Thomas

Just thought I would post a pic of Thomas... he is back off to Germany tomorrow.. I wish him a safe flight and hope to see him when we go to UK... isn't he just adorable???

 

(they didn't make boys like that when I was 17 that's for sure)

Thursday evening

I'm back..didn't get to my pedicure or the bookstore but I did get a lot accomplished. Thank you so much for the lovely comments about my house..it ain't the biggest or the grandest but it's mine and I love it... as for me..lisa you are too kind hunny.. like I always tell you beauty is in the eye of the beholder..

 

I am grateful this evening for...

1. J land and the new friends I have "met"

2.. productive day today..

3... E mails... ;-)

4....House clean, laundry done, groceries bought and put away, Chicken, Bacon and avacado panini sandwiches for supper...

5..... Got the photos done for Thomas... will miss him that's for sure..

Have a blessed evening...

L

pics

Thursday morning...downloaded some pics so I can make an album for Thomas to take back to Germany..most were not fit to be shared on here..LOL but there were a few of my house so thought I would share..please ignore the dust on my fans in the Florida  room!!! I promise I had shut them off to dust them  ;-) I still cannot get my pics to resize when I use FTP so had to do it this way...

 

I will be back to post my Thursday gratefuls...I have a lot to do to day.. have a good one..

L

Survey says....once again

 

What curse word do you use the most? Shit

Do you own an iPod?  No

 

Who on your MySpace “Top 8” do you talk to the most?  I don't "do" My space but I can get on to check up on my kids                         

 

What time is your alarm clock set for?  6.30 when I am working and my internal clock isn't far behind that even if I don't set it...

 

What color is your room? Beige... bloody boring........

 

Flip flops or sneakers?  FLIP FLOPS

 

Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?  Take the picture

 

What was the last movie you watched? "Break Up"

 

Do any of your friends have children?   Yes

 

Has anyone ever called you lazy?   My Mum

 

Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster?  Yes

 

What CD is currently in your CD player?  Bob Marley, Fleetwood Mac, Joss Stone, Cold Play, Mariah carey, sarah Maclaughlan..in the 6 CD player thingy in the car

 

Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?Regular

 

Has anyone told you a secret this week?  oh hell yes..remember the drama Monday night??

 

Have you ever given someone a hickey?  yup ;-)

 

Who was the last person to call you?  Ryan

 

Do you think people talk about you behind your back?  I am sure they do..........

 

Did you watch cartoons as a child?  Yes

 

How many siblings do you have?  One sister One brother

 

Are you shy around the opposite sex?  No

 

What movie do you know every line to?  none but I know quite a few in Bridget Jones Diary..LOL

 

Do you own any band t-shirts?  Nope not my style

 

What is your favorite salad dressing? Ranch or Salad Cream

 

Do you read for fun? Yes

 

Do you cry a lot?  Lately too damn much...

 

Who was the last person to text message you?  Uriel

 

Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop? Desktop

 

Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoo? Yes i would like another tattoo

 

What is the weather like? Just imagine being in a sauna.....

 

Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos? If I was attracted

 

Is sex before marriage wrong? Not in my humble opinion.. ;-)

 

When was the last time you slept on the floor? Gosh i can't even remember..

 

How many hours of sleep do you need to function?  5 but prefer 8

 

Are you in love or lust?  Both

 

Are your days full and fast-paced?  Sometimes yes, others very chill...

 

Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages?  Sometimes

 

How old will you be turning on your next birthday? forty bloody five!!!

 

Are you picky about spelling and grammar?  When it is required.

 

Have you ever been to Six Flags?  Yes

 

Do you get along better with the same or opposite sex?  Both

 

Do you like cottage cheese? Yes

 

Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back?  Side and tummy

 

Have you ever bid for something on eBay? nope I leave that up to my sister who is the queen of ebay...

 

Do you enjoy giving hugs?  Yes.. BUT am absolutely not a touchy feely person...need my space...

 

What song did you last sing out loud? It's going down...

