LuckDrgn's Xanga

Friday, June 26, 2009

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:30:12 GMT

I know, I know..havent been around in a long longgg time. Actually Ive been around, just not writing much. Still hooked on Wonderland lol. What can I say? Its fun!

School is (obviously) over for the year..yeahhh. Another one bites the dust - 8 more to go. Autumn recently turned 14.. Madison will be 13 on Saturday...Castle 10 next month. Crazy.

Storm got laid off a couple of months ago.. hes still looking for work. We're doing ok for the moment, but its soon going to be down to the wire. Tough, tough arena right now...hes not even getting much in the way of call backs when he DOES find a job listing, which is crazy considering his credentials/experience. He's airbrushing again, going to venues and taking orders to kinda fill in the gaps. Hasnt seen much work in THAT area either, but hes really just getting started on it all. He has a venue on July 4th & I think he'll do well.

Ive been kind of down and out a bit lately.. Im getting dentures. I know - I seem a bit young for that, but there are some wicked bad teeth genes in my family. Mom has dentures, dad had like 4 teeth left when he died (and I swear we're not like super rednecks or something lol) all three of my sisters have dentures so yeah.. not the greatest genes in the world.

I had mine pulled about a week ago..today I went in for my impressions. It's still going to be 3-4 weeks before I actually have them...they have to check the bite..fix the shape/size/color etc yet..but Im doing ok so far. The hardest thing has been finding stuff to eat. Soup just isnt cutting it lol, but potato salad has saved my life. I look SO weird with no teeth UGH. In the end though its sooo worth it. Im already in a LOT less pain than I was before I had them pulled. Pretty sad when pulling all of your teeth hurts less than leaving them in. Going to be SO nice to be able to SMILE again..not to mention being able to eat my favorite kinds of foods which are - of course - super crunchy stuff. Like peanut brittle.. its been probably a decade since Ive had it.

Unfortunately, its a really bad time - financially - to have this kind of work done..but what can a person do? I ended up in Urgent Care over Memorial Day weekend because of an abcessed wisdom tooth. It was just time..I felt I was getting to a crisis point with them & was worried that when we loose insurance, they'd act up big time and then we'd really be screwed. This way, at least, it's done and over with (err well mostly) and there wont be any more tooth troubles cropping up when we can least afford it.

Im still on antibiotics (a just in case measure so nothing got infected during healing) and for some reason antibiotics always zap me of any energy I might have had. Like I need to mow SO badly (the banks anyway, Storm caught the yard portion with the rider) but I just dont have the oomph to get out there and do it. A couple of days ago I did some light cooking/baking (brownies from a mix, corn bread muffins from a mix and potato salad - I didnt even have to peel the potatos, Storm did!) and I was so tired afterward I fell asleep as soon as I got the kids dinner (and it was an easy dinner.. tacos.. i mean geesh!) for about an hour. I woke up & was like "What the hell?!" I so very rarely nap you might as well say never. I cant even blame pain pills or anything like that because i havent been on any since the first day or so after the procedure.

Ive only got like one more day of them though & then Im good, so maybe my energy will come back. I hatehatehate taking antibiotics..and the reason is going to sound funny..its because they float. Ive never been a good pill taker, and if what Im taking is too big, you might as well forget it. The pain pills they gave me walk the line of being nearly too big - and theyre not really HUGE or anything. Prenatals are bigger. But antibiotics float and when I get them in my mouth with liquid - right up to the roof of my mouth they go, I can feel them there & then I dont want to swallow lol. And I feel like Ive been on an antibiotic for forever...because when I went to urgent care they put me on them, and then I have this done and Im on them again. ICK

So anyway..thats whats happening in my corner of the universe.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:51:06 GMT

Long time no blog! That's what addiction to Wonderland will get you folks lol! Seriously, all of us (including Storm) are having a great time playing it together..which also gives us something we can chat about with the kids. The girls & I dont really have a hard time finding stuff to talk about, but its hard for Storm at times...so this gives them some common ground. Especially since theyre all at higer levels than he is hehehe.

Thanksgiving was nice, Im not a big holiday person really.. so I was glad to see the backside of it. 99% of my Xmas shopping is done - just waiting for it to be delivered. All we have left is PJs and stocking stuffers. We're hoping to get our neighbor to watch the girls so we can make a night out of it (or afternoon out.. doesnt really matter which). Seems like everyone wanted DS games this yr.. which is fineeee by me. Not difficult to store, or wrap! AND free shipping! Bonus!
Autumn wanted an xbox 360 & we found her one, though we had to go refurbished because of the price. She was fine with it (her regular xbox is also a refurbished one) and we got the warranty, so she should be all set.

