I LOVETH EDMONTON MUCHLY

9:06 AM Posted In Edit This 8 Comments »
This place is amazing! The people here are amazing! Specially Mackey and her family. Edmonton is soooooooo big - you could never be bored here. Yesterday we went to the West Edmonton Mall - that place is HUGEMONGO!! They are filming a movie with Patrick Swayze in it there. This mall makes me never want to go back to my mall at home - what's the friggin point??
I got some perty money.
I met some really interesting people.
I got into a fight at Wendy's with some dumb girl over bacon.
There is just soooooooo much to tell.
Sassy sent us some more fun to have!! :) We love you Sassyfrass!
I can't wait to get all my photos.
I am insanely glad that I fought my fear of flying, looked out the window, and made this trip. I have seen awsome art, sculptures, architecture.... wow!


BUH BYE FOR NOW, CANADA BOUND!!!!

1:48 AM Posted In Edit This 3 Comments »

I dunno if I will post whilst I am gone, or if I will wait till I get home!! But I am off to explore the great wild Canada and have some yogourt with Mackey!! HEEEHEEEEEEE!!!
EDIT:
I AM IN CANADA NOWWWWWWWWWW!!! The plane ride (when it finally happened) was awesome!! I saw the tops of the clouds man!! Mackey is cookin bacon for breakfast - and we are going to ride on a riverboat today!!! I have soooooo many pics to show you all, but I forgot my camera cord!! :)

I'M GONNA BE A KAN-ADIAN!!!

6:21 AM Posted In , Edit This 4 Comments »

Can the weather be any stranger this year?? This was taken AFTER most of the flood water had receded, on property out on Obee Road. This time around was horrible.


My idiothole brother's property. The ditches out there are all full of sand that used to be the roads. Tons of folks were stranded, getting rescued by firetrucks, and just astounded about the amounts of water that were there. We got almost 8 inches of rain in about 4 hours!! Of course these are all photos of the morning of the 24th, and the major flooding occured the night before on the 23rd.


Part of Obee Road washed out. Big chunks of it are just gone. It is much worse though further east.


This one was at Obee and 17th. The drop there was about a foot deep.
On Wednesday night, officials were telling people to stay out of Hutchinson. Shane works in South Hutch, so we were a bit worried about how he was going to get home. Our main street was basically underwater, and sooo soo many people just kept trying to drive through it all. Derrrr.


Yesterday, Riley graduated from Obee Pre-School!! She was so proud. All day Kindergarten for her next year! We were all so glad that school was able to be in session, though Halie's bus to the high school ended up running an hour late. They had to drive to another town just to get to Buhler. Shane Michael received an award for completing 1st grade math, 2cnd grade math, and reading over 100 books this year! (Not bad for a 1st grader!) Halie recieved an award for her volunteer work with Youth Friends, and is halfway to her letter!! My kids make me the very proud mom of a Kindergartener, a secondgrader, and a junior in high school! Yeeeeeehaaaaw school's out for the summer!!!

Hippy Daddy is home from the hospital!! He will be starting his regular dialysis schedule today, at Newton, Kansas. It is still a good 40 minute drive, but the people there are awesome. He is feeling pretty good, and he has a great attitude about it all. He swears he will follow the super strict diet they have prescribed for him, but so far he doesn't want to quit smoking. Maybe later. I just know I am glad to have him home and feeling better. I love my daddy so much, he's my rock, and my very best friend this world has ever given to me.

So then tommorow morning I leave for Canada - vacation for me for a week!! I am almost done packing, have a few shopping errands to run, and some last minute checking of things. I did find out I can take my ciggys to Canada on the plane so yea!! No $10 packs of smokes for meeeee! I hope I don't get lost in Denver...OMG!!!!!!! TOMMOROW I WILL BE A KAN-ADIAN!!!!