 

What is your favorite TV show?  Real World, Wife swap, Baby Story,Bridezilla

 

Which celebrity, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with? Matthew McConnehy...oh yes...and after lunch.... ;-)

 

Last time you had butterflies in your stomach?  Two weeks ago

 

What one thing do you wish you had? More patience

Hump Day..and names........

Hump day.. definitely only means the middle of the week for me  ;-)

Couple of things from my entry yesterday.. Dan Marino is a famous retired American Football Player.. and no I do not have a middle name.. my Mum said her and dad had a hard enough time thinking up the first names for us.. so me my brother Martin and my sister Susan have just the one name. Now in Dh's family..that's a whole other ball game. They are all called John, John Ralph(dad) John Paul, John Wayne (yep they did that to him) and then my John Lester.. they all go by their middle names except in the military..they call hubby John officially and then when they get to know him they call him Les.. his call sign for flying is Limey..are we all confused yet?? LOL by the way since we are talking about it I hate my hubbys name..I very very seldom call him Lester.. the name gives me the creeps..I always think of "Lester the molester"  ewwwwwww LOL and no I did not call my son john..he is Ryan James...

 

The meeting yesterday sucked as I knew it would.. 3 of us showed up..so now I am in charge of buying the tablecloths, forks, trash bags and plates for the picnic Saturday. ( I don't want to go to the picnic either as I have no little kids) Also did not like the fact that the skippers wife told me she did not even know that hubby was married till I came  to the pre deployment briefing.. ouch that hurt!!

It's hotter than hazes here.. it really drags you down after a while.. it's like there is no air...but at least we have been getting our daily downpours which gives the yard a good watering...

My "gratefuls" this morning...

1. That I vented to DH in an email and I feel better..

2.. Great nights sleep..my ever racing brain finally shut down so I could drop off...

3... Got all the laundry done and cooked a nice meal last night..which of course no one really wanted as it's so hot but I felt better that I cooked...

4....My high speed is finally working properly.. had the tech. out again yesterday and he replaced some cable..

5.....today is my Friday..so TGIW..lol I have plans to treat myself tomorrow...book store and pedicure..

 

Happy Hump Day... especially to Phil ;-)

L

my hubby with dan marino

Okay I  know I know 3 entries in one day..  don't get used to it!!

 

My hubby is the dorky looking bald one to the left of Dan.. just so you get the idea how big Marino is my hubby is 6' 2" and he looks little compared to him huh?? Marino came to the base in Italy...how cool huh? Hubby went flying with him and got pics and autographs....

Tuesday with Lyn

If you read my previous entry you know I have a meeting to go to. NO I don't want to go but it's a Navy Wife thing and I have to.  At least it's at Star bucks so I can have a cappuchino ;-)

So last night I got myself caught up in some drama. Some peoples lives are a bloody mess..I don't like drama but it seems to like me.. I have been told by many people that I should consider becoming a counselor as I am very good at listening and giving an honest and unbiased opinion. Well my best friend and his wife have issues.. lots of them and once again I was caught in the middle of it all.. the whole he said she said stuff...what I would really like is to get the 2 of them together in a room and let them talk to each other the way they individually talk to me but I don't think they can do that... it was Monday night people!! I was looking forward to curling up on the couch and watching mind numbing reality TV..LOL..but hey what are friends for??

This is all leading somewhere I promise... ;-)

The things I am grateful for today...

1. My marriage..it is NOT perfect but it is solid..

2.. Being a good friend..

3... Plans to clean house and cook dinner for my kids tonight..feeling the need to be home today..

4.... Not losing it with a patient yesterday who asked me if I spoke "English" umm pardon me sir but I believe I speak the Queen's English....

5..... The luxury of only having to work when I want to and the ability to balance it all... my hats are off to all of you holding down full time jobs and doing it all at home...I just don't know how you do it...

6...... to all of you reading this and leaving me comments..I can't tell you tickled I am when someone tells me they have read me waffling on about nothing...that anyone would want to still amazes me.. I am really getting a kick out of J Land and I am grateful to have wandered into to this special little part of the Universe....

