Trying again...

Every time I try to keep up with this blog, it doesn't happen. I've found the blogging app for my iPhone and hopefully that will help me keep up better.

I've been super busy, between full time work on the graveyard shift and part time school I barely have time for family or friends but I'm making it all happen. It hasn't been easy, that's for sure. Especially with a teenager who thinks he knows all AND knows best. But I digress...

I'll recap from June (when I last wrote a post). I worked briefly at the new job an hour away but the drive home was becoming really dangerous because I would fall asleep on the expressway, not good! As much as I loved that job and the people I worked with, I couldn't keep tempting fate on the drive home. I knew I'd eventually die in a fiery wreck, it was inevitable. I went on a search for a job closer to home. It meant taking a pay cut, especially on the weekends, but it also meant I'd continue to live. I was fortunate to find a job at a newly built facility 5 minutes from home. No more 12 hour, 3 days a week job :( I am back to 8 1/2 hour, 4 days a week. I'm not thrilled but it's a lot safer for me. Plus, I'm working with a lot of the same folks I worked with at "the lodge". It's nice to be so close to home, and the benefits are pretty nice too.

The kids went back to school in September. It's nice to have the whole house back on a schedule.

Beyond all that there's not much to report.

Yeah...I've been gone...but I'm back now....

Holy guacamole, where have I been?  Shortly after my last post my laptop suddenly decided to become air born.  It realized, almost immediately, that it can't fly and smashed itself onto the kitchen floor, where it laid with little pieces of its innards scattered around it.  It was so sad, really.... I cried.  I loved my laptop.

 With school starting for me in a few days we had to find a replacement.  We did so and I am the proud owner of a new (back in January) laptop.  So why haven't I been posting?  Why didn't I recap the trip to Kalahari and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?  Well, dear reader, I'll tell you... it's because I've been so darned busy!

As I mentioned, school started.  I was taking 2 classes - Stress Management and English Composition while also working full time, midnights.  On top of that baseball season started for Andrew, so did the twice a week practices - in addition to his weekly guitar lessons and Cub Scouts!  In mid-March, a third class began - Sociology.  It's an accelerated class.  7 1/2 weeks but we meet twice a week (with homework twice a week, too).  I'm never going to do this to myself again.  It's too much!  I've been attempting to employ techniques I'm learning in Stress Management...

Tomorrow night is my last night working at the "Lodge".  I found a new job that pays better but is an hour away but offers me 12 hour shifts (still on mids, tho) so I only have to work 3 days a week.  I'm hoping this will make my life a bit easier, or at the very least, give me some time to continue to clean up around here...

Let's see....what else to report....

Last month we thought we'd found a new place to live, but, alas, it was not meant to be and we are left where we currently are.  Oh well...

I'll recap Kalahari/R&RHoF in my next post.  I just wanted to check back in and reassure those who do actually read this, I am still alive....

Stay tuned...

We've returned from our vacation to Ohio to visit Kalahari and detour to Cleveland to visit The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on our way home.  I took tons of photos, so stay tuned for the next post where I recap our mini-vacation.

Resolutions...

Every time the calendar flips over and a new year begins something inside me feels different, for a while anyway.  I can't exactly pin point what that feeling is but it almost feels like a "freshness" has settled in - like the slate from all the years past has been wiped clean and I get to start over - again...  Eventually the feeling fades and somehow I fall back into old routines and everything seems to become the same again, ho hum, ho hum, blah, blah, blah...and I find myself not sticking with the resolutions I make every year.

Once again this new year I have made a few resolutions while feeling "fresh" again...  I'm going to post them on my main page and try to update/check off what I do and get done as the year goes on.

I hope that this year I can preserve that "freshness" feeling for the whole year... wouldn't that be nice?

I have returned!!!

I can't believe I haven't posted since 2009!  I was re-reading the previous posts and having a good laugh over some of them.  The memories were nice to re-live.  :)

Here are some highlights from the past couple years...

• The same day as the last post (1/8/09) on my way to take Jamie to his doctor appointment we were involved in a minor car accident.  The person who caused it was an older man who seemed really confused when we finally caught up with him.  I'm not sure what came of things because after I told my story to the responding officer he let us leave and he was still dealing with the accident-causer when we left.  
• Later in the month Andrew performed in his school's talent show and rocked the house, again!  This time he played and sang "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)" by Pink Floyd.
• In February Jason had his birthday.  :)  I think I also completed my nurse assistant training.
• In April Andrew turned 7 and my dad turned 63.  :)
• In May I took my state certification test for my CNA license and passed!
• At some point in the summer months I was involved in another minor car accident.  A man changed lanes and ran into my Jeep while we were in a multi-lane roundabout.  
• In August my mom turned 63 and my sister turned 30.  :)
• In September my brother turned 29.  :)
• At some point in the fall I was involved in yet another minor car accident (what a year, right?!).  This time a woman turned in front of me, there was no avoiding her.  :(  I began to think that my Jeep was an accident magnet...
• In November I turned 32 and Jamie turned 14.  :)

That about sums up 2009 in a nut shell.

2010:

• Andrew performed in the talent show again this year.  He played and sang "Ring of Fire" as done by Social Distortion (they covered Johnny Cash).  He was again, incredible!
• We went to a place called Kalahari.  It was the most amazing place I've ever been.  We had a fantastic time.  

See for yourself:

Upon our arrival, we met with the Kalahari mascot...

..and a some beautiful women, who happened to also be current and former beauty contest winners!  The lovely lady on the right is former Miss America Jackie Mayer.

Including, the lovely, "Miss Ohio".  Not too bad a start, eh?

Just outside of the water park is a kids' play area with this tree that shoots balls.

This would be the water park!
You can't really tell how big and fantastic it is because the sunlight from the skylights has washed out the back half of the park.  Off to the right you can see the children's area....  

...it has a big water dumping bucket...

...that Andrew LOVED!

This is one of the two water slides in the children's area.

Across from, and to the left of the children's area is a deeper pool where you can play basketball (it's on the left in this photo).  Or you can visit the wave pool (in the center on the other side of the bridge in this photo)

This is FlowRider.  You can stand and surf...

...or lay down and body board.  GO ANDREW!!

Staff is friendly and helpful.  Now it's Jamie's turn.

GO JAMIE!!

When you're done playing in the water, you can play putt-putt.

Andrew ponders the next hole...

At the end of the day, eat at The Reserve.  Their food is fantastic!

As our trip came to an end, Jason and Andrew rested by a wooden statue.

It is now 2012 and while not a lot significant has happened so far this year we will be heading off to Kalahari once again thanks to the generosity of my brother and sister at Christmas.  I can't wait - this is like MY Christmas!!  I will, of course, post photos when we return.