More treats for me

I finally bought the sewing machine. A Viking 118. I couldn't talk myself into the computerized one...too afraid it wouldn't work right or it would need "updating". LOL Just gimme a good dial in setting and I'll be fine.

This past Monday I gave it a test drive. Last night of classes and I finished up my little elastic do dad, I brought out the book and started playing with the different settings.

Did my very first "automatic" button hole and sewed the button too with the machine. Blind hem was a breeze. Amazing what the proper tools can accomplish. I'm so excited.

Now I need to clean out that space and make room for some creativity.

Another treat (for us all) is that it has now been 5 weeks of sobriety for Tom (still knocking on wood).

Still trying to be positive and looking up instead of down. But I did blow my top this past Monday when I asked if he had accomplished some things and he said NO. I've asked him to make a list....of anything, feelings or things to do or places to go. Nope, just won't do it.

Told him I couldn't take care of everyone and work and be Miss Nice all at the same time.....loudly.

I know, bad me. Hey, I can't always be Mary Sunshine ya know.

Hello from NCSA in Winston Salem

This is way too cool...

Using my very own laptop in the comfort of my own hotel room.

Nah, (ok yes, but....)

This Dance Festival is AWESOME! It's not a "festival" as in carnival and cotton candy. These kids are divided up into small groups and given extensive training by some wonderful teachers. A real live college experience included with its own country mile walk across campus.

Boy am I ever outta shape!! (Huff puff gasp wheeeeez)

Miss T is done for now. We have tickets to a show later on in the Stevens Center which is just beyond our parking deck ...how convenient!!

From our room you can see the mountain line. We have a view of the 2nd floor roof top which is covered with pebbles, so I have properly named it "Pebble Beach". As I told Tom we have a view of Pebble Beach and the Mountains...best of both worlds!

And wouldn't you know I forgot to bring my camera!! Never EVER do I do that. Miss T grabbed hers but it's in the car for now.

Speaking of the car.............

I rented a car (due to the truck...) went on Hotline, picked out a $16/day full size special...$88 bucks. Cool. Easy enough. At the rental counter I said to the lady "so what am I getting?" and she said "a Malibu". OK.

When the guy came in with the keys, she said "Oh. No it's a Town Car."

Wooooooooo Hoooooooooo!

It's just like my Mom's only black. We girls are stylin and profilin in our "mini limo". At the front of the hotel the valet guy said "for a minute I thought it was a limo" and me being me said "I know, my late husband left this to me in his will!" just as serious as I could be.

The fellow thought I was serious and I didn't tell him any different!!!!

Well, as Tigger would say, "tah tah for now"!!!!

I gotta new toy just in time for my trip!

I'm in the big league now! Bought myself a laptop!

HP G60 16" screen; 3GB / 320GB with webcam & wireless built in!!

And the Vista Home...grr....I've been tweeking it. I've a good mind to put XP on and then dump Vista!

Thursday we're heading up to Winston to the School of the Arts for the weekend. Miss T will be in classes Friday afternoon, then a show; classes all day Saturday and part of Sunday. The forecast is for snow Saturday night. We'll see.

I'm so excited..to be going. The teacher chooses the students to go - this year I think about 20 kids from our studio. The largest ever!!

My nephew is much better...seems it was indeed an allergic reaction. His lil sister is good too...everyone is good!! (still knocking on wood)

Today is Tom's 30th day! Woooo hooooo! I've made a big deal of it, sort of. He had his eye on the 260pc mechanics tool set on sale at Sears for $199 soooo...yep, I bought it too!!

It's just like Christmas around here today.

I've been kicking around more on Facebook...that can be addicting. Plus Angie turned me on to some fragrent sites and of course I ordered some goodies. Figured Miss T would want to make some soaps again.

Ooooh yummmmmmmmmm....I smell warm brownies. Miss T popped some in the oven and WOW it's time to dive into them.

I would share, but......!

All's Good, knock on wood

Happily reporting that the Nephew was suffering from an allergy to the antibiotic Augmentin that he was taking. Hmmmm....must not be the penicillin doing it but the other ingredient since he's taken Amoxil before.

He went to pre-school this morning and I'll get to see him for a bit today (I got him a M&M's Valentine Candy!!) before me and Miss T head to Myrtle for the Dance Competition this weekend. Mr Man is not going. He'll be home, alone, by the phone as the saying goes.....no car.

Speaking of Mr Man.

Interesting developments with him.

AA is going well for him and he even said this past Monday "I need to go to the meeting".

Everybody scream YAY!!

He did get the Antibuse Rx from his Doc on Monday and is taking it. This is a GOOD thing especially since I'm out of town this weekend and next weekend (Dance of course). Can you say TEST? If he slips off the wagon he'll get violently sick while taking the meds.

But I see in him an honest desire to be rid of his demons. He is opening up more with me and in the meetings (I'm told). Our home life is "easy" for now. Next Wednesday will mark his official 30 DAY dry anniversary and he'll get a new "chip" on Thursday. Let's keep everything crossed and the prayers going for the next 60 days. I'm told the first 90 are the roughest.

I remain optimistic and encouraging. This positivity can only help in his recovery.

There is an appointment made for next week with an attorney...we'll see what could happen then.