Have a blessed day...

L

And the survey says..part ?

1. How tall are you barefoot?  5'7"

2. Have you ever smoked before?
 uh huh..

3. Do you own a gun?   No

4.What's your favorite sport to watch?
 soccer

5. How many letters are in your crush's name?
 5

6. What do you think of hot dogs? yum

7. What's your favorite Christmas song?  So this is Christmas

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Hot tea with milk and sugar

9. Are You In Love? Oh yes i am!!

10. Have you ever done ecstasy? yep.. it was all about the Rave!!

11. Do you like spam?  Not to eat or to receive ;-)

12. Do you like painkillers?....  they do the trick

13. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?  my accent these days...LOL

14. Do you own a knife? sure..

15. Do you have A.D.D.?  sometimes i think i just might..my mind flies all over the place..

16. Full initials? LH

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.  1- I don't want to go to my meeting this morning 2 Last night was a trip 3 wonder what my hunny is doing

18. Name the last 3 things you have bought today.
nothing, it's 8am

19. Name five drinks you regularly drink.
1. water
2. diet coke or pepsi
3. green tea
4. beer
5. frappichinos

20. What time did you wake up today? 7.30

21. Are you married?
 yeah

22. Describe your partner your wed to(if your not..use a friend)?

Big L is tall and handsome, bald, sexy, funny, anal about his yard, the life and soul of the party , a great dad, my only true love and the breaker of my heart...but he has spent the past 23 years trying to put it back together...

23. Current hate?  he knows who he is

 

24. Favorite place to be?  next to the water

25. Least favorite place to be?   dentist

26. Where would you like to go?  Hawaii

28. Where do you think you'll be in 10 years?
 Hopefully retired and laying on the beach

29. Do you burn or tan? tan

30. Favorite colors?  lavender, purple, gray

31. Would you be a pirate?  i used to dress like one..adam ant style..LOL

32. Last time you had an alcoholic drink? last night

33. What songs do you sing in the shower?  i don't only in the car...

34. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child?
 the boogey man

36. Last thing that made you laugh? Uriel

37. Best bed sheets you had as a child?  didn't have any cartoon ones but my flannel ones were pretty cozy

38. Worst injury you've ever had?  fell down the stairs and broke my ankle

40. How many TVs do you have in your house? 5

41. Who is your loudest friend?   Ana

42. Who is your most silent friend? Cindy

43. Does someone have a crush on you? I actually think so

44. Do you wish on stars?  yes

45. What is your favorite book?  I have way to many to list here..i am a bookaholic

46. What is your favorite candy? Cadburys

47. What song did you last hear?  bob marley something or other

48. What song(s) do you want played at your funeral? don't know..I need to think about that one.. My  Mum had Over the rainbow and danny boy..

49. What were you doing 12AM last night? talking on phone

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up this morning?

that damn meeting i have to go to

Monday Morning

Monday morning. I don't like Mondays. Boomtown rats..LOL Funny how a lot of songs have been written about Mondays huh??...Manic Mon another one.. anyway.. It's monday morning.. I just got an email from hubby..he is happy England have moved on in the World Cup.. by the skin of their teeth I might add... what is going on with them??  Come on lads get it together!!

Had a good weekend..went out with the girls from the Urgent care clinic Saturday night..had too much to drink.. oh well.. worse things have happened... it was fun though went to Harmonious Monks which is bar/restaurant where the waiters participate in the entertainment..they sing, play instruments etc..very fun and they are sooooooooo talented..lots of audience participation too.. standing on chairs is encouraged and the waitresses dance on the bar too...great fun.. needless to say I didn't do a whole lot yesterday... just kind of vegged out.. it rained all day too which we desperately needed...

Hope everyone has a good week.... trying to get myself out of this funk I am in..I used to keep a gratitude Journal and listing the things I was grateful for always helped me feel better so going to try that here... so this morning I am grateful for...

1. J Land

2.. Healthy happy kids and hubby...

3...the sun is shining  and it's cooled off...

