In getting back in touch with my cousins and other relatives from my dad's family, I've learned some disturbing news.  The first, I can't remember if I mentioned this already in my previous blog, my Aunt R had died back in 2007.  I was saddened.  She is an integral part of my childhood memories.  To know that I will never see her again is difficult for me to comprehend, yet I must.  The second, my Uncle F has passed away, as well.  I was floored upon hearing that news.  So much has happened that I didn't know about...so much sadness.  My uncle didn't have any services, though, so I suppose there's not much that I could have done, anyway.

My dad has been holding a pretty large and drastic grudge against my Aunt R, though, for the past 15 years, or so.  He kinda got himself off track after my folks first split up and he ended up on a lot of people's shit lists (including mine); at which point he disappeared for 14 years.  Nobody had heard from him.  Nobody knew where he was; how he was.  It was like he was just gone...from existance.  For a few years, I'd check in with my Aunt R to see if she'd heard anything from him...of course, the answer was always negative.  Eventually, I moved on with my life, giving up on the idea that I'd see him again.

And now I learn of my dad's two siblings' deaths.  He's lost a brother and a sister.  I wonder if that will be cause enough for him to reach out to his remaining family again.  I'm truly hoping so.  So now, K and I are planning a trip over the hill this coming weekend, to see my dad.  I need to break the news of their deaths to him.  I'm not really sure how to do it...or what his reaction will be.  How would I feel if someone were to tell me that my sister had died?  I honestly don't know.  I love my sister, no matter our huge and vast differences, and, to me, she's just always out THERE.  I always know that I can pick up the phone and call her if I wanted to...not that I do that very often....but, for instance, her birthday is coming up...I'll call her then.  What would I do if I couldn't do that anymore?  Knowing that whatever disagreements we had going on could no longer be resolved...  I love my sister.  I hope my dad cares about his siblings the way that I do about my sister.

I suppose I needed to go see him again soon, anyway.  He's been calling me with computer/internet questions...he'll never learn if I don't show him at least a few times!

About a week ago, my friend, Christopher, contacted me via Facebook to see if both myself and my husband could help him pack up his house to move on Thursday and Friday.  After conferring with K about it, we went after he got off work on Thursday to help out.  When we walked in the place was barely even touched by way of packing.  And it was a huge house!  So much to do...and all by Saturday!  Yikes!  K and I went to town on packing up the kitchen...easily the biggest pain in the ass of any moving project due to all the glassware and individual packing.  We got, perhaps, 1/2 of the kitchen done before we needed to get back home to get some rest.  I returned the following day to finish up and help wherever else I was able.  We didn't have a lot of help....a few people at any given time...but we managed to get his house packed up and ready to go by Friday's end.  It was amazing; working together to get things done was smooth and it felt great to be helping out a friend.  And, although he insisted on paying us, it still felt good to help him out.  I'd have helped him out either way.

Best of luck with your move, Christopher.  I am sorry for the reason why you're having to go, and best of luck with all of that.

So after my last blog entry, I was feeling relatively nostalgic and, once again, decided to attempt to locate some of my dad's side of the family on Facebook again; to no avail.  I just couldn't find any of them!  So, I started wondering if I was spelling anything right...or if, perhaps, some weren't even using any of their maiden names.  An a-ha moment on my part, to say the least.  But I still couldn't figure out how I'd find them, if that were the case.  Till I remembered a super awesome people finder website called Zaba Search.  In the results that it brings up you can click on a name and see all the other names that are associated with that person...maiden name, children's names, etc.  And it finds everything...phone numbers, addresses, yada yada.  So, I popped in one of my relatives names...and sure enough, I found them!  And then, by looking up that name on Facebook, I was able to find that person...and using their list of friends, found oh so many more!  Needless to say, I'm pretty stoked about the whole thing.  I was bummed to learn that my aunt Rita had died back in '07.  She is a huge part of my childhood memories...and I would have loved to have been able to attend her funeral.  :(  I'm honestly unsure why I wasn't notified.  My mom has always been in the phone book, and to get a hold of me they could have called her.  But, I suppose it's all water under the brige at this point.  I'm just happy that we're in touch again.  It's been so long.  And, I'm in touch with a cousin that I barely remember (they lived in ME while growing up so I think I only met them once when I was a kid), which is neat in, and of, itself.

