Yucky Day + Toddler + Beach = Seagull Chasing Fun

Yesterday was a yucky day.  It was rainy.  It was cold-ish, (Ok, it was in the 60's which isn't cold for February, but in Florida, I consider it cold-ish).  I had a headache.  Nathan was vexatious to my spirit.  Bent on irritating me in every possible fashion.  We needed to get out of the house in order to save our relationship.  First we went to Memorial Hospital to visit my good friend Heather.  It's nice to talk to an adult once in a while!  Then we went to the beach.  The beach isn't usually the first place people think to go on a yucky day, but I'm not most people, as you well know.

Upon reaching the beach, Nathan and I noticed two things.  1. It was far more cold on the beach than it was inland.  2. There was a large flock of seagulls about 50 yards down the beach from us.  Nathan LOVES birds!  Once I pointed out the flock, he completely forgot how cold it was.  The following is a pictorial account of his encounter with the flock.  (For those of you who are on Facebook, sorry about the redundancy.)



Hi Birds!





Can I come play with you?

Wait, where are you going?



You want to play over there?



Ok, I'll come over there with you.

Wow!  The water is really cold! 



Hi!  My name is Naynay.  Can I pet you?




Hi Mommy!  This is my bird friend!



(I just liked this gull and his crazy eyebrows)

Hi birds!  Hi!!

I'm coming too!

Wait for me!

Maybe if I just sit here and dig, they will come to me.

Ok, I'll go slow so I won't scare you.

Wait!  I'm going slow!

See, I won't hurt you!  I want to pet you!



Bird friends!  I can't fly!!

 And then it started to rain, so we had to put the camera away and head for home.  All in all, it was a pretty good day for one without sunshine.  I'm sure the seagulls loved it too!

Long Slow Distance cardio vs. Interval Training

After my last post, my good friend Forrest wrote me an email and shared with me a tip that his personal trainer gave him.  He said that his personal trainer, ( the former human performance trainer for the USC football team.), told him that the best, most efficient way to burn fat and loose weight is with Long Slow Distance (LSD) training, (along with intervals.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_slow_distance

Upon further investigation of LSD, I find the fitness world divided into two camps.  One camp promotes LSD as the end all and be all of weight loss and fat burning, the other camp thinks you will actually get fatter, and that interval training, with resistance and core training is the way to go. 
This guy, David Modderman, makes a very good argument against LSD. 
http://www.davidmodderman.com/blog/index.php/weight-loss/long-slow-cardiomore-fat/

So where does this leave me in my seemingly never ending pursuit of fat burning and weight loss??  Honestly, it leaves me wanting to crawl under the covers and sleep until the world makes up it's mind about things!  I had planned on trying out an LSD run tonight to see how it goes.  Now, I think I'll just run intervals.  Tomorrow and Wednesday are Krav nights, and Thursday is boot camp.  If I add running intervals tonight, Friday, and Saturday to the three hours of heavy resistance, core, and light cardio at the gym, that should round out everything nicely, don't you think??  Maybe.  Or maybe I should try LSD this week with the three gym hours.  Oh I just don't know!!!  Maybe I'll just go take a nap.

Countdown To The Big 4-0

In a little less than a year and a half I will turn 40.  Way back when I turned 30, my metabolism changed and I started gaining weight.  (This may or may not have had anything to do with the birth of Annalise, who was nine months old when I turned 30.)  I haven't seen my target weight, 130 pounds, since Annalise was a baby.  I think.  I can't actually remember if I got back down to that after she was born.  It might have been a pre-pregnancy weight goal I never made.  That was a long time ago. 
When I turned 35, I was 40 pounds over weight, which is considered obese.  I had no energy, I didn't feel good, I didn't look good, blah blah blah.  I made my New Years Resolution that year, (2009), to not be fat anymore.  I started running intervals in January.  In February I found out I was pregnant with Nathan.  I could have kept running since I started it before I got pregnant, but I got sick.  My boys have made me so sick all through my pregnancies with them.  (I was less sick with Leesie).  By the time Nathan was born, I was 60 pounds over weight.  I lost all the baby weight when he was born, and was back to being 40 pounds over weight.   My New Years Resolution in 2010 was the same as 2009.  I didn't want to be fat anymore.  I felt like I was approaching 40 too quickly and that I needed to get the weight off BEFORE that magical number locked my obesity on for good.  I got an exercise program called Power 90, the precursor to the popular P90X.
 http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/power90.do?code=SEMB_GOOGLE_P90&extcmp=g8f4907ed2860c1b&gclid=CLXZ-rD7k64CFQ1b7AodbWc0mg
It was difficult, but I managed to do it for three months, and lost 15 pounds!!  Woo Hoo!!  Then I got bored.  I started doing my work outs sporadically, and managed to keep those 15 pounds off, but didn't loose any more.  You know the drill.  You get bored with your work out, you stop loosing the weight, you get frustrated, you aren't motivated, you stop the work outs all together. 