4.... I do not have to WATER... ;-)

5..... I have a job to go to which I actually enjoy...

That's a start...

L

 

 

Saturday Morning

Click here: Damaged Goods

Morning all. First off I have to say how happy I am that Lisa Jo is home and on the mend. Lisa jo..you are not only NOT Damaged Goods you must be one of the most loved people in J Land.. the amount of love shown for you is a testimony to the caliber of person you are!!!  This many people cannot be wrong!! the jury is in and the verdict is Lisa Jo rocks!!!!! ;-)  I hope you are feeling better hunny, keep hydrated, rest , rest and more rest.  MWAH!

So where have I been?? Well guess what?? I now have high speed Internet..no more dial up!! It has not been without it's challenges though, which is why I haven't been around much..the connection kept going out..which really really frustrates me but we seem to be doing okay now and I love it!! OMG why did I wait so long?? Sooooooooooo fast!!  I feel like a kid on Christmas morning...he he he....

 

I have been busy too, lots of errands..Ryan has to have his wisdom teeth out in a couple of weeks, went to the oral surgeon to set that up. I went with my friend to drop her kids at the airport, that ended up taking all day.. just busy with stuff..the days seem to be getting away from me. I need to get the lawns cut too..we got some rain and they need it bad...

 

Nothing exciting going on here but we are all well and can't complain. Will check back in later.. hope you all have a wonderful weekend...

 

L

Tuesdays with Lyn....

Hi there. Been a couple of days. My weekend was kinda boring. I stayed in Friday night. Saturday I did a few errands and laid by pool for a little while then went out to see my band with my best guy friend and his wife. Sunday was fathers day and as my dad is in Uk and hubby is in Italy we didn't do much to celebrate Fathers day..we did call hubby, I now have the number to his room..he was chilling and planning on watching some of the World Cup. he had not received his cards when I spoke to him :-(  Yesterday i worked..it was a fairly busy day and I enjoyed it..today I took some stuff to be altered at Dry Cleaners, posted my cheque to Lisa for my Avon (thank you baby!) went to grocery store, went to bank and cashed an out of state cheque for a friend and then watched the England game...can't believe Sweden drew it in the 90th minute!!!  Becks does not seem to be playing up to par to me. I have watered all my plants and now have the sprinklers going on front and back lawns. Got supper ready..course no one here to eat it..go figure..if I don't cook they are all in my face hungry... ;-)

Had a very vivid dream about my Mum last night..I love dreaming about her because it's like she is still alive but when I wake up I am sad all over again.. my dad has yet to have a dream about her... I dreamt that she had Leukemia and we were at my Godmothers house asking her to get tested..it was sooooooo sad..but my Mum was so real in the dream.. does anyone know what dreams mean?I guess I need a dream book. I dream about her a lot.

So that's it..nothing exciting going on... hope you are all having a good week.....I  am so worried about Lisa Jo.. hope we here something soon...

 

Peace..

L

TGIF and peeking in the windows...

It's Friday. That means it's the weekend again. I actually miss working on Fridays..everyone is always in such a good mood on Fridays..why can't we be like that all the time?  Same as Christmas..everyone is always in such a good mood around Christmas..I wish that spirit could last all year... Strangers actually smile at each other and wish each other Merry Christmas..chat to you when you are waiting in line at the stores etc..

I have a question..do you have a plan when you sit down to do an entry in your Journal? Do you know what you're going to write about? Obviously I don't..look at the above..LOL..I just wrote it's Friday and then viola... I kind of just write whatever comes into my head..also do you edit what you write??  I don't just mean typos etc but do you go back and delete anything?? I am trying not to..I think I am over the fact that others are reading this.. at first I was kind of monitoring what  I wrote but not any more...I want to write this Journal just like my  hand written ones...I was thinking the other day that I might post a few entries from my written journal and realized that they are far more of a vent than what I write here..I write all the crap that bothers me in them..why don't I do that here I wonder?? I think that most of our Journals on here are more of a daily diary .. does anyone agree?? Just my observation...and don't get me wrong I love reading about everyone's daily lives..I love to picture each and every one of you doing the things you decribe (especially Hadon..just kidding!) It's like a peek through the windows of your life...

