I decided to start my midlife crisis early this year. I was let go from my OT job at the retirement community. It would appear that our new administration and myself came to irreconcilable differences. Which is fine with me since they were pushing me to go to a 5 day+ work week, stopped paying me for holidays, overtime and took away the monthly volunteer paid time off(without really telling anyone). I usually found out afterwards on my time card. So it actually seems to have been a good thing.

I had the chance to look into other job openings and found a new position with a health care contract company in a nearby nursing home, working the hours I want with a raise and paid everything(holidays, overtime). And I only have to work 32 hours to be considered a full time employee with full time benefits(not available at my last job). So I start orientation in May and we move into the nursing home facility on June 1st.  I am looking forward to a lot less stress and the excitement of starting with a new company that actually seems to care about their staff.

So I had an interview last Friday and was hired the following Saturday. To celebrate with my extra time off, I decided to make an appointment with an endodontist. I had been waiting to see someone about my previous root canal that was still bothering me. After 3.5 hours in the dentist chair, the endodontist decided she was not quite sure what was up, but noticed that my roots pretty much run up into my skull! So she is trying to treat my tooth with some type of medication/steroid for the roots that were missed, and I go back in a month. It actually already feels better. It was my poor jaw that suffered the most after being pried open for over 3 hours!And the best thing is, she did not crack my crown.(yet).

So much fun! But life goes on. Tom was out of town the first week, so I was busy running around with the kids(boy scouts mostly). I had to help Tom and Scott pack up for their Bike/Hike weekend. And Scott decided to cook for his Cooking merit badge, so we needed to make up a menu and buy supplies. We also had to pick up all the scout gear(tents/tables and cooking supplies). I actually missed my girl scout leader meeting so I could attend Scott's boy scout meeting and pick up camping gear. Tom returned home from LA on Thursday night, so he had plenty of time to shop for supplies and  pack the van before heading off to Western Maryland on Friday afternoon. I also had to pick out a bike for Scott since he outgrew his last bike. He ended up riding my bike! Tom opted for the hike. They strolled/rode up and down the C and O canal with Scott's group biking 20 miles and they had a very nice weekend. (Scott's butt is still sore from his ride though).

As soon as they returned home on Sunday, they were both busy assembling SCott's Science Fair project. Tom was organizing the Science Fair at Scott's school again(one more year to go). This year they added an engineering challenge including building a light weight bridge that was strong enough to withstand added weight. Scott's foam design took 1st place in his grade level and 1st place overall in the science fair(out of 30 projects submitted). He got a nice trophy, certificate and $50 gift card(thanks to Tom). Which he quickly spent on a new video game.

The science fair was on a Weds night(boy scout night), so I had to stand in for both Scott and Tom at Boy Scouts since the troop was participating in a food drive and Scott is the Patrol Leader and Tom was the Patrol Adviser. On Weds night I took out 5 boys and we passed out bags to the nearby neighborhood. On Saturday morning, Tom and Scott picked up the bags full of food. Right before I ran SCott up to his golf lesson. He wants to pick up some type of sport(swimming is a huge commitment) and he really enjoys golf. But he hasn't had lessons since 2nd grade, so we decided to have him brush up on his skills. He had a great time and is looking forward to his upcoming lessons and actually getting out on the course. But he will probably continue with his swimming lessons at the Y as well since he really enjoys that too!

While Tom and Scott were off camping, Allison and I were busy picking up her Prom accessories. Her big day is next weekend. She needed some jewelry, shoes and undergarments so we hit the mall. Right after working on her Girl Scout project at the nature center. We walked the trail and marked her bird locations. Now she just needs the staff approval before mounting the bird models(probably with Tom's help if he can stay home long enough!).  We also had our own Girl SCout activities that weekend. Allison worked a Girl Scout Up All Night event at the roller blade rink, getting off work around 2am. The next day we were off singing with the choir at our local GS camp for a yearly Outdoor Earth Day event. And Allison has started her orientation for GS summer camp. She is volunteering again this year on the archery range.

Tom is off to San Francisco this week. Before he left though we celebrated his 50th birthday with neighbors on Saturday. I had set up a Food Tour in Baltimore as one of his Birthday gifts. I wanted a special birthday party without having to do all the work. Our group met in Little Italy in downtown Baltimore. Our hostess gave us some insight into the history of the area and we were off to several restaurants to sample their specialties. We actually started out at a jewish deli opened in 1915 on the edge of Little Italy(and the corned beef was lean!). Next to a very italian restaurant owned by Anthony Gambino for meatballs and wine. Afterwards to a wine bar for wine tasting and antipasto. But the last stop was the best as it included a large plate of Borghanese pasta, an enormous cappuccino and our favorite, Tiramisu for dessert. (Supposedly the birthplace of Tiramisu). And as if we did not have enough to eat and drink, everyone came over to our house for drinks, snacks and a few more desserts(which was eaten mostly by the kids). Tom even took home a few gifts including a very large RAvens beer tankard, a restaurant gift card and his own whiskey making kit(complete with barrels!). A nice way to end our weekend together.

