Every T-day, I write down &/or say out loud what I'm thankful for. Some years, it's been difficult to come up with anything. Some years, I had a LOT to be thankful for. This year, I have a list:
1. My friends, old & new (no, Manny; I'm not calling you old!).
2. My animals; two of which have health issues, but they're still here.
3. My home; paid off two years ago, and slowly being upgraded.
4. My career & the flexibility it gives me for home life.
5. My clients; two of which this year had to deal with some very serious health issues themselves... and have come out on top.
6. My SKs. These two try my patience quite a bit, but I love them, and cannot wait to see them finally grow into adulthood.
7. My husband. We've been through some crap, I'll tell you. But, he's my rock, and he works very hard to make sure we're well taken care of. He's working today, even, because working today gives him Christmas off.
8. My daughter. In her 10 years of life (so far), she's had some terrible things happen to her; things no one should ever have to go through. In spite of everything, she is happy, healthy, and very loved; and she knows it.
9. Food on my table. There are a lot of people who go hungry. I am not one of them.
10. My health, and that of those around me.
11. My beautiful & so smart niece, C. She amazes me, more each time I spend time with her.
12. The rest of my family -- "adopted", married-in, &/or birthed. MWAH!
Now, eat, drink, and love on your family and friends!
Ramblings of life's goings-on as my husband and I raise our one remaining child, move ahead in our careers, deal with life's tragedies & happy times, and continue to love & grow together... No imaginary deity needed.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
LONG-Overdue Update
Forgive me, readers, for I have sinned. Well, I guess I'd have to believe in a diety for that. Besides, not blogging for a while just means I've been busy, right? Looks like my last blog was just over a month ago...
Since my last blog, nothing new has been done to the house. There's been a lot of rain, wind, ice, and cold temperatures... not to mention CHILDREN & DOGS in the house. Since the next project is painting the ceiling and replacing the lighting fixtures, we'd have to turn off the power to the house to do that. Ace and I are okay for a while without heat & lights, but can you imagine two teenagers and one pre-teen without lights, heat, computers, or television?!? I'm all for torturing them, but that (I believe) would torture US, so we wait.
Other than no house stuff to report, there are some life updates:
First, our Princess turned 10. That's right; DOUBLE-DIGITS! She took it a little hard, at first. She didn't want us to do much to celebrate, she didn't want many gifts, she didn't want to do something special with her Mimi... As it got closer, though, she lightened up and got a little excited. The Tuesday prior, the mini-fam went to her favorite Mongolian place (T - do you still like that place?); she wanted to make sure her beloved Papa could join us (he worked on her actual birthday). We had lunch together at school, then dinner together at Red Robin ON her birthday, and I let her open a couple gifts.
This past Saturday, we had a large group of her friends come over for crafts, pizza, brownie cake, gifts, and good times (it's what she wanted), then four of them stayed the night. I told Ace to take his kids & our dogs to the beach house, which worked out well for all involved. Her friends are great; they treated me to a dance party, a fashion show, some artwork, and a lot of laughs & squeals (true to pre-teen-dome).
Second, my two older sisters, my mom, and I took our annual girls' trip. This year, it was New Orleans. We had some good southern cooking (I tried collard greens for the first time), got to tour some cool plantations, hit a jazz club, Bourbon Street on a Saturday night, and many bars. NOLA has the best "French Market" as well -- it's like a Saturday Market and Farmer's Market all in one, but BIGGER!! There was Cafe du Monde for coffee & beignets, and a carriage ride tour of Jackson Square in the French Quarter. The whole trip was great; just a little short. Next year... CHICAGO!
Third, a little not-so-good news. Ace fought long and hard; even asked his doc to assist, but was eventually officially turned down for his request to remain on his modified schedule at work. The benefit to his modified shift was two-fold. Not only did he get to spend most of our parenting time actually with his kids, but he hasn't had a migraine in over a year (the modified shift matched his natural body rhythm).
His new (normal) shift trades his every other Saturday off back to every other Wednesdays. Since the older two kids are now in high school, though, they are wanting to be part of the parties, the football/basketball games, the dances, etc; most of which are Friday nights. So now, the kids get to participate in more Friday night school & friend activities, and Ace doesn't feel like he's missing out on Saturdays, and leaving all their parenting to me. We do have the option to take EVERY weekend (except holidays belonging to Mama) instead of the three/month we have now, but we'll see.