And so...in honor of finding my relatives...I give you this song to listen to.

You know how the stereotypical male is supposed to be big and strong and brave?  Well, let me tell you something that happened to myself and my husband a few days ago...

Lately, we've had a cricket just outside our kitchen window.  We still have the windows open so when he'd start up we could hear him throughout the house.  There's a big ol' bush outside of there so we figured that's where he was, because there are others in the other bushes just like it around the yard.  I believe that little guy was chirping his lil heart out for about 3 nights in a row before we didn't hear him anymore.  We figured he'd moved on...obviously he wasn't getting any action with the females in that locale, right? 

We were given a respite for one night and then we started hearing chirping coming from the front windows in the living room.  We hang out in there, so it was even more obvious than before...if that can even be possible!  He was LOUD.  I was curious to see just where he was, so I went outside and around to that window and he was muffled in sound.  The lil thing was INSIDE THE HOUSE!!!  So I go to the window inside and kind of pull the curtain aside to see if I could spot him anywhere nearby and couldn't...but he was definitely chirping away.  My husband kind of tapped the curtain with his hand, causing the little guy to quiet down for a few seconds before starting right back up again.  So my husband pulled the curtain back, again, to see if he could spot anything and then decided against leaning down for a closer look at the last second.  He swatted the curtain back closed and said something like, "I'm not going to mess with it!  I don't want it to jump out at me!"  I almost couldn't contain my laughter.  I did laugh.  I told him, "it's a good thing that we both don't like bugs!"  To which he indignantly responded, "well, at least I kill them when you ask me to."  I can't fault him there.  He does that.  When I'm squealing and jumping around, he calmly (even though I know his heart is racing) flattens the iniquitous bug with much aplomb.

So yesterday, I was thinking to myself about all the things that my family used to do on Labor Day weekend.  Well, not ALL the things...mostly just one thing.  But it was a huge thing that we looked forward to every year.  My whole side of my dad's family and us got together and camped at the amusement park that was an hour's drive from us.  We'd load up the trailer, tents, sleeping bags, etc. and head out.  We'd meet up with everyone there, and all camp together.  We'd buy a 3 day pass, which back then was hugely affordable in comparison to nowadays, and have so much fun!  My sister and I would wake up at the crack of dawn with the rest of our cousins, and we'd wait, and wait, and WAAAAAIIIITTTTT, till we heard to them starting up the rides and testing them out...and then the countdown was on.  We could barely choke down breakfast due to our excitement.  And when the park opened?  Well, our parents didn't see us until lunchtime and then closing time.  We were much too busy to stop for dinner!  Oh the rides, the rollercoasters, the log flume, the merry-go-round, the ferris wheel, the sky tram....so, so, SO much to do....and so little time.  Food?  What was that?!  I remember going through the haunted houses so many times that they weren't scary anymore, so much as just silly and it made us laugh so hard!  I remember taking my first rollercoaster ride on the big coaster with my dad when I was 5 (I BARELY met the height requirement) and it scared the shit out of me cuz I almost fell out since the bar didn't go all the way down to my lap.  I didn't ride another coaster for a few years after that.  Silly me!  Oh the thrills that I missed because of that fear!

I remember one labor day when we were camped out there in the trailer, my sister and I had walked over to the community showers and were walking back in our towels and flip-flops/barefeet.  My sister got in the trailer first and then I reached out to keep the screen door open and I got electrocuted.  Not just a little shock...but as in my entire body was buzzing and my fingers couldn't move and were locked on the handle of the screen door.  I started to just hang there on the door...vaguely hearing my mom telling me to stop playing on the door, and then exclaiming that something was wrong, that I couldn't let go.  I remember my sister taking a flying leap and knocking me to the ground.  I remember feeling worn out and tingley for the rest of the night.  Apparently, I needed to wear flip-flops in the damp grass before grabbing hold of the metal door.  Haha.  That was a scary experience.  But it wasn't scary enough to keep me down the rest of the night or following days.  The only thing that changed was that, even though I was wearing proper foot gear, I made someone lift me into the trailer from that point on.  I didn't want to risk another electrocution!  Yikes!

