How we spend our Friday nights

Here we are again for another year. Us moms in the stands watching our band boys practice, practice and more practice. They are in the stadium from 6 to 10 PM, working on their drills. This years show looks like it will be one of the best that I have seen. That is Matt (10th grade) on the snare drum on the left, and Preston (11th grade) on the tuba. This band is undefeated in it's class in this area.

Both boys work very hard and they really like being in the band. Us moms are happy about this, glad our babies are not running the streets and hanging with drug addicts! There is so much bad stuff for teenagers to get into, we are glad they have this activity to keep them busy. Tonight we dropped them off at 6, then we went out to a nice "moms only" quiet dinner. We will be doing this every weekend now through November. Some weekends there is a Friday night game, and then a Saturday competition the next day. This keeps the whole family busy. All the band parents must help out in some way.

Our job is to tow the band trailer full of musical instruments to competitions and away games. It is like high school re-visited, for us!

Back to walking

This morning I took my first walk in months. I hurt my foot when I was in Washington, D.C. this past summer, and I quit walking after that. I have gained some pounds because of the inactivity, and I need to get them off. I plan to walk a half hour in the morning, and a half hour in the evening. This morning I donned my Rockport walking shoes and got out of the house right at dawn. (After about 8 AM, you can't exercise outside, it is just too hot!) If I can keep it up for about two weeks, then I will start going back to the gym. Those lazy boys don't want to go with me to the gym, so I will go by myself. I hate exercise, I have to force myself to do this!

Ransome says, "where ya going mom in the ugly shoes?"

Back to school

This is the first day back to school for the boys. All last week they had band camp. I am the unofficial photographer for the band. I take lots of snapshots during their activities, then post the photos on a website for all of them to access with a pass word. At the end of the week the band director asked me to take a shot of the whole band in their uniforms, so it could be published in the school brochure. "OK, on the count of three, I am taking the picture, so smile - one, two, three!" "STOP!, STOP!, STOP!", the band director says. We have to do it over, someone in the band decided to raise "a finger" and the band director caught it. "Thanks, Preston, for messing up the picture, now we have to take it over", the director says! (Oh God, you mean it was MY SON that "shot the bird?") I am mortified! After the photo shoot, I couldn't get to tuba boy fast enough. I took him aside and reemed him up one side and down the other. How dare he be so disrespectful? I told him if he EVER did anything like that again, that he would be quitting the band. This is a boy that I have never had any trouble with, I was so embarrassed! He apologised and told me later that it was just a prank and that he was just being a wise guy and didn't mean anything by it. Looking back on it now, it was kinda funny, but I don't think I will tell him that! Look at the tubas, they think it is SO funny, they can hardly keep from laughing out loud.

YOU-YOU two

Abandoned in Pasadena There is no short answer to Sandy’s “you-you”. She is without question one the bravest women that I know. She loves her husband so much, it shows throughout her blog. Sandy is another blogger who has incorporated many family members into her blogging habit. Instead of giving up when she felt like she couldn’t ride motorcycles anymore, she had training wheels put on! Those of you who have ever ridden a motorcycle know that this is no small feat. She had to learn a whole new way to ride. A lot of this had to do with the fact that she wanted to enjoy riding with her beloved Jimmy. Sandy is a great storyteller and I enjoy her stories of her cats and her mascot, Cucco. Cucco is Sandy’s not so imaginary purple haired bird.

Jellyhead is the blog that everyone should read. I have often stated that the Aussies are SO much smarter than the rest of the world, and Jelly’s blog proves it. After all, they are so far ahead, that it is already tomorrow there now. So they have already lived through the day that we are in now. (?) No, I don’t understand how this works, but I am sure that the Aussies do! Jelly’s blog is a delight as she tells the inside story of being a doctor. She tells us how she feels about everything, and that is the best part. I love to hear about Jelly’s travels and family adventures. Jelly tells us about her Mum and the influence her Mum has had on her life. I just love Jelly. Someday I will meet her in person and ask her the secret of being a day ahead, and if she endorses Aussie hair products and the Outback Steak house!

Doubleknot is a blogger that lives in Florida, not far from me. I think that it is strange that I came across her blog while surfing other blogs from all around the world! Doubleknot’s sister, Puffstitch, even lives in my small town. Isn’t it a small world when we blog? Doubleknot tells us about the everyday courage and her roommate, Steve, as they face retirement and doctor’s appointments. She also posts interesting photos of their children, grandchildren, and her garden and plants. Doubleknot and I have emailed each other from time to time, and she is a really nice lady.

Colors of the Garden is the blogchild of Kerri, an Aussie who has transplanted to upstate New York. Kerri has a sweetness about her that permeates throughout her blog. You can tell that she cares about the rest of us, and she has made many blog friends. She is either a wonderful gardener, or she has one! She shares information on gardening and her breathtaking photos of the land and gardens around her farm. Kerri may not know it, but her photographs are of publishing quality. I enjoy her blog.

First installment of YOU-YOU's

(I have to do the "you-you's" in several separate posts because they are so long) -check back tomorrow for more you-you's

I have been blogging about a year now. These are some of the blogs that I read all the time. The following is the impression that I get from you, as you are represented on your blog. Please don’t take offense at anything in this narrative that is not completely correct. This is just a “you-you”, as observed by me, for your entertainment only.

Motherkitty was one of the first blogs that I read when I started blogging. I quickly discovered that MK is related to several other bloggers on her list, and it is a good way for her family to keep in touch. (I wish my family was this computer literate.) Recently, MK went though a serious surgery, and I could tell by the tone of her blog that she was in a lot of pain, and not really in a good mood. It seemed that she was taking a lot longer to go through this than she had expected. Lately MK seems to be feeling better, I can tell by her recent posts. Her quick wit and funny stories have returned after a much missed absence.

