If there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself in the last several years it’s that I’m very sensitive about death – especially of animals. Tonight I learned that the neighbor friends of ours who have been like family to us had to put one of their dogs to sleep. I’ve known that dog for seven years and have incredible memories of her. She was a shar pei mixed with possibly yellow lab. She was shaped like the lab but with the coat of the shar pei which is very short. She was so well trained she was off leash and would walk beside them when they walked. She loved to come into my house and find the cats. When they bought their yellow lab pure bread a few years ago the first dog suddenly became blind. She was older as it was (I want to say 13 maybe) so her health was declining but not too bad besides her sight.

The household furnishings, pets and dad are leaving this weekend to move to Texas. I believe it’s about a 22 hour drive from here. There was just no way that she would make that trip. She never liked the heat and she was having issues with balance and would run into everything being blind. Even though it was the right thing and I’m behind them in their decision it still didn’t take away the sting. She and I bawled on the phone together talking about it. I tried to stay strong but when she told me she took the older dogs empty collar and showed the younger dog when it was all over I just lost it.

I don’t handle change well. If only humans and animals could all live forever…

I’ll bet you are probably asking yourself that. Well, I can safely say it hasn’t been home! I’m too tired to look at my last entry to see what I typed but the latest is that my dad had surgery last Thursday and oh my gosh am I tired from it all.

I was at Mom and Dad’s until 10:00 Thursday night. Friday night I was there several hours. Saturday I was there several hours then went camping for a short respite with my ex-in-laws (odd, I know) then several more hours last night there then tonight I just got home a little bit ago.

I’ve hardly seen my dog. My fridge -I shit you not – is completely empty minus the salad from Wendy’s and the gallon of milk from the gas station. I was going to stop in tonight and then go straight to the grocery. Well, Mom had a melt down and I was stuck taking care of Dad until after 9:00 tonight. I had been home all of 10 minutes. Enough to take out the trash and load a few dishes in the dishwasher. Then Dad called wanting me over there.

My mother is a very controlling person. It’s her way or the highway. She doesn’t think my dad can make reliable decisions on his own. Let me tell you people. The man is a lawyer for crying out loud. I think he’s pretty good at decision making.

Dad is stubborn with some things and is burned out of laying in a hospital bed looking at the same four walls.

I miss my house. I miss my dog!

Saturday was hell. My wonderful friend volunteered to help me by coming over first thing and taking care of my daughter for me while I packed for camping then went to Mom and Dad’s for a few hours to relieve Mom before I left town for 24 hours. My friend then set her 2 year old on a stool with a full kitchen sink of water and soap for him to play in. She then – within sight of him – helped my daughter start making the birthday card and shower gift card for the two events of the day while she wrapped the presents. Then it happened.

Her son found a glass I had on the counter and picked it up. It broke in his hands. I called to check on things and hear screaming in the back ground. My daugher yells into the phone “MOM! TOMMY CUT HIS HAND ON A BROKEN GLASS AND THERE’S BLOOD ALL OVER HIS MOM, BLOOD ALL OVER THE COUNTER AND BLOOD ALL OVER THE FLOOR!”

I said, “Ask her if she needs to me to send someone to help.”

She asked and the answer was a sure yes. I tried calling my ex to go help her but he didn’t answer. He was supposed to be going there shortly to pick up my daughter to take her to the birthday party. I called the next door neighbor who then ran over with her daughter to help. The neighbor mom sat on Tommy to hold him down while Tommy’s mom held his hand up above him to stop the bleeding. The neighbor daughter helped Meg with the cards. My ex ran in the door after I got a hold of him and he mopped up the blood. His girlfriend wrapped the presents. My house was falling apart and I wasn’t there to help! My mom was gone so I had to stay with Dad. She had to run to a pharmacy 1/2 drive away to rent some equipment.

Lets just say I had major heart palpatations and high blood pressure that day.

Oh, did I mention the part where I was supposed to supervise in the shallow end for the birthday party? Well, I was 1/2 hour late but thankfully my ex stayed and helped.

By the time I arrived at the camp site I was offered a beer right away. They knew I had a rough day. It was a wonderful beer. I needed that in a major way.