Things with Storm continue to get better and better...if yall havent checked out marriagebuilders.com you need to do so. Go on, run right over there.
Back? If so you didnt read enough LOL

At any rate, we're doing a lotttt of talking, and thanks to marriage builders its the kind of talking we've been needing to do for sooo very long. The conversations have a lot of "When you said/did this... I thought that..." and "Noooo when i did/said this.. it was because of that...and it meant this..." . Its crazy how much we've misread each other over the years....him more so than me. I think hes finally getting a clearer picture of whats "really" been going on these last 16 years..which is only kissing cousins to what he "thought" was going on. Its great to finally be understood...perhaps not completely yet, but more so than Ive ever been.

So thats whats going on here...playing Wonderland, doing lots of marriage building work..and getting ready for the holidays!

*Pictured - Magick lying in a sun spot!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:40:43 GMT

We took a river walk yesterday, despite the fact it was more than a little chilly. We had some pretty decent winds going on! Thankfully the river walk is right below my house a piece, so it was just a quick jaunt. Ive been wanting to play with my new camera! We got caught in the rain on the way back to the car lol - but all in all it was a fun time. Here are a couple of shots from our walk!

And of course, I had to let Autumn get a couple of shots of me & the hubby :)

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 14:34:10 GMT

Well, another vacation week is almost gone. Ive had a really great time this year..and it gives me hope for future vacations!

We did get to go to the Holiday Inn over night, many thanks to everyone who kept their fingers crossed for me. As circumstances would have it though, my neighbor got a new job so we had to go on Monday & we had to be back at an ungodly hour Tuesday morning (by a quarter till 8 ewwww) - even so, Id do it again in a heartbeat!

I managed to keep it from Storm & it was a HUGE surprise. I gave him printed off driving directions - with a final address, but no name attached to it. So he knew about where he was going, but not specifically. So we pull into this Mariot & hes like "Is it at a Mariot?" & I said "Umm no, actually its the Holiday Inn" to which he said that the Holiday Inn was up the road a piece. Map quests directions arent always that great - and he mentioned that this particular hotel always comes up as being right AT the airport.. and its obviously not.

So we pull in & he is still confused.. asking if we're seeing a band or if theres some sort of "lecture" (He was thinking maybe some kind of art class or lecture). So he parks & I turn to him & tell him "I got us a room" and he looks a little amused for a second (Because Im very much the type that would do something like that - even if it was only for a couple of hours) & I said "for overnight". OMG he was SO shocked. He said "No WAY!" lol . So I explained that the last time we had done this (back when he got home from Bosnia) it hadnt gone as well as wed both hoped (we had some issues at the time because he had been gone so long.. I didnt feel nearly as comfortable with him as I should have & a few things happened that made it really more of a bad memory than a good one) so I wanted to try it again, and make some newer, better memories.

He teared up. It was so sweet LOL. He was totally wowed & shocked...and I was pleased as punch that I managed to get it all together & surprise him with it. We did some running around - just hitting some shops..than had dinner at the Asiana (a chinese place we both love) .. went back to the hotel & went swimming - man the water was COLD - had a hot shower together & then generally just hung out & talked & enjoyed each others company. He gave me a card with a written (typed lol) letter inside that just melted my icy little heart!

My birthday (Nov 6 - Thursday) was great.. Storm had flowers delivered (OMG theyre SOOO pretty! have to get a pic) and he got me a new digital camera! I loveeeeee it.. its teeny tiny for my little hands and has all kinds of nifty settings & such. I havent even gotten to play with it that much yet, but its da bomb! Now I can give my crappy old one to the kids to use! Our anniversary was low key (Yesterday.. Nov 7) but the whole week has just been so fantastic with him being home & us spending so much time together that low key was so totally fine.

Today we have to hit the library & Storm has to get his work clothes ironed & such to get ready to go back to work Monday. Sure is going to seem odd not having him around again!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:56:32 GMT

I know, it's been forever.
Lots going on here, 99% of it good.
Gosh where to start. Lets see, about a month or so ago I happened upon a website called Marriage Builders. Now some of yall know Ive been about at my wits end with Storm. Its not that hes a terrible guy or anything, because hes not.. he just has a lot of issues which in turn has caused a lot of marital issues between us. Not that its all his fault either really, I have ownership in it all as well,, but its reactionary stuff (he acts THIS way which makes ME act THAT way) or its been things Ive done/been doing that hes not stepping up to the plate & saying "I dont like this" about.

At any rate, I happened upon this website (www.marriagebuilders.com) and its perfectly in sync with pretty much everything Ive been saying all along. Total honesty, working toward each others emotional needs etc. Well as chance would have it, I was actually able to get Storm to go there, do some reading, fill out some questionaires etc. For some reason, the way its worded there made perfect sense to him (in ways I obviously wasnt) so we went out & got the book "His Needs/Her Needs".

