Who Do I Care Most About?

Who do I care most about?  Most definitely my children.  There’s no other answer for that question.  Sydney undoubtedly saved my life and Connor came along at a time when I needed to learn how to be patient again.  He has definitely changed me for the better.  I’m sure that Sydney is thankful that I have become refocused on my children and have tried to rein in my impatientness.  After all, she is the one who deserves to act impatiently.  (She is 8, going on 13!)
I also love my husband.  He is probably the only person in the world who loves me enough to stick around even though I am crazy!  I know I couldn’t live with myself if he and the children weren’t here!  I’d go absolutely stir crazy!

To think that three years ago, you could not have told me I’d be any happier than I was then, but I am so happy.  My life is right where it is supposed to be.  I have a husband who adores me, a daughter who couldn’t love me any more, and who I am so proud of and love, and a son that is thriving, smilie, happy, and lovey!!!  Photography is going well, and my job isn’t too bad!

I think that ranking just about up there with these three people are my grandparents and my parents and my brother!!!  I truly wouldn’t be who I am without them, and I wouldn’t have what I have without them… good or bad, they love me and I love them.  Plus, my brother was smart enough to marry this really cool girl who I couldn’t love anymore than I already do!  I just wish I didn’t miss them so bad!!!!

Anyways.  There’s an entry about who I care the most about!!!!

 

A Day In Court

Today I had court.

Before you freak out, it was for speeding.

I was scared to death all morning, nervous, anxious. However you put it, it was FEAR.

I left the office around noon, armed with information on traffic school online, my last plea if it came down to it, for having my charges reduced or gone. I had to take proof of insurance since the insurance card in the Vibe when I got pulled over was expired… as of MARCH of this year.

I got to court and the funniest little old man came in and started to explain to us the rules of the court room. He was humorous. Talking about respect and dress code and “hooligans”. Then the judge came on the tv (a video tape) and informed us of our rights and the pleas we could make and what they meant. Then I mentally freaked out because the tape said that if you enter a plea of not guilty you come back for a hearing. (ugh!) So I prepared to gather the courage to ask the judge if this was the case for a speeding ticket.

Everyone rises, the judge comes in. He doesn’t look “too tough”. He calls the first guy. He goes up, is there on an infraction of parking in a handicapped spot and he pleads guilty…

Then the judge tells him that pleading guilty will result in a $250 fine and that if he states not guilty he can go to court and pay LESS fees and pretty much tells him to plead not guilty. So he states, “not guilty” and goes out to the lobby. The call someone else, they aren’t there. Then they say…

Erika R i c e.

I go up and realize they are calling two other people with me. I go first, he asks me if I understand my rights, I state yes, but that I wondered if I plead not guilty on this charge if I will have a hearing set. The judge explains to me that I will, and so I state that I would like to enter a plea of no contest. He explains to me what no contest means, which I state I understand, and then he asks me if I have any more information for him in regards to my charge. I then state that I do and that my husband is unemployed and that I am working part-time and came on my lunch and that we really can’t afford to pay the fine and that I have looked into traffic school… at which point he interrupts me (kindly) and apologises for interrupting me, but states that he knows I am a really good person and that he is going to reduce my violation to a no-points violation and that he will find me indigent and I will not be required to pay any fees. I then ask if I need to give him proof of insurance and he tells me that I can just give it to the clerk. Then I let out a big sigh of relief and leave the court room. I would be lying if I didn’t get a little emotional about the whole not being able to afford it. Which is why I think he let me off, but he seemed really nice, and I haven’t had any infractions since three years ago, when I got my… oh. Well. I guess I have had three speeding tickets in my life. One in January of 2003… one in July of 2005 and this last one that was June of 2008. Wow. I guess I need to keep my foot off the gas.

Thankful for small miracles. We really could not afford a ticket.

Good news! (Well, other than above)

Travis has a job. He’s been working for a week and a half now. I have a meeting tomorrow morning with a photographer who is looking for another photographer to work with him. (Fingers crossed!) and I have an interview next week at T I P P city Vet H o s pital. Which would be funny if I got that, because my brother works at a vet hospital.

