Sunday ...

I'll be sooooo glad when the semester is over. Only a week to go! Monday is our last day. Yippee!! I'm so ready for summer break! Then it's a summer of catching up with the things I let slide during the school year. You know ... chores!!

So, how 'bout that storm that blew through the area yesterday? High winds (70 MPH), hail, pelting rain. And there outside my bedroom window sat this furry little friend. Too scared to move for about ten minutes!!

I swear he was looking nasty at me ... "biiiiiitch, let me come in. I need shelter". He looked so scared!

And what a storm it was! We're lucky, we didn't have the normal trees down or branches littered all over the place. Wide spread power outages ... 117,000 + DTE customers without power. Hell, my folks lost power for about 8 hours yesterday! Hardest hit, of course, were the areas that my folks live in - and the area Single Son is a cop for. I'm hearing now that the area he patrols was hit by a tornado. He said it's a mess!!

Not a whole lot else going on today besides the typical studying. Did I mention I'll be glad when the semester is over?

What Not to Say to a Policeman

What Not to Say to a Policeman

-- I can't reach my license unless you hold my beer.

-- Sorry, Officer, I didn't realize I was driving.

-- Wow, you must've been doing about 125 mph to keep up with me!

-- I was going to be a cop, but I decided to finish high school instead.

-- You're not gonna check the trunk, are you?

-- You look just like my girlfriend's deadbeat ex-husband.

-- The question is -- do YOU know why you pulled me over?

-- I was trying to keep up with traffic, and it's miles ahead of me.

-- If you have to ask if I've been drinking, I'm not going to tell you, dude.

-- It wasn't my fault -- when I reached down to roll this joint, my gun fell off my lap and got lodged under the brake pedal.

-- That's a sweet 9mm. You want to hold my .44 magnum?

-- If I'd known I was getting a full body cavity search, I would have waxed!

Thursday Thoughts ...

Wow, has it really been a whole week since my last entry? Time sure does fly!!

I did my final project in Stress Management today. A community project. Had to teach someone some of the relaxation and stress management techniques we'd learned in class. I chose my folks. Presentation went well. I got a 100% on it. Coach wrote on my paper "You were very dynamic and funny. I enjoyed your presentation". And she underlined that last sentence. The students that presented this week were treated to snacks by the non-presenting students. Next week, we have to bring snacks for the class. I'm clueless as to what I'm bringing. Seems 95% of the snacks brought in this week were chips or donuts. I'm thinking I want to be one of those 5% who brought a yummy non-junk food snack.

Next Tuesday starts the last week of class. The following Monday (May 4) will be the official last day of the semester. I'm sooooooo ready for the term to end!! I need a break!

I'll be spending tomorrow and the entire weekend studying. Book buy back is next week and I want to get my books sold early so I can get the best price for them. Which means I better be finished studying from them by the beginning of next week.

Other than that, nothing much going on. I've started my summer break to-do list. That's my big priority for a while, getting caught up on everything I've let slide during the school year.

Hope everything is well in your world.

Thursday Thoughts ...

1) I finally got my printer/scanner installed. Just in time, too. Coach gave us the prints of our hands!! The theme was "Handprints of Stress Management". What future event do we see happening that will lessen the stresses of our lives. Yup ... you guessed mine!!

2) Today was our final exam in Stress Management. Gee no stress there! Actually it was a real easy exam. We had to write at least one page about a "task" (stresses) we're presently facing, how we deal with it, how we could deal better, and what we see this "task" as being in five years. Can you guess what my "task" was? If you said Alien, very good!! Oh, mine was two and a half pages long in case you're wondering! The last two weeks of class are presentations. Whew!! One less final exam I have to sweat about at the end of the term.

3) Getting out of class I turned my phone back on. First message I have is a picture message from DIL. Seems Shamira had THREE kittens, not two!! Yes, she finally found the babies. They're adorable. Hmmmmm, I'm not sure what that green stripe is on the left ...

3) And yes, I'm keeping one of them. Dammit. I said I would only keep one if it's orange. Well, we're close. See the kitten on the bottom? Her ears are orange!! Does that count? Her name is Peanut Butter Cup ... Peanut for short. It looks like she's got peanut butter and chocolate on those cute little ears! She's the new discovery DIL made today.

4) So ... I get home to find my spot taken up by Married Son working on a friend's vehicle. No biggie. I just parked on the gravel. But ... walking up to the house I see this little scene ... TOO FUNNY! Yes, that's my grandson sitting in the base of my small iron fire pit.