I cant tell you what a huge transformation has taken place in our relationship because of this website/book. I think - FINALLY - after nearly 16 yrs of marriage we're on the right track. So anyway.. we've been spending oodles of time together, working out stuff thats needed working out for ages.. enjoying each others company.. and just doing so much BETTER all around.

Now aside from all of that, my kids got me hooked on a new online game LOL Actually we're ALL playing it (me AND storm AND all three kids). Its called "Wonderland" and its just too fun. Theres so much to DO on there, it really fits the bill no matter what kind of games you like. You like fighting games? You can do that. You like tycooning type games? You can do that too. You like cutsie little critter type games? They have that as well. It can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. Check it out - seriously. http://wl.igg.com . Yes it requires a download.. no worries.. we have it on all of our puters without any problems. My character is sitting in her tent manufacturing tin material (so I can make steel) for a Crystal Furnace machine as we speak.

School is school.. no major problems...just slogging through the days. No major battles over homework this year, Storms night classes with them are going much smoother.

We have Halloween stuff up in that yard, I need to post some pictures for you guys. I took them & resized them and everything, I just dont have them up here on Xanga yet. The girls dont really want to do anything for Halloween this yr besides pumpkins and Im SO ok with that. I could use a year off. Theyre getting to pick a bag of their favorite candy, do their pumpkins & calling it good.

We made it to Asheville last weekend.. which is MAJOR considering how car sick they all get. We decided to just bite the bullet & try it.. and they did great. It was nice to take them shopping & out to Apollo for dinner.. its been about 3 yrs since we've been anywhere beyond the 10 minute car ride marker with them. The older two scored on some awesome sales at Old Navy.. and they were beyond tickled!

My birthday is coming up, as is our anniversary (the 6th & 7th) and Im planning a MAJOR surprise for Storm, if my neigbor ever gets back to me on the babysitting situation. My plan is to spring for a night at the Holiday Inn for just the two of us. We havent done that since Autumn was 2.. I never really had anyone to leave the girls with. Im SUPER excited & hoping it all works out so we can go. Hes gonna be SHOCKED.. because Castle hasnt done a sleepover yet anywhere. The older two have been doing them off & on for a bit now (I made 12 the age for sleepovers with the neighbor girl.. so Madison started having them after her bday this yr & Autumn since last yr.. neither one has really done more than a couple though) but Castle has been boo-hooing about the fact that by the time shes old enough the neighbor girl will (in castles words ) "Be in COLLEGE MOM" lol. So Storm will never suspect that Id let her go overnight. I think she'll do fine, especially considering she wont be alone.. both of her sisters will be there too.
X your fingers for me will you? That everyones schedules will mesh so Storm & I can go? I have it planned for right at the start of his vacation (which he always takes around this time of the yr) so we can use the energy from having the night alone to kick off the entire week. :)
Oh and before I go.. my dear sweet hubby brought me home 6 long stemmed pink roses tonight... just because :)

Friday, October 03, 2008

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:44:31 GMT

Well, as it turns out - he wasnt all that lucky. He died. Massive brain trauma. He had indeed been drinking.. such a shame.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:39:40 GMT

Had some excitement around here last evening. Storm & I were sitting in our bedroom talking. Now keep in mind theres a lot of road traffic on our street. Its kind of a through-way for folks wanting to avoid the light at the top of the hill. The way our bedroom is situated it faces the street & we have a large picture window (our room was orig. a livingroom until they added onto the house - since we didnt need TWO livingrooms & we DID need an extra bedroom we turned it into our bedroom) so we see lights from cars coming & going up & down the road at all hours. Nothing unusual.
Now to further add to it is that there are two very sharp curves.. one up the road before you get to our house and one down the road after our house. We hear people squealing wheels on those curves all of the time - again nothing unusual.
So we're sitting there talking & we hear a HUGE squeal followed by a THUMP (at this point we knew someone once again had taken that curve up above our house too fast & didnt negotiate it) followed by ANOTHER squeal, followed by a series of THUMPS. At the first squeal we both looked up and saw headlights going down the road and into the neighbors ditch.
Storm & I both jump up & throw on our shoes... Storm runs out & yells to me "Get my flashlight!" . Now he takes a flashlight with him when he runs in the mornings, but I didnt know this & finding a working flashlight in this house is damn near impossible. So after putzing around with the kids for a few minutes trying to find one, I gave up & ran outside with him.
The truck had indeed wrecked & was flipped sideways in my neighbors ditch. Going across the road I see Storm & one of our neighbors talking to whoever it was inside. This guy was probably 60, no seat belt and had gotten thrown into the passanger seat, only he was upsidedown & kind of twisted around. He had a slight bloody nose, but it didnt look like he was really injured other than that.. he was awake & talking (sort of - mubling really probably because he was twisted so funny he most likely couldnt talk well) moving his legs & arms. The neighbor had looked around the wooded area to see if there had been a passanger whod gotten thrown out, but luckily the guy was alone.
It was literally minutes & we had police, fire & ambulance there... as well as tons of neighbors.
They got him out & everything, no idea how badly he was hurt...but geeshhhhhh. I TOLD Storm that was going to happen one day, someone was going to hit that curve too fast & ping pong right into the neighbors ditch. That guy was veryyyyyy lucky....the next one might not be. I have no doubts we'll see more of this kind of thing over the yrs.. theres been at least 1 accident a year since weve lived here.. some as simple as someone sliding off a slippery road into our yard.. but this was the worst one we've seen so far.

