Let the Prom Drama begin....Like Aurora, her dress keeps changing

[mamacatnv]

Horseshowmom:

Yeah for boyfriend and the job, that must be a huge relief and good for your DD holding out. I got married when I was 21 after holding out on DH for a little over a year. 20 years later, 2 beautiful kids...............here we are and we still like each other

I have all my fingers crossed for a 4 year scholarship - wow, you must be so very proud! Good job Mom and good for your DD.

So sorry to hear about DH, I have heard that surgery is pure misery. Wishing your DH a speedy recovery. Wishing you a good nights sleep. I think us Moms/Wives end up with the brunt of the misery being the care givers that we are. Take care of yourself too.

Sandy:

Hope you had a great weekend on your bike trip.

Okay - DS's Girlfriend............Well at this point it is a moot point since she told him they really didn't have much in common(this was on Friday night) She was right, she is the middle of 12 kids, her Dad is on wife #5 and her Mom is on Hubby #3 (I know that is not her issue, but it is a real issue with me, I can't help it, I just feel that in a situation like this she has no idea what committment is, just my opinion, shallow, short sided I know, I can't help it. 12 kids, 5 wives gheesh )

Anyway, she is really into horses, rodeo and bull riding. DS doesn't really know the front end from the back end of a horse(remeber, he is the offspring of a sissy lala city girl ). I offered him a pint of Ben and Jerrys and a spoon if he needed it, he just laughed and quickly set his sites back onto the pursuit of the "other" girl he has been trying to get to know better all summer

I took DD and a friend to the watepark on Sunday, they slipped and slid all day while I had my nose buried in a book in the shade. DS was working and we saw him periodically throughout the day. DD went on the "Black Widow" and her brother was working the top of that slide, I watched him from below give her a push and then signal the guard at the bottom that a little kid was coming down. She is old enough that she does not need that extra watching but sometimes he is more protective than I am

We leave for vacation in 1 week and I can't wait!

Well, I have a ton of stuff to do to get my desk unburied.......hope all is well with all of you.

Melissa

 

[Sandy V.]

Horseshowmom, I'm so sorry about your husband's pain and misery. I hope he gets better soon!

Your DD sounds like she's got a great head on her shoulders. It's a good idea for her to get engaged on her terms as well as his and not feel rushed into a decision.

Best of luck to her on the scholarship! It sounds like she's got great chances to get it.

I am excited about Busch Gardens, mainly because we DO love coasters so much. The last time I was there was 1965 (I was 5 years old) - so I'm sure that things have changed a bit!

I hope you get some rest soon. Take care of yourself.

Melissa, the bike ride DID go well on Saturday. It's amazing - we've lived in Colorado for 22 years and there are STILL lots of amazing places to visit that are 100 miles from our home that we didn't know even existed.

Glad to see that your DS isn't broken up about the loss of "Miss Chest". Am also glad that he's got something else in the work!!

I think it's so sweet the way he looks out for his sister.

Met up with some friends in Breckenridge on Saturday night for dinner. Went to the street fair in Vail on Sunday morning, which is always fun. Then we went to Piney Lake, which is about 20-30 miles from Vail. There, we canoed on the beautiful, peaceful lake up there. It's so smooth that the water looks like glass. And the view!! You can see the Gore Range of the Rocky Mountains and it's very rugged and gorgeous to look at.

Yesterday was SUCH a Monday. DS misplaced his wallet and DD locked her keys in her car. Anybody need some extra kids?!?!? Mine are driving me nuts.

DS and Girlfriend broke up yesterday. The whole thing was kinda weird. As I told you, she's in Phoenix at some sort of conference - she wants to be a doctor and this is some sort of high-school-kids-who-want-to-be-doctors leadership conference. Well, she was ignoring DS's occasional texts to her, he was getting frustrated and since there was another girl that was starting to show interest in him, they went out to the movies on Saturday night AS FRIENDS. They had a good time, but he certainly wasn't pushing for anything more than friendship.

Well, after not hearing much from Girlfriend, she sends him a snippy phone text last night about "You've been weird and I don't deserve this" (nothing to do with going to the movies with the other girl, by the way). Then she calls him and says that she was going to break up with DS when she got back into town today but she just decided to do it over the phone at that moment.

DS thinks the REAL reason she called to do it was that they were having a last nights' dance at the conference, and she wanted to be "free" for that. Anyhow, the whole thing didn't bother him a bit - in fact, he's working on a date for Friday night!!!

DD and I went shopping last night for a few clothes and some things for her apartment. Linens & Things has a Black & Decker toaster oven for $29.99, but with a $20 rebate, the price of the toaster is only $9.99! So we bought that, along with a down comforter set that DD wanted and she used a 20% off coupon on that. We found some really good deals - they were also selling a pots and pan set with a "free" set of knives in a block stand. The whole thing was $49.00, which wasn't bad at all.