On Sunday morning I whisked Allison off for her Senior portraits. They turned out great! Afterwards we ran home to pick up a few girl scouts to attend a high school musical starring one of my girl scouts. She was the lead in Legally Blonde at her catholic all girls high school. We enjoyed the show, even though it was about 3 hours long! Guess we got our money's worth. And now Allison can say she attended a high school musical(even though it wasn't her high school!).

And then there was the whole Boston bombing last week. It was eerie waking up to hear all the craziness on the news that went on at MIT and Cambridge, Harvard and Watertown. That was our backyard for several years when we lived in Belmont, MA while Tom was going to school. And to even have had the experience to enjoy the Boston Marathon first hand when Tom's brother Mark ran in it on Patriots Day. We were just grateful that all our friends up there are doing OK.
 
So I am sure I will be busy doing Spring Cleaning with my spare time until I am back to work(which I already started by cleaning out the clothes that the kids have outgrown and taking them over to the resale shop).

So wish me luck on my life do over! Kathleen

Here are my girl scouts at the play.   Our Saturday night dinner tour stopping by the Flag House in Baltimore. Mary Pickett actually sewed the huge flag in this house and in the street(it was too big for the house)that flew over Ft McHenry in Baltimore. You can see (or have seen) that flag in the Smithsonian which inspired our nation's Star Spangled Banner National Anthem. And snuggling up to the bar at Ciao Bella's restaurant owned by the Gambino family. 

So now it finally feels like Spring. The cherry blossoms in DC are two weeks behind their peak bloom as calculated ahead of time by the National Park Service. So the Cherry Blossom festival came and went without cherry blossoms. We have still been too busy to go into DC to enjoy it all. The kids were off of school on Spring Break all week, but Tom and I were back to work. I even went in for a half day on Saturday to help out(I need all the brownie points I can get).

Tom did take an extra day off on Tuesday to work with Scott on his Science Fair project which is fast approaching. Scott designed a bridge out of foam to pass a weight test(similar to Allison's toothpick bridge project in physics). Allison was happy not to have homework since she just finished a semester. SCott just started a new semester. I still can't figure out how Allison is supposed to squeeze in any significant learning/testing in two months time. But that is how it is for Seniors. I wish she could have worked more on her GS project. She needs to mark the placement for her birds on the nature trail, but we could use a few more leaves on the trees. They are just starting to peak out with the flowers. Mainly Allison spent the week working at the roller rink, almost every day. They open up when the kids are off school. She did take Scott to the Y to work out after a make up piano lesson on her one day off.  And SCott wants to repaint his room so he has been busy picking out paint with Tom and now needs to strip his old wallpaper.  He also studied some math and social studies because it is going to be a very busy two months until school gets out.

I took Scott to his Boy Scout meeting on WEds night since Tom was busy working on a presentation for his trip out west today. Tom got up early and headed out to the airport for a trip to LA. for the week. He almost didn't get to the airport when a large herd of deer ran across the freeway. Good thing he took the new car(better brakes!).

Scott is going on a Bike/Hike trip this coming weekend with the troop and Tom in tow. So we had a lecture about bike care at his meeting. They will be riding along the C and O canal. Scott however has outgrown his bike. We picked up a used mountain bike from our neighbor, but it needs some work. If Tom doesn't have time to mess with it, SCott may be riding my bike this weekend. He may even be cooking for his patrol since he needs to work on his cooking merit badge. It is going to be an Eagle scout required badge next year. Fortunately Tom is supposed to get back on Thursday, so they can spend Friday getting ready for the trip. Scott and I wrote up the last of his Communications badge so he can review it with the badge counselor(another eagle scout required badge).

We also had a busy week celebrating Tom's 50th Birthday! We all went out to dinner on Thursday night at Don Pablos Mexican restaurant. Tom wouldn't wear the sombrero or let them sing Happy Birthday/Felize Cumpleanos, but he did take the free dessert! And he enjoyed his gifts(all of them a surprise). One of the gifts included tickets to a Hershey Bear Hockey Game on Saturday night. Tom has been going through hockey withdrawal since the NHL started out the season on strike, and then all the local Hershey Bear's games were sold out. I managed to get 5 tickets on Scout Night and we took along our friend John Dutton. Of course we had to stop into the Hershey store to pick up chocolate on sale after EAster. The kids(and Tom) enjoyed finding their baskets in the hotel room(not too difficult) on Easter Sunday. But they did not get a whole lot of candy. Scott enjoyed his Lego kit(even assembled it in the hotel room before we left). Allison liked her new shirts and Thin Mint GS Bear from Build A Bear. Although she was most happy with her gasoline gift card. 

