Thanks very much.

Thanksgiving is upon us once again.
 

I’m not sure if anyone cares but I'd like to tell you what I’m thankful for.

1.     I’m glad that my parents taught me:  right from wrong, to respect my elders, how to behave in public, how to treat others with respect, how not to judge a book by its cover, how to be honest, and many other things that make me a better person.

2.     I’m thankful that even though my Mom passed away in 1995, I feel like she’s with me every day.  That makes me stick to all the great things she taught me (see #1).

3.     I’m glad that my Dad is still around.  We drive each other insane constantly but I’ve sort of become his guardian since my Step-Mom passed away.  I’m glad for the opportunity to protect him when he needs it (she left him in quite a financial mess so he’s really needed it).

4.     I’m thankful to have great In-laws.  My Mother and Father-in-law treat me like their own daughter.  My Sister and Brother-in-laws are no different than if they’d been born in my family or me in theirs.  It’s nice to have another family to share good and bad times with.

5.     I’m glad that I have a great Step-Brother and a soon to be Step-Sister-in-law.  They are awesome people and so much fun to be with.  I only wish they didn’t live so far away.  I can’t wait to see them get married next year!

6.     I’m thankful that I have pets.  It’s great to be greeted at the door every night by my two goofball cats.  They want to be picked up and held and they want to sit on our laps.  They love us no matter what we look like or how silly we are.

7.     I’m glad that while I’ve been diabetic for 37 years, I’m in good health.  I’ve got healthy kidneys, healthy eyes, and am in great control even though I’m overweight and am not a perfect eater or blood tester.

8.    I’m thankful that I got to go to college for a good education and that I have a job.  That lets me own a car and a house.  I may have too much credit card debt but I can pay my bills and am working to lower that debt.

9.   I’m glad for the friends I have.  They are a joy to talk to, to shop with, to eat out with, to laugh and cry with, and to share old memories with.

10. I’m most thankful for Angry.  As I’ve said before (here and here), I can’t imagine my life without that man.  He’s my rock, my best friend, my life.  While neither of us is perfect, we are perfect for each other.  I’m glad to have had him in my life for 22 years and that we’ve had a very happy and fun filled marriage for 20 of those years.  I love him more than words can say and I look forward to many more years together.

There are many more things that I am thankful for.  I’m just too lazy to spend the day typing them all.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  Don’t forget to think about what you are thankful for.

I'm going to be RICH!

Or so my fortunes told me.

I love fortune cookies (I've mentioned this before) and had some for a treat at lunch today.

First I read, "New financial resources will soon become available to you." 

I thought, "Yeah, right."

Then I opened the second one and read, "You will inherit a large sum of money."

Whoopee!

I guess I better get busy responding to those e-mail from some foreign country telling me that someone needs to get large sums of money to the US and I'm the only one that can help.  I will get paid handsomely.

They promised!

A major vacation crisis!

Also known as “get the hell over it.”

We were just in Mexico for a week at our favorite resort in Puerto Vallarta.

As our usual routine demanded required worked out, we had breakfast one morning and headed to the pool to relax and enjoy the day.  We got to the pool around 9 am.  Unfortunately, the Pool Bar doesn’t open until 11 am.  Why yes, I was ready for a drink at 9 am.  Don't judge.  Thank God Luckily, they have another bar a few hundred feet away (called the Pub Bar).  We like to start our days with a drink called Dirty Monkey.  It’s basically a shake made with brandy, Kahlua, cream, and bananas.  Quite a lovely way to work up to tequila.

Anyway, on to the crisis.

That particular morning I told Angry that I’d go to the bar to get our drinks when we overheard a couple discussing what they were going to get from the bar.  The woman wanted a Bloody Mary and the guy asked her to get him a mimosa.

She walked to the bar just in front of me.  I arrived and heard this conversation:

Bloody Mary Drinking Woman:  I need a Bloody Mary and a mimosa with lots of champagne and very little orange juice.

Sad Looking Bartender:  I’m sorry, we ran out of champagne and the next shipment should arrive in two or three hours.  I’m so sorry.

BMDW (in a flabbergasted voice):  Well, he certainly won’t drink a Bloody Mary.  What am I going to do? What am I going to do?

SLB:  Looked at her with questioning eyes.  Probably thinking, “Does she want me to answer that?”

BMDW:  Oh boy, I don’t know what he’ll want to drink now.  He wanted a mimosa (her voice steadily increasing to a high pitched whine).  If there’s no champagne, I don’t know what do to.