Those were certainly the fun times.  Back when my grandparents were both alive, and keeping the family together.  My grandfather passed away around 1992 and my grandmother passed around 1998'ish.  After that, the family just never got together anymore.  Of course, by that time, also, my parents were divorced, but we were always invited to family get-togethers.  My dad never showed up to them.  Long story there.  But after grandma died...there was just never any reason to keep in touch.  Now, I don't even know where any of them are, or if they're ok.  I imagine we'd hear from someone if there were a death...at least, I'd hope so.  But who knows?  I do miss the get-togethers.  I miss all of my cousins.  I never really got to know my cousins on my mom's side...so we're not close.  But the ones on my dad's side...we were always hanging out together.

But those are whole other stories.  This was about my memories of Labor day weekends of the past.  Fond memories.  Fun memories.  Amazing memories.

I just finished my 50 min workout on the treadmill for the day.  I was starting to wonder if I was gonna get around to it today.  I kept meaning to do it earlier...and time just kept passing by.  So, around 9:30 I put my shape-ups on and told my husband that I was going back to exercise.  He was starting to wonder if I was gonna exercise today, too!  It's always so hard to get ON the treadmill...but after I start it feels too good to stop.  And afterwards, I feel so great that I'm totally glad that I didn't put it off.  It's just gathering up that gumption to "git 'er done" that's the hard part.  I'm really proud of myself for sticking to my regime and not giving up.  I'm so glad to see the pounds slowly coming off, and I'm so glad that I'm able to move around a little easier.

AND...I'm so glad that I went down a pant size!  Woohoo!  I have so many clothes of all different sizes that I won't be having any issues with actually affording new ones for a while.  But I'm stoked about losing a size.  Nothing feels better than putting on a pair of capris that I've not been able to wear all summer...just as summer's ending.  Haha.  Oh the irony!  And next summer they'll be too big.  Ah well...c'est la vie.

OK, so the title has absolutely nothing to do with what I'm about to post...but I thought it might get a laugh.

The first week of school is done and the 2nd week is about to start.  I'm not so fond of my math teacher, but perhaps she'll grow on me.  I just need to know and learn the material.  That's it!  My English teacher is the same one that I had last semester (half of the class are previous students, as well...ya gotta love that, if you're the teacher!)  I'm really looking forward to her class this year.  I've only had one Spanish class, so far.  It's supposed to be every Saturday and she'd told us a couple weeks ago that she'd have a sub there on the 4th, so the class all show up and the building is locked up tighter than a virgin with her knees locked together!  Hmmm, a little crude humor there...can't hurt!  Haha.  So we're all wondering what the heck is going on and a campus cop drives up and tells us the campus is closed till Tuesday for the Labor Day weekend.  Well, apparently she didn't get the memo!  Que pasa????

I lost another pound in 5 days.  Which, I considered quite good, since I had pizza two days in a row.  The first night fresh...the second night, leftovers.  So I'm happy for that.  I chalk it up to having kept on exercising.

Speaking of exercising....I've deemed myself officially addicted to it.  So, I've given myself Sundays off.  I didn't want to skip any days before now because I knew if I did it'd get too hard to get back into the swing of things.  But I've got it down, now, and I'm ok to take a day off per week.  Sundays are the day.  It's laundry day, anyway.  I'm still doing 50 minutes, but I've notched my speed up by .2 mph and added a 6% incline.  For the first few days my ass was killin' me!  It was definitely letting me know that it was there!  Not that I needed the reminder!  But I'm good now...and I'm feeling my gluts and hamstrings firming up from the incline work.  I love the feeling.  And I've got a killer playlist now.  It took me a while to get it tweaked just right...but it's there now.  Lots of classic rock and stuff from the 80's and 90's.  Good stuff!