Well, that's about it on the Colorado front. I hope that everyone has a good day.

 

[horseshowmom]

Anyway, she is really into horses, rodeo and bull riding. DS doesn't really know the front end from the back end of a horse(remeber, he is the offspring of a sissy lala city girl ).

Okay, my horse show bias is going to show here (remember the conversation we had about the differences between horse showing and rodeo? ). Sometimes the girls who like to follow the bull riders wouldn't be very high on a mom's list (even in the rodeo world, bull riders have a little bit of a reputation).

I think this may have worked out for the best...

I watched him from below give her a push and then signal the guard at the bottom that a little kid was coming down. She is old enough that she does not need that extra watching but sometimes he is more protective than I am

Very commendable!

So sorry to hear about DH, I have heard that surgery is pure misery. Wishing your DH a speedy recovery. Wishing you a good nights sleep. I think us Moms/Wives end up with the brunt of the misery being the care givers that we are. Take care of yourself too.

Horseshowmom, I'm so sorry about your husband's pain and misery. I hope he gets better soon!

Thanks! So far, very little improvement. We went back to the doctor yesterday and have to see another doctor this afternoon. This morning the original doctor said that they had something they could give him, but he'd have to come back for it tomorrow (couldn't call it in ). I told them that he was just there yesterday, why didn't they give it to him then (keep in mind that we're almost 90 minutes from the doctor)??? He's miserable. If they can help him, why on earth didn't they do it. We actually thought we were going to have to go to the ER last night (long story, so I won't go through all of it). Anyway, the next week should make a difference. I hope so, because we're all having a really hard time...

Melissa, the bike ride DID go well on Saturday. It's amazing - we've lived in Colorado for 22 years and there are STILL lots of amazing places to visit that are 100 miles from our home that we didn't know even existed.

That's got to be a great feeling. I'm glad you're enjoying it so much! My parents used to ride a lot, but Daddy got hurt at work, and he just couldn't handle long rides anymore.

DS thinks the REAL reason she called to do it was that they were having a last nights' dance at the conference, and she wanted to be "free" for that.

I think he nailed it. DD's been to some of those type conferences, and the dances are a big thing. I'm glad he's okay and ready to move on though! Good for him!

DD and I went shopping last night for a few clothes and some things for her apartment. Linens & Things has a Black & Decker toaster oven for $29.99, but with a $20 rebate, the price of the toaster is only $9.99! So we bought that, along with a down comforter set that DD wanted and she used a 20% off coupon on that. We found some really good deals - they were also selling a pots and pan set with a "free" set of knives in a block stand. The whole thing was $49.00, which wasn't bad at all.

GREAT deals! We've got to try to do some of that type of thing, but I can't seem to find the time and summer is almost over here. DD has to be at school Aug. 16th to attend pharmacy orientation. They have to go every year even though it's pretty much the same thing. My time is running out!


Take care everybody!

 

[mamacatnv]

Okay, my horse show bias is going to show here (remember the conversation we had about the differences between horse showing and rodeo? ). Sometimes the girls who like to follow the bull riders wouldn't be very high on a mom's list (even in the rodeo world, bull riders have a little bit of a reputation).

I think this may have worked out for the best...

I am so glad he is moving on

Thanks! So far, very little improvement. We went back to the doctor yesterday and have to see another doctor this afternoon. This morning the original doctor said that they had something they could give him, but he'd have to come back for it tomorrow (couldn't call it in ). I told them that he was just there yesterday, why didn't they give it to him then (keep in mind that we're almost 90 minutes from the doctor)??? He's miserable. If they can help him, why on earth didn't they do it. We actually thought we were going to have to go to the ER last night (long story, so I won't go through all of it). Anyway, the next week should make a difference. I hope so, because we're all having a really hard time...

That stinks, I'm so sorry you are both having to go thru that. I think all Dr.'s and insurance company heads should have to undergo some sort of surgery that is known to be painfull, then sent home to recover and not have an IV full of morphine. This would go along way in how they treat patients.

the whole thing didn't bother him a bit - in fact, he's working on a date for Friday night!!!

Good for him.....moving right along! Teenagers Hey there is a rodeo chick with big B**bs here who is available

DD and I went shopping last night for a few clothes and some things for her apartment. Linens & Things has a Black & Decker toaster oven for $29.99, but with a $20 rebate, the price of the toaster is only $9.99! So we bought that, along with a down comforter set that DD wanted and she used a 20% off coupon on that. We found some really good deals - they were also selling a pots and pan set with a "free" set of knives in a block stand. The whole thing was $49.00, which wasn't bad at all.

