Up All Night

I think I drank 3 diet cokes after 5:00 last night.  It's almost 5am and I haven't slept one minute.  I've watched a lot of SVU, watched a movie on Netflix, memorized the map of Starved Rock, and I found a new place to live and work.  I also talked to myself a lot.  Mostly, about how to be a better mom.

I'm going camping in a week at Starved Rock State Park.  And guess what???  There are NO CHILDREN GOING!!  The epic camping trip with 27,000 children last summer, did me in.  I've wanted to go to Starved Rock for about 18 years.  I remember people telling me about the place when I lived in Illinois.  There are 18 canyons and most of them have waterfalls.  I've read that the best canyons to visit are the St. Louis, French, Wildcat, Tony, Kaskaskia, and Ottawa.  I'm taking my bike, my hiking shoes, a bunch of books, and a good friend.  

Starved Rock Map

Wildcat Canyon

I lived in San Jose, California on and off when I was little.  I remember the day that my mom took me to Santa Cruz.  The ocean water was freezing, but no one could get me to come out of the water.  I love the ocean.  I really want to be close to it.  I love the smell of the salty air and how I feel when I'm close to the water.  So right between San Jose and Santa Cruz is this little town called Los Gatos.  It's 30 minutes from the ocean and the Santa Cruz Mountains are right there!

  
I know that no one in my family is going to like this idea.  My boys are going to want to stay here.  Harrison's senior year is coming up.  I should be excited for this.  I should wait one more year.  Ugh, I'm sick of waiting and this is the perfect year to get out of the job that almost sucked the life out of me. I'm still going to ask and hope for the best.  Oh, look, the sun is coming up.  Awesome.....




 

Writing Prompt June 17

Quote your favorite moment from a film.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is my favorite movie. It's a dark movie and the scenes jump around a lot.  The main character, Joel,  is in the process of getting his memory erased.  His girlfriend, Clementine, has just broken up with him and he is completely heart broken.  Here's the scene:  Joel flashes back to the two of them lying in bed.  Clementine is telling Joel that she thinks she is ugly.  Joel thinks that she is the most beautiful girl in the world.

Clementine tells Joel:  Joely, don't ever leave me.

Joel wants to keep this memory and he screams out, "Mierzwiak, please let me keep this memory.  Just this one."

I get cold chills every time I watch this part of the movie.  Every relationship that we have with people has good and bad memories.  I like to hold on to the good memories.

Last little league game

Henry's team lost their playoff game tonight. I was a wreck the entire game. I wanted them to win so badly.  They lost to the Phillies. Henry had one good hit out to center field.  The kid should have caught it, but he didn't and his hit scored 3 runs. It finally hit me about an hour ago why I was such a wreck tonight. It was his last little league game. He will be at Winslow on the big field next year.  Two of Henry's teammates were crying and I wanted to cry too. I asked Henry if he was ok, and he said, "yeah, I just don't care that much."  He will probably play another year or two and then I won't have a baseball player in my family.  That's when I will be crying.  

Writing Prompt June 16

Describe your favorite food.

Biscuits and Gravy.  Breakfast food is my favorite, but biscuits and gravy are the best.  I usually order them when I go out.  I think the Village Deli has the best in town.  Bob Evans has the worst.  Yuck.  I don't know what they put in their gravy, but it's awful.  My mom makes amazing biscuits and gravy and she taught me how to make them.  Last year for Harrison birthday, I asked him what he wanted for his birthday dinner and he said biscuits and gravy!  I couldn't believe my ears.  Yum.  I'm going to go make some right now.

Toilet

I've taken one picture since Wednesday. One picture. What the???

This toilet almost got the best of me, but guess what?  I'm 4 years older, so I win!  It's been leaking like crazy and I finally fixed the stupid thing.  I was up half of the night worrying about how much it was leaking.  I'm sure my water bill is going to be ridiculous.

I'm checking one thing off of my "finished" list. 

Writing prompt # 8

If each decade of your life was represented by a song, what would it be?


1970's -- I came home from school one day and music was blasting throughout the house.  My mom had bought us the Sha Na Na silly songs album and she was jammin out.  I loved every song on the album.  I guess my favorites were Rama Lama Ding Dong, Splish Splash and Alley Oop. 

I just bought this album on itunes and I'm burning a cd now for the car.  The boys will know every song by heart by the end of the summer.

