Happy Labor Day everyone, for those of you in the U.S. It seems kind of ironic saying Happy Labor Day, as I search for a job... and there are so many people out of work! I'm hoping to hear something back tomorrow on the interview from last week! That, folks, would just make my Labor Day this year, make it very memorable indeed! Some mornings I wake up with a weird nervousness in the pit of my stomach and it's there today, which I don't like in the least. I'm brewing coffee (adding caffeine to the mix probably won't help, but I do love my morning coffee)... so I'll just try to ignore it and maybe that feeling will go away. It's in stark contrast to the wonderful feeling I have when I lay down to read for an hour before bed each night and I can get absorbed in my book and become the story I'm reading. When I wake up, I guess reality hits me like bricks and it's not easy to take.

Anyway, today is Auto Auction driving and Sami again has cheerleading... yes, both on Labor Day. I'd prefer there was no cheerleading on Labor Day, especially since I have to pick her up a half hour into my Auto Auction driving... and normally I'd say "just skip it, because there isn't likely to be alot of kids there on Labor Day anyway", but she gets that uniform (and supplies) that we slaved away selling cookie dough for, so there is no way she's skipping.

Gustav is very close to making landfall in the New Orleans area this morning. I have only seen a snippet of the coverage and it looks like it's not too bad right now ~ lets hope the levee's hold. It's still a few hours away. Most people evacuated on the 3rd anniversary of Katrina, can't say I blame them, no matter how much I enjoy storms!

My weekend, so far, has been relaxing... I've been a homebody, with the exception of Friday, when I spent a few hours over at Becky's. It was nice to see her (them, including 18, 12 & 9). Saturday I spent cooking, which was fun. Becky had given me a few things from her garden (Zucchini mostly) and I made a delicious hamburger stew for Saturday's supper and a sauce for Sunday's (I'm still finishing up those tomatoes I cooked down from a few weeks ago). Sunday I read my book most of the day, which was nice, with a few naps in between. Becky loaned me The Season of the Witch (not to be confused with Season of the Witch, which is different - you have to have the "The" included). I'm about done with it already ~ it's really good! Beck, you'll have to bring me another book to read for the rest of the week!

My house smells like both. Yesterday we happened upon someone who gave us a huge box of each.  Why? That's a question and story for a different day - but they were being thrown away! Both the tomatoes & strawberries are close to perfect and now I've got to make some use of them. I started with about ten 32 oz pkg's and a plastic grocery bag full of strawberries. So far I've froze three packs and gave a few away to neighbors, but I still have 4 packages in my fridge and the bag full. What to do with all of them? I guess Samantha will turn into a strawberry.  I'm glad she likes fruit. I might try to make a pie too. 

We also have about 3 plastic bags full of tomatoes. I made tomatoe & mayonaisse salad with dinner last night & today before work I plan to do some homemade sauce, which I've never attempted, but am looking forward to.  Samantha also likes to bite into a tomatoe and eat it like it's an apple, so there will be plenty of that....

Because of my recent financial situation, tomatoes & strawberries are both luxuries to me. Something I never would buy right now....  added extra's. I'm living off pennies and normally would just buy the main ingredients needed to make a cheap lunches & dinners - so this is definately a blessing!

Tomorrow is Sami's first day of High School! We did the Open House thing last night and went to all her classes, met her teaches and scoped out the school. It's an older school, but I really liked it. The teachers were all great.  It was very nostalgic. Not that I went to this specific school, but it made me wish I were going back there to do it all over again. It's funny how High School comes at a time when kids are only worried about socializing, yet they have so much at their fingertips to learn from, and really don't care, like they should. I also learned that my Samantha is truly a social butterfly... but I know she will succeed!

Ray a drop of golden sun......  I live in Deer Haven, let me tell you.

Since I hit the deer a few months ago, I am deer shy.  They never bothered me, previous to actually hitting one.  Sure, they were all over the place then too and I had a few near misses, but they never really caused me too much alarm.  Now they do.  Okay... not so much that it disturbs me enough to keep me off the roads they frequent, but I am much more aware of them now. 

I'm working nights now, 2 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and I have three or four different ways I can get home, depending on my mood.  I can go up the Blue Ridge Parkway, a gradual incline, 45 mph and usually not a sole on the road; I can go up Bent Mountain, a trip through lots of red lights and traffic, to reach the paved mountain and then a quick, steep trip up; I can go up interstate 81, interstate driving at 65+ and probablly the fastest of the choices; or I can do 81 for about 10 miles and get off the highway to go straight up a dirt mountain road, the steepest road I've ever seen, with a drop off that would startle even a bird, but taking me just about to my doorstep.  I usually don't go the same way back to back, so as to keep it interesting, and last night I picked the Blue Ridge Parkway.