This also leaves a little more ability for Gamerboy to get that job he's been saying he wants for over a year... His ADHD could be a hinderance to keeping a job, not to mention where they live, the practically non-existent transit system out there, and his lack of want to get his license. Guess we'll see about all that, too. I keep waiting for him to be interested in having a girlfriend (or boyfriend; we really don't care which). Ace thinks that may change his outlook on getting/keeping a job, and getting his license. Just a really late bloomer, I guess. At least his grades are good (Squeeks, too, btw).
Fourth, as far as my legal stuff, there is nothing much to report. Princess' bio-dad still owes me a huge chunk of money; I do not expect to ever see any of it. I don't need it; she's perfectly taken care of (and then some) without it, but that doesn't eliminate the fact that he owes it to me. Yes, I could ask for jail time; he IS on bench probation, but I won't... not right now, anyway. Status quo is working well for us at the moment, and as long as waves aren't made... He did make it to half of one soccer game this season. Yes, I said half; as in 1/2 of ONE. Princess and I decided some time back that if we don't expect anything, we're not surprised. So far, so good on that note. Princess is happy, healthy, loved, and secure in our home; "my parents" she calls us. Ace and I give her the stability and the honesty & truth she needs, and she is blossoming.
Thanksgiving will be fantastic this year. We've been invited to my bff's & her family's home for Thursday's dinner, and Friday, we have a family/friend gathering at my mother's. This year, we expect 12 people at mom's. I look forward to the holidays, a time to celebrate love of friends, family, and winter (Mother Nature is a powerful, awe-inspiring, thing).
Since my last blog, nothing new has been done to the house. There's been a lot of rain, wind, ice, and cold temperatures... not to mention CHILDREN & DOGS in the house. Since the next project is painting the ceiling and replacing the lighting fixtures, we'd have to turn off the power to the house to do that. Ace and I are okay for a while without heat & lights, but can you imagine two teenagers and one pre-teen without lights, heat, computers, or television?!? I'm all for torturing them, but that (I believe) would torture US, so we wait.
Other than no house stuff to report, there are some life updates:
First, our Princess turned 10. That's right; DOUBLE-DIGITS! She took it a little hard, at first. She didn't want us to do much to celebrate, she didn't want many gifts, she didn't want to do something special with her Mimi... As it got closer, though, she lightened up and got a little excited. The Tuesday prior, the mini-fam went to her favorite Mongolian place (T - do you still like that place?); she wanted to make sure her beloved Papa could join us (he worked on her actual birthday). We had lunch together at school, then dinner together at Red Robin ON her birthday, and I let her open a couple gifts.
This past Saturday, we had a large group of her friends come over for crafts, pizza, brownie cake, gifts, and good times (it's what she wanted), then four of them stayed the night. I told Ace to take his kids & our dogs to the beach house, which worked out well for all involved. Her friends are great; they treated me to a dance party, a fashion show, some artwork, and a lot of laughs & squeals (true to pre-teen-dome).
Second, my two older sisters, my mom, and I took our annual girls' trip. This year, it was New Orleans. We had some good southern cooking (I tried collard greens for the first time), got to tour some cool plantations, hit a jazz club, Bourbon Street on a Saturday night, and many bars. NOLA has the best "French Market" as well -- it's like a Saturday Market and Farmer's Market all in one, but BIGGER!! There was Cafe du Monde for coffee & beignets, and a carriage ride tour of Jackson Square in the French Quarter. The whole trip was great; just a little short. Next year... CHICAGO!
Third, a little not-so-good news. Ace fought long and hard; even asked his doc to assist, but was eventually officially turned down for his request to remain on his modified schedule at work. The benefit to his modified shift was two-fold. Not only did he get to spend most of our parenting time actually with his kids, but he hasn't had a migraine in over a year (the modified shift matched his natural body rhythm).
His new (normal) shift trades his every other Saturday off back to every other Wednesdays. Since the older two kids are now in high school, though, they are wanting to be part of the parties, the football/basketball games, the dances, etc; most of which are Friday nights. So now, the kids get to participate in more Friday night school & friend activities, and Ace doesn't feel like he's missing out on Saturdays, and leaving all their parenting to me. We do have the option to take EVERY weekend (except holidays belonging to Mama) instead of the three/month we have now, but we'll see.
