Here is a little something to start your weekend off right! We are leaving first thing tomorrow and Mr. T is going dove hunting and I’ll be spending the weekend with my Diva’s! Both bags are packed and I’m ready! I’m also a bit nervous to send T off without me… but I think that is normal, right? Right?
Have a great weekend!
I’m not kidding. You think that I gave this blog post a provocative title in order to grab your attention. Well, I didn’t.
Okay, well, maybe a little. If I was being honest, the title would read “My Ex-Uncle Killed My Imaginary Friend”; however, that seemed too long!
When I was little, I had an imaginary friend. It may have been why my parents decided to give me a sibling, maybe they thought I was lonely. Apparently having my sister wasn’t the answer, as my imaginary friend hung around longer.
I’m sure I had lots of fun with my imaginary friend, we probably went everywhere together and played dolls together! We shared secrets and a bath tub! We climbed the fence to the neighbors and jumped on my parents bed!
Then, one day, while visiting my family, my uncle took my imaginary friend and threw it over the balcony and killed it.
I never saw my imaginary friend again.
Rest In Peace Imaginary Friend
Now, to be fair. I don’t remember my imaginary friend, I have no clue if it was male or female – or even what I named it. I also don’t remember my uncle killing it. So, I probably wasn’t traumatized by it too much.
But, considering how much of my childhood I don’t remember, maybe I was. Maybe I’ve learned to just block everything out all because my uncle killed my imaginary friend.
Have at that one Freud!
As a reminder, I am doing fundraising for the American Heart Association as part of the Heart Walk in which my family is participating in memory of my brother, Lee.
You can donate here: AHW Kate’s Page. Thank you in advance for your consideration. You can donate as little as $25 on line and I know times are tight; however, below is a link to when Lee got his mechanical heart. Some of you who were with me during my journey have read this; however, now you can read it again with the perspective of all the good the American Heart Association can do!
For those that haven’t read it, you get to learn all about how a mechanical heart works! Please read A Mechanical Heart here and feel free to let me know if you have any questions or comments!
Again, thank you so much for your help, every donation helps.
I have nothing to say, but I don’t want to cross off the next thing on my to-do list, so I’m here instead.
What’s the next thing you ask… ugh… it’s the TORTURE MACHINE, also known as The Elliptical.
I hate this machine…
So, we had Mr. T’s annual check up, and while I knew it had gained some weight over the summer, my jaw about hit the floor when it was put in black and white. Now, I don’t mind a big kid, and he’s got good self-esteem, but I’m worried about his health.
I’ve lost 30 pounds so far this year because I wanted to be healthier, and apparently all of the food I wasn’t eating, Mr. T was and I was blind to it.
As such, we’ve both made a point to be more active. It’s really easy to do when we spent an hour chasing his 2 yr old cousin in the pool – or when we spent about 4 hours in the lake, and a good portion of that he did without a noodle – but during the week we don’t have those options. I told him that I’d start doing the elliptical. My goal is to set a good example.
Being a good example sucks.
Knowing this is good for me sucks, too.
Thus, I’m writing a blog post about it instead of actually getting up and doing it.
Number five on this list is what I’ve been working on this year! Take a look at Being a Lady is Overrated’s blog! You won’t be disappointed!
We all yearn to have a peaceful and happy life… No matter what the world throws at you, you have control to make it a happy life. I believe these are key in achieving internal peace.
1) Make peace with your past so that it doesn’t spoil your present.
2) What others think about you is none of your business.
3)Time heals most anything. Give time, some time to work.
4)No one is responsible for your happiness, except yourself.
5)Do not compare your life to others, you have NO idea what their journey is all about.
6)Stop over thinking, it’s ok to not know all the answers.
7)Smile, you don’t own all the worlds problems.
Take control of your own destiny and responsibility for your own happiness.
I’m having a wonderful weekend with lots of quality time with Mr. T. It’s the last weekend before he goes back to school and I can’t believe he’ll be a Sophomore! So, for your pleasure, I’m reblogging an old post, back when no one followed me! I just don’t want you to forget how awesome I am! Much Love and enjoy your Saturday!
I’m not saying I am Batman. I’m just saying that Batman and I have never been seen in the same room together at the same time.
As most of you know, I lost my baby brother to heart disease earlier this year. Most of you were there with me through this journey and I can’t thank you enough for for all of the support you gave me and for putting up with all of the medical terms I tossed your way!
