My Super-Sneaky Memorial Day Weekend - Part II

Once I got my bag and found the bus to the rental car place, I was on my way. Let me just say this: driving in Boston sucks! The toll for the Ted Williams Tunnel is now $3.50. That’s THREE DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS! To drive through an f’ing tunnel?? WTF? My rent-a-wreck was a brand new Dodge Caliber with 1 mile on it, which I thought was ok at first, but not so much. It was like driving a brand-new, shiny, red tin-can. Dodge really missed the boat with that one! What a POS! So I got to my hometown, stopped off at Dunk’s for an iced-coffee (no surprise there, right?) and went to my sister, Gayle’s house. At this point I should explain that Gayle and her family live on a farm. So before she says, “Hello”, she says, “Park your car over by the hay trailers.” She has concocted a cover-story explaining the rental car in case my sister Christine stops by – which, apparently, she does frequently. So I parked on the other damn side of the barnyard, and then got settled in the house. There was a lot of phone-calling and text-messaging going on between Gayle, Jen and Shelly, because Christine was going to get her nails done, but nobody knew where she was going – it could have been right down the street, and then she definitely would have stopped by. She ended up going somewhere not near the house, so we could relax a little bit. After a while, my nieces, Jen and Shelly came over with baby Jason. Jen was in town covertly, and staying at a hotel right up the street from her Mom’s house…which could have been difficult, as they go to the restaurant there for dinner on occasion. But, they didn’t on Friday night. Anyway, I digress. Gayle’s husband Steve parked both of the rental cars in the barn, so if Christine or Ed came by, we could all just hide upstairs. Good plan – except that Jason’s toys were EVERYWHERE! We were lucky they didn’t stop by. While we were all sitting around the kitchen table, my Mom came over. Gayle had invited her to dinner so they could all discuss plans for the party on Saturday night. She had no idea that I was in town. I wish I had my camera ready for the look on her face when she saw me sitting at the kitchen table! Priceless! Gayle was a little worried she’d have a heart attack, but I wasn’t…it was a good surprise! So we had Gayle’s famous lasagna, which was incredible, and finalized plans for the party. When Jen, Shelly and Jason left, Shelly forgot Jason’s medicine on the kitchen table. If she had gone home without it, Christine would have known something was up. So my niece Amanda and I took a ride to the hotel, where Shelly was waiting for us. We made the drop safely, without being spotted! This sneaking around really wears you out! Saturday, there was even more sneaky stuff going on…it was ridiculous!!! Stay tuned…

My Super-Sneaky Memorial Day Weekend - Part I

OK...most of you read my post Memorial Day Weekend is Coming, and thought that we had a pretty busy weekend planned. A few of you knew the truth: that post was a farce. Here's Part I of the story of 'what really happened'. Here's a little backstory before I jump right in: My nieces were throwing my sister and brother-in-law a surprise 30th anniversary party in Massachusetts on 5/24, and I knew this was one party that I absolutely could not miss! So, I booked my airfare and rental car back in late February and couldn't tell a soul! This nearly killed me! I decided to stay with my other sister while I was there, and surprise my Mom, as well. The day that I wrote the Memorial Day Weekend post, I got an email from my niece Jen, asking me to blog about my holiday weekend in Arizona, because she knows her mom reads my blog, and thought they were getting suspicious. So, I apologize to everyone for the lies and deceit. But I did have fun writing that post! :) Thursday I set out for the airport and all was well. My flight was on time, I had one checked bag and one small carry-on bag. I really had it together. I was booked on the red-eye flight, with a layover in Atlanta. Not bad, considering the Atlanta airport has a smoking lounge. It's a disgusting smoking lounge, but alas, a place to smoke. The flight from Phoenix to Atlanta was uneventful. Or it could have been eventful, but I was sound asleep, so I couldn't tell ya! :) The flight from Atlanta to Boston, however, was a totally different story! There was a very large, angry man sitting next to me. He really should have bought two tickets for this flight. He had that seatbelt extender pulled out to the absolute limit! I was seated in the middle, and there was a really tiny girl in her 20's sitting in the window seat. The guy was so big that I couldn't put down the armrest between us and I had to lean to the right for the whole flight. The girl in the window seat whispered to me before we took off, "It's ok if you have to lean more...I can't imagine sitting there." Yeah, it was that bad. About 40 minutes into the flight, the large, angry man tapped on the back of the seat in front of me and asked the woman to use her headphones for the DVD player they were watching. I think it was Alvin and the Chipmunks...it was mildly annoying, but I was almost asleep, so it didn't bother me. They turned it down, but I don't think all three of them could have watched it if they used headphones, right? Anyway, about 20 minutes later, Large & Angry starts SHAKING the back of her seat this time. And I mean, violently shaking it! He then yells, "Put it on the headphones!" And then calls a flight attendant. The flight attendant asks them to either use headpones or turn it off. At this point, I am pretending that I'm asleep. I could not believe this guy! After that little episode, I finally fell asleep. When I landed in Boston, I called my sister and said, "The eagle has landed!" To be continued...