So the Bears lost and played terrible, but it was fun watching them fight and we had center ice seats to see it all. The place is not huge, but it holds 11,000 and it was sold out(as usual). I am also taking Tom on a Charm City Food Tour through Little Italy in a few weeks with several couples to celebrate his big day. I had to wait until my neighbor's wife returned home for a visit from her traveling nursing job in Oklahoma. Should be fun and a great way to learn more about the history and restaurants of downtown Baltimore. The tour takes us to  visit several restaurants and sample different dishes and wines, including tiramisu for dessert which is supposed to be its birthplace here in Baltimore.

The kids also had fun shopping(mostly Allison) since we found her dresses. But she also picked up a few books from Barnes and Noble with previous gift cards and spent part of her week just reading for fun.  We also picked up some new tennis shoes for Scott(he won't stop growing!). And Tom needed a whole new wardrobe last weekend since he managed to pack his suitcase and leave it in the bedroom! Fortunately he doesn't require much.

And his sister Susan and John very nicely sent a gift package full of different types of meats from Omaha Steaks which made cooking dinner last week a breeze! Thanks so much you two! We especially enjoyed the little cheesecakes since Lent is over!  Even Tom's fellow employees baked him a low carb cheesecake(since he is back on that diet). Right after they reminded him it was time for a colonoscopy. What fun it is getting older!

Now I am going through withdrawal since no more Walking Dead on Sunday night until October. I will just have to enjoy The Apprentice.

Have a great week! Here is our visit to Hershey Park on Saturday night for the hockey game.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring? We recently returned from an extended weekend trip to the eastern shore and Williamsburg/Busch Gardens.

We took off last Friday and returned Monday night. Our primary plan was to visit Allison's Salisbury University for a college tour. Allison actually had an official tour last summer went she went to government camp. But we had a lot of questions and wanted to spend more time checking out the campus since she plans on going there. We had a tour scheduled in the afternoon, so I had time to drop Cookie off at the kennel before heading out for the 2.5hr drive. We stopped outside the campus and had a terrific seafood lunch at a local restaurant and major hangout, Brew River(Good Friday). Afterwards we headed over to the 30 min presentation and then toured the campus for an hour and a half. Allison was surprised to see so many of her high school classmates at the orientation. I even ran into one of my fellow girl scout leaders and her daughter on the tour. All the parents and high school students were taking advantage of Spring Break to visit college campuses.

We were primarily interested in the Perdue business school(Perdue Chicken). The several million dollar building was opened in the fall of 2011 and it is chock full of high tech stuff to keep track of the national and international business world. Salisbury is known for its business school, as well as Teaching/Education program(they also have a brand new building) and nursing/physical therapy. Students may request placement in one dorm all together. So all the business students can live together on one floor in the dorm. They even offer some of their classes right in the dorms. I think I was even more impressed with the dining services-the main dining hall looks like a food court in the mall! And outside guests are allowed to eat in the dining hall for a small fee. We tried to talk Allison into trying out Make Your Own Pizza night, but we found ourselves in a movie during dinner time.  Even the laundry service in the dorms was impressive. First of all it is free. The washing machines all have prefilled detergent, and you can set the machine to text you when your laundry is done! I don't know-it takes all the thinking out of the process. Guess the students are supposed to spend more time studying. The campus is not huge but not tiny either. We thought the town of Salisbury was mostly farmland, but it is more city than we thought. We managed to find the large mall and movie theater. And the campus is only 30 minutes from Ocean City. They even run a shuttle bus down to the beach. Class sizes average 17-25 students. Allison will have to return in June to sign up for classes and will be assigned to a dorm in July. The dorm rooms hold two students per room with an adjoining bathroom/showers. You can rent a fridge and microwave so you don't have to haul one back and forth to school. Some of the students had flat screen tvs in their rooms and computers of course.  They also offer summer camps and international learning on Winter break or over the summer. Tom wants to study business in Argentina with Allison. So we all enjoyed the campus and the school and we think Allison will be spoiled and will love it. And Tom wants Allison to become an RA in the future.One step at a time.

After our tour of the school, we spent the night in a very nice Hampton Inn and decided to spend the next day getting to know more of Salisbury. We decided to tour the campus on our own. We found out that the University does not give out sports scholarships, so it is probably not to Allison's advantage to try out for the Field Hockey team. But if she wants to keep playing, they have travel teams and IM teams on campus(so play for fun instead of the school). And Allison already has a school scholarship for her academics. But we checked out the sports fields anyhow. And we decided to walk around the free zoo in Salisbury. Small but a few very interesting animals. And a whole lot of geese sitting on nests and being very grumpy! We considered a drive up to Delaware for the tax free outlet stores, but it would have taken us out of our way by several hours.

