Happy All Hollows Eve

So Happy Halloween everybody....Halloween is probably the most pagan holiday of them all...and all holidays are pagan as far as that goes; but Halloween is the most fun! My husband and I dressed up in these scary outfits and tried to scare our dogs...haha...Lucky hid under the couch, but Mini Sue kinda figured it was us. She laid on her back for her belly to be scratched! I bought a pumpkin and carved it out, and I baked up the pumpkin seeds...and lit candles everywhere....ooooooooo, scary. We don't get any kids where we live, so we kinda miss out on that part of it.

I'm going to make my famous "bread and butter pickles" tomorrow. The recipe is from my grandmother and she showed me how to make them ages ago. So I bought the pickling cucumbers, sliced them up, sliced up onions, and I have them sitting in this huge pot with ice cubes and salt overnight. My grandmother always weighed them down with a big rock over a plate....and her directions on the recipe says to "weigh down", so my husband always brings a rock in from outdoors and we "weigh it down". I don't know if it really has much to do with the recipe, but I'm convinced if I don't do it, the pickles won't turn out right.

So tomorrow I'll go to the store and buy a few of the ingredients I need and make up a batch of pickles....That's about it...nite

Halloween treats and trains....

Yesterday myself, son #1, his girlfriend and the two kids all went to Huckleberry Railroad and Crossroads Village for their Halloween "spooktacular goodies" thing. There were tons of people there and the kids...and adults too...were dressed up in Halloween fashion. We toured the village first...going from building to building and everyone had a bag and received treats. We hit a few of the gift shops. They also had a small amusement center set up with a ferris wheel and carousel horse, etc. for the kids...big and small. The last stop was the cider and donuts building...yummmmm. Then we got in line for the "spooky" train ride. They have an authentic train from the beginning of the century. We got there around 5:00 and left by 10:00...We would have gotten there sooner, but the directions from the website sucked and we got lost..haha.

There was a couple there with these crazy hats on that I recognized as being the type people wear at the Caseville Cheeseburger Festival, so I asked them if they had been there...and they said YES!...They said I was the first person to know the hats were from Caseville...they said most people ask them if they had been to Hawaii or somewhere. The hats were all decorated with flamingoes, cheeseburgers and tropical stuff...typical Cheeseburger Festival hats!

We got back to my son's house by 11:00. Little Jayden loves the computer, so he headed straight for it. My son has to put the keyboard up on this shelf and the mouse is on top of the monitor, cause Jayden keeps playing with it. So he goes straight for it and climbs up on the chair...then he got up on the table on his knees and he's hanging onto the monitor trying to reach the keyboard and mouse...haha....My son turns off the monitor, but he already knows how to turn it back on. They give him this old keyboard to play with, but he doesn't want that one. He wants the one that works..haha...he knows the difference...

I got home around 12:30 and crashed...I was tired...it was exhausting but fun!

Today I went shopping...went to this huge consignment store where they have tons of neat stuff and to Walmart. I still need to get a pumpkin to carve for tomorrow night.

Wednesday I drove to Lapeer, which is about half way from Caseville to here, and I met my girlfriend and her boyfriend at the McDonald's there. Then the two of us drove back down to my house. I was so excited to see her and be able to show her my house. My dogs went nuts when they saw her!...haha...I knew they would.

Jerry came home and had things to do, so the two of us went out to eat and talk. She told me that she had to have one of her dogs put down. She has two dogs like we do. Her oldest dog is about 15 years old and had been sick. She took her to the vet and she had diabetes and her kidneys were failing at that point. She almost lost her two years ago from another problem and found a vet who would perform surgery and she was fine. She was worried then that she might not survive the surgery. But she did and everything was fine. But this time, there was not anything that could be done. Boots was so weak that she could barely hold her little head up. So she did what she had to do...as hard as it was. It was very upsetting to her to lose Boots. We cried, cause I know what it's like to lose a pet.

Then we came home and did some Ebay surfing. She has a computer but it isn't connected to the internet yet, and since she has the antique store, she is thinking of trying to sell some of her stuff on Ebay....so I was showing her how it all works. And we were looking up items that are similar to what she has to see what they are selling for. We were up til almost 1:00 a.m.

We got up early and I drove her over to my mom's house to show it to her. Then I drove her to the airport for her flight to Phoenix to visit her sister. She'll be back in 3 weeks. Then the plan is that I will pick her up and spend the night at my place. Then we'll hit the road the next day and we'll drive to Caseville where I'll spend a last weekend there before they shut my water off.