My family and I are participating in the American Heart Association Heart Walk this year and our shirts have been modified to say that we are walking in memory of Lee. Part of this is the fundraising effort. The funds that are raised support projects that put up to the minute research into the doctors hands so they can better prevent and treat heart disease; groundbreaking pediatric heart and stroke research as approximately 36,000 babies are born with heart defects each year and research is the key to saving babies lives; and getting life-saving information to those who need it the most – information that can save a life, like how to eat better, how to recognize the warning signs of a heart attack and how to talk to a doctor about critical health choices.
Little Lee – so strong!
I won’t single you out whether you donate or you choose not to. This is a personal decision that only you can make – I am just here to give you the opportunity to participate and help if you want.
Donations can be made on-line for as little as $25. I know that times are tough, but if you can see it in your heart to donate, I’d greatly appreciate it. Please help me fund research so that no one else has to travel the path that I’ve been on.
For more information or to donate, please click here: AHA Kate’s Page. Thank you in advance for your support, it is appreciated.
Last picture of Lee and I together.
As always, if you missed out on the journey with me, you can go back and read the blogs – starting with my favorite one of all times: Then He Kissed the Back of My Hand
Monday, after Mr. T got his permit he drove us home and I took the keys and headed right back out to enjoy one of the best birthday presents I’ve ever received.
Shortly after Lee passed away I received a coupon for a spa package, five treatments for $19. I called mom and asked if she wanted to do a spa day with me as I thought we both needed one. She agreed, and then decided she wanted to get my sister and me the package as her gift to us. So, for our birthdays, in June, my sister got her package and in July I got mine. I knew mom wanted us to do this together so I waited and waited, and then waited some more. It’s not easy to get us all together, and even harder when my sister lives in Dallas and just had a baby…
Baby Bella was happy to see Aunt Kate!
Eventually time was running out, so I told mom I was going to go do it before it expired. Apparently that was all the motivation my mom and sister needed. My mom started her spa treatments last Wednesday and finished up on Friday evening. My sister started hers Friday evening and finished up Saturday.
See what a bonding experience that was? We totally did not do it together! We (they) waited so long and appointments were already booked. I had mine scheduled to start on Saturday and on Friday I called to cancel. There was no way I could help with the yard work at mom and dad’s, go do the spa treatments, go back to my parents to do more yard work and move furniture, then leave to get the cake and food and then do T’s party. That was just asking for trouble.
Instead, I scheduled my time for Monday. Yup, I took a couple of hours off work and went and had my birthday spa treatments!
My idea of a spa.
This was a contemporary spa. Now, since I’ve never been to a spa, contemporary or non-contemporary, I was pretty clueless. I had gathered from their website that it was all automated. We aren’t talking about Fabio massaging you – nope, it’s all done by machines. This actually intrigued me!
The reality of a contemporary spa.
So, I arrived and got started. First up was a slimming capsule. It is a dry heat and is supposed to burn up to 500 calories. It burned 488. And I lost one pound. This was only disappointing because mom lost 4 pounds! Of course, it’s water weight, but that’s not the point!!
Next was the hydration machine. This is a wet heat and I’d been cautioned that I should put a towel on my tummy because it gets really hot. They weren’t kidding!! I had that towel covering more than just my tummy! And, I kept opening the capsule to release some steam!
Afterwards, I went and bought a bottle of water. As I had forgotten my tanning lotion, I picked one off the clearance rack. Water and lotion – $9. Yup. I forked it over. I had a $20 on me to tip them with… well, yeah, they didn’t get that much after I spent $9 and some change on a single serving of tanning lotion and a bottle of water!!
Then it was time for my massage. Now, I wasn’t sure how an automatic massage would work, but it was pretty awesome! Really powerful water jets were underneath me and rolled up and down my body. I had on head phones with relaxing music and the lights were out. It was heaven!
Next up was the tanning bed. Now, I am an outdoor person, I spend an insane amount of time in my swimsuit out in the sun every year. There have been several years that I’ve also used the tanning bed, so I’m no stranger to this. When they asked me how long I wanted to tan, I was like “12 minutes, that’s the max I can do, right?” and she asked if I was sure. Of course I’m sure! My skin is already very tan from the summer, this is nothing! So, after putting on my insanely expensive lotion, I hopped on the bed and let the lights go to work.
Last item on the agenda was back to the massage bed! I laid down and just let it run all over me. Perfect way to end the experience!
I thanked the ladies and left a $10 tip and headed home. I felt awesome! That was one of the best presents I’ve ever gotten.
Until a few hours later… and I realized I was uncomfortable. I was adjusting my shorts when I realized, you guessed it, I burned my belly in the tanning bed. Not just a little, but bright pink hurts to touch kind of burned. When I was thinking that I was so smart and could easily do the 12 minutes, I totally forgot that parts of my body had not been exposed to the sun!!! Just totally forgot that my tummy is always covered and exposing it in the tanning bed would not be a good idea!
