Happy Birthday, (e:Britian)!

I hope the next 50 years are better than the first 50!

My cousin, Rob, recently moved to Texas from Detriot when he got promoted in the audit firm he works for. I was surprised to find out his girlfriend was going with him. He hadn't been seeing her that long, it seemed, and with his last girlfriend, he couldn't commit to adopting a dog with her. I thought he would end up a tall balding accountant George Clooney type -- a perma bachelor.

I was wrong. I got an email about a week ago saying that he and Karin were getting married. Cool. Yay Rob!

The email also said they wanted to break with tradition and not do the whole church wedding gift getting open bar dancing receptiony kinda thing. Cool beans. Not what myself and (e:Uncutsaniflush) did either.

The email said that they would be getting married on a cruise ship. Before it departs. Then out to sea. And we were all invited... for the wedding and the cruise. Nope, they aren't picking up the tab. But the price is decent.

Of course, (e:Uncutsaniflush) and i thought we wouldn't go. We don't feel like the cruise types.... and i reckon we thought we could do better for just under a coupla grand.

Then, yesterday morning, my mom called me. Her and my dad are thinking of going! What?!? My mom is willing to be pried out of her office for an entire week!?!?!?! No way! Way.

Seems that my dad's recent scare and her slightly ill health over the past year has made her think about mortality. That saving for retirement might not be the best option. What if ill health prevents them from doing what they want to do once they retire? What would be the point of that.

The message (e:Uncutsaniflush) and i have been trying to tell her for years sunk in. Enjoy life now while you have it!!

She also said that if (e:Uncutsaniflush) and i wanted to go, her and my dad are willing to pay for the cruise for both of us as birthday and xmas gifts. Wow. Nice offer. We're thinking about it. Seriously. Might be fun. Well, except for the part that my family will be there.... can't have everything, huh?

Yesterday

Throwing things out of upper storey windows is satisfying. Things that bang and hiss when they hit the bottom of the dumpster or something else in the dumpster are delightfully satisfying.

I don't like waste. I hesitate to say i am like a hippie that way... that and wanting to be barefoot all the time. Don't tell the punk lobby, i might get myself tossed. That said, it felt very old school to be hurling things out of windows.

Today

I haven't seen (e:Uncutsaniflush) all day today. Very odd. We've been married for over 5 years and this has never happened. I said goodnight to him when i got home last night, about 24 hours ago. And i spoke to him twice on the phone today. Now, i am waiting for him to get home so we can, perhaps, go to bed at the same time. *gasp*

I think someone beat the shit out of me and i didn't notice... feeling a bit battered today. Yet, the only thing i can tell that got broken, by me at least, were 2 bar glasses.

For the past 2 days i have been washing dishes. As i mentioned a couple of days ago, (e:LeeTee,38962) i am odd job girl for Ian and Heidi. When we arrived yesterday, i helped fill up part of a dumpster, then volunteered (yeah, ok, so i did live in the Volunteer State, but sheesh) to be on kitchen duty. Ian was busy with some heavy lifting and grunt work, and Heidi was not into the kitchen grease. Today, i spent about 4 hours with my hands in and out of dishwater. Someone better buy those damn dishes at the estate sale or there will be hell to pay!

One of the reasons i thought about posting now was to get my name up on the "most recent entries". Ian asked about (e:strip) when he saw our bumper sticker and visited. But, like me (but without (e:Uncutsaniflush) there to guide), he was confused at the opening page. I mentioned my (e:strip) name so perhaps he will see me there.

Hi Ian! Scroll down to read my other journals, Ian. Hit the circle with the back arrow and the 10 in it to see older ones.

Yep... i gots me some class.... with a capital K.

Them
I actually heard someone complain about the weather today. (e:Uncutsaniflush) and i were walking out of Weggies and i overheard a young woman say, "it's soooooo hot out today." while on her cell phone. WTF is that about?

Me
Speaking of complaining, looks like i will be doing some odd jobbing soon. Our friends, Ian and Heidi (the Heidi of Heidi's Hideaway on Elmwood) own an estate sale business and there's a place on Amherst across from Weggies they are going to have a sale in... but the place is full and a bit of a mess. The man who lived there liked to tinker. And he had a lot of projects going at once. And he had lots of stuff ready to be tinkered with. And, he had lots of stuff, in general -- for his business, a bar, and for his home, upstairs, as well as some storage in a garage a few doors down on Reservation. They asked if we would help. Since (e:Uncutsaniflush) already has a day job, he would be the odder of the odd job, but i am going to start on Saturday. Oh, and the sale isn't until the weekend of May 19th and 20th. I will post more about it, i am sure. If you're reading this, thanks for lunch Ian. I know you won't be reading this Heidi, unless Ian taught you how to use the computer since lunch...