Texas to Tennessee is one of those people who have done what some of us only dream of doing. She moved, several hundred miles away from her home, with very few possessions. She took her best dog friend, Mocha, with her. She just picked up and moved out of her comfort zone and away from all of her friends. The move seems to have been an effort to discover herself, and try to be all that she can be. T2T seemed apprehensive at first, but now she has settled in to her new home and is finding a place to reflect on life, write about it, take photographs, exercise, and help others at her retreat. She is now on staff at the retreat. (See, she went from visiting to running the place!) Once, several months ago, I almost visited T2T. I had a friend flying to Nashville on business and I was invited along. I even plotted out the route on mapquest from Nashville to Penuel Ridge. It turned out that I didn’t travel to Nashville, but someday I probably will.

Matthew’s Blog is a blog about a very sick baby, as documented by his father in photographs. The blog is to keep the family informed on Matthews’s progress, but also a journal of his life. Matthew has a serious heart condition, that just ten years ago would have been fatal. With the miracle of modern micro-surgery, and talented physicians, Matthew will now survive to be a healthy boy. It has been touch and go through a lot of his procedures. It is great to see how Matthew’s parents rally around him, even when they are so weary. They never lose their hope and strong faith, even though I know that they are constantly on “the edge of their seats” with worry. Whenever I am feeling low, I check Matthew’s Blog. It gives me hope, and a lot to be thankful for.

Chocolatebox Diary is also one of the first blogs I discovered. Hiromi is a woman in Japan who is eagerly leaning English. She has three beautiful daughters. All of them are busy and involved in school and sports. Hiromi’s blog shows us the wonderful meals that she cooks for her family and all of the activities that she attends with her daughters. She has taken a job recently, and does not have much time to blog. Sometimes she is so involved with her family, that she doesn’t take time for herself. This makes her sad. I remind her to smile. She is as interested in my culture as I am in hers. We have become good friends. We e-mail each other and someday we will meet in person.

Elephant's Memory - Touching story

In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from college. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed so Mbembe approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot, and found a large thorn deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the thorn out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man and with a rather stern look on its face, stared at him. For several tense moments Mbembe stood frozen,thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned and walked away. Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day. Twenty years later he was walking through a zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe and lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man. Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. Suddenly the elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of the man's legs and swung him wildly back and forth along the railing, killing him. Probably wasn't the same elephant.

. . .and my point is YOU-YOU

One of my favorite jobs when I was a law enforcement officer was that of "hostage negotiator". I would be called upon when someone was barricaded (alone or with a hostage) to negotiate the release. I think I was first picked for this job because I have a soothing voice. It quickly became a passion and I learned everything I could about it. I got a big rush when the world came to a standstill and waited while the hostage taker and I talked on the phone. I got an even bigger high when, through the power of persuasion, I talked the suspect into giving up and coming out. After a long seige that turned out well, it was when I was finally alone in my car on the ride home when I yelled "YES!" "I DID IT!" that was the most satisfing moment. My point in telling you this is to let you know that it was very important to me, in order to save a life, to get to know the suspect as soon as possible. I enjoy doing that. I have now known some of you for about a year. I don't know your names, but I know you. Stay tuned, I am working on a post about some of you. I call it my YOU-YOU. I think you will find it interesting.

Fool me twice, shame on me!

A Texan could think of this .... from Bandera County, where drunk driving is considered a sport, comes this true story. Recently a routine police patrol parked outside a bar in Bandera, Texas. After Last Call the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing. After what seemed an eternity and trying his keys on five different vehicles the man managed to find his car which he fell into. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off (it was a fine, dry summer night), flicked the blinkers on, then off a couple of times, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little and then remained still for a few more minutes as some more of the other patron vehicles left. At last, the parking lot empty, he pulled out of the parking lot and started to drive slowly down the road. The police officer, having patiently waited all this time, now started up the patrol car, put on the flashing lights, and promptly pulled the man over and approached the car carrying a breathalyzer test kit. To his amazement the breathalyzer indicated no evidence of the man having consumed any alcohol at all! Dumbfounded, the officer said, "I'll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station. This breathalyzer equipment must be broken." "I doubt it", said the truly proud Texan, "Tonight I'm the designated decoy."

For all you cat lovers!

A cat died and went to Heaven. God met him at the pearly gates and said, "You have been a good cat all these years. Anything you want is yours for the asking. The cat thought for a minute and then said, "All my life I lived on a farm and slept on hard wooden floors. I would like a real fluffy pillow to sleep on." God said, "Say no more." Instantly the cat had a huge fluffy pillow. A few days later, six mice were killed in an accident and they all went to Heaven together. God met the mice at the pearly gates with the same offer that He made to the cat. The mice said, "Well, we have had to run all of our lives: from cats, dogs, and even people with brooms! If we could just have some little roller skates, we would not have to run again." God answered, "It is done." All the mice had beautiful little roller skates. About a week later, God decided to check on the cat. He found him sound asleep on his fluffy pillow. God gently awakened the cat and asked, "Is everything okay? How have you been doing? Are you happy?" The cat replied, "Oh, it is WONDERFUL. I have never been so happy in my life. The pillow is so fluffy, and those little Meals on Wheels you have been sending over are delicious!"

Product endorsement

I hate mint! For years I had to brush my teeth with the "refreshing taste of mint". This would be OK if I liked mint, but I can't stand it - YUK!
Finally Crest came out with a product for us non mint lovers. Whitening Expressions tooth paste comes in Lemon Ice and Vanilla Mint. The lemon kind tastes just like those lemon lolipops, and the vanilla just has a slight (tolerable) hint of mint. I also like natural citrus Listerine, tastes kind of orange instead of that nasty regular mouthwash. Just thought I would pass this along to any of you fellow mint haters!

What next?