I talked to my oldest son yesterday and we are going to take the kids to Huckleberry Railroad Saturday for Halloween. We'll dress up and the kids will go trick or treating at all the stores/houses there, and we'll take the train ride. So that will be fun. I've never been there. Last year, we took them to Canterbury Village. Of course, we all dress up in our Star Trek uniforms!...haha...even little Jayden has a ST outfit.

I don't know what I'll do today....my house is clean so no housework to do! Maybe I'll see if there are any garage sales around.....

Neighbor Complaints

The building inspector from the township called today. He's the guy I talked to about the neighbors behind me when I was trying to find out whose property the tree was on..who was responsible, etc. The guy on the one side said he would take care of our bills if it was his tree, but he said it wasn't on his property. So I just wanted to know whose property it was on. When the building inspector came out and saw the mess on the guy's property behind me (and he said that the tree was on HIS property), he said he was going to send them a letter giving them 10 days to clean it up. Yesterday, the neighbor had our tree guy out to basically cut down the limbs that were hanging all over the place. But he didn't have anything removed. It's still all just piled up back there behind our fence. Anyway the building inspector asked me if it had been cleaned up and I told him that it was cut down but still there. I also told him that the neighbor is going to chainsaw it all up himself eventually. So this building inspector said that he just wanted to let me know that the guy's wife is mad...cause apparently she thinks I had called the township to complain, and I didn't...I only went there to find out where the property line was. So now she wanted to complain about my husband's car that is sitting in our back yard....plus, she had some complaints about some of the other neighbors as well. He said that he isn't paying any attention to her complaints, but if she calls the complaint department then we might be getting a notice from the township about the car so he wanted to give us some warning and maybe think about moving the car into the garage or the driveway. Hell, if I could have moved it, I would have a long time ago.

I'm pissed off cause this fat black bitch is calling the township about our car and trying to make trouble when, if fact, they OWE us $1500 for the mess we had to clean up because of THEIR tree. I swear, I am seriously thinking of taking them to small claims court now....and teach them not to mess with me.

But on the other hand, maybe now my husband will get that damn car out of my backyard!!

So we're just waiting to see if we hear anything from the township.

My girlfriend is coming tomorrow. They are suppose to call tonight to let me know whether she will be driving herself, or her boyfriend will drive and I will meet them half way. It doesn't matter to me...either way she'll be coming.

Company coming....

My girlfriend in the Caseville area is flying out of Detroit Thursday to go visit her sister in Arizona...I think Mesa. So the plan is that she will come here first on Wednesday and spend the night and then we can visit before she leaves. I am bummed that she won't be around when I go to Caseville in a week or so for the Holly Berry Fair. Her boyfriend bought her the ticket for her birthday so she can spend her birthday with her sister.

Yesterday I slept most of the day. But I finally got up around 3:30 or so. Drove to Burger King and got burgers and fries for dinner. I watched that Hide and Seek DVD.

So today I'm basically going to clean and straighten my house up a bit, cause this will be the first time that my g'friend will see my house. My dogs will be ecstatic when she comes. They only see her when we're in Caseville...they will be surprised when she comes here to their house!!

I went out partying with my #3 son tonight and his girlfriend.

Last night about 5 mins after I posted my blog, my son and his g'friend came home. So we watched that "Open Water" movie and I decided to just drive home and sleep in my own bed and get up at noon. I feel bad cause I told Hunter before he went to sleep that I would be there in the morning when he woke up....and I wasn't. Well, they needed the night to themselves and I needed my bed...a judgement call.

So I woke up late...went to the store and bought chips, candy, pop, and I went to my mom's house...(funny,how I still call it her house)...dished the junk mail out of the mailbox and ate the candy, chips and pop. My #3 son called me and wanted us to go with them to a place in Detroit....I explained to him that his father does not go anywhere...so if he wants to go party somewhere in my area, I can meet him.

Got home....called #3 son...no answer....made chili dogs...went to the video store and rented "Hide and Seek" with sexy Robert DeNiro...took make up off....took a bath....started watching DVD....then #3 son calls! He and his girlfriend wanted to go this place near me and wanted me to meet them there....COOL!...I'm always up for a party! So I told hus that I'm going out. He didn't seem too happy but I left the movie on for him to watch while I'm gone....works like dog biscuits for my dogs...haha..just keep them distracted and they hardly know you're gone.

