Thursday, June 28, 2007

Bob Seger Memories

I heard this on the radio this morning and it just reminded me of long ago summers. hmmmm, sweet. I love Bob Seger. He was the first concert I ever went to. I was 13 (it was my birthday present) and I went with my parents, aunt & uncle & my best friend Karen.

Above, on the left (the redhead) is my 14 y/o son DJ and my nephew Aaron is on the right.


Above is my 10 y/o son, Colby standing on 3rd base - this one looks alot like his dad and I've seen his dad stand on 3rd base in that exact pose - hundreds of times. Isn't that weird?


These are my two beautiful daughters - Heather is 17 and Sonya is 8. We're a big baseball family. This is Sonya's first year plaing (other than T-Ball). See her pink helmet? She has matching shoes - I love baseball for girls:)

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Was I drugged?

I went out for cocktails with one of my best friends from middle school and her sis-in-law. We went to Casa Galardo(sp?) for margaritas. I told my husband we were probably just having a couple of drinks and I'd be home. I live about 1 1/2 hours from where we were going to be, but my husband was going to be in the same town doing something with his dad and I thought I could always call him to come and get me if I needed to or my sister lives in the same town and I knew she'd give me a ride home. I wasn't worried about drinking and driving, but I really wasn't planning on drinking all that much.

Anyway, I arrived at Casa at 5:30pm and we each had 3 margaritas. We ate appetizers and stayed there until about 8:30pm. We were having a good time talking. I did not feel drunk at all. I felt relaxed. (I drink occassionally - I have had entire bottles of wine (or two) by myself and not been drunk. Recently, I drank and entire bottle of margaritas (already mixed) and was quite drunk - but I knew what was going on (and I was at home). Anyway, we decided to go a couple of blocks to a nightclub that had a band we really like 'The 80's Band". We arrived there about 8:45pm. On the way, I called my sister to see if she wanted to meet us at the bar and she agreed.

When we got there, Sally, my friend's sis-in-law order a round of drinks. I had 1 Schmirnoff & Red Bull and a shot of Goldschlager. We were dancing and dancing, having a great time. It was so much fun. There was an old man (probably 60'ish) with gray hair and big square glasses dancing around all the girls. He was sort of a creepy little guy, but I didn't see any harm in him dancing with us. He didn't touch any of us (well, not me at least). About 30 minutes after we got there, a waitress came around with Jaegermeister shots (wow, I can't believe I can't spell any of this stuff today) so Sally and I each had one of those. My friend Karen is a little bitty thing so she can't handle as much as Sally and I can. We've got some extra meat on our bones. Anyway, I bought the shots and split the two of them into 3 cups - giving Karen very little. We danced some more, having a really good time.

My sister arrived about 10:00pm and when she came in, I ordered another round of drinks, a Schmirnoff & Red Bull and another shot of Goldschlager. I did the shot but did not drink the drink. I carried it over to the table and we all went out to dance again. My sister, Shelly is not a dancer, she has to be drunk, drunk, drunk to dance so she waited at the table. So this is her story from now on.

She began thinking while sitting there that it was a breeding ground for anyone wanting to drug somebody because everyone was just leaving their drinks on the tables as they danced. I was dancing and just smile, smile, smiling - really cheesing it she said. She says she could tell I was a little tipsy when she came in, but did not suspect I was drunk. After a few minutes of watching me dance she said she saw a complete change in me. Suddenly, she said, it looked like I had taken a Xanax or something, my eyes were glazed over and I came over to the table and said 'I have to go to the bathroom, NOW!" She went with me (I remember the bathroom) - On the way out I said "I have got to go outside, NOW! I'm going out! Gotta get out of here, NOW!" so she went with me - she said I stopped to hug an old man with gray hair and glasses on the way out (I have no recollection of this). We went outside and I sat in the car - she went back in to tell the other girls what was going on and I began to violently throw up outside my car. I was 'out of it' when she returned. She called my husband to tell him she was taking me to her house and he should pick me up there (I do not recall giving her my cellphone or the number to call my husband). There were two guys parked next to me when she returned and commented that it was a good thing I had someone there to help me.