This also leaves a little more ability for Gamerboy to get that job he's been saying he wants for over a year... His ADHD could be a hinderance to keeping a job, not to mention where they live, the practically non-existent transit system out there, and his lack of want to get his license. Guess we'll see about all that, too. I keep waiting for him to be interested in having a girlfriend (or boyfriend; we really don't care which). Ace thinks that may change his outlook on getting/keeping a job, and getting his license. Just a really late bloomer, I guess. At least his grades are good (Squeeks, too, btw).
Fourth, as far as my legal stuff, there is nothing much to report. Princess' bio-dad still owes me a huge chunk of money; I do not expect to ever see any of it. I don't need it; she's perfectly taken care of (and then some) without it, but that doesn't eliminate the fact that he owes it to me. Yes, I could ask for jail time; he IS on bench probation, but I won't... not right now, anyway. Status quo is working well for us at the moment, and as long as waves aren't made... He did make it to half of one soccer game this season. Yes, I said half; as in 1/2 of ONE. Princess and I decided some time back that if we don't expect anything, we're not surprised. So far, so good on that note. Princess is happy, healthy, loved, and secure in our home; "my parents" she calls us. Ace and I give her the stability and the honesty & truth she needs, and she is blossoming.
Thanksgiving will be fantastic this year. We've been invited to my bff's & her family's home for Thursday's dinner, and Friday, we have a family/friend gathering at my mother's. This year, we expect 12 people at mom's. I look forward to the holidays, a time to celebrate love of friends, family, and winter (Mother Nature is a powerful, awe-inspiring, thing).
Friday, October 2, 2009
LIGHTS!
Two weekends ago, our painting was finally finished. I'd like to thank MARK P and his crew (Herman and Chris) for doing such a fantastic job. I am very happy with our home; the elasticized paint is awesome (and totally worth the extra cost).
For those of you that have seen the photos, the feedback I've gotten has been "That looks GREAT!" or "Good choices on the color. It's subtle, but looks fantastic." or other things equivalent. I could have gone for blue or maroon or something, but it's just not "us". This greys & white combo suits us to a tee.
Of course, after the painting outside was done, we had to install the new outside lights. We went with medium-sized lanterns, from LOWE'S (I bought the last three; the company is no longer making the ones I have), that have hidden motion detectors, and can be either hard-wired into the house, or put on a switch. They also have timing options both for when they come on and go off, as well as how long they stay on after being set off.
First, we installed the front door light. That one is on a switch; dusk-til-dawn -- which means it still has to be semi-dark for it to come on. The low light comes on, and the motion detector (brighter light) is set off when you enter my yard. The house numbers plaque I bought on EBay went up next. We went with black reflective material, and white reflective numbers; VERY easy to see from the drive.
Second, we (& by "we", I mean Ace) cut holes on either side of the garage door to accommodate the new electrical boxes (we originally had ONE motion light, to the RIGHT of the garage, so we had to fill that back in, and cut these lower to match height of the other one). Boxes in, we wired the one on the left side of the garage from an outlet, and built a junction box on the right side of the garage (old wiring wasn't quite long enough to accommodate the new spot).
That done, the lighting units themselves were installed. Once it was dark, we tested them. Everything works perfectly, and I am glad (a) they're in, (b) this project is completely done, and (c) they aren't blinding, but are effective. I'd take a photo head-on of the whole house, but there's a tree next to my driveway that blocks the view...
Next project: ceiling paint and new lighting in the main areas of my house; probably next weekend. I've already bought them, but am just waiting until we have less people here (darn kids, wanting to have lights on when it's dark... geez!). :)
For those of you that have seen the photos, the feedback I've gotten has been "That looks GREAT!" or "Good choices on the color. It's subtle, but looks fantastic." or other things equivalent. I could have gone for blue or maroon or something, but it's just not "us". This greys & white combo suits us to a tee.
Of course, after the painting outside was done, we had to install the new outside lights. We went with medium-sized lanterns, from LOWE'S (I bought the last three; the company is no longer making the ones I have), that have hidden motion detectors, and can be either hard-wired into the house, or put on a switch. They also have timing options both for when they come on and go off, as well as how long they stay on after being set off.
First, we installed the front door light. That one is on a switch; dusk-til-dawn -- which means it still has to be semi-dark for it to come on. The low light comes on, and the motion detector (brighter light) is set off when you enter my yard. The house numbers plaque I bought on EBay went up next. We went with black reflective material, and white reflective numbers; VERY easy to see from the drive.