I changed clothes...wore my tight jeans and my top I bought at the Harley Festival and met them there before 11:00. They had a really really good DJ...they played some hip-hop and some Def Lepard and (would you believe some M.Jackson??). Monica and I danced our cute buns off. I drank beer and did one shot....and we left at some point before the DJ quit.

I drove home....holy hell, I fuckin DROVE home....haha...I always drive good..actually passed a cop on the way....his loss, my gain.

Holy crap..what time is it anyway??....guess I should get to bed....Ciao....

Kids are asleep........

I'm typing from my son's house. I'm watching the kids while they get a night out with their friends. Jayden went to sleep early, and Hunter and I watched a movie called "Holes". I started to watch "Open Water", but it was scarying me...haha...I don't like boats or water over my head....so we switched movies. As soon as something started biting them under the water, I was done for....my one water phobia. Even when I USE to go into the lake in Caseville, I was always afraid of something biting me or stepping on a dead body. Now I love scary movies, but this movie was freaking me out....besides it's suppose to be based on a true story, which makes it worse.

Well, today the tree guy showed up and finished the job. He talked to the neighbor behind us and explained to him how dangerous the tree was on HIS side and he really needs to get it out of there. The guy told him how he is on a "fixed income" and can't afford it. He thinks he wanted HIM to get it out for nothing...yeah, right buddy! These old people and their "fixed incomes" really make me laugh. My mother was on a fixed income, but she also had money in the bank. Hell, my husband may work and get a paycheck, but that is OUR fixed income! Holy hell, we are all on a fixed income....so what....get the damn tree out of your yard and out of my sight. I'm not about to be looking at that crap for the next 10 years.

Then I called the tow truck and met him at the dealership and had the Stealth towed back...so now it's sitting in my driveway again....laughing at me!!

This guy that my hus is getting this computer part from said that he must get 5 requests a week for that part. Apparently Stealths are basically a Mitsubishi and are all Japenese made and they all end up with the same problem....that's why you don't see them on the road much anymore. The car dealership guy said there's only about a dozen of them left on the road...though I think he was jesting....I'm sure there must be more than a dozen in the whole damn country. Anyway, all I know is that ours isn't on the road....it's in my damn driveway....like all the rest apparently.

I got my jammies on cause I'll be spending the night. It's nice and quiet here. Ok....I'm going to face my fears and go watch "Open Water"....can't be that bad...can it???

Cookies and Ice Cream are better than beer!

Ok....I skipped the beer, and I baked 3 dozen chocolate chip cookies instead...some with peanut butter and some with walnuts. Notice I said "baked", not "made". They are just those Nestle Toll House ones you just break off the squares and pop them on the cookie sheet. I'm going to be babysitting tomorrow night and thought I would bring homemade..(haha)..cookies for the kids. I'm also going to take them over some pints of ice cream. This store near me was selling Edy's ice cream pints, 10/$10.00...that's only a buck a piece, so I bought ten. Tonight I went there to buy some more, but now they are 3/$5.00 so I only bought 3 more. I think I've killed off 3 of the pints myself and I want to take some for the kids. Not sure if my hubby got any yet. I love ice cream! I usually don't buy it, but my husband does once in awhile, so he was surprised when I came home with 10 pints the other day.

I was in this house today and there were spider webs all over the place...really gross...then I realized it was MY HOUSE!!...LOL So since I had nothing better to do all day except wait around for the tree guy to show up, which he didn't...and waiting for the dealership to call saying that things were put back together so I can call the tow truck guy, which they didn't call....I figured I may as well clean up the spider webs. So I vacuumed, dusted, cleaned the glass table tops, the fireplace hearth, etc...and now my living room is all nice and clean.

Tomorrow my son and his g'friend are going out with another couple to see some band play, so I'll be driving down there to babysit and see little Jayden and Hunter...we'll eat cookies and ice cream and watch movies!....Ciao

My money-sucking life sucks!

I AM SO FUCKING STRESSED OUT RIGHT NOW! I AM AT THE END OF MY ROPE WITH ALL THIS MONEY-SUCKING CRAP IN MY LIFE. First it was this trees/fence thing that still isn't done with. Then I take the Stealth into the dealership to just have them fix the damn thing so I can sell my jeep in the garage....simple enough, right? Well, they called my husband and told him that it's the whole damn computer and a new computer alone will cost $1400 fucking dollars!...and that's not the labor. So hus said he can get a reconditioned one for under $300, but he will have to put it in himself. So now I have to call AAA and have the damn car towed BACK into my driveway....besides paying the dealership 2 hours of their time which is like $200.