Just wanted to say thanks to the supportive comments from all you kind (e:peeps). I appreciate it.

It's so difficult to think of someone as mortal...

I spoke with my father. He says he is fine. Now. He described the pain to me as sharp with lots of pressure. But it was all in his back and shoulders. Without any body movement, it would come, build, then go away. The doctors never did figure out what was wrong. Not a heart attack, even if he does have high colesterol. He will be going for more tests with his GP. My main concern are his lungs... lots of smoke go into them.

Last night, my dad woke my mom at 2.30am complaining of sharp pain in his back and pressure in his chest. It seems as though it was intermittent, but they called 911 anyway. Medics weren't sure just what it was, but they didn't think it was a heart attack. At the hospital, they monitored him and took X-rays and blood tests. He was released around 11am, since he was comfortable and the pain had gone by then. Docs have no idea what it was. It wasn't heartburn or indigestion or a heart attack, and that's all i really know right now.

My mom emailed me this hours ago and i haven't really been able to think about much since. I called their house and got voicemail. I hope it's just because they were both tired and needed some rest. Since they got home from the travel adventure, their business has been keeping them without much of a breather...

• tear*

So, this morning at 7.25am i am laying in bed and i wake to my cell phone ringing in another part of the house. Too far for me to want to go get it. It feels like it has been ringing for a long time, even though i know it only rings 4 or 5 times before moving on to voicemail. The ringing stops. And starts again.

Since (e:Uncutsaniflush) is at work, i think to myself that perhaps something is wrong and he or someone at his work is trying to get a hold of me. So, i haul ass out of bed. I don't get to the phone in time. But i see i have 7 missed calls. And 6 voicemails.

I listen to them. None of them make sense. Or maybe it's me. Maybe i am not awake. Most of them just have someone saying, "uuuhhhmm.... call me", but one has, "uhmmmm.... call me when you get this" and another has "when you get this call your husband". Since my voicemail says my full name and number, i think someone is fully aware of who i am and that there is something definately wrong!!

While looking through the call log to get to the number, my phone rings. I answer. The person hangs up. As i am dialing, my phone rings. I answer. The person hangs up.

Finally, after 15 calls, i get my shit together and call the number. Someone answers. I tell the person that i have received a dozen calls from this number.

And the person says "uhmm... yeah... i thought you were someone i knew."

The only response i could think of at the time was "you mean it took you 15 calls to realize this?"

Happy Good Monday Morning, Peeps! Hope yours started better than mine.

Travel

Over the Easter weekend, my parents decided to go away on a holiday. They haven't been anywhere besides here to visit us, to Michigan to visit my Aunt and Uncle and up north to see my brother in over 13 years. Can you imagine?!

Sadly, the flight parts of their journey were an exercise in frustration. They decided to fly out of Buffalo for the first time, and i assume the last.

They got to the airport before the crack of dawn 2 hours ahead of their flight time and waited in the check in line for over 2 hours. And missed their flight. They couldn't do anything electronically because they used a travel agent... and i think the fact that it was a Canadian one didn't help. So, they got a flight the next day... that had 2 connections instead of just the one. I am sure my father needed plenty of mood altering meds for that!

On the way home, they got to the airport for their early morning flight, after having dropped off the keys to the rental car, checked in and while at the GATE, were told their flight was cancelled because the pilot was sick. The next flight was the following evening.

Thank goodness i told them to take my phone number (remember, they may be cool in one way, but when it comes to phones and tech, they are just as parental as yours!). My mom called me asking me to look up and call their dog sitter and ask if she could keep the dog for another day and a half. And, to call the employee of their business to tell her to not come in to work for a day.

I haven't heard from my parents since they crossed the border and were kind enough to call me to tell me they were almost home safe. I assume they are buried in work...

Education

I just called the G.E.D. testing hotline. Nothing yet. Or at least i hope that is what they meant by the fact that they have no record of my Social Security number!!! We were told we could call the number 3 weeks after we wrote the test... and it was 3 weeks yesterday. Perhaps i will call them daily to find out.