WOW!! What a whopper of a thunder/rain storm we had yesterday eve!!! It was a really hot and muggy day and we were just loading our grocery's from Wegman's grocery store in N.J. getting ready to drive home. (aprox 10 miles) when all of a sudden the sky turned as black and as forbidding as you can imagine. We pulled in for gas about 7 miles away from home and just as we were leaving the skies opened up. Boom .. Boom.. Crack, Flash .. Downpour!!! Within 3 min of proceeding down the highway there were huge puddles of water that were up to the axles in some places !! Deep enough to make you go "Gulp!!" (It reminded me of the Texas downpour , Do you remember that Diana?) We of course go drenched hauling the groceries in. But all in all it was a lot of fun.
It is already very warm and it is only about 9:30am. Can't imagine how hot it is going to be today. Well Sid just opened up the dishwasher and went into shock over my dishwasher stacking skills. Sid's German sense of order seems to really become highlighted when it comes to the dishwasher. I on the other hand, go into the epitome of my Italian chaotic state when it comes to that. As compulsively neat as I can get, I can not seem to get the "dishwasher" thing down.
Well Sid is getting ready to write a paper for his class. Well, you know how that goes, he suddenly has realized that he needs to get working on getting our doors scraped and painted. There are many projects to be down around here in the house, especially when you are taking academic classes.
So we may have a completely renovated condo by the end of hte summer (that is by the end of this academic term). You are all welcome to come out and visit the work that will be done over the summer.
I will write back later. Have a wonderful day everyone!
I worked out today, then went to the Gleaners and worked some more.Then today I saw a lot of Canada Thistle growing in the grass so this evening I went back and with the clippers cut them down. I didn't get all of them, there were too many, so I'll go back another time and cut them down.
It is so much fun reading the messages on the blog. I am taking the walnut drops. So far no bad effects. Maybe I can try to increase the d
We at Philadelphia connection are worn down beyond belief!! Thank goodness for the short day today and the Holiday on Monday. (except for class that is) Anyway we are looking to "rest up" so we can struggle ahead with the rest of the summer. We will be looking forward to the break in Aug to be sure..
Bop, I am going to try out the rejuvenator product that we looked at while we were in Corvallis. The one that had all the disgusting pictures, remember? I will let you know how it goes. I want to see the results on another person or "subject" and since I do not have any sisters handy I will drag poor Sandra into the fun.
Here are two awards the boys got from Seattle U at this years athletic awards ceremony (I was totally out of the loop and did not know it was even going on!):
Junior softball player Erin Martin (Valencia, Calif.) and senior men’s basketball captain Ryan Webb (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) earned the 101 Club Bill Fenton Athlete of the Year Awards. Martin led the SU softball team to a school-record 36 victories, earning four wins during the NCAA West Regional as she helped the Redhawks reach the regional title game. Webb helped the men’s basketball squad reach the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time, finishing ninth in the country with 6.5 assists per game and leaving Seattle University with the second-most career assists in school history.
The Mission Award was created this year to honor individual student-athletes and a team who exemplify the mission of Seattle University. The men’s basketball squad received the team award for their numerous acts of service throughout the year, including holding clinics at local Boys and Girls Clubs and visiting a children’s hospital.
That is awesome news about Jessica. I am sure it is well deserved and Jessica is obviously thrilled about it. It is very encouraging I am sure. I think promotions like this are great for practical reasons (more money, benefits) but even more importantly rewards for hard work do a lot of good for morale and building confidence.
Today someone told me that in her particular school the Dean made a major faux pas at graduation. This Dean asked the graduates of this one particular discipline to stand up and instead of saying congratulations to the graduates of the Univ of Penn, she said congrats to the graduates of the University of Alabama. That must have been sort of funny. This of course is also the same Dean who could not remember the word "syringe" in a lecture and ended up calling it the "squirter."
I find it amusing but at the same time I can completely see myself doing these things. I have had many moments of complete humiliation in my life, from doing well..... we can jsut call it less than perfect things. I guess this is why I hate talking to a crowd because I am always afraid I will make a complete fool of myself.
Diana, you mentioned that you were frustrated with the Social Security office. I just can 't imagine what that must be like. I am joking - public offices here in Philly are a disaster. I think WA or Seattle is proabably better, even on your worst day. You should see how ineffective and rude people can be here.