Don't you just love a good deal! I get all giddy when I come up with a way to save a few bucks.

The new chicky that DS has his eye on works with him, I have a friend who is high up where he works and I have been pumping her for informationRight now she is stringing me along................

You ladies have a good evening. Horseshowmom I really hope things improve quickly for your DH.

 

[horseshowmom]

Things are a little better here but not much.

DH had to wear a catheter for a week. They took it out Monday. To make a long story short, he had to go to his urologist to have another one put back in yesterday (for another week). Then he has to go back to see the surgeon today.

He's starting to get irritable. I know he's tired and in pain and drugged, so I try to remember that when he annoys me (but now and then it's harder than at other times! ).

Take care!

 

[Sandy V.]

Things are a little better here but not much.

DH had to wear a catheter for a week. They took it out Monday. To make a long story short, he had to go to his urologist to have another one put back in yesterday (for another week). Then he has to go back to see the surgeon today.

He's starting to get irritable. I know he's tired and in pain and drugged, so I try to remember that when he annoys me (but now and then it's harder than at other times! ).

Take care!

Poor guy. I hope he feels better soon. It can't help to have to ride in a car for such a long time to go to the doctor and back.

I hope you get some time for YOURSELF, Horseshowmom. You'll get yourself sick if you don't watch out!!

There are some really good deals out there right now at Bed Bath & Beyond, Linens & Things, JC Penney, Target and Walmart to name a few. Happy shopping!!

Good for him.....moving right along! Teenagers Hey there is a rodeo chick with big B**bs here who is available

No thanks. I think there are enough "stacked" broads around here for DS to choose from. Plus, he likes his girlfriends tiny - I don't think he's had one over 5' 2".

It's hot here today. The hot tub guy is here to do some much-needed maintenance on our spa.

Ordered DS's senior pictures yesterday. Spent more than I wanted, but I was very happy with the results, so what are you gonna do? They should be here in about 2 or 3 weeks.

I guess the other piece of excitement was that DH and I got replacement cell phones yesterday. (You can tell I lead a boring life, huh? ) Upgrade time. The part that always impresses me was that they can transfer all of my stored numbers over to my new phone. I'd be a mess if they couldn't do that!! DH changed his number; he had given his old one to clients in a couple of weak moments and they started calling him in the evening and on weekends!! Gotta put a stop to that right now. He is NOT accessible to them 24/7.

DD applied online yesterday for some part-time jobs in Boulder when she goes back to school. She already has 2 interviews on Friday!! And they both pay better than her summer job, which is a good thing!

Gotta go. Hope all is well with everyone!

 

[Sandy V.]

Sorry; double post!

 

[mamacatnv]

Finally this thing will let me in! I haven't been able to post all morning, I've actually gotten some work done

Horseshowmom:
Just remember if you give DH a few too many pain pills at once, Sandy will defend you I hope you get some rest and that DH turns a corner soon. You continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.

Sandy:
DH and I got new phones in May we were like kids in a candy store! DS of course got the fancy phone and we got the upgraded freebies (I put the pressure on the sales chick) but we were excited nonethless. This was the first time I had my numbers transferred, never knew they could do that. I, being the techo idiot that I am, was amazed. Don't blame you for changing DH's number, can't be on duty 24/7.

It's cool and windy here today, hold on and it will be to you in a day or two. Of course we have another huge fire, this one is in town right along the foothills and the winds are creating havoc.

Good luck to your DD for a good job that will pay her decently, treat her well and work with her schedule.

Post a Sr. picture when you get it, I am excited to see. One of these days I will figure out how to post pix. DS offered to teach me, but I don't want him to see the ticker at the bottom of my signature page until we get back from vacation.

I was at the school this morning, DS is "Cleared" for fall sports and my pocket book is significantly lighter having forked out for all his fee's. DS was at the Orthodontist this morning, looks like one more visit in late August and they will be ready to come off Then I can seriously pursue Sr. portraits and DS can dig into the package of Goofy Taffy that he bought in WDW in January in anticipation of this event. Break out the champagne, I just made the last payment on them buggers - his beautiful teeth are now debt free.

DS has a good friend who is 6'3 and his GF is 4'11 - their Chemistry teacher used to ask the guy, where his 1/2 of a girlfriend was.



I don't know about you guys, I'm getting worried about Pam......the beauty of the anonymity of these boards is frustrating. Maybe I'll send her a PM to see if she is around.

 

[mamacatnv]

Hey ladies - wanted to say Bye for now, we are headed out for our "surprise" vacation in the morning - we have decided that all we are going to say is "You will have to wait and see" we even practiced it on Sunday in the car when the kids were not with us.

