Wheee!!! It's a holiday, and a sparkly one to boot!
-Parade in Underwood this a.m.
-Jeremy wants to bring a friend home for the afternoon. This would be fine because it gets me out of entertaining him. I need to make tater salad, deviled eggs and jewelry this afternoon.
-Nap sometime.
-BBQ and fireworks at a friend's house dinner-ish. She does chicken, steak and something else on the grill, everyone else brings stuff (hence my to-do's this afternoon ) that is their "specialty" and is requested.
Then tomorrow we get to start all over again (well not really, but it's still the weekend, how great is that???)
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We have around 20 showing up this evening to use the new kitchen/party area. We're doing the BYO steak, side and fireworks thing. I'm in charge of the fried pickles.
It's also the first day of VACATION for me. And it's raining. And it's going to rain tonight. And tomorrow, and tomorrow night, and Monday, with chance of rain Tuesday.
But anyway, Hubby's sister and niece are coming over to play board games and stuff today to celebrate (?) and we may end up watching the illegal fireworks the people on the surrounding blocks tend to set off over the canal, or we'll watch the Macy's fireworks on TV.
__________________ MJ
It's extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases.~ Bono
Planning on a picnic today, but the host had heart surgery two days ago. Hostess would not hear of cancelling. I'm on my way there with my Asian Slaw. I wanted to make pasta salad but my mom had already called that, and I figured someone is going to make potato salad so I had to come up with something different.
This will be my first time seeing my little cousin's new baby.
After that picnic, I'm going to my parent's house and Kevin will meet up with us (he's working now). We'll do the bbq thing there too I'm sure.
Tomorrow is Kevin's family. His nephew is coming down with his new baby. I am making brownies, because his family didn't tell me to bring something, and I figured that there are never too many chocolate items... right? His family seemed to like my double chocolate chip cookies the week before, so I figured it was a safe bet.
Kevin is actually off from work tomorrow, so after we leave his family's party, I'd like to see the fireworks on our town green, if possible. I've never seen my town's fireworks before. The green is cool too, there's a tank parked on it, that has been there... like for everyone's whole life...
I am supposed to be baking my annual 4th of July cake (that I make about every five years). I have the ingredients. I am hoping they will dance themselves into a bowl.
Wheee................
__________________ "DON'T PANIC."
-- Douglas Adams
Daughter invited 3 friends over. Son is at girlfriend's house for a bit, but coming home for dinner. Son's former roommate coming over later.
Hubby made cheesecake. I made macaroni salad. Went to store and got corn. Hubby hopes to grill burgers, if the rain stays away.
Everyone is watching Independence Day right now, it has been a day of old but good movies!!
__________________ Watching TV teaches philosophy.
SIL and niece left. I have to tell you, I have never been a confident hostess. We didn't have people over at all when I was a kid (long story) and if you'd told me 10 years ago that I would host and cook dinner for four with four hours' notice, I'd have thought you were on drugs. But we had a nice dinner, and my SIL and I beat the pants off Hubby and my niece at Scrabble.
__________________ MJ
It's extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases.~ Bono
Big family party was fun. Kevin wasn't supposed to go to this party, because we were "not staying long" and he would miss us there, but when he called we had just started eating, so we told him to come on over. My father couldn't go to the big family party because he was sick, and, the host had heart surg 2 days ago... so...
My mom, Kevin, and I all went back to my mom's house. My mom put out food while Kevin grilled, and I set the table. Dad came out very sick, but joined us.
Oh, a major milestone happened this weekend. My dog was afraid of Kevin. My dog shows fear by barking loudly, kind of warning any men that come into the house not to move. Frasier started off the same way, but, my mom had bought a new toy that Frasier hadn't been given yet. I snuck it to Kevin and made Kevin get his scent on it. Kevin also sat down so he wouldn't be so intimidating to the dog. Kevin is Frasier's new best friend ever!