I am rambling on a bit this morning aren't I??

Spoke to hubby again yesterday.. he can call the base here in Jacksonville and then they page the call through to me and the base in Italy pays...don't ask me how.. I am just glad we aren't paying the bill...although I do have an awesome plan that only costs 3 cent a minute to Europe... he was happy that the base finally got sky sports on the TV in the bar and he was able to watch England play yesterday..albeit in German but hey at least he got to watch... he is doing okay..this deployment is a lot easier than the ones where he was on an Aircraft carrier for 6 months at a time with only a few port visits to break up the monotony.. he has his own room in Italy..they can drive off base, go sight seeing..eat out.. the problem now is convincing him he is not on one long vacation and therefore should not be spending like he is ..lol...and having the freedom to call home and email is just wonderful..I remember the time when all we had were the letters in the mail and the odd phone call here and there from a crowded pay phone... truth be told I miss the letters..I have them all.. love letters...does anyone still write them?? We should...

My son is going to Daytona Beach and the Kennedy Space Centre this weekend with his friend Thomas. Tom  has been over here for a year on exchange from Germany and he and Ryan have become pretty good friends..he lives a couple of streets over. he goes back to Germany July 1st.. we will miss him..he is hoping to get to come over to UK and see us when we are there.. anyway his host parents are taking the boys on this trip this weekend as a farewell treat for Thomas. He could choose a friend to go and he chose Ryan.  The host parents are paying for everything..they have the special tickets where they get to eat lunch with the astronauts..  They are staying in a hotel on the beach in Daytona..Ryan is pretty excited... I am very grateful to Tom's parents and will make sure Ryan has plenty of spending money and that he pays his way..maybe they will let me put petrol in the car or something....

I need to get going here..I hope you all have a great weekend...

Lyn

43 questions

43 of the MOST random questions...

1. Where were you 1 hour ago?
Asleep

2. Who will be your next kiss?

Probably the dog or one of the kids ;-)


3. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?
LOL..ummm yes...

4. When is the last time you went to the mall?
2 weeks ago

5. Are you wearing socks right now?
no

6. When was the last time you went out of town?
Gosh..last november to NYC..I need to get out more...

7. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?
 Nope

8. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Drinking coffee right now

9. What are you wearing right now?
Boxer shorts and a white tshirt...just woke up ;-)

10. Have you been in a car wash?
sure have  (weirdest question so far)

11. Last fast food you ate?
Zaxbys chicken

12. Where were you last week on Saturday?
By the pool all day

13. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?
No

14. When was the last time you ran?
too long ago

15. What's the last sporting event you watched?
World cup..come on you brits!!!

16. What is your favorite class? First when flying.... free upgrades are the best..

17. Your dream vacation?
White sand, turquoise ocean, cold fruity drinks with umbrellas in them, hot young cabana boys...;-)

18. Last 3 people's houses you were in?
 Rickys,Jans, Jennifers.

19. How old are your parents?
Mum died at age 66 Dad is 73

21. Do you miss anyone?
 My Mum always and my hubby right now...

22. Last play you saw?
 wow I can't remember...

23. What are your plans for today?
Running errands with Jen this morning, housework, laundry, pay bills, then reading by the pool....

24. Who is the last person you commented on myspace?
never have I just monitor my kids....

25. Ever go to camp?
Yes..kind of..it was a week away in Wales with the school..

26. Were you an honor roll student in school? Yes

27. What do you want to know about the future?
Since you asked I would like to know when I am going to die, (morbid but true) I would love to know that my kids will be okay and live long healthy happy lives, that DH cancer will NEVER come back...and if I am going to win the lottery..;-)

28. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? No just got up

30. Where is your best friend located?
about 20 mins from here

31. Do you have a tan?
 Yep..live in Florida ..have a pool..say no more...

32. How old do you want to be when you have kids?
ummm I was 23 when I had my first..

33. Do you collect anything?
not really..

34. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? On base a couple of years ago.. I am the safest driver on the planet..I am paranoid and hate driving...

