The only reason I would leave sunny Florida...

I will be absent from blogland for a while. I must travel to Virginia tomorrow. My 88 year old mother is ill. She lives alone and a few weeks ago she got dizzy and fell. She went to the emergency room, and they did lots of tests, but couldn't find anything wrong. She still has weakness on her right side, and can't hold anything with her right hand. It sounds to me like she had a TIA (mini-stroke). Both my brothers live in her town, but I think Mom might feel better seeing her only daughter. After all, at her age, I never know how much time she has left in this world. She has always been very independent, even when she had to have by-pass surgery in 1999. Mom has been in good health since then, until now. I got her the "life alert" several months ago. She is supposed to wear a necklace with a panic button on it. If anything happens she can push the button and help will be sent. Although, I don't know that she wears it all the time. I will make a surprise visit because if I tell her that I am coming she will try to clean house and go to the grocery! My mom is always doing for others, and I know she hates to feel helpless. I hope I can go up there and get her set up with some home health care. It is hell to get old. I will miss you, my blog buddies, I will be back in about a week or ten days. I used to drive up, about a 16-18 hour drive, straight through, but that was when I was younger. This time I will fly - takes under three hours.

At least not "dead last"

the boys of the lower brass section

The PHS band participated in the Florida Marching Band state finals this past weekend. We had no hopes of taking home any trophies, but we were happy to have scored high enough to be included in the competition. We placed "seventeenth" but at least not dead last! Although it sounds low, that is a state placement, so if you take all the marching bands in the state, we are 17th ranked, so that's not bad! It is a great feeling when the band takes the field. I have always loved marching bands, but when your own kids are involved it is extra exciting! As they took the field, the crowd was quiet as the band stood at parade rest ready to perform. Overwhelmed with a burst of pride I screamed, "Preston - you are my baby boy!" This was loud enough for the entire stadium to hear and everyone laughed. There was no question who the screamer was, because I stood up on my seat with my red shirt emblazoned on the back with "Preston's Mom". I just can't help myself. Being a mom is my proudest accomplishment.
Band is over for this year, and even with all the work, I hate for it to end!

Behind, in time

I keep a schedule in my head. For example, I must do this or that by a certain time so that I can be here or there by then. Today was no exception until disaster happened. I was tidying up the kitchen, putting away clean pots and dishes, when a glass bottle of evoo (extra virgin olive oil) fell out of the cabinet and shattered on the kitchen floor! I just washed that floor a couple of days ago. I was already showered and dressed to go to the store, come home, load up the car with the boy's band uniforms and head off to the school. I picked the large glass shards out of the oil on the floor. I got out the dustpan & brush and swept up the small glass. It was yucky with oil and made a bigger mess. Then I had to clean the pan and brush. In the middle of this, I stepped in the oil, slipped, did a lot of fancy steps and caught myself, then fell on my ass anyway. Of course then I was covered with oil. I had to change my shoes, change my pants, then mop the floor. I think I got all the oil up. What a mess. The point of this story is a tip for you. Buy evoo in plastic, unbreakable bottles. I will from now on!

Did I really need another camera?

My new camera, Cannon Power Shot SD630. I have two really nice cameras. I did not need another one. I talked myself into buying this one by saying that it is small enough for me to carry with me all the time. My other cameras have long lenses, they are big and bulky. This camera is so sweet! Large 3 inch view on the back, and lots of special features. So we will see - will I take more photos? I hope so.

I love photos! I have about 5,000 pictures in memory, mostly of the boys and the school band! So, I guess I can justify a new camera for my expensive hobby!

Florida - nice place to retire

Lucky for me I already live in Florida. It is a nice place to retire because of the mild weather. Living here, you will live longer. Don't take my word for it - look who I saw in the yard yesterday.

...so close

We are close to the end of the band season, and we have qualified to go to the state championships. Twenty bands will compete in our division. We will have to be in the top five of that twenty in the preliminaries to even participate in the finals.

The band director doesn't think that we have a chance in hell in getting into to top five. I hope he is wrong. The kids are tired and ready for band season to be over. I hope they all give it one last real effort. It is a long shot but "I believe". Here are some photos of them performing last Saturday night; serious Preston & Matt (I hardly ever get them in the same photo.)

I am Hemi - & u "can't touch this!"

Do you believe how cute I am? I am the youngest of my two other dog brothers, but I am the top dog. I can do whatever I want. I can out run and out maneuver the old Airedale, Ransome. I stay out of the way of the grumpy Jack Russell, Buddy. He tries to be stingy with the food, but I can out think him too. The other dogs are so stupid that they run into the garage when mom opens the door. I don't do that - mom is getting ready to answer the front door and I want to see who is there, not run into the garage like a moron. I like to sit on the back of the couch and look out the front window. I can see neighborhood dogs and cats from here, and occasionally a squirrel. I have to tell the people when I want to play, not by barking, but with a little "woo-woo-woo". Somehow they like that and think I am cute, so then they will play. I like to play frisbee. I don't care if they don't like it in the house, I bring it through the doggie-door anyway. (hey people, if you don't want to throw it in the house, get your lazy ass up and come outside). They also think it is so cute when I know the difference of my toys, and they are always saying, "go get the ball" or "go get the squirrel". This seems to entertain them, so I do it. I will suprise them one day and bring a real squirrel in through the doggie-door!!! I like the red head mom the best. She cuddles me and talks baby talk to me. The other mom (old bag) is here with us all the time now, and it is convienent to have someone to wait on me full time. They better not be going off all weekend again with the band. Damn-it if they leave us alone again that long I swear I will chew something up (and blame it on Ransome - that old fool!) Anyway, I better "paws" & get off the computer before the old bag wakes up and catches me!

Another offer

No thanks, I already have the Tuba Prince and the Snare Prince!

Tuba taxi

If needed, up to three fully assembled sousaphones can ride comfortably in my car!

Teenage love

My son likes a girl at school. I am thrilled about this because he has always been the shy one, too self-conscious to even talk to girls. It is nice to see him finally coming out of his shell at sixteen. The problem is that this girl is popular and all the guys like her. She hangs around mostly with just three guys, my son included. In this group, my son is the only one that drives and has his own car. They are all in the band, and seem happy just hanging out together. My son confided in me that he likes her more than a friend, but that she does not feel the same. He says that he will just have to be satisfied being friends with her. That is better than nothing. Last Saturday at the band competition I saw the girl with one of the other boys (my son's best friend). They were walking together and he had his arm around her. They were looking like more than "just friends". I hesitated to mention this to my son, even though I wanted to. When we got home that night, he brought it up to me. (I am thrilled that he talks to me about this stuff) He told me that the girl and his best friend had feelings for each other, and that he guessed that they are now "going together". His heart was clearly broken. I told him not to be sad, and that maybe it was better, now he could hang around with more people, not just that little group. I told him that he should not just be their chauffeur, and he agreed with me, that he did not want to be. Sunday the girl called. She wanted to hang out with just Preston that day. Of course, he went right over there. He told me later that she felt bad about breaking up the group by dating just one guy and that she did not want to lose Preston's friendship.
My problem: Is she sincere; or a smooth operator that just doesn't want to lose her taxi?
My advice to him: Be sure to keep the lines of communication open with your best friend. She might be selling you a line of bull!
Of course he thinks that I am just a cynical old lady. He believes that she is a wonderful girl and can do no wrong.
I personally would like to get her alone in a small room and interrogate her - but that is not an option!
Raising teenagers is truly like "nailing jello to a tree"!!!!