Second, we (& by "we", I mean Ace) cut holes on either side of the garage door to accommodate the new electrical boxes (we originally had ONE motion light, to the RIGHT of the garage, so we had to fill that back in, and cut these lower to match height of the other one). Boxes in, we wired the one on the left side of the garage from an outlet, and built a junction box on the right side of the garage (old wiring wasn't quite long enough to accommodate the new spot).
That done, the lighting units themselves were installed. Once it was dark, we tested them. Everything works perfectly, and I am glad (a) they're in, (b) this project is completely done, and (c) they aren't blinding, but are effective. I'd take a photo head-on of the whole house, but there's a tree next to my driveway that blocks the view...
Next project: ceiling paint and new lighting in the main areas of my house; probably next weekend. I've already bought them, but am just waiting until we have less people here (darn kids, wanting to have lights on when it's dark... geez!). :)
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Updates, Galore!
Dealing with contractors is never an easy thing. Nothing ever goes as planned. Luckily, being self-employed, I can move my clients around when necessary. The bad news this time around: some work was VERY CLOSE to other work, when it should not have been. Here's a little update...
August 16th: Home Depot At Home Services sent out their first man to measure for fascia covers. We paid Ken, making sure to let him know we had to have this project DONE before September 11th (the date the painter was supposed to powerwash). Ken said, "No problem. It's a small job; shouldn't take more than a couple hours. I'll have the project manager call in the next few days to set up the secondary measure appointment." (You know, measure twice, cut once?)
August 20th: Still no call. I left early that morning for my trip to the Dakotas. I asked Ace to call H.D., and he said that if they don't call by the time we return from our trip (he joined me on Saturday; we returned late Tuesday), he'd call them then.
August 26th: STILL no call, so Ace called the main number in Vancouver. Apparently, they were moving offices, so our time-crunch got "lost in the shuffle"; they'd get right on it. Second measure appointment was then set for September 4th (that doesn't seem like "getting right on it", but we were assured, it would be done BEFORE the 11th).
September 4th: H.D. came out, as promised, and took the second set of measurements. Whomever it was (some other guy; not Ken) that came out that day reassured Ace (again) that the work would be scheduled within a few days, and done before the 11th (one week from that date).
September 5th & 6th: We ripped out our back deck over Labor Day weekend, only to discover that whoever installed the deck did NOT do it to code; we had dry rot. Crap -- this better not set back my painting!! Ace called the painter; he gave us a number of a general contractor he coordinates with on a regular basis. Ace left the contractor a message and Sunday night (this was the holiday weekend, still), he called back. He was at the beach for the holiday weekend, but could come out Tuesday to assess the damage, and give us a bid.
September 8th (this is now Tuesday): The contractor came out, as promised, and gave us a bid. It was slightly more than we were anticipating, but since the painter's bid was lower than expected, I called it a "wash". I then called the window installers to see if I could have the contractor remove the sliding glass door's trim (which doesn't fit, now, anyway, since it was cut-out to fit around the decking). My idea was to have the contractor remove it, and do his repairs, then have the window people come back out and put on new trim that goes all the way to the bottom of the siding. Window folks said, "No problem. Call us when your painting is done, and we'll come out to put new ones on; no charge." Awesome.
September 9th: I called H.D. (AGAIN), and pitched a controlled fit to our project manager. We were running out of time, and that work HAD TO BE DONE before that Friday. Apparently, not only were they moving offices, but the two project managers who run this area were swapping districts, and she was never told of the time crunch. I gave her my availability over the next couple of days, she called the on-site guy, then called me back and said, "How's tomorrow between 8am and 9am? Should take a couple hours." "Great. See them then." Ace then called me and said the painter called. Due to the rain over the holiday weekend, we are being pushed out until Monday. That's fine, 'cuz I can have the contractor come out Friday, now.
September 10th: About 9am, H.D. showed up. Took them just over 2 hours to do the work, Ace signed off on it. Good to go. Stephanie (our project manager) called me around 2pm and asked if everything was done, and to my satisfaction. I told her, "Yes. All done. I'm happy with it, and ready for painters."
September 11th: The contractor's son, Dave, shows up with the work van at 9am, ready to work. Thankfully, he was VERY detail-oriented... of course, that means work takes a bit longer to do. He was there until 530pm, meaning I couldn't go to the hospital to see my friend, A's, new baby, until the following day. Not a biggie. The work was done, and it was done right and on time; I was very happy with that.