Trivia Question: Old Glory

In observation of Memorial Day, I thought I would ask you all a flag trivia question:

Where's the only place the American flag flies all day, never goes up or comes down, never flies at half-mast and is never saluted?

What Happened To Teri?

Has anyone noticed that when you click on the link for Teri's blog, it's not her blog anymore? I was shocked to realize that her blog was gone today! Did she finally let anonymous get the best of her? I sincerely hope not. Anonymous commenters, as I have personally seen in the past few days on my blog, are nothing more than yellow-bellied, scared little girls who can't man-up and say what they want without being under the guise of 'anonymous'. I have always said what I want to say, whether it's nice or not, and I always post under my own name. Take me or leave me, bitches! Anyway, that was just directed at the anonymous sissy commenters. Not my faithful readers. I love you all! Ride safe!

Car Accidents Suck

I was in a little accident on Friday morning. Some guy ran into the back of my car while I was sitting at a red light. He hit me fairly hard; hard enough to push me into the truck in front of me. I'm sore, but should be fine. The car held up remarkably well...I can only see a few scratches on it. The funny thing about it was, he hit me so hard that he actually knocked my flip-flops off of my feet!! All 3 vehicles pulled into a parking lot, and as the adrenaline rush started, I thought, "Where the hell are my flip-flops? I just had them on!" They were right under my feet! The guy that I was pushed into was an insurance agent (kind of funny), and he kept wanting to call an ambulance for me. Then the cops kept wanting to call an ambulance...I refused several times. I must have looked really bad, though, because they just kept asking me! When I called Big D to tell him I was in a wreck, but ok, he asked if I wanted him to come to the scene. I told him no, I would be home soon. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't ask him to come down. The guy that hit me was already jumpy, so this big biker guy coming to see who hit his wife's car would have totally alarmed him! At least he had car insurance...a lot of people driving in AZ do not have it. I went to the ER and got some pain meds and some Naprosyn for the swelling. I think the seat belt really did a number on my left shoulder. Other than that and a mild case of whiplash, I'll be fine. I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Memorial Day Weekend Is Coming!

