Summer Fun #43,892

Probably the most entertaining story I have from this past summer came father's day weekend. We decided we were going to head about 45 minutes down the road to camp at one of the beautiful Minnesota state parks. So, Thursday night we loaded everything up into the van so we could leave on Friday as soon as CB got home from work. This part all went off without a hitch and we were even on the road about fifteen minutes earlier than we had anticipated. We even arrived to the campsite, got everything set up and had time to go for a little tour before it was time to make dinner. The only thing was that CB had this pain in his mouth. It was really hurting, but when he took advil or tylenol it went away. It was a beautiful day, and turned into a beautiful night where the stars were brighter than I had seen in forever and the mosquitoes were at a minimal level!

Saturday morning turned out just as lovely, but the pain in CB's mouth was beginning to hurt even worse. But, he was a good sport, and we went Geo Caching and swimming in the river. This is where the story turns sour. First, CJ and Diva sliced their knees open on rocks in the river. Not too deep, but enough blood to make me a little queasy. Fortunately, CB is a planner and we had a first aid kit in the car.

However, nothing in the first aid kit could help CB. By Saturday night, he was in so much pain that he was shaking and tears were rolling down his face. This is a man who dislocates his shoulder once a year and utters nary a swear word. Obviously, the pain medications weren't even touching the pain at this point. I finally convinced him that he needed to go to the ER, so at 8 Saturday night, I dropped two very upset children off with my mom and took CB to the ER. Two hours later, we learned that he had an absess. We were sent back to the campsite with a prescription for antibiotics and Vicodin (which he didn't take).

By morning, he was feeling much better. So, on Father's Day, CB got up early to make US all breakfast. Lo and behold, he bent over and his back went out. As if that wasn't enough, it started to RAIN! And not just rain, but downpour. CB decided enough was enough, and we left for home. Needless to say, the ride home was VERY quiet.

CB took Monday morning off so we could get him to the dentist, only to have the dentist not be able to find anything wrong! They took multiple x-rays, poked around, and found NOTHING! Odd. From there, we headed to the chiropractor to get his back put back into place. Finally, fully fixed up, we headed back home--putting an end to what was obviously the most expensive camping trip EVER!

How about you?? Any horrendous camping stories you want to share?

2008 Has to be Better, Right???

Fun Ways to spend the last days of 2007:

Win $100,000 on a scratch-off ticket

Travel to NYC and be there when the ball drops

Travel to Las Vegas and watch the crazy man clear a 322 foot cycle jump

Be in Minneapolis and spend New Year’s Eve toasting your very best friends

Not Fun Ways to spend the last days of 2007 (aka how I spent them):

Have husband be informed that he will no longer have a job sometime within the next 4-6 weeks

Have one vehicle’s transmission slowly dying, the other one refusing to start, and the other one leaking oil of some sort (2 of the three are now fixed, but still)

Wait ever so patiently for the rest of 2007 to be over so you can just get OUT of this madness for the love of all that is Good and Holy.

So, the car and van have been fixed. The truck’s transmission has been crapping out slowly over the last three years (the fact that it’s 14 years old and has 230,000 miles on it *might* be a contributing factor, but you know), so we’re just hoping it doesn’t crap out any time soon. And I have been constantly alternating between the mantras “Please, God, only one thing at a time” and “I am trusting. Everything’s going to be just fine”.

CB has a meeting today with a company right here in Podunk, so we’re feeling cautiously optimistic. It would be nice for him to work in town after spending the better part of the last eight years driving at least 30 miles round trip. The last two has been 70 miles round trip.

I’m also doing the weight loss thing for real this time. I’m on a team with three other people (We’re the Rockettes! So fun!), and there’s a community-wide weight loss contest. What’s the prize? $1,000! Which means $250 per person to buy new clothes after all the weight comes off. Sounds awesome, right? And if the money won’t motivate me to do it for real, I am not sure what will!

So, I’m being Miss Always-Look-At-The-Glass-Half-Full and saying that 2008 is going to be a year of awesome change. New job for CB, school for me, healthier eating habits for all of us, and who knows what else is in store?

What are you most looking forward to in ’08?