Yesterday, the painters did powerwashing, and today, they're scraping, sanding, and priming. If the weather holds, the plan is to paint just the siding tomorrow, then come back Monday to do the two garage doors and the trim (well, the trim that needs to be painted, anyway; the new slider & windows won't need it).
In the meantime, as I said, A & E had their baby girl on Friday (my bet was off by only 2 1/2 hours!), and yesterday, I found out I'm going to be an auntie again; sometime in April. I am excited!!
August 16th: Home Depot At Home Services sent out their first man to measure for fascia covers. We paid Ken, making sure to let him know we had to have this project DONE before September 11th (the date the painter was supposed to powerwash). Ken said, "No problem. It's a small job; shouldn't take more than a couple hours. I'll have the project manager call in the next few days to set up the secondary measure appointment." (You know, measure twice, cut once?)
August 20th: Still no call. I left early that morning for my trip to the Dakotas. I asked Ace to call H.D., and he said that if they don't call by the time we return from our trip (he joined me on Saturday; we returned late Tuesday), he'd call them then.
August 26th: STILL no call, so Ace called the main number in Vancouver. Apparently, they were moving offices, so our time-crunch got "lost in the shuffle"; they'd get right on it. Second measure appointment was then set for September 4th (that doesn't seem like "getting right on it", but we were assured, it would be done BEFORE the 11th).
September 4th: H.D. came out, as promised, and took the second set of measurements. Whomever it was (some other guy; not Ken) that came out that day reassured Ace (again) that the work would be scheduled within a few days, and done before the 11th (one week from that date).
September 5th & 6th: We ripped out our back deck over Labor Day weekend, only to discover that whoever installed the deck did NOT do it to code; we had dry rot. Crap -- this better not set back my painting!! Ace called the painter; he gave us a number of a general contractor he coordinates with on a regular basis. Ace left the contractor a message and Sunday night (this was the holiday weekend, still), he called back. He was at the beach for the holiday weekend, but could come out Tuesday to assess the damage, and give us a bid.
September 8th (this is now Tuesday): The contractor came out, as promised, and gave us a bid. It was slightly more than we were anticipating, but since the painter's bid was lower than expected, I called it a "wash". I then called the window installers to see if I could have the contractor remove the sliding glass door's trim (which doesn't fit, now, anyway, since it was cut-out to fit around the decking). My idea was to have the contractor remove it, and do his repairs, then have the window people come back out and put on new trim that goes all the way to the bottom of the siding. Window folks said, "No problem. Call us when your painting is done, and we'll come out to put new ones on; no charge." Awesome.
September 9th: I called H.D. (AGAIN), and pitched a controlled fit to our project manager. We were running out of time, and that work HAD TO BE DONE before that Friday. Apparently, not only were they moving offices, but the two project managers who run this area were swapping districts, and she was never told of the time crunch. I gave her my availability over the next couple of days, she called the on-site guy, then called me back and said, "How's tomorrow between 8am and 9am? Should take a couple hours." "Great. See them then." Ace then called me and said the painter called. Due to the rain over the holiday weekend, we are being pushed out until Monday. That's fine, 'cuz I can have the contractor come out Friday, now.
September 10th: About 9am, H.D. showed up. Took them just over 2 hours to do the work, Ace signed off on it. Good to go. Stephanie (our project manager) called me around 2pm and asked if everything was done, and to my satisfaction. I told her, "Yes. All done. I'm happy with it, and ready for painters."
September 11th: The contractor's son, Dave, shows up with the work van at 9am, ready to work. Thankfully, he was VERY detail-oriented... of course, that means work takes a bit longer to do. He was there until 530pm, meaning I couldn't go to the hospital to see my friend, A's, new baby, until the following day. Not a biggie. The work was done, and it was done right and on time; I was very happy with that.
Yesterday, the painters did powerwashing, and today, they're scraping, sanding, and priming. If the weather holds, the plan is to paint just the siding tomorrow, then come back Monday to do the two garage doors and the trim (well, the trim that needs to be painted, anyway; the new slider & windows won't need it).
In the meantime, as I said, A & E had their baby girl on Friday (my bet was off by only 2 1/2 hours!), and yesterday, I found out I'm going to be an auntie again; sometime in April. I am excited!!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
"Working" Vacation
As most of you know, last week, I was gone on a sort of vacation. I say "sort of" because for the first part, I was (happily, just unexpectedly) a personal attendant for my friend, E, at her wedding, and the second part, I was partially there just to do whatever my Mama needed while she is still recovering from her recent surgery.
