Hospital, Waiting (A Stream of Consciousness Exercise)

I actually thought that there would be more to write about from the waiting room. Isn't there supposed to be more really good people watching in these places?

HD went in to surgery a little while ago...and has actually started, according to the new-fangled status screen that is in the waiting room. We're not sure how things will go. Check this out...

Last Tuesday he dislocated his shoulder again for the 5th (6th?) time in 6 months. This surgery was already scheduled from back in January, so we were semi-prepared. Yesterday he had a pre-op appointment with his surgeon and it's sounding like it could be worse than we had originally thought. The doctor said that 90% of what he could find he can fix...the other 10%? He would need help and we would have to reschedule. Again. With more pain! And more waiting! Yay!

But I have to be optimistic... We're hoping for a bionic shoulder so we don't have to do this again. Ever. Could someone get on that for us? Please?

Oh! One really cool thing happened while we were in the holding room of the OR. When the anesthesiologist came in to meet us and say hello he asked if he could pray for us and for the surgery. It was short and sweet, but really nice. I'd never heard of that in a hospital that did not have a religious affiliation before.

I may have to go find the ATM machine so I can get something else to eat. Maybe I should have gone back and read my archives of the last time we had to do this. Suppose I left myself a message about eating and bringing enough money? File that under "What was I thinking?" Should I go now? This is the same hospital that the boys were born in and Headless Girl fell in love with the pastrami sandwiches. Wonder if they are still as good? That was a long time ago, so no telling.

I love the fact that there is free wifi in the waiting room here. I was just planning on writing a few drafts but this is better. Or not. You be the judge. I am the only one with a computer here in the waiting room. Does that make me cool? Or weird? One woman next to me is crocheting, one is reading a book, one dude is napping. Two different men have flowers.

That damn screen. I am compelled to see if there has been a status change like every.two.seconds. It's cutting into my typing, really, and I keep losing my train of thought. Like I had one in the first place?

Anyway,  so that's the sitch. Funny that I thought I could write from here. It's not happening, is it?

Um, Califmom just started her tweets about her husband. I have nothing left to say now. My heart is breaking for her and their family.

I'm done now.

Wordless Wednesday-My Guys

We're headed to the hospital this morning. Wish us luck! Hopefully the shoulder brace seen here will be gone in the very near future!

(Taken by me at Oceana Dunes State recreation area. I adore this shot.)

American Idol-Top 10

Soul and R&B Night with Usher

Siobhan- Through the Fire- Not her best performance. She looked really uncomfortable, hit some awful notes, and what's up with the knee-sneakers? This is certainly not her genre. I'm not a big fan of her and she did not shine tonight.

Casey- Hold On I'm Coming- Even though it is a safe choice, this is the perfect song for him. The rockabilly feel really suits him. (Ryan, give it a rest with the references to Kara. We get it. It's over.) Judges loved it too, so it looks like he'll be safe.

Mike- Ready for Love- I'm not familiar with this song. It has really started out boring. I know that he sings a great ballad, but this could have been his week to really pick a great upbeat song that showed something different. I didn't love it tonight but I love Mike and he's safe.

Didi- What Becomes of the Brokenhearted- This is not vocally great. I really, really want to like her but I'm losing my love for her. She really hasn't hit her stride yet and I'm not sure she's going to. I love that she tried a new look, but Kara is right. She's lost her vision and her personality.

Tim- Sweet Love- Tim still looks like he hasn't gotten the hang of being on stage. I'm afraid for him this week-he's not hitting the big notes big enough. I think it sounds like he's trying to enunciate too much. The end was better than the beginning, but there's just not much there.

Andrew- Forever- Andrew is back! This is fantastic. He proved tonight why he should be in the top ten. He looks great, sounds great, excellent arrangement. (Uh oh. Randy just said everything that I did! Guess that means that I'm right. Right?)

Katie- Chain of Fools- I think that this song is too old for her. She had a few pitch problems but it was otherwise vocally good, but I don't buy her as a 17 year old singing this. And what's up with the shorts/tights/gladiator heels? I agree with Simon, actually.

Lee- Treat Her Like a Lady- Dude ROCKS the song choices. Best of the night so far-vocally, performance, all of it. Ellen's right-possibly his best of the season! Addendum: Best of the night, period.