Instead we headed to Williamsburg VA via the eastern shore. There is a whole lot of nothing there, and when you get to the end you take an incredibly long bridge/tunnel to cross the opening of the Chesapeake Bay which takes you into Norfolk and Newport News VA(navy town). The bridge/tunnel is one of the great wonders of modern engineering. It's designed so the huge navy ships so could travel up the bay without stopping traffic with a drawbridge system. We arrived at Busch Gardens early in the afternoon. It was busy and cool outside, but not overly crowded. Tom and Scott just wanted to ride the new rollercoaster that was broke down last Easter when we visited. So they enjoyed their ride and most of the others.

Easter Sunday we headed to mass at the local catholic church. We really enjoyed the priest and the whole ceremony, but came out to pouring rain. We had to change clothes after mass at the hotel, and thought the day was a bust. The outlet store was not open so early, so we had lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings and considered a movie. We had seen Oz on Friday night and the family was disappointed in the primary special effects of the movie. Tom was hoping for more of a real story and less special effects. I assured him Disney just wanted to make something cheap and quick which they did. Instead of a movie, we ended up checking out a few stores that had opened at the outlet mall. We were primarily interested in finding Allison her two dresses-a white dress for graduation and a prom dress. We managed to find a white dress at the White and Black Shop(naturally). And for a great price. And since the rain had stopped, we decided to try our chances back at Busch GArdens. It turned out well since there were not many people at the park and Scott and Tom were able to get on all their favorite rides. Of course Allison and I hit all the shows and then we met up with our neighbor and his kids as they were also visiting the park. Our neighbors wife was still working out in Oklahoma though. We finally decided to stop into Golden Corral for a huge Easter buffet. Steak, shrimp but most importantly, a chocolate fountain!

Overall a great weekend and a lazy drive home(or so we thought). The traffic was terrible. We thought we could pop into Busch gardens for one more run around the park but it was overly crowded. Guess the rain had kept so many people away that they all came Monday instead. Traffic was so bad on the freeway and there was a bad accident, so Tom tried the surface road(just as horrible). But we decided to stop off at the mall along the way to stretch our legs. Turned out well since we found a great, reasonable formal dress shop and bought Allison's prom dress! So a very successful weekend!

A Big Happy Birthday to Dad Seitz! Sorry it landed on Good Friday. I had been trying to get to confession at church since they added sessions on WEds night for the lenten season. Finally Allison and I were free to attend while Tom and SCott were at a BS meeting. When we arrived at the small chapel, they only had two priests and the line was out the door. The gentleman behind me figured we would be in line for about 1.5 hrs if everyone standing in front of us spent 5 minutes with the priest.  We finally all squashed into the foyer of the building just to keep warm. We had just had a big snow storm the Monday before and the kids were out of school that day so it was still chilly. Turns out someone in line knew another priest and gave him a call from a local university. He showed up, set up and I just happened to be standing right in front of the door to the room he set up in. I was the first one in his chair, and Allison right after me! God works in mysterious ways!  EVeryone in line was shocked! I told them "All good things come to those who wait and patience is a virtue" All those cliches came in handy and we were out the door before Tom and Scott got home! Next year I am not waiting until the last session before EAster!

I think I needed it since work continues to drive me crazy with the new management. Fortunately they fired one of the new assistant managers after less than 5 months. Thank goodness(God works in mysterious ways). Now we have to continue to work with the management we have in place(God help us all!). Sadly our new manager is a good administrator, but not a good clinical manager. She is completely unfamiliar with our computer programs and staffing/scheduling/billing. Not good for business.

We'll see how long this lasts.

Here are some shots from Busch Gardens and the new rollercoaster. The grumpy geese at the Salisbury zoo on their nests and shots from Salisbury University(yes they are the fighting Seagulls!). Have you been to the beach? Seagulls can be nasty! And Allison at the Perdue Business School.  (Notice we are surrounded by birds?). Even Allison's GS project has to do with birds. Interesting.

A special Happy Easter to my parents who spent their holiday snowed in Up North in Charlevoix. Stay warm!

Kathleen

Happy Spring and Happy Palm Sunday! Scott was busy altar serving for this morning's mass. He had to carry up the crucifix for the processions and it was extra heavy since they strapped on a few palm fronds for decoration. I am just glad he did not fall over when he picked it up to put it in the stand! And he got to hold the Holy Water when they blessed the palms. Important stuff. This mass is always fun since they act out the Last Supper and Crucifixion(as fun as that can be).

Lately I have been paying alot of attention to all things European as Allison and I plan for our trip to London, Paris and Rome. They had a special on the Vatican since they are all talking about the new Pope. I did not realize that the reason the Vatican is in Rome is because that is where St Peter was crucified(upside down). He did not wish to be exactly like Christ. And he is buried in the catacombs of the Vatican. They built the vatican there since Christ called Peter the rock and upon this rock I will build my church.  I am trying not to watch too much though since I still want our trip to be a surprise. There was also a great special on a tour of London, but I didn't want to spoil our vacation. What we think something looks like on tv or the internet never seems to be that way in real life.  And our trip is already laid out, so it is not like I am trying to make a schedule. As many things as they have planned, I am sure I will sleep for a month when we get back!