She made me climb over the seat (so I didn't have to pass by those guys) and get in the passenger seat ( I do not remember this at all) I don't remember her driving me home but I woke up in the passenger seat and had to throw up again. Her two kids were sitting on her stoop and I remember looking at them and smiling (really big) and waving. Then I threw up. My nephew told her later, "Man, Aunt Shannon was so happy, she couldn't stop smiling."

My husband came and she said I just looked at him and smiled real big and said 'Hello' - I don't need you anymore, I'm OK now. (I do not remember seeing my husband at all) He took me home, no more vomiting - I slept on the couch cuz he was perturbed at me and I had one hell of a headache the next day (I even had to hold an icepack on my head for awhile).

I thought I was just shitfaced, but then I started thinking - from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm (4 1/2 hours) I had 3 margaritas, 1 Schmirnoff & Red Bull, 2 shots of Goldschlager and 1 partial shot of Jagermeister. I know that's a lot, but like I said, I can usually hold my liquor pretty well and I do weigh close to 200 pounds, so I'm no weakling. I never even thought anything else until Shelly said, 'Man, it was like night and day, one minute you were fine and dancing and the next you were violently ill!' It's like someone put something in your drink or something. Then we started thinking about that old man & I'm kinda creeped out and so, so glad my sis was there. It's hard telling where I would be if she hadn't have been there. I would have probably gone outside by myself and not know what in the hell was going on. That old guy could have gotten me or maybe the two guys parked next to me.

Even if I wasn't drugged (I doubt there's anyway to find out now) I will be so much more careful now. I am not wired to think that way, but my sister is. I will have to start being wired that way. This thing really scared me. I probably wouldn't have even thought of the old guy except that he was outside the bathroom (my sis said he looked like he was waiting for someone) then I hugged him, wtf? Why would I do that?

I very seldom go out without my husband, but now when I do, I'll be extra careful.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Summertime, Summertime Sum, Sum, Summertime

Well, the graduation party went smoothly, except my older nephew got a little too "happy" on vodka & made a few of us uncomfortable. I love this one so much - I've always had a special place in my heart for him. He "came out" a couple of years ago and since this is mostly a redneck family - it's difficult for him to deal with his uncles, grandpa, etc. Everyone has sort of accepted it now, but the "underneath" stuff is still there and I just feel like when he's around us, he's so uncomfortable in his own skin, that he drinks to give himself courage. I just hope he doesn't get this way at home (and I told him so the next morning when he called to apologize). I told him he really had me worried and I was afraid he was developing a problem with his drinking. He told me he knew he needed to slow down some and that he would work on it.

All in all it was a good party. My wonderful father-in-law had a few of his older friends out and they "jammed" in the garage. He plays the fiddle and they play guitar & sing. I was so glad to see him feeling like doing something like that. He was diagnosed with kidney cancer in March and had a heart attack a couple of weeks later. Once he recovered from the heart attack, he had his kidney removed at the end of April and has been a little depressed since then. I'm so grateful he felt like coming to the party and playing music - I think that's one think that truly makes him happy.

Things are basically the same around our house. Still baseball in full swing - at least for the next couple of weeks, but after that hopefully, we can plan to do some fun summer stuff to do. My husband is really grouchy, but he's coaching both of Colby's teams and I think it is just too much for him. He's used to having time to do his own thing - he usually plays softball 4 nights a week, but hasn't hardly played at all yet this summer. He's playing in a tournament this weekend, so maybe that'll cheer him up. He's also not sleeping at night. He's taking Ambien, but I think the effect is starting to wear off. My snoring is keeping him up - and I know it's cuz I need to lose about 50 pounds - OK, at least 30 pounds - but I just can't seem to get up the energy to do it. I'm so freakin' tired all the time. Probably because I need to lose about 50 pounds! Big circle!

Work is starting to suck some~ I work at a university and our new students are getting ready for the fall. They are all so excited about coming here, they have hundreds of questions and want to know what they're schedules will be and when Christmas break will start yada, yada, yada - driving me a little bonkers, but I can't help but be excited for them too. They're starting a brand new life here and they're scared too. Parents call too. They're scared. I think it helps parents to talk to someone who is also a parent and they think I might care a little more about their kid:) I care about them all - unless they're buttholes:)

Oh well, that's enough for now. Oh yeah, I'm reading "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway - I'm telling myself I can read a smut novel - then I have to read a classic , then another smut novel, etc. I'm really enjoying this book - but I'm almost finished. I've got Anita Shreve 'A Wedding in December' planned next and I need to figure out my next classic - any suggestions?