Last spring, my doctor recommended that I read a book called The Abs Diet for Women, and follow it. 
http://www.absdietforwomen.com/uof/absdietforwomen/ps2/?keycode=132086
He also did some blood work to take a look at some hormone levels, and found that they needed adjustment.  All last summer I followed the Abs Diet for Women, and did what he prescribed to adjust my hormones.  I ran intervals, or did Nia
http://www.nianow.com/
a couple of times a week.   I lost three pounds.  Three stinking pounds.  Once again, I was frustrated and ready to give up.

  Fast forward to now.  I can't seem to move the scale, except to make it go up!  Since I've been taking Krav, I feel like I'm in the best shape I've been in since I was a teenager, but the weight is still there.  I still have chubby cheeks.  I still have back fat.  I still have a HUGE muffin top.  My thighs still rub together at the top.  ARG!! 
I've now got one and a half years to get this last 25 pounds off of me!  Why is it so important to get this done before I turn 40?  Because I've heard, and read that it's infinitely more difficult to loose weight after 40.  I can't imagine it being any more difficult than it is now, especially since I can't even seem to do it!  However, I really don't want to find out just exactly how much more difficult it is. 
I'm pretty sure my failing is in work out frequency.  When I was doing Power 90, I was working out for 45 minutes a day, six days a week.  Now, I go to Krav two nights a week.  That's an hour work out twice a week.  This past week, I went to a boot camp class at the same gym where I take Krav, so this week I've worked out three times, instead of twice.  The problem is time and motivation.  Time, because I've got three kids, but I CAN find the time if I WANT to.  (Well, not time to go to the gym for a class, but time to do something here.)  Motivation, because I've got nobody to work out with, except when we go to Krav.  I don't have someone who will run with me on days I don't have Krav.  I don't have anyone to hold me accountable, except me.  Also, I eat too much chocolate.  There, I said it.  It's my one downfall. 
I know I've focused almost completely on the work out aspect of weight loss, and not the diet part.  Food and I have never been good friends.  A lot of things make me feel yucky.  I don't like feeling yucky.  Therefore, most of the things people have to 'give up' in order to 'go on a diet' I don't have to do.  I don't eat fast food.  I don't eat processed, or prepared food.  I don't drink pop, except one glass on pizza night, I don't drink coffee, or tea, or alcohol.  I don't eat bread, or anything with wheat, oats, or barley in it, (except pizza on pizza night, and spaghetti when I forget to make myself rice), because I have a gluten sensitivity.  I have fresh veggies and fruit on hand as often as I can, and cook only lean meats and fish.  So the thing about food that I have a problem with is eating as often as you're supposed to, and not eating too much at one time.  And, of course, the chocolate thing.  I eat chocolate probably 1-2 times a day at least 5 days a week.  I have gotten it down to where I only eat one serving at a time, instead of sitting there and eating half the bag. 
So, oh great friends of mine, I have a job for you!  Hold me accountable!  Check in with me.  Give me motivation.  Ride my fanny if I don't get out there and do something.  I know none of you can actually work out with me, but maybe if I have to tell you that I skipped my run because I was too tired, or something, it will make me push it so I won't have to say that.  Did that even make any sense??  I am appealing to you to help me reach my goal.  The clock is ticking!!

Yes, that's me off to the side in a bikini.  Gabriel is about 28 months old, (jumping off the diving board).

This was taken on my 35th birthday.  NASTY!!! 

This was taken just before Christmas this year.  Getting better than the 35th birthday pic, but I've still got fat face going on!

Would You Do It?