Crystal- Midnight Train to Georgia- Is this really a competition anymore? Great start on the piano, great song choice. Killer, Killer performance. I liked that she did something that was different.

Aaron- Ain't no Sunshine- Sorry, but I don't believe it from a 16 year old. He wasn't his usual consistent self tonight, and had some pitch problems, but like Simon said, he's safe.

Bottom 3: Didi, Tim, and Katie

Top 4: Lee, Crystal, Casey, and Mike.

Head on over to BooMama's place to read what everyone else thought. (A note to those of you that visit each week-Thank you so much for visiting me! I promise I'll make the rounds better next week. If you don't follow me regularly you should know that my husband will be having shoulder surgery tomorrow so I won't be able to visit anyone this week. Have fun!)

Headlessness, Again

On tap this week:

Shoulder surgery for HD on Wed. means that I'm slammed all week.

Not to mention HB#1 is home sick today and I'll be running him to the dr. Actually, I'm quite serious about the running part. I have eleventy million things to do and the dr's office wasn't on the list.

Could someone tell me something good?

And, I'm totally planning on writing a real! blog post. Hopefully that will happen sometime before June.

Wordless Friday-Quiz #3

We should be here today. Where are we?

Can anyone name the other blogger that is also vacationing here this week?

Photo credit

Wordless Thursday-Quiz #2

Here's some of what we should be seeing today.

Where are we?

How'd you do yesterday?

No fair peeking at the photo credit!

Wordless Wednesday-Quiz #1

We left this morning on an impromptu road trip.

Where are we today?

American Idol-Top 11

Before this even starts I have to say this. In all seriousness.....

Are you kidding me? Miley Cyrus as the "mentor"? Really?

Ok, and as a catch up for y'all, no, I didn't post last week and I haven't even watched it yet. However, if I do (I'm planning on it,) I'll let you know. I actually want a record of what they sang and what I thought of it.

Anyhoo.... On to tonight!

Lee-The Letter- Rocked it! I loved the bluesy, big band feel of this and thought he was super comfortable on the stage and telling the story. Safe, for sure.

Paige-Take a Look at Me Now- Ouch. All of the judges were right. Bless her heart.

Tim-Crazy Little Thing Called Love- (Please don't ruin this for me....) Boring, really. If I close my eyes it doesn't sound awful but there are no great notes either. Aaack! The teeny boppers waving their hands are back. Dude has no rhythm. Judges were right with Tim, too.

Aaron-I Don't Want to Miss a Thing-Really nice. He did a nice job with this, even sick. Safe tonight.

Crystal-Me and Bobby Magee-Perfect. Our opinion? We'll be watching her on awards shows within a couple of years just like Carrie Underwood. Unanimous around here!

Michael-When a Man Loves a Woman-Unbelievable. We've all got chills around here. I really, really liked it.

Andrew-Heard it Through the Grapevine- I really wanted to like this but I don't. Cruise ship karaoke. And does the dude know how to smile? Oh, he's smiling at the end...thankful it's over?

Katie-Big Girls Don't Cry- She's kinda singing through her nose... This song was way too big for her, I think. I'm actually really surprised that she's still around. Like her a lot; don't think she's got a chance. Tonight? Better than in the past so she's probably safe.

Casey-The Power of Love- I like it! Of course, it's not amazing, but it's good. Safe. Thank goodness. Eye candy stays for another week! Kara's right. He could make an album now and we know exactly what it would sound like.

Didi-You're No Good-There were parts of this that I really liked, but parts that I wanted to mute. Facials weren't great-a little too rough maybe? I really like Didi when she's being Didi and she wasn't tonight. I still think she's safe, though.

Siobhan-Superstition- I'm really not sure what to make of this girl. She's geeky but then that big ole voice comes out of her. I don't like this song and her version isn't making me like it any more than I do. She'll be safe, but I don't get it. I thought it was boring actually. The scream at the end? Coulda done without it.

In trouble: Paige, Tim, Andrew
Best of the night: Crystal, Michael

In response to Boo's comment about Miley's short shorts: Not condoning, but it was REALLY hot here last week when they taped her segments. Like, upper 80's, turn on the air conditioning in the car, H.O.T. And? Typical Southern California teenager uniform, seen in every mall from The Valley to San Diego. Go see what BooMama said for yourself!