So I am trying to make sure I feel good before we go. I have been on blood pressure medicine for 5 weeks and I was still not feeling well. I was still dizzy with headaches, upset stomach and tightness in my chest and short of breath. I sent an email to my doctor to see if she wanted me to come back in. She recommended I have blood work and see a neurologist. She already sent me to a cardiologist who said everything was perfect concerning my heart. I recommended she take a look at my blood pressure readings for the last 2 weeks which she did not ask about during my last check up. I was told to buy a BP cuff and take readings in the morning and at night from the hospital staff which I have been doing. I thought she would at least ask about it, but they look at one reading in the clinic and decide if it is good or bad. I also pointed out that the research states that all my symptoms are typical for a woman with high blood pressure and that she had me on a very low dose of medication(5mgs). So this weekend I am trialing 2 pills(10mgs) per her recommendation and so far so good. My body is still adjusting to a lower BP though so I still get a little whoozy and tired, but I think it will help.I actually think I was truly having symptoms since last fall and that it was not a sinus problem like we thought. On top of that, I have to get my foot in shape for all the walking we are going to be doing this summer! I just ordered a splint for my plantar fasciitis in my right foot. What fun it is getting old!

And speaking of medical issues, Mom Bozyk looks like she will be needing some surgery for poor blood flow in her leg. She has an appointment this week with the vascular doctor. I hope the snow doesn't keep her away. Even though it is officially spring, it still does not feel like it. Indy got a few inches of snow and looks like more is on the way. We will get a taste of it tonight, but I think Baltimore will mostly get slush and rain. The kids are still holding out for a snow day.

Speaking of kids, Allison is off to work and Scott is busy typing up a research paper on a terrible sad and depressing book called Tangerine. It is about a middle school boy living in Florida who helps out a family that owns a tangerine farm. Apparently he does not get along with the kids at his new school and even his own brother. So far SCott is doing a great job. He also wrote a very nice science paper on bacteria and cheese! I had him watch a special on America hosted by Larry the Cable Guy. Of course they traveled to Wisconsin and he had to try Limberger cheese(very stinky I guess). Now why would someone eat something that has the same bacterial make up as body odor? (We learned about that in the show).

Scott has been busy starting a new semester at school and Allison is busy finishing a semester. Both are getting ready for Spring Break which officially starts WEds afternoon of this week. But I am sure I will still keep them busy. I took Scott to a City Council meeting last Monday for his Boy SCout merit badge requirement. Meanwhile, Tom was busy at the Boy Scout Parent meeting. On Weds Tom took Scott to his Boy Scout meeting and he began his official job as Patrol Leader. His first job was to have the boys assemble a banner for their Patrol. His group had fallen apart before SCott joined the troop and they did not have a banner for two years. Scott and I went out and bought the supplies last weekend and we thought it was a good idea to involve the boys in making the banner together. They all did a great job, and Tom thought SCott did a great job running the patrol. Only 6 months to go, 23 more meetings.

I also took Scott up to his school before the scout meeting to enjoy their Arts Night. Scott had a few pictures on display and his Lego club set up their tournament board. He especially enjoyed eating our star shaped cookies that we decorated on Monday and I dropped off to school in the morning. Tuesday morning SCott and Tom were to attend "Donuts with Dad" before school started. A chance for Dads and kids to enjoy a few donut holes and spend a few minutes visiting the kids classrooms. Early celebration of Father's Day. However,  when Tom saw the amount of people crammed into the cafeteria, he decided to take SCott out for Dunkin Donuts instead. I think he missed the point. But they had fun.

And Allison and I had a night out to see "Peter Pan" with Cathy Rigby. She was amazing. I actually met her out in LA when she was making an eating disorder video at the psyche hospital I worked at. I also met her husband Tom. She must have been doing this musical for over 30 years. I could not believe how athletic she still is, and there is no way I would go flying around on those wires like she did-upside down, spinning in circles and then out over the crowd. Alot. It was exhausting watching her!We just wish the sound quality would have been better, but CAthy was clear and easy to hear. I would have loved to have stayed in line to get another autograph and photo, but I was not feeling well as the night went on. It was fun going with Allison though.

And Tom spent some quality time with Allison on Saturday after she got home from work. Tom was still thinking of selling his car, the Vibe,  so he posted it on ebay and had someone come look at it. The customer noted that the car needed new tires and would cost about $400, so they were not interested in spending $10,000 that Tom was asking. And Tom decided he did not want to spend money on new tires either. So off he went to CAr Max and traded in the Vibe for a Honda Fit. So we have a new car and if Allison needs a car at school in September she is all set. Especially since none of us liked the Vibe(except for Tom). And Tom loves to drive the Toyota Echo-more power to him.
 