I'm proud of myself that I can walk into my husband's work building now without getting all huffy and puffy, anymore.  It's quite a ways from the parking lot and I always hated going to see him cuz it's so freakin' far away!  Haha.  I can also take the stairs at school with no problem and can walk faster without getting out of breath.  For the average person in average shape that's no big deal.  For me?  It's a huge milestone.  It's reasons like that that keep me exercising every day.  That and seeing the pounds falling off.  Woohoo!

Doing my Flashdance thang....  I was walking...so it's blurry.

I've not missed any days yet.  I'm stoked.  I'm still doing 50 minutes each day, but I'm adding a 6% incline.  Talk about workin' my BUTT off!!!

Tina tagged me so I need to answer her 8 questions and then think up some of my own.  So here goes!

1. What pets do you have?  2 parrots and 2 doggies

2. What is your favorite color?  Lately it's been purple.  But I can't go wrong with red, either.

3. What TV show are you addicted too?  I'm not really addicted to any one particular show.  My husband and I don't own a tv but we do watch tv series' from netflix.  We mostly like crime stuff like CSI, Criminal Minds, etc.

4. How tall are you?  4'11"

5. Have you ever got a speeding ticket? How many!  Oh yes.  When I was driving my little red eclipse I got 3 of them.  That's been the only time I've been ticketed.  I've been stopped many other times, though.

6. If you could wave a magic wand, what one thing would you change about yourself instantly? (physical or otherwise)  My weight.  I don't want to be skinny, but I'd love to be a size 12/14 again!

7.What one thing do you love about yourself, and wouldn't change? (physical or otherwise)  My extrovertedness.  I do love to chat up anyone who will take the time!

8. How long do you think you will keep up your blog? forever?  I've never really ever given this much thought.  This is certainly the longest running blog that I've had.  I hope to keep it going for long term, years, centuries...whatever.  Haha.

And now my questions:

1) List something that you do that mortifies you when you do it.

2) Have you ever wished that you could read animals minds?

3) What has been the biggest obstacle that you've overcome thus far in your life?

4) Which shoe do you put on first?  Right or left?

5) Do you exercise regularly and if so, what is your exercise of choice?

6) Have you ever been in love with someone that you could never have?

7) If you could take your dream vacation, where would you go and why?

8) Do you speak any foreign languages?  If so, which ones?

I'm only tagging Tina cuz I don't know if anyone else reads my blog on a regular basis!  But if you have a moment, I'd love to hear your answers to my questions!

The past several weeks have been crazy hectic.  Preparing for school, getting my student loan, getting the new computer (FINALLY), K's computer dying, K's computer being in the shop for a week, getting K's computer back for a few days and having it die on us again, K's computer BACK in the shop for another week, K and I calling them every day for updates that we never received, me finally calling and demanding to speak with the store manager (fuck those little peon assistant mgrs!), chewing him out for having geniuses with no brains, him assuring me that they do, indeed have brains, him telling me K's computer is officially on the shelf and not working and that they'll send a new computer to replace it (improved and updated), waiting yet another week for new computer to arrive, meanwhile, watching our shows on Hulu and Netflix dvd's on my new laptop, me not having the time I wanted or needed to keep up with MY stuff, mom visiting us and turning the house upside down for the yard sale and a huge clean-up of the back room, school starting last Saturday instead of on Tuesday (as I was planning) and me finding out just a day before, first week of school down, english will be fun but math may be a challenge, Spanish...well, I dunno yet!  And finally, being broke again, as we've paid everything and still need the remainder for K's student loan through January.

Being broke is no new thing, obviously.  But I sure do dream a lot of when I'll have my degree and be able to pursue a career that I love.

As for the weight loss...I may not have been writing in my blog but I don't forget to update my little ticker in the top right.  I didn't meet my semi-unrealistic goal of 25 pounds in one month...but I did lose a decent 12 pounds.  I will take it!!!  The 25 would have happened if I weren't on my anti-depressants.  But that's ok.  Like I said...I'm happy!