When I got into FAR on Thursday night, the bridal party and some miscellaneous friends & family were hanging out by the pool (bride & groom had a poolside room that night). I finally got to meet her man, her 10 yo daughter (K), and her soon-to-be daughter (A) who is 7 yo. The girls are wonderful and I adore her husband! We all finally got off to bed at midnight, but had a lot of fun.
Friday (wedding day) was extremely busy, of course. Hair appointments, room set-up, make-up, dresses & shoes, pictures, and (of course!) the wedding itself! I'm pretty sure that had I not been glued to E's side, she would have forgotten her veil, forgotten to eat, and punched the photographer in the nose. Luckily, I am a VERY organized person, and kept her in check while making sure her bridal party were where they needed to be (and when), her shoes were clean (I should have smacked the photog myself), and her hair/make-up/nails were perfect. Minor hitches, but the end result was beautiful -- traditional mixed with military... awesome.
Dinner was served afterward, speeches were made, and then there were many hours of dancing. I think that all of us ladies temporarily misplaced our shoes more than once that night, but we had a BLAST (and I <3 E's other friends, too). After the DJ closed up shop, a bunch of us pitched in to de-fancify the hall; we all dragged ourselves to our rooms at 1am.
Saturday morning, E called me at 830a and had me meet them in one of the conference rooms; it was present-opening time!! Many photos and cups of coffee later, and it was time for me to go. Her hubs told me that since they all get free (standby) seating on military flights, they'll be coming out here for a visit next year; he's never seen the beach! I reminded him about the family's beach house, and said that I'd LOVE to show them around the area!! That would be fantastic; our daughters would totally have a blast together!
I met up with Ace in DEN (a wedding is never a good time to meet someone for the first time, and, not only did he have to work, but, as busy as I was, it was a good thing he wasn't there; he'd have been bored!) and we headed to RAP to visit my parents. Dad met us at the airport and we drove to his campground (www.fortwelikit.com -- it's a GREAT place). He gave us one of the cabins and a car, so we had full mobility during our stay.
Dinner was Chinese food that night, from Mama's favorite place. For those who aren't aware, she has been going through some medical issues and just got back from a serious surgery a couple weeks ago; making her very tired. This trip was somewhat just to see for myself that she was on the road to recovery, and that she wasn't going to die any time soon. When I originally got the news of her diagnosis, I was very scared, and had a good, long cry. This woman means the world to me; she's been my mama for almost 30 years!
Anyway, eating that night tired her out. It literally took her four tries just to finish a plate of shrimp fried rice! She's lost too much weight, and has to be reminded to eat on a regular basis. She takes a two-hour nap every day. It's not pretty, and I am even more in awe of my father for not having lost it yet.
Oh, forgot to mention, up until early August, Grandma had been living with them (age 96). Grandma's mental health has been slowly declining for the last 6 months, so they moved her into their place (instead of the cabin she'd had, across the path from their house) and got her hospice care 2 days a week. Still, with the campground busy (and currently for sale) along with mama's recovery, she was getting to be too much, so my aunt came to get her (she's a nurse) and took her back to Texas. There, she gets 5 days a week hospice and my aunt can leave to go to work (and escape the exasperating behaviors).
Ok, back to our visit. So, the other half was, of course, to see some sites we hadn't before. The last time Ace was out there was 2003 (when we did some tourist-y stuff, bought my engagement ring, and he asked my dad for his permission to marry me). The last visit I went was with Princess in 2005 for a mini-family reunion. There's been some expansion, but not a great deal, so the area is still beautiful, and most towns still have the small hometown feel to them.
Sunday, we had about 3 1/2 hours to kill before meeting up with my parents again, so we took a drive through Custer State Park. The lake there (Sylvan Lake) is beautiful (took a short walk on the path)! Then, we drove through part of the Needles Scenic Highway; two tunnels in this part are only wide enough for one car to pass through it at a time. The Wildlife Loop took us another 45 minutes, and we saw bison ("tahtanka" to the Lakota Indians), longhorn (mistakenly called "elk"), burros, etc. What a beautiful drive; definitely a recommend if you ever get out there (remember, though, the state park has a day use fee).