And I'm wondering how long it will take hubby to actually DO IT!!!!

Do I have any Valium in the house??? NO.....Do I have any beer???YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I Want Gregg Back!

My favorite radio talk show is no longer "Gregg and Michelle"...it's now "Jay and Michelle"....and it's really bumming me out. Gregg is this really cool guy that made the whole show funny. There was an edge to his humor....but he said what was on his mind. Well, I guess he went a little overboard on his criticizm of one of the nighttime talk hosts, who apparently is some gay guy...and Gregg said so and said he was on a sex offender list in Ohio....WHAM!....he got fired! Guess the station said it was slander or something...against radio policy rules or some shit. I've been in his website reading everything he has to say and all the positive messages he's been getting.

He got offered another job down in Texas...so does that mean I have to move to Texas to hear him?? He just recently bought a beautiful house in Milford and his wife recently had a baby and now he has to move, because some big shot asswipes in the radio station corporation is kissing someone else's butt in the world of radio politics.

Well, Gregg...we're going to miss you...and the show ain't gonna be the same. Instead of Gregg's in-your-face humor, we will be stuck with sugar coated Jay.

Updates....

Update on trees: I'm waiting for another tree guy to come either today or tomorrow and finish getting the large branches that are balanced on other limbs hanging over my fence. Hopefully, he will get everything done.

Update on neighbor who thinks the tree is not his: I went to the township and a guy came out today and said that this tree is definitely on his property. He couldn't believe how huge this tree is/was. He said that it is a hazard the way it is hanging and all over the place. He said that he will be sending a notice to this guy giving him 10 days to get it cleaned up out of his yard or he will have to go to court.

Update on neighbor: I think he's going to kill me cause I called the township!!!

Update on fence: The fence guy will come once I get everything with the tree done on our side....otherwise, more branches/limbs may fall on the fence and damage more of it. Neighbor on our side who owns the side part of the fence will pay for her part.

Update on "house": Has not sold...heard nothing since I lowered the price. I really think that the fact that it needs a roof is a major thing. All the other houses out there for sale have new roofs, besides new windows and new everything. But who would buy a house with a roof over 25 years old???...when there are so many more houses out there to pick from. But there is no roof damage...we checked the attic and ceilings.

Update on Stealth: Haven't heard from the dealership yet...too early....besides, I told them there is no rush...hell, it's been sitting in my driveway for a year, so a few more days is no big deal.

Update on Husband: He's still around............

Just Tow it Away.......

I finally got the non-running Stealth out of my driveway. I called a tow truck and had it towed away....well, actually I had it towed to the dealership so they can hopefully get it running. The Fiero in the backyard is the one I would like to have towed to a junk yard! One of the tree guys that came and gave us an estimate showed some interest in the Fiero...I think my hus told him that it starts. Well, if it does, it's news to me....and if it does start, that is all it does. It hasn't been driven in at least 8 years. Anyway, so this guy comes over with another guy and wanted to take a look at it. The tires are actually sunken into the ground, so it obviously isn't going anywhere easily. I told him my hus would be home in about 10 mins...well, they were gone before he even got home, so I assume that means they aren't interested. So much for that.

When I get the Stealth back, I'm going to drive it over and leave it in the garage at the "house" for awhile. Then I'm going to drive the jeep in my garage over to my son's house and hopefully he can sell it for us. We want to get our driveway cemented and I need to get these cars out of here. I told my hus that I'm not sure if now is a good time to get the driveway done because of all the leaves that are falling everywhere. I don't want leaves stuck in the wet cement. He says they can do it...whatever. I'll be leaving for Caseville near the end of the month for awhile and I figure they can do it then...at least I'll have my car out of here. Then my husband can just park his car out in the road. They said that you can't drive on it for at least 9 days after it's done. So that's the plan.

A step back in Time.....

I ate a whole pint of ice cream tonight....now I feel guilty....but it was good!