35. Have you ever drank your soda from a straw?
Duh... yea..

36. How do you like your drinks?
Ice cold

37. Do you like hot sauce?
Yes not too much though

38. Last time you took a shower?
yesterday morning..

39. Who do you have a crush on?
He knows who he is... ;-)

40. What is your mood?
Pretty cheerful for the morning..coffee is kicking in...

41. Are you someones best friend?
I know I am..

42.Are you rich?
Yes but not monetarily...<sp>

43. What do you think of the person who took this survey before you?

I read a bunch of them so I am not sure who did it before me but everyone here in J Land rocks!!! ;-)

Tropical Tuesday

Hi there..man is it ever windy here!!! Our first tropical storm of the year and let me tell ya it's a doozy!!!! I have one pine tree down in the back yard and debris everywhere..I  am so not looking forward to this "Hurricane Season" good news is we got some much needed rain and it has cooled offa little bit.

Talked to my sister today. It was her birthday yesterday but I couldn't get a hold of her with the time difference and me working so I called her today. She is doing good and so is my dad. They are looking forward to us coming over. Her BF is off to the World cup on Sunday he knows a pro. football player and has seats in with Victoria "posh"  Beckham... whoop de doo..can't stand her..but have to hand it to becks he is GORGEOUS!!

Spoke to hubby today too..he has his flight booked to Uk too..he gets in on Aug 1st so we will have a week together... I am missing him a lot.. you don't know what you have till it's gone sometimes...

Other than that not a lot going on in my neck of the woods..I had a very dull weekend..I was a total veg....had plenty of opportunity to go out but chose to be hermit..have to watch myself because I tend to withdraw a little too much when left on my own..

Well I hope everyone is having a good week..tomorrow is Hump Day again already.. which means I am working...then off till Monday..got to love my hours  ;-)

Peace..... L

Survey says..

Borrowed from the lovely Hadon...

1 - Accent:  British

 

2 - Booze:   Ice cold beer, Wine, White Russians..depends on the mood....

 

3 - Chore I hate:  dusting

4 - Dogs/cats:  Cadet the yorkie

5 - Essential electronics: computer

6 - Favorite perfume/cologne: Light Blue by Dolce and Gabbana or Kenneth Cole Reaction

7 - Gold/silver:   Silver..prefer Platinum.. ;-)

8 - Hometown:  Kidlington, Oxford England

9 - Insomnia: Sometimes

10 - Job title:  Full time wife and Mum. Part time Medical Assistant

 

11 - Kids:    Rachel and Ryan

 

12 - Living arrangements: Live in our 3 bedroom 2 bath house in sunny Florida with hubby, kids, dog and fish.

13 - Most admired trait: Loyalty

14 - Number of sexual partners:  I plead the fifth.. ;-)

 

15 - Overnight hospital stays:   4 I think

16 - Phobia:   Don't like driving much

17 - Quote: "Where you sit determines what you see"

18 - Religion:  protestant

19 - Siblings: one of each 

20.  Time I usually Wake Up 6am

21 - Unusual talent:  - I plead the fifth ..again.. ;-) 

22 - Vegetable I refuse to eat:  Most of them..

23 - Worst habit: I don't know

24 - X-rays:   Only had chest, ankles and sinuses

25 - Yummy foods I make: chicken curry,Hash Brown Casserole, Banana cream pie, Shepherds Pie

 

26 - Zodiac sign: pisces

Here I am

Here I am. Ryan had a great birthday. He had a bunch of his friends over, they swam and chilled out by the pool, ate pizza and wings and hot dogs. His best friend even stopped by. I haven't written about him yet. His name is Brandon and he has Leukemia. As with a lot of things that are painful for me I just can't write about it.  Brandon has had a stem cell transplant. They could not find a donor match so he got transplant from the cord bank. He is doing better. Ryan has had an absolutely terrible time dealing with this. We all have. This kid is like one of my own. Wherever Ryan was Brandon was..and now he's not and it breaks everyone's hearts. That is as much as I can write about Brandon but for him to make the special trip to come see Ryan on his birthday touched us all. He couldn't even get out of the car but he made the effort and Brandon I love you for that..you are such an incredible kid and I pray with every ounce of faith that I have that you will kick this thing..I have to believe.