I’m still hurting! I’ve been putting Calendula lotion on it several times a day and changing into my elastic waist shorts as soon as I’m home to help relieve some of the pain!
Yup, that happened – and someone please tell me I’m not the only one that this has happened to! Please!! 🙂
Last night about 9:30 Mr. T tweeted “How do I sleep when I get my #permit tomorrow?”
He was pretty darn excited – but then again – so was I!
We had a good weekend for his birthday – we splurged on take out Friday night and he ended up going over to his grandparents and spending the night with them since his cousins were there. I joined them on Saturday morning and dad said several times how impressed he was with the twins and Mr. T and their team work. Remember all those trees that were cut down last weekend in order to fix the fence? Well, this weekend we had to cut those apart so they could be bundled up. The trees were down in the easement behind my parents house and at one point I was down there to help and my niece goes “Aunt Kate, we kinda have a system going. But, I forgot to bring some water down!” I think she just sent me off to get water so I’d get out of the way! Jayman would cut the trees down to size, Samantha would stack them and T would tie them up and them haul them up to the yard. We all were so proud of them – and they were proud of the work they did!
I took off in the afternoon to go pick up the goodies and dinner. Mr. T wanted Taco Casa for dinner, so I got a good selection of items and a gallon of both sweet and unsweet tea. For those of you that don’t have Taco Casa – you are so totally missing out! Plus birthday cake… yummy birthday cake… that there is no picture of because I couldn’t wait to cut into it! Papa made his delicious homemade Reese’s peanut butter cup ice cream to top it all off. As I told Facebook, I was stuffed, exhausted and on a sugar high all at the same time that evening!
Now, because I know you are all wondering – we did NOT rearrange the bedroom!! You don’t know how happy I was about that. Dad actually likes the arrangement and mom does too, except for a few items that just don’t “flow” for her. So, we’ll focus on just fixing that… eventually! (Yes, I know mom, we won’t forget, I promise!)
I know you’ve seen this one, but it’s a great shot of me and the BD boy!
Today was the exciting day. We were up and at the DMV by 7:55, and waiting outside the doors with everyone else for them to open at 8:00 am.
The line outside!
We got in and through the line up to the front of the desk, proved we had enough paperwork to sit down and wait – and they gave us our number: 601. Now, the only thing that T and I could come up with was that their numbering system was random so that people couldn’t buy a better number or to keep them from pulling a Beetlejuice (“Hey – look, there is Elvis!!”).
What sense does this make?
Our number was called and we made our way up to the desk. Finished filling out the paperwork I missed, signed half a dozen documents and Mr. T had his picture taken! From there he was sent to take his test. I’ll admit, I totally cheated here. Let me tell you how. He was supposed to take his test and THEN stand in the next line. I went ahead and got in line while he was taking his test. Working the system baby, working the system!
He did well! Scored an 83!
He passed!
So, that happened, overnight I’m now officially living out the Driving Miss Daisy movie! Please send prayers! 🙂
Remember how I told you about my busy weekend? And how the weekend culminated with me helping mom rearrange her very heavy bedroom furniture? I mean, super heavy, the night stands have 3′ granite tops and they were the lightest things in the room kinda heavy?
If you can’t lift the furniture, all the sliders in the world can’t help you!
Okay, good.
So, that Sunday night I got a call at 9:45 from my mom. I might paraphrase a bit, but below is how the conversation went:
Mom: What time is it? We unplugged all the clocks during the move and I don’t know what time it is.
Me: 9:45
Mom: Okay, good, I wasn’t sure if it was 8:45 or 9:45. Oh, guess what? We broke the bed when we moved it.
Me: Really? No way!
Mom: I sat down to get ready for bed and it fell apart.
Me: That’s not right! I didn’t notice.
Mom: Me either, but your dad is down in the garage getting some tools. I guess even if we have to put a screw in it, it is still hand carved. No one will know. But I think we need to move the bed.
Me: What do you mean?
Mom: I’m not sure I like this layout.
Me: I don’t understand.
Mom: I wanted the bed over here to get the breeze, but I think the headboard will block it.
Me: I don’t get it.
Mom: We may have to go back to the way it was. You think you might have some time this week…
Me: I don’t know what you are saying.
Mom: (pause) Maybe I can wait for your sister this weekend.
Me: You are living with it for a week!
Mom: Well, we do have to fix the bed – here comes your dad, he’s a sight in his slippers, underwear and tool box! Oh, he doesn’t find this funny, I gotta go…
Click.
Disclaimer: Dad, on the off chance you find this blog, I’m hoping that we’ve gotten to the point where you find the story funny! 🙂 xoxo
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