Ranting

It's early Saturday morning and I should be sleeping. However, my employee was up all last night with her dog. Her dog people. I have not once been sick since June of 2004. This is also after the fact that she asked for all of next week off and I am working seven days straight for her to go to Texas with a friend when she does not have any paid vacation time left. Thats how I get paid back for my generosity.
Between the customers and the employees I feel like they suck the air right out of me. Why is it that when the customer does not return the car full and you challenge them on it they then have to tell you about every problem the car supposedly had. It's almost hysterical especially when the car only has less than 3000 miles. My patience and tolerance levels are at an all time low.
On the glass is half full side I have a great husband, great kids, lucky to have a job and financial stableness, health and happiness. I sure could have used a day off though.

Thanksgiving

Sorry that I have been missing in action. In my spare time I have been researching my ancestry on ancestry.com. That can become totally engrossing and when I make a discovery it is very exciting. Like putting a puzzle together. Today is Thanksgiving and we are expecting Matthew and Geoffrey Chris sons. We plan on watching football of course and a great turkey cooked by Chris.

Yesterday was busy at work and Chris and I worked 0700-1800 and we stopped on the way home at a local Italian bar and restaurant for a glass of wine. When we came home I saw this picture on our bulletin board that Hayley had drawn. It took my breath away. I hadn't realized how talented she was. Maybe she should think about a career in the art field instead of the medical field. She has been getting alot of brochures from different colleges. She wants to go to University of Miami. You only need a 4.2 gpa to get in. Looks like she might be staying in Orlando after all. We shall see.

Tomorrow is Chris birthday. I have to work. He is on a 4 day off weekend. I have had two of those in the past two weeks. I loved it. Nothing better than staying home if you ask me. Starting Monday we will both work seven days straight. Our employee asked for a week off. So it might be another break from blogging.

I am thankful for our children, health and happiness. Have a great Thanksgiving.

Brrrrr It's cold down here feels like Wisconsin

On the way home from the Villages these two show their sisterly/brotherly love. How cute!


Yesterday we woke up to weather in the 40's. I thought I left that behind many years ago in Wisconsin. I guess it seems fitting that my relatives are here from Switzerland and Wisconsin that they brought the cold weather with them.





Saturday we spent a nice day with my aunt Clara and uncle John. We went out on the boat with them and then out to dinner. I had a really nice time. Sunday was up to the Villages to spend some more time with cousin Alice and Paul from Switzerland, aunt Clara, John from Wisconsin, cousin Shirley and Larry from Wisconsin and cousin Bill and Paula who now live in the villages. It was a nice day reminiscing.





My grandfather Jakob immigrated from Switzerland in 1929. He was one of 11 children. His brother Wilhelm had immigrated two years prior. Jakob and Wilhelm settled in Lafayette County Wisconsin. Jakob had four children and Wilhelm five. I was born in 1970 and my grandfather Jakob died in 1971, his wife Marie in 1973 and my mother Elaine in 1975. For the next fifteen years I lived within 10 miles of Wilhelms family and never knew about them. Now we are all reunited as we are all interested in our ancestors and have all traveled to Switzerland and visited Alice and Paul. Now Wilhelms son William lives in Florida just 1 hour and 15 min from me. Since my next closest relative is in Wisconsin this is very exciting for me.

Miscellaneous

What a beautiful sight which fills me with peace.

I seem to have recovered from my minor depression this week. I am still in a state of shock. Especially since I know that the next sixty days many more changes will be taking place in my work environment. These changes will not be for the better either. My stress level which has been at a high these past several months will only increase.

I have been working with Hayley this past week on her grades. She has the ability to get straight A's even in her honors classes the problem is she doesn't have the will or desire. We have tried taking things away from her so now I am trying a new tact. She is reading the book Fountainheads for her History Honors class. Every Friday she has a test. Now we are reading the book together. I am a world class reader and English was my best class. It is not an easy book to read. I am hoping that if we do it together it will make it more important to her.

My mother in law and sister in law are in Ireland right now. What I wouldn't give to join them. A vacation seems like a long way away as we have nothing planned and it looks like we might have to change our plans for our 2009 vacations.

Today I am asking for prayers for this little girl. Her family just learned recently of her relapse. Now she is having problems with pneumonia. Any delays in treatment could allow the neuroblastoma time to spread. http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/inputSiteName.do?method=search&siteName=elizabethwestberry

Lost --- Purpose Found--- Perspective

Monday I was in a funk which carried over into Tuesday. Yesterday I found out that the company that I worked for, for 15 years are taking some drastic measures to make sure that they make it through this economic pitfall. I am now an independent contractor for this company and not a corporate employee and have countless friends that still work for the company. The company has given every corporate employee the option of a voluntary layoff. They would receive a generous severance package. I was actually feeling jealous. I sure could use some time off. Now if this company doesn't get the number of people they are looking for then a mandatory layoff will ensue. These employees were also told their medical copayment would increase by 50% in the next year and the company will no longer have a 401k plan. Wow, I was stunned. I feel really bad for them. I have no health insurance or 401k either since I am self employed but I make decent money and take care of these things myself. Some of these people make little, little money. So that is how I found my perspective and I am sure that my purpose is coming right behind it. I am just thankful to have a job for today anyways.

