Lucky Dorito

This has been a hard week of ups and downs.

Physically exhausted.

Mentally drained.

Emotional roller-coaster.

Self-pity parties galore.

But in the midst of it all, I can’t help but find a little humor.

Just a little though…. that’s why my usual 13 has dwindled down to 3 today.

1. As I finished treating a darling old man from the state nursing facility, one with few remaining verbal skills, as his transport nurse and I were getting him back into his wheelchair, his britches fell to his ankles! The nurse and I looked at each other in total surprise and about that time, he laughed. A throaty deep “Huhuhuhuhu” that sent us both into gales of laughter as she reached down to pull his pants back up. Lemme just say, “Thank goodness for boxers”!

2. One day I treated a very small 3 year old boy. He was a great first time dental patient! As a reward, I had let him generously get treats from the toy box. He picked out a bright green and a bright yellow rubber balls out of the box. As he waited for me to finish his paperwork right outside my treatment room doorway, one of my coworkers came up the hall and said to him, “Awwww, don’t you just have two cute balls!”  With my mind clearly in the gutter, I started laughing and said, “Do you realize what you just said??” She cracked up and said “I meant the ones in his HAND!”

3. I walked into the ballet school where my girls take class and another mother in class saw me and reaching for  her phone, said, “Ohhhh that reminds me! My husband has a dental appointment in the morning! I better call and tell him.” I just laughed and said, “Yeah, I seem to have that effect on people.”

On another note, my sweet friend Stacy celebrates her birthday today – so ya’ll go wish her a happy one!!

Well hello there!! I’ve been neglecting my blog for several days…. more than usual, that’s for sure. I’ve been pretty darn busy though, traveling to two different events over the course of 5 days – and putting about 700 miles on my van. Whew! I’m just darn near tuckered out!

First, I worked a half day on Wednesday and then left with Beebo and two of her friends for the Jr. Beta Convention. There were several buses going with all the students but I prefer to drive my own vehicle (sooooo not a bus girl am I). Of course, the girls wanted to ride with me instead of the icky old bus – which was just fine with me! Makes for less confusion on the other end when we all arrive together.

Now, picture over 5000 students (5th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders) plus sponsors, teachers, chaperones, and assorted others all milling around several hotels and the convention center – each with a purpose for being there. Some students participate in the Group Talent or Songfest, while others participate in areas of Arts and Crafts, Scrapbooking, Photography, Living Literature, or taking tests in several areas, such as Math or Science. It’s a lot of herding your charges to where they need to be, on time, and properly dressed.

Whew.

Our school took up both the 19th and the 20th floors of our hotel – so we were all together and not disturbing anyone else with all the chatter in the hallways. My girls were sweethearts, getting along well and happy to just be there. We had lots of fun, even if we didn’t get much sleep! (I love the reflection of the room in the window… you can see a little bit of everything, outside and in!)

Beebo was participating in Songfest:

They performed on stage twice, once on Thursday and again on Friday. They came in 3rd, statewide. Which is wonderful!! Although I know they wanted to be first so that they could participate in the National Beta Convention this summer. (Only each state’s 1st place winner gets to attend the national meeting.)

Right after I took the above photo while they were warming up, I walked to the big wall of windows behind them and took the following photo. Some of my dear blog friends (Shannon, Stacy, Jen, Meg and Bek) should recognize this place:

The girls and I did manage to sneak away long enough for some lunch there!

Great fun….and then I came  home and napped and then slept all night and left out early Saturday morning for part two of my trips! More on that later.

My sister Lena came to visit with us last weekend. It’s funny how we get together and it’s as if we’ve never been apart. We laugh aLOT and repeat many of the same jokes and “inside” stories that make us laugh over and over. The girls love spending time with her – as do I!

We decided to go shopping and out to eat in a neighboring town and during the drive over, somehow all five of us ended up singing random little songs. One of us would start and all the rest would jump in as we remembered the words:

Ms Lucy had a baby

she named him Tiny Tim

she put him in the bathtub

to see if he could swim

he drank up all the water,

he ate up all the soap….

And then:

Behind the ‘frigerator

there was a piece of glass

Ms Lucy fell upon it

cut her little asssssssk

me no more questions,

I’ll tell you no more lies.

The cows are in the pasture,

making chocolate pies.

And:

I’m being eaten by a boa constrictor,

a boa constrictor,

and I don’t like it…. one bit.