Sometimes this baby boomer can't sleep. I don't want to turn on the television, for fear it will keep me awake longer. I have noticed that I have a kind of "ipod" in my brain. I can recall tunes and play them for my amusment. Last night I was listening to some Copland from my brain, and I started thinking about how far technology has come in my lifetime. In the early 80's, when I was first a detective, we had to share a pager. The detective on call would keep the pager for that week. It was the size of a cigarette pack (one more thing to carry) and it would beep, signaling you to call the dispatcher. Of course you would have to find a pay phone - there were no cell phones back then. Before I retired, all the detectives had their own cell phones, and even the kind with that annoying two-way walkie-talkie. We got GPS's to follow the bad guys, and sometimes even to follow our own officers. We had body bugs and pin-hole cameras for undercover operations. We got in car cameras to record every traffic stop. Now there is a computer in every police car. This makes me wonder what will be invented in the next twenty years. I can only imagine that it will be something "in body", like my brain ipod. Maybe a forehead camera for police officers?

Trouble in paradise

On Thursday last my teenage son emerged from his room and announced that something was wrong with his laptop. My first thought was, "Who are you?", because I haven't seen him in the daytime for so long! He couldn't get his machine to connect to the internet. I know very little about computers, and we discussed what he should do to try to fix it. He told me that he had downloaded a trial game, and that when he deleted it the trouble started. He suggested doing a "system recovery". I told him to try that, and if it didn't work we would need to get professional help. He returned a few minutes later, frustrated that the fix didn't work, that now it would not even load his profile. I told him that if he "got up during the daylight hours" the next day, that we would take it to the Geek Squad to be fixed. The Geek Squad is at the Best Buy store and I have had good luck with them before. We had to drive 25 miles to the closest store. There was a bad rain storm on the way down there, and the traffic slowed to a dangerous 40 mph. I took the time to lecture my son about the perils of driving in such conditions. (I love it when he is a captive audience.) We finally got there and walked up to the counter where I told Preston to explain to the man what had happened to the computer. As he explained the man turned on the machine. It worked perfectly. ? As I told you, I am computer stupid, but I do know a few little things. I turned to my son and said, "You did re-start it after you did the system recovery, didn't you?" AH-NO, HE DIDN'T!!! Embarased, we slinked out of the Geek Squad area. At least they didn't charge us for being computer idiots! I was relieved that it only cost me the gas to drive there!

AH! Summertime!

I don't have a clue why - but the teenage boys in this house want to stay up all night and sleep all day! They like to play video games, and communicate with their friends on "My Space". I have tried to reason with them. Why don't they just go to bed at midnight or so, then get up early and play their games? Nope - for some reason they want to stay up until 0430 or 0530, then go to bed and sleep until the afternoon. I don't get it, when they stay up all night, they have to be quiet, to not wake up the moms. Last night I admonished them about the laughing and the noise. They are both good boys, and I have nothing to complain about. I try not to nag the hell out of them, but at the same time, I feel like it is my job to keep them on the straight and narrow path. I try to remember that next year they will be working in the summer, and that they should enjoy their childhood as long as possible. Maybe I am too easy on them, but I know that they will only be young for a short time. I also have allowed my son to grow his hair long for the first time this year. He is sixteen, and I am trying to let him make his own decisions about these things. Soon he will be getting his driver's license, another scary event! This mom thing is a lot more worrisome than I originally thought it would be!

Dispatcher laughs

Subject: Dial 911

BELIEVE it or not, These are REAL 911 Calls!

Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What is your emergency?
Caller: I heard what sounded like gunshots coming from the brown house on the corner.
Dispatcher: Do you have an address?
Caller: No, I have on a blouse and slacks, why?

Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What is your emergency?
Caller: Someone broke into my house and took a bite out of my ham and cheese sandwich.
Dispatcher: Excuse me?
Caller: I made a ham and cheese sandwich and left it on the kitchen table and when I came back from the bathroom, someone had taken a bite out of it.
Dispatcher: Was anything else taken?
Caller: No, but this has happened to me before and I'm sick and tired of it!

Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What is the nature of your emergency?
Caller: I'm trying to reach nine eleven but my phone doesn't have an eleven on it.
Dispatcher: This is nine eleven.
Caller: I thought you just said it was nine-one-one
Dispatcher: Yes, ma'am nine-one-one and nine-eleven are the same thing.
Caller: Honey, I may be old, but I'm not stupid.

Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What's the nature of your emergency?
Caller: My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart.
Dispatcher: Is this her first child?
Caller: No, you idiot! This is her husband!

And the winner is..........

Dispatcher: 9-1-1
Caller: Yeah, I'm having trouble breathing. I'm all out of breath. Darn....I think I'm going to pass out.
Dispatcher: Sir, where are you calling from?
Caller: I'm at a pay phone. North and Foster.
Dispatcher: Sir, an ambulance is on the way. Are you an asthmatic?
Caller: No
Dispatcher: What were you doing before you started having trouble breathing?
Caller: Running from the Police.

Hirshhorn Museum

While in Washington, I wanted to check out the Hirshhorn Museum specifically to see "Big Man" by Australian artist Ron Mueck. Much to my disappointment, "Big Man" was on tour, and won't be back until the fall. I still loved the museum of modern art and sculpture. My son doesn't "get" modern art and told me so at every turn. I told him that I don't get it either, but I just like it! Maybe as he gets older, he will develop an appreciation for art.

Home again!

I had a wonderful time on vacation, visiting my family in Virginia. We stayed with my brother in his "starter castle" (5 bedrooms & 4 bathrooms) plenty of room for visitors.



Preston & I went to Washington, D.C. and saw the play "Spamalot" at the National Theatre. We spent some time walking around Washington, there is so much to see.










I saw a cool butterfly flutterby (I don't know one kind of butterfly from another) but nobody told me how difficult they are to photograph! I took about 15 shots, before I finally got a usable one! (hooray for digital!)









The train was fun again this year, we had our own sleeping comparment, nice, private and WAY better than driving for 16 hours!

HELLO BLOG PALS!

