-Deana Carter, Genie in a Bottle-Christina Aguilera, Real Emotions-Los Lonely Boys, So Excited-Janet Jackson ft. Khia, Follow You Down-Gin Blossoms, Fast Cars and Freedom-Rascal Flats, Blues Man-Alan Jackson
More to come… Happy Cardio!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
TLB
Current mood: distractable
Just to sweep my hair to the side and drag a finger along my neck, along that spot that gives me chillls.
To nestle in for slumber tucking a hand under my hip and resting a forearm across me to radiate warmth over our children's first home.
When my mind is tangled up, occupied in its own tentacles, that slap on my backside that catches me off guard.
The self drape leaning on my side with an arm across my thigh and an ice cold longneck chilling my knee.
The pinkie linked with mine on the seat console in the truck during a short or not so short trip.
The snug against my back and the arms which fit perfectly around my waist, hands clasped gently in front of me, made just for me and no one else.
The certain hand squeeze conveying a message no one else will understand.
The stroke of a thumb across a closed lid..
And I. Thinking of nothing else.
Currently listening:Everytime You Touch MeBy MobyRelease date: 2003-03-03
Just to sweep my hair to the side and drag a finger along my neck, along that spot that gives me chillls.
To nestle in for slumber tucking a hand under my hip and resting a forearm across me to radiate warmth over our children's first home.
When my mind is tangled up, occupied in its own tentacles, that slap on my backside that catches me off guard.
The self drape leaning on my side with an arm across my thigh and an ice cold longneck chilling my knee.
The pinkie linked with mine on the seat console in the truck during a short or not so short trip.
The snug against my back and the arms which fit perfectly around my waist, hands clasped gently in front of me, made just for me and no one else.
The certain hand squeeze conveying a message no one else will understand.
The stroke of a thumb across a closed lid..
And I. Thinking of nothing else.
Currently listening:Everytime You Touch MeBy MobyRelease date: 2003-03-03
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Listingly
Current mood: listless
I love making lists. Should come as no shock to those of you who know me well. Somehow, when things get crazy, list-making helps me make sense of it all. Not a lot of sense and a wealth of crazy in my life have driven me to my steno-pads...
My newest list follows:
1. I want to continue working out and not drop it like I did last year when I was working out at least six times a week. I have to make time for this. I have to make sure I do it. I feel better, I look better and at some point, I will live in the same state as my husband and he deserves me looking and feeling better.
2. I want to live in the same state as my husband. Sooner as opposed to later. My short-term goal is to be there by the seventeenth anniversary- February 22. And not for a visit.
3. I want to sell this freaking house. There is nothing wrong with it. I am willing to wheel and deal. I want it gone. This is what is keeping me from number two, and maybe even a little bit of a contributary factor in number one. It is hard to work out with a vacuum cleaner in one hand and a toilet brush in the other. I am sure some have mastered that art, but I ain't one of 'em.
4. I want to not go sit at wrestling all night. Every night. Yes, that's right, I said every night. Coach has been a little disappointed in the team's performance post-Chirstmas and has decided that the every day practices the kids had during the break were what made them do so well at the first tourney or two. Now, we are back at every day.
5. I want to be warm in the Combatives gym, where I will now be spending every weeknight. That is one cold place.
6. I want a bigger tax refund than I think we are going to get. It would be extremely helpful to have large amounts of cash in the coming months, for more than the obvious reasons.
7. I want to wake up next to Travis again. Every day. Sure, going to sleep with him at night has its perks too, but waking up with him is the proverbial icing on the cake. And, that says a lot since he IS a morning person and I am most certainly not.
8. I want someone else to clean this freakin' house which I don't want any more. Yes, the kids help me, but I am the one who does the vast majority of the things that keep it up and running and smelling nice and yummy. Oh, and I don't want to pay that someone else, unless I get that ginormous tax refund I am dreaming about.
9. I want my Realtor to prove to me that she is worth the money she might make off us. March 12 is the day the contract expires and trust me, if I haven't moved yet, there's gonna be some fireworks on March 12. FIREWORKS, I TELL YOU! Stay posted.
10. I want someone to buy this house. I know I already put that on this list, but that will help cure all the other ills I am experiencing. How much lower do I need to drop the price? It is 48 dang dollars a square foot. Seriously, homes are selling now (albeit slowly) and they are mostly going for more than $60-65 a foot. Even the bank foreclosures with no stove and stripped of all the fixtures are still pulling $60 a foot. I have a bid dang house. I have a cheap house. Anyone want a big cheap house? Closing costs? Sure. Carpet allowance? You bet, just buy the thing!
11. I don't want to take La Princessa to Physical Therapy any more. Blog to follow on that, but jeesh, enough already!
12. I want a haircut. I want to go visit Beth and get a tricked-out kick-ass haircut. I have to budget that in. Maybe when the tax refund comes?
