Remind me

Please remind me why I'm going to school. Really. My learning team for the week before this last got 75% on our assignment. I offered 3 times to help anyone who need help so we could get a good grade, not a C. I did most of the work on this last one. We better get an A.

I woke up and thought it was Saturday this morning. I am not sure why b/c I have plans tonight, and Lord knows I didn't leave the house last night long enough for Friday night plans!!

Sorry I'm so solemn... Just really, really ready for this weekend. Have a good one everybody!!

Happy Father's Day...

So yesterday was Father's day... we celebrated at my home... Steven and Tina and the kids were all there. It was a good time... The men aired up a little pool for the kids and they all splashed around (some big kids like Steven included). My little girl turned out to be quite the little water baby even though the water was a little chilly. I was thinking back to all the Father's days and special times I had shared with my dad and became a little sad. Sad that my daughter will probably never have that kind of relationship with her father. It made me want to cry a little that even if that kind of thing is "normal" now that I don't know how to handle it, then all sorts of situations that I'm not equipped to handle came to mind and I had to change the subject in my mind. How can being a single parent ever be normal for a child. I think that she will miss a lot not having her father around. Maybe not... maybe everything will work out just fine. It will all be new and different.

Ok... on to something else: Krystle Gaddy is out of the hospital as of last night. She'll be staying with a friend in Archie until she can move around a little more. She still has lots of recouperation, but she will be fine.

SOOOOO.... Yeah

Not much happening, yet still I write. I'm so ready for a weekend, and hope that the upcoming one will be productive. Need to clean and work on home work. I have another paper coming up, maybe I'll get started on it aheard of time, 'ya think?

But I must have a proud mommy moment: My little girl now has darn near 7 teeth and is taking up to 7-8 steps all by herself. She is growing up so much. It's just beautiful to be experiencing that with her. She smiles and giggles when she sees me and says "Uh-Oh!" when she "drops" something on the floor. She shrugs her little shoulder and is learning to bat her eyes at her grandma and grandpa to get what she wants. She sleeps through the night now and eats "big people food" like a champ and LOVES watermelon! I sometimes wish that I could just stay home and be with her and remember EVERY little cuteness about her. Last night, she danced a little with my brother Matthew and showed him for the first time that she could walk more than one step. He was very impressed with his niece, but what do you expect? So far, every stage of her life thus far is my favorite. And I hope and pray that that she will always be this wonderful and happy.

Hey, please be sure to check out my poems link of my latest. I'm so excited about getting it all up and running...

Who Needs Homework?

Oh, yeah... that would be me!! I have a paper due tomorrow, but who works ahead on these kinds of things, seriously? I haven't even read up on my reasearch... I'll be up late the next couple of nights. It's supposed to be 700-1050 words... not too bad, but then again it is b/c I haven't written a real paper for quite a little while. I don't really have anything else going on right now (that's a good thing), I probably need to concentrate some on school, 'ya think!?!?

FRIDAY!! IT'S FRIDAY!!

Yeah... ready to go HOME... really ready. It's been a long week. And it will be a long weekend trying to get my homework all in... we'll see what happens.

Hey, I got my Sears pictures of Miss Maddie back today, SOOOOOO cute! SOOOOO excited!

Here's an update on Monica:

Monica has been moved to Menorah and is settling in just fine. She was having a really good day yesterday and Tina thinks the change of scenery was good.

Unfortunately, due to the extent of her injuries, Rehab will be a very slow process and they have to take small steps at a time. Right now, they are working to get her comfortable with the wheelchair and the ability to transfer to and from the chair. She is learning to be more self sufficient for now. They plan to release her in the next 7 to 10 days. She will be able to heal better in the comfort of her own home and her own bed which will be good for everyone.
I sensed a great deal of frustration in Tina's voice yesterday because the reality of the wheelchair hit them pretty hard. It's easy to get caught up in all of the progress made from the standpoint of putting the broken pieces back together, but now, the slow painful task of learning to walk is upon them. Monica will be in the wheelchair for a long time and that is difficult to accept, but everyone is positive and hopeful about the prospects of her walking again. It just takes a long time to make that happen.

