Miss me?

How awful that I have left you alone for a few days. I greatly apologize. Especially to you, Kohl. I see you peeking on, and finding nothing new. What a flake I have been. I am so sorry...

Well, to tell the truth, Sunday was a VERY long day for me. Almost 6 hours from leving the house, to church, to lunch, to dropping kids off, to picking my mom and Heather up again, to coming home. I TRIED to sneak a nice, long nap in...but, only ended up laying in bed for about 3 hours, getting a whopping 1 hour of sleep. I over did myself...

Today, TRIED to stay in bed as long as I could (after running the kids to school)...but, that didn't las very long as the cleaners were here bright and early. So...I have been lethargic most of the day.

We DID get ALL of the office furniture moved out today (14 sectional pieces!!), along with the treadmill. Now, I will be hustling to get tile, backer board and other materials, so that we can turn the office into a media room. Hopefully that will work out well.

Our painter is working on nailing down the color of the stain fo the doors, casings and baseboards. Once that's done, he'll be in a staining frenzy!! So, things are still hopping around here. No rest for the weary...

Alyssa is reminding me almost daily that it's almost her birthday (Feb. 18th). She'll be 15!!! I can't believe it! If I thought about it long enough, I would cry. Time just goes by so quickly, that it's unfair.

My good friends' mother is on the down side of losing a battle of what looks like cancer. Hospice got involved today. She's almost 90...and I love her dearly. Was always put together, an had nothing but wonderful things to say about people...even when they were ugly to her. I know that heaven is just WAITING for her, as she is QUITE a rare commodity. I hate to say it early, but she will be missed dearly.

Well, I am going to TRY and get a good nights sleep. I have been tossing and turning alot in my sleep, and wake up tired and with a headache. Hopefully tonight will be different.

I sure hope I have something more fun to talk about tomorrow.

Maybe I'll talk briefly about how I rooted for the Giants just because everyone else in the house was rooting for the Pats. HAHAHAHA!! Wish I would have had some money where my mouth was....

Oh well. Live and learn.

See ya soon!!

Chef du Jour....

I've come a long way, baby!!

I made my first dinner in over 3 weeks!! Home made spaghetti and garlic bread. it was FABULOUS!! As much as I have LOVED having dinner delivered for 2 weeks, it was SO nice eating food that I was used to!!

I was supposed to get some help from a little daughter of mine...but, she had her head buried in her laptop, and I just WENT FOR IT!!

I'm SO tired!! And SSOOOOOO full!!

I don't know how you make your spaghetti...but, due to tomato acid wreaking havoc on my tummy, I add sugar to my sauce. It gives it a pleasant sweetness, and cuts all of the acid content. I brown up some sweet Italian sausage...then some ground beef...drain off the grease and add the sugar. Then, I cheat. lol I use jarred organic tomato & basil sauce and simmer.

As far as the garlic bread goes...just get some french bread, melt a cube of butter (one per loaf), and I mince my own garlic and add it to the butter. Dip the bread in and stick it under the broiler until perfectly toasted.

Add some freshly grated parmesean cheese....and...PERFECTION!!


Other than that exciting news, a friend of mine was having a conversation with me about cemeteries (a love of both of ours), and sent me a photo of a plot in the middle of a shopping complex'es parking lot in New Jersey. Been there almost 150 years. Check THIS out:








Pretty bizarre, eh?

It was very interesting, because I was trying to find the pics on the internet myself...and found out that Wal-Mart has built over and dug up several old cemeteries in order to build their stores. You should do some research on it yourselves.


I know that many of my readers out there have the same common interest as I do in the afterlife...death...etc. If you haven't seen the show already, check out "Dead Like Me". You'll have to buy or rent the DVD's, as the show was VERY unfortunately cancelled after two FABULOUS seasons. Great show.

If you have any interesting cemetery stories or pictures, I would LOVE for you to share them! Two things I always like doing when I travel out of town: See a movie in the local theater, and check out the town's cemetery.


Maybe something you didn't know about me, huh?