How many of you have ridden on a real train?  Not the train at the zoo, or in the mall, and not the train at the airport, but a train like Amtrak?  Steve and I have both been on trains in Europe.  I was even fortunate enough to ride on a vintage 1940's train through the Czeck Republic, in addition to modern trains through Belgium and The Netherlands.  I can tell you, that old Czeck train was NOT comfortable like the modern trains are, and that was the first time that I have ever gotten motion sickness!  But it was cool looking! 
All three of my kids have always been interested in trains.  Thomas The Tank Engine does a pretty complete job of capturing the imaginations of children.  Gabriel has had trains since he was Nathan's age, so has Annalise.  Nathan, of course, has trains now too.  Gabriel and Annalise love to play with Nathan's trains as much has Nathan does! 
That having been said, I've been looking into taking a trip by train.  I've found out that Amtrak doesn't go everywhere, like airplanes do.  With a few exceptions, Amtrak runs up and down both the east and west coasts of the country.   So, I looked at the two nearest points of interest to us, and thought maybe we would make an over night train trip to one of them. 
The nearest point of interest to the north of us is Savannah, GA.  I've been to Savannah one time, and I've always wanted to go back.  It's so pretty, and the historic district is just amazing!  All those squares!  Plus Savannah offers quite a few different kinds of walking tours.  Gabriel and Annalise would think the Churches and Cemeteries tour is cool.  Yeah, I know, what can I say, they are my children!  Nathan isn't going to think anything is cool.  He's too little.  That's why God made strollers, parks, and ice cream.
The nearest point of interest to the south is Orlando.  I don't have to spell out the attractions in Orlando.  They are known world wide. 
Considering cost; a trip to Savannah is actually doable for our strained budget.  A trip to Orlando, not so much.  Considering time; the train ride up to Savannah is about 2 1/2 hours.  The train ride down to Orlando is nearly 4 hours.  As cool as riding on a train might be to them at first, I really believe that all three of my children would be over it well before we got to Orlando! 
So it looks like Savannah wins the "train trip" destination, right?  Not quite.  The other thing I've found out is that the trains don't run all the time, like airplanes do. Well, it seems there are only two trains that go from Jacksonville to Savannah.  One at 5 pm, and one at 11 pm.  That's not so bad.  We leave here around 5, and get to Savannah around 7:30, get something to eat and check into the hotel.  (The 11pm train is out completely.  That gives all new meaning to "Taking the Midnight Train to Georgia" and I'm not a Gladys Knight or a Pip fan!)  We could then get up in the morning and do a tour, and puts around, maybe go to Tybee, and then go back home around 5 and get home around 7:30, get some dinner and go to bed in our own beds.  Cool little trip!  Well, the schedule is COMPLETELY different for trains going from Savannah to Jacksonville!  There are still only two trains to choose from, but they both leave before dawn!  One leaves at 4:30am, the other leaves at 6:50am.  Not cool!! 
Back at the drawing board, I notice that the train that goes from here to Orlando stops in a  little town called DeLand, FL. 
http://www.deland.org/pages/index

The trip from Jacksonville to DeLand is about 2 hours by train.  There is a morning train around 10am, which would put us there around lunch time, then an afternoon train the next day that would get us home just before dinnertime.  Perfect schedule!
The question is, would you take your family on a train trip to some unknown tiny town in the middle of nowhere Florida just for the experience of riding on a train, and exploring a new little town?  Is it worth it?  What do you think?

I Heart Krav Maga

Those of you who are on Facebook know that Steve and Gabriel and I have been taking Krav Maga classes at a local gym since September. 
http://www.firstcoastfullcontact.com/Home_Page.php

This is the first class I have ever taken at a gym.  All of my adult fitness programs have been home programs.  I've never even joined a gym before.  The same is true for Steve and Gabriel, (boot camp and gym class don't count).  My friend Michelle started taking Krav Maga classes just before we moved down to Florida, and she LOVED the classes.  She talked about them all the time.  I knew it was something I wanted to do, just from listening to her talk about it.  She was so enthusiastic about everything that she learned in the class, and was constantly talking about how fun the class was.  That was about two years ago.  She hasn't stopped talking about how much she loves this class, or how fun it is.  After being in the class myself, I have to agree with her.  It's an amazing class!  It makes you feel so empowered!  And, like she always said, it's a lot of fun!  It's also a lot of work, but you don't really notice that until the class is over because you are having fun.  So, the big question people ask is, what the heck is Krav Maga??  (Or, as my Aunt calls it, (because she can't remember Krav Maga), Quick Draw McGraw.)  This link will take you to the history of Krav Maga.  Simply put, it's a self defense class.
http://www.force3training.com/Krav_Maga_History.html

