Where Has The Time Gone?

Wow, its been 2 and 1/2 years since I've written. I left Plainfield South to run the shoe store. Bill went back to Rogers & Hollands. We closed the shoe store in March, 2009. I was offered a position as Office Manager at Rogers & Hollands in the Louis Joliet Mall. Perfect timing, didn't have to go without a job in this horrible economy. Now we are trying to put our financial lives back together - its gonna be a long row to hoe.
Angela is starting her 2nd year in college, Casey is a Senior and J.D. is a Junior at Plainfield Central High.
Re-connected with some of my high school friends through Facebook. Its been a hoot! I love ya Edie.

Back To School/Work

Where O'where did the summer go? It was a whirlwind of softball games and baseball games, travelling from ball park to ball park. Casey's team made it to the World Series in Peoria, IL.

Bill and I had our 20th wedding anniversary this summer. We have both worked at the store all summer. It is progressing nicely. July, with football cleats and August, with back-to-school shoes have been good months for us.

Casey made the Stone City softball team for next year. They are a very good organization and she will learn alot plus prepare her for high school and/or college softball. J.D. has decided not to play high school football, so he is concentrating on baseball by playing Fall Ball for the park district league. He will try out for the high school baseball team next spring.

I have embarked upon a new hobby: Letterboxing. My friend, Carol, has turned me on to it. It is an adult scavenger hunt that has been around since the 1800's and it is all over the United States. We have only found one so far, but it is a great way to get out and explore the great outdoors and get a little hiking/walking in too. Check it out at letterboxing.org or at atlasquest.com

A very happy birthday to Bill today. He is 54!

Spring

Spring is finally here and school is almost over. I'm not sure what the summer will bring except warm weather, baseball and softball games and hoping the store does well.

This school year has gone by fast. We've had alot of fun here in the Media Center and I hope it continues for next year.

Traffic Court

I had to be at the Joliet Courthouse at 9:am on Tuesday morning. I had to park 3 1/2 blocks away and walk in 15 degree weather. The line to get in was backed up down the stairs and around the front of the building. Finally got to the scanners and the police officer said I couldn't come in because my cell phone has a camera on it. I walked 3 1/2 blocks back to my car, threw my phone in and walked 3 1/2 blocks back, stood in line again. Arrived at the court room and checked in with the baliff and she said "Oh, you need to go to City Hall". I walked 3 1/2 blocks back to my car and drove to City Hall. When I got inside the lady directed me to the payment window to pay for my parking ticket. I said I don't want to pay for it, I want to contest it. She said the hearing date for that is tomorrow (Wednesday at 9:00 am). I decided that I wasn't coming back and I placed a written contestment and I will hear the outcome by snail mail. My husband said I should have gone to plead my case in front of the judge but oh well.

Cheer Competition at UIC

What a joke - Angie's cheer squad didn't have anyone else in their division so they went unopposed. Guess what?? - they took First Place! Not bad, one out of one. We left at 10 am to get there by noon, paid $10.00 to park, $15.00 to get in. She performed at 4:00 pm (for 3 minutes) and awards were at 6:00 pm. Drove home and arrived by 8:30 pm. Woo-hoo what a good time - not. Needless to say I wasn't happy.

I forgot to remind everyone that I have handicap parking traffic court at 9:00 am on Tuesday morning. So I will be in shortly after it is all done. Not happy about this either. Not a very happy,happy kinda weekend.

Exam Day

I was involved with tiNet today scanning in all the final exams for semester 1. I saw the perfect t-shirt for finals week:

"I put the Stud in study"

. . . from Beauty and the Geek

I am feeling better everyday but this is a wicked flu bug and I still get waves of dizziness and nausea.

Diagnosis: Bronchitis

Wow - what day is it? I ended up in the doctor's office on Friday morning. I had bronchitis, ear infection, sore throat, headache & fever. What was that flu shot suppose to do for me? I want my $18 back! I am feeling much better today, I think the antibiotic has started to kick in. I will be back to work tomorrow - did anybody eat my bagel? (j/k)

Back To School

Back to school today and under the weather. Even though the 50 degree weather was nice, I think it made everybody in my family sick. I am the last one to get it and of course it's time to go back to work. Hopefully it will be short-lived. Thank goodness it is a short week this week.

It's nice to get the kids back in a routine and a decent bedtime hour.

Welcome 2007

Our New Year's Eve party was quiet and safe. We were down to just one kid so we had sparkling white grape juice and noise makers. We watched Superman Returns and ate junk food all night. Watched the Navy Pier celebration countdown on tv.
New Year's Eve and 50 degrees - unbelievable.

Ham and Blackeyed Peas with rice for New Year's Day Dinner.
Gotta have it for luck.

