Not as it Once Was

I had a funeral to go to this weekend as many of you know. Mr. B went with me, and Kat, Angie & Shannon also went and we caravaned over. We stopped for lunch on the way, and then stopped for supper on the way home.

Now.... let me share for you how that scenario would have gone if I were still married to my ex. I would have said I had a funeral to go to, and he would have made some sort of fuss about having to watch the girls. (Mind you, that would have been when we were STILL MARRIED). Then I would have gone and he would start calling me right after the service asking when I'd be home. And would continue to call until I got home. Now, if by SOME MIRACLE I would have gotten him to come with me, he would have complained about the drive, complained about having to meet my friends for lunch & dinner and done his damnedest to get out of it. If I had convinced him to stop, during lunch and dinner I would have sat there completely paranoid that either:

A - He would say something completely stupid.

B - One of my friends would say something he didn't like and then I would hear about it the whole way home.

C - I would say something he didn't like and then I would hear about it all the way home.

Then we would have gotten in the car and he would have ripped my friends apart and discussed every single fault he saw in them. We would have fought and by the time we got home we probably wouldn't even be talking.

That's the old way.

Here's the Mr. B way. Way back when we first learned that Richard's cancer was growing, I told him I wanted to go to Alabama to have dinner with Kori & Richard, because I wanted to meet Richard on this side of heaven. Mr. B immediately said it was a GREAT idea and to set it up. We went and had SUCH a great evening. As Richard's illness progressed, he promised me that when the time came, he would go with me to the funeral... I never even had to ask.

Wednesday morning Mr. B stopped by on his way to work. I hadn't checked my computer yet, and he left before I saw that Richard had passed away. He had been gone about 15 minutes when I saw the news. I called him right away and told him. Crying on the phone, suddenly there was a knock on the door. It was Mr. B... he had turned around to come and hold me.

Saturday morning Mr. B picked me up and we headed to Alabama. The Girls were a little ahead of us, and told us they'd stopped at a CHick-Fil-A for lunch. We stopped there too, so Mr. B met Shannon & Angie for the first time. While he didn't say a whole lot, I never ONCE had the feeling sitting there that I needed to be worried about... anything.

Having him next to me at the funeral... having him hold my hand and seeing him shed tears for OUR friend.... yeah... there aren't words for that.

After the service we met the Girls for supper, and we were all in fine form. And again, I felt SO comfortable and at ease with him there. And afterwards, all he had to say about my friends was that they were wonderful, and that he SO WISHES he could be a fly on the wall at our Estrogen Extravaganza in November. That was all. No nit picking, no putting down. Just happy that I have friends.

Happy.

That I have friends.

Not jealous. Not angry. No vindictive. Happy.

Hmmm...

So am I.

R... UDE... that's the way to spell RUDE

My 80-year-old inner grandma is coming out. What is wrong with people these days??? I've had it up to my ear-balls with rudeness.

The Ladies and my mom and I went to the Minnesota Zoo a few weeks back. We decided to ride on the Monorail, so we bought our tickets and went to wait for the next one to arrive. There weren't a whole lot of benches to sit on to wait, but they were covered up in kids and young adult types. Now... my mom is by no means elderly, but if those were MY kids, they would have been told to get up off the benches and let others sit on them.

Then we got on the monorail and the driver does his whole little shpiel over the intercom, but we can't HEAR it because these girls sitting behind us are talking about going out the night before and getting hammered and how they want to do it again and then dropped a few f-bombs. Seriously... in an enclosed train at a ZOO???????

Don't even get me started about the drivers in Atlanta. Rude to a power higher than I know how to count to.

Then tonight I'm at Curriculum night at the Ladies school. We started the evening in the lunchroom with the PTA president talking, then the Principal talking and introducing the staff. So, while the PTA president is talking, all the teachers are back there yapping to each other and just in general being SO RUDE! The acoustics in a lunchroom aren't great to begin with, and then to have that general buzz going on.

SIGH

Seriously... when did we all get so self centered and rude?

Ugh.

Perfect Healing

My sweet friend Kori was with the love of her life, Richard, as he slipped away to heaven this morning. I'm so thankful for the night Mr. B and I spent having dinner with them this spring. All my prayers go to them and their beautiful boys.

For Your..... Health?

In order for the girls to start school, we had to have their immunization records transferred from NC to GA. Now, I would think that bringing their shot records to their new school would cover it. I was wrong. I was told by the lovely lady at their new school that I needed to take the records to The Health Department and have them transferred. MMm... okay. I asked if she could tell me where the nearest The Health Department was located, because I was new in town and didn't have internet (that's a blog for another day). She happily printed off directions for me and the Ladies & I headed out.

Several several several miles and one u-turn later, we found The Health Department. It was a little after lunch time, and the parking lot was full. We stalked someone walking out and nabbed their spot, gathered out paper work and headed in. On the door was a sign

Because 9 million people didn't take

Care of their child's school registration

in the last 3 months that they've known they

needed to do it and all showed up today

we aren't taking any more get-your-kid-into-school

appointments today. Come back tomorrow at 8:15

and hope to God you're lucky.

Ok... it didn't really say that. It said they were full, sorry for the inconvenience and come back tomorrow.