I miss all of you and tonight I took a while and read all your blogs. I didn't have time to comment, but as usual I am happy to read about everyone's life adventures. The train trip to Washington, D.C. was nice, very relaxing to just look out the window. I am in Virginia Beach now, staying with my brother and sister-in-law, two of the nicest people on the planet! I go over to my mother's house in Norfolk (about 20 minutes away) everyday. Today we were starting a project to organize and catalog her various photographs. Next week Preston & I will be traveling to Washington, D.C. and staying a few nights to see the sights up there. We have tickets at the National Theatre to see "Spamalot", so that should be great fun. On June 15th, we will be headed home on the auto-train. Until then, keep smiling, stay happy - I miss you my blog pals!

New door

Outside still has to be painted.

Check out my new front door. Two guys came, sawed a BIG hole in the existing door and put in this beautiful leaded glass panel. It took about an hour. It really throws a lot of light into the dark foyer. I like it. Installed by: Devin O'Connell Decorative Door Glass.

Packing up

tWhen I go on a trip, I take everything. I am going on the train on Wednesday and I will be gone two weeks. I will have to take clothes for myself and my son. I also have to take my camera, laptop computer, some movies on DVD, music CD's, some tools (in case my mother needs anything fixed while I am at her house). A book to read, rechargeable flashlight, knife, gun, sunglasses, cap, jacket (?), raincoat, umbrella, - you see? The list is just endless. When I go on a trip in my travel trailer, I have most of the stuff I need already packed in there. When I was in law enforcement, I was a hostage negotiator. I had to always be ready to go at a moments notice to a situation that could potentially last DAYS! I always had a ready-bag in my police car, just in case. Maybe that is when I got in this taking-everything-with-me mode. It's a sickness! I am retired but I cannot break this silly habit! I hope the train doesn't have a weight limit on how much you can pack in your car!

Uh Oh!

I may have entered the "Motherkitty" zone of bad luck! The spa just stopped working - no lights, no heater, no blowers. Nothing is wrong with the breaker, the whole thing is just dead! Time to call the hot tub tech., how much will that cost? Now if bad things come in threes, the air conditioner started making some loud noise, and the toilet started leaking! We fixed the toilet (it only took five hours and the use of a hacksaw & dremel tool to get off some rusted tank bolts!) I will have to call the air conditioner service man. We can't go without air conditioning in Florida. It seems that we have completely skipped spring and we are already in the middle of summer, with temperature topping 90 degrees already! All this to do and I am leaving on the train on Wednesday!

Camping at O'Leno

A couple of years ago we were camping at O'Leno State Park in Florida. It rained and rained, the whole time we were there. Across from our site was a class A motorhome. I didn't see anyone around it the whole weekend, no one coming or going. Late Saturday afternoon we heard a loud crack, and then a crash that shook the ground. The ground had gotten so saturated with all the rain, that a tree fell and crashed into the motorhome. We investigated, we still did not know if anyone was inside. It turned out the the owners had parked it and taken their tow car to the area football game.

They would have surely been killed if they had been inside. The park was full of trees, and we were a little frightened but we stayed until Sunday morning. It continued to rain, but no other trees fell.

Did you see it?

Did you see the DaVinci Code movie? What did you think of it?



If you didn't see it, let me save you the trouble. Just read the book, it was much better in print.

View from the hammock

Ah! this is the life! nothing like a hammock to get you in the right frame of mind!
Late in the afternoon, waiting for the sun to set.


I reached in my pocket and got my camera phone.


I could just lay here or call for a pizza! Ah! I love modern technology!

Amtrak Auto Train

We are headed out next week on vacation to see my family in Virginia. We are taking the auto train from Sanford, Florida to Lorton, Virginia. This rail car is typical of the ones used to stack the cars two rows high. Amtrak Auto Train is one of the longest trains. Depending on the number of cars loaded on, the train can be up to a mile long!

You turn in your car at the station and they give you a magnetic number to stick on the side of the car. (This identifies your car when they unload at the other end, they call out the numbers as they take the cars off.) The station crew drive the cars on to the elevator platforms and load the cars onto the train.


You board the passenger part of the train, and at 4 PM the train leaves for the 16 hour journey. You can have dinner in the dining car, spend time in the lounge car, or just walk around the train. You can have just regular seats, or a sleeping car (which I prefer).


The really neat thing about the train is the great view. You enter the train at street level, but all the seats and rooms are upstairs. The dining car is a first class restaurant, and even though the train is moving and swaying, the waiters never seem to spill food on you! You watch the landscape go by as you eat your meal.

I am not much of a fan of jet plane travel. (OK, truth be told, I hate it!) Squeezed to capacity in a jet plane is not my idea of fun. The train takes longer, but what do I care? I am retired, I have all the time in the world!

1954 computer

52 years ago this is what we thought the home computer would look like in 2004. What do you suppose the steering wheel was for???

Maxine, I love her!

Good housekeeping tip:

Always keep several get well cards on the mantle..........so if unexpected guests arrive, they might think you've been sick and unable to clean.

Snake story

I hesitate to tell this story. If I had heard this from someone else, I would have said, "bullshit" but I SWEAR - this is a true account. I do have witnesses, so that helps! When I was a deputy sheriff in the 1980's, before I made detective, I was on the road in a radio dispatched patrol car. The county is divided up into zones, and each deputy is responsible to respond to calls within that zone. If I live to be one hundred, I will never forget this. It was the day before I was scheduled to go on vacation. I got a "snake call" in a subdivision that was still under construction. It was a high dollar community, with fancy concrete walls and enclosed entrances. The complainant met me in the street and told me that a "huge" snake had been crawling down the street, and that he last saw it slither into an enclosed courtyard of a vacant house. The man described the snake as black & yellow with diamond shapes on it's back.