A Day In Chicago

Angie & I, my girlfriend Jill and her daughter Jenna spent the day downtown Chicago. We intended to go to Shedd Aquarium but since King Tut was sold out at the Field Museum everybody else had the same idea. The line to get into the Shedd was 3 hours long. So after paying $15.00 to park for 35 minutes we decided to go to plan B. The girls wanted to go to Ed Debevic's for lunch. Our waiter was great. He put a hat on my head because he didn't like my hair. He wouldn't take Angie's order because she had on "too much mascara". He told my girlfriend Jill to go back to her cornfield. Angie and I had our picture drawn before we left. After our insulting lunch, we left to find an IMAX movie. We wanted to see Happy Feet but it had already started so we settled for A Night In The Museum. The movie was just ok with a few funny parts.

Surprise Party

Casey gave herself a surprise birthday party last night. Unknowingly to Dad & I she invited the whole basketball team over for a sleep over party. I had to scramble to get some pizzas and snacks together. I had girls sleeping all over the place. She will probably never see another day. Somebody help me with this child.

Bill & I are invited to a New Year's Eve party in Michigan. Do I have any takers for three lovely children?

Scott finally came home last night, after missing his flight in Oklahoma and had to stay over another day. We opened gifts again last night in the midst of the kaos and he was happy with his presents.

Amy's Surprise Visit

Amy and the kids (ages 5 & 2) showed up last night about midnight - what a nice surprise. Her knee looks more like a cantaloupe than a knee. She is baking Christmas sugar cookies with the kids, that is part of her gift to us.

Just kind of a lazy day today - gearing up to take down and put away all the Christmas decorations.

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas morning and you know your kids are teenagers when the parents are up before the kids. Once everyone was up and the turkey was in the oven - we opened presents. Everyone seemed please with what they got this year. (No, it wasn't shoes!). Russ and Sarah will be here in the early afternoon and will stay for dinner. Scott called from Oklahoma - we will have his Christmas on the 27th. Bill's sister & kids aren't coming after all because she got kicked by her horse - ouch.

I've started hitting the "eggnog" already so I hope the turkey can finish cooking itself.

Merry Christmas to all and I hope your Christmas is a happy one.

Christmas Eve

My most favorite day of the year - it even beats out my birthday. When I was a child, we would open all the gifts on Christmas eve and then Santa would bring even more. My brother and I would wake each other up and run out to the tree to see what Santa brought. As we got older and the inevitable happened, we would open just one gift on Christmas eve and save the rest for Christmas morning.
Now my kids camp out on the floor and sleep under the tree. The first one to wake up the whole family gets to play Santa Claus and give out the gifts.

Have a great day everyone and I hope Santa is good to you.

Happy Birthday Casey

Today is my daugher's 15th birthday. She was born on the busiest shopping day before Christmas in Providence, Rhode Island. My husband was trying to be there for me but constantly on the cell phone talking to his stores and wanting to be there for them. Once Casey was born and we went to sleep he left the hospital and worked til midnight. Casey and I spent Christmas Eve in the hospital and we brought her home on Christmas Morning in a giant red stocking the hospital gave us. Today she is a freshman at PCHS and plays on the high school basketball team. Have a fun birthday today Casey - I love you.

Last Day

It was a fun and festive last day of school before Christmas. We all brought in delicious food and everyone was the holiday spirit. The day ended with the annual PSHS Christmas Party. The banquet hall was decorated very nicely with poinsettias and lights. Mr. Scanlan did a great job as DJ and got everyone involved in a "Who is it" game. We picked Carol as our descriptive person because she has so many great qualities to describe - it was fun. The special treat of the night was Mr. Albright serving Carol her long-lost childhood dish of "Spam". It does bring back memories.

I love all you guys and I look forward to the new year with a great attitude and admiration to what each of us bring to the Media Center. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in 2007.

It's Getting Closer

I think I have a sneaky suspicion of who my Secret Santa is. But I will have to wait until tomorrow to find out for sure. We should have everyone bring their gifts to lunch tomorrow so we can see what everyone received. We seem to be very low key this year - I have hardly seen anyone's gifts. Are they that bad???

Stressbusters

Stressbusters was a success. We had teachers dropping by to chat, have a Christmas cookie or treat and some hot apple cider. (By the way, Someone didn't bring any cookies!) They also could make a simple crystal icicle ornament. It is just a nice break from the day to talk about how far behind we are in Christmas shopping.

Christmas Cookies

Saturday was a day for bonding with the kids. Casey & I made and decorated cookies and Angie & J.D. ate them. We also made mints in pink and green . . . mmmmm they are so good.

Secret Santa started today and Stressbusters is tomorrow. This is a fun, busy and short week before Christmas vacation.

Happy Birthday Angie

Today is my daughter Angie's 17th birthday. She was born on a snowy morning in Providence, Rhode Island. She weighed in at 9 lbs. 4 ozs. My husband delivered her in the delivery room at Women & Infants hospital. My husband named her Angela Lynn because when he was a child, he was in love with Angela Cartwright from "Lost in Space". Today she is junior at PCHS, she has her driver's license and will be looking at colleges soon. Have a great day today Angie, I love you.