My parents played a lot of country music back in the day.  Some of my favorites:
Charlie Daniels Band:  The Devil Went Down to Georgia
Ray Stevens:  The Streak
John Denver:  Thank God I'm a Country Boy


1980's Michael Jackson: Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean-- Really anything.  I loved his music.
George Michael: Faith, I Want Your Sex
Prince: Purple Rain Album
Beastie Boys:  Licensed to Ill Album--  Fave would probably be Paul Revere
John Bon Jovi:  Livin On a Prayer

1990's Sinead O'Connor:  Nothing Compares 2 U
Aerosmith:  Janie's Got a Gun
Madonna:  Vogue


2000  Anything by Uncle Kracker - I think I listened to the No Stranger to Shame CD 50,000 times.  Memphis Soul Song, Follow Me, Drift Away

2002 Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

2005 Saving Jane --  Girl Next Door Album   I love this album.  Go ahead and just listen to every song.

2009  Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight

2010 Pink - Raise Your Glass

This was tough.  I left a lot of great artists out.

Finished

Harrison finished his track season last night. He had a great year despite being on the injury list for a month. 

1600 in 4:26  

I finished season 2 of OITNB.  I'm sad it's over. I hope they are working on season 3. The writers are amazing. 

The twins played their last game of spring soccer. We played the orange team. The orange team is really good and we were missing 2 of our best players. So, we lost but it was a good game. 

I also finished signing the boys up for all the summer camps on the planet. Now, I have zero dollars.  So, I applied to work at target over the summer.  This really stressed Hayden out.  He told me that he doesn't want to go to camp now. He just wants to be with me.   I love that kid. 

Things I want to finish...

Reading Trapped 

Fixing my bathroom 

Cleaning my bedroom 

Panoramic View

Went to the dentist today.  I let them take an X-ray.  I never let them take an x-ray.  It's expensive and a waste of money. I don't know why I said yes, but I did and they found this.....

Dr. Eades told me that I have to see an oral surgeon. I told him that I wanted him to take that tooth out. He 

laughed at me and said, No Way!!  Stupid panoramic view.  

Writing prompt # 7

Why are you sitting in the back of a police car?

It was Halloween and we were all dressed up to go to a party.  I rented a police woman's uniform.  It was super tight and I could barely fasten the buttons on my top.  I let my friend do my makeup and she went a little crazy.  I didn't look like Marilyn Manson, but I didn't look like Cindy Brady either.  So, I was driving us all to the party and we were having a good time; the radio was blasting and that's when I saw the lights.  Crap....

I pulled over,  and FOR A LAUGH, I jumped out of the car, held up my fake badge and said, "put your hands where I can see them."  The next thing I knew, I was on the ground with a giant foot on my back.  All the buttons on my shirt were now gone!   I sat in the back of the police car for what seemed like forever, and then my cousin came and talked them out of pressing charges.  Jeez people, it's Halloween.  Laugh a little.

Writing Prompt #6

Write about the field trip to the Feline Rescue Center

That place scares me.  There are wild animals everywhere and within your reach.  I was on edge most of the day.  At one point, Hayden was just leaning on the fence, chillin, with his fingers hanging through it.  The amazing lady tour guide reminded him gently, to NOT do that!  I think I had my arms folded or shoved in my pockets all morning.  I was convinced that Hayden was going to lose a body part before the day was over.

During the tour, the lady told us that some of the big cats like to spray the visitors.  Great!  At the end of the tour, one of the cats turned around and aimed his gun at us and started firing.   I screamed and started running.  I think I punched the man in front of me.  I saved all of the children on the tour from getting sprayed, even though one little girl had already wet her pants.

I loved listening to the cats purr, chuff, and roar across the park.  The EFRC is a great place and they are doing amazing things for big cats.  I wish I could have relaxed a little more.

The woman behind all of the cool shots that were taken today.

Writing prompt #5

Today's Prompt: Write a scene where the only spoken dialogue is "Umm...", "Urr...", "Uh-huh", or "Mm-mmm..."

So, Harrison wants to go to Florida with his friends in a couple of weeks.  He told me that it was just a group of teenagers, no adults. That's when I said, "uh-huh." He told me that he needed about $500 for the week and I said, "ummmmm."  Before I could suggest that he get a summer job, he told me that he was looking for one.  I said, "uh-huh."  During the conversation, he got a text from his friend Griffin and he told me that Griffin's parents would be driving them down there and they would have adult supervision after all, I said, "mmm-mmmmm."  I love Florida.  I love the ocean, the waves, the white sandy beaches, it's just one of my favorite places and Harrison knows this.  He tells me that he hates Florida all the time!  I beg him to go to Florida with the twins and I every spring break and he says, "urrrrr....."  He used to go to Florida with me when he was little.  

