Laughter is the Best Medicine

Cheers to New Friends and Old Friends

2006-10-30T19:48:00.000-05:00

This weekend I had to opportunity to spend a little one on one time with Dorman. He is a very old and dear friend of mine and my husband. On Friday night we ventured out the a little town nearby named Shamokin. This town is situated deep in the coal region of Pennsylvania. Every street corner has either a church or bar. On this particular evening, we decided to visit the appropriately named 'Coal Hole' bar. When Dorman and I arrived there were about 10 people in the bar. It was nice though, Friday the 13th playing on the TV and the bartender in a maid's costume with fangs!! I got a chance to meet Lisa, one of Dorman's friends that is truly interested in his photography. Lisa and I hit it off and we continued to have a blast. Dorman missed a lot of this because of his bladder control problem!!

School Days, School Days

2006-10-26T18:39:00.000-05:00

It seems lately, that my 7 year old son, is getting into a bit of mischief at school. One day this week we got a note saying that Matthew 'hit someone today'. There was no explanation from the teacher. None. So when Daddy asked Matthew what happened, he got the story, 'Gavin and I were getting our reading books and I hit him here (pointing to his chest)'. I asked my son why he did it and remarkably he said he didn't know.!! The very next day we got a note saying that Matthew pulled another kid out of line and scratched him with his pencil. Then later on when they were back in his classroom, he chewed off his pencil eraser and spit it on the floor. Realizing that some of these offenses are just 'kid' related, I often wonder where he gets these ideas?? He doesn't not misbehave like this at home, so what gives??? Well, Daddy and I are gonna find out this Monday. We have an appointment with the Principal, Guidance counselor and teacher. Stay tuned.

Feel Your Boobies

2006-10-22T12:11:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder to all women out there.. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Please do a self breast exam, and/or if you feel something suspicious, see your doctor.

Hello again...

2006-10-21T09:40:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been 9 months since I updated my blog. I'm thinking though that this may be a great way to let out my frustrations and thoughts about my life and the world.
So here goes...
I have a 7 year old son, Matthew, that has been having trouble in school. He is very smart for his age but it also seems to be his downfall too. In kindergarten, he had a problem focusing. As soon as he was done with his work, (which was mostly before the other kids), he would start 'socializing' and get in trouble. Daddy and I attributed this to his 2 years of preschool. Alot of the kindergarted curriculum was already learned by my son in the 2 previous years. Then came first grade. Same thing. Matthew was very irresponsible on bringing his homework home, and had a nasty habit of stuffing his desk full of 'stuff'. He was an 'A' student whenever it came to learning something new, but repeat what he already knew...it was off to the principal's office. Daddy and I had great hopes for 2nd grade. We heard from a few friends that the teacher that Matthew was assigned to, was pretty strict and stern. Well, it didn't take long for my son's ugly habits to rear their head. Through a few consultations with the principal and his teacher, we agreed my son was not responsible like he should be. But in order to help him, we had to have better communication between teacher and parents. This has been helping but Matthew still doesn't get it. He just doesn't understand what might happen if he doesn't do his work on time, etc. Hopefully in time he will get it. He is so smart, I would hate to see him fail because of irresponsibility.

February is Cancer Prevention Month

2006-01-26T15:15:00.000-05:00

I am off work today for a very good reason. I accompanied my mother to the local hospital for a colonoscopy. Not a fun test by any means but very important, none the less. February is Cancer Prevention Month. From education, diet, exercising and all around lifestyle changes, there are many ways each and every one of us can prevent the disease. Please go and make that appointment for a mammogram, pelvic exam, colonoscopy, or just a yearly check up. The earlier some cancers are found the easier they are to control and sometimes even cure.

Everybody's Working for the Weekend

2006-01-23T20:41:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, it took me long enough to comment on this past weekend with Carnealian, Dorman and Mattandriver, but here goes. This is what I remember at least.

There's no entertainment here tonight.

That's it for all our drinks??

Do you have whiskey?? uh, I don't know.

I'm sorry, this place was packed last time we were here!!

I want Birthday Boy!!

Oh my god, there's a pole!!

I love that pole.

Hey, Joel never had a bachelor party!!!

We'll have to pay a cover at the Peppermint!!

I can't drive....

Tracie, are you ok?? Are you gonna puke???

And that's pretty much all I remember about Saturday night, however, I heard many stories from my party friends. I am sorry I missed the Tard walk though....damn it!!!! And I am sorry that Carn hurt herself falling off my deck!! And I would like to know what exactly did Dorman do to my dog??

I love weekends

2006-01-16T20:46:00.000-05:00

We did mention we weren't going to blog about the weekend. However, I see some couldn't contain themselves!! ssssoooooooo, I would like to add my thoughts in the same format as Carnealian. Here goes.