Tina is hanging tough and looks forward to getting back to work next week. Not sure what day yet, but she is ready to get going again. I'll let everyone know when she's back and you can wish her well.

She tells me every time we talk how much they all appreciate the cards and thoughts from everyone in the company. It has really touched them and you have all made a difference.

Here we are on Friday again and one of our own is still hurting. Have a great weekend, hug those you care about and be careful on the road.

Have a wonderful weekend everybody!!

"Disturbing" at dailydancer.com

This blogspot where you are reading me right now has what is called a "Dashboard" where they leave important and not so important messages for their members. Anything from maitentence to Blogs that they have noticed recently. The later of which is sometimes quite interesting. But today, no not today. Today, it was disturbing. I innocently click on "daily dancer" to see what the hype could be about, expecting maybe a ticked off broadway dancer or maybe even an exotic dancer. No, that's not what the blog is about. This is what the heading says:

WELCOME TO DAILYDANCER.COM!
I am Daily Dancer, a computer geek who loves to dance!
Every weekday morning, you can watch me dance to a different
song. If you like my blog, please tell people about it. If you have a
website, please add a link to mine. I will add a link to yours as well.

And I spared you the pictures and banners and videos, but you can check them out at your own risk. It's scary. I wasn't sure if he was being serious or kidding or just plain weird. He actually post something like 5 videos a WEEK of himself dancing away. And not like tap, jazz, ballet, or modern dance. It's just him standing in his home jumping and jiving in an off-beat sort of way. Why would he (and his girlfriends, poor thing) subject himself to publishing these things? Anybody can get there, I did. What if his boss gets there? ThenAnd, he's a computer geek. It's very obvious by his looks and attire too. Creep me out. Why would the Dashboard even put his site on there... it's not good, not good at all...

I'm going to school, I'm going to school

Off to school I go!! I start classes tonight at Univeristy of Pheonix at KC. I am very anxious to get going. It's been awhile since I was in a classroom and tonight will be a great learning experience. Wish me luck!

Update on Monica

I received an email update about Monica this morning:

I spoke to Tina this weekend and have good new to report. Monica was moved to a
private room this weekend and she and Tina both feel much better. She has been
fitted with braces for her legs and they put her in a machine that slowly moves
her legs to help bring back flexibility. She sat up yesterday for about 10
minutes and will continue to do that adding minutes daily. Her fever has been
very manageable and her lung function is improving all the time. She does
breathing treatments and exercises frequently and continues to get
stronger.
If all goes well, they hope to move her to Menorah Medical Center
(119th & Nall) by Wednesday to get her into their re-hab program. OPRC
doesn't have a real "in-patient" re-hab department so the Orthopedic Docs at
Menorah will take over from there.
She still has a long road ahead of her but
things continue to improve and she seems to be in good spirits. Tina said just
moving to a private room felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She
really sounded good on the phone yesterday and spoke really positively.

And I ran into my 7th grade teacher Mrs. Turner today at Raymore Wal-Mart... it was weird to see her there. It was also really hard to tell her that I am a single mom. I don't know why it was; I've never really had a problem with it before. But it really got to me this time. I wanted to cry. But she is so sweet and gave me a big hug... I hadn't seen her since my brother graduated from 8th grade in '01. It was a real flash back to slacks and skirts and those akward years of trying to fit in.

PS-- Check out my photo albumn for Hannah's bridle pictures!! :)

What happens when you JUST DON'T CARE!?

I have worked for my parents' company for almost a year now and have asked twice for a promotion to no avail. Not that they are not thinking about it or have outright rejected my request, they have just not said a GD word to me about it. It's like I have never even asked in the first place. I can get over rejection and would be elated with a yes! But haven't heard ANYTHING and am going CRAZY. I start school NEXT WEEK (about the time DS gets out of hiding, I'll be into hiding, trying to get my homework done), and I need answers to get my life in some sort of order, and I don't want to do it living at my parents' basement forever. Today, one of my co-workers from Pleasant Hill went on a tangent today about how the company should make me a processor. That made me feel good, like I'm not the only one wanting this.... Maybe I'll find a second to call my manager today. Maybe today.