Now I was scared enough to pee my pants, but I couldn't show it. I shudder at even a photo of a snake and I knew this was a poisonous rattler. I loaded up my revolver with snake shot - special bullets that have tiny bb's instead of a single round. I had heard through the years that the strike of a rattlesnake is so fast, that it cannot be seen with the human eye. I know that rattlesnakes are "pit vipers" sensing heat to strike their prey, even in the dark. My back-up arrived, Deputy "Chuck", a 6 foot 5 inch man. I drew my gun and entered the courtyard with Chuck close enough to be my back-pack. My hands were sweating so bad that I could hardly keep a good grip on the gun, and I felt my mouth turn to sawdust. Chuck whispered (as if the snake could hear)"There he is!" (two feet from the end of my gun) The snake had coiled up under a springery fern, I could only see the side of him. "BANG-BANG" I quickly double tapped him (shot twice) without aiming. No movement. Someone else entered the courtyard with a rake and poked at the snake, announcing that he was dead. They drug him out of there, and to my suprise he was about 7 feet long. They held him up, and wanted me to have my photo taken with him. No way. Snakes, even dead ones, continue to move because of all the muscle contraction in their bodies. Upon further examination of the snakes head, which was as big as my fist, I saw two side by side bullet holes in the back of his mouth through his head! I did not aim at his head, I could not see it. The snake had reacted to the heat of the bullets and caught them in his mouth. Now that's fast. I still shudder to this day when I think of this incident!

Welcome to Florida!

"I will bite your arms and/ or legs off!"

"What part of "dangerous" didn't you understand?"

"I have my mouth open so you will step inside, I will have you over for lunch!"

"If you let your little dogs/ cats/ children near me, I will eat them." "No, I am not mean, they just look like prey to me."

My garden

This is the first time I have ever had a flower garden. I have a nice area right outside my bedroom window. I put up a cute wrought iron fence to keep the dogs out of it. (the dogs think they own this place!) I hope the garden survives. I had help picking out the plants because some can be in the hot Florida sun and others need to be in partial shade. Anyway, I can't even pronouce some of the plant names, but I like the way they look. I will see if I can keep them alive! I am watering everyday, and using Miracle Grow fertilizer once a week. I know that I have created MORE work for myself, but it should be fun!

Guns

My guns:
Smith & Wesson 9mm,
Colt .380 cal,
Smith & Wesson .38 revolver


One of my many duties when I worked was that of firearms instructor and armorer for the police department. I was responsible for the care and maintainance of all department owned firearms. Included in this, was my responsibility to run the range & teach and qualify new officers. All officers had to show proficiency with the department handguns, as well as any personal handguns that they carried off duty. I would schedule a "range date" twice a year, and all officers had to attend. The department owned Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistols. I picked this particular firearm after testing several others, primarily for it's safety features. It will not fire, even with a bullet in the breech, if the magazine is out. It will not fire with the de-cocking safety lever down because the firing pin is blocked. It will not fire if the slide is not lined up. You can see if there is a bullet in the breech just by observing a little slot in the slide on the top. There could be a time that an officer gets his gun taken away by a suspect. If this occurs, these safety features could save the officers life, simply by him knowing where to grab the gun to move the slide, or hit the magazine release lever. Anyway, I was sucessful in teaching the officers all these extra tricks, and we were lucky that during my watch there were no officer involved shootings. Believe it or not I did not even like guns before I was in law enforcement. They scared me, like they do most people, until I became familiar with them and realized that they are just a tool. It is difficult to be a Mom and have firearms in the house. I figured out early that the boys woud be curious about them. So, once in a while, I would take the guns out (unloaded of course) and show them to the boys. I would let them handle the guns, pull the trigger, etc., always teaching them the "laser rule" - NEVER point the gun at themselves or anyone else, pretend a laser is pointing out of the barrel. Children are naturally curious; I told them to tell me if they wanted to see the guns, but to never handle them without me being present. They always wanted to learn to shoot, and I told them to wait until they were 16. (That age creeped up on me quick, and the other day I took Preston for his first shooting lesson!) I am still called upon once in a while to give a private lesson, and I enjoy the one-on-one teaching much better than teaching a group. I feel more comfortable with guns now, but I still have a healthy respect. I get annoyed when the news reports that a "gun went off" and someone is shot. There is no way in the world that guns shoot without someone actually pulling the trigger!

Student driver

When will it end? Me in the passenger seat, clutching my seatbelt strap! I like to drive. If we go anywhere, I am usually the one to drive. I have to let my son drive now, he is 16 and has his learner's permit. He will be getting his license in August, so I have to let him behind the wheel. Sometimes it is very nerve-wracking! Today, I found myself closing my eyes as we approached a traffic light. I know he is going to stop, and basically he is a good driver so far. I don't want to yell, "GET ON THE DAMN BRAKE!" You young mothers - beware! -Driver training is way worse than potty training, now I am the one going pee in my pants!!! For several years when I worked I was a field training officer. I had to teach rookie cops how to high speed pursuit drive, with lights and sirens on! I have either lost my nerve or my near death experience has caused me to turn into a wimp. I would feel much better if I could have my foot on one of those passenger side brakes, like they have in driver training cars. I think, for me, it is all about giving up control. I hate it. I am gonna be a bitch if I ever have to live in an old folks home!

Last parade

The boys and the band marched in the last parade for this school year this past Saturday night. I didn't march with them this year. Instead we watched the parade from the sidelines. This was nice, we got to see the other bands and floats. I am always worried about Preston getting enough water since his last bout with dehydration, so I bought him a "Camelback" water backpack. This thing is neat, a little two quart bladder bottle inside a backpack made for it. It has a tube that goes over your shoulder, and a little bite valve, so it doesn't leak, and the cold water on your back keeps you cool! It worked really well, and he liked it. I am going to suggest to the band director that we get these for all the members.

End of the school year

Matt on drums




Preston on tuba





Last night was the final concert for the band, and the awards ceremony. Each group performed (concert band, jazz band, marching band) in the courtyard of the high school, then we had a banquet and awards were given out to each section. We brought our lawn chairs and enjoyed some wonderful music from the young musicians. It was a nice relaxing evening. We are proud of our "band boys" and their acomplishments this year. The boys are looking forward to summer vacation, just a couple more weeks until school is over for this year.