Pray it stops raining but that we do not then get a record heat wave.

Sandy: Have a great trip!

Horseshowmom: Hope all is well and that DH is on the mend, if not here is a for you, after what you have been through, here is another

I did PM Pam the other day and so far have not heard anything, I told her of pending vacation plans so that if she does surface, she will not think we abandoned her.

Back to you all about the 6th or 7th of August

Take care and be safe..............

Melissa

 

[Sandy V.]

Have a wonderful time, Melissa, and a safe trip!! I hope your kids are VERY surprised.

We leave next Wednesday (the 1st) for Orlando. Going to Busch Gardens, Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure, Epcot (DS's favorite), and one of the Gulf-side beaches. We'll be back late on the 6th. A short trip, but a needed one.

I hope that everyone is well!!

 

[mamacatnv]

Have a wonderful time, Melissa, and a safe trip!! I hope your kids are VERY surprised.

We leave next Wednesday (the 1st) for Orlando. Going to Busch Gardens, Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure, Epcot (DS's favorite), and one of the Gulf-side beaches. We'll be back late on the 6th. A short trip, but a needed one.

I hope that everyone is well!!

Sandy: Thanks for the well wishes. May I suggest, Anna Maria Island and Long Boat Key down by Bradenton/Sarasota, they are wonderful beaches. Don't forget Ka'Tonga at Busch and of course get some free beer!

Have a great time, I am walking out the door to go get the nails and the toes done, then home to pick up the house and plan where we are going OUT for dinner.

Toodles Ladies..............

 

[Sandy V.]

Sandy: Thanks for the well wishes. May I suggest, Anna Maria Island and Long Boat Key down by Bradenton/Sarasota, they are wonderful beaches. Don't forget Ka'Tonga at Busch and of course get some free beer!

Have a great time, I am walking out the door to go get the nails and the toes done, then home to pick up the house and plan where we are going OUT for dinner.

Toodles Ladies..............

Thanks for the beach suggestions, Melissa. Do any of these places rent jet skis?

Free beer?!?!?! I'm there!!

I do the nail and toe thing on Monday!!!!

 

[FINFAN]

Hi Lushettes....I'm alive! I have not read the thread an so long, so will do that later, but got Mamacatnv's PM ( so sweet, thanks) at any rate...just off a plane and hoping to get back to my life...had to move my folks back to Fl, deal w/ In-law issues ( more health, more problems..both sides are wearing us down) SIL moved to Atlanta, so all is on our heads now, for both sets of parents. Anyway...glad to be back home and will try and update in a few days...right now I need to get to know my kids again and look for a car...my van hit the skids last week.

Take care all, and thanks for keeping in touch!


Pam

 

[Sandy V.]

Pam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome back to the thread. We've been worried about you. I (along with the others) have been thinking about you.

Sounds like you've got a full plate still. Hugs to you - hang in there girl! And enjoy your reunion with your family.

Melissa is on vacation in Texas now. I leave at 6:00 tomorrow morning to hop on a flight to Orlando. We're doing Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure, Epcot, Busch Gardens, and spending a day on the beach on the Gulf Coast. I'll be back home late Monday.

Take care. I'm very happy to hear from you again. Talk to you later.

 

[Sandy V.]

Well, I'm back among the living. The only problem with vacations is that you need another one after you get back so you can rest up!!

Will write more later, but all I can tell you is DS is the luckiest kid on the planet. Over the past 3 weeks, he has lost his wallet TWICE (once in Vail, once at Universal Studios Orlando) and both times it has been returned with every single $$ and ID card in it! I think DS needs to pick some numbers for me for the lottery.

I hope all is well with everyone. I have to go through my e-mails and actually work today, so I'll write more when I get a chance!!

Happy Tuesday, all.

 

[mamacatnv]

Hey Girls - we are back - what an awesome vacation! I enjoyed this trip more than any vacation we have ever taken including Disney The kids were the right age, the weather was not horrible, still miserable but not even what it should have been. We are relaxed, refreshed and very tan - oh yeah, we pulled off the surprise perfectly..............dear gullible children. I'll get back with all the details.

I am buried under mounds of paperwork and will catch up with "y'all" by the end of the week.

Sandy, glad all went well and that you had a good time and that there are still honest people in this world.

Pam, so glad you semi survived the summer and thanks for responding to my PM

Horseshowmom: What ya up too? Any good hotels or girl weekends?

Thats it, gotta run.............later ladies

 

[Sandy V.]

Checking back in after a long absence. . .

As I said before, we had a great time in Florida. It was raining within 2 hours after we got there and all day the next day at Busch Gardens, but a few ponchos cured any ills. And by Friday, it was all clear again. And then, very HOT.