13. I also want a pedicure. Sure, "Touch" does a nice enough job, but I want the deluxe pedi. You know the one where you propose marriage to the chick who does your pedi because you feel so awesome? Yeah, that one. Ding, ding-tax refund.
14. I want to not have two houses any more so I can get my hair and feeties done when I want and not when taxes come.
15. I want this killer dress I saw at the mall today. It is so made for my body-type and is the perfect blend of lady and ho and I really want it.
16. I also want these shoes they had at the new shoe store in the mall. They, too, are right up the alley I mentioned in number 15 and, they go with the dress perfectly. Yup, taxes.
17. I want to wear that dress and those shoes when I drive up to our new home in South Carolina after selling this stupid house and getting our tax refund when I kiss my husband as a resident of South Carolina for the first time.
18. Then I want to go to sleep in my new state and wake up the next morning next to Travis.
Currently listening:Set ListBy The FramesRelease date: 2004-02-24
I love making lists. Should come as no shock to those of you who know me well. Somehow, when things get crazy, list-making helps me make sense of it all. Not a lot of sense and a wealth of crazy in my life have driven me to my steno-pads...
My newest list follows:
1. I want to continue working out and not drop it like I did last year when I was working out at least six times a week. I have to make time for this. I have to make sure I do it. I feel better, I look better and at some point, I will live in the same state as my husband and he deserves me looking and feeling better.
2. I want to live in the same state as my husband. Sooner as opposed to later. My short-term goal is to be there by the seventeenth anniversary- February 22. And not for a visit.
3. I want to sell this freaking house. There is nothing wrong with it. I am willing to wheel and deal. I want it gone. This is what is keeping me from number two, and maybe even a little bit of a contributary factor in number one. It is hard to work out with a vacuum cleaner in one hand and a toilet brush in the other. I am sure some have mastered that art, but I ain't one of 'em.
4. I want to not go sit at wrestling all night. Every night. Yes, that's right, I said every night. Coach has been a little disappointed in the team's performance post-Chirstmas and has decided that the every day practices the kids had during the break were what made them do so well at the first tourney or two. Now, we are back at every day.
5. I want to be warm in the Combatives gym, where I will now be spending every weeknight. That is one cold place.
6. I want a bigger tax refund than I think we are going to get. It would be extremely helpful to have large amounts of cash in the coming months, for more than the obvious reasons.
7. I want to wake up next to Travis again. Every day. Sure, going to sleep with him at night has its perks too, but waking up with him is the proverbial icing on the cake. And, that says a lot since he IS a morning person and I am most certainly not.
8. I want someone else to clean this freakin' house which I don't want any more. Yes, the kids help me, but I am the one who does the vast majority of the things that keep it up and running and smelling nice and yummy. Oh, and I don't want to pay that someone else, unless I get that ginormous tax refund I am dreaming about.
9. I want my Realtor to prove to me that she is worth the money she might make off us. March 12 is the day the contract expires and trust me, if I haven't moved yet, there's gonna be some fireworks on March 12. FIREWORKS, I TELL YOU! Stay posted.
10. I want someone to buy this house. I know I already put that on this list, but that will help cure all the other ills I am experiencing. How much lower do I need to drop the price? It is 48 dang dollars a square foot. Seriously, homes are selling now (albeit slowly) and they are mostly going for more than $60-65 a foot. Even the bank foreclosures with no stove and stripped of all the fixtures are still pulling $60 a foot. I have a bid dang house. I have a cheap house. Anyone want a big cheap house? Closing costs? Sure. Carpet allowance? You bet, just buy the thing!
11. I don't want to take La Princessa to Physical Therapy any more. Blog to follow on that, but jeesh, enough already!
12. I want a haircut. I want to go visit Beth and get a tricked-out kick-ass haircut. I have to budget that in. Maybe when the tax refund comes?
13. I also want a pedicure. Sure, "Touch" does a nice enough job, but I want the deluxe pedi. You know the one where you propose marriage to the chick who does your pedi because you feel so awesome? Yeah, that one. Ding, ding-tax refund.
14. I want to not have two houses any more so I can get my hair and feeties done when I want and not when taxes come.
15. I want this killer dress I saw at the mall today. It is so made for my body-type and is the perfect blend of lady and ho and I really want it.
16. I also want these shoes they had at the new shoe store in the mall. They, too, are right up the alley I mentioned in number 15 and, they go with the dress perfectly. Yup, taxes.
17. I want to wear that dress and those shoes when I drive up to our new home in South Carolina after selling this stupid house and getting our tax refund when I kiss my husband as a resident of South Carolina for the first time.