I wanted to say, “Hey lady, the bar is FILLED will different types of booze.  Brandy, rum, tequila, Kahlua, flavored schnapps, vodka, Galliano, gin, scotch, wine, and beer.  That’s a lot to choose from.  If there’s no champagne, why can’t you find one other thing he’d drink?  Plus, there is a huge list of frou-frou drinks you can order.”  However, I kept my trap shut.

She was so upset that she didn’t know what to say or do.  She stood there looking around in a panic as I ordered my drinks.  Her husband eventually made it to the bar and ordered something as I left.  I didn’t hear what it was though and now I’m curious.

I must say that if Angry asked me for a drink and they didn’t have what he wanted, I know him well enough to pick something else that he’d enjoy.  Obviously this was beyond her grasp.

I went back for another Dirty Money a short while later.  A different woman was at the bar asking for mimosas.

The conversation went like this:

Lady In Need Of Mimosas:  I need three mimosas. - NOTE: I'm not sure why she needed three as she was there alone.  I won't judge.

Hard Working Bartender:  We are out of champagne but should get some in about two hours.

LINOM:  Oh OK, I’ll come back in a couple of minutes then.

HWB:  No, I’ll have some in a couple of hours.  Two hours.

LINOM (quite loudly):  TWO HOURS!!??

HWB:  Si, two hours.  I’m sorry but we ran out and the truck won’t deliver until later.

LINOM:  Oh my GOD, what am I going to drink?

The bartender had the same look as before as if he was thinking, “Do you really want me to answer that?”

As she stood there looking panicked, I ordered my drinks, watched them being made, thanked the bartender, and began walking back to our pool chairs.  Meanwhile, she was still mumbling and grumbling about not knowing what to order.

Gosh, a major champagne crisis!  How terribly awful. 

Get the hell over it people and drink something else.

Must this really be a crisis?

Here's a story. . .

Of a lovely lady, who was bringing up three very lovey girls.

Whoops!  That’s not my story.  Sorry!


Let me tell you about something special in my life.

Twenty-two years ago, in August of 1989, I met a cute guy when I took a part time job at a grocery store.  I was finishing my last semester at college before I was to start student teaching.

I was a cashier and office “gal” and he did everything including bagging, cleaning, stocking, and other grocery store stuff.

This young man and I became friends while chatting on breaks or while he’d bag at my checkout lane.  We'd talk for a long time when he'd walk me to my car after our shifts to make sure I was safe.  We discussed music, movies, cars, our families, and our lives in general.

I started to think that maybe he “liked” me.  You know, boys in school pulling your ponytail “like.”  I decided that I’d ask him if he wanted to see the latest “Nightmare on Elm Street” movie (my treat) and he said yes.  The next day, he offered to buy dinner before the movie.

And true love was born.

We dated for about a year and then discussed marriage.  We shopped and bought an engagement ring.  He worked second shift in those days so I went and picked up my own engagement ring at the jewelry store when it was finished being sized.  He came to my parent’s house that night after work and proposed.  Well, sort of.  .  . I handed him the ring box and he handed it right back to me and said, “Here ya go.”  Why yes, he’s certainly a romantic!!

We wanted to pay for our own wedding so we decided to get married about a year later.  My Mom and I did all the planning since he wasn’t available in the evenings.  He trusted me to get it done in style.

November 2, 1991 arrived and we sealed the deal.


Our 20^th anniversary was spent in Mexico last Wednesday so I didn’t get to blog about my wonderful husband.

He’s not perfect but he’s perfect for me.  We fit together like two peas in a pod.

He is the person I want to be with for a million more years.  He’s the person that takes care of me.  He is my drinking buddy.  He’s the one that always shares with me even if it is the last candy bar in the house.  He is the one that lets me cry about stupid stuff.  He’s the one that holds my hand when we are at the shopping mall.  He is the one that lets me carry on about ANYTHING when I’m happy, or sad, or mad about something.  He’s the one that makes sure I have what I need when I’m sitting on the couch and say something like, “Damn, I’m thirsty.”  He's the one that makes me a kick ass margarita when I say I need one.  He is the one that makes me giggle (and then tells me how he loves to hear me laugh).  He’s the one that comforts me when I have a terrifying nightmare at 2 am due to low blood sugar.

He is the one that I can’t imagine being without.

My life is better because of him.  My life is happier because of him.  My life is funnier because of him.  My life is more complete because of him.

Here's my Angry (in Mexico last week).  My love.  My best friend. 

I love this guy!

Honey, I love you with all my life.  I hope you remember that every time you think of me.  Happy Anniversary!

Did ya miss me?

I was on vacation in Mexico.  Hope someone actually missed me!!

I've got some blogs "in the works" so I'll be getting them posted as soon as I can.