 It was nice to do something fun this weekend since work continues to drive me crazy! My new bosses decided not to pay me completely for working a full overtime day last Friday. I work 4 days a week, which means anything past that is overtime. They said that Human Resources gave them instruction to pay me less. Fortunately, our new administrator was able to straighten them out and request that they pay me my full salary for the day and any other day I worked past 4 days. I was holding off on offering my services for any other overtime until I knew they were going to pay me adequately. They thought they could get a substitute for me instead of having me work. To their surprise they couldn't get a substitute and they needed me to work.  And now they actually have to pay me! Imagine that.  I just keep thinking "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!". So I went in to work on Friday morning. Although I was kinda hoping they would have found someone else. I started my new stronger medication and I was not sure how I would feel.  But there is a shortage of us OTs so it is good for me!

So I am off to read Scott's paper and I look forward to an evening of The Walking Dead and The Apprentice.  Here is a picture Scott did of a squid and Allison with her car.

Baltimore Blog

Happy St Patrick's Day! We have been busy celebrating all week! Allison and I started the weekend off on Saturday morning singing with the GS choir in a St Patrick's Day parade. We ended the evening singing with the GS choir in a GS Talent show. Unfortunately it was an hour drive there and an hour drive back just to sing for 12 minutes! But they needed all the help they could get. In between I was resting up for a St Patrick's Day party at our neighbors. I am still not feeling great, but it was nice to sit and talk to the neighbor women who I had not chatted with since the Super Bowl. Tom had enough chatting and left early with our neighbor. Scott and I had to be pried out of the house. Allison stayed home to do school work.

Allison had to work Friday night and Sunday afternoon, so she did not have alot of free time. She also was dragged over to CarMax on Friday afternoon to test drive new/used cars. I mentioned that Allison could use a newer car if she needs one at college-one built in this century. Tom wasn't too keen on the idea, but thought about it and was going to sacrifice his Vibe for a trade in. He would drive the Toyota Echo that Allison uses and she could have the new car. They both settled on a Honda Fit. Very nice hatchback, 4 door. And they found a 2yr old car in her favorite color(blue) with 14, 000 miles. Then Tom found a brand new Honda Fit for only $300 more dollars. Crazy! But he did not get quite as much of a trade in value on his Vibe that he wanted, so we opted to postpone. We are not sure if Allison really needs a new car at school, but if she does, we still have time. I just didn't want her commuting back and forth for 2.5 hrs in a run down car. She doesn't need to blow off the Bay Bridge! But we hear they also have shuttle buses that drive back and forth to the airport, so she could take that when she comes home for break. Anyway, we will learn more about her school when we go for a tour at EAster.

And we were busy with SCott and his scout troop as they held a Court of Honor. That is where they pass out any badges the boys have earned recently and give out awards. Scott was sad not to be chosen for the Order of the Arrow-an NHS for boy scouts including a scout "hazing" ritual where the boy has to sleep in a tent alone(Scott loves that), limited food(not so great) and no talking(Scott would die) for a whole weekend. We told him he is pretty busy right now and he can wait. He did however get sworn in as a Patrol Leader. And he got recognized for his Dog Care badge. And for taking a leadership training class. So he was happy with the dinner and dessert and their skit. 

Meanwhile, I was so busy and worn out from work(don't like our new bosses-we have 4 and they all say different things. I have a continuous headache!). Anyway, I missed the GS Board meeting last Tuesday night. So did Allison. I did not get it on my calendar fast enough and they did not send out a reminder email. Too much stuff, too little time.

I did manage to get the dog to the groomers on Sunday after mass. And I did manage to go into work for an extra day on Friday because it has been so busy. Naturally one of the new bosses messed up my time card for that day. Lovely. Anyhow, while I was at work, Tom very nicely dropped me off and took in my mini van for an oil change. It was also making strange beeping sounds. And they wanted to sell him new tires(over $1000!). Apparently my mini van tires are not cheap though but Tom hates the dealership hassle. 

Here is last week's blog:

Happy Spring Ahead! We survived our great Snowquestrian Storm that wasn't last week. Even so, schools were closed last Weds as a monster snow storm and rain storm came together over the eastern shore. Here in Baltimore we were lucky to receive mostly rain and wind. Although we started out with snow, slush and sleet that morning. At work we were concerned about making it home in the afternoon since the worst of the storm was supposed to arrive around 4pm. We pushed our patients into the morning slots and made our supervisors nervous as we all hoped to get out early. The work community offers us a cot to sleep over in case we think we can't get back to work. They don't want us cancelling our patients. As you can imagine, none of us therapists really want to spend the night! It usually means no sleep and you are put to work in the evening with the nursing staff after treating your patients all day. And no extra pay! Sounds great huh?  So all the drama was for naught. We all made it to work and home and all the patients were treated.