5) See all those leafs from last fall? Every time we've tried to get them up we've been stopped by rain or snow. They're finally nice and dry and can be bagged. They'll be gone tomorrow. Married Son hired some guy to come out and clean it all up. Yay!!!

6) I was going to go into the house after snapping the above picture with my cell phone camera, but was ordered by Grandson to take a picture of him on his bike.

7) And yes, I purposely took them on the dark side. I won't put a clear photo of Grandson on the web. Nope, sirree ... ya'll get to put up with shadows and partial face shots. That's for a reason ... it should be illegal to be so darned cute!! (Although if you're so honored by having access, you can see better quality photos in my "grandson" photo album here on Multiply).

8) I do believe that's all f-f-f-f-folks.

Alien Sightings ...

Yes! The Alien has been spotted. Right here in my own home as a matter of fact!

I was working on the computer when I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I said "come in", fully expecting it to be Single Son. Was I wrong! It was Alien!!

She asked if Married Son was home (see footnote, LOL). He wasn't ... so she asked if that idiot boyfriend of hers could come in the house. I told her absolutely not. That she's welcome, but he will never be able to set foot in this house. She was pissed. Oh well. Not only do I not want him in the house, he cannot come in. He's a felony convict out on parole ... I have weapons in the house. His setting foot in my home is a violation of his parole/probation. He'd be arrested. Damn, maybe I *should* have let him in? Then call the cops. Too late for it to really matter ... but it was a thought!!

So ... she came by to ask me if I wanted to see the first photo of my newest grandchild. Swallowing all the negative feelings I have towards the situation I said "I'd love to".
"Mom, you have the ultrasound picture upside down".
"Oops", flipping it over ... "Wow, it still looks like a blob right now. You sure they didn't take the picture upside down"
"Geesh, Mom. Next time I'll ask them to get the baby to smile first"
"Please do."

We talked for a minute. She was in a hurry to go somewhere, but did want me to see the picture.

I'm sure she probably made up being in a rush, for fear I'd cross examine her about "and how do you think you're going to raise this kid" ... but I'm NOT going to lecture. I'm not going to bitch. I'm not going to do anything. It's too late for lectures or bitching. I don't want her to hate me ... nor do I want to hate her either. And I sure won't form negative feelings toward that innocent child that I just saw an ultrasound photo of.

She did stop and turn around before heading out the door ... "Momma, I love you".

So ... I'm feeling a little better. I've heard her say "I love you". I'm hopeful that we'll be able to work through all this, but I stand in my convictions to not get involved in the finances or housing issues that may arise in the future. Yes, I'll be Gramma ... that's a given ... but I will not be "banker", "landlord", or "assistance giver" in any way shape or form.

(footnote- Long story short ... Married Son was given two years probation a year and a half ago because of salvaging items that were on state property. He can't be around anyone with a criminal record while he's on probation or he's in violation and will end up in jail. He's been the ideal probie and has less than six months to go before he's off probation. Why would he screw it up now because of Alien's idiot fiance?)

Britain's Got Talent ...

K, those of you who know me well know I don't watch American Idol ... but a news clip on The Today Show really caught my attention. On the British show, Britain's Got Talent, a 47 year old Scotswoman, called a frumpy virgin in the media really belted it out. She had me in absolute tears - her voice is so beautiful.

Susan has her own fansites at http://www.susan-boyle.com/ , http://www.susanboyle-bgt.co.uk/  and http://susan-boyle.britains-got-talent.co.uk/ . You can pretty much guarantee I'm going to be following this gal's singing career.

Read the article, then click on the links to enjoy this woman's amazing voice. Warning ... have tissues handy. I don't think I lasted 15 seconds into the video before bawling like a baby.

(article link)

April 15, 2009 8:30 AM PDT

The frumpy virgin who's slaying them on YouTube

by Chris Matyszczyk

She has the eyebrows of a Roman Emperor. She has the square shoulders of one of his centurions. And she walks like a bouncer who had one too many years in the NFL.

When Susan Boyle stepped onto the stage of "Britain's Got Talent" this past weekend, the audience laughed and the judges could barely stop their cheeks from bulging through a guffaw.

Here was a self-confessed, never-been-kissed, unemployed 47-year-old Scotswoman who, when she saw herself on television, said she was mortified that she "looked like a garage."

She told the judges she wanted to be a professional singer. Simon Cowell (yes, he) looked like he wanted to ask her to clean his car.