So it's Friday and I am off!! Yay!  I have a few errands to run and then I plan to top up my tan by the pool. I am missing the hubby..I can't believe it's only been 2 weeks..good lord do we have along way to go!! One of the Dr's I work for had her baby..Annabelle Claire, 8lb 12oz by C section.  Mother and baby doing well. Baby is gorgeous...<sigh>

It's hot..feels like it's been a long summer already and it's not even "summer" technically! I thought I was used to the heat but even I am dragging. we need some decent rain ..and I mean bad..the threat of fires is very real... not to mention the cost of watering all the time... but it's the price we pay for living in paradise I guess ;-)

 

Well that's all from me..I will put some pics up soon...sorry I haven't been commenting much... I read EVERY alert but can't always comment..especially if I "sneak" a read in at work  ;-) I hope everyone has a great weekend..and stay cool to my Florida sistas... ;-)

L

Birthdays

16 years ago today my "baby" was born at 2.41pm weighing in at 8lb 15.5oz 22 inches long. He is now 6' 5'..if you enlarge the pic you will see he is standing in front of our wide screen TV which is mounted on the wall above the fireplace..he is soooooooooooo tall. He is my heart this boy. He has not been without his share of problems though and at times I think he will be the death of me. Ryan has a lot of issues. He has a learning disorder that causes him to learn things in a different way to others. Somewhere between the brain and the paper Ryan "loses" the information. he lacks self confidence. He has never had behavior problems but he distracts attention from his struggles by acting the class clown. He is in IEP (individual education program) and is the classes with a lot of kids that have ADHD...that type of thing.. at one point we thought Ryan had that..we tried medicine but it did not help and only gave him severe headaches so we stopped that. I am at my wits end with him. His teachers assure me he could do better..that he just needs to focus...Ryan tells me "he doesn't get it" his grades show that he doesn't get it..he scrapes by doing the minimum he has to to pass... he did not pass the FCAT (standardized testing) this year. He has a couple more chances but they have to pass in order to graduate from high school. Ryan is going into 10th grade..he has 3 years to go. Ryan is not dumb. He can take apart anything and put it back together. he is fascinated with science and nature and the weather. he watches nothing but the discovery channel. He is funny, smart, sensitive, handsome, popular...he just does not do well in school. It upsets me so much. I dread report card time. I dread the FCATs. I stay in contact with his teachers, his counseler. everyone just tells me Ryan is one of those kids that hates school..he will do fine out in the real world.  okay doing what?? He barely has basic math skills. I cannot tell you how much I worry about this boy.  This year I am going to try hiring a private tutor or have Ryan evaluated at one of the education centers that guarantee they can help your child improve his grades...you must have seen the ads. on TV. I will try anything at this point. Apart from the school thing Ryan is a joy to be around.  He is so funny, he is a huge help to me around the house. He takes care of the yard for me, he washes the cars, he is pretty happy generally and hasplenty of friends. He and his sister are extremely close, he doesn't give me too many problems..he pushes the limits once in a while to see if he can get away with something .. he is a teenage boy after all ;-) If we could just get him to buckle down at school  <sigh. Anyway..I have rambled on here.. Happy Birthday Ryan! I love you more than you will ever know.. you never fail to make me laugh, you take my breath away you are so handsome..I look at you and cannot believe that this tall young man is my son...my little Rybo.