Years ago when my sons were small we use to take an annual boat ride to Bob-Lo Island on one of the Bob-Lo boats. It was always fun and exciting. I loved the boat ride there and back and of course the rides were thrilling. The kids just loved it. The island got all screwed up with mismanagement and closed down. They had stopped the boat rides a couple years earlier because of all the problems they sometimes had on the boats with some of the gang-type people that always seem to ruin a good thing for everyone else. Anyway, one of the boats...the St. Claire...has been docked in River Rouge since August for touring. Sunday my hus and I went to see it. It was so nostalgic being on that boat again after all these years. It was also a bit eerie cause there was hardly anyone there and we basically had the boat to ourselves to just walk around and reminisce. It was also eerie because they have it all decked up in a Halloween scary theme because on the weekends they are also having a "Haunted Boat" thing going on til Halloween. So they have all these cobwebs and skeletons everywhere. On the level where they have the dance floor and bandstand, they have these skeletons playing instruments and skeletons sitting around tables. It gave me kind of a "Titanic" feeling.

The boat was buit in 1910 and stopped running in 1991, so there have been many generations of people who have ridden on her and most are probably now dead...so the skeletons kinda reminded me of all the "souls" that have ridden on her.

I remember taking a midnight cruise down the Detroit River on either that boat or maybe the other bob-lo boat, the Columbia, once when I was dating some guy way back when. We didn't see the Columbia....they say that she is docked near there, but is in very bad shape and is shrink-wrapped for protection from the environments. The new owners of the St. Clair are hoping to get the boat restored and on the river again for people. I hope so. I'll be the first in line....as much as I am afraid of boats, I always loved riding on one of the Bob-Lo boats.

Light a Lighter.....for Paul....

I was reading tonight that Paul McCartney is in town......and the person writing the article was talking how he had been there when he saw the "Beatles" in 1966 at the Olympia Stadium. Welllllllllllllllllllllllll.......I saw them then and I saw them in 1964, their first appearance here!...whoopee....whooppe...dooo. So am I writing an article about it??? Maybe I should.

Wayyyyy...back....in 1964....I desperately wanted to see "The Beatles". I mean, they were the hottest new group that ever invaded the music industry...and Paul was so damn cute! So I sent away for a ticket...and I was so excited when I received my ticket in the mail....(It cost me $2.00 for a standing-room only ticket)....(I still have the ticket). Anyway...I haven't seen Paul since 1966 when I went to see him again.... And tonight and last night he is here at the Palace. Did I get a ticket??...Was I there?? Did I go see my idol????...NOPE....I will NOT pay $100 to see some guy sing songs that I have already heard before. Besides, I already saw him in '64 and '66...same ole, some ole......Last time I saw him, he just stood there with his guitar in front of a mike and bobbed his head back and forth and said "yeah, yeah, yeah"

So I'm not about to spend $100 to see him again.

Tonight I rented a movie called "A Mighty Wind"...a story about some old folk singers who get together after mega years and sing for their fans. Brought back a lot of memories....like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Melanie....like you really know who I'm talking about.

I have a t-shirt that Bob Dylan autographed with his name with some artist that painted a guitar on the shirt....really cool!

But who the hell really cares, right??

Sooooooooooooo....Paul is singing at the Palace tonight and I'm not there...like he's going to really miss me....well, as long as I buy his CD, he'll be okay.

Those where the days...............my friend...............

Sticking around the house......

Yesterday I went to the township hall and talked with someone about this tree mess I am dealing with. I told them that I needed to know where the property line is. This supervisor or inspector guy said that he will come over today and look at it. They are concerned about the tree mess in someone's yard too and they want it taken care of, so maybe they will determine whose mess it is. Once they determine whose property the tree is on, then we will know who to TRY to get our money back from. The group home owner who says that it is not on his property said he will be around today and try to talk to the neighbor who lives behind me. Personally, it seems obvious to me that the tree is in his yard also.

I have things to do today and I don't want to sit around here all frickin day...so I hope they show up at the same time. Also the fence guy is suppose to be around to remeasure and divide the cost up between the two sides. At least I know my neighbor will pay for her side of the fence.

Of course, when the township inspector comes around he may also notice the car in our backyard with no plates....and the new cement foundation we just had poured that we got no permit for!!! WHATEVER!!