18. Then I want to go to sleep in my new state and wake up the next morning next to Travis.
Currently listening:Set ListBy The FramesRelease date: 2004-02-24
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Bronze and Silver City
Current mood: pissed off
Sunday could very possibly have been one of the longest days of my life. I knew it would be because wrestling tourneys are famously tedious and drawn out and if the club running the show is even remotely disorganized, you're in for a mammoth case of bleacher butt by the time you leave.
What you may not know is that Amanda decided she wanted to wrestle this year. Yes, my classically trained violinist cheerleading little red-headed girl wanted to wrestle. Reluctantly, I agreed. The kids wrestle for Team Bliss and in this league, girls have to wrestle boys. Jeeze, just what you want, some dude tossing your daughter around. I bit my tongue and let her do it. Our decision to allow her was not so much because I am a feminist (because I am most certainly NOT), but more because we have always told both the kids that they were capable of doing anything they wanted to. What idiots we were.
So, she and Nolan both started workouts as soon as Nolan's football season was over. Last year, Nolan didn't have a single win on the mats. He hated practice. He hated conditioning. He hated matches. He hated losing. And then, true to Bubba form, as soon as the season was over, he missed it. He missed his coaches and he wanted to wrestle more. When the season came around again this year, he had a cow over when I was going to sign him up and then she chimed in.
Our first match was the first weekend of December and our team was the host. Nolan went out and lost both his matches. He was royally pissed. Tears, running snot, huff and puff- the whole nine yards. What made it worse was that his little big sister (he's 5'4" and she's 5'2") won a gold because she was the only wrestler in her division and class. That was also the day we had her belated birthday party.
The next match was the following weekend at Ysleta High, hosted by the Texas Tribe. Nolan went out and kicked butt! He was amazing and scored his first two wins on the mat ever. One of the kids he beat was coached by his coaches from last year. The other was a boy from the Tribe. His third match was against another boy from Team Fox (last year's coaches) and that boy beat Nolan, although Nolan did hang in there for a full three rounds. I was so incredibly proud of him because doing that is very hard. And, for a heavyweight, it is even harder. After that loss, he was due to place second but was challenged by a boy who had beat him the week before. Nolan's challenge round came right after his loss so he was pooped, but he did his best and was pinned in the second round. He took third, which broke his heart. Amanda only wrestled twice and it was the same kid both times. She wrestled up and that boy wrestled down because neither of them had anyone else in their brackets. Basically, the boy was a good foot taller than her and had her by somewhere between 20 and 30 pounds. He put her in a headlock and took her on a death spin in both rounds and pinned her relatively quickly. She didn't seem to mind. In fact, she walked off the mat, yanked off her headgear and told me, "Mom! He was hawt!" Jeeze. Just what I needed to hear. Nolan needed some Momma therapy during the drive home, and he was fine by the time we got here.
Our next match was the Sun City Nationals hosted by the Eastside Wildcats. That is a massive tourney and kids come from as far as Arizona and even further. He did very well. He won, he lost and he lost again, to Greg from Team Fox. He took fourth in his bracket and he was happy with his placing. Amanda didn't make the tourney because she had her Christmas performance with the El Paso Youth Symphony.
We took the week after Christmas off (along with everyone else in the city) and then Sunday was the Silver City meet. Because we lowered the price on the house just before we headed out for what seemed like all time and eternity, I wanted to make sure the house looked great. Amanda and I stayed up late Saturday cleaning and I went to bed sometime around 1:30 in the morning. By the time I went to sleep I had passed the tired/awake continuum and lay in the bed awake until well after 2:30 afraid I wouldn't hear the alarm ring at 3:20 so I could clean a little more and get our bag ready with changes of clothes and food and activities for the day. We left the house at five after five and got to the bus on-post at 5:30 for the three hour drive to Silver City.
When we got there, we got set up with the other families from our team and camped out our spot in the bleachers. The tots and division 1 went first, then divisions two and four, and around 3:30 divisions three (Nolan) and five (Amanda) started. Nolan got out on the mat and won his first match. There weren't many kids there, so divisions were combined and some kids wrestled in more than one division. That's what happened with Nolan's bracket and his second match was against Geno, a boy from our team. He's been wrestling practically since he was potty trained and his dad is one of our coaches. Coach Brandon decided to sit out coaching Geno for the match and just watch. Nolan did pretty well, but then he outweighs Geno by a pretty good bit. Geno got him in a headlock-type-thingy and when Nolan felt the compression on his neck, he started gasping and tapping out. The very stupid ref didn't pay attention to Nolan so he kept tapping until finally the ref had no choice but to call the match. Geno got the gold and Nolan took silver and he was happy with that.