On another note, I'm looking for a new ride since the family truckster met its demise. I can't travel in this Altima, not to these dance competitions with all I have to take. Been looking at the Toyota Highlander....Tom isn't attracted to it...he likes the Buick Rainier or GMC's Envoy or Arcadia.

Sigh.......anyone have any experiences they'd like to share on a nice SUV?

My Nephew is So Sick!

His poor Mom is beside herself...he's been sick, fevered, snotty etc off and on for over a month and finally this past Monday he got "the shot" -- one in each leg and seemed to get better. This was after he was 106 and seeing "spiders and snakes" and afraid to go to bed.

He was at my house yesterday when I got home, running around, playing and loving.

He had another rough night and now today he's throwing up! Might be the Augmentin, God knows that stuff is nasty enough.

Say some prayers for him....he's just 3 1/2 and too little to be so sick. His sister (9 months) is so far so good.....but she's on antibiotics too!

Ups, Downs and more snow

Snowing today.....what's up with that? Just a drizzle of snow though. It will be gone before sunset. It did look pretty as I was driving into work this morning - all flakey and flying around. Luckily our ground temps are warm enough to go ahead and melt the mess although it will stay on the bushes and trees for a bit.

I know the kids at school were hyped up to see it -- hoping for another "snow day". But as I reminded Miss T recently, that just means you'll have a make up day.

I remember loving to see it snow as a kid. Playing in it as long as I could since we rarely got any snow here in the coastal south. Christmas of '89 we had the "big blizzard" and there was about 30" of snow in my yard! What a slushy mess!

Ups & Downs?
Well, yeah, I know I've been MIA for over a week. Trust me when I say OVERLOAD.
January 19th -- my first night of sewing classes. Always trust your instincts. Miss T wanted a dance mom to drop her off to me when they were done (7pm) so I agreed even though I wouldn't be finished until 8:30pm.

Mr Man had been in town earilier that day...checking on his new glasses and had been drinking. I was furious! Why was he driving around like that? Said he had hit the front of the truck on something, he "thinks" a tree....????? but was on his way home. (Yes he DID go home; began to ready himself for the court date of 1/20, packing an overnight bag and meds cause it's a 4 hour drive up to ECity.)

You cannot rationalize with a drunk. I've learned to let be whatever will be.

After classes we headed on home, and I was on my cell with my Mom explaining this to her. I turned down our main road (a state highway) and about half way home I noticed ahead beyond a curve LIGHTS...an accident. I said to Mom "wonder if it's Tom?". I mean for real, he was already "under the influence" and you never know what they'll get to thinking. I approached a guy directing traffic and asked "would that happen to be a 4 dr grey truck?"........

He said "maybe"....I'm still on the phone with my Mom and I say "hmmmmm". Next I approach one of the patrolmen and ask the same question and his response was "Yeah. Lives right up the road here?" asking me in return. I said Yeah, then that's my husband and sure enough standing in front of the ambulance is what I expected.

Miss T saw him first....I looked past him at my beautiful truck crumpled in the deep ditch, kissing a tree. He had near missed a head on, and clipped the mirror and gone off the road. He had a slight cut on his forehead and stood there with the dumbest care less look on his face. The cop says to me "he's drunk" and myself says back (without thought) "ya think?". One day they're gonna arrest my smart ass!!

The patrolman took him to the hospital first, then to jail. It was 2 days before I would really talk with Tom. I let him sit and sober up.

That was a Monday night. In the meantime I'm calling all around to rehab centers for help....right! Good luck. You've got to almost be court ordered to get in or brought in by hospital referral (remember the Thursday before? Tried that one.).

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon when I finally bailed him out of jail under the assumption that he was now ready to reclaim his life. He sat in jail, listening to other "guests" and said to me more than once "you wouldn't believe the attitude and comments coming from these" drunks....I said Oh yes I would. He realized then he was basically watching a mirror image of himself.

What happened?

He came home that Monday as he said he would; got ready for an early bedtime (since he was to get up early on Tuesday); took his pain meds and an Ambien (yes on top of all that drinking) and got dressed for bed.

Sometime unbeknownst to him, he got in the truck and drove away. His only memory is trying to back out of the ditch and then a cop getting him out of the truck. Nothing between bedtime and then.

Scarey. Had I not been in a class until 8:30pm it could have been ME and Miss T he hit.

The Ambien label warns about sleepwalking.

In the back of Tom's mind, what was he pondering? Death? It sure looked like it.

"Scared straight" Tom began AA meetings, saying "I don't want to live like this anymore" and it seems he really began to look at this problem sincerely. His comment to me was "I thought I had it under control, but I guess I was wrong."

He came home from the first AA meeting excited! Roomie's hubby took him...I have strict orders that I don't drive him to or from a meeting unless it is a dire emergency.

This past Monday he had an appointment with a clinic to assess his need for counseling. He seems to really want to go through with this!

I am handling this much better than I thought. I can see the sincere pain and desire to be whole. So it is my job (I'm told and I read) to remain optimistic and encouraging which is what I am trying to do. I have told him how proud I am that he is taking these steps on his own.

He visited the truck yesterday, shocked at its appearance. At dinner he became very emotional while talking about it. Seeing the truck was a solidifying realization of just how far out there he was - and how close to death he came.

Scared sober?

Let's hope so. I'm knocking on wood......and hopeful.