FEELING GOOD AND DAYS GONE BY

8:32 AM Posted In Edit This 8 Comments »

This morning I took Riley out to catch the school bus for one of the last times. To my suprise, the face in the driver's seat was someone I recognized and loved to pieces many many years ago when I was a little girl!! She was MY bus driver from kindergarten until 4th grade when my family had to move back into the city!! We only had a second to say hello and WOW!!! But she remembered me too, and said she has a granddaughter named Riley too!! She was the nicest bus driver ever, and she always had treats for us on Fridays, and at the end of the school year she brought ice cream bars. What a mess she must have had to clean up after that! When I was smaller - and laws were less strict - she let me sit on the compartment beside her seat and put the stop-sign out when we would pick up the other kids. I came in the house feeling such joy this morning that my little girl could meet someone so wonderful from my childhood!!
There are so many reasons that I could just pick up my family and move away from this town, this state, but days like this one remind me of why I have not. I love that some of my favorite teachers are now teaching my children, that things change, but also stay the same. My school is now my children's school.
It seems like latley there has been so much to worry about, so much pain in the world, fighting, arguing, and yet things like this make all the difference in the world to me!
Share a good memory today!

ADVENTURES AT THE VA HOSPITAL

7:03 AM Posted In , Edit This 5 Comments »
Daddy being a silly ass - he actually has some color back in his face! The one decent thing the VA actually changed was the beds. These new hospital beds conform to the patient's body and adjust automatically when they move. They even have lumbar support.


Believe it or not - this is his foot looking BETTER! Yack. He has about 55 pounds of water weight yet to lose. It is going to take a while. He will have dialysis again today, so hopefully he will feel even better soon.


Mar went with me to visit and cheer up Daddy. She took this pic for us. We took him outside alot to get some fresh air and ciggy breaks. Yeah he has some smokes then goes back to his room and his oxygen. :P

Of course I am completely disgusted with the "Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas." The complete incompetence of the nursing staff is unfuckingbelievable. One dude nurse he has is insaner than some of the nutcases up there. I wish someone would do an investigation of this particular VA HOSPITAL and see what kind of bullshit goes on. For one thing - they stuck my dad in a "dorm" type room with a guy who is constantly pissing all over the room. He's got some kind of mental issue, and he just pees wherever most of the time. He has a potty jug he hits once in a while. They don't have their own bathroom, so if Dad has to take a shit - he has to walk down the damn hallway to a bathroom. That means he has to buzz a nurse and wait 20 minutes for them to ask what he wants, then hope they show up to help him walk there. As high a risk Daddy is for staph infection, he needs to be in his own room. And yes they had plenty of empty single rooms to put him in. Last night his nurse came in to give him his meds, and she stuck her finger INSIDE his water cup!! GROSS. She did not wash her hands either. Then the guy nurse came in to check dads blood sugar - no hand washing. Then he stood there and yammered on and on about how the government will make you dissapear if you "rock the boat" so to speak - all the while holding a piss jug in his dirty little hands. I ended up throwing away Dad's oxygen tubing because it was on the floor with hair and crap all over it. I asked for a new one and the dude got all pissy about it. Jeeesh. I also put up little signs saying "wash your hands" for the staff. Me and Dad are betting on how long it takes before someone pulls them down. I just can't believe that the staff do not wash their hands - if not for the patient's protection - for their own. And this place takes the cake on filthy conditions. It is truly gross. I hate leaving him there alone. I wish I could just go stay with him until he comes home. The best VA hospital I have ever seen was in Columbia Missouri. They really do a good job there. I wish all the Veterans Hospitals would follow their lead.

HIPPY DADDY UPDATE....

8:47 AM Posted In Edit This 8 Comments »

Daddy finally got his first dialysis last night around 5pm. He lost 7 pounds of water weight in 2 hours. It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, and he is in pretty good spirits actually. If he had not agreed to get help when he did, I don't think he would have lived much longer. I can't even describe how bloated he was, and still is, but that will come off slowly as the week progresses and the dialysis continues. They are starting him off slowly, with just 2 hours each time for the week. Today he has the day off, but only because they "just don't do" it on Sundays at the VA - (techs need the day off you know)
Today when I go to see him, I am going to paste a sign above his head that says "WASH YOUR HANDS before attending to this patient!" Last time he was at the VA he ended up with a staff infection from dirty nurses and filthy conditions. Grrrr.
I just hope he will feel good enough to see that it is truly worth a shot. Life is so short anyways, and to go out without putting up a fight is just silly. No matter how bad life gets, at least there IS life. Regardless of what is to come, I am thankful for every day I get with my daddy, and thankful for every day I get to experience living.