More later,
Shannon

Thursday, June 14, 2007

graduation party

We're hosting a graduation party for my nephew at our house this weekend. I think we got chosen because we have a pool and because someone didn't want to clean the house:)

Mine is never clean either, believe me - it's pretty disgusting down deep, but we can make it look pretty good on the surface when we want to. I took the day off tomorrow (working at home - one of the only perks I got when I became a manager - stupid decision) So I'll be working my butt off all day tomorrow and Saturday morning just for people to come and mess it all up that afternoon. You know, we should clean our houses really good after a party, not before.

This particular nephew has something going on with him, but I don't know if he's ever really been diagnosed, or if he just has a combination of things. They thought he was autistic when he was 3 or 4 because he was so smart already. Honestly, he could read (taught himself by memorizing) when he was 3. He was an avid horse racing fan - because Gramps and Dad were - and he liked to read the racetrack books. He was tested and they said no on the autism, but think he may have a touch of Asberger's. He is the sweetest thing and I love being around him. He's really smart at math, but lacks some social skills. You have to engage him or he won't talk to you. He wants to be a math teacher. I'd like to try to help get him into the local community college because I hate to see him sit at home now that high school is over and waste away. His parents don't really know what to do at this point, but they've always done the best they could by him, so I'm sure he'll be fine.

Anyway, I'm so proud of him for graduating and I have high hopes that he will rise up and be everything he wants to be. I love you, Cody Allan. You're the best~!

More later,
Shannon

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Don't ya just hate it

I couldn't find anything this morning. One shoe has completely disappeared. I looked in every closet in my house and under the bed, so I'm stuck with shoes that sorta hurt my feet after awhile. I couldn't find my slip. I just had it on yesterday, but i can't find the clothes I took off last night. I know someone did not actually pick them up for me - but I looked in the dirty laundry, just in case. Nope --- not there - so I'm wearing a dress without a slip and you can definitely see through it when the sun hits it (Guess I won't be going out at lunch for a walk) and shoes that hurt my feet. Ever have a morning like this? It stinks.

More later,
Shannon

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Don't really have much today

My mind isn't thinking clearly, I'm so tired from all this baseball. Two games last night. I hope it rains tonight so Colby's will get rained out. I know he'll be so disappointed but I'm so danged tired.

Not much going on at home, cuz we're never there. Darrell had a talk with Heather yesterday about getting a summer job and getting her driver's license (she's 17). She wants to go to college in Texas next year, but she can't even take the responsiblity to get her license. She helps alot around the house and will do things when I ask, but she doesn't really do initiative well. She has this friend that I really don't like and she spends most of her days trying to figure out how to get to Hope's. Any suggestions on what to do if you don't like your kid's best friend?

Sonya is going to summer school with my sister's kids in St. Louis so I'm bringing her back and forth on my way to work. I have to get up way earlier to do it, but I'm hoping to make it a good habit I can keep up when summer school is over.

That's about all I got for today.

More later,
Shannon

Friday, June 1, 2007

You might be a busy momma if....

Every morning when you stop to get your Egg McMuffin - you have to pull up to the trash can at the end of the drive-thru to throw away remnants of last night's fast food dinner.

Baseball is about to kick my butt - 3 kids playing on 4 teams
2 kids had games Tuesday (Colby & Sonya)
2 kids had games Wednesday (Colby & DJ)
1 kid had game Thursday (Colby)
1 kid had game Friday (DJ)
2 kids have 3 games on Saturday (Sonya & Colby)

And we have 4 newborn kittens in our home. Cinderella gave birth in the middle of the night last night and she was sure the proud momma this mornin'. She was just'a purrin' and so happy with herself. She's gonna be a great mom and they all look like her - I have no idea who the daddy is (I hope that's the only time I ever say that about a part of my family:))