You can find lots of cool videos of different Krav Maga techniques on youtube.  They are fun to watch.  They are even more fun to do! 
This one is one of my favorites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPETXhmVrtA

When my friend Michelle started taking Krav, and talking about what they were learning, I knew I wanted to take it, and I knew I wanted Gabriel to take it.  He was 11 years old at the time, and just entering middle school.  I remember middle school.  I remember boys having it tough in middle school and high school.  Especially quiet, smart, skinny boys like Gabriel.  At the gym where Michelle was taking Krav class, they had an age limit of 12.  I knew that I wanted Gabriel to take this class when he turned 12.  In September, when we started this class, he was 12 and a half.  Steve doesn't need this class.  First of all, he's so big that nobody would ever mess with him.  Secondly, he's so fierce that if someone did mess with him, he'd just flatten them.  He's really there for moral support for Gabriel and I.  And for us to have someone big to practice things on.  Don't get me wrong, he's learning things too, and he loves the class too, and if anyone ever did mess with him, he'd flatten them more effectively.  I'm just saying that when Michelle first turned me on to Krav, I thought about the benefits for Gabriel and I. 

The really great thing about our class is that we are the only three in it.  It's the latest time slot the gym has for classes, 7:30-8:30, and I'm pretty sure that's why nobody else is in the class with us.  There is an advanced BJJ class going on at the same time our Krav class is held, and as popular as BJJ is, there are only a handful of people in that one too.  So with just the three of us, the instructor can really focus on our form and give good one on one instruction.  We are really getting private lessons here!  He can also see clearly how much we have progressed since we started in September.  When we started, we were so timid.  When I say we, I mean Gabriel and I.  Our punches were weak and not threatening.  So were our kicks.  One of the first things we learned was how to get out of a choke hold.  The first time our instructor said to Gabriel, "You choke your mom."  Gabriel looked at him like he'd grown three heads, and said, "I'm NOT choking my mom!"  Additionally, when it was my turn to choke Gabriel, I'd just lightly put my hands around his neck, barely touching him.  In the past six months we've gotten over all of that nonsense!  We leave bruises on each other, we leave scratches on each other.  I left a pretty good mat burn on the side of Steve's face the class before last from throwing him off me when he had me pinned on my back on the floor.  Don't misunderstand me, we don't set out to hurt each other, and we do use safety equipment, but this is self defense.  In a real life situation, you are trying to harm another person so they don't do worse to you.  There are going to be bumps and bruises. 
For example, last night in class, we were learning to block a hay maker type attack.  The attacker had focus mitts on

so they wouldn't actually hurt the person practicing the block if they hit them.  I was Gabriel's attacker for part of the night last night.  He never once hit my mitt when he blocked my attack.  He hit the exact same spot on the soft, underside my forearm every time I attacked him!  Consequently, I've got a nice big, swollen bruise there today. 

Isn't it pretty??  It's all good though because I know two things.  1. I know he can block a punch like that, or even a knife attack like that.  2. I know that it's going to hurt the person who is trying to hurt him.  I like knowing he can take care of himself if he needs to.  It eases my worry of him being out there in the world without me to protect him.  Just like Steve didn't mind me marking up his face with a mat burn because he likes knowing that if anyone ever tries to pin me to the ground, I'll be able to take care of myself.  That eases his worry about me being here without him when he's over seas. 

We have a great time together in this class.  Gabriel and I have a great time together, just the two of us in the class, when Steve is gone.  It's a bonding experience for us, on top of everything else.  I honestly can't think of one single drawback to this class.  Annalise is still too small for this class.  She takes Tae Kwan Do at the same gym, but when she's 12 you can bet she's going to be in Krav Maga class with us! 

Dumb Cat in a Big Tree

This is Angelo.

This is the live oak in the neighbor's yard.  (The one with the green leaves on it.)