WARNING - RANT RANT RANT....

10:23 PM Posted In Edit This 9 Comments »
YUP - I DID IT. TOLD THEM ALL TO FUCK OFF - STAY OUT OF MY LIFE - STAY AWAY FROM MY KIDS - GO TO HELL!!!! MY BROTHER, MY MOTHER - CAN KISS EACH OTHERS ASSES FOREVER - JUST LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE. TWO FUCKING PEAS IN A POD - LIARS - USERS - MANIPULATORS - ABUSERS. THINGS JUST BLEW UP SO BAD HERE TONIGHT. SO BAD. I WOULD LOVE TO SAY I HAVE NEVER FELT THIS BAD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE - BUT I FELT LIKE THIS MY WHOLE DAMN CHILDHOOD. MY DAD IS REALLY REALLY SICK. HE WOULD NOT GO WITH THE AMBULANCE PEOPLE. HE SAYS HE WILL CHECK HIMSELF INTO THE HOSPITAL IN THE MORNING. HE PROMISED. HE CAN'T DIE NOW - PLEASE DON'T LET HIM DIE. MY BROTHER CAN'T BE BOTHERED TO EVEN GO CHECK ON HIM. IM THE PSYCHO BITCH. FUCK HIM. I CAN'T TAKE THIS SHIT ANYMORE. I FEEL SO DAMN ALONE. SCARED. I CAN'T STOP CRYING AND MY GUTS FEEL LIKE THEY ARE ON FIRE. I HATE THAT MY FAMILY IS SO UTTERLY FUCKED UP. WHY CAN'T I JUST LIVE ON AND NOT CARE? I DON'T WANT TO CARE. DON'T WANT TO FEEL. I DON'T WANT TO BE SAD ANYMORE. NOTHING I DO WILL EVER BE GOOD ENOUGH. I WILL NEVER BE WORTH LOVING. NEVER.

Daddy has been admitted to the VA hospital as of 2pm my time. Thank you for the thoughts and prayers. The "kidney" doctor is not there today, so he is being "monitored" for now. Maybe by Monday he can get dialysis, when everyone is back from vacation.

HEY MAR!! SLUGBUG UUHMM ....PINK!!

6:33 AM Posted In Edit This 6 Comments »

Just needs a motor...


Perfect!! Since I was a little bitty girl child - I always always wanted a pink convertible volkswagon bug!! 'Cept I want mine more of a hot pink - yeah! I think now I need to add hybrid and bio-fuel using to the list these days. If I had one, then I could only take 2 kids at a time to the store with me - hmmmmm.
ONLY 8 DAYS TILL CANADA!!!

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO????

10:47 AM Posted In Edit This 6 Comments »
All's I had when you were born was a little 110 camera. I had just turned 19, and I still liked to color with crayons....


My gawd my glasses were hugely.




Ok, so your 16th Birthday is May 30th, but I was looking at your baby pictures and had to put a few of them on here. I can't believe you lived this long!! Heehee!



Love Mom

FEELING DRAINED AND DOWN

6:08 AM Posted In Edit This 5 Comments »
Sorry I haven't been around much. Things have been a bit pissy around here lately. Some of you know that I have never had a good relationship with my mother - and unfortunately things just keep getting worse with that woman. A while back she calls me and says she had put Halie on her car insurance and wanted to teach her how to drive. I figured as long as it was just mom and Halie - it should be ok. Yeah.... Turns out my mother has taken each and every driving day to bash me to my daughter. Then she told my child that if she came and lived with her - that things would be way better and oh so different than they are here in my home. As if I would ever allow THAT to happen! My mother and her husband had their foster care license's stripped from them because the courts found reason to believe that HE was abusing kids. I won't go into details - but I haven't left my kids at that house since. Mom tells Halie - "well he is my husband and if no one likes it they can kiss my ass" I don't know how that woman got a foster care license in the first place with what happened with me when I was a kid. I just can't believe she actually thought she could take my kid away from me. The sad part is I highly doubt she thought she could really help - I know she was thinking about the money - she could probly get some child support or something. Things with my teenage daughter and I have been strained - I have never had one of these before and she's never been one before. It's like the most heartbreaking thing I have ever dealt with. But damn my mother for being such a bitch! My dad told me to watch my back - I should have listened to him better. I haven't spoken to my mom yet - but when she calls again or I find the balls to call her - that's it. I just don't want anything to do with her, and I don't want her or her psycotic husband around my family. I have spent my whole life trying to please mother, have a relationship with mother, be loved by mother. I guess when you aren't wanted in the first place - things won't change in 35 years. Mother's Day sucked in that respect. Me an Halie spent the day fighting. I can't win.

