What I want right now...

• To not be alone right now.
• To have someone to drag me to bed when I should be sleeping but can't seem to get there.
• To have someone to snuggle back against all naked and warm in bed as I drift off.
• Someone to tickle my back softly sending me into a sweet dreamland.
• Someone to ride in the car with me when I go driving who will rub the back of my neck and head as I sit behind the wheel and to whom I can say, "oooh babe, look at that!" as we pass something cool along the road.
• Someone to share my smiles with.
• To be in the nook.
  

Friday Five

1. Was good to see my kids for a week, but it was completely exhausting. The past few weeks was BRUTAL on me. Kid drama flowing from every direction and by the time they left, I could only think "MAMA NEEDS A COCKTAIL!"
2. Because of that, I spent three days with My cousin Michelle & her husband Dewey and downed WAAAYYYYY too much white peach sangria. I always order it at Applebees and so I googled "how does applebees make their white peach sangria" and wrote down the recipe. THREE DAYS AND SEVERAL PITCHERS OF IT LATER.... I have successfully drank more than I have in the past few years and feel slightly more relaxed. Not as relaxed as Michelle though, as she passed out on top of her dog. lol
3. Work is slightly better. I wouldn't say it's good. It's just work and it's manageable. Being an LTAC facility, there are certain benefits, such as you don't have to expect admissions coming in all night long. And if you manage to get the same people several times in a row, it makes your night easier (usually) because you know them and their routines...since these people are there FOREVER. On the flip side, these people are there FOREVER and so if you manage to get a pain in the ass one several times, it can shorten your life by at least a few years and add a lot more grey to your hair.
4. I went to Trader Joe's last night, so last night and today I think I have successfully gained back any weight that I've lost lately. Damn that Trader Joe's and their delicious food! And snacks! I should've grabbed a couple bottles of their two-buck-chuck to make some more sangria, but I didn't because I am trying to be a good girl and thought constantly downing all that yummy goodness would start piling the pounds back on....so instead I sit here downing chocolate raspberry sticks, chocolate mini meringues and green chili chicken burritos. Yeah, that's a wise decision.
   
5. I have managed to completely lose the summer tan I had worked so hard to get. I'm back to being "Pimp Pasty" as my kids like to call me. Ooops, gotta run! The timer on the oven just went off and my next round of burritos are done!!! :)
   

I have NO DOUBT that this was an AWESOME concert!!!

Monday night, No Doubt (and Paramore) FINALLY came to Cleveland!

I have waited YEARS to see them and was

SOOOOOOO EXCITED to finally get to!

There were over 22,000 people there (I know, right??)

and so it was PACKED.

They put on a great concert and

I can check one more item off of my bucket list. :)

(and FYI... you can always click on the pics to see them full-sized if you want)

What a difference a day, I mean hour makes

The kids being home for a visit has been going okay. Tonight, however, a really good day dissolved into a very, very bad night. My oldest had a meltdown, the likes of which I haven't seen for about three years. I don't think it's any coincidence that it just happened to occur after she's spent three weeks back in Lorain County. And as we all know, I don't deal with that sort of temper tantrum, in your face, disrespectful, defiant attitude well. It got ugly and it was painful. We need prayer. She needs encouragement. I need wise advice.

After the battle subsided at least somewhat, I took my little ones to the pool for a midnight swim. I felt bad for them that they had to watch that garbage yet again, when it was all supposed to be water under the bridge. As God is prone to do lately (maybe he is always is and I'm just starting to notice lately), he placed the perfect person in my path at the perfect time.

As the girls climbed quietly into the pool (it was late and they didn't want to disturb anyone who lives too close to the pool), I sat down in a lounger. There happened to be one other guy in the pool area and I happened to say hello to him as I walked past. No one here has ever spoken to me. They don't say hi, they don't converse. They mind their own business and frankly, I like it that way most of the time. Last week, I wondered if it makes me a big bitch that when buying a doormat I kept putting the one that said "welcome" back on the shelf because I couldn't decide if I really wanted to encourage someone to knock on my door. FYI, I ended up getting one that doesn't say anything.

So anyways, I say "hi" to this guy and he says "hello" back. Then he says, "I'm sorry, that probably wasn't for me huh?" I smiled and said, "Yes, that was for you. I said hi to you." And he jumps out of the pool and comes to sit by me, introducing himself as Tony and we proceed to have an hour long conversation. Guess what he does for a living? He's a counselor....for troubled teens. Yeah, I felt the same way. That's awesome. And he is always working at this time, but just happened to take tonight off of work because he needed a day off and just happened to decide to go for a midnight swim. Oh, and he doesn't even live here, he just happened to decide to come visit his friend for a day or two. He actually lives across town. God's awesome. And Tony is cute AND he talked me off the ledge. What could be better.

Courtney fell asleep in my bed. How ironic that I am going to end up sleeping next to her after everything that happened tonight. Hope I can trust to close my eyes and sleep next to her. I hope Tony is at the pool tomorrow when SHE is there.

Words to live by...

If you don't like it, FIX IT.

If you can't fix it, PLAN B it.

If you like it and want more, RESPECT IT.

~~John Mayer

Heehee :)