The "It's a Small World" Phenomenon

I read a 13 page paper last night written by someone I didn't even know existed, but who is almost related to me. Dr. Steven Hageman is my uncle's brother (my dad's 2nd youngest sister's husband's brother, which helps him with a point). He is a well educated, well traveled and well versed man in his late 30's I'd say who probably gave this paper to his brother who in turn gave it to his mother in law, who gave it to my dad last weekend. It's basically saying, "Yes, it IS a small world," and that there are 4 types of phenomena that people experience.

The 4 types are something to the affect of 1) running into an acquaintance (someone you recognize) at some unexpected place at some unexpected time, 2) sharing a common acquaintance or relative with a stranger, 3) sharing a common experience with a stranger then meeting them again later, and 4) some combination of the above three. And that the odds of predicting the exact "mystical" happening are slim to none, the odds of something of a "small word" experience SOMETIME in the future is VERY probable. I was very intrigued by his thinking and his "small world" stories.

First of all, he says to estimate the number of people you know... Then keep thinking about the number of people that you are just "acquainted" with, and then those you would recognize from town or church or work-whatever. This number he estimates is near the 10K mark for most people (some higher, some lower). Then think that you and the people that you know the best, or have ever known, probably share interests with you. You will probably see them somewhere that you have a common interest point (museums, conerts, conference, etc.).

Then think about everyone that you have ever known and the probability of running into a stranger that has ever known them, a teacher, an ex-girl/boyfriend's mother, an aunt, a tour guide. The possibilities are really endless.

It puts everything in to a perspective that I hadn't really thought about before, but had accepted because EVERYWHERE my father goes, he knows someone. And I mean EVERYWHERE. When we took our 2 vacations of our lives one to SD and the other to MN, BOTH times my dad saw someone somewhere that he know. I just kept thinking, Can't we take you anywhere? But this paper proves that it's not just my dad who runs into people like that, everyonw does.

Monica Walters (aka, girl from prev post)

I got this email this morning from my co-worker in Overland Park, things are looking up a little:



Good Morning, I hope everyone had a good weekend.


Monica is doing a little better every day. Saturday, they removed the tube from her throat and she was able to talk a little. Her throat is really irritated so talking is still a challenge. She was developing a fever which they expected but they have been able to control it. Her right arm has been swelling and she has complained about it hurting so they had it X-rayed yesterday but don't have the results yet. They were hoping to operate on her hips to get them set but she has started to have some lung problems. Her lungs are collapsing from the bottom up and they started breathing treatments and deep breathing exercises to get them pumped back up. She has to cough to get that done and with her soar throat, that is really painful. She had tests run yesterday to see how her lungs are responding and the doctor will discuss this with them this morning. According to the doctor, if they can get her lungs stabilized, they will operate on her hips ASAP. The doctors have said they have never seen so many fractures in the hips before. They will put her legs in a repetitive motion machine right away as well to keep her knees moving to help with flexibility and stiffness.


All-in-all, she's fighting. Her blood counts are good and the bleeding in her spleen has stopped so she will be better able to fight infection so they are hopeful that her organs will not start shutting down. Kidney function is good. If all goes well, they will try to get her out of ICU and into her own room by the end of the week.


Tina is really beat. The hospital gave them a room to use but unfortunately, they have filled up and they had to take the room back. That puts the family out in the ICU waiting room. Lot's of family and friends continue to support Tina and Bob so they are hanging in there.


Linda and David sent pizza on Saturday and Sunday, I delivered a cooler of water and goodies. M&M's make everyone feel better!


Tina wanted me to thank everyone for their support and prayers. She is certain it's helping and she really appreciates everything so much.


I'll be checking in again later today and will try to update you all again. If anyone would like to go see Tina, she would really love that. It's nice to see new and caring faces around there.
Have a great month-end and let me know if you need directions to the hospital.