Oh no, he’s nibbling my toes.

Oh gee, he’s up to my knee.

Oh fiddle, he’s up to my middle.

Oh heck, he’s up to my neck.

Oh dread, he’s eating my …… GULP!

And when we ran out of little songs, we moved on to commercials and tv show tunes:

My bologna has a first name, it’s O S C A R.

My bologna has a second name, it’s M A Y E R.

Ohh I love to eat it every day and if you ask me why I’ll sayyyyyyy,

’cause Oscar Mayer has a way with B O L O G N A.

Followed by:

I am stuck on Band-Aid brand ’cause Band-Aid’s stuck on me!

I am stuck on Band-Aid brand ’cause germs don’t stick on me!

‘Cause they hold on tight no matter what on fingers, toes, and knees.

I am stuck on Band-Aid brand ’cause Band-Aid helps heal me!

And:

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale,

A tale of a fateful trip

That started from this tropic port

Aboard this tiny ship.

The mate was a mighty sailing man,

The skipper brave and sure.

Five passengers set sail that day

For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.

The weather started getting rough,

The tiny ship was tossed,

If not for the courage of the fearless crew

The minnow would be lost, the minnow would be lost.

The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle

With Gilligan

The Skipper too,

The millionaire and his wife,

The movie star

The professor and Mary Ann,

Here on Gilligan’s Isle.

And:

Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed

A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed,

Then one day he was shootin at some food,

And up through the ground came a bubblin crude.

Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.

Well the first thing you know ol Jed’s a millionaire,

Kinfolk said “Jed move away from there”

Said “Californy is the place you ought to be”

So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly.

Hills, that is. Swimmin pools, movie stars.

It truly amazes me how I can’t remember what I ate for lunch yesterday but the words to these old things just pop into my head once I get started. So fun!

Now tell me, didn’t you just find yourself singing along in your head as you read them? Wonder which one will stick with you all day. Hmmmm?

As I started upstairs the other day, I saw Sydney laying in her new polka-dotted bed. She looked so cute, I had to grab my camera.

I went on with the morning ritual of getting ready for work and a few minutes later, I noticed this:

Sydney’s expression cracks me up.

Lillie starts chewing on her toenails and Sydney just resigns herself to sharing her new bed. Unhappily.

When I spoke to them, Lillie turned to look at me. Sydney is almost totally shoved out of the bed by now.

Notice the raised one eyebrow!! Everyone in my family, including the dog can raise one eyebrow except for ME!!! My eyebrows are defective or something.

**Disclaimer – Squirrel…. (ummm….. nudity?) ahead***

Last weekend when Lena was visiting, we spent several hours gone from the house, out window shopping, eating dinner, and singing old commercial ditties in the van. When we returned, we saw this guy eating from the bird feeder:

He was startled by the noise we made entering the house and jumped down…. only to decide it was ok after all and come right back. It was a hoot watching him try to get back up on the feeder from the railing on the deck.

Stretch. I can do this…. I did it once already.

Maybe I can just YANK it down from there….

Maybe this side is easier to climb on…. stretch…..

Stretchhhhhh. Ohh, Ohhh, I’m getting there….

Ohhhhh…. almost there. I’m making it.

Forget it.

And then he just gave up and left.

Watch. Four minutes of fun. I promise you’ll end up smiling.

On this day seventy-two years ago, February 24th, 1938, my dad was born.

He is gone, but not forgotten.

Every time I walk into this store, I have this crazy insane desire to steal one of these sweet puppies!

Now, that would be WRONG…. the whole stealing thing and all, plus…. what the heck would I do with it once I got home?

Random 5 Facts that qualify as useless trivia in my head:

1. Did you realize that months that begin on a Sunday will always have a Friday the 13th?

Now, that makes perfect sense if you do the math but I never realized it until someone pointed it out to me. Duh.

2. Like fingerprints, everyone’s tongue print is different.

Why would anyone need a tongue print? Seriously?

3. If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19.  You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.

How random is that?

4. If you could travel to the center of the earth, you would weigh almost nothing.

Where do I sign up to go??

5. Bees have five eyes.

The better to chase me down!!! This is why I RUN when a bee comes my way! I am quite sure that the odd 5th eye is so it can strategically place its stinger in the WORST spot ever on my body. Like my eyeball. Or my fingertip. Or my anything.