And the kids were able to go to school on time the next day since the high winds dried up all the rain and we did not have to worry about freezing streets. Looks like most of the snow stayed out west and south in Virginia as well as north up the coast. Our big news was a truck that blew over the edge on our Bay Bridge.  So I was happy not to have to work on Friday to make up for any lost time.

Instead I spent Friday afternoon volunteering at Scott's school, matting the kids artwork for an upcoming Art Fair. Myself and a few other parents spent the afternoon matting the Kindergarten and Pre K classes work. What fun! The biggest challenge was trying to read the kid's names on their papers so we could label them. We also had a big laugh with one of the kids renditions of a giraffe. Looks like he had too many body parts. I am just saying. We considered censoring his art work. Should be an interesting night!

Scott was just happy I was there to pick him up right after school. Allison sometimes brings Scott home after her internship. She is busy starting her research project with the kids-comparing regular paper/pencil testing vs computerized testing. Her Kindergarten mentor is very excited about the project and is using Allison's results for the kids' report cards. Allison had spent an afternoon going over her research proposal with her mentor, but missed getting one last signature. I ran Allison's paperwork over to school for her and grabbed the teacher on her way in for a signature.  She told me how much she enjoys having Allison and what a wonderful job she has been doing. How independent and mature. It is so nice to hear. Makes us feel more comfortable about her going off to school this fall. I am just happy she has started her actual research since the results are due the beginning of May. And time is flying by!

Fortunately Allison didn't have to work Friday night although they would have loved for her to come in. Instead she asked me to run out and pick up some supplies with her for a physics project she was working on that night with her classmate. I also wanted to check out some denim clothing at Kohls since Tom and I decided to go to Scott's school gala on Saturday night. They had a Blue Jean theme this year, so I thought it would be nice and casual. I did not think it was going to be completely Western, but that was pretty much the theme. I didn't find anything new that I liked. I really just wanted to get home since I had been on my feet for 3.5 hrs matting the kids work and I was exhausted.

I am still not feeling too great, adjusting to my new medication. I can't believe how tired I get at night and I haven't had much of an appetite. I was hoping to feel better if I rested on Saturday and that Tom and I could enjoy an evening out. Sadly I did not feel too well, but we still made it out to the school gala Saturday night. Although I did not eat or drink much of the party food, Tom and I enjoyed the silent auction and watching people actually ride the mechanical bull they set up. We opted to save our backs and necks and declined a ride along with the line dancing. I was just not into it. We also did well with the lottery wheel of alcohol! Too bad we did not get in the long line sooner since the choices of the alcohol were quickly dwindling. But after a few spins of the wheel, Tom and I brought home a 6pack of Killians beer, a bottle of Canadian whiskey and a light up cowboy boot mug for Scott! And I won the silent auction for a $100 Silpada necklace for $35. We tried for lots of restaurant gift cards and even a gift for Scott=Art Teacher for a Day with a limo ride to lunch at a local restaurant. But sadly we were out bid.  On everything but the necklace. So we tried not to stay late since I had to get up early and pick up Scott from Boy Scout camp, and we lost an hour of sleep.

The Boy Scouts have a themed weekend camping trip that Scott went to last year and seemed to enjoy. I thought he should go again, especially since his classmate was going and his mom was driving. Her son was in the county spelling bee so he couldn't go on Friday night, but she was driving him up to boy scout camp Saturday morning before all the activities started. Scott was a bit burned out from scouting every weekend. Plus he had to go to a planning meeting last Monday night for new Patrol Leaders. And Tom thought he needed a break, but the weekend weather was supposed to be nice and I thought he would do better getting out for the day rather than sitting on his butt in front of the computer all day. Instead he spent the day shooting rifles and throwing axes! Much healthier activities don't you think! I got up nice and early Sunday morning(6am) and headed out the door by 7 to arrive at 845 to get the boys. They were happy to see me. Then I came home and slept!

Allison had to work Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, and then had her last indoor field hockey games. I think she will miss it, but not enough to sign up for the spring season. She has a hard time breathing outside in the cut grass, especially with all that equipment on. She prefers the fall season, although that can be tough too on the breathing(hayfever).