So... we came back tomorrow. Arrived at 8:15. Walked in the door and told the receptionist what we needed. We were given forms to fill out, and 2 little pieces of construction paper with numbers on it. 70 and 71. We were ushered into a room with 3,624 people in it. I believe actual don't-piss-off-the-fire-department number would have been around ... 50 people. There was a tv, playing morning tv shows, but no sound. In the corner were 3 seats together, so the Ladies and I took a seat and I proceeded to fill out the paperwork. Got that wrapped up about 8:30 and started playing hang-man with the girls. 9:00 came... 9:15.... 9:30... it was about time that the Security Nazi from Jamaica came in and called "Nooombers tenty phrew tirty bibe".... um... HUNH???? Then she left. We all looked at each other in befuddlement. One lady (I would later vote her for leader of our tribe) went out to clarify. Yeah... numbers 20-35. More hangman. Cute tiny baby in front of us. Hangman. Drawing.... shifting in chairs. Oh... forgot one detail. I had forgotten to plug my cell phone in the night before, so it died about 8:35. But I sat and listened to people on the phone around us. I appreciated the one lady who refused to take her baby to a movie later that day because it annoys her when other people do.

10:00 - Gert has to go potty. We find it, use the potty's then go to wash our hands. There's no soap. At The Health Department.

10:15 - Small baby in front of us napping. We're playing hangman.

11:00 - Small baby crying. More hangman.

Here comes the security nazi... "Ib you habben nooombers udeerneet tirty bibe you not bein in disa womb"

Oooooo kay....

11:30 - Little girl down the row from us pukes all over her Mama. We're still playing hangman. And getting hungry.

11:45 "Noombers Tirty Shix phrew fitty." Baby leaves

12:00 - Hangman

12:30 - More hangman. We're running out of words.

12:45 "Noombers Fitty phew sebenty"

We grab our stuff! WOo HOO!!! Here we go.

To another room.

To wait more.

Did I mention that these rooms were all set to about 55 degrees. Now, I ain't complaining a whole lot because that's better than hot, but holy crud, I was SHIVERING.

At least THIS room had a tv that was making NOISE and set on a kids show.

1:00 - Wonder if Papa John's will deliver to The Health Department

1:14 - Security Nazi comes in "Dere be no eatten in disa womb"

1:30 - Look, there's our friend the little baby.

2:00 - There's 2 ladies calling numbers. One says them nice and clear. The other one mumbles.

The Security Nazi is back. "Ib you habben more dan one chile, you be needin mur deen da one noomber. YOu no gotten mur deen da one nooomber, you goottsa bring chile back amorrow and get in da line adin."

Yeah... that produced some chaos. Thank you Jesus the lady we signed in with gave us two numbers.

2:30

2:33 - Number 70! Number 70!!!

WOO HOOO!!! I go up to the desk and give the paper work and all that good stuff and am told that they'll be out to get the girls in a bit. Turns out they have to have vision and hearing tests, and Essie will have to have a second chickenpox shot.

2:45 - Consider becoming consultant for The Health Department to help them figure out the 9000 ways this could be done SO much better.

3:10 - A lady comes out and butchers Essie's real name. We're used to it. At this point they can call her mud as long as they CALL HER.

3:15 - The Ladies pass hearing tests.

3:20 - The Ladies pass vision tests.

3:25 - Essie gets shot. Doesn't cry.

3:27 - Escorted back to waiting area to wait to check out.

3:40 - Called to payment window. Plunk down $65

3:45 - Finally leave.

Seven and a half hours.

OH yeah... I think government run health care is a GREAT idea. NOT

Oh Where, Oh Where has our Lizzy Gone...

Here I am!!! Here I am!!

I have a small novel to share about everything that's gone wrong on. But I don't have the energy yet for that. AND I'm sitting down on the floor because my computer desk is still in Asheville and this isn't the most comfortable position.

But... for now we have a place to live (well.. for 10 months according to the lease)... we're in a one bedroom apartment, but my mommy just sent me money to get the girls a bunkbed so that will help IMMENSELY because then I can sleep in my bed alone again. Still in the same room with the girls, but NOT with a 6-year-old.

The girls started school. A couple days late (you're going to LOVE my 7.5 hours at the health department story) but they're really liking it. Essie has PILES of homework. At this point it's taking about 3-4 hours a night. Oh. My. Toto we are NOT in 4th grade anymore!!!! Gert is having a great time and enjoying her classes and her teachers.

I still don't have a job. That's all I have to say about that.

Hells Embargo is still "working on the issue" that's also all I have to say about that.

I get to see Mr. B a lot. I like that. A lot. I kinda love that guy.

I have acquired a 2nd mother who calls and checks on me and sees how I am doing. It's ok - you can be jealous... I understand.

There's a seemingly stray kitty in our complex. The girls have named "her" Debbie. I badly want to get a kitty and name it Dallas.

This morning I was waking the girls up and we had the tv on, but it was still dark. I turned off the tv, and low-and-behold there are glow in the dark stars on our ceiling. Who knew? Thank you Jesus for that little fun thing. That made us smile.

I promise to tell all soon. And I promise to start reading and commenting again. Promise.

Wassa Hoppenin Hot Stuff?

First.. I'm so sad about John Hughes... no, he didn't ever give us a Citizen Cane, but I think he's responsible for 7 out of my top 10 movies ever. If ONLY he'd done Space Camp.



Second... we have SMALL glimmers of hope around here. I don't have a job but I DID find a place to live. It's not big, but it's not forever either so that's okay. The rent is cheap and that's the most important part. So I can get the girls registered for school and THAT is a good thing.



Still looking for a job.



Still VERY greatful for wonderful friends like Kat and her mom. Wow... I'm so blessed.



I think that's all the news that's fit to print...