OMG...it took well over an hour but I've finally caught up. Went away for a few days and then just got waylaid by life and look what I missed.
Good morning to you all!
I would like to share a "stupid moment" that happened to me this morning. At about 9:00am I decided to go for my 30 minute walk that I've been trying to do atleast 4 days a week. I decided that I would leave the kids home as long as they could behave themselves. No sooner did I get "Sure Mom, well be fine" then they were at each other. Fine! I yelled at DS8 to go change his clothes and get in the car. I grabbed my purse, water bottle and keys, headed out to the car, got in, started up the van, put it in reverse, stepped on the gas and....
BAM!!!!
It seems I forgot to open the garage door!
Van looks OK(a couple of spots where the white paint rubbed off from the door to the van, a small hole in the bumper where a screw from the door went in it) but the garage door is not. I broke a pane of glass and splintered atleast two panals of the wooden door. I called DH at work to tell him what happened and he was very calm about it; thank goodness. He plans to come home early to see the damage.
So, how is everyone else's day going so far?

thanks I needed that laugh...I once backed into a pub, but DH wasn't quite so understanding since I have taken so many advanced driving course through my career apparently I'm not allowed to hit anything.
Talk about stupid things we've done. When I left for Scotland, I put all my unneeded cards in a bowl on the counter, under some other stuff. When I came home Saturday, I put them back in my wallet--store cards, additonal credit card, etc.
I saw a green TD bank card that said VISA, and thought, oh my new ATM card (my bank recently switched from Commerce to TDBank,and from blue to green). OK, so I put that in too, and figured I may as well shred the old card (the one I had taken to Scotland). Card shredded, I went on my merry way.
Well DUH! No wonder it wouldn't work in the ATMs!!!!! Fortunately, he was able to make me a new ATM card on the spot. And guess what?
It's green! Now I will be really confused!!!
Thanks for supporting our Canadian Banks...you'll have to come to Toronto sometime and use one of the "Green Machines", the TD's ATMs.
Wendy - Bagpipes??? Are you crazy??? Thanks for the great pics.
Dear Friends,
My wonderful boy was nearly taken from us today. My older nephew was woken up this morning, 3am, by his roommate standing over his bed and asking for forgiveness. He then proceeded to stab my nephew several times, including the heart and lungs. Somehow, with God's blessings, my nephew fought off the roommate and managed to lock the door to keep him out. The police arrived shortly thereafter, found and arrested the roommate outside the house. They then went upstairs to find the locked door, and found my nephew unconscious.
He's had surgery for repairs and and is now breathing on his own. Even managing to complain that he's hungry, although he won't be allowed to eat until tomorrow.
And while I am so so thankful to God for sparing my nephew, I cannot shake this blackness in my heart, this hatred of this man who befriended my boy and then tried to kill him while he was sleeping. I'm praying for strength to not let this dim the light in my life, to help me get past the disappointment I feel in people.
Please keep my darling boy in your prayers. He's expected to fully recover, but that is a while away. Hug yourselves for me please.

Glad to hear that he is doing better.
Here's another tip of randomness: if you have an unlisted number, make sure the local police has it at the very least. When they took my nephew to the hospital, he had no ID on him, just his name and they weren't able to find his family. But they did find my number listed. The Binghamton police called my local police, and somehow, the police dispatcher knew my SIL and directed the call to their local police in the other town, who went to the house to inform my SIL of the incident.

Again, many thanks for everything and everyone. I swear I can feel your strength and prayers. Today will be a better day. Everyone have a little laughter and joy in your lives. Life is so precious.
This is something I was given by an EMT friend:
The Vial of Life:
Take a sealable, waterproof plastic bottle (a vitamin or small peanut butter jar, etc), cover it in a bright wrapping, clearly mark it The Vial of Life and put it on the top shelf of your refrigerator door. Inside have a complete medical breakdown of all people living in your house (updating if conditions change):
Name
Health Card Number and Benefits Number
Birthdate (not age! The Vial could be in your fridge for years)
All medications, allergies, known medical conditions
Your blood type and average blood pressure
A brief medical history, including hospitalizations, etc.
Identifying marks, to confirm that the information is for the patient an EMT is working on
Any other relevant information that could prove vital to medical personnel
If EMTs are called to a home, they need immediate and reliable information. Children, friends, panicking co-residents cant be expected to have comprehensive, relevant details or histories.
The first aid instructor noted that, when theyre called to a home where the patient is alone or with an uncertain second person, the second EMT often needs to snoop in the medicine cabinet, bedrooms or kitchen cupboard to discover any medications that might affect their treatment. A Vial of Life can
keep both EMTs attention focussed on the primary goal: the immediate medical care of the patient.
Why the fridge? Its a big metal box that everyone has in the same room of every house, apartment,
cottage, boat, cabin.
This is an exceptional tool in homes where there are children, the elderly or single residents that is, every home!
ICE your cell phone:
ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. Whether in your home or on the road, your cell phone
should have 1 or more listings of the most important people to call if youre in distress. (Remember,
you may be unconscious.) Names or even Home or Work may not be the most important
people to contact, and an EMT doesnt have the time to scroll your directory or make a lot of calls.
An ICE contact should be the most important number(s) to immediately contact a person(s) who
knows you and your conditions intimately or whom you trust to make immediate judgement calls
depending on your medical condition. ICE1 Spouse, ICE2 Parent, ICE3 Home gives
EMTs quick access to the most important people.
You what gets to me, some of these School Secretaries think they run the school

. DS had one like that at his school this past year, she was not the most pleasant, she has been there 4evr and there was something that was to go out in the 'weekly envelope' at the begining of the year about the PTG selling mums on back to school night. This was cleared through the Principal, it never went home. Why? when she was asked, b/c she decided to get approval from the Supt. of the district

. This was something that was already approved by the school Principal, who is running the school?
Glad to hear you are spending some fun time finalizing plans for your trip. Hey did you guys hear that there is a new restaurant where Spoodles was? Just found that out, I really enjoyed Spoodles I wonder what happened.
We have one of "those" secretaries...I write the newsletter for the Home & School and she has taken it upon herself to 'edit' it for me...correcting grammar etc. My friends think this is a hoot since I have a degree in English.
Hi to everyone else...I know there are several other things I should have commented on, including Racer's banishment & MK's big TV debut, but I better go break up my fighting children...I try to not get so far behind next time.