So, I told him to have fun and pack some sun screen. 

Spring Break 2007 Henry and Harrison

Harrison 2003

Writing prompt #4

Tell a stranger about a beloved family tradition.

I've taken the twins to a baseball game for Mother's Day every year for 4 years now.  The first year, we went to an IU baseball game. For the past 3 years, we've gone to Indianapolis Indians games. At first, it was just the twins and I, but every year, we have more friends tag along.  Harrison even went this year and he can't stand baseball.  Last year I caught a foul ball and I still have the ball in my bedroom next to my bed, like a little kid with their most prized possession. The Indians organization offers massages and manicures to the mothers.  One year, I got a massage during the third inning, but mostly I'm there to watch the game.  I'm hoping to take my mom next year. 

Happy Mother's Day to me!!

What can happen in 60 seconds??

Blog writing prompt #3

1. Eat a taco 

2. Drink an 8 oz can of diet coke

3.  Hit 20 balls at the Winslow batting cages 

4.  Write someone a note 

5.  Eat a banana 

6.  Run around the bases at twin lakes

7.  Help a friend set up a blog! 

8.  Make a paper airplane

9.  Take a picture and send it to someone in Australia 

10.  Watch this video, twice!!! http://youtu.be/UWWLwtMLWCI

Hayden and Ben

Blogger Challenge #2 Tell a story that begins with a ransom note

Dad

I had a little scare last night.  My dad's blood sugar dropped big time.  I think the paramedic said it was 27.  I haven't spent much time with my dad recently, in fact, I've been avoiding him.  It's complicated.  As I was racing out to his house, I was cursing myself for not calling him back and not going out to see him and when I pulled into the driveway and saw the ambulance, I burst into tears.  I ran into his trailer and found him sitting up with an IV in his arm.  My step-sister was feeding him crackers and peanut butter and he was complaining about needing something to drink.  The paramedic told me that he needed to go to the hospital and of course, my dad thought that was a terrible idea.  We all finally talked him into going.

My brother showed up and we all sat and talked to him for about an hour at Bloomington Hospital.  The conversation was highly inappropriate and at one point, my brother started to filter his language.  Weird.  They took my dad to the Veteran's hospital in Indy for 3 days last night.  Nurse David was riding up there with him to monitor whatever was being pumped into his arm.  I told David good luck.  I really care about that old man.  I guess I need to tell him more often.

Facebook Status Updates 2017

Blogger Challenge:  Zesty Days bought a book of cool writing prompts.  She's gonna give us one a day for the rest of the summer.  Join our crazy blogging challenge.  

Today's prompt:  Facebook Status Updates 2017


January 1, 2017

Brought in the new year with my girls.  1-7 year of turning earth into heaven

Jan. 5, 2017

Crazy New Year's Resolution

Spend 17 minutes a day reading something that is not work related.


Jan. 30, 2017

I have the best yoga instructor ever!!!  You rock, Derloshon!!!


February 28, 2017

OMG  the twins are 15.  Almost driving.  look out.


March 15, 2017

Harrison is running in the Great Lakes Regionals this weekend.  During my Spring Break.  Sorry Florida, heading north.

April 3, 2017

Spent the day with York and her alpacas.  Lulu is my favorite.  She followed me around all day.

May 20, 2017

Report cards are done.  2 weeks off then back 6 weeks.  I love this year round schedule.

June 28, 2017

Happy Birthday to me.  Finally made it to Hawaii

October 13, 2017

Celebrating Harrison's 21st birthday in style.  I'm having a margarita and he's having a water, like usual. Big race coming up.

October 15, 2017

Spent the day with Goodman watching the Cubs play game 5 of the World Series.  I don't how she got this MLB media pass, but damnnnnnnn, it's awesome.


October 31, 2017

No one wants to trick or treat anymore.  I'm sitting here with a bucket of candy.  Not cool.  I'd rather have a bucket of beer.....

November 23, 2017

Two weeks off for Turkey day.  Headed to Utah to ski with my BFF, KB.

December 31, 2017

What a year.  Can't wait to get this party started!!!