Kids are doing wonderful. The other night, J E F F my evil parent, screamed at me from the bleachers and made a huge ass of himself. Then last night we got double booked on a field, so we were not able to play either. Fourth of July is tomorrow, Connor is 7 months tomorrow also! Sydney will undoubtedly want to go to the West Milton fireworks, (they have a festival with rides). Perhaps we should call one of her friends to go with us so she has someone to ride rides with? Hmm. To think about.

Well. Almost time to go here at work. I’m going to start the closing portion of my day.

♥

 

Home is…

Where the people who I love most in the world are. Home is my husband, my children, my grandparents, my parents, my brother, my sister. Home is where people love me, where I can be myself and not be judged. Home is where I am happy, where I can cry and where I can scream and let it go. Home is where I can be forgiven, and also forgive. Home is where I laugh, where I smile, where I am me.

Home is most definitely with whoever is in my heart and where ever my heart is.

 

S is for Stress

Readers, today, I am TIRED.

Last night the mini-girls and I, we won a game. Killed the opposing team, actually. The girls were on. They were hitting like crazy, which is why we won because our defense was NOT the best. To be honest, there was lack of hustle. But. At the end, they were hustling and the other team pretty much just gave up. Which is fine because we were run ruling them anyways. Syd was rocking the bat too. She’s using a heavier bat, and she’s really been able to smack the ball. We have another game tomorrow night, but I’m not sure how that is going to pan out because we are supposed to get a lot of rain.

So the hubby has an interview next week at a local hospital. :: fingers crossed :: I really hope he gets it. The car company wants to repo my car. Well, not repo so much as to “buy it from me” because I owe less than what the car is worth, so really they want to take advantage of my situation under the guise of “helping me out”. The stupid effin’ attorney still HAS NOT called me back about the $400 she wanted in regards to hiring an “expert” to testify about the condition of the car that Richmond Toy-ota sold us. Ugh. That car does not even START, and hasn’t since we brought it home.

Bottom line today:

I am stressed out about money. I don’t feel good. I am stressed.

 

What’s Been Going On

Well!  Where do I start???  Softball season is going well.  No more problems with parents, everything is out in the open and it is so much more fun to coach now that I don’t dread going to the games.  We’ve lost a couple, but won a couple too.  It doesn’t help when coaches CHEAT! and they scream at their daughters on the field.  (Total jackass)  Connor has both little teeth in the bottom and he is starting to scoot around all over the place.  He smiles and laughs and gets up on all fours and does little froggy hops.  It’s just a matter of time before he is crawling all over the place.  (We really do need to childproof soon!)

Sydney is doing fantastic.  Out of school for the summer, enjoying softball, and spending time with grandma and grandpa.  We haven’t gone swimming yet, and this week looks to be low in temp, so hopefully in a couple weeks or so.  She starts soccer in July, and I have signed up to coach that as well!  !!OH!!  And she made the competition cheering team.  (She had to try out)  She was super stoked!  One of the little girls told Syd that she was “terrible” at cheering, and wouldn’t you know it, that little girl didn’t make the squad, but Syd did.  Ha!

This coming weekend we head out to Illinois to visit and celebrate my brother and Andrea’s nuptials.  It was supposed to have been a wedding, but things just didn’t work out that way.  I’m super glad I was able to make it to the ones in Chicago now.  It would have sucked to miss it.  Even if it was a crazy trip with a new baby.  The hotel we’re staying at has a pool and hot tub, and trust me, we are going to take advantage of that!!! 

I’m working part time at a Chiropractic office, and hubby is still UE.  Things are pretty tight, I just hate stressing about money and worrying that our car is going to get repo’d.  However, I finish up my UE hearing next week, hopefully it will be approved and we can get a big check from all the $ they owe me.  I think I’m going to go back to school this fall for Education.  We shall see.  I need to start something, because it’s going to be three years down the road, and I’m still going to be saying I need to do it.

 

There is something really effin’ wrong with this…

Fifty percent of soldiers who killed themselves had recently suffered a failed relationship with a spouse, girlfriend or other loved one.

What are we doing about this? It is NOT fair to our soldiers.

we need to bring them the fuck home because when they aren’t killing themselves, we’re killing them by keeping them over there…

 

Our First Loss

Well tonight we played Jackson.  I’m not really sure why it was called Jackson, seeing as it was in/near Campbellstown, on Campbellsville-Connorstown road or some crap like that.  The girls put forth an excellent effort, too bad the player who played the pitcher position on the field on Jackson was the whole team and she kicked our butts.