The problems actually came from Amanda's mat. There were only two people in her bracket at the start of the day. None of us went back to check her bracket throughout the day and we all just assumed that she would wrestle the same boy, Francisco two or three times. As the day wore on, a boy entered the gym who was so obviously out to intimidate everyone there. He was different from the other kids there. Generally, the mood at a meet like this one is pretty chill until certain kids take the mat and their cheering section goes off. That's normal. And, once the kid is done, his c.s. goes back to their section and starts to eat their nachos again.
So, there's Mr. UFC. That's right, as in Ultimate Fighting Championship. He had on his long socks and shorts (prolly one of the stupider looks to ever grace fashion), his fat-brim hat with all the idiot markings and a TapOut hoodie with his name emblazoned across his shoulders and MMA Fighter at the bottom. He had facial piercings and no social graces. Truly.
Eventually, we figured out (because one of us critical thinking masterminds went to the brackets to see what was up) that he was wrestling my little princess. Sheesh. He wasn't in the bracket at the start of the day or the middle of the day or the later part of the day, until right before he actually had to wrestle Amanda. Francisco was her first opponenet. She hung in for a little over a minute until he eventually pinned her. She did pretty well. By that point, Coach Brandon was about to blow a gasket the way only an Infantry Sergeant Major can. He was pissed with a capital SS. His other son, Jerry, wanted Amanda to forfeit, but she said she would be embarassed to forfeit so she made the choice to get out there. I'd have had a heart attack before I even set foot on the mat, but not her. Then after a couple more matches, Mr. UFC went out on the mat for the showdown. You could tell by watching him he wasn't there to wrestle clean. He was there to hurt someone. That's what he wanted. So, he punched himself in the face a few times a la Captain Caveman, jumped around a la Jane Fonda and did his best Baloo impression in circles around the mat. Yes, seriously.
They shook hands. The ref signaled the start and he went at her. I'm not going into all of it because my blood pressure can't take it, but he actually picked her up and launched her out of the ring. Yes, seriously, launched her. I never knew she could fly, but she coulda shown Mary Poppins a thing or two after that. The ref re-set them and started the match again and eventually he got her in a death grip and pinned her. The problem with it all is the smirk he wore. I am not sure if the smirk was because he was stunned he was wrestling this cute little thing, because he was shocked he had to actually (gasp) wrestle a girl, or because he just didn't take her seriously. Truth- it was likely some combo of the three. But, he went out there way ugly and that didn't change. After he cleaned her clock and the bout was over, she went to his coaches' corner to shake hands with them and he walked around for a bit revelling in his own glory. Ass-wipe. So, then it dawned on him that this sport does actually foster sportsmanlike conduct and he shuffled over to homeboy our coaches.
And then, the enemy of her enemy became our friend. So, we partied on over to the mat to catch Francisco take on Mr. UFC. Somehow his whole demeanor changed on that mat. He was nowhere near as obnoxious as he had been when on the mat with my kid. He locked up with Cisco (I think that's what his mom called him) for a long time and never would shoot on him. It took quite a while but they eventually hit the mat and started to grapple, but it became clear that although inexperienced, our homie, Mr. UFC, was just so over-aggressive that he was going to win. Jackass. Amanda took the bronze in her bracket. Overall, I think she was satisfied but she was pissed too.
What really stuck me wrong was the way his friends were talking about Amanda on the edge of the mat. Whether they knew I was her mother or not, they should have really not made sexual references to a wrestler, a lady, a competetor. Ever. But, they did. They also joked that she was a girl out there. Well, no shit, Einstein. What was your first clue? The boobies? So, these knuckle-draggers left that day patting Mr. UFC on the back, feeling like champions themselves. I got home and surfed YouTube to see if the video they took had hit the 'Net yet. Nope, but I'll look again.
Yes, she can do anything. She went out there, knowing what she was up against. He out-weighed her, he was stronger, and assholier, and she still wrestled him. She wrestled clean. She went longer than you thought she would in the round. She even flew. Tweet. Tweet.
So, we got back on the bus and had dinner in Silver City with the members of the team and their families who were also riding the team bus that day. We had a good time, ponied back up and headed down the mountain. We got home some time around 10:30 and although I would have liked nothing better than to have crashed when we got here, once again the time/awake continuum had taken hold and I drifted off in my beddy-bye around 1:00.
Saturday we wrestle in Deming. I'm not sure if we are taking the bus. But, we'll be there one way or another. And hopefully I'll be better rested. But, tired or not, my kids are learning about wrestling clean and living right. So take that and poke a hole in your face with it Mr. UFC!
Currently listening : Tap Out By Aggressive Dogs Release date: 2001-09-12
Sunday could very possibly have been one of the longest days of my life. I knew it would be because wrestling tourneys are famously tedious and drawn out and if the club running the show is even remotely disorganized, you're in for a mammoth case of bleacher butt by the time you leave.