Anyway, I had an amazingly crazy day - so much drama on my job today. It certainly is never boring. I have so many stories I could tell. I guess that is what happens when you get to see the underbelly of an elite organization like Penn. People are people wherever you go.
Yies Sid is taking two very "light" classes. Can you imagine how much I will be talking Pyschology and Philosphy this semester. Hmmmm, why do I get the feeling I might as well take the courses with him.
Oh Bopcha, I am really enjoying your smiley faces - keep smiling. Isn't it fun. I hope you had a nice time today - it sounds like you have certainly been keeping busy.
Yes, the above is the title to this second attempt to write a fluent letter.Sid, I just started in today on the Hulls. I had to read all the directions first, so the minimum amount, 15 drops is all I am taking. The bottle says Cascara Bark is one of the ingredients, so I am rather cautious.
I WISH I could join you Sid in the Psycology classes. It would be very interesting. To tear ap art a sentence makes me shudder, but gives me an insight into how their decisions are made!
Breaking News! Jessica is being promoted to Bellevue Square's "The Limited" co-manager position today! She will be second in command over the whole store! She will get benefits! A salary! Just in time, as her benefits through Bill expire on July 5th, when she turns 23.
Further, she has been asked to go to Santa Clara, California (near San Francisco) on Sunday and Monday of this week to help a California store open up.
I'm so happy! She's well on her way to being self-supporting! More importantly, she is just thrilled! Jessica tends to play down her emotions, but today she is just flying!
The "Alp" movie sounds quite entertaining. We will keep our eyes open for it over here. Bopcha, good luck with the drawing - It sounds fun. I am taking classes again, Psychology on Monday followed by Philosophy class on Tuesday. Believe me, I feel a serious urge to cry by the end of the philosophy class on Tuesday. surviving this is going to be very interesting, it definitely is straining the fabric of ones make up. yesterday we spent at least two hours tearing down a single sentence.
While Jessica was off yesterday, we went to see "The Alps," a 45 minute documentary shown in what they call an IMAX theatre. Basically, a HUGE screen (7 stories high and 80 ft. wide).
The story was generally about a man whose father died climbing the Eiger in Switzerland. His father's rope broke and he plummeted down the face of the mountain. The son, who was 8 years old when his father died, now (at age 48) felt he needed to climb the same route his dad died on. So he and a Swiss man and wife did it. How they filmed it is beyond me. Jessica and I were clutching the arms of our seats most of the climb. Incredibly beautiful, and really, really, scary!
No news on the amount of money we made at the auction yet. We made $16,000 last year. I'm confident we did much better this year!
The happy faces on my letter showed up a day or two later! I see an abundance of them now. WOW. It is so nice to be in the groove!!!
Tomorrow I go to REPAC in Tangent. I pick up Cheryl at 9:30 a.m. We get to our building about l0 a.m., sign in, put on a plastic apron, and a hair net, and sit for about 2 hours opening plastic bags so that the people filling them with food, won't have to spend the time wrestling with them. It is really quite a process. Then at noon, the table is set up with a potluck and everyone eats. There are at least 40 people there. I don't take any food, because Cheryl like to do it. THEN, the fun begins! Target, the big chain retail store, has head quarters in Tangent. Any products that come in, like mirrors, computers, tv's. chairs, etc. and the package is broken, but not the merchandise, it is given to the workers. Our names are are drawn one by one and we can take a choice of what is available. So that's for tomorrow. Love, Bopcha
Oh my gosh! I just wrote a long entry and it disappeared!!!!!! It was an additional perspective story to add to Sandra's. Grrrrrr...... It was all about trying to negotiate the automated telephone maze at social security. My 2005 earnings on the yearly report stated "0." So, I called and had a 15 minute dialogue with SS's automated telephone system. Finally, I shouted "I need to talk to an agent!" - not one of the choices I had been given, but it worked! Anyway, the agent was nice and we got it resolved. I'm glad I don't have to do that type of thing often.
My other comment was to tell my loved ones not to think I am angry when I react to Sid. I treasure the moments when I get to express myself so freely without exhibiting an ounce of restraint! Way too much fun!
JB is off today, so my time at work will be short. Hooray for a daughter with strange working hours who doesn't mind killing time with her mother.
