Tikatu's Travels Through Time

Yesterday was the Girl's appointment to take the SAT. This meant getting up early, taking Hubby to work early then on to the technical college, dropping her off for the big event. She had the cell phone, which I rather regretted later. Went home, napped, and restarted the day around 11ish. She called just before 1 for pick up.

On the way back home, I filled the gas tank about halfway. Though I'd used cash, the pump wanted to charge me the credit price per gallon. I called for help and the people inside switched it back. But I was glad I insisted on the proper price; by the time I picked up the Girl, gas prices had risen 8 cents across the board - so the credit card price was now the cash price! Whew!

I regretted the Girl having the cell phone when Hubby was so late coming home. He found he needed help during the day and had no way to call in at the appropriate time. So he got little help, and was back to the station far too late. He was mad at himself for it, and his supervisor wasn't too happy either. It's made me think that we should invest in a second cell phone.

The niece's graduation was nice, though there were quite a few people who disrupted it with loud calls - and promptly got up to leave before they were thrown out. One guy used an air horn, which was expressly verboten. I hope he got charged with disturbing an event or something. I got to meet the SIL's mother and sister that day, and her step-sister and the step-sister's daughter. Nice folks! The mom was very impressed with my kids, especially the Girl. The party on Friday was nice; I sat outside with them in the shade (they're all smokers, so my bro set up a table with comfy chairs and umbrella on his back deck for them). It wasn't too uncomfortable; the worst humidity was over though it was still very hot. The five-cup salad went over really well, too!

Report cards came in yesterday. Boy #1 is the only one who got straight As. Boy #2 had one B, the Girl had two As, one C and the rest Bs. I'm okay with it, for the most part, though Boy #2's B bothers me a bit because he could have had an A if he'd passed in his work on time during the first quarter!

Today, I slept in until 11ish, and I've spent a good part of the day avoiding the empty file I opened to write in. I know what I want to write, I think, once I figure out how to set the stage. But it's just the actual writing... I can't seem to get started. All I want to do is read!

Don't know why except my muse has been in overdrive the past few days. Got up to chapter 20 in Turnabout early this week (late last week?) and started a new fic, Resolutions, which is a "chapter a day" fic. So far so good; three days, three chapters. Didn't know if I'd get to chapter three today the way I was trying to clean off my desk. Still have lots to go, but at least I got all my old bills off and shredded.

Serendipity is doing well, over 100 hits. And I've asked my husband if I can sign up for the optional pay services at ff.net as a Christmas present. He never knows what to get me and this is something I'd like to have. I think he's amenable.

Christmas was very nice, if money draining. I had already bought the kids their much desired GBA Pokemon games, but since things were tight, decided that the money my parents had sent and that my in-laws would eventually send would go toward those games. Hey, I just realized, I have Christmas money from my parents, too! I could put it toward the pay services. Well, it's a thought.

Christmas Eve was nice with Bro #2 and his wife and daughter coming. We worked hard and actually got the kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and living room looking nice and decorated well. The house smelled nice, too, unlike their place right now. I was really glad to host our family celebration here.

Got hubby the computer game Civilization III for Christmas and everyone is hooked on it (except me). The kids are even enjoying it, which surprised me. I also got him the second season of Rocky and Bullwinkle, which made him very, very happy.

Took the Girl and Boy #2 to the eye doctor yesterday. The Girl's prescription has changed, and both the doctor and she are talking contacts. But the best news was that the severe retinal scarring that Boy #2 had this time last year is GONE! His vision is as near to perfect as it's going to get and the difference in the two retinal pictures was amazing! I just have to praise God for it; when this came up I was afraid that his eyesight would be scarred forever. But God is better to us than we ever, ever deserve.

I'd better get to bed. I haven't decided whether or not to get up with hubby and take him to work again and I'd like to be awake while I drive.

Went to the Harvest Happening at church last night. The kids love this; it gives them a chance to run around and visit with their friends while riding the hayrides, eating hot dogs, and drinking hot cocoa. I wasn't sure if they were going to have it; the weather was damp and overcast all day. And boy, did I feel it! Hubby dropped us off and went back to the house to get a couple of folding chairs. Found out that some small creature had made a nest in the red one; there were bits of fluff in there and a couple of holes chewed through the nylon. Once he got back, we ate and then I sat down and didn't move for the rest of the evening. My feet were hurting so much! Dorothy and Sandra came over to chat with me, and I touched base with Debbie and Linda P. Said "Hi" to a lot of people and spoke with Sarajean at length. Have to make sure I get Valerie's wedding gift all wrapped and ready to go.

The kids had a good time. The Girl hung out with her good friend Anneliese, and Boy #1 hung out with Matthias and put odds and ends on the fire. Boy #2 dared Emmy to put something on the fire, and, knowing Emmy, she took him up on his dare. The boys ran around on the playground and I had to specifically tell Boy #1 to stay out of the creek. He told us later that there was a snapping turtle in the creek now.

We bought pumpkins for the kids to "carve" which means that they design a jack o' lantern and Daddy carves it (but they have to clean it out). He got two done the day before and did the last one last night. They are out on the steps now. The Girl's is at the top as usual, with Boy #1's just below it, and Boy #2's at the bottom. Here are some pics:

We'll put candles in them tonight.

The Hubby should be home soon and I'll either go out and get milk and candy to send him out to run the errand. I'm very tired; I didn't get to sleep until 4:30 a.m. with my feet the way they were and didn't get up until 11:00 a.m. Hubby always tells me to wake him so he can massage my feet with Aspercreme, but he needs his sleep, too, and always seems so groggy and grouchy when I ask him to do it. Tonight I'll take my anti-depressant around 9 and see if that helps me get to bed sooner.

funky_cheeseArtisiticRainey finished the pics of my character's kids for IR:TNP and sent me a picture of herself in her beautiful dress. She looked so very lovely! And she did a great job on the portraits, too. I have one more character to develop a description for: my character's mother.

I keep looking for the van, and I'm very much afraid that Hubby has stopped at the library. Well, it closes at 6 tonight so he won't be there very long. Now to get some housework done.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Yes, they are. Most certainly. Mine went from mailman to plumber in the blink of an eye. He managed to install the new faucet and even replace the old drain, so now we have a functioning drain plug. And the change in water pressure? We now actually have some in the bathroom sink, a feature we've been missing since we moved into this place four years ago. The installation took all evening with a break for dinner and two trips to the store for supplies I didn't know we'd need but it's done. When I heard a shower of water this morning, it was actually rain! And I made sure I rewarded him most appropriately this morning before he left for work. ;)

Realized last night at supper that I hadn't taken my meds with breakfast. So I'm still trying to catch up on my anti-seizure drug levels. But it did explain why I had so much pain in the afternoon and felt so crappy most of the day. High BP will make you feel crappy.

Had a long convo with my good friend PDragonlady. She's going to buy the Girl's textbooks from last year. She'd like for us to go out and have breakfast somewhere like we used to; I'd like that, too. I haven't seen too much of her this summer. Haven't seen too much of too many other people for that matter. The weather has made such a hash of my neuropathy this summer!

I need to clean the bathroom before putting all the accoutrements back in there. Sigh. A woman's work is never done.