This is the story of a dumb cat in a big tree.
Last night, just as I was setting dinner on the table, someone knocked on our door.  It was our next door neighbor.  She said there was a cat in her tree and wondered if we had any good tree climbers in our family.  Steve and Gabriel went with her.  I stayed with Annalise and Nathan and continued to get dinner on the table.  A minute later, Steve and Gabriel came back in and said it was OUR cat that was in her tree, and he was really high and wouldn't come down, but he was crying incessantly.  They got some cat treats and went back out to try to get him down with those.  I decided to go too.  (Good thing we were having tacos, so it was ok if everything sat for a few minutes.)
They had a ladder that went up to the first fork in the trunk.  Gabriel hesitantly climbed to the top of the ladder, but was  afraid to go up into the tree.  That wasn't working.  Angelo was probably 25 ft up in that tree.  To my knowledge, Gabriel has never actually climbed a tree before.  I learned last night that he is also afraid of heights.  Steve got a taller ladder, and this time I went up.  I used to climb trees all the time when I was growing up, but it's probably been over 25 years since I've climbed one. 
Up the ladder I went, and when I got to the first fork in the tree, up the tree I went like a monkey.  What a great climbing tree that is!  There were foot holds EVERYWHERE!  I got all the way up to Angelo in what seemed like two seconds.  I scruffed him, and got him off his perch, and he clung to me with all four paws!  It was so cute!  His front paws were around my neck like a little kid!  Goofy cat!  I climbed back down the tree one handed, and scruffed him again to hand him off to Gabriel who had climbed the ladder again.  Angelo didn't like the transition, but clung to Gabriel just as he had clung to me.  Gabriel got down the ladder one handed with no problem.  Once I was back on the ground I took that dumb cat, because he wanted to get down and run to God only knows where.  Climbing that tree was fun, but it was getting dark, and I wanted to eat dinner, so I didn't really want to chase him around the neighborhood climbing every ones trees! 
All's well that ends well, and I found out that I still love to climb trees!  I'm completely sure that if Angelo hadn't been making such a racket with his constant meowing, the neighbors wouldn't have known he was there, and he would have gotten down himself eventually.   I'm glad they came and got us though, because they were about to call the fire department!  I'd have been so embarrassed if the fire department had to get my dumb cat out of a tree!  Sheesh!!
(Oh, one more thing, I didn't have any shoes on through all this.  :-P)

The World Is Giving Me An Ulcer

Those of you who know me, know I'm a cradle Catholic who left the church when I left home at 18.  I was, as all 18 year olds tend to be, out to find my own path and just knew the Catholic church had way too many man made rules that didn't have much to do with God.  I still wanted to be a child of God, I just wanted to do it my way.  I attended various churches, and studied various religions.  I came to the conclusion, nearly ten years later, that of the churches and religions out there, Catholics weren't even among the top 20 in man made rules that don't have much to do with God!  For me anyway, the Catholic church is home.  It turned out that a lot of my problems with the Catholic church stemmed from being poorly educated, and rebellious.
 
In the past two weeks, the Catholic church has opened my eyes to, and encouraged me to become more involved with what is going on in the outside world with regard to the abortion movement in this country.  I am NOT a politics person.  Politics makes zappy things going on in my brain, and then involuntary drooling starts.  All joking aside, I despise deceit, outright hatred, and injustice, and in my feeble mind, politics is the culmination of those things, among other insidious things that I can't even name.  I am also not a person who does well with confrontation and conflict.  Therefore, stating my position on "hot topics" like abortion, is not in my nature.  My beautiful friend Janice is fond of saying that God takes me out of my comfort zone so I can grow.  Well, I've been WAY out of my comfort zone these past two weeks, but the only thing I feel like I have grown is an ulcer.  I can tell you that I don't like it at all, and am ready to retreat back into my own little bubble and let stronger people than I deal with the issues of the world.  I am way too sensitive for this stuff! 
My medium over the past two weeks has been Facebook.  I'm an avid fb user.  Some would even call me a fb addict.  Yeah, I'll go along with that.  So, when I was sitting at Mass two weeks ago listening to Fr. Paul talk about how it was the 39th anniversary of  Roe Vs. Wade, and how the coming week would be dedicated to prayers for the sanctity of human life, I felt a pull to use my fb addition to support that endeavour.  Each day that week I posted a picture of some sort that represented my position to let the unborn live.  A woman I had been friends with since I was about nine years old took unprecedented offense to my daily posts, and unfriended me on facebook, and in life.  Ok, truth be told, I'd been trying to get her out of my life since we were about 19, so it wasn't that great a loss.  The act did, however, open my eyes to the level of hatred surrounding this one topic.  I subscribed to two pro-life organizations on fb that week.  One is called 180Movie.com, the other is called Live Action.  I have seen the hate on both sides of the issue in following both of these organizations for the past two weeks. 
This past week has had a double slam.  First, during Mass last Sunday, we were all told that the federal government is forcing us all to have insurance coverage that includes things the Catholic church, (and many other Christian churches), doesn't hold with, like contraception, sterilization, and abortions.  We were urged to write to our congress person, and senators.  The second thing was that probably the biggest anti breast cancer foundation, The Susan G Komen foundation, decided not to fund Planned Parenthood anymore.  By the end of this week, SGK had been bullied back into PP by scores of irate, hateful people.  I can't follow this stuff anymore.  I'm sick to my stomach to know that hate triumphs, and in order to get anything done in this country, you have to be hateful to a degree that my head cannot be wrapped around.  The hate posts I saw flying back and forth over this one single issue for the past two weeks has had me in a constant state of semi panic, and given me a headache and stomach ache. 
I've been accused of finding inspiration in crazy places before.  Like when I heard the Evanescence song Bring Me To Life and thought it sounded like a modern day psalm.  It really does!  Print out the lyrics and compare them to a psalm like 86.  They have the same elements!  Anyway, I was listening to a pop station on the radio, which I almost never do because I'm not a fan of pop.  Bruno Mars has a song called Grenade.  As I listened to it, all I could think was, "This is God singing this song to each of us on this planet!"  I'll leave you with the lyrics.  See what you think.