After we got checked in at the Royal Pacific Resort, we went over to the automated ticket machines and printed off our Universal/IOA tickets. Went inside Universal and did our favorites - Men in Black and The Mummy multiple times. You can't take any packages or purses on either ride, so DS locked our things in a free locker near MIB. Had lots of fun, grabbed our stuff out of the locker, and went back to the hotel for the night.

DS wanted to swim before he went to bed. As he was changing out of his shorts, he realized that his wallet was not there in the pocket it SHOULD have been in. After thinking about it for awhile, we came to the conclusion that it had fallen out of his back pocket or he mistakenly put it in the locker when we locked up our things at MIB and he LEFT it in the locker. At any rate, it was gone. And we were sure we would never see it again.

Now, 2 weeks before this, when DH and I went on our motorcycle ride that ended up in Breckenridge, DD and DS drove up on Sunday to spend the day with us in Vail. They stopped at McDonald's for breakfast in our hometown and DS left his wallet on his lap for the 2-hour trip after the run through the McDonald's drive through window. When they got to Vail and parked in the parking garage, he forgot his wallet was on his lap and he got out of the car, throwing the wallet on the cement floor of the parking garage and he didn't notice it!!

When he got back home later that day, after searching around the house, he realized what must have happened. I was pretty mad at the time, as it meant that we had to go to the DMV (a lovely 3 hour wait) to get him a duplicate. (I later found out that I didn't have to go with him to get the duplicate, argh!!)

In Colorado, the DMV takes your picture and issues you a paper temporary license. You don't get the real one until about a week to 10 days later. Well, the following Saturday, we get DS's new license AND his wallet with the old one in it in the mail, sent back to us by the Vail Police Department. Everything was in it - license, medical id card, cash, etc. I told him he was very lucky that someone was honest.

So, here we are again - another lost wallet!! DS has a duplicate license sitting at home in his dresser drawer due to the lost wallet episode #1, but that does us no good at the moment. I am thinking to myself, "How is DS going to get through airport security without a picture id? If he's a minor, can he just go through with us?" I'm trying not to panic and I'm keeping these thoughts to myself.

Meanwhile, we go to Busch Gardens on Thursday and have a great time. We have a wonderful time at Islands of Adventure on Friday. DS went to the Universal Lost & Found on Friday morning, but no luck in finding his wallet that day. We went to Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach on Saturday and had a very pleasant day as well. Got to see the space shuttle Endeavor on the launch pad (the launch was the Wednesday after we left). Came back that night and had time to do a few things at Universal before dinner.

DS went to the Lost & Found again as soon as we went in, and, lo and behold, someone had turned his wallet in WITH EVERYTHING IN IT AGAIN!! He had over $100 in cash (I was shocked; didn't know he had that much on him), a Best Buy gift card from Christmas that had $90 on it, plus his license, etc. I swear this kid is the luckiest kid on the planet. Any doubts I had about the goodness and honesty of folks has been lessened by these experiences. I did lecture him about leaving cards like the Best Buy one AT HOME when you're going on vacation, but who knows if the lesson will stick?!?!

We ended up "passing" on Epcot. It turned out that it was going to make things way too hectic, and our purpose was to relax. So that's what we did.

Sunday and Monday were very leisurely, doing things at Universal and IOA that we loved. Since it was very hot, we took advantage of all of IOA's water rides and got absolutely drenched!!

The flight home was uneventful, except they had to fly quite a bit south to stay out of the thunderstorms. But once we landed in Denver, they had no one at the gate who could move the jetway to the plane door so we could GET OFF!! We sat there for 30 minutes. Some lady came out there and tried - she kept pushing buttons and stuff, but she only made the jetway jump BACKWARDS!! I did feel sorry for her, though, but I wanted OFF that plane!! Finally, some guy came and rescued us. Hooray!

The rest of the week was a blur of mainly dirty laundry and dishes. This past weekend, we rented a U-Haul trailer and moved DD to her apartment in Boulder. Who knew that a 19-year old female could accumulate such a large amount of stuff?!?! We bought her a mattress and box springs and gave her our kitchen table and chairs. Fortunately, we have another set downstairs that we moved up in its place. Sunday, DH put together a desk for DD. Her room in the apartment is SO tiny - so is the whole apartment actually - but she's so excited about being there, the enthusiasm is contagious. I swear she couldn't fit another piece of furniture in there if she tried - between the bed, desk, chair, bookcase, and chest of drawers, there is NO room!! DD and I unloaded and unpacked most of the kitchen stuff.