Redemption

This weekend I met up with The Ex. And it was surprisingly uneventful. There wasn’t that silly little flutter that I’ve had every other time I’ve seen him since the first day I met him.

I had been really nervous because, well, he is THE Ex. Three years ago when I saw him, he looked exactly like he did in high school. Only older with more muscles. And while I don’t look ENTIRELY different, I have evidently maintained the weight I gained from both pregnancies & so am wider than I was then. So this was really picking at me because even though there’s no doubt in my mind I’m with who I’m supposed to be with, there’s still that little piece of me that wants him to be like “Damn! I let THAT ONE get away!?” which is probably the same feeling most girls have about their boys from high school.

Needless to say, I hadn’t really wanted to see him because of my own insecurities, but when I walked up to him, I felt this huge release. Like it is OK that I don’t look the same way as I did when I was 17. And my entire demeanor has changed because of it. I guess I was fretting over the whole ordeal since the first email I got from him saying he was back in the area. So now, I have a whole new outlook on life!

In other news, I booked our flights to see GQ in Seattle. I still can’t believe that we’re going because the Redneck fam is so not the kind of people that make big plans like this and follow them through. It’s amazing! I’ve always wanted to go to Seattle, so I’m super excited. Even if it is with the Redneck Mom and Dad.

Anyone have any requests for sightseeing pictures? We’re only there for a couple of days, so I’m not going to get a lot of tourist-y time, but I’ll do my best!

I'm Over It. . .

Today is a new day and I’m (mostly) over it. Basically what happened is my brother overslept and instead of my dad being rational, he blew up at my brother. So, my brother has decided to quit his job, quit playing baseball and is moving back to his college town two months early. It’s probably good for him because there’s nothing to do here but it just pisses me off when my dad acts so immature.

The worst part of it all is that it’s not my brother he’s mad at. He’s still mad at my mom and instead of dealing with it in a healthy way, he takes all his frustrations out on my brother. Plus he’s got a horrible temper. He’ll blow up and then five minutes later he’s like “well why are you so upset”. I know it. I lived it for seven years. He’s the reason I moved out of my parents’ house just a week after graduation. It’s also the reason I never went back.

So I don’t blame my brother for getting the heck out of there. I think he’ll do better with more opportunities and more friends back in Collegeville. I just wish it didn’t have to be that way.

In other news, CJ had his first baseball game today. They won 29-18. Granted they play a little differently in that 10 hitters go every inning whether they swing once or ten times and they’re all little. But CJ did awesome! He had good base hits and was scored in both of his times on base. I just might get a sport outta this boy yet!

Anyways, now I’m off to go cruise around in my brother’s much-cooler-than-my-mini van Chrysler Sebring. I keep trying to think of things to do before I have to switch vehicles because it’s so nice to be driving a CAR. With a moon-roof and everything (or maybe it’s a sunroof. I don’t know which one is which.)

Also, I’m joining the bandwagon of people who comment on their own blogs. I wasn’t doing it because I’m a COMMENT WHORE and need to know how much you like me! Lol But then I feel bad because it’s like y’all comment and I just leave the conversation open-ended. So be on the lookout for GR comments!

No More Drama

I do not want to be the peacekeeper anymore.

I do not want my family to all call me after they have a blowout.

I want my parents back on speaking terms.

I don’t want to be the mature one anymore.

I want my dad to realize he’s slowly pushing everyone away because he cannot keep his mouth shut.

I want my brother to grow up and be responsible.

I want someone in my family to care about what they’re doing to ME and MY FAMILY instead of their own drama for five freaking minutes.

I want to rewind time to two years ago before all this crap happened and tell them all to grow up and get marriage counseling.

I want my husband to be more understanding when I need to vent about this stuff (I know he will be tonight and will apologize for the way he was this afternoon, but I still wish he would just GET it and take two minutes when I need him.)

But most of all, I want my real dad, the one that’s in California. I want to be able to curl up next to him and just cry. I want him to stroke my hair and tell me that everything will be fine. I want him to be able to be the dad that he wanted to be and can be now, except for the fact that he’s 2,000 miles away.