Uh Oh

The hard drive on my Macbook crashed. Wahhh!!!

I may be MIA for a few more days. This was the easiest way to tell all of you.

See you soon!

What Smells Worse?

Dead rat in the wall?

Or.....
 
Dead bunny in the dryer vent?

(Now you know what I've been up to.....)

Commonly misspelled words (that drive me nuts)

In college I majored in English. Don’t hold it against me, really. I love reading, and loved literary commentary but I was never really good at it. Don’t get me started on grammar. Thank goodness blogging is a more personal style of writing because following all of the ‘rules’ is really hard for me.

Be that as it is, I am a stickler for spelling. When I was in Junior High we had the “No Excuse Spelling List” and once it was given to us we were responsible for every word on the list in every class, not just Language Arts. These were primarily homophones and other regularly used, and misused, words.

Now that I’ve been writing on the internet for almost 3 years now I see a few spelling mistakes quite often....and quite frankly, they drive me nuts.

• breath instead of breathe
• allot or alot instead of a lot (notice, there is a space there)
• improper use of your and you're
• improper use of to, too, and two
• sorted instead of sordid (major meaning difference!)
• quite instead of quiet

This list is in no way complete, so feel free to add to it in the comments!

The Crud

Yes, it caught up with me. No, I will not feel guilty about spending my day on the couch.

I suppose I'll probably get a few loads of laundry done out of necessity.

Good night. I need my strength for a long day of baseball tomorrow. *sigh*

American Idol-Week 3, Boys

The Best: Lee Dewyze, Casey James (*sigh*), Michael Lynche.

The Next Best: Alex Lambert, Tim Urban,

The So-So's:  Andrew Garcia, Todrick Hall

The Oh, No's: Aaron Kelly.

I think that as a group the guys are doing WAY better than the girls. (See? I had to create another category!)

Go over to Sophie's place for more Idol reviews!

American Idol-Week 3, Girls

It's becoming really clear who will be around for a while, isn't it? There is a decided gap between the have-it's and the others. Who made your cut?

The Best: Lacey Brown, Siobhan Magna, Didi Benami, Lilly Scott

The So-So's: Paige Miles,

The Oh, No's: Katie Stevens, Katelyn Epperly,

Crystal Bowersox is in a category of her own. 'Nuf said.

I promise that next week I'll be in for critiquing each singer...I'm really ready to tell you all how I feel about these kids! Head on back to BooMama's for other Idol posts!

Mama's Bragging

At the risk of sounding like the mom that always brags on her kids, I have to gush today. My kids got their report cards this week and I couldn't be more proud!

Headless Boy #1 got 6 A's and one B, and for the second time has made High Honor Roll. His teacher said he was "dependable", and his reading level is above 7th grade. How cool is that?

As for Headless Boy #2, he went up in 5 areas (they don't get A's and B's yet,) and in the Citizenship and Study Habits area he got all "Outstanding" marks, (there are 10 subcategories.) His teacher said that he is "assertive and smart," "gracious," and "You are quite the scholar and the gentleman, " and if that wasn't enough also said "It has been a joy to do your report card this trimester!" I think she likes him, don't you?

(This is quite a victory for #2...do you remember the mess at the end of the last school year? And the update afterward?)

My girl? Yeah, she made Dean's List at her college and is thriving at her new school. Currently on a spring break mission trip, she's rockin' the college thing now after a stinky first year. (Which I can relate to, but that is a post for another day.)

Yep, I'm a proud mama today!

Love, Inside

I can't wait for our garden!

Five Dollar Foot Long

I think that these are some of the most obnoxious commercials on the planet. This song has been in my head for the better part of the week. Of course, the advertising execs are cheering because, Hey! That's the point! Me? I'm weeping.



*****
On Monday after school HB#2 took a break from homework to use the bathroom. The kid is notorious for taking his sweet time in there, but after a while I called in to him to see if everything was *ahem* coming out ok. He walked out of the bathroom, with his pants at his ankles and exclaimed, "Wow, Mom! I really need a shower after that one!"

Uh, thanks, kid, for the visual, but go right ahead!

So after dropping his clothes by the laundry room he headed upstairs. Right about then, our friend that has been painting our house outside, and doing a few other things inside, came in to use the restroom and finish a project upstairs. The light bulb went off in my head and I shouted upstairs to #2 "Did you flush the toilet?" Oh my. No, he hadn't. "Sorry, P!"