I went to the Realtor's office yesterday to sign a paper to lower the price of the house. With the higher price, I had room to negotiate and to help with concessions, like closing costs....but if I have to lower the price, then there is not going to be much negotiation as far as I'm concerned. I will NOT give this house away. I will NOT just sell it for any price. I will NOT take a loss on this as I have already taken a loss with the expenses I've been paying on it for the last 2 years. And now that I have to pay a commission, then there is definitely very little room for negotiation. I gave buyers a chance to get a good deal when I had it for sale on my own. Now if they want it through a realtor, then THEY can pay the commission.

I have been looking for a Xmas gift I had bought when I was in Caseville for 2 days now......where the hell did I put it????? I hope I didn't sell it at the Estate Sale!!......

Back from my trip....

I returned from my trip Tuesday night and I had a great time. I got to Varysburg, New York around 7:00 Friday night. I ended up taking the wrong bridge across from Canada to New York so it took me a little longer driving time. We had a get-together in some of the rooms...then went down for the Friday night dinner. Saturday we had our luncheon and took the ancestral tour of all the old homesteads and cemeteries. My great-great-great-great grandparents and great-great-great grandparents are buried there, among others. We met the young couple that now owns one of the old homesteads and he and his wife make their own maple syrup, so we bought some from them. Then we had another dinner Saturday evening.

Sunday I drove to Niagara Falls, Canada and stayed there a couple nights. I went to my great-great grandparents house and visited with the old gentleman that now owns it. He is almost 92 years old and has owned it for over 50 years. I had dinner with him Sunday and Monday and had long talks with him. He is what people call "a cool dude"! I took my camcorder and took movies of the house. Tuesday he had a doctor's appointment, so I took him and finally got on the road by 4:00. He just loves when I come visit him. He is so sad when I have to leave. I told him I'll be back in the Spring and visit him again...so hopefully he will still be around. He took me to the cemetery and showed me where he will be if he's not around...haha

I drove down by the Falls and went to the Casino and did some souvenir shopping and bought a couple of Corono T-shirts. It was cold and a little rainy while I was there.

So now I'm back home and dealing with this tree mess. The one neighbor talked to my husband and he says that the tree is in the other guy's property....the guy that claims it is in HIS property. So I will have to go to the township and find out where the damn property line is. I talked to my neighbor who owns the one side of the fence and she talked to the fence guy and told me that she will pay for her side anyway.

We got the cement foundation in and it looks very good. He gave us an estimate for doing our driveway and it is way below what it would normally cost....cause he does this stuff on his own time and charges much less....so we will probably get the driveway done next.

The Realtor called and suggested we lower the price a bit to get this house sold...so I have to go there and sign some papers today. This house isn't going to sell at any price, I'm afraid. It is too outdated and needs too much done...like a new roof. Other houses have new roofs, new windows, finished basements, better landscaping, new kitchen cabinets. This house really has nothing to offer except costly work. I fixed it up the best I could to at least get it looking decent to sell...but it needs more expensive stuff done to it. The buyers out there today want everything modern and done..nobody buys houses that needs work anymore.

Hell, when I bought my house we needed to put a new beam under the house and a new furnace. The buyers today have no money, but they want everything.

Okay...gotta go to the fence place, the realtor's office and the house....bye

I slept in this morning and didn't get up until 2 minutes to 10:00, and I rushed downstairs to watch Guiding Light. I got most of my packing done. I had to go to the post office to mail a couple of ebay packages....did some grocery shopping....and I bought 3 pumpkins and put them out in the front yard. I hit a couple garage sales and bought 3 of those old coca-cola wooden crates...so I have the pumpkins sitting on them.

The cement guy ended up showing up just before my hus got home from work. He said he had the time to get it started today. He'll be back tomorrow to pour the cement....hopefully, after I've left. The owner of that house with the tree was suppose to stop by and get the receipts but never showed up....not too surprised.

There are still fleas in this damn house! I keep picking them off my little Mini Sue. They are fine when they are in Caseville, then they start scratching when they get home. I bought one of those foggers and I told hubby to set one off upstairs when I'm gone. I'll have to do the downstairs when I get back. I need to keep the dogs out of the house or at least upstairs for a couple hours while it's the most potent.

I put gas in the car...air in the tires...figured out how to change everything from English to metric for when I am driving through Canada. God, I hate crossing the border. I get so nervous, like they are going to find all my drugs or something...ha-ha-ha...just kidding. They always ask the stupidest questions....like where are you going...who are you going to see....how do you know them....when are you coming back....why are you going there...blah, blah, blah....Once when I was coming back from Niagara Falls, the bitch actually asked me why my husband didn't go with me....like it was any of her business. It's worse than being on the witness stand with those people.