What you may not know is that Amanda decided she wanted to wrestle this year. Yes, my classically trained violinist cheerleading little red-headed girl wanted to wrestle. Reluctantly, I agreed. The kids wrestle for Team Bliss and in this league, girls have to wrestle boys. Jeeze, just what you want, some dude tossing your daughter around. I bit my tongue and let her do it. Our decision to allow her was not so much because I am a feminist (because I am most certainly NOT), but more because we have always told both the kids that they were capable of doing anything they wanted to. What idiots we were.
So, she and Nolan both started workouts as soon as Nolan's football season was over. Last year, Nolan didn't have a single win on the mats. He hated practice. He hated conditioning. He hated matches. He hated losing. And then, true to Bubba form, as soon as the season was over, he missed it. He missed his coaches and he wanted to wrestle more. When the season came around again this year, he had a cow over when I was going to sign him up and then she chimed in.
Our first match was the first weekend of December and our team was the host. Nolan went out and lost both his matches. He was royally pissed. Tears, running snot, huff and puff- the whole nine yards. What made it worse was that his little big sister (he's 5'4" and she's 5'2") won a gold because she was the only wrestler in her division and class. That was also the day we had her belated birthday party.
The next match was the following weekend at Ysleta High, hosted by the Texas Tribe. Nolan went out and kicked butt! He was amazing and scored his first two wins on the mat ever. One of the kids he beat was coached by his coaches from last year. The other was a boy from the Tribe. His third match was against another boy from Team Fox (last year's coaches) and that boy beat Nolan, although Nolan did hang in there for a full three rounds. I was so incredibly proud of him because doing that is very hard. And, for a heavyweight, it is even harder. After that loss, he was due to place second but was challenged by a boy who had beat him the week before. Nolan's challenge round came right after his loss so he was pooped, but he did his best and was pinned in the second round. He took third, which broke his heart. Amanda only wrestled twice and it was the same kid both times. She wrestled up and that boy wrestled down because neither of them had anyone else in their brackets. Basically, the boy was a good foot taller than her and had her by somewhere between 20 and 30 pounds. He put her in a headlock and took her on a death spin in both rounds and pinned her relatively quickly. She didn't seem to mind. In fact, she walked off the mat, yanked off her headgear and told me, "Mom! He was hawt!" Jeeze. Just what I needed to hear. Nolan needed some Momma therapy during the drive home, and he was fine by the time we got here.
Our next match was the Sun City Nationals hosted by the Eastside Wildcats. That is a massive tourney and kids come from as far as Arizona and even further. He did very well. He won, he lost and he lost again, to Greg from Team Fox. He took fourth in his bracket and he was happy with his placing. Amanda didn't make the tourney because she had her Christmas performance with the El Paso Youth Symphony.
We took the week after Christmas off (along with everyone else in the city) and then Sunday was the Silver City meet. Because we lowered the price on the house just before we headed out for what seemed like all time and eternity, I wanted to make sure the house looked great. Amanda and I stayed up late Saturday cleaning and I went to bed sometime around 1:30 in the morning. By the time I went to sleep I had passed the tired/awake continuum and lay in the bed awake until well after 2:30 afraid I wouldn't hear the alarm ring at 3:20 so I could clean a little more and get our bag ready with changes of clothes and food and activities for the day. We left the house at five after five and got to the bus on-post at 5:30 for the three hour drive to Silver City.
When we got there, we got set up with the other families from our team and camped out our spot in the bleachers. The tots and division 1 went first, then divisions two and four, and around 3:30 divisions three (Nolan) and five (Amanda) started. Nolan got out on the mat and won his first match. There weren't many kids there, so divisions were combined and some kids wrestled in more than one division. That's what happened with Nolan's bracket and his second match was against Geno, a boy from our team. He's been wrestling practically since he was potty trained and his dad is one of our coaches. Coach Brandon decided to sit out coaching Geno for the match and just watch. Nolan did pretty well, but then he outweighs Geno by a pretty good bit. Geno got him in a headlock-type-thingy and when Nolan felt the compression on his neck, he started gasping and tapping out. The very stupid ref didn't pay attention to Nolan so he kept tapping until finally the ref had no choice but to call the match. Geno got the gold and Nolan took silver and he was happy with that.
The problems actually came from Amanda's mat. There were only two people in her bracket at the start of the day. None of us went back to check her bracket throughout the day and we all just assumed that she would wrestle the same boy, Francisco two or three times. As the day wore on, a boy entered the gym who was so obviously out to intimidate everyone there. He was different from the other kids there. Generally, the mood at a meet like this one is pretty chill until certain kids take the mat and their cheering section goes off. That's normal. And, once the kid is done, his c.s. goes back to their section and starts to eat their nachos again.
So, there's Mr. UFC. That's right, as in Ultimate Fighting Championship. He had on his long socks and shorts (prolly one of the stupider looks to ever grace fashion), his fat-brim hat with all the idiot markings and a TapOut hoodie with his name emblazoned across his shoulders and MMA Fighter at the bottom. He had facial piercings and no social graces. Truly.