Saturday:
Take son and dog to grammy's for a sleepover
Pick up Dorman
Drive to Harrisburg
Meet with Carnealian
Meet with Carnealians friends
Eat,Drink,Drink
I'll never look at mushrooms the same way
or circumcision!!!
Change location
Dancing
Beer, whiskey, smirnoff ice
Steel poles
Pretty girls
Hot guys
Is that a barbers chair??
#12, Joaquin Phoenix, sign language
yes, I just grabbed his crotch!!
did he just tickle you with his goatee??
face licking
neck sucking
last call
stop for cigarettes
2 poor doggies
bottled water
did he just fall??
Oh my god, it is a hickey!!
picture time!!!!!!!
nice jammies Dean
Is he passed out??

Sunday:
sunrise
headache
did your cat say Carol or meow??
driving home
stopping to eat
hangovers...yuck
Steelers win. YAY!!

All that Matters

2006-01-14T09:38:00.000-05:00

As I sit here this morning and ponder over a conversation that Dean and I had a few nights ago, I have realized something about myself. My son Matthew, is undoubtedly the best
thing that has ever happened to me. Words cannot express how I feel about my son. He is wonderful and fills my life with
unconditional joy and happiness.

My husband is the best thing in my life too. He is a wonderful man, who is always willing to help anyone, and also kinda funny. He is the best father in the world to not only his own son and daughter but to other unfortunate children as well.

Some people tell me, 'hey you have everything, you are so lucky'. Well, I do have everything I always wanted. A decent home, a great job (which I love), a great husband and wonderful children, oh and last but not least, a beautiful, large dog named River (he's so cute).

However, I have managed to screw it all up and I am in great fear of losing everything that means anything. For years I treated my husband in ways that he (or anyone for that matter) did not deserve. He tried to tell me time and time again, but I didn't listen. Instead, I would get defensive and try to blame my actions on something or someone else.
He promised me it would never get this far, but it has. Now the time has come for us to decide whether this marriage is worth saving and for what reasons. Sure, I might still have a home, a great job, but if I don't have the 2 most important people in my life to share them with, it all means nothing. More to come...

What season is it?

2006-01-09T17:56:00.000-05:00

Today is the 9th day of January in central Pennsylvania. You might think that it would be a cold day outside, maybe some snow or sleet, but no, not the case. Today it was a sunny, balmy 50 degrees!! I was off from work, however, not because of the weather, but because my son is sick with some kind of nasty stomach virus. Poor kid. I really feel bad for my son whenever he is ill. However, after being in the house all day taking care of him, I needed a little time to myself. After my husband came home from work, we ate dinner, then I set off on a little stress-relieving journey. When I go for a walk in our neighborhood, I sometimes don't really take notice to much. I watch where I am walking and that's about it. However, tonight was different. After my husband so kindly offered to take down our Christmas decorations tonight, a task that was not accomplished I might add, it got me wondering if we were the only ones that haven't tackled the duty yet. We haven't taken ours down for a few reasons. The usual 'haven't had time yet' and 'we haven't had good weather' tend to be our excuses. So as I walked around our neighborhood, I counted 16 homes that still had their Christmas decorations outside. This is not so weird but 10 out of the 16 actually had them on!! What is the excuse for having them on?? I really have no idea. But as I ventured on down the street, I noticed something else a little peculiar. I passed a home with smoke billowing out from the patio. Could there be a fire? Will I need to go to the nearest house to call 911? Not the case. As I got closer, I smelled an ominous, but familiar odor. It was a GRILL!! Someone was grilling on their patio!! Most people wouldn't find this as weird but it is the 9th of January in Pennsylvania, and the grillers neighbor still had their Christmas decorations on outside!!! What is wrong with this picture people??? If only I would have had a camera.

Finally updating

2006-01-09T12:50:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time since I originally started my blog. I have had some major personal problems at home which contributed to my unfaithfulness to blogging. However, I want to try a stab at it again. Stay tuned.