I have this cute vintage looking outfit I'm going to wear to the Saturday luncheon. It's a long black taffeta skirt with a cream high-neck collared blouse with an older vintage looking brooch to wear at the neck...and I even found a pair of black high-button shoes to wear...except they lace, they don't actually button, but they have that old 1800's look. It's a family reunion based on the family of Ann and Galen Boddy from the 1800's who we are all descended from. I'm descended from their only daughter, Elizabeth, who died tragically at the age of 26 and left a young son, Eli...who was my great-great grandfather. They originally came to New York from England...then migrated to Niagara Falls, NY and to NF, CA...and then eventually to the Detroit area. Eli is buried in the same cemetery as my parents. The cemetery in New York where I'm going is where Ann and Galen are buried. Eli's wife is buried in NF, NY...and their son's wife's family are all buried in NF, Canada. On one of my excursions to NF, CA I located the house that she and her parents lived in and had built and that's when I met Bill, the owner of it now...he is like 92. So I'll be seeing him when I get to Niagara Falls in Canada. I love being in the house. It still has a lot of the originality of it from when it was built. I have a picture of the family posing in the living room back around 1900, and I love sitting there and imagining them being there at one time.

Anyway...gotta get to bed...I want to be on the road before 11:00. See ya when I get back.

I got up at 7:30 thinking that the tree guys might show up before 9:00, cause they said they would be here in the morning. So they finally get here at 11:45...so technically I guess it was still morning, BUT I could have slept in a bit. They were here til almost 4:30. They got MOST of the crap out of my backyard, but there is still a lot for us to clean up. And this one tree branch is still hanging over my fence line...they didn't even cut that one down. So my hus said that he will do it himself. When I went back there to see what they had done, there was also this huge trunk of the tree still sitting on my fence. What the hell is that? They were working on my front trees, so I told them that they HAVE to get it off my fence or how in the hell am I suppose to get my fence repaired. Bozos!! So they went back with this bulldozer type of machine and shoved it off onto the other side. My yard is a total disaster from the truck and the machines...ruts everywhere. We are not too happy. The grass in that corner is totally destroyed. Plus, when they trimmed my two front trees, they left this one branch just sticking out all by itself and it looks so dumb. Well, ya get what ya pay for, I guess.

We got the phone number of the owner of the house that owns the property that the tree that fell was on. My husband called him and he SAID for us to give him the receipts and he will pay us.....yeah, I'll believe it when I see the check! Besides what we already paid the tree guys, we got an estimate of $500 to repair the fence. The one side of the fence that was wrecked is actually my neighbors, so she will pay that part of the estimate if we don't get a check from this guy. So that will help some. There is still a mess on the other side of our fence that this guy better get rid of. It still looks like crap back there.

Anyway, the cement guy came tonight to see what we want done and he said he will do the job on Monday....so good...I can sleep in tomorrow. But actually, he was kinda cute and I was starting to wish he would be coming tomorrow....oh well. So he'll come on Monday and I'll be in Niagara Falls by then and my husband can handle it.

Haven't heard anything on the house yet. I don't expect it will be selling anytime soon. Houses just are not selling right now...especially in Garden City. Garden City had some lawsuit going on and apparently they lost and now the City owes $15 million and the taxpayers have to pay for it, so everyone's taxes are going up for the next 15 years. That's why so many houses are for sale there....so who the hell would want to buy there? It just really sucks.

I almost lost this post. Usually when my computer goes offline...as Earthlink always does to me....I just sign back on and continue. Well, this time the whole computer shut down and I was sitting here staring at my desktop. I logged back on...got back into my blogger and clicked on "recover post", and there it was! Whew......ok, that's all that went on today.

Summer in October

Wow....I can't believe this weather. I mean, it's October and I'm still wearing shorts. I love it!! Fall is not my favorite time of the year...it use to be until I bought this house with a million trees on it and I have to rake and bag 100 bags of leaves every year. I was sitting on my patio today looking at the trees and they aren't even changing color yet...they're still green. I love it!! Maybe we won't have a winter this year....I wish

I did get my fall harvest decorations out in the front yard and in my house. I bought this scarecrow that I have in the front with vines of fall leaves draped over my picket fence and a few other things I've bought. I still need to buy some pumpkins to set out. And I have all my fall/pumpkin things in the house. So it looks like Fall, but still feels like summer....weird. I think it's going to start cooling down by this weekend, so I won't be packing any shorts for my trip.