Our batting wasn’t the best tonight either, though and the girls didn’t have very much hustle in them.  Our “best player ever” missed 3 balls she should have caught (best player ever according to her dad, who told her NOT to tell me that Jackson can bat… which is pretty shoddy considering but wtf ever.)  So she’s in the outfield next game for a couple of innings.  We’ve got another game on Friday, playing the other FM team, who I imagine we will beat, but I guess we will see.  Sydney didn’t pay attention to the batters on the other team, and one of the other girls was playing in the sand, and when she asked me if she could play a base, I told her that when she stops playing in the dirt, maybe I’ll put her on a base.

Coaching is hard work.  Really.  No problems with parents everything went well.  I’m excited for our next game and not dreading them anymore.  Thank GOD!

Work today went fast and was productive.  I moved the office around so I am most efficient with my time and energies.

My Dad might be coming to Syd’s game on Friday, and my other Dad is heartbroken because my mom was a CUNT.

Yes.  The c word.

That is all for now.

 

Ugh.

I just noticed that I put UGH in the last four of my five posts, I believe.

Whoa!

ps. Connor bug has a tooth!!! his left front one and the right front one is on the way…

Whoa again!!

 

Memorial Day Weekend version 2008

So this weekend has been a busy busy one. Firstly, let me say that I sorted out things with the parents, and all things should be resolved and good currently. I still do not know where exactly our game is on Tuesday, and so I don’t know where we are going. I must find out tomorrow.

Yesterday my littlest brother Colt graduated from high school. Come to find out, he almost didn’t make it to graduation as he totaled his bike (motor) on Friday night taking out a few signs on the way with his body. Needless to say, thanks to his helmet and body Kevlar coat, he was able to breathe and be alive. Thank god. So Sydney, Connor and I went to that on Saturday morning, leaving Daddy dearest behind to stay at home. Then yesterday afternoon, we headed to my cousin’s house to her son’s graduation party. I saw most of my family from my grandmother’s side. Today we had a little shindig at Taira & Jeff’s for Jeff’s 29th birthday party. I baked a cake, chocolate on chocolate with pink writing and little red sprinkles. It was de-lish. Travis and Jeff got drunk and now my husband is in bed smelling of a brewery and no doubt, wanting to get lucky. Ha!

My father called me tonight. Seems that my mother is back with the son of a who broke up their marriage. My dad showed up there and she had the nerve to tell him to get the fuck out of her house and that she was in love with this guy and how she has always been in love with him. I say what the fuck ever. She can be such a fucking heartless bitch. This guy is a controlling, emotionally, verbally abusive asshole. Ugh.

Tomorrow is just another day. Memorial day, that is. Travis and I may be going out to eat for our 2 year wedding anniversary, which occured on May 20th. Two years. Crazy ass shit.

Heading to bed now. No pictures to post, unfortunately. I need to get out of that habit and start putting some up here.

 

Coaching is a pain in the ass.

For those of you who don’t know, I am coaching a mini-girls softball team. The focus for this age group is really for them to learn and have fun. This is my focus and my concern. At our second practice, I had to inform the parents that I needed to change practices from Tuesday afternoons to Saturday mornings. One parent, we’ll call him HMan, gave me grief.
Here’s how it went:

me: I’m going to have to change practices from Tuesdays to Saturdays because I am starting a new job and I can’t do it.

him: I don’t know why we can’t just keep having practice on Tuesdays and have it over at the school instead of here.

me: I can’t do it on Tuesdays.

him: You don’t have to get nasty about it.

me: I’m not being nasty, I just am starting a new job and can’t do Tuesdays.

him: I think you’re just going to screw up everyone’s schedules if you change the practices.

So. Fast forward to our first game, last Saturday. HMan is not there but HWoman is. His wife. I am alternating the girls positions on the field and she tells me, “You shouldn’t switch their positions, you are just going to confuse them and they aren’t going to know what to do.” I ignore her.

So because I had like four parents all over my crap on Saturday, I type up a little friendly reminder about keeping coaching from the stands to a minimum and to stay out of the dug out if possible and about snacks and how our girls are awesome.

She then yells at me from the side lines when I am trying to tell the girls in the dug out to chill, “Pay attention to the batter.” (I pitch)

Ugh.