The 'official' first holiday weekend that kicks off the summer is almost upon us! Memorial Day '08 will be great! We are planning to take a ride up to Overgaard, AZ on Saturday to visit the MMA State Rally. It's 157 miles each way, so I've started doing some stretching exercises each day in preparation for that, so I'll be able to walk after the ride. :) It will be a beautiful ride, though! I'll try to take pics to post later! We're not staying overnight, because we're having our annual Memorial Day party at our house on Sunday. We've been getting the yard and the pool ready for that. I'm hoping that the fire extinguisher stays hidden for this party...that stuff is cold through jeans, I can't imagine it on bare skin! :) Monday will be a day of rest, hanging over, and cleaning up. We've noticed, though, that we have some really great friends. After the last few parties we've had, we haven't had much to clean up afterwards. There's no empty cans or bottles left in the yard. Everyone uses the ashtrays, so there are no cigarette butts all over the yard, in the pool, etc. It usually only takes us a few minutes to clean up outside and inside, load the dishwasher and vacuum. I want my friends to know that we really appreciate that! I've helped some friends clean up after parties at their houses, and we have found several pairs of sunglasses in the pool, cups, cigarette butts, drinking glasses, bottles, cans, everything in the pool and all around the yard. I thank all of my friends for not leaving my yard and pool a total disaster area! I will be blogging on and off over the next week, as I'm trying to spend as much time as possible with Eric while he's here with us. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Photos: Today's Patriot Guard Riders Mission - Glendale, AZ

Thanks to all the Patriot Guard Riders! The protestors were blocked from view by your beautiful flags!

The Patriot Guard Riders

I didn't know a lot about the Patriot Guard Riders until today. I thank God that I didn't. If I did, that would mean that maybe the worst had happened to our family. It hasn't. We're very fortunate.

However, Big D was asked yesterday to ride with the Patriot Guard Riders on a mission to bring Pvt. Corey L. Hicks home to his final resting place. Today, the PGR met the plane and escorted Pvt. Hicks to the funeral home for the viewing. Tomorrow, they will escort Pvt. Hicks to his final resting place. Big D said he was quite moved, this was really close to home for him, having 3 kids in the military - but he felt compelled to do it.

War protestors are expected tomorrow at the funeral...yes, I said war protestors at a funeral of a hero. It makes me sick. Big D was told to physically turn his back to the protestors and ignore them. Apparently, these particular protestors are just looking for someone to touch them or say something to them so they can then sue claiming their first ammendment rights, blah, blah, blah. Still makes me sick.

Anyway, when Big D came home this afternoon, he told me all about his experience, and he was totally emotionally and physically drained. He had lived a lifetime in those few hours. And he's gearing up to do it again tomorrow. I only wish I could go with him.

I wanted to spread the word about this fantastic group of riders, in case any of my readers didn't know about them. I have the utmost respect for them and for what they do. Kudos to the PGR.

And my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Pvt. Corey L. Hicks of the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas. Stand down, soldier. Your mission is complete.

I Love Jeff Foxworthy

Forget Rednecks.....here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say aboutNew Englanders...

• If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May, you live in New England.
• If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in New England.
• If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live inNew England.
• If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you live in New England.
• If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of New York City for the weekend, you live in New England.
• If you measure distance in hours, you live in New England.
• If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in New England.
• If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day andback again, you live in New England.
• If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in New England.
• If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you live in New England.
• If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you live in New England.
• If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in New England.
• If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80and everybody is passing you, you live in New England.
• If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in New England
• If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you live in New England.
• If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in New England.
• If you find 10 degrees 'a little chilly', you live in NewEngland.
• If there's a Dunkin Donuts on every corner, you live in NewEngland.
• If you actually understand these jokes you live or have lived in NewEngland!

Weekend Update - Updated with pics

The weekend was a blast! We picked up Eric at the airport on Saturday afternoon, and the first thing he said to me was, "Wow! You look like the chick in the Whitesnake videos!" LMAO! I think that is the best compliment that I have EVER gotten! Of course, he was referring to Tawny Kitaen, if you are too young to recall those videos (back when MTV actually showed videos). Anyway, I guess the diet, working out and and growing my hair longer really worked well! :)

Anyway, we played Rummy 500 Saturday night; stayed up way too late, and drank way too much beer, but it was a blast! Dinner on Mother's Day was at my favorite: Top Shelf Mexican...and there was no wait for a table, and the food was DELISH! :)

All in all it was a great weekend. I will post pictures soon.

Next weekend: Salt River Tubing!!!

Those damn 9's kept getting in the way!