Tree house

Reading Susan's recent post made me think back to the time when the "moms" built a tree house for the "boys" several years ago. We thought that they would spend hours playing in their new fort. Preston was up there about twice before he discovered that there were spiders in the oak tree, and that was the end of that! Matthew played up there a few times too, but not nearly as much as I thought he would. I discovered that it is better to let the boys do their own thing. Sometimes a discarded cardboard box is the best play fort, and a hell of a lot cheaper! The tree house was up for about a year and a half before we tore it down. In this photo, Preston is in the house right before demolition began. Notice he is not touching anything in there, still scared of spiders!

"Hemi"

what a difference a haircut makes!

The way I see it. . . .

As I read the news and see the television reports, I don't know how much longer we will survive as a civilization. There seems to be so much unrest, fighting, and poverty. It is so depressing. Since I retired about 15 years before I expected too, I thought that the rest of my life would be stress free. I envisioned myself traveling around the country, pulling my travel trailer, care free. It looks like that is not a possibility unless a bring a wheelbarrow full of cash to pay for gas. It is kind of sad that we spend so much energy arguing and fighting. Our time would be so much better spent finding disease cures, looking for alternative fuel sources, helping the poverty stricken people. Instead the leaders and politicians run the world pursuing their own agendas, with no regard for the other guy and his opinion. I have always considered myself an optimist, but lately the whole state of the world has me really "down". The sad thing is that I really don't know what to do about it. Write my congressman? No one seems to care unless it is around election time. When I look at history, even in my short lifetime, I see other dire times when it looked like the end of the world was in sight. Maybe the world has always been this way, but now, more than ever before, it looks to me like we are on the brink of disaster.

Six weird things

I was tagged by Doubleknot to list 6 weird things about myself. Doubleknot said, "I know you are perfectly normal". HA! We will see!

1. I am a technical nut, I like any and all techie stuff.

2. I am WAY older than the young person inside my mind.

3.I am teaching myself to play the trumpet, and no one in my household knows this, I practice when I am home alone!

4. Now that I am retired and home alot, my three dogs are my new best friends!

5. I am so mechanical that I can take anything apart and put it back together.

6. I feel extraordinarily close to my "bloggie" friends.

Pain in the Neck

It took me several weeks to figure this out. I have had a pain in the muscle in the back (left side) of my neck. I kept thinking that I was "sleeping wrong" so I made an extra effort to place my pillows just right, and sleep on the non-affected side. Nothing helped, every morning I woke up, sometimes so stiff that I couldn't turn my head. I even considered going to the doctor. I like to figure things out on my own first, so when I visit the doctor, I can make my own diagnosis - then he can just agree with me! I am so glad I didn't go to the doc for this. It turns out that the pain in my neck is YOUR fault. Yes, that's right, it is because of you. Reading your blogs late into the night when I am sleepy has caused me to prop my chin on my left hand, with my elbow propped on the desk. I navigate thru the blogs with my right hand on the mouse, while I inadvertently hyper-extend my neck muscle by propping my head up! Pretty pitiful, I can't even hold up my own head! I have made an extra effort since I discovered this dilema to sit up straight and concentrate on correct posture. If you happen to see me propping my head, you have my permission to slap me out of this chair!

LIAR!

Most people think that the police do not/ can not / will not lie to them. Nothing could be further from the truth! The police are allowed to lie, it is covered by statute. They lie to get confessions, and it is perfectly legal. They just can't make promises to coerce a confession. One of the things I used to do with a burglary suspect is leave the interview room and get some generic fingerprint lift cards from an unrelated crime scene. I would come back into the room, throw the fingerprint cards down on the table, and simply say, "Who do you think these prints belong to?" Then I would leave again. Of course suspects are NEVER alone while at the police station, and I would go into the next room and watch through the two-way mirror. Usually a guilty suspect couldn't help looking at the cards. He would pick up the cards to see how clear the print lifts were, and even look at his own fingers to see if they compared. It was funny, a game of cat and mouse. Another thing I used to do is play the "What if I told you" game. It works like this, I would say to the suspect - "What if I told you someone saw you in that neighborhood?" (note: I did not say that someone did actually see them) Of course these sneaky tactics were meant to solict a confession from the guilty or absolve the innocent. If you are ever in police custody, remember, everything you do and say CAN be held against you. So shut up! Remember your right to remain silent. Let the evidence show your guilt or innocence. Lucky for me, everyone always wanted to talk.

Retirement is good!

Question: How many days in a week?
Answer: 6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday

Question: When is a retiree's bedtime?
Answer: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch.

Question: How many retirees to change a light bulb?
Answer: Only one, but it might take all day.

Question: What's the biggest gripe of retirees?
Answer: There is not enough time to get everything done.

Question: Why don't retirees mind being called Seniors?
Answer: The term comes with a 10% percent discount.

Question: Among retirees what is considered formal attire?
Answer: Tied shoes.

Question: Why do retirees count pennies?
Answer: They are the only ones who have the time.

Question: What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire?
Answer: NUTS!

Question: What is the best way to describe retirement?
Answer: The never ending Coffee Break.

Thanks Bob!

No wonder. . .

. . .everyone hates to learn English. Note: if Chocolatebox reads these, she may give up trying to learn this language!

We must polish the Polish furniture.

He could lead if he would get the lead out.

The farm was used to produce produce.

The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

The soldier decided to desert in the desert.

This was a good time to present the present.

A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

I did not object to the object.

The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

The bandage was wound around the wound.

There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

They were too close to the door to close it.

The buck does funny things when the does are present.

They sent a sewer down to stitch the tear in the sewer line.

To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

After a number of injections my jaw got number.

Upon seeing the tear in my clothes I shed a tear.