Lazy Day

So far today I have been pretty lazy. I did cook my husband breakfast and did Hayley's laundry for her. Otherwise, I am just catching up on shows that have been collecting on Tivo and playing with my puppy. Chris took today off and went golfing with his friend Ken and Matthew came down from Gainesville for the afternoon to play golf with them. My aunt Clara and John fly in this evening and are bringing me some cheese over straight from Wisconsin.

I had the back door open this morning so the puppy can go in and out of the house at her will. She has a doggy door but now that the weather is perfect here we have been leaving the back door open. A small bird flew in and I thought we were never going to get her back outside. Molly was very excited with the new pet. Chris on the other hand was determined to get the bird out of the house as quickly as possible.

I am having a hard time today finding my purpose.

Family is all you have

Please pray for this family. Their son has neuroblastoma and in the past year his mother has been treated for cancer also. Today her husband had to tell their three children their mother is dying. My heart is breaking for them. http://www.superryan.blogspot.com/ How much can one family endure?

On another note today I picked my cousins Alice and Paul up from their hotel at the Doubletree and brought them to our house. We went out to lunch at Press 101. Delicious. We came back to our house and put the boat in the lake. Had a nice cruise today in the sunny state of Florida. Wow, what great weather. Not too hot, not too cold and blue skies. My cousins Bill and Paula Meier came down from The Villages tonight and we went out to dinner at Roys Restaurant. We had a great time as you can see from the picture above. Pure decadence.

At some point if I can learn anything it is to cherish every moment that life has to offer. I struggle every day with this!! Don't sweat the small stuff.

It's Finally Over

I woke up this morning feeling renewed and with hope. I just typed a whole paragraph but I decided to erase it. I am registered to vote Republican but this country needed a change! That's all I want to say on that matter.

I picked my cousin Alice and Paul up from the airport Monday night. Rarely does a day go by that we do not have sunshine in Orlando. One of the many reasons why I love living here. The last two days have been cloudy, gray and dreary. I hope that they are having a great time at Disney.

Work is slow, slow, slow. I am hoping that Thanksgiving and Christmas pick up.

I'm dreaming of being back in Venice at dinner with my husband with a bottle of wine.

I like to plan our trips in advance. It gives me something to look forward to. Our 2009 vacations are planned as sometime February to May Chris and I will fly to Nassau Bahamas and stay at Atlantis on Paradise Island Thursday to Sunday. Last time we were at Atlantis we had so many problems that they gave us a certificate for two nights free. How can we not go again to visit Paradise. June we will fly to New York City as I have never been there. We have to go north in the summer as I can not take the cold anymore. August we will cruise again with our friends Tammy, Dennis and their boys and Chris and I children to Cozumel Mexico. Then October my sister Brittany is getting married in Dubuque Iowa. Chris, Hayley, Colton and I will be attending.

A little of this, A little of that and Donate to Band of Parents Foundation

This picture just cracks me up. I had to quickly snap a photo. I'm not sure why Chris looks possessed. Colton was on his way to a haunted house in the neighborhood when he found out his tires on his bike were flat. I wish that I could have gotten a picture of Hayley. I should have had her take the other camera and snap pictures with her friends. I had done so well all week eating healthy and then I blow it in about 30 minutes. Candy is so hard to resist.

Our plans today are to clean the house and get ready for my cousins from Switzerland Alice and Paul Meier who I will pick up from the airport on Monday and drive them to their hotel which is about 10 minutes from our house. They will go to Disney this week and then I will pick them up on Saturday and we are meeting our other cousins Bill and Paula Meier who live in the Villages and we will all go out to dinner. My aunt Clara and John will be flying down for a visit on November 10. So it looks like the next few weeks will be very busy. Monday alone I have to take Colton to the dentist and then to school. I need a pedicure and a manicure. I am supposed to meet Chris downtown and update our mortgage/car into both our names. Then pick up Alice and Paul at the airport that night.

Chris is at work right now as it is the end of the month and we have been very busy with truck rentals. Also, the republicans and democrats have been renting vans from us. Thank goodness for the election that is the only thing keeping us alive this month. Otherwise revenues would be down, down, down. This afternoon Chris friend Felix is coming over to watch the Gator game. I would prefer going out to eat as we normally would on a Saturday night. Tomorrow I am working for my employee Jennifer. At least I can get caught up on my paperwork.

Since the holiday season is approaching here is a great way to donate to a great cause and it costs you nothing. igive.com and select Band of Parents Foundation. You do have to register but it is a great way to help when money is tight as it is right now. Band of parents was formed by a group of parents that their children are being treated at Sloan Kettering hospital in New York City for Neuroblastoma. Because only around 600 children a year are diagnosed with neuroblastoma it is not profitable for the pharmaceutical companies to invest to find a cure. These parents have banded together to raise money to find a cure for their children. So along with trying to take care of their children and the stress that entails they are also dedicated to raising money. When you purchase online the company you are buying from donates a percentage of the sale to the Band of Parents organization. Every dollar helps. Cancer touches every family in some way. It just seems when it is a child it is so much more devestating. When an adult gets cancer you can say well they have lived a good life but when it is a small defenseless child it just makes your heart hurt.