Susan Boyle has become an overnight sensation on YouTube.

(Credit: YouTube/"Britain's Got Talent")

She insisted she wanted to be like Elaine Page, a diminutive English singer who has starred in "Evita," amongst other musicals. The audience choked.

Then Susan Boyle began to sing.

Frankly, she hasn't stopped. More than 6 million people have already turned to YouTube to see what all the fuss is about. They're crying in Calcutta. They're bawling in Brussels.

Why? Because watching someone so far removed from anyone's physical conception of a star finally get an audience for her extraordinary voice is as moving an experience as you're likely to enjoy this year.

Here all the unrealized hopes and dreams that so many harbor till their death are laid bare in an operetta of just a few minutes.

Here is a woman who suffered mild brain damage at birth, who was laughed at in school, and who has probably been laughed at for most of her 47 years because she lived with her mother, because she lives with her cat, and because she doesn't look like friends are supposed to look.

Yes, she is now famous. She will get a recording contract. And, one suspects, she might not enjoy it all as others might.

But if, on watching the YouTube clip, you do not spontaneously burst into tears (I give you at the most 30 seconds into her performance), then you are either an alien creation of Ray Kurzweil or you should pop along to your local shrink for some considerable surgery.

Chris Matyszczyk is an award-winning creative director who advises major corporations on content creation and marketing. He brings an irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic voice to the tech world. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET.

Finally Heard From Alien ... Sort Of ...

It starts with a text message on AIM from Single Son asking me to sign onto Skype, that Alien is looking for me. Hmmmm ... I haven't changed my home address, phone numbers or messenger IDs. I'm not hard to find ...

[11:02:46 PM] Alien: Hey
[11:03:01 PM] Me: Hi
[11:03:56 PM] Me: So what's up? Your brother says you're looking for me
[11:04:53 PM] Alien: I was going to see if u had 5 bucks I could barrow til tmrw
[11:05:01 PM] Me: Sorry, I'm broke
[11:05:29 PM] Alien: Okay.
[11:05:41 PM] Alien: THats fine.
[11:05:42 PM] Me: sorry ...
[11:05:46 PM] Alien: Its okay.
[11:06:10 PM] Me: you know how it goes with me ... I never have cash, LOL
[11:06:58 PM] Alien: Lol

Being broke isn't exactly true ... but the not having cash on me is true. Besides ... she needs money she can ask that idiot *fiance* of hers!

Notice how much time passes between that last message and the next one ...

[11:13:19 PM] Alien: Does Grandma and Grandpa know about me yet?
[11:13:44 PM] Me: know about you? what? I haven't heard anything from you yet about what's going on
[11:14:00 PM] Alien: I'm pregnant
[11:14:42 PM] Me: Yeah, and I had to find out thru myspace. I'm not too happy that you couldn't talk to me and let me know. hell of a way to find out, you know?
[11:14:55 PM] Alien: I'm sorry.
[11:15:10 PM] Me: Were you afraid I'd blow up?
[11:15:15 PM] Alien: No
[11:15:39 PM] Me: so why didn't you tell me?
[11:15:49 PM] Alien: Idk
[11:16:13 PM] Me: I don't either.
[11:16:43 PM] Alien: So they don't know about me yet?
[11:16:54 PM] Me: nope. not my place to tell them either
[11:17:07 PM] Alien: When should (J) meet them?
[11:17:44 PM] Me: my initial answer ... never ... but i guess they'll have to. you better tell him how he needs to act around them ...

Another pause ...

[11:21:30 PM] Alien: i already have
[11:21:57 PM] Me: good ...
[11:22:30 PM] Alien: how should i tell them this?
[11:22:43 PM] Me: How ever you think best.
[11:22:50 PM] Alien: ok

Ten minutes have passed since our last exchange of messages. I'm not stressing. I'm not upset. I won't let this get to me. She's determined to grow up ... bad choices and all. All we can do is hope that eventually she'll wise up. Yeah ... she's got the commitment of raising this child for the rest of her life ...

I waited 15 minutes from that last message before I posted:
[11:37:18 PM] Lisa: Guess I head on outta here. Love ya. Niters

So ... I've officially been told. Alright, it was through a Skype Instant Message. I just had a feeling it wouldn't be face to face.

I never got a response before I logged off. I think that's what hurts the most ... being avoided and not being told "I love you, Mom" back. I don't hate her ... I'm not happy with her choices lately, but dammit, I don't hate her.