Thankfullness

2005-11-24T11:19:00.000-05:00

Does anyone know what it means to truly be thankful for something or someone?? We should all be thankful for LIFE itself. I work at the Geisinger Cancer Center in Danville, Pennsylvania as a Patient Access Representative. It's just a fancy term for receptionist, that's all. However, it is a very important job. Part of my 'job' is to make sure all the necessary and correct information is in the computer system so patients are treated and billed correctly. Hence the important part. The other part of my job, if you will, centers around kindness and laughter. A lot of the patients I see are recur patients. Some daily, some 3 times a week, some weekly, some monthly and so on. I have gotten to know a lot of patients by name so much so that all I need to ask them when they check in is if anything has changed. Many of them don't want to be bothered with all the 'technicalities' of being a patient. A co-worker(Susan) and myself always try to make them laugh. We treat each other like sisters, sometimes joking and picking on each other. It is quite funny since Susan is quite a bit older than I am too.!! The patients enjoy it too. Susan and I are both football fans...so if a pt. comes in with their favorite team shirt on, we might have a comment for them. They love it!! it makes them laugh!! And it also makes my job a little more fun!! Cancer patients have a different take on life. They seem to know they are going to die, probably sooner than they should, and they accept it, and they just simply live their lives to the fullest. However, on the down side of my job, everyday there is a patient or 2 or 3 or more, that starts to lose their battle. Sometimes the treatments and the side effects are worse than the disease itself. It is extremely sad, when you see them start to suffer, and see the people they are going to leave behind suffer. Those left behind sometimes suffer just as much, but in a different way. I thank the Lord everyday that I am healthy and don't have to make the choice between living longer, feeling like crap or living shorter and feeling good. When my father was first diagnosed with cancer I was devastated. But my dad had the best attitude. His attitude was 'as long as I feel good, why do I have to do chemo?' He was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer that was detected thru a routine colonoscopy. His cancer wasn't curable, something we knew from the start, but it could be slowed down and possibly stopped from spreading. He was only given 6 months to live without any treatment, but possibly longer depending how he reacted to the chemo. He lived for 3 more years. He can be very proud of himself, it was all in his attitude. He wanted to live his life, feeling good, and enjoying time with his grandson. And he did. Please take this time to reflect on what you have to be thankful for... your life.

Leaves, Leaves everywhere

2005-11-21T22:02:00.000-05:00

Leaves are a beautiful thing to observe in the fall months. All the colors make the hillsides look like an artist's palette. However, some people in this area of the Northeast see them as a hinderance. Blowing, raking, bagging them, whatever the method is hard work. As you can see, my son just thinks they are a lot of fun to play in and I tend to agree.
Just to give you all a little background on the leaves, here is some info. Different species of trees change colors at various times. Dogwoods, maples, sweetguns are the first to show color. Whereas the oaks are the last species to change. A GREEN LEAF IS GREEN because of the presence of a group of pigments known as chlorophylls. When they are abundant in the leaf's cells, as they are during the growing season, the chlorophylls' green color dominates and masks out the colors of any other pigments that may be present in the leaf. Thus the leaves of summer are characteristically green. The chlorophylls have a vital function: they capture some of the sun's energy and utilize in the manufacture of the plant's food - simple sugars which are produced from water and carbon dioxide. These sugars are the basis of the plant's nourishment - the sole source of the carbohydrates needed for growth an developments. In their food-manufacturing process, the chlorophylls themselves break down and thus are being continually "used up." During the growing season, however, the plant replenishes the chlorophyll so that the supply remains high and the leaves stay green. But as autumn approaches, certain influences both inside and outside the plant cause the chlorophylls to be replaced at a slower rate than they are being used up. During this period, with the total supply of chlorophylls gradually dwindling, the "masking" effect slowly fades away. Then other pigments that have been present (along with the chlorophylls) in the cells all during the leaf's life begin to show through. These are the carotenoids; they give us colorations of yellow, brown, orange, and the many hues in between. Hope this enlightens you all on the scientific reason that leaves change their colors. Interstellarlass, let me know if this helps you out!!

Things just ain't what they used to be

2005-11-20T17:59:00.000-05:00

This is my first 'normal' blog, if you will...so here goes nothing. Today was a wonderful day weatherwise in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We all slept in late, which is a little abnormal for my family. My son always seems to get up at the same time regardless of when he went to bed the night before. His sleeping patterns have always been a little off kilter since the day he was born. He never started sleeping the whole night thru until he was going on 4 years old. He is now 6. So you can just imagine... I made Cinnamon French Toast for all of us then we took a huge walk in the woods and cornfields. We accompanied my husband on his annual quest to find the perfect location to sit and wait for that unsuspecting deer. It was such a beautiful day, we all went along, me, my hubby, my son, Matthew and our Golden Retriever, River. He is such a good dog. He never runs too far ahead of us, and when he does he always stops, looks back and either returns or just waits. Today he was on a deer scented trail though, so it was hard to keep him focused. When we returned home, my son wanted to ride his 4-wheeler in the back yard. Needless to say he has a path worn in the grass!! but he enjoys it and it is always fun watching him. I was never so lucky when I was growing up...you either had a bike or you walked. There weren't any of these fancy ride-on things back then. My parents wouldn't have had enough money to buy me any regardless. My husband and I didn't and still don't have the money to purchase one of these machines, but we are thankful that Aunt Jenny and Uncle Scott gave this to Matthew.

First Timer

2005-11-19T09:36:00.000-05:00

Hello there!! This is my very first attempt at blogging. My hubby has been doing it for quite sometime and I wanted to see what all the hype was about. More to come later