We then met up with my parents back at their house, and drove together to my sister's and her bf's house, back in Rapid City. J has a very nice house (as he should; he's paid very well for what he does)! They made a lot of food, and it was all good. Then, sis broke out the photo albums. Apparently, the parents gave her all their old photos to organize as she had the time and energy to do so. With a full time school schedule, as well as her job, there's not much of those, but she's put together a wedding album for my parents, a baby album for herself, and has started albums for all six of us "kids". I can't wait 'til they're done!!
When we got back, Dad went to close up shop at the office, so Ace and I went to the store for a few things. We knew there was a storm headed in, so we were fast about it, but still... as we left the grocery store, the wind kicked up and knocked a bunch of carts all over the parking lot! We picked them all up and got them corralled, then headed back to our porch to watch the storm. SD storms are different from storms in the Pacific Northwest, so it's always a joy to get to watch them. I even got a little video!
Monday, Ace and I had the whole day to ourselves. After getting our morning mochas, we started our little road trip with a helicopter ride over some bison and got a full-on view (from both sides of the copter) of the Crazy Horse monument. I'd never been in a helicopter before, so that was cool; I even got to sit up front and got some great photos!
We then took the main north/south highway to the main highway loop, and hit (among other things) Pactola Lake (pontooning there is fun), and the cities of Lead, Sturgis, and Deadwood. Along the way, there were waterfalls, wild animals, and a lot of windy roads. Ace decided that next time we go out there, we're bringing our motorcycle! This time, though, it won't be so long until our next visit!
Side note: Sturgis is just another small town when the Rally's not going on... but we still spent a good 2 1/2 hours there, checking stuff out. Lunch at the Loud American Roadhouse was AWESOME, and I highly recommend stopping there to eat, then heading over to the Motorcycle Museum before you leave. We finally returned to the campground at 530p; in good spirits.
Tuesday morning, we meandered downtown Custer and met up with the parents about 2 hours before our flight left. Both parents joined us on this leg, and it was nice to have the time to chat with them. Dad, of course, would love for us to move out there, but with Ace's two kids still in h.s., that's just not going to happen. Maybe when his kids are grown... we'll see.
Anyway, it was a good sort-of vacation. I got to see a long-distance friend and watch her get married, and I got to see my parents, which doesn't happen nearly as often as we'd like (Dad did mention, btw, that he likes this husband a thousand times better than the previous one; I, for one, have to agree). Next visit, we'll bring the Princess (Grandpa's orders!).
When I got into FAR on Thursday night, the bridal party and some miscellaneous friends & family were hanging out by the pool (bride & groom had a poolside room that night). I finally got to meet her man, her 10 yo daughter (K), and her soon-to-be daughter (A) who is 7 yo. The girls are wonderful and I adore her husband! We all finally got off to bed at midnight, but had a lot of fun.
Friday (wedding day) was extremely busy, of course. Hair appointments, room set-up, make-up, dresses & shoes, pictures, and (of course!) the wedding itself! I'm pretty sure that had I not been glued to E's side, she would have forgotten her veil, forgotten to eat, and punched the photographer in the nose. Luckily, I am a VERY organized person, and kept her in check while making sure her bridal party were where they needed to be (and when), her shoes were clean (I should have smacked the photog myself), and her hair/make-up/nails were perfect. Minor hitches, but the end result was beautiful -- traditional mixed with military... awesome.
Dinner was served afterward, speeches were made, and then there were many hours of dancing. I think that all of us ladies temporarily misplaced our shoes more than once that night, but we had a BLAST (and I <3 E's other friends, too). After the DJ closed up shop, a bunch of us pitched in to de-fancify the hall; we all dragged ourselves to our rooms at 1am.
Saturday morning, E called me at 830a and had me meet them in one of the conference rooms; it was present-opening time!! Many photos and cups of coffee later, and it was time for me to go. Her hubs told me that since they all get free (standby) seating on military flights, they'll be coming out here for a visit next year; he's never seen the beach! I reminded him about the family's beach house, and said that I'd LOVE to show them around the area!! That would be fantastic; our daughters would totally have a blast together!
I met up with Ace in DEN (a wedding is never a good time to meet someone for the first time, and, not only did he have to work, but, as busy as I was, it was a good thing he wasn't there; he'd have been bored!) and we headed to RAP to visit my parents. Dad met us at the airport and we drove to his campground (www.fortwelikit.com -- it's a GREAT place). He gave us one of the cabins and a car, so we had full mobility during our stay.