Surprise.....Delivery!!

There she is...at the age of 13. Heather Michelle Schmidt. Born on May 3rd, 1994, to my mother, who was 43 at the time she delivered my sister. Wait. WE delivered my sister. Yeah....here's the story same of you have been waiting for...and others have previously heard, but want to hear again for some reason. **chuckle**

Here goes nothing.



Nice spring morning, it was on May 3rd, 1994. My mom had gone out to Red Lobster the night before, to celebrate her boyfriends birthday. It had been a quiet day so far for me. Well, as quiet as can be for a mom of two (ages 5 1/2 and 16 months). Oh yeah. I was also almost 9 months pregnant, also.


I get a phone call from my mom, somewhere around 10:30am, I believe. She was in tears, in a panic that she was having a miscarriage. This was COMPLETE news to me, as I didn't even know that she thought she was pregnant. I pressed her for more information on the phone; Was she bleeding? (Yes.) How much? (Substantially.) Has she told Bob, her boyfriend? (No.) Why not? (He doesn't know she's pregnant.) How far along did she think she was? (Maybe 4 months.)

Ok. Well, I explain to her that she NEEDS to get to the hospital IMMEDIATELY, before she looses too much blood. (She can't drive, by the way...) She explains that she doesn't want to involve Bob. Alright. Fine. I will drag my HUGE pregnant ass, all the way across town to tend to my mom. So, I tell her I am on my way.

As I am taking my 25 minute drive to her house, I am TRYING to mentally prepare for what I will be walking in to...not truly knowing what will happen once I get there. I've had my share of medical run-ins, and consider myself pretty educated when it comes to medical issues. Taken some classes on psychology, CPR, had two kids of my OWN, for God's sake. I can handle this.

I get there, as quickly as I could have. Bob greets me at the door, not knowing that I was on my way. I explained to him that mom had called me. (He was under the understanding that she had food poisoning from the night before at Red Lobster...thought nothing more about it.) He said that since I was going to be there with mom, he was going to run down to Napa and get some car parts, as he was working to fix their Volvo. No problem, I said...I'm here to be with mom.

WRONG THING TO SAY!! WHERE were the red flags when I needed them???


I head upstairs to the master bedroom/bathroom where mom is. I find her in a robe, bouncing back and forth from the bathroom, to sitting on the edge of the bed and talking to me. Upon talking to her for a bit, I find that she thinks she is about 4-5 months along (LIE!) and that she's been sick for hours. Every time she gets up to use the bathroom, I hear her grunt, and I fear that she is trying to pass the baby...meaning I REALLY need to get her to the hospital, ASAP.

I explain to mom that we need to get he to the hospital right away, as I don't think I can help her, because it appears that she is trying to pass the fetus. She's just not going for my idea at all. I explain that if I can't take her, then I will need to call 911 to transport her.

Little did I know, I would be doing that, anyways....

She heads back to the bathroom. No. She RUNS to the bathroom, and closes the door. I sit and wait on the edge of the bed, wondering what to do next.

And then I hear it.

The sound that forever changed my life.




The sound of a newborn baby crying.



I JUMP up from the bed and kick in the bathroom door. I see my naked mom lifting off of the toilet, white as a sheet, asking me, "What's going on?"

I never knew I was REALLY good at emergency situations...until now.


I reached over and sat my mother on the trash can, and in doing so, I watch a baby fall from her....into the toilet bowl. I scoop up this baby, perfectly pink, and grab a towel and wrap it up. I see the phone on the bathroom counter and immediately dial 911. My mother, still perched on the trash can, continues to ask me, "What's going on?" (Duh. You just had a baby, mom.) But, I have something else that's keeping my attention.

The 911 dispatcher picks up, and I explain to her that my mother just had a baby. I try to explain that I am very largely pregnant myself, and that we need help...FAST! I go on to explain that the baby appears to be FULL TERM. Unfortunately, it does not appear that the dispatcher knows what that means, as she keeps asking me over and over how far along the baby appeared to be. ***sigh*** After establishing that the baby had 10 fingers, and 10 toes....was a GIRL (I shouted at the dispatcher, "I HAVE A SISTER!!")...and that she appeared to be healthy.....the dispatcher asks me, "Is she breathing?"