DD came home with us on Sunday, as her car needed some work on Monday. After it was fixed, she returned to Boulder Tuesday to start her new adventure. When she gets things unpacked and the utilities set up, her new challenge is to find a part-time job!!

DS is busy trying to fit as much social life in as he can before tomorrow - when school starts. He's taking AP Biology, AP Calculus, English 4, World Geography, and Contemporary Film Genres. Some hard classes and some not so hard. Hopefully a good balance. He's been a bit grouchy, so I hope that school and seeing more girls puts him in a better mood!!!

DH and I want to ride the motorcycle this weekend - haven't done so in a long time. Hopefully, we'll be able to fit it in.

Well, that's all that's fit to print in my world. I hope that all of you are well. Please stop in when you can and let us know what you're doing. Melissa, I'm glad that you had a great vacation. Horseshowmom, I hope that your DH is better and that you're well. Eliza, I hope that your DD's middle school drama has abated for now, and Pam, I hope that you don't have to deal with as much stress as before (although I fear that your plate is still full - hang in there, woman!!)

Best wishes, everyone!!

 

[horseshowmom]

Hi everybody!

Just a quick check-in. DH is finally better. It took almost a month for him to really get better. After wearing the catheter for a week and having it removed, it had to be put back in the next day (after a bad night). He wore it another week. Then a few days after it came out, he developed gout due to the build up of uric acid.

In the meantime, his dad was hospitalized (almost died due to a breathing episode). After coming home, he fell and broke 3 ribs and his shoulder - back to the hospital where he wound up in intensive care after a couple of days in the hospital (heavy pain medication caused more breathing problems). He's currently in rehab. He's 85, and it's going to be tough when he gets to go home.

July/beginning of August were rough for us.

We got DD moved into her apartment last Saturday. All we had to move was her BR furniture and a bookshelf for the hallway. Her roommate (my first cousin's daughter who is also in pharmacy school) already had living room furniture, etc. DH and her BF put her desk and chair together, and we were pretty much set.

I was very happy that we didn't have much to move. It's been EXTREMELY HOT here for quite awhile now (106 yesterday - that was the actual temperature, not the heat index). There's been no rain, and we're miserable. We had to haul 250 bales of hay last week to feed these horses. Since DH isn't able to do heavy work like that yet (he drove the truck and trailer), we had to hire somebody to load, and DD had to stack the hay. Hard, hot work... (also out $1100, but as scarce as hay is due to the lack of rain, we were glad to get it).

School has started back here and seems to be going pretty well. I've been swamped and also dealing with menopause (so much fun ). DH's classes are going well. DD's BF is enjoying his new job teaching Agriculture (a subject that he is quite passionate about! ). This week is the fair, and he's having to be there until about midnight every night (either helping with the Sweet Shoppe to raise money for the FFA or helping with the rodeo since he's on the Rodeo Committee). He's pretty tired this week! DD's pharmacy orientation started today. It's the same as last year, but they have to go to welcome the "new" pharmacy students. Her classes will start on Monday.

I'm glad everybody had such good vacations (Sandy V., your son must have been born under a special star to keep having his wallet returned! ). We're planning on going to Orlando (US/IOA and Sea World) Thanksgiving week, and I'm really looking forward to it right now!

 

[mamacatnv]

I’m a little behind schedule in catching up. Yesterday (Wednesday) I for some reason thought it was Thursday and that I was behind on my weekly work schedule. So I busted my butt all day and now I am ahead of schedule!

Horseshowmom:
Honestly, I don’t know how you do anything in that heat and humidity. We wilted faster than lettuce with mayo on it. We could hardly function let alone do something like haul around bails of hay. We spent the majority of our time outdoors trying to figure out how to get cool or where the nearest A/C was. (we are wimps, I admit this).
I am so glad DH is finally on the road to recovery, sounds like your DH was absolutely miserable. (Not just whining like most men do when they get the sniffles).
Hope things get better with your father in law, but like you said his age will be a big factor in his recovery.
Sounds like your DD and her BF are busy getting on with the growing up and being adults part of their lives. BF does Rodeo huh…………………..

Sandy:
Your vacation sounds wonderful! Yes, your DS is very lucky. My DS loses his wallet on a regular basis, but it is generally in my van, under his seat or somewhere in the pit he calls a bedroom! DH does too but he is just an absent minded dork.

Did you go see Katonga? Did you have free beer?
We went to Kennedy in 2000 and really enjoyed it, DS was 10 and there was nothing cooler than that apollo rocket and of course the shuttle and launch pad - did you like it
We went to Sea World in San Antonio which is also a Busch park, and I was too lazy to seek out the free beer hospitality center, to far to walk in the heat. I just bought some and sat in the shade!
We sat in the Splash Zone on purpose.