My Thoughts for Friday

I think that almost everyone anticipates a long weekend. We all look forward to taking that extra day to sleep, rest, clean, or just be out of the normal realm of monotony. We get ourselves worked up making plans, buying things, and filling up the car. We stop working on the day before by 2pm or so just to let our minds wander to where ever we're going on the weekend.

My parents were in Maryville last night. Needless to say, my younger brother was ecstatic. He didn't get the group over that he wanted, but a few friends to coincide in his alleged activities. I watched and laughed most of the time, and didn't let anyone leave. I couldn't stop it, so may as well baby sit!

When I got to work this morning, I got a wake up call (it would have been literal, considering I stayed up past 1am, except it was an e-mail). My co-worker's--from a different branch of CLT-- daughter was hit by a drunk driver last night. She is in "very bad condition" according to the email, and we are instructed to keep them in out thoughts and prayers. I was thinking, "Wow, this has never happened to anyone I know." Her daughter either just graduated or is going to be a senior, I don't remember which she told me last time we talked. Wow...

Hands Off!!

So what do you do when you're late for work after dropping off your daughter and you need to get gas? Ok, so maybe you don't have a daughter, but when you're late and hungry and have to get gas or else you won't make it to work at all... What do you do?

I stopped to get gas and decided to grab a soda and something to eat. Mmm... Doughnut rack at Casey's. So I finished pumping my gas, grabbed my cash and marched inside like I own the place. I filled my drink then waited as an incredibly tall gentleman finished picking through the doughnut selection, another man got there after I did. I picked up a little wax paper thing to use to pick up a doughnut, then spotted the pre-wrapped blueberry muffins (which the Casey's on 7 hwy NEVER has!!), but before I could even attempt to shuffle things out of the way.... The waiting gentleman reached out and grabbed my 44 oz drink that I had set on the counter and moved it out of the way. What else was I supposed to say other than "Thank you," but I don't like people touching my stuff... I know he was being nice and courteous moving the drink so I wouldn't have to. OR he thought that I look like the type that would just leave it in the way as I attempted to open the cabinet and grab my doughnut. I was perplexed with out a smart answer as to what to tell this handsy sir. I am very possessive of my space and food one rule: don't touch! And I am grown up enough to move my own drinks and am a big girl and able to take care of my self, Thank You!! Ugh.

This was a fun little test to Take...

Your #1 Match: INFP

The Idealist You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world.Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships.It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close.But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop. You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.

Your #2 Match: ENFP

The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends.You are also unconventional, irreverant, and unimpressed by authority and rules.Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives.You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're qutie the storyteller! You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.

Your #3 Match: INTP

The Thinker You are analytical and logical - and on a quest to learn everything you can.Smart and complex, you always love a new intellectual challenge.Your biggest pet peeve is people who slow you down with trivial chit chat.A quiet maverick, you tend to ignore rules and authority whenever you feel like it. You would make an excellent mathematician, programmer, or professor.

Your #4 Match: ISFP

The Artist You are a gifted artist or musician (though your talents may be dormant right now).You enjoy spending your free time in nature, and you are good with animals and children.Simply put, you enjoy bueaty in all its forms and live for the simple pleasures in life.Gentle, sensitive, and compassionate - you are good at recognizing people's unspoken needs. You would make a good veterinarian, pediatrician, or composer.

What's" Your Personality Type?

3 1/2 hours of sleep...

And going strong. As some of you may know, my "little" brother's graduation is Saturday. I am very excited for him that he made it (despite a HORRIBLE case of senioritis and being allowed to party his a$$ off by certain partents). So Tuesday night my mom has a wonderful idea... here's what "went down":

Mom: David, can you do a slide show like you did for [so and so]'s birthday for Saturday?

Dad: Well, I don't know when I'll have time to get it done... I have other things to do...

Mom: Well, I'd really like to have one running during the open house...

Silence. Both heads turn to the gulping noise in my throat.

Rachel: ok... I'll scan some pictures...