Dinner was Chinese food that night, from Mama's favorite place. For those who aren't aware, she has been going through some medical issues and just got back from a serious surgery a couple weeks ago; making her very tired. This trip was somewhat just to see for myself that she was on the road to recovery, and that she wasn't going to die any time soon. When I originally got the news of her diagnosis, I was very scared, and had a good, long cry. This woman means the world to me; she's been my mama for almost 30 years!
Anyway, eating that night tired her out. It literally took her four tries just to finish a plate of shrimp fried rice! She's lost too much weight, and has to be reminded to eat on a regular basis. She takes a two-hour nap every day. It's not pretty, and I am even more in awe of my father for not having lost it yet.
Oh, forgot to mention, up until early August, Grandma had been living with them (age 96). Grandma's mental health has been slowly declining for the last 6 months, so they moved her into their place (instead of the cabin she'd had, across the path from their house) and got her hospice care 2 days a week. Still, with the campground busy (and currently for sale) along with mama's recovery, she was getting to be too much, so my aunt came to get her (she's a nurse) and took her back to Texas. There, she gets 5 days a week hospice and my aunt can leave to go to work (and escape the exasperating behaviors).
Ok, back to our visit. So, the other half was, of course, to see some sites we hadn't before. The last time Ace was out there was 2003 (when we did some tourist-y stuff, bought my engagement ring, and he asked my dad for his permission to marry me). The last visit I went was with Princess in 2005 for a mini-family reunion. There's been some expansion, but not a great deal, so the area is still beautiful, and most towns still have the small hometown feel to them.
Sunday, we had about 3 1/2 hours to kill before meeting up with my parents again, so we took a drive through Custer State Park. The lake there (Sylvan Lake) is beautiful (took a short walk on the path)! Then, we drove through part of the Needles Scenic Highway; two tunnels in this part are only wide enough for one car to pass through it at a time. The Wildlife Loop took us another 45 minutes, and we saw bison ("tahtanka" to the Lakota Indians), longhorn (mistakenly called "elk"), burros, etc. What a beautiful drive; definitely a recommend if you ever get out there (remember, though, the state park has a day use fee).
We then met up with my parents back at their house, and drove together to my sister's and her bf's house, back in Rapid City. J has a very nice house (as he should; he's paid very well for what he does)! They made a lot of food, and it was all good. Then, sis broke out the photo albums. Apparently, the parents gave her all their old photos to organize as she had the time and energy to do so. With a full time school schedule, as well as her job, there's not much of those, but she's put together a wedding album for my parents, a baby album for herself, and has started albums for all six of us "kids". I can't wait 'til they're done!!
When we got back, Dad went to close up shop at the office, so Ace and I went to the store for a few things. We knew there was a storm headed in, so we were fast about it, but still... as we left the grocery store, the wind kicked up and knocked a bunch of carts all over the parking lot! We picked them all up and got them corralled, then headed back to our porch to watch the storm. SD storms are different from storms in the Pacific Northwest, so it's always a joy to get to watch them. I even got a little video!
Monday, Ace and I had the whole day to ourselves. After getting our morning mochas, we started our little road trip with a helicopter ride over some bison and got a full-on view (from both sides of the copter) of the Crazy Horse monument. I'd never been in a helicopter before, so that was cool; I even got to sit up front and got some great photos!
We then took the main north/south highway to the main highway loop, and hit (among other things) Pactola Lake (pontooning there is fun), and the cities of Lead, Sturgis, and Deadwood. Along the way, there were waterfalls, wild animals, and a lot of windy roads. Ace decided that next time we go out there, we're bringing our motorcycle! This time, though, it won't be so long until our next visit!
Side note: Sturgis is just another small town when the Rally's not going on... but we still spent a good 2 1/2 hours there, checking stuff out. Lunch at the Loud American Roadhouse was AWESOME, and I highly recommend stopping there to eat, then heading over to the Motorcycle Museum before you leave. We finally returned to the campground at 530p; in good spirits.
Tuesday morning, we meandered downtown Custer and met up with the parents about 2 hours before our flight left. Both parents joined us on this leg, and it was nice to have the time to chat with them. Dad, of course, would love for us to move out there, but with Ace's two kids still in h.s., that's just not going to happen. Maybe when his kids are grown... we'll see.
Anyway, it was a good sort-of vacation. I got to see a long-distance friend and watch her get married, and I got to see my parents, which doesn't happen nearly as often as we'd like (Dad did mention, btw, that he likes this husband a thousand times better than the previous one; I, for one, have to agree). Next visit, we'll bring the Princess (Grandpa's orders!).
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