And she rode my a$$ all the way to Bethlehem

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:33:39 GMT

In the past, Ive blogged at length about the one sister that I dont have any contact with. Honestly, she doesnt usually even cross my mind these days unless someone brings her up.

Well according to my oldest sister (Lou) - the sister I dont talk to (Can we acronym that to SIDTT?) was in some sort of bike accident & got torn up pretty badly. Nothing terribly serious, a broken arm that might require surgery... some bumps and bruises. Nothing life threatening or anything, just uncomfortable. So my OS (oldest sister) emails me (as she does every time somethings going on with SIDTT) and again asks me to bury the hatchet (oh Id like to bury it alright). As nicely as I possibly could, I told her wed had this discussion.. and that I had already told her more than enough times that I didnt want to have contact with SIDTT - and she should stop harassing me about it already.

Man did she blow a gasket in email. I think I heard 38 years worth of bitching about me and how I got away with everything, and poor SIDTT what a hard life shes had @@, and more. Like she needed a good excuse to unload on me.

What kills me the most is that this woman, who I love dearly - dont get me wrong, has NO clue about anything thats happened in my life. I never DID go around broadcasting my problems to everyone to get their sympathy. Given the way I feel about my mother, I dont even call HER and whine & ask for support. Because OS is nearly 15 years older than me, she was out having her life while I was still stuck in gradeschool. The next oldest sister (sherry.. we'll call her NOS) is 12 years older than me. So you see, raised like two different families.. one with 3 kids, one with 1.

Now from my perspective, I think anytime a grown adult tells you "I dont want to discuss this with you- its really none of your business" dont you think its time to back off? Well thats what I thought too! I thought that being of age gave me the right to
#1: decide who I will and wont allow into my life for reasons that are mine and mine alone

#2: Decide what i will and wont discuss with any given person for reasons that are mine and mine alone

Is that how it works? Well not in my family apparantly. I answered her email, I took it point by point (she sent me what amounted to about 5 long paragraphs all mushed together into one long run on sentence) and tried (mostly) to keep it cool, calm and collected - sticking with the facts. Shes going to take it badly.. being told that shes clueless because she doesnt know me.. shes never known me.

I just hate family crap like this..

*Pictured: My favorite goose at the lake. Poor little guy is missing a foot and we all feel quite tenderly for him (her? how does one tell the sex of a goose anyway?). When we go there to feed the birds I make sure he gets at least one whole piece of bread all to himself. The other geese chase him away if they can, biting at his feathers and hissing (did you know geese hiss???) and hes slower than the others. I even got to run my hand down his back a couple of times while feeding him. I joked to the family that Id love to take him home, because I bet I could socialize him in no time with bread & pets.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:57:35 GMT

Best of all, Storm & I FINALLY got to go out - alone. We were going to go horseback riding.. but the day before we had taken the kids to the lake for the first time & i told him we could just spend the day there. Thats when we discovered how much fun the paddle boats were - it was the following day we took the kids back up there to ride them.

For a change, we got several good shots of the two of us (we have very few pictures together) over the course of the vacation. Here are 3 of my favorites:

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:54:28 GMT

Storm started his vacation airbrushing the car. We had set aside the first week for him to do this. After that was finished, we set about doing some fun stuff with the kids.

We took the river walk which was really nice. Its a 1 mile walkway that runs the Pigeon river..but it doesnt go right to the waters edge. We went down to the river in a couple of spots.. we're really hurting for water so the river was pretty low.
This is me & the girls during the river walk

Storm & the girls

We also took the girls up to the lake. Theres tons of things to do there.. swimming, shuffleboard, mini golf, golf, paddle boats etc
But the main reason we went was to take a walk around the lake & feed the bazillion of ducks/geese/swans that hang out there.

We actually went back a second day & took them on the paddle boats

Highlights include Madison dropping her bracelet into the river (it actually just fell off) and Storm being able to fish it back out. Crazy indeed, thankfully the lake is low as well. The birds there are pretty used to being fed & will sometimes take bread right out of your hand! I got to hand feed a swan! And a duck and several geese.

On the other side of the bridge is a dam..so we went over so the kids could skip rocks & such.. stuff they couldnt do in the other areas:

Cont.