In my list of 'attached' blogs...you know, the ones under Heatherscot...I had "An Amateur Family Photo Album" which I decided not to use anymore. I did away with that and all of its contents and in its place is..."Sports Lovin' Female View" which is at 'tntbphotos.blogstream.com'. I like to talk about sports cuz I love to watch sports...and I miss alot of things, too.

So, just to keep the sports talk out of my 'Daily Changes' blog I started that one. Please feel free to challenge me (without being combative) and poke fun at my Cleveland Teams (and even the Colts). Add some stuff about your favorite teams...etc. I would say 'no Steelers or Ravens fans allowed' but that would be so unsportsmanlike...besides, where's the fun in that? (oh, and, um...do to a fatal computing error on behalf of some other disgruntled non-Cleveland sports fan, that new blog is NOW able to accept comments. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!)

ANYHOO...just thot I'd let y'all know. Now...back to setting up the garage sale.

BEEE yerself! Sorry. That is a phrase from Alladin..you know..the animated Disney version...with Robin Williams as the voice of the genie. And 'bees' are the subject matter of my post. (I'm a wee bit odder than usual today)

I was relaxing on the swing, having a conversation, watching the pollen flying...decided to step off the porch and into the grass bare footed. My parents have the softest grass in their yard. My mother was always yelling at me to get my shoes on. The grass in my yard has hidden prickers. Not great to walk through bare footed.

Every summer I used to wander around barefoot as much as I could. I loved the feel of the hot cement driveway, the soft grass, the dirt, the squishy mud...and then down at the lake front I loved the feel of the sand as it did a natural exfoliation on my feet. I liked to walk out into the water and carefully wade beyond the bed of smooth rocks to where there was nothing but sand beneath my feet.

AND every summer, without fail, I would step on a bee. Honey bee, yellow jacket...if it was a bee with a stinger, I stepped on it. I finally got smart enough to get a bucket of mud and stick my foot in it for at least half an hour after the sting. One summer, I was playing out in the yard with a friend and we sat down in the grass...and... I sat on the bee. My mother had to make a mud pack.

I remember driving my way out to the country to take a cross country short cut to some job interview somewhere...I don't remember what job...most likely a teaching job somewhere...and I had the windows down in my two-seater enjoying the breeze (but not necessarily the dairy-air, it you get my drift) and I grabbed the steering wheel with my left hand so I could change the radio station...there was a bee on the back side of the steering wheel. OUCH! Luckily, my mom's friend Connie's house was just ahead and she was working outside in her garden. I pulled over and asked her nicely if I could have a cup of mud. I explained that I had just been stung and THEN she got it. Her little round face turned red and she laughed! There I was all dressed up driving down the road with my hand in a cup of mud. Luckily she provided me some wipes so I could clean off before my interview.

There are no bees in this yard. We have no mosquitoes either. They seem to be bothered by the close proximity of the highway. I am glad to report though that the butterflies like it here just fine! AND my buddy Scrawny Squirrel.

One more class session to go...and then I'm done until Fall...unless I decide to pick up a summer class. But I am kinda hoping to use my summer to work in the gardens, and work off some of my body.

I walked into class last night wearing my Indianapolis Colts t-shirt that Troy brought me on his way home from Chicago once. The prof said, "here's the Colts". hey, I know I've gained weight but I don't think I resemble the whole team. When he asked me about Petcack (sp?) I just shrugged and told him not to let the shirt fool him...I'm a Cleveland fan. He just rolled his eyes. yeah...Hooday to you too. Although, I've never understood the concept of a Bengal Tiger yelling "hooday" (cincinnati) but then...where did the Dawg Pound and the 'woof, woof, woof' come from?

ANYHOO, he was kind enuff to let me know my average in class so far and (drumroll) I am gonna pull an A out of this one! Next Monday night is my last class and for our last class we get to practice interviewing some nervous student that is graduating and having to go out and face the world. I must admit that when I signed up for this class I was irritated cuz I thought, How can you make a whole class out of 'staffing'? I have learned quite a bit from it! If nothing else, I have learned the do's and don'ts of job searching and resumes. I now know what it is like on both sides of the interview table.

My daughter has one more proficiency test today. I am still not feeling great but I have found that large doses of decongestants and cough syrup will stop EVERYTHING from flowing (sorry...TMI!) and that taking a nighttime severe cold/allergy medicine is really great to get a good night's sleep. I still had a whole lot of stuff on my list to do but I said (pardon me) 'piss on it...I need some sleep' and that is what I did. For 8 long wonderful hours! God bless you nighttime cold remedy! Of course, I woke up with my leftover tasks waiting for me but...so what.

I saw some pictures of Mr. Figment's house...inside and out. How does one do that? I have been cleaning out and hauling to the garbage more stuff that I didn't know we had...and hauling stuff out for the weekend community garage sale. Just where did it all come from? And WHY was it here? And it STILL doesn't look much different to me! I think I will buy a new house that is completely empty and move into it and leave everything behind. Do you think it MIGHT look clean and uncluttered for a while? Shall we take bets on how long it will be before the junk finds me and moves in?

( this is long cuz I have lots of GOOD stuff to share!)

Friday was the ultimate day. I have totally forgotten how I used to shuffle all the family stuff AND work. I am sure that once I get another job, it will all come back to me. I was organized then. I am not so much that way now. Plus, I didn't have to deal with anxiety attacks from my kids AND my husband had a non-travel type job with more regular hours OR he was away at school. It was all me then, too. It makes me tired looking ahead...and kinda excited too.