MA'AM I HAVE YER CHICKEN...

6:37 AM Posted In Edit This 18 Comments »
THIS is the bestest strawberry my poor little garden has given to me so far!! I also harvested 2 pathetic little broccoli spears yesterday. It has not been a nice season for gardening. Hopefully my tomato plants will be a bit more impressive!


Ma'am I have yer chicken....


I made you a samwich.... but I eated it.

I should be getting my final grades after noon today! So far with what I have been told by my teachers, I again have a 4.0!!!! (Yes I am bragging!) I honestly didn't think I would be able to achieve it this time, but I ended up with an A in Business class, which is the class I was stressing about the most. This will mean one whole year - solid straight A's!! I worked my ass off for them though, so I figure I should get to brag for just a minute or two!! President's Honor Roll baby!! THANK GOD IT'S SUMMMMMERRRRRR!!! Only 15 days till Canada!!

GASP!! SAY IT AIN'T SO JR.!!!

7:45 PM Posted In , , Edit This 2 Comments »

Junior leaving DEI after '07

In a press conference May 10, 2007 in Mooresville, N.C., Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced his plans to part ways with Dale Earnhardt Inc. after the 2007 season.
Earnhardt Jr. did not announce which team, car number or sponsor he would be driving with in 2008, but said, "We have a great relationship with Budweiser and those things will be discussed. I enjoy driving Chevrolets and our relationship is very strong and I think I will be best suited driving a Chevrolet."
"It is important for me that DEI remain successful and to keep my father's legacy alive," Earnhardt said. "It has been a privilege for me to drive for DEI and will continue to be through the rest of this year."

THE TIDE IS HIGH BUT I'M HOLDIN ON....

6:34 AM Posted In , Edit This 5 Comments »
Looks like a lake... but it's not.


This guy had the best view of all the flooding around Hutchinson! Officials say this is the absolute worst flood we have had since the "great flood of 1929"...

It sure has been an eventful week around these parts. Though there has been a great deal of tragedy, the one good thing to come out of it all is the visibility of the beautiful spirit of Kansas. Everywhere you turn there are fundraisers, bake sales, collection jars, ect. Folks are gathering up clothing and supplies to be sent to Greensburg when needed. There is a helping hand to be found wherever one is needed, not just from here in Kansas, but all around the country as well. No matter what the weather, Kansas is home.

We took Riley back to the ENT doctor yesterday. She will have her surgery to get her little tonsils taken out on June the 5th. At least she won't miss any school, and I will be home from my trip to Canada. *eeeek*
TODAY IS MY LAST DAY OF SCHOOOOOL!!! YEEHAW SUMMER!!

HUTCHINSON, KANSAS FLOODING

11:22 AM Posted In , , , Edit This 11 Comments »
The townspeople checking out the flooding of the Arkansas River on the Main Street Bridge to South Hutchinson.


View of the Arkansas River from Carey Park.

Flooding over 56th Street and Pennington Road.


Matinez Bike Trail washed out.


Fish in the road at 56th and Pennington.


Man trying to catch fish in the road at 56th and Pennington.


Mitchell Chapel at 56th and Pennington Road.

Unfortunately, the rivers have not crested yet, so this is going to get worse before it gets better. They were evacuating folks by boat last night, and using helicopters to search for victims. Many places in Kansas are flooded right now, but this is the view from where I call home.