Camping was great. I would have liked to have stayed longer but it was getting late Sunday and I knew I still had to go to Mom and Dad’s.

I need a vacation.

Well, I’ve blown another laptop power supply. It was a hand-me-down laptop from my dad to let me daughter use since I cannot seem to get her desktop to connect to the internet anymore. About a month ago I blew the power supply to my own laptop. I’m thinking the twerp on the other end of the support line was right that my power strip may be bad. If only I could get him to email me some money to buy a new one hehehe

In other ooops’ I forgot to charge my camera batteries before my brother and his family arrived. So, I didn’t take one picture the entire visit. : ( Thankfully my dad and brother had cameras they occasionally used. Bad me.

I’d say this entire 9 day vacation was maxed out to its fullest. We did so much I’m going to need to go back to work to recover. It was a blast and now I feel like I got to really enjoy summer. The temp varied from 70’s to mid 90’s so we enjoyed all sorts of outdoor activities. I do have to say I think I’m done swimming for the rest of the summer…okay, maybe not summer but at least for a while. ; )

I’m sunburned and have washed multiple loads of beach towels. I’d say vacation was a success.

My ex-husband’s family wanted to take my daughter camping and I also wanted to take her camping. However, I didn’t think I could handle it all on my own and still have a nice time so we decided to do a combined trip. We planned on going Friday through Sunday to a place about an hour away. My daughter has been looking forward to this trip for weeks after weeks of begging me to schedule something.

Since that planned event the following have come up conflicting:

1. Neighbors who are moving to Texas and are like family are having a combined birthday party for their two youngest kids who share a birthday. It’s taking place at the grandparents house/pond who are also moving out of their house. I’ve been asked to be a chaperone because there won’t be a lot of adults there.

2. My daughter’s Godfather and his wife are having a baby and the baby shower is Saturday night…at 9:00 p.m….45 minutes away from where I live.

3. My dad just found out he has to have surgery to repair a major tendon torn off his heel and I promised my mom I would help them both through this.

Gah. Now what…

Sorry to have been neglecting you but the beauty of vacation is not being attached to my common every day home life : )

I’ve been on vacation since 4:45 last Friday and will be until next Monday. Ah the life. I wish I could be off the rest of the summer – but I’d need a big pot o’ gold to support all the fun.

My brother and his family flew in the middle of the night Friday/Saturday. They were supposed to be on the cursed airlines who has picky pilots bickering about their contract and found out at aboug 10:45 Thursday night their flight was cancelled and they were to leave at 8:00 the next morning. They scrambled and finally found a way through another airlines and another airport to start their journey from California to Ohio. They started in San Jose, flew to LA then to Phoenix then to Detroit then drove to Ohio landing here at around 3:45 in the morning. Did I mention they have a three year old son? Yes, they traveled on three planes stopping in four states in one day. (California, Arizona, Michigan and Ohio.)

The kicker was that my sister-in-law’s parents were driving over from Pittsburgh to visit for only a few hours Saturday so they had to be up and at’em bright and early by Ohio standards tacking on the three hour time change/jet lag.

Their plan also shifted from packing golf clubs and check-in luggage to only having small carry-on’s. That way their luggage wouldn’t be lost as it has before in only one change over flight.

We’ve been packing the day with constant activities ranging from swimming to two sets of fireworks two different nights. The city fireworks were incredible this evening. I had no idea they could make stars out of the little streaks making a big firework. I’m going to have to look up how they did that!

Tomorrow the family gets back on a plane. It’s been great having them here. This was the first time the two cousins (my 8 year old daughter and their almost 4 year old son) have not gotten along so well. Their son is obsessed with balls and my daughter likes bikes and jump ropes and keeps insting there is more to life than balls. They are at a tough age range right now. It’s too bad to see that happening because in the past my daughter would mother him. He’s much more vocal now though and she’s acting like a pre-teen.

The rest of the week will consist of “what did you do this summer” field trips I hope. Time and cash flow will tell. Well, I’d better get some sleep for the troops early rise for the last half day of entertainment before they get back on the plane. Happy 4th of July/Independence Day!