Pam:
So glad to hear from you, keep in touch when you can.

Our Vacation:
Okay, let me just say that if you like water parks, a visit to Schlitterbahn is a definite must!
Our room was as we expected, nothing fancy but it was clean with a fully equipped kitchen, full size fridge with freezer and the best A/C unit on the planet! (thank goodness, because it ran 24/7 during our visit)

We departed Reno and the kids were happily ignorant of anything out of the ordinary (I never let them hold their own boarding passes, which they always do) when asked where our connection was I pleaded ignorance (not my style at all) when we landed in Vegas and went to our "unknown" connection DS informed us we were going to Austin. I calmly stated, with a straight face “well, I knew that the plane stopped somewhere but since we don’t have to change planes, Southwest doesn’t say where the stop is” those children of mine bought it hook line and sinker!

When we landed in Austin, DS who was sitting behind me says “Mom, how long is our layover in Austin” I didn’t reply but my DH says “10 days” DS doesn’t get it, it goes right over his head. DD was a little more in tune, she wanted to know why we were getting off the plane, I told her I had to go to the bathroom and you can’t pee in the plane toilet when it is on the ground, she then asked why we were leaving the security area, again, I told her that was where the closest bathroom was. When I told them to get the luggage and I would go get the car they both looked very puzzled and confused. This is when we started saying “you will have to wait and see”

DS says he figured it out when he saw the road sign for Schlitterbahn 8 miles ahead and DD didn’t get it at all because try as she might she could not pronounce (via reading) Schlitterbahn and every time we saw some sort of sign we were trying to distract them. They were both totally thrilled and admitted that we “got them” that they had no clue. DS was busily texting all his friends about our deception.

Over the course of our 10 day stay, we visited several attractions such as:

Sea World – the Steel Eel Coaster was a blast and DD rode the first real twisting, upside down, looping coaster of her career called Great White. We saw both Shamu shows, as well as both seal shows and the Beluga whale show which we really enjoyed. DD got a new hair wrap like she gets at WDW and was thrilled.

Natural Bridges Caverns – these were amazing and awe inspiring. We went on 2 tours, the general tour and then a private, guided w/ flashlights tour of a different cavern. I had a small anxiety attack on the flashlight tour. Nothing major, when we got to where the cavern dead ended and we were facing a solid wall and 135 feet of water. I turned around, was short of breath and my heart was pounding. I realized what was going on, took some deep breaths (always knew that the Lamaze that was useless in childbirth would come in handy, and got a grip). But I will add that I, the overweight, out of shape, martini guzzling, middle aged Mom was the first one in our group of mostly younger folks and families to get to the top of the 186 very steep, damp, slippery stairs!

WildLife Safari: Where we were attacked by Ostriches, it was so funny to have them pecking at the windows of the vehicle and I got some great pictures. We haven't laughed so hard in a long time, one of the Ostriches snuck up on DH and DS was having an attack to get his dad to roll up the window. DH was trying to roll up the window (strange car, couldn't find the button) while DS was yelling, "Dad, they are dangerous, Dad they kill people, Dad ROLL UP THE WINDOW" and the Ostrich was quickly advancing, it did get it's head in the window and DH about climbed into my seat where I was lauging so hard I was crying. Unfortunatley we did not capture this moment on tape since DH in his panic had turned the CamCorder to picture mode instead of record! Rats, there would have been $10K in my future!

Alamo: Wow, did we get a history lesson. We learned a lot, saw a lot and went away with goosebumps and a much better understanding of why Texans are so proud of their state.

San Fernando Cathedral: Beautiful, gold alters and the place where the remains of what is believed to be the 4 “Heroes” of the Alamo stand off are in a marble coffin on display.

Riverwalk: This didn’t do much for us as we are not really into all the bars & the cheesy shopping. We did enjoy the boat tour and the architecture of the surrounding buildings. Lunch at Joes Crab Shack (too noisy, average food with an above average price tag and a server who was way too busy)

We went up to see the Bats at the Congress Ave Bridge in Austin, and didn’t see much. Evidently the bats are not following their typical behavior patterns this year and no one knows why. They came out in very small groups and well after sundown so you really could not see them except for the faint glow of the lights on the bridge.

Cabella’s in Buda TX: DS and DH were thrilled with it, we had never been in one and are now eagerly looking forward to visiting the one that is under construction here in N. NV. DD and I spent a lot of time looking at all the animals on display as well as time in the aquarium.

We also went to the Snake Farm that was recently featured on Dirty Jobs. They have an amazing assortment of some very venomous and unusual snakes including: The Black Mamba, and a Taipan (very deadly) also cobras, rattlers, all kinds of king snakes, boas & pythons. The kids got to play with and hold baby Lemurs (very cute) as well as Apollo the 90# Albino Python.