♥ Happy Mother's Day ♥

To all the wonderful mothers that I know...and the mothers-to-be... I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day this year!

Eric Comes Home Tomorrow!

This year, I'm getting the best Mother's Day present ever! Tomorrow, our son Eric is coming home from Korea! He's been over there for a year and he's coming home to visit for a few weeks before he goes to his next base in England.

This is a pic of Big D and Eric last year before he left for Korea. I cannot wait to see him!

Unable To Ride???

Recently, I've been on a few motorcycle rides with the hubby, and one of them was a nice long 100-mile run. It was in support of BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse) which we're going to join next month. I can't tell you how much I enjoy riding with him, and how much I look forward to riding my own once it's completed. But, lately I've been having some issues. If we do a short ride, I'm usually ok. Key word: usually. On the longer rides, I am so sore at the end of the day, I need assistance to get off the bike, and I can barely walk. This is not your typical 'saddle sore', or tailbone pain. This is pain in the hips, knees, feet, etc. Pretty much every joint from the waist down is screaming at me. I started getting worried when the pain was lasting 2-3 days after the ride. Then I began to have pain on the shorter rides. It didn't last as long, but nothing helped. Not Advil, Aleve, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, nothing! I mentioned to my Mom that this was happening and her response was, Mom: You know that my mother had RA, right? Me: Ummm, no, you never told me that. Mom: I thought you knew that. Me: How would I know if you didn't tell me? I never had the chance to meet her! So I called the doc and made an appt. After an initial evaluation and some conversation, she tells me that it sounds like RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis). So off to the lab I went on Saturday morning, after fasting for 8 hours. Saturday mornings are always very ugly when I don't have a cup of coffee in my system. But the girl that drew my blood only had to stick me once, which is rare, and I was out of there pretty quickly. Now I'm just waiting on the results. The weird thing is, they didn't give me anything for the pain. I told them that nothing was working, and nothing was offered. I'm going to have to call them to see what I can do. Saturday night was the last time I went out on the bike and I had some pain on Sunday, but it was tolerable. (It was a short ride.) But then on Tuesday night, I had pain so miserable that it woke me out of a dead sleep. This is extremely frustrating! I cannot imagine not being able to ride anymore. I really need to get these test results and figure out what's going on and what can be done to fix it!

I'm Taking The Plunge

I just enrolled in University of Phoenix in the BSBA program! Classes start in the fall...wish me luck!

Happy Birthday, Dad

Today, my Dad would have been 71 years old. Happy birthday, Dad. We'll be celebrating in your honor.

Congratulations, Vikky!

Our friend Vikky received her Master's degree on Saturday from the University of Phoenix. This was an occasion for Big D to get dressed up.

Looks great, doesn't he?

Later that night, we went out with Vikky and Aaron to celebrate. We were at the Purple Turtle all night. Veronnica and Tim were there, as well as Liliya and Jase. Liliya should be a frickin' stand-up comic...she's an absolute riot! After closing the bar, we were riding home, and I told Big D to take a left, because there was road construction coming up. Great place for a DUI checkpoint, don't you think? Well MCSO thought so! Thank GOD Big D doesn't drink when we're out!

The conversation went like this:

Cop: Good evening, sir. Where are you coming from?

Big D: A bar.

Cop: Really? (shining the light in D's face, suspicious)

Big D: Yeah, I don't drink.

Cop: Really? (I think he was stunned at this point)

Me: (singing the name of the bar - I was pretty toasted)

Cop: Well I'm going to give you this pamphlet to read. Have a nice night.

Me: Bye-bye!

How cool is it that my husband really doesn't drink? We've never been through a DUI checkpoint on the bike before, so that was strange. But the strangest part was this pamphlet they gave us.

BFF's (for Kim)

Cutest Spaghetti Face

This is my great nephew Jason eating his first meal of spaghetti. Isn't he adorable? Thanks for the pic Shelly!