Eventually, we figured out (because one of us critical thinking masterminds went to the brackets to see what was up) that he was wrestling my little princess. Sheesh. He wasn't in the bracket at the start of the day or the middle of the day or the later part of the day, until right before he actually had to wrestle Amanda. Francisco was her first opponenet. She hung in for a little over a minute until he eventually pinned her. She did pretty well. By that point, Coach Brandon was about to blow a gasket the way only an Infantry Sergeant Major can. He was pissed with a capital SS. His other son, Jerry, wanted Amanda to forfeit, but she said she would be embarassed to forfeit so she made the choice to get out there. I'd have had a heart attack before I even set foot on the mat, but not her. Then after a couple more matches, Mr. UFC went out on the mat for the showdown. You could tell by watching him he wasn't there to wrestle clean. He was there to hurt someone. That's what he wanted. So, he punched himself in the face a few times a la Captain Caveman, jumped around a la Jane Fonda and did his best Baloo impression in circles around the mat. Yes, seriously.
They shook hands. The ref signaled the start and he went at her. I'm not going into all of it because my blood pressure can't take it, but he actually picked her up and launched her out of the ring. Yes, seriously, launched her. I never knew she could fly, but she coulda shown Mary Poppins a thing or two after that. The ref re-set them and started the match again and eventually he got her in a death grip and pinned her. The problem with it all is the smirk he wore. I am not sure if the smirk was because he was stunned he was wrestling this cute little thing, because he was shocked he had to actually (gasp) wrestle a girl, or because he just didn't take her seriously. Truth- it was likely some combo of the three. But, he went out there way ugly and that didn't change. After he cleaned her clock and the bout was over, she went to his coaches' corner to shake hands with them and he walked around for a bit revelling in his own glory. Ass-wipe. So, then it dawned on him that this sport does actually foster sportsmanlike conduct and he shuffled over to homeboy our coaches.
And then, the enemy of her enemy became our friend. So, we partied on over to the mat to catch Francisco take on Mr. UFC. Somehow his whole demeanor changed on that mat. He was nowhere near as obnoxious as he had been when on the mat with my kid. He locked up with Cisco (I think that's what his mom called him) for a long time and never would shoot on him. It took quite a while but they eventually hit the mat and started to grapple, but it became clear that although inexperienced, our homie, Mr. UFC, was just so over-aggressive that he was going to win. Jackass. Amanda took the bronze in her bracket. Overall, I think she was satisfied but she was pissed too.
What really stuck me wrong was the way his friends were talking about Amanda on the edge of the mat. Whether they knew I was her mother or not, they should have really not made sexual references to a wrestler, a lady, a competetor. Ever. But, they did. They also joked that she was a girl out there. Well, no shit, Einstein. What was your first clue? The boobies? So, these knuckle-draggers left that day patting Mr. UFC on the back, feeling like champions themselves. I got home and surfed YouTube to see if the video they took had hit the 'Net yet. Nope, but I'll look again.
Yes, she can do anything. She went out there, knowing what she was up against. He out-weighed her, he was stronger, and assholier, and she still wrestled him. She wrestled clean. She went longer than you thought she would in the round. She even flew. Tweet. Tweet.
So, we got back on the bus and had dinner in Silver City with the members of the team and their families who were also riding the team bus that day. We had a good time, ponied back up and headed down the mountain. We got home some time around 10:30 and although I would have liked nothing better than to have crashed when we got here, once again the time/awake continuum had taken hold and I drifted off in my beddy-bye around 1:00.
Saturday we wrestle in Deming. I'm not sure if we are taking the bus. But, we'll be there one way or another. And hopefully I'll be better rested. But, tired or not, my kids are learning about wrestling clean and living right. So take that and poke a hole in your face with it Mr. UFC!
Currently listening : Tap Out By Aggressive Dogs Release date: 2001-09-12
Saturday, January 3, 2009
And We're Waiting
Current mood: bummed
Travis came home for Christmas.
Travis left yesterday to go back to South Carolina so he could maybe be back in time to help his NCOs give the little baby Soldiers their pee-pee tests. He might be back in time, but there's serious fog in Alabama and oodles of wrecks because of it.
Today sucks. We have to clean because that is pretty much all we do when I can pry the remote out of La Princessa's hand and change the channel from VH-1 or MTV.