I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

I read it once and will read it again. (yes, you will!)

I learned much from this learned treatise.

I was content to note the content of the message.

The Blessed Virgin blessed her. Blessed her richly.

It's a bit wicked to over-trim a short wicked candle.

If he will absent himself we mark him absent.

I incline toward bypassing the incline.

thanks to "BOB"

Guess who?

I heard a "tap-tap-tapping" at my door this morning. I captured this photo outside in the garden. Could it be...??????

Remembering

April 1st marks the second anniversary of my friends death. Jody is missed by her friends and family. The "biting" grief is starting to subside, giving way to sweet remembrances. We always had fun, even at work in the throws of a serious case. Jody was a "crimes against children" detective. This is a specialized area for a detective that only investigates crimes with juvenile victims. In sexual abuse cases the job involves emotional interviews of traumatized children. Often times these cases lack of any physical evidence. Sometimes it is frustrating work, because you know that a crime has occurred, but there is not enough evidence to make an arrest. The way it works is that the lead detective will make the case, then three or four of us would go in for the actual arrest. Child sexual battery offenders have a lot to lose if they are caught and prosecuted. In Florida these offenses are "capital felonies", meaning they can get life in prison if convicted. I remember a particular case of a multi-victim offender that Jody finally got the goods on. Jody's husband, (who was my detective-partner), another plain clothes detective and I went along with Jody for the arrest. We parked on the next block and had a marked unit standing by to take the bad guy to jail. We were sneaking up the block approaching the offender's house, when Jody wispered, "Does anyone have handcuffs?" Everyone stopped and looked at each other, no one replied. Finally I said, "What would you people do if I wasn't such a boyscout?" I produced some handcuffs from my jacket pocket! It is difficult to carry all the cop tools when you are in plain clothes. You have to keep a gun, extra ammo, badge, handcuffs and a two way radio - all concealed! Detectives start to get complacent and keep this stuff under the seat in the car. I stopped carrying a purse and started wearing a shoulder holster many years ago. You know how you have to sometimes "dump out your purse" looking for something. Imagine trying to find your gun and handcuffs! When a bad guy threatens you, you don't have the time to say, "hang on a minute, it is right here in my purse somewhere!!!" Anyway, we got the creep arrested, and convicted. Jody never has to deal with these "scum of the earth" offenders anymore. She put many of them in jail. Job well done, Jody - Rest in peace.

Long ago

My "bloggie" friend "Jellyhead's" recent post reminded me of long ago and far away, back when I was a child. We don't recall these times near enough. My dad died when I was 23, a long time ago. I didn't have near enough time with him. I am, however, blessed with many childhood memories. Dad used to read to us every night at bedtime. He like poetry, and we would always ask for "Casey at the Bat", a baseball poem that my brother loved. My favorite was the "Owl and the Pussycat". After all this time, I think I can still remember it. It goes something like this:

The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea
in a beautiful pea green boat.
They took some honey and plenty of money
wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above and sang to a small guitar,
"Oh lovely Pussy, Oh Pussy my love, what a beautiful Pussy you are, you are, what a beautiful Pussy you are!"
Said Puss to the Owl, "You elegant fowl,
how charmingly sweet you sing,
oh let us be married, too long we have tarried,
but what shall we do for a ring?".
So they sailed away for a year and a day to the land where the bong trees grow,
and there in the wood, a piggy-wig stood,
with a ring on the end of his nose -his nose-
with a ring on the end of his nose.
Said Owl to the pig, "Are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?" Said the piggy, "I will!"
So they took it away and were married next day
by the turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mints, and slices of quints,
which they ate with a runcible spoon.
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
they danced by the light of the moon -the moon-
they danced by the light of the moon!

That was from memory, so I hope I remembered it all, forty years is a long time ago.

Mo.. money

I got a big income tax return this year. I decided not to squander the money, instead I will spend it on stuff for my house. I bought this new light for the dining room. We had a perfectly good light and ceiling fan. We hardly ever used the fan, because it was too cool over the table. I like my food to be HOT when I eat it! I saw this light and I really like stained glass, so I got it. I also called the door man to install one of those decorative doors. Instead of buying a whole new front door, they cut out the center of the existing door, and put decorative windowpane glass in it. I have a small house, so I like to make it as unique and nice as I can. I have a lot more spring projects to keep me busy. More later, I am off to the home improvement store to spend more money!

Florida Aquarium

Yesterday we went to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. I am familiar with many species of aquatic life, living in a state surrounded by water, but I had never seen anything like this. This is a "Leafy Sea Dragon" It looks sort of like a sea horse with leaves! What an interesting animal. The leaves do not act as fins to stear the animal, but are just for camouflage. He moves by means of a tiny little transparent fin on his back. This animal is native to Australia. This is the first time I have observed one of them - I could have stayed and watched him all day. Facinating!

Sweet 16

Today was my son's 16th birthday. I find it so hard to believe. Time has gone by in a flash. Wasn't he just learning to talk, walk, go to the potty? Wasn't that just yesterday? He is a wonderful son, I love him so much, I am so proud of him. I remember the first "joke" he told. He was about 2 years old, around Christmas time. He was looking out the window as we were riding in the car, he said, "Mommy, see those birds sitting on the wire?" "They are holding on with their foot claws, not their santa claus." That was the beginning of the wise guy comments! He is naturally funny. Today he had three of his teenage friends come to the house for a couple of hours. They sat around and laughed and joked and played video games. He was embarassed that I put up a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" banner, but I refused to take it down. They all had cake and ice cream, but we didn't DARE sing the birthday song!