I am not a morning person, but I got up early today cause I thought the tree guys were coming to get that mess out of my backyard. So they call me at 10:00 and say they will be here tomorrow instead....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....so now I have to get up early again tomorrow. Oh, the life of a lazy person is not easy some days...haha

And...my hus said that the cement guy might be here Thursday...so does that mean I have to get up early again on Thursday??? I already have to get up early Friday, because I need to be on the road by 11:00 at the latest. And I have to get up early on Saturday for that luncheon that starts at 11:00 in New York; and I have to get up early on Sunday because check-out is 11:00; and I have to get up early on Monday because some of us are driving back into the New York side to see a cousin and visit a cemetery; and I have to get up early on Tuesday because check-out is 11:00. Oh woe is me!! I will be a walking zombie by then....I know one thing, on Wednesday, I'm not getting up ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL day. I'm going to sleep through Wednesday and get up in time to watch "Lost" on TV.

I took a pill to sleep, so it should be kicking in soon....nite

Whose tree is it anyway???

I am totally stressed over this mess I have in my backyard and neighbors and my insurance company! First of all, homeowners insurance does NOT cover fallen trees....only if they damage something and then they only cover THAT part of it. So they will cover the actual cost of removing the part of the tree that is on the damaged fence (basically around $100) and up to $500 to remove that part off the yard....and the cost to repair the fence. Well, with my $1000 deductible, it basically doesn't cover Sh**! Plus, I need to get ALL of it out of my yard. One guy quoted us $2000 total to get it out, and that's not including the fence repair....my fence guy hasn't even shown up yet, so I'm guessing it won't be more than $200-$300 for that.

This one tree guy who just did some work for my neighbor across the street said that he will do it all for $1200....and that is including trimming a couple of trees in our front yard which we were going to call someone to come do anyway. One tree guy quoted us $400 for the front trees....so basically this other guy is doing the backyard crap for $800. He is coming tomorrow (Tues) to do it.

Now, this other A-hole tree guy comes out to give me a quote and my neighbor behind me was out, so this guy starts giving my neighbor a hard time about the tree being on his property, so he should pay for it all (which I agree....BUT the guy can't afford it, and he said he would help pay for $500 for it) Then this tree guy tells this neighbor that he can cut everything up and just throw it all in his yard for him to clean up. I mean, this tree guy was causing trouble with my neighbor. He was only suppose to give me a quote NOT get on my neighbor's ass about this. This is none of his business! So later, my neighbor comes over and now he says that the tree is NOT in his yard, that the tree is actually in the guy's yard next door to him, so he will NOT be giving us $500 like he said!! GREAT!

The house next door to his is some group home. He said that his wife called the owner of the house and he was going to come out and check it out and he said that he would tell him to talk to us about it. Well, nobody came to talk to us all weekend. What a mess....we will probably get stuck paying for everything.

I'm getting this mess out of my backyard...get my fence fixed...then I'm going to try and get this other neighbor's mailing address and send him the damn bills.

Saturday, I went to my oldest son's house. A friend of their also stopped over, and my youngest son and his g'friend came over. So we got some McD's burgers, fries and some beer and partied. Jayden is such a cutie-pie! I'm going to be babysitting the kids in a couple weeks.

I got home around 11:00 because "24" was on and I wanted to tape it. Well, it turned out, it's not a new series...they are just rebroadcasting season 1. So we watched it anyway....then "Enterprise" was on for 2 hours. I got upstairs after 3:00 a.m....and after who knows how many beers...haha I was trying to post on my blog, but nothing was making any sense, so I gave up and went to bed by 4:00 a.m. I woke up at noon and felt like crap all day.

Today I need to go over to the "house" and bring some more things home.

I have this trip coming up and I am so NOT in the mood to even go. I am leaving Friday and will be back the following Tuesday. I'm first driving to New York for a family reunion...then I'll leave there Sunday and drive to Niagara Falls for a couple days. I wish I was more enthused about going, though....I'll be okay once I'm on the road.

Well, it's almost noon so I better get dressed.....later

I've been sitting here for an hour typing....nothing I typed made sense...so I deleted everything................

I saw my little Jayden....he's the cutest baby I've ever seen...that's all I can type......

I really think I need to go to sleep.............