On the Blue Ridge Parkway, 11 p.m., I literally had to slow to a crawl 22 times for deer on the side of the road.  I am not kidding, I counted them!!!! You might be thinking no way, but look what I found after checking the statistics around here:

Deer live in just about every area of the County. Although it is not possible to know exactly how many deer live within the County's boundaries, population studies are conducted on an ongoing basis. These studies indicate that as many as 400 deer per square mile can be found in rural parts of the County and that as many as 100 deer per square mile can be found within the County's urban sections.

So that explains it.... we truly are in Deer Haven!

Wednesdays are slow at my work.  It's my Monday and the work load begins to get hairy on Thursdays - because the weekend is quickly approaching.  Did I tell you I now work for the newspaper?  I completely and totally love it!  I compile this website and on the weekends I do obituaries.  Both facets of the job are very interesting and I can't really decide which I like better.  Both are creative and use my computer skills & creativeness, triplefold.  I lucked into this job.  Truly lucked right into it and now I don't want to do anything else.  Things do happen for a reason.  My Mom was a firm teacher of this and in positive thinking.  I've always believed her and this is yet another example in my life of the truth in this statement!  I "fit" so well with my new job! 

Things at home are well.  I have Monday's & Tuesday's off and mostly spend those days doing housework and my crossstitch or reading.  All of the things I truly enjoy.  Both Kevin & Samantha are off doing the school / work thing and I love love love having some time to myself.  I work weekends, but I enjoy my work, so it doesn't much matter.

School lets out in a week and a half, 8th grade on the horizon!  Where did this school year go?  As you can see from her Spring school picture, she is growing in leaps and bounds.  She's not my little girl anymore... she is quickly approaching womanhood.  She will be in high-school & then graduating before I know it.  She is already talking about working at the end of this year, when she is fourteen.  I'm not sure what the legal age to begin work is in Virginia, but I'm thinking it is right around fourteen.  I'm not looking forward to being a Taxi-cab but this too, is on the horizon.

Samantha will be going into 8th grade as a cheerleader!  She tried out a few weeks ago and made it.  She is so very excited.  I think back to when I tried out, and didn't make it and am releaved that she didn't have to live through the let-down that I did. 

Kevin & I are up & down, as usual.  He is a Taurus and I, Aries, the Ram.  In case you didn't know, Rams & Bulls tend to lock horns.  All in all things are,  well though.... as long as we each compromise... which I admit is sometimes hard.   I haven't yet informed him that Samantha is having 5 girls over for a going away sleep-over for her best friend Kayla on Friday night.  Today is Wednesday, I know, and I guess I have to break the news to him this evening.  I try to pick the most ideal time, the best mood possible, for telling him things like this as he is likely to not be thrilled, yet at this point in the game, unable to stop it.  Slightly unfair of me, I know, but we each must work our way around obstacles. 

I still love my farmhouse!   Especially on Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays, while it is spotless due to my days off.  It quickly goes downhill by Thursday and I have to deal with a mess thoughout the weekend, while I am working.  But I am working and Monday soon follows again, Thank Heavens! 

We have a new German Shepherd, Toby.  He is a BIG boy at only 6 months old.  Our cat had kittens too, but we only ended up with one of them.  She had three but the first was stillborn and the second died last week.  She was sick for about a week and wouldn't feed of Mommy, so Sami and I were feeding it with a dropper, but regardless of how much we would feed it we watched her get weaker and weaker.  There wasn't much else we could do except make her as comfortable as possible until she fell asleep for good.  RIP again.  I feel like animals are dying all around us.  Believe it or not, but Toby & Tabby get along  like best friends!  Toby is also quite protective of the kitten! 

Everything else is well!  I swear to do better with my posting, I promise!  

I love when Jay Leno does his segment where he holds the silly ads up for us all to see.  They crack me up and I was in the mood to laugh so I went hunting for some of them.  I came across some signs to share. 

This first one is hillarious.  Are they serious?

And this?.....  What is wrong with their Marketing Department?

 Does this give you the shivers?  Slightly...

 Whats on your plate for dinner?

 I don't think I even need to comment on this reminder, do I?

Confusion sets in....

Did the town put that sign up?  Well so far so good because it's still hanging and must be working!  All bridges should have one of these!

This has to be one of my favorites.... Be there or be square!

Why didn't I think of this idea?  I've seen this many of times, holy rollers with signs, this guy speaks the truth! 

And the people making the signs didn't bother to question any of these?

What's your favorite?  They all are good for a chuckle or even a good belly laugh!  Just perfect for the mid-week blues.   

I slept, like many of you probably did?  And had a pretty strange dream too.