Went home and could hear major fireworks but couldn't figure out where they were coming from, could not see them, and were too tired to drive around town. A little while later someone in the complex started lighting fireworks. It's scary because where they lit them, the condos are only about 30 feet apart from one another. They were fantastic fireworks, not rinky dink ones like I remember as a kid, and definately not the legal variety. They were shooting way past the buildings with great bursts of color. They seemed like a cross between roman candle, sparkler, and bottle rocket. They were way cool.
Today is take my car for an oil change, bake some brownies, and go to Kevin's family's party day. Then I'm hoping we can catch the fireworks on the green.
SIL and niece left. I have to tell you, I have never been a confident hostess. We didn't have people over at all when I was a kid (long story) and if you'd told me 10 years ago that I would host and cook dinner for four with four hours' notice, I'd have thought you were on drugs. But we had a nice dinner, and my SIL and I beat the pants off Hubby and my niece at Scrabble.
Good for you! I haven't entertained in forever, except Christmas for the in-laws. It's fun.
My excitement was finally finishing my 4th of July cake after dragging myself through the steps. There are pictures. I might post them. If I can drag myself through getting them off the camera. (I think I might be a wee bit tired.)
Also, Baxter would not shut up, barking incessantly at the fireworks for hours. I might have chosen to give him his veterinarian approved dose of Benydryl, for his allergies, around 8:30. Just for his allergies, I'm sure I saw him suffering. In between
BARK,BARK,BARK,RUFF,RUFF,RUFF,BARK,BARK,BARK
Really. The "dog now sleeps" part was just a bonus.
__________________ "DON'T PANIC."
-- Douglas Adams
Completely off topic, but, lol... I have a Dominican coworker who just had a baby. When she was pregnant, we asked her what she was thinking of naming him. She said "Baxter" but with her accent, everyone thought she was saying "Bastard." LOL. I laugh hysterically every time I hear the name Baxter now.
Completely off topic, but, lol... I have a Dominican coworker who just had a baby. When she was pregnant, we asked her what she was thinking of naming him. She said "Baxter" but with her accent, everyone thought she was saying "Bastard." LOL. I laugh hysterically every time I hear the name Baxter now.
Ok back on subject... happy fourth, yay!
Yes well, Baxter's name probably got mispronounced a few times last night when he would not shut up.
(Honestly, that dog was fixed when he got to us and I cannot imagine what he would have been like au naturel. )
A big tree branch just fell outside a few minutes ago.
Bark,Bark,Bark,Woof,Woof,Woof,Bark,Bark,Bark
If the branch decides to invade, we are well defended.
__________________ "DON'T PANIC."
-- Douglas Adams
Yesterday was the picnic at Kevin's sister's (seeing his nephew's new baby) and town fireworks.
A. Maze. Ing.
I have never seen such a good fireworks display. We parked in a parking lot next to a field, and finally got up the courage to enter the field. We found a ginormous rock and watched the show. It was fantastic. I'm completely bug-bitten now, but it was worth it (providing I don't have West Nile and Lymes, of course).
Today I meant to clean. Um... I cleared off three tables. I suppose that counts for something. Then I made chicken caccitore (which I can't wait to try!) and oatmeal peanut butter cookies that were truly to die for...
Now I don't want to go to work tomorrow morning. Luckily, I don't have to be in til 8:15 and I start my day with a breakfast at a doctor's office that's just down the street from me.
Busy weekend here, but good. I drove down to Ted's on Wednesday night - he had a friend coming in and wanted me to meet him, so I made more hamburger buns and sloppy joe mix on Thursday - my nephew was up doing yard work and I'd forgotten how much a 14yo can eat. Good think I made 2 dozen buns and 3 gallons of meat sauce. There wasn't much left to put in the freezer afterwards, but everyone enjoyed lunch.