We learned that BBQ is it’s own food group and discovered a place called the Salt Lick in Driftwood TX that we actually went to twice, despite the 45 minute drive since it was that good. We also went to Lockhart TX (BBQ capital of TX) where we had lunch at Blacks. I enjoyed their ribs better than Salt Lick but we felt overall Salt Lick was a better meal. We also had Whataburger several times because we really liked it!

Okay, I gotta get back to work. I will add another post tomorrow with the details of the water park. Lets just say, I lost 2 contacts, the floating eyeglass strap saved DH’s glasses after I took him out at the bottom of a tube shoot that took us into the river and we all had several wardrobe malfunctions as well as involuntarily swallowed more water than could be good for us!

 

[horseshowmom]

Horseshowmom:
Honestly, I don’t know how you do anything in that heat and humidity. We wilted faster than lettuce with mayo on it. We could hardly function let alone do something like haul around bails of hay. We spent the majority of our time outdoors trying to figure out how to get cool or where the nearest A/C was. (we are wimps, I admit this).

Believe me, it's no fun. It was 110 today (yes, that's right).

Sounds like your DD and her BF are busy getting on with the growing up and being adults part of their lives. BF does Rodeo huh…………………..

He's a team roper which does qualify as rodeo in some cases, but he prefers "Ropings" to "Rodeos". Ropings only have the team ropers (no bullriders ) and tend to be a little more upscale than rodeos (entry fees for a day can run $1000 or more (yep, that's the right number of zeroes).

His family has always been involved in the rodeo at the county fair. His grandfather was given a buckle a couple of years ago honoring his involvement for the last 50 years. He had two girls who always rode barrel horses (BF's mother and aunt). It looks like BF will be carrying on the family tradition for him.

When we landed in Austin, DS who was sitting behind me says “Mom, how long is our layover in Austin” I didn’t reply but my DH says “10 days”

Sea World – the Steel Eel Coaster was a blast and DD rode the first real twisting, upside down, looping coaster of her career called Great White. We saw both Shamu shows, as well as both seal shows and the Beluga whale show which we really enjoyed.

We enjoyed SW in San Antonio when we were there too. Did you go to the Haunted Lighthouse attraction (I think that was the name)? We liked it too.

Natural Bridges Caverns – these were amazing and awe inspiring.

We'll have to try this next time. I love caves!

WildLife Safari: Where we were attacked by Ostriches, it was so funny to have them pecking at the windows of the vehicle and I got some great pictures. We haven't laughed so hard in a long time, one of the Ostriches snuck up on DH and DS was having an attack to get his dad to roll up the window. DH was trying to roll up the window (strange car, couldn't find the button) while DS was yelling, "Dad, they are dangerous, Dad they kill people, Dad ROLL UP THE WINDOW" and the Ostrich was quickly advancing, it did get it's head in the window and DH about climbed into my seat where I was lauging so hard I was crying. Unfortunatley we did not capture this moment on tape since DH in his panic had turned the CamCorder to picture mode instead of record! Rats, there would have been $10K in my future!

Love it! Talk about a great family memory!

When we went to San Antonio, we rented this great old ranch house that had been renovated outside of town on the Loop (used to belong to some famous rodeo star). It was decorated in antiques of the style when the house was originally built and was two stories with 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. It was really gorgeous - at least until we found the first scorpion the first night.

The other mother (we had friends traveling with us) was absolutely convinced that scorpions would kill you (some do but not this particular species ) and was very nearly hysterical. DH and her DH killed it, and she calmed down a little (not much). Then we found two more...

That was it. She wasn't staying, and we had to go find a hotel in the middle of night (we had already bought groceries and everything ). When I called the owner, they said that the scorpions were probably coming in because of all the rain they had been having. Our friend didn't care why they were coming in...

DD wanted to make t-shirts when we got home that said, "I survived the Scorpion House".

Alamo: Wow, did we get a history lesson. We learned a lot, saw a lot and went away with goosebumps and a much better understanding of why Texans are so proud of their state.

Yeah, I like that too!

I will add another post tomorrow with the details of the water park. Lets just say, I lost 2 contacts, the floating eyeglass strap saved DH’s glasses after I took him out at the bottom of a tube shoot that took us into the river and we all had several wardrobe malfunctions as well as involuntarily swallowed more water than could be good for us!

Sounds like time well spent!

We enjoyed San Antonio too. We'll have to visit some of the other attractions you listed the next time we go. BF wants to take a trip out to Texas, so we may put that on next summer's schedule (might even give the Scorpion House another shot - and just not take our friends ).