I rolled Jr. out of bed bright and early amid his very verbal protestations. I carted him off down the highway to the JVS school. He has been spinning his wheels, been depressed, wanting to quit school, giving me a very hard road...I tried to talk to him about JVS but he wasnt' grasping the concept. So, I called the school counselor and set up a tour.

I watched TJ's face as she took us, and another family, through the school. The kids there were all very polite and friendly. He was studying it all and I could tell he was trying to understand the whole deal. I was amused. Mrs. Baer saved the best for last...after an hour and a half, she steered us towards the program that I KNEW TJ would want to be a part of...Interactive Media. When he stepped into that green screen room with all the cameras and equipment his eyes just popped! Then they showed him the story boards they do, the video editing, the script writing...!!! He was hardly able to contain himself! Got him! HA! He just talked a mile a minute all the way home! He has done his own movies already and is quite familiar with the video editing. But there is so much more there for him to learn. He writes scripts, too. He and a few of his friends have a wrestling role play board. Finally, I saw some excitement in him...hope.

I just hope that they will let him in...that he hasn't screwed up his first two years of high school too badly. I have to bake some cookies and buy some flowers for the local high school counselor in our school district becuz she is the one that has to look over TJ's transcripts and figure out what he will need to graduate from this school district...since he will essentially have to re-enroll with them to get into the JVS school. I can get recommends from the camera/video editor guy at the Public Access station where TJ did some training last year. And I am sure TJ's doctor will be more than willing to write a letter of recommendation. This kid needs this...BADLY. His purpose. Cuz, frankly, he has been scaring me. He seems like he has thrown in the towel on himself and I am getting tired of trying to find answers for him. (please pray for him that he will be accepted!)

Bethany did GREAT this weekend. Her first outdoor camping experience with her GS troop. She did good! AND...this is REALLY a major accomplishment and shows that her meds have helped her regain control...she did presentations in front of two different groups of girls! My Bethany...the one that always was afraid of her own shadow...would get stomach aches and headaches, sometimes vomit...at the idea of being noticed or in a room full of ppl...she got up in front of these groups and did the presentations! AND her leader told me that she insisted that she be the one to do it! (and right now I am trying really hard not to start crying again). Y'all have no idea that long road it has been trying to hold both my kids together and help them get through things that other kids just take for granted. And to see my daughter take the reins and shine like that! The one thing, though, that the medicine has done...I have to get to know my daughter all over again. Just within the past few months, since the doctor found her right meds and dosage, she has become this person that I have never seen before...so calm and confident and happy...she TALKS to me! She tells me what she thinks, feels. I used to have to try and dig it out of her. But...she is more attentive now too. It is all wonderful...AND this means she is ready to return to the Middle School next year and be with her friends again! YAY!!!

Another thing that sent TJ reeling Friday was something that would mean only something great to him. His dad was on his way back from Savannah and had a lay over in Atlanta of quite a few hours. He hopped an earlier flight out of Savannah but when he got to Atlanta the earlier flight there was full...so he had to wait. He went into the restaurant lounge and met up with some professional wrestlers (wrestling entertainers ) Now, I know I am going to mess this up so if you know about WWE and TNA don't shoot me. There was 3 of them...Road Dog (altho, I take it that isn't what he goes by now), and the Nasty Boys (well, they aren't that anymore either but that's who they used to be...and the one guy had 'disappeared' for a while). Troy bought them drinks, they had dinner, they let him take pictures and they made out a personal autograph for TJ. THEN, Troy called home to TJ to tell him and Road Dog took the phone and talked to him. I wasn't here, I was out rounding up last minute camp items for Bethany, but TJ called ME and I could tell he was going into a melt down...a good meltdown! Even better, he was on the other phone with his friend Tad who runs the role play boards with him...so he put the call on speaker phone so that Tad could hear. Tad was going nuts. boys. Then Road Dog asked Troy for a business card...told him they were going to be doing a show in Dayton in a few months and he would call and hook them up with some tickets...and possibly...some back stage passes! TJ is dying! He has always wanted to be one of those wrestlers. However, I don't discourage him...it's his dream...but I have always emphasised 'back up plan'. So, if he gets into the JVS and doing that program, he could end up writing their scripts or doing the editing or running the camera...etc. I am not thrilled with all of that stuff but it is what he wants. So, I keep my mouth shut and hope it goes well.

TJ took off with his dad bright and early Saturday morning for Battle Creek, Michigan. He got some lessons in jet computers and had to wait for Dad to do his thing for the company with the customer. Then they were treated to lunch and headed for Troy's ex-brother-in-laws for guy games TJ has a cousin Kevin that is his age. He lives with his dad. So they get some hang out time.

I had yesterday alone. I went for a long walk while doing some needed shopping at the same time. I parked at one end of the plaza and walked the whole length. I cannot BELIEVE how out of shape I am! Just means I really need to get going. Dang. I used to exercise ALL the time! The last few years have taken a toll on me. I've put on so much weight! And my muscle mass has disappeared, just about. I think I had better sign up in a few walk-athons this summer. I would go on the Great Ohio Bike-athon but it would kill me! 250 miles. That is my goal for next summer. I will be in good enough shape to go on that bike hike. Lord willing.

I didn't accomplish everything I was hoping to do. I make impossible lists of things for myself and set impossible deadlines but part of the problem was my allergies hit me hard this weekend. Yesterday was the worst! The body aches, the sore throat, coughing, sneezing... The allergy meds are doing a wee bit better job today. Mostly just down to sneezing now. The body aches have stopped and my sore throat is gone. It will get better. It's just a good thing that none of that allergy stuff got in the way of me catching some NFL draft and the NBA playoffs.

And now...if y'all will excuse me...I hear my walking shoes calling my name and the sunshine is beckoning.