I lowered the asking price on the house again. I can't believe it myself. $114,900. Mainly, this is out of desperation. Travis' visit brought about a bit of an epiphany of sorts. This weekend marks ten months since he and I went to South Carolina to set him up there. Ten months. 10 twelfths of a year. 83.33% of a year-yes, I bothered to actually do the math. Now, I am an Army wife. I can do geographical separations. I do OK. Don't lose my mind, don't screw around, still manage to operate a vacuum cleaner on a regular basis, remember to wash my face, don't over-spend to much, and the whole bit. That pretty much makes me an exemplary Army wife. February marks our 17th anniversary and of those 17, we've spent seven or eight together. I am not complaining (about that), and the way things are looking, we wont be spending 17 together either (about that, I am complaining!).
I've done what I could to ensure that the house is show/sale-ready. Most of the time it is clean, unless we are having those days where we are all tapped out of energy and just can't stand the idea of wearing anything but jammies all day. We don't do that often, and it isn't because we don't need it. The one time the kids and I did it, someone wanted to see the house. While Travis was here, the Saturday after Christmas, we were all doing a lazy day when the phone rang and a Realtor was on the other end. While I was talking to her, the other line beeped and it was another Realtor wanting to show the house. Both wanted to see it at the same time. We flew into crazy-clean mode and had an hour to scour and vacuum and all that. We made it in time. The first lady really liked it, but she is moving slowly on her decision. The second group wouldn't even get out of the car and blamed that on the neighborhood. Whatever. Come to find out, they were clients of my Realtor a year ago. They found a house they wanted in North Hills (translation-overpriced area) and made an offer. The owner's asking price was $149,900 and their offer was $120,000. Needless to say, they didn't get that house. Apparently they were total pains in the nalgas. Now, I am glad they wouldn't stop the car. Keep on drivin'.
While Travis was here we did talk about all this crap. And money. And our lives. He's just under three years until his retirement. He says he will get out if the Army doesn't promote him, and will stay as long as he continues to make promotions when he is eligible. I'm OK with that. That is his decision and he is the only one who can make the right choices for himself. When it came down to our geographical situation, I broke down. See, being here sucks. Travis is living our lives without us there. We are living the same way here without him. He told me the decisons with the house have to be mine. That is NOT what I wanted to hear. I do not want the responsibility. I want this to work out the way we thought it was supposed to. Anyway, not gonna happen.
Sooo, he gave me my options: A) continue on the same path and wait the average 280-300 days houses are lasting on our market which would put us out of here sometime in July/August. B) lower the price and continue to do so until we sell, even though we are risking the bottom line. We have a decent amount of equity to play with, but the goal is to retain as much of that as possible. C) lower the price to only cover what we owe plus our share of closing and walk away breaking even (OUCH). D) refinance (again) to lower our payments and rent the stupid house.
I made the choice yesterday to lower the price again. So, we've gone from $129,900 ($54 a sq/ft) to $120,000 ($50 a sq/ft) to $114,900 ($48 a sq/ft). I am just in shock that the phone has not rung today with a 2400 sq/ft house listed at $48 per ft. Shock, I tell you. Even in a depressed economy, there are homes moving, so why not mine? It is clean (we've had that discussion), it is big, it is cheap, it is all but ready to go, we can close in thirty days (actually, two weeks if need be), and I am willing to assist with closing. What's the freaking problem?
I've been on CraigsList checking out rentals in Columbia. That just makes me want to move even more. I found a 2800 sq/ft, 5 bedroom, 3 bath for under $1000. Yes, seriously. It is about 25 minutes from post and with what we would be saving in rent, we could afford the extra gas money. Plus, BAH (housing money) is going up in the area. We would be making a financial killing.
I decided to do the Total Money Makeover by Ramsey (or is it Ramsay?). I am ready to start snowballing our debt. But, the program will not let me proceed because I need a thousand dollars in a savings account before I can move forward. That would have been no problem a year ago. Today- problem. So, I have a very small percentage of that thousand in my purse waiting for me to put it in an envelope and add to it so I can open a money market account or something like it. Hmph. I am tired of debt and am looking forward to having a full bank account once again. Paying two sets of household bills sucks big time.
So, Travis is on I-20 now. He can make the 24 hour drive without stopping because he is insane. He texted me this morning and told me he actually did stop and sleep for a couple of hours. He did so because he thought he had used up his luck card. When I asked him to explain he told me that in the middle of the night a semi had come across the median right in front of him and toward him at full-speed. Somehow the truck saved it and recovered and Travis slipped by unscathed. Luck, God, skill? I don't know, but I am relieved. My estimation is that he will be in Columbia very soon.
I need to be there. It is no longer a want. I must be there with him.
Currently listening : Missing You/For Your Love By John Waite
Travis came home for Christmas.
Travis left yesterday to go back to South Carolina so he could maybe be back in time to help his NCOs give the little baby Soldiers their pee-pee tests. He might be back in time, but there's serious fog in Alabama and oodles of wrecks because of it.
Today sucks. We have to clean because that is pretty much all we do when I can pry the remote out of La Princessa's hand and change the channel from VH-1 or MTV.