Ted's friend is a talker. Geez. I got up at 6:00 on Friday to get stuff ready for the day, and he followed me around and ran his mouth non-stop for 3 hours while I made breakfast, cleaned, and worked on grading. Then, mentioned that the reason he liked visiting was because it was so quiet out there. Hard not to respond to that one, but I restrained myself. Ted finally took him down to the shop mid-morning so that I could get some stuff done.
In the evening, we had dinner with my brother's family, mom & dad, and 8 other friends at an Italian restaurant overlooking the bay - we had window tables on the second floor. The local fire department set off fireworks and it was wonderful.
Saturday morning, I left at 6:00 and came back to Albany - Timber Carnival day and I did scores for the logging events. It was fun seeing everyone again - some of the families have 3 generations competing now. Shane wasn't there this year - he was doing a 5 day whitewater raft trip, but I think I'll give him a throwing axe for Christmas and see if he'll get back into the sport.
Sunday, I slept in for the first time in ages. No real agenda, so I went shopping and found a beautiful mission-style queen bed frame marked down. I have no idea how I'm going to haul it, but it's mine now. Maybe Shane will trade his truck for my car next weekend.
"If you want to be free, there is but one way; it is to guarantee an equally full measure of liberty to all your neighbors. There is no other." - Carl Shurz, German general and politician
We didn't do much. Friday, the kids and I went to my mom and grandmom's house for the weekend to help my mom with some stuff. Mom needed to move some things out of the house to her storage unit - my grandmother had thrown away a few of her things without even asking, so mom wanted to get some of the other things that are out in sight put away so maybe her mom wouldn't toss them. Fun stuff. Spent Friday driving up there, then working on rearranging things and packing Mom's car. Went to the storage Saturday morning, where I unfortunately managed to take a "sick headache", basically, a migraine but one that thankfully went away within a few hours. Went to church with them on Sunday morning, then drove back home during the afternoon.
Mine was just okay. Thursday night I woke up with a numb lower left lip. By morning, the numbness was gone but I had a toothache that was pretty awful. On Friday we went to Mario's sister's house for the afternoon (her son, our godson) was in town from Florida so that was nice seeing him and visiting with him. She'd pissed me off a bit with her invite...."Joe and I are watching our fat and sugar intake so please bring something to pass that doesn't have either." Personally, I think she and Joe can just say no. Or they could have asked for fruits and salads from their guests or something. But, she has a way about her and the way she words things that get my blood boiling sometimes. (Actually, a lot of the time).
Then Saturday, my brother in law and his daughter came by for a haircut for her senior pictures. Then my son and his girlfriend came over and we all went out on the lake on our pontoon for a few hours. I then went over to my dad's for a while. During all of this my tooth was aching and then my jaw began to swell. So Saturday night I called my dentist's emergency number (he couldn't come to the phone right now but leave a message....blah, blah) but he did call back and ordered some Tylenol #3 and an atibiotic.
Went to see him today and he said I need a root canal. He set it up with an endo(?) for tomorrow morning. I HATE DENTAL WORK OF ANY KIND AND AM ALWAYS A NERVOUS WRECK.
My dentist would have added an Rx for three Valium tablets for me - back in the day, that was the only way I would sit in the chair long enough to get the nitrus oxide and novocaine: one tablet the morning before, one tablet the evening before, and one tablet the morning of the appointment. Now I don't need it at all and my dental anxiety is gone, but it took years (plus years of getting no dental treatments at all).
Take it easy tonight, have some protein for breakfast before you go (no coffee!) and practice deep breathing through your nose.
__________________ MJ
It's extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases.~ Bono
My last root canal the endo gave me a prescription for a pain killer afterward. I needed it for about 24 hours, then I was ok.
I have had plenty of RC's Sandy. None of them were fun.
__________________ Watching TV teaches philosophy.
Happy 4th of July!!! 
) that is their "specialty" and is requested.
Hard not to respond to that one, but I restrained myself. Ted finally took him down to the shop mid-morning so that I could get some stuff done.
Ouch! Poor you!