One of my aunts birthdays is today and I just realized this morning that she gets a special extra hour on her birthday!  How cool is that?  Better than having your birthday on Leap Year, if you ask me.  Happy Birthday to You!

That would be frying coke.   (How strange is this?) 

Abel Gonzales, 36, a computer analyst from Dallas, tried about 15 different varieties before coming up with his perfect recipe -- a batter mix made with Coca-Cola syrup, a drissle of strawberry syrup and some strawberries. 

Gonzales ran two stands at the State Fair of Texas and sold up to 35,000 fried Cokes over 24 days for $4.50 each -- and won a prize for coming up with "most creative" new fair food.

4 weeks of training is required at my new job.  Today is day 2 of week 2 & all is going well.  The first two weeks are classroom and the 2nd two weeks are "hands on".  I don't know about you, but I definately learn better with "hands on".  The trainer is very nice, 7 months pregnant and most people in the class are bearable.  There is one person that I totally can not stand  and of all things, she is the one person out of eight people in training that will be in my department.  Isnt'a that always the way.  I hope not to be situation close to her when we get our seating, but we will have the "hands on" portion together.    It should be interesting.  Overall, I'm pretty satisfied in the new job! 

Samantha finally got on to the school bus this morning.  She was supposed to start yesterday, but the bus decided not to show up and I was going to be late for work if I drove her, so she stayed home again.  Her buss arrives @ 6:30 a.m., which is actually still in during dark hours.  She gets to ride 45 minutes both directions, so needless to say, hopefully she will get some of that homework done in transit. 

The house is AWESOME - with capital letters - as you can see.  We spend the weekend getting situated and also took a FABULOUS - with capital letters - walk through the farmland located behind the house.  We have a pond for fishing, swimming & skating!  I took tons of pics to share, but because my internet is not yet on at home, I don't have time to post them.  I can only post during my lunch breaks and will try to get them up for you all before the end of the week!

Things are pulling together!  (A big smile on my face)

Happy Tuesday!

Wow - I'm impressing myself.  I am actually posting more than once this week.  If things still look up later tonight I might even be able to get in a Thirteen Thursday for tomorrow!

Today's Horoscope is looking rather positive:

Your Aries horoscope for August 30, 2006
-----------------------------------------------------------

You should be getting along fairly well with others right now. Even if
there are lots of things for you to take care of, you probably won't mind
all that much, and you should have the stamina you need to take care of all your obligations. You're bound to feel good about everything you do today, and your cooperative attitude could pay off for you in the long run.

I wish this would have been my horoscope the other day while trying to get along with my child!  I have a 12 year old daughter.  She is a wonderful, beautiful little girl - but she is also 12.  Two nights ago we had a really big fight - it really blew me away.  I think this was the worst one yet and ranks right up there with the fights I used to have with my Mom (sorry Mom, I'm so sorry!)  School started last Wednesday for her but the kids in Roanoke haven't started school yet, so they have been still been out playing pretty late.  Sami wanted two girlfriends to spend the night on a school night.  I am usually a pretty laid back Mom and pick n choose my battles with her, but after I said "No", she threw the absolute biggest fit I have ever seen.  She started yelling & arguing with me in front of the two friends, who I then promptly asked to leave.  She then lost 1 hour of the time she had originally had to be out playing with them, which created an even bigger fit!  Holy Crap, I don't know if I can do this "Mothering a Teen" thing.  I know it has only just begun!  Nip it in the bud..... I know..... but she is so strong willed and it isn't going to be easy.

Last night Becky and I watched a 4 hour documentary on The Drug Years, which spanned the 60's through 00's.  It was excellent!  I'd recommend it to anyone who loves documentaries and such.  It was on VH1 (but we had it taped on the DVR, so I'm not sure when it actually aired).  Check it out if you get a chance. 

It's been five (5) years since we lost Jimmy and Danny - and still it seems like yesterday.  Prayers and Memories for my uncles!

Becky, Sam & I drove over to the farmhouse so I could give her the tour.    There was a guy there working on it, but he didn't mind if I showed her around a little.  He was putting down my new kitchen floor and two carpets will be going in this coming week!  Becky loved the house!  Both of us had intentions to take some pics with our phones but then forgot all about it.  Oh well - next time I'll have some to share.  I can't stay away from the place!

I have had insomnia two nights in a row.  Insomnia has got to be one of the worst things in the world.  For anyone that has never had insomnia - you don't want to have it!  I didn't sleep Sunday night and finally ended up sleeping about 3 hours Monday morning after I dropped Sam off at school.  You'd think I would have slept well last night, but nope, I also didn't sleep last night either - so..... I'm going to catch some ZZZZ's.  My schedule is way off balance but I start work on Sept. 11 so it should be back to normal soon.

Love and Peace to you all!