(Luckily he has a son the same age as my boys.) He just laughed, but omg I was mortified.

*****

Later that evening Headless Dad called to talk to the boys. (Yes, he's been out of town all this week too, and yes, he took most of my sanity with him.) I overheard #2 saying this to his dad: "Dad! I had a Five Dollar Foot Long today!" {what I'm guessing HD said was something like "Huh?" because he knows that I hate Subway...} "No, Dad. My poop was a Five Dollar Foot Long!"

*****

I'll never hear that commercial the same way again, and I'm guessing, neither will you. You're welcome.

Release

I've been thinking a lot lately about my blah. (Isn't that what blah is? Focusing too much on yourself, primarily your own short-comings? Not the best way to get out of the blah's, that's for sure.)

I've been suffering from a little of the loss of blogging mojo. I've, not surprisingly, been suffering from the loss of house cleaning mojo. I think that I've sunk into a routine of putting blog reading a leetle too high on my list of late.

Recently, Pancakes and French Fries posted about giving up blog reading for Lent. I've been mulling it over and over in my mind for over 2 weeks now and think that that may be what I need to do for a while.

Oh friends! I will still write. I NEED to write. I need to get back to writing. What I'm hoping for is to move blog reading down a little on my list, you know, to a notch or two below making dinner and scrubbing toilets, versus above those things. (Not that I think that highly of scrubbing toilets, mind you, but I need to reorder my priorities.)

I/we finally (almost) finished a project that has been 2 years + in the works. I have a new project that I need to start AND finish. I need to finish reorganizing my financial files...they're still sitting in my living room floor from when I started back in January. I need to clean off my kitchen counter. (Seriously. It's my worst problem area. And it's driving me nuts!) I need to exercise. Baseball has begun and I'll be home less often over the coming few months.

So, what does this mean for you? Not much, really. I'll still be posting-hopefully more and better posts. You can still come here and read and comment. I'll most likely only be reading sporadically for the next few weeks, and commenting even less, possibly not at all. I love you all, I truly do, but I need to focus on me and my family and all of these little undone things for a while. This is truly a time when I can say and mean: "It's not you, it's me."

I need to release-release myself from the pressure and obligation that I've put myself under, and hopefully I'll be able to return a little more balanced and accomplished.

See you soon, Lovies!

AI-Girls, Week 2

If there was ever a week that I wanted to write a bunch about each girl, this would be it. Alas, I am writing off of actual written notes so, again, you'll get the same lists. It's fun and easy, and Holy Cow, there are still 10 of them.

The Best:  Katie Stevens, Didi Bename, Katelyn Epperly, Siobhan Magnus

The So-So's: Lacey Brown, Paige Miles

The Oh, No's: Haeley Vaughn, Michelle Delamour,

The Ones to Beat: Crystal Bowersox and Lilly Scott. It seems to be the year of the Indie artist, no?

I do have to say that we had mixed results around here about Didi. HB#1 and I were BLOWN AWAY by her singing Lean On Me. I thought it was original and new and it gave me the chills. Headless Dad and #2 agreed with all of the judges. It's certainly going to be an interesting season!

Check our the other opinions over at BooMama's place!

AI-Boys, Week 2

OK. Loved this week way more than last week for the guys. Seeing them tonight, I now realize that most of them were terrified!  Same format as last week for me- it's faster, and with HD out of town, I have a ton of stuff to do around the house before I can go to bed. Yeah, I know, cry me a river...

The Best:Alex Lambert, Tim Urban, Lee Dewyze.

The So-So's: John Park, Andrew Garcia, Aaron Kelly.

The Oh, No's: Todrick Hall, Jermaine Sellers.

The Ones (Two?) to Beat- Casey James and Michael Lynche.

Weird. So many of the performances were really boring tonight. Did you find that, too? I'm also finding that there is no clear stand out yet for the guys. I know that I said that this week was better, it was, but there were so many wrong song choices, and just ho-hum performances. Hmmmmmm.....

Oh, and don't forget to say a prayer for Crystal Bowersox, who had to go to the hospital today. Hope she's ok!

Thanks for visiting! Head on back to BooMama's and read more.....