Sunday Morning Pounds and Dollars

Been a couple of days. Nothing really going on here except some pretty spectacular thunderstorms which I love to watch through my skylights in the Florida room (conservatory for the brits) speaking of brits I was gob smacked to read what the dollar is against the pound!!!!! It is $1.95 to the pound..which means I am going to be broke when I come home in July..it's great for anyone changing pounds to dollars but the other way round...damn..means I will get nothing for my dollars... So for all those who read my entry about the cost of living you basically half the price and that's what it is in pounds. yes things are a lot cheaper here but it really is all relative.. we earn less too..the minimum wage here is $5.25 (I think) which is only 2.75 pounds.

I did get to go out again Friday night went to see the same band at a different venue.. it was better this time..I went with my best friend and his wife.. I think she was fed up with me..so I declined the offer to join them again Saturday night...I felt like a gooseberry anyway...we belong to a group of friends..there are about 6 couples who hang out..do you think any of them have called me since DH left? nope.. not a one.. kind of makes me sad and mad at the same time.. DH tells me I should just call them up and see what they're up to.. I think they should call me..I do have my own group of friends that I have met through work etc.. and we have plans for next weekend... guess I am just feeling a bit lonely and isolated....feels like I have a long summer ahead of me and I don't know what to do with it ...going to UK in July will break it up a bit I'm sure..

It's a beautiful morning here..  the sun is out and the skies look clear..i think after I get the housework all done I might just plonk my butt out by the pool and read..I found a nifty new used book store that does the trade thing..I took 2 carrier bags of paperbacks in and they gave me $35 in store credit so I got a bunch of new books to read and when I am done I will just trade them back in.. I had to do something my bookshelves are overflowing..

LynSo that's what's happening  in Lyns world..what's happening  in yours??

To do lists and cost of living

So  I did everything on the to do list except have a Frappichino which my lard arse didn't need anyway.. ;-)

So cost of living in Lyn's neck of the woods...

These are all average prices they could give or take little...

Gallon of gas/petrol $2.65

loaf of bread $1.25

Gallon of milk $2.75

Median house price in my neighbourhood $200,000

Electricity bill $100 winter $300 summer per month

water $170 for 3 months

phone $60 per month

AOL unlimited $14.99 per month

Comcast digital cable with HDTV $100 with premium channels per month

high school lunches $2.00 per day

box of Cereal $3

No state tax  property tax $1000 per year

movie tickets $6.50 evening rate with military discount $ 8.50 without

 

can't think of anything else..you wanna know something..just ask ;-)

Have a good night..

L

 

 

 

True Beauty ;-)

That is a pic of me at age 15 in my school uniform. Told you true beauty looks like I USED to huh??  I started dating DH not long after this pic was taken. I kept my hair long for about another year and a half. Then Dh said he thought I ought to cut my hair..my future SIL was a hairdresser at a well known salon in Oxford and they wanted to use me as a model for before and after shots. I had to go to some seedy damn photographers studio and had to wear only a sheet wrapped around me so my shoulders were bare.. the photos were phenominal I looked like Twiggy afterwards..of course I didn't ask for copies... DH came to the door to pick me up..took one look at my hair and turned round and left!!!! My dad wasn't very happy either!!  I have had short hair though ever since... I love it now it's easy to manage..so that's the story of my hair and who true beauty looks like...

It's raining.. can't tell you what that means to us Floridians!! We love the rain.. we don't have to water out yards!! I just got my water bill..$170 for 3 months...hey that just gave me an idea..we ought to do an entry on the cost of living in our area...hmmm... will work on that one..you know things like the price of gas (gasp) electricity bills, loaf of bread, gallon of milk median house prices.. stop back and I will have an entry on that soon...;-)

here's my to do list for today:

Pay Bills

Call Vet. make appt. for cadet for shots. (shhhh)

Call exterminator...(love saying that he he)

Take Ryan to get wires off braces

Take Ryan to have teeth cleaned

Take Ryan  back to have new wires put on

Call long distance and make sure we have cheap rates to Italy

Call about getting high speed ;-)

Clean house

Do Laundry

Sort out my Netflix ( I suck at choosing movies any suggestions)

Catch up on Alerts and comments

Get a starbucks Frappichino..Yummmm!!!

BREATHE...

 

You guys have a great Thursday....

L