I spent Thursday night at a meeting at church to discuss the upcoming Confirmation program. Our pastor decided to move the kids confirmation program to high school. We parents are not too thrilled. This means Scott will have to attend Sunday night youth group since he won't be at a catholic high school. He also has to go to 10 confirmation classes, do Service work and attend a retreat. The kids can do it over 3-4 years time, but they have to be in a religion program the year before and the year during(which could mean 2 years of Sunday night youth group if you miss the classes, retreat and service work. We are going to shoot for 9th grade confirmation. I am sure Scott would much rather make his confirmation with his friends as well. We did request that the priest consider allowing the kids the opportunity to attend their retreat in 8th grade as well as complete their service work. He was very open to those suggestions. I also had the opportunity to let him know that Allison was "fired" as a peer minister from the retreat program after 2 years by the coordinator because she felt Allison was not dedicated enough to the program. Amazing, other activities get it the way like sports or work, and we have to make some changes. But Allison got all her programs completed and did a fabulous job. Not only that, it was a volunteer job that I had to pay for! The woman running the program is no longer in charge. The priest had given her a new responsibility and he was shocked to hear about Allison. Another religious ed teacher begged Allison to come help her! But I told her it was too late, Allison was going off to college this coming year. Our pastor thinks moving the confirmation to high school will keep the kids more involved with church. We think they will lose more kids. We'll see. Apparently other parishes do this. I made my confirmation in 8th grade and never had time to go to any religious ed programs while I was in high school-too many other activities got in the way(sports, piano, work). Looks like we are going to be even busier!

Gee, what a surprise!
 

I was just waking up Sunday afternoon and when I sat down to type my blog and I was ready to go back to bed! Allison and I were up all Saturday night at the Girl Scout Mall Event this past weekend. The younger girls spend the night working on badges and projects. The older girls, like my troop run all the events. This was their last time. You can tell they are getting older because a few of them fell asleep before the event was over. I was just excited that I stayed up all night! And no caffeine! I can't really do caffeine anymore with my blood pressure. The Food court was open most of the night, so it is fun to have dinner around 3am. Allison was just disappointed that the Chinese restaurant closed. She had to settle for Taco Bell. I also had time to pick up a few GS souvenirs while the girls were busy with their weaving project: Gods Eyes. They all did well and we were home in bed by 6am. And all 7 girls were able to attend.  Allison was able to count her hours towards her NHS service time, so I think she is done now with the requirements.  Tom and Scott were busy this morning as Scott served mass again. And then they started in on some projects:Scott had homework and tried his hand at root beer making with a kit he got at Christmas. Tom scrubbed down our kitchen cabinets with Murphy's oil soap.

I did not get much done on Saturday since I mostly napped. I did get some housework done. And as Mark S mentioned, it is time to put away the snowmen and take out the Spring decorations. There are too many holidays in March this year! Allison had to work both Friday night and Saturday afternoon at the rink. At least she didn't have to get up early on Saturday for piano as her teacher had her own performance to worry about.
I also did not get much done on Friday since I had a doctor follow up appointment and she sent me off to a cardiologist at a large Baltimore hospital. Fortunately the cardiologist said my heart is in excellent shape and to stay on the BP medication. I just wish I wasn't so tired all the time. And the symptoms are taking awhile to clear up. But it could take 2 more weeks to adjust. At least Tom and I had time to have lunch together Friday afternoon since he was off work. We would have liked to join our neighbors for dinner on Saturday night, but I was busy napping getting ready to stay up all night. Our neighbor's wife is taking a traveling nurse manager job in Oklahoma and will be leaving for 3 months. She is still not finding any full time jobs here in our area. I guess we will see here in 3 months!

 Scott was busy with boy scouts as well. He had a Leadership training class all day on Saturday. I would have loved to have sent my new boss. We are still not seeing eye to eye. But she is learning the ropes. It just takes time(and patience which is my downfall). I think everyone in the health care field is a little nervous after Obama signed in all the financial cuts which will affect Medicare. Thank goodness though that we sent $60 billion in aid to Syria.

And the Defense world could be in trouble as well. Fortunately Tom and I are quite busy at work at the moment. Let's hope it stays that way!

Tom took Scott to his BS meeting this past week. Scott did a quick presentation on the summer camp Hawk Mountain in PA that the boys will be going to this year. Scott went last year, but the troop has never been so they wanted a personal report. Tom also went to a BS parents meeting on Monday. We really do like this troop-so much more organized. Scott is also busy with swimming and finished his last Fitness class. Now he and Allison can just go work out in the gym at the Y.

We say goodbye to February and Hello to March and spring! I noticed our spring flowers are starting to pop up when I took Cookie for her walk around the neighborhood this weekend.

Also a Big Happy Birthday to Tom's sister Susan and her husband John!

 Here are photos from our late night at the mall, including the God's Eye project the girls were making and a visit from our Naturalist with his new red shouldered hawk at our local GS camp. Allison used to work at the Nature Center during summer camp but just with hissing cockroaches and snakes!

PS They are paying our RAven Quarterback Joe Flacco 120.6 million for the next 6 years. The highest paid quarterback ever. Crazy. I had to send our nephew Eric S a Super Bowl tshirt for his bday this past month since he is such a big fan. I also had to send our neice Sarah a shirt in honor of her presence at the Super Bowl on the field during the half time Beyonce show. Enjoy both of you!

See you next weekend!