Everything was fine and dandy until she had to ask that question. At that moment, I look down at the baby, and she had IMMEDIATELY turned a purple/blue color. I told that to the dispatcher. She begins to walk me through infant CPR (which I was not taught). I begin "working" on the baby, and my mother begins screaming at me, "What are you doing?! Don't! Don't do it!!" I continue to administer CPR until the baby cries and begins to breathe again.

At this point, I hear a pounding on the front door downstairs. I tell the dispatcher on the phone that someone is here at the house. She explains it is the fire crew. I holler at them to come in...but, it seems that Bob locked the door behind him. I continue to yell at them to come in, knowing full well that my mom could NOT be left alone with this baby. By the third time that I yell, they begin kicking in the door.

They manage their way upstairs, and get mom and baby on a gurney, and descend downstairs. By this time, the ambulance had arrived, and they were placed inside the back of it. Mom is begging me to go with her to the hospital, but I try to explain to her that the door is busted in, there's blood all over the upstairs bathroom, and what would Bob do or think when he got home and no one was here? She agreed. The ambulance left, and I stayed behind for what seemed the LONGEST amount of time.


Ok....here's where I HAD to have run mom's phone bill up....

I called Dean first. I ended up being some what hysterical, and reiterating the words HOLY SHIT about every 10 seconds. I was at first, on the line with an acquaintance at Dean's work, trying to explain to her what just happened, while I was waiting for Dean to get off of the phone. He finally came on, and I explained what happened. Not only did he not believe it...he was pretty unimpressed by the whole thing. I was VERY quickly pissed off by his calmness, and KNEW that I needed to talk to someone who would be there for me.

I called my brother. Yet another mistake. Not only was he PISSED, he really didn't want to talk to me, either.

So off the phone I get. I pace around in a figure 8 upstairs, while waiting for Bob to come home. I couldn't believe what must be taking him so long!! I just KNOW that I wore down the carpet in her bedroom that day...


After what seemed like an hour, Bob showed up.

Now, I have to explain to you...Bob was a VERY laid-back guy (we lost him in 2005...another story). He came into the house, and wondered how mom was doing. I told him that the ambulance came and took her to the hospital. He said, "Oh man...I'm so sorry". I then explained to him that I thought he should sit down...which he did. I told him, "I really don't know how to tell you this other than just telling you...so.............mom had a baby while you were gone."

Bob sat there in silence for a moment. Then, he asked me to repeat myself. "Mom had a baby while you were gone."

At this point, Bob stands up and says, "I need to take a shower!", and heads into the downstairs bathroom. I sit on the couch in amazement, kind of wondering if this is all some crazy dream.

He eventually emerges, and asks me to go over...one more time...what happened. I explain the whole thing to him. He says, "We need to go to the hospital!" PERFECT!! This is what we needed to do SEVERAL minutes ago!

Well, we hop in his car and head downtown to the hospital. Before we can even get on the freeway, poor Bob has to pull over to a restroom, as he is sick.

Once back in the car, we head straight for the hospital.

We get there, and mom has been separated from the baby, and is in a VERY large room where she is being examined, asked questions, and "fixed up". Bob rushes to her side, and says, "You didn't have to do this to get me to marry you. Will you marry me?" Of course, mom said yes.

Test after test was performed on Heather Michelle, due to the "conditions" she was born in...and all the while, I got to contact everyone and tell them the news. NOT the easiest job in town.

Local news got ahold of the story, and within 2 weeks, we were front page of the Fresno Bee, and on TV...largely due to a special event that the ambulance company was holding. It was quite surreal...just as Bob told the paper.

I DO need to tell you that mom had remained 143 pounds through her ENTIRE pregnancy. Even helped me MOVE in February, before Heather was born. She shared a bed with Bob, and the baby never seemed to move. You would not have known that she was pregnant. It was quite incredible.