And after five hours of solid scanning and trying to find baby pictures, toddler pictures, grade school pictures, junior high pictures, sports pictures, prom pictures and then scanning all 100+ of them into the computer, editing them, and moving them to our outstanding movie maker program, I'm still not completely finished, but a he** of a lot closer than I was and completely pooped. I worked on it from 7 to midnight last night. Thank goodness Hannah came over to help with Madeline. That was a huge, HUGE relief. I would have been up all night if it hadn't been for her. But Miss Mad didn't sleep well, and we were supposed to be up around 5:30 this morning.... ugh.

But a liter of Dr. Pepper and a bag of peanut butter M&M's will keep me awake all day, right?

Birthday Party, for party animals

I made a little cake, covered it in white icing and pink writing and flowers. It was cute and so much fun. I was very happy to see everyone there on Saturday... I will get the pictures posted ASAP, but I have to get them from the camera and email them to myself, etc. I could be awhile, in fact it may be Friday since I have that day off work. I will strive for sooner than that.

Miss Maddie is now facing forward in my car... I think she really likes it too, now I just have to figure out if she's actually comfortable when she falls asleep.

New Pictures, New Pictues

Check out the New Pictures of Maddie in the photo album!! They're super cute!!

And they're really there!! I checked!!

So can I worry? And not feel silly for worrying?

My grandpa is recovering well. He's staying home and staying as busy as one can in a house... I think that he still goes outside to "help" the farm hands (i.e. stand there watch and give direction). He starts radiation on Friday. He'll go everyday for 6 weeks or something like that. It will be pretty intense, but I think that he'll do well. He's strong and maybe a little stubborn, not that that trait would run in the family. Hee hee. So he's ok, that's what I'm told.

I have another relative that I am more worried about, but she won't let me in to know whether or not she is worried. She went in for her routine boob squeeze (that I had to talk her into, she hasn't been for a couple of years and is over 50, and supposed to go every year). They called her back for another one. Not because she breathed wrong or anything. She saw the pictures and has what the doctor called "calcifications." She has to go in for a biopsy sometime soon. They didn't tell her whether or not it could really be cancer cells or just "calcifications." I don't know whether or not to be worried about her or to just sit back. It's my mom. What would you do?

Poetic Lately

So, note, for future reference for anyone reading this who doesn't have children. If they are sick, you cannot be. And if they are sick, you cannot sleep. If they have a fever, they will look pitiful and cute (but they will only want you!). Yes, Maddie has a fever, no, I don't know what's wrong with her, yes I would rather be at home with her, but, no, I am not. I think she's teething and playing hookie with grandma! ;)


I just wanted to post this, it's not great, but it means something to me...

To My Friends

They have been there, because they are true friends

Wild days of red hair and fast cars,

loud music, boys and sneaking into bars.

You watched and let me go, to learn

You were a steady flame, watched me burn

As I burned the years away... Youth and fun

Trying to enjoy life, now I need to run.

You were always there, just to listen,

Pretend to understand, and watch my wishin'

I wished to make an impression of me

Let everyone know who I was, you see

You knew it was a phase, how'd you know?

That I'd grow up, know where life'd go?

You're my same age, no older younger, same.

But you knew where that road'ld go... Flames

So here I am, single and alone, but not alone

A mommy, a worker, but the love you've shown

Never lets me down. Thanks for letting me grow

And as always, Thanks for the love you show.

To Danielle, Jessica, Hannah, Emily, and Danielle W. For all the years and all the memories. You gals are great.

No reason, just feeling creative lately. It must be the GREAT weather. Really. I'm super excited about the sunshine and warm weather.

This week

On Monday when I wrote that poem, the creepy Mr. E was supposed to come in to talk to our closer about title work, but he never showed. So today, I'm minding my own business and who pops in the door? Creepy Mr. E!! He apologized for missing the afore mentioned appointment, and wanted to reschedule. Ew. Now I have to see him two times. At least his meeting's not with me!!

It's half-way through the week, and that means finals at UMKC are almost over so some people will start getting into the swing of "summer," whatever that means anymore. I guess, just work! Good luck to everyone on their finals... You'll do great, and you know it! :)