05.06.07 ROUND THREE

11:01 AM Posted In , , Edit This 9 Comments »

5:30 P.M. Tornado warning for Reno County - later became a warning for The City of Hutchinson....

Out on Rayl's Hill - Just west of town before the heavy rain and tornado sirens for Hutchinson went off. I have no idea what this was, but I was on west 4th street about 2 miles east of Centennial road. There were two "minor" tornado touchdowns during the storm, both of which caused minor damage to trees. One touchdown was near 4th Avenue and Centennial in Hutchinson and the other near Langdon.





Lightning around 9PM around the Hutchinson water tower.

Approximately 137 tornadoes touched down over the weekend in parts of Illinois, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Nebraska, though most damage elsewhere was minimal, officials said. Check out stormchaser video here.

If you would like to help the families affected by this disaster, Donations may be made to: United Way of Reno County Greensburg Relief, P.O. Box 2230, Hutchinson, KS 67504-2230. Contributions must be designated as "Greensburg Relief".

GREENSBURG, KANSAS DESTROYED BY TORNADO

12:22 AM Posted In , Edit This 4 Comments »

Lightning show....


When you live in Kansas, the only question you have is - when. When will the big one hit your town? Last night's severe weather brought an estimated mile wide wedge tornado and complete devastation to the town of Greensburg. There have been at least 7 deaths reported, many injuries, and this morning, there are still people missing. The tornado continued on a north-east path for over 26 miles. This one was not the kind I would wish to see, much less chase. I did go out along the edges to catch some lightning, but when a strike hit the ground about 200 yards from my face - I went home. I actually got lucky I didn't get hurt this time.
Click here for news and videos of the storm.

Please please keep our friend Simply Amethyst in your hearts and prayers.
If you would like to help the families affected by this disaster, Donations may be made to: United Way of Reno County Greensburg Relief, P.O. Box 2230, Hutchinson, KS 67504-2230. Contributions must be designated as "Greensburg Relief".
We are expecting another round of the same tonight and tommorow, almost over the top of the same areas. Marshall Law is now in place for Greensburg.

BEECUZ I SAID SO...

5:10 AM Posted In , , Edit This 9 Comments »

All the bees are missing! It was the aliens I tell you.... ma'am is this your chicken??
It's totally no fair - Nickelback will be in Edmonton with Daughtry and Puddle of Mud on July 30th. *Sob* Mackey - you better go and not pass out for me! Oh why oh whyyyyyy couldn't they have scheduled for MAY??? NO FAIR!!
Only 23 more days till Canadia!! I'm glad I got my passport when I did, it seems to be an issue for people lately. It's taking a long time, and people are having to cancel vacations.
Only 7 days of school left!! Next week is finals week, but I already had mine for Art Ed. I have to present the business plan with my group, portfolio review for Typography, and take a test for photog class. I turn in my portfolio tonight for that one. It's been a bit hectic around here!

AS THE GARDEN GROWS

5:28 AM Posted In , , Edit This 6 Comments »

Almost ready!! Yummmmm... So Happy May Day! My garden is looking good by cracky! My new beans are finally up, about 30 sugar snap pea plants are about 3 inches tall, cucumbers and zucchini are up, and my radishes are healthy. We spent last evening weeding and applying Miracle Grow to everything. That stuff is awesome. There is just something about working outside that brings so much satisfaction....
Hippy Daddy is set to start dialysis within the next few weeks. His CT, and PET scans came out all clear, and he began treatments yesterday for the bladder cancer. They were able to remove the tumors a while back, and now they are coating his bladder and pp parts with something that is supposed to inhibit any further growth. I dunno what it is called, but he has to do it once a week for 6 weeks. The VA is setting him up for dialysis at Newton Hospital, which is about 30 minutes away from here. I guess the Hutchinson Hospital no longer wanted to accept the payment the VA offered, so staying here at home for treatment isn't an option anymore. Yesterday his doctor said it was time, and that once he has a treatment, he should be able to breathe better, and feel better too. Right now he looks and sounds terrible. We have lost so many family members to kidney failure. Hopefully this will be something good.
June 2007
April 2007