Here I am now, 38 years old, with a sister the age of MY youngest....13. They go to the same school, and there are some kids who know their relationship. It's kinda odd for everyone involved...but, it is what it is.


So....that's my story, an I'm sticking to it.

I got to share this story with everyone at Bob's funeral in October of 2005. I felt honored to have "shot the starting gun" of his fatherhood. And during his all too brief time with us, he was one of the best father's I have ever known. And he was THRILLED to have Heather. He taught her so much before he left us. I miss him dearly.


How blessed we are to have some of his legacy living on in Heather.


How's THAT for an exciting story???



By the way.....for Mother's Day that year, I got her a copy of the 911 call that I had placed. We both have a copy. It's pretty darned cool, if I may say so myself...

If I only had a brain...

Warm prune juice, hot tap water, dried apricots, a fersh orange, Metemucil, Miralax....the list goes on and on. I am SURE you know what all of these are used for. I know we have touched on this subject before...but, I would just like to share something with my readers.


I have often wondered, "WHY?", when being diagnosed/stricken with certain ailments. I have often been told, "Everything happens for a reason...even if we don't know why". Well...I have figured out why I have two of my health issues, and how to use them for my good.


IF you happen to have surgery...and IF you have happened to have the same "issues" as I have been having....and IF you happen to have lactose intolerance or IBS....USE IT NOW TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!!!


I have to thank my dear friend, Debbie, and her gift of ice cream last night that made me sick!! I think, perchance, that it was the BEST vanilla ice cream I've ever eaten!! My stomach was SO unhappy!!



Speaking of friends bringing food...I am so blessed. I have had a full dinner meal brought to my home EVERY NIGHT since the 19th...and have someone scheduled to bring me food until this Thursday evening. I have AWESOME girlfriends from church! Milli has schedule this WHOLE thing, and various loving friends have been so great at bringing dinner every night for a household of (currently) seven.

I'm on the receiving end, once again. I have a LOT of GIVING to do, once I am fully recuperated. I have thoroughly been looking forward to volunteering bedside again at the hospice. This will DEFINATELY warrant me returning back to what I love doing there. I can hardly wait to be a vigil volunteer again!! I have so greatly missed being there for others as they cross over.


Speaking of being active again, a couple of things popped up today.


After YEARS of trying to get Dean to train with me (and me missing so much this past year didn't help), he has decided to start a routine with me and my personal trainer...once I am given the green light by my doctor...and once he finishes his 12-week cardio rehab., we will start a regimine. THAT should be fun! My trainer's been DYING to get her hands on him!!

Also...I had some sad news today. A genteman that I had JUST started working with at the travel agency before I left, was found dead in his home this week. He was absent from work on Tuesday, which was odd. On Wednesday a friend had the police break in, and they found him slumped over his kitchen sink, while his dinner was waiting for him on the table. Died immediately from a massive heart attack at the age of 65. Richard, you were a good man, and you will be missed.

His absence has left a HUGE hole in the travel office. He was half of the department that handled all bus tours and excursions. Sounds like they are bringing my name up as a possible person to fill the position left empty by the loss of Richard. It would be great, as they are offering me a chance to become a travel agent, also. I had quite a bit of dealings with airlines, cruises and hotels (not to mention personal experience) while I worked there. I am actually half-way excited about the opportunity. We'll see how it all pans out. I'll keep you posted. It would be some big shoes for me to fill...


Anyways...I fear that I have nothing else really exciting to share with you this evening. Since I spent a VERY long day at church (FIVE hours...we had an annual meeting today), I have been rather uncomfortable. So, I will be online...but, taking it easy. I am currently watching DEEP IMPACT. I am sure we will watch something else after it is over.


I think maybe I will talk tomorrow about how pissed off I am about the writer's strike.

That is...unless something more interesting comes up.

I DO have a doctor's appointment tomorrow...maybe he will have some new news for me....