Detective Sergeant Retired

I finally cleaned out my locker the other night. I have been retired since February 2004, so it was about time! I have just avoided going out there for a long time. I did not want to run into some of the people that opposed my disability retirement. You see, I got an "in the line of duty" retirement, and some people disagreed with that. The law in the State of Florida asserts that if you did not have heart disease when you started your law enforcement job, and you got it - then it is presumed to have been caused by the job, thus a line of duty disability. The retirement board fought me "tooth & nail" and I was quite put off by that. I was always willing to "lay down my life" if required for my job. It hurt my feelings that no one stood up for me. As long as I was doing the job, being on call 24-7, then they were happy with me. Once I was of no further use to them, they turned their backs on me. My fault too, a job is just a job, and you should never get so involved that you take things personally. When I drove out to the PD, it was like old times when I used to get called out in the night for a major incident. It was late, and there wasn't much traffic, it only took about 20 minutes to get there. I could not find the duty officer, so I drove around using my detective skills to find him (find the all night coffee, find the cop). Sure enough, he was at the all night store commiserating with the cops of the adjacent jurisdiction. It was like old times, everyone was glad to see me. I could fall right back into the cop shop thing very easily. My heart won't let me though. As I cleaned out my locker of change of clothes, bullet proof vest, various tooth brushes, hair brushes, soap, towel, shoe polish, etc., I thought about how prepared I always was for any situation - to stay there for days if need be. I should have been more prepared for the inevitability of an accident or disability. In thinking about any career, you should remember this little poem that I found;
Take your hand and stick it in a bucket of water up to the wrist, then take it out and the hole that remains is a measure of how you'll be missed!

How about this?

Can You Read This?

I Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!if you can raed tihs psas it on !!

Progress

I used to live somewhat in the country. I am two miles or so east of the interstate highway, and most of the population is west of the interstate, closer to the Gulf of Mexico. The area is beautiful, and I have live here over half my life. Lately, there is new development all around me. 800 acres of land around my small neighborhood has now been sold and is being developed. Once it was quiet here, now everyday I hear the sound of heavy machinery. They are building roads, moving dirt around, preparing lots for the new homes. I took a walk back into the new neighborhood the other day. It is amazing vast. I could see for miles back into what used to be a heavily wooded area. Every tree is gone, replaced by miles and miles of new paved roads. I am not against progress, but it is still kind of sad. Over 1,000 people a day are moving to Florida, so I guess we have to put them somewhere. I wonder what happend to all the animals that made the woods their home. There are foxes, opossoms, red-tail hawks, bob-cats and many other animals that have been displaced. I will take my camera next time I go, so I can post some photos.

Studying Australia

Studying other countries is my most recent hobby, probably because of Google Earth.

The questions below about Australia are from potential visitors. They were posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have a sense of humor.

Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV,how do the plants grow? (UK)
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.

Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks?(Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water.

Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Australia? (Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Q: Are there any ATMs in Australia? Can you send me a list of them inBrisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia? (USA)
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe.Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not... oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.

Q: Which direction is North in Australia? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)
A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia? ( UK)
A: You are a British politician, right?

Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round?(Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. (USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-mer-i-ca which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget its name. It's a kind of bear and lives in trees. (USA)
A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.

Q: Do you have perfume in Australia? (France)
A: No, WE don't stink.

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you
tell me where I can sell it in Australia? (USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q: Can you tell me the regions in Tasmania where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France)
A: Only at Christmas.

Q: I was in Australia in 1969 on R+R, and I want to contact the girl I dated while I was staying in Kings Cross. Can you help? (USA)
A: Yes, and you will still have to pay her by the hour.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first.

I can't stop looking!

If you haven't been to Google Earth yet, you need to go there. I love it. I can't stop looking around. Flying all over the world, looking at places that I have only read about. I remember more about Geography class than I thought. Some of the places are vague, you can just see the basics, but other places are so complete that you can see cars and people on the street! I can see my house on Google Earth, that is amazing! Just plug in your address to the search and see what comes up. Tonight I went to Rome, Paris, Japan, Australia, and New York City. I get lost looking for landmarks that I know. Before I know it, it is way past bedtime and I am computer weary! If you feel closer to me now, it is because I "buzzed" over your neighborhood last night!

New doggie door

Over the past weekend I put a new doggie door in the back screen porch. They already had a flap to go out to the porch, now they can go all the way out by themselves. Now I hear the sound of "flap-flap" then "flap-flap" again and again, as they practice going in and out of their new door.



Buddy says, "I like it OK, but I would rather stay outside."

For the boys

“Come to the edge.”
“We Can’t, We’re afraid.”
“Come to the edge.”
“We can’t. We will fall!”
“Come to the edge.”
And they came.
And she pushed them.
And they flew.

Guillaume Apollinaire 1880-1918



Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain


And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

Anais Nin

Metric recipe for disaster!

I am not the best cook in the world. I try to feed the family healty meals, even if they are not fancy. My son likes Shepard's Pie. The kind they make at school, not mine! I have tried several recipes that I have found in cook books and on the internet, but I cannot seem to get it right. While grocery shopping the other day, I found this Knorr packet to make Shepard's Pie and I thought that was a good idea, that maybe this would be the one that he likes. Last night I began to fix the meal and I quickly discovered that the directions were "foreign" to me. The recipe called for 450g of beef, 700g mashed potato, 300ml of water! I had NO IDEA what any of this means! A closer look at the packet showed that it was from Dublin, Ireland. How stupid are we here in America that we haven't made the conversion to metric like the rest of the world! I muddled through with the help of a conversion chart that I found on the internet. He ate it, but I could tell that it still wasn't up to the standard of the school lunch ladies!

Band decison

Preston told me this morning that he does not think he wants to go on tour with The Magic this summer. He thinks that it would be too difficult to do it all summer. I told him that he might look back on his decision and be disapointed that he did not go. He said that he will probably audition again next year. We talked about how far he had come in his exercising and strength training. He wants to continue to run and go to the gym. It has been a positive experience for him, and he got lots of good musical instruction while at the camps. I am a little disapointed because he would have traveled to a lot of places and learned to be on his own. On the other hand, he will be grown soon enough, and I would have really missed him this summer! He is still involved with his high school band, so there is plenty for him to do.