I lowered the asking price on the house again. I can't believe it myself. $114,900. Mainly, this is out of desperation. Travis' visit brought about a bit of an epiphany of sorts. This weekend marks ten months since he and I went to South Carolina to set him up there. Ten months. 10 twelfths of a year. 83.33% of a year-yes, I bothered to actually do the math. Now, I am an Army wife. I can do geographical separations. I do OK. Don't lose my mind, don't screw around, still manage to operate a vacuum cleaner on a regular basis, remember to wash my face, don't over-spend to much, and the whole bit. That pretty much makes me an exemplary Army wife. February marks our 17th anniversary and of those 17, we've spent seven or eight together. I am not complaining (about that), and the way things are looking, we wont be spending 17 together either (about that, I am complaining!).
I've done what I could to ensure that the house is show/sale-ready. Most of the time it is clean, unless we are having those days where we are all tapped out of energy and just can't stand the idea of wearing anything but jammies all day. We don't do that often, and it isn't because we don't need it. The one time the kids and I did it, someone wanted to see the house. While Travis was here, the Saturday after Christmas, we were all doing a lazy day when the phone rang and a Realtor was on the other end. While I was talking to her, the other line beeped and it was another Realtor wanting to show the house. Both wanted to see it at the same time. We flew into crazy-clean mode and had an hour to scour and vacuum and all that. We made it in time. The first lady really liked it, but she is moving slowly on her decision. The second group wouldn't even get out of the car and blamed that on the neighborhood. Whatever. Come to find out, they were clients of my Realtor a year ago. They found a house they wanted in North Hills (translation-overpriced area) and made an offer. The owner's asking price was $149,900 and their offer was $120,000. Needless to say, they didn't get that house. Apparently they were total pains in the nalgas. Now, I am glad they wouldn't stop the car. Keep on drivin'.
While Travis was here we did talk about all this crap. And money. And our lives. He's just under three years until his retirement. He says he will get out if the Army doesn't promote him, and will stay as long as he continues to make promotions when he is eligible. I'm OK with that. That is his decision and he is the only one who can make the right choices for himself. When it came down to our geographical situation, I broke down. See, being here sucks. Travis is living our lives without us there. We are living the same way here without him. He told me the decisons with the house have to be mine. That is NOT what I wanted to hear. I do not want the responsibility. I want this to work out the way we thought it was supposed to. Anyway, not gonna happen.
Sooo, he gave me my options: A) continue on the same path and wait the average 280-300 days houses are lasting on our market which would put us out of here sometime in July/August. B) lower the price and continue to do so until we sell, even though we are risking the bottom line. We have a decent amount of equity to play with, but the goal is to retain as much of that as possible. C) lower the price to only cover what we owe plus our share of closing and walk away breaking even (OUCH). D) refinance (again) to lower our payments and rent the stupid house.
I made the choice yesterday to lower the price again. So, we've gone from $129,900 ($54 a sq/ft) to $120,000 ($50 a sq/ft) to $114,900 ($48 a sq/ft). I am just in shock that the phone has not rung today with a 2400 sq/ft house listed at $48 per ft. Shock, I tell you. Even in a depressed economy, there are homes moving, so why not mine? It is clean (we've had that discussion), it is big, it is cheap, it is all but ready to go, we can close in thirty days (actually, two weeks if need be), and I am willing to assist with closing. What's the freaking problem?
I've been on CraigsList checking out rentals in Columbia. That just makes me want to move even more. I found a 2800 sq/ft, 5 bedroom, 3 bath for under $1000. Yes, seriously. It is about 25 minutes from post and with what we would be saving in rent, we could afford the extra gas money. Plus, BAH (housing money) is going up in the area. We would be making a financial killing.
I decided to do the Total Money Makeover by Ramsey (or is it Ramsay?). I am ready to start snowballing our debt. But, the program will not let me proceed because I need a thousand dollars in a savings account before I can move forward. That would have been no problem a year ago. Today- problem. So, I have a very small percentage of that thousand in my purse waiting for me to put it in an envelope and add to it so I can open a money market account or something like it. Hmph. I am tired of debt and am looking forward to having a full bank account once again. Paying two sets of household bills sucks big time.
So, Travis is on I-20 now. He can make the 24 hour drive without stopping because he is insane. He texted me this morning and told me he actually did stop and sleep for a couple of hours. He did so because he thought he had used up his luck card. When I asked him to explain he told me that in the middle of the night a semi had come across the median right in front of him and toward him at full-speed. Somehow the truck saved it and recovered and Travis slipped by unscathed. Luck, God, skill? I don't know, but I am relieved. My estimation is that he will be in Columbia very soon.
I need to be there. It is no longer a want. I must be there with him.
Currently listening : Missing You/For Your Love By John Waite
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