Grenade - by Bruno Mars

Easy come, easy go, that's just how you live
Oh, take, take, take it all but you never give
Should've known you was trouble from the first kiss
Had your eyes wide open, why were they open?

Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, you did
To give me all your love is all I ever asked
'Cause what you don't understand is

I'd catch a grenade for ya
Throw my hand on a blade for ya
I'd jump in front of a train for ya
You know I'd do anything for ya

I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for you, baby
But you won't do the same

No, no, no, no

Black, black, black and blue, beat me 'til I'm numb
Tell the devil I said, hey, when you get back to where you're from
Mad women, bad women, that's just what you are, yeah
You'll smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car

Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, yes, you did
To give me all your love is all I ever asked
'Cause what you don't understand is

I'd catch a grenade for ya
Throw my hand on a blade for ya
I'd jump in front of a train for ya
You know I'd do anything for ya

I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for ya, baby
But you won't do the same

If my body was on fire
Ooh, you'd watch me burn down in flames
You said you loved me, you're a liar
'Cause you never, ever, ever did, baby

But darling, I'd still catch a grenade for ya
Throw my hand on a blade for ya
I'd jump in front of a train for ya
You know I'd do anything for ya

I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for you, baby
But you won't do the same

No, you won't do the same
You wouldn't do the same
Ooh, you never do the same
No, no, no, no

Band + Baseball = Expensive Drama

About a month ago, Gabriel came home and said he wanted to try out for the Jr. High baseball team.  They had two weeks of conditioning after school, followed by a week of tryouts.  I noticed that he was going to have a problem with his bassoon during these after school activities, so I endeavored to find him another bassoon that he could keep at home, while he kept the one he already had at school, and wouldn't have to carry it around, and out on the practice field and whatnot.  The bassoon he has now, belongs to the school.  It's one of only a handful of instruments the school has on hand for students to use.  All the other band students have to rent their instruments from local music stores.  So I called the local music store and asked if they had a bassoon I could rent.  No, they said, they didn't.  I asked them if they knew anyone who did.  No, they said music stores generally don't rent bassoons.  What??  Why??  Because I need one, that's why!  So I emailed the band director at the Jr. High and told her that I was looking for another bassoon for Gabriel so he could keep one at home, and one at school and not have to carry one around every day.  She said she'd make some phone calls and write some emails and find one for us.  The next week, I got an email from her saying that one of the high schools had one we could use, but it was in bad shape.  It wasn't playable.  She sent it to the instrument repair shop, and they said it was going to be $110 just to get it in playing condition.  It would be almost $300 to fix everything that is wrong with it.  She also said that since this instrument wasn't "required" for Gabriel to participate in band class, the school wouldn't pay for the repairs, that would be our responsibility.  OK, fine.  Get it repaired to playing condition, I'll pay for it, and the boy can play stinking baseball without having to carry around an instrument case.  I'm still trying to figure out how the high school is getting away with loaning out an instrument that's not in playing condition, and not getting the bill to get it back in playing condition!  The whole situation is shady!  Meanwhile, the bassoon Gabriel has been playing since the beginning of the year has some issues and needs some repair.  None of the school instruments are in good shape, it seems!  At least I don't have to pay for those repairs.  So, he's got the high school bassoon, and the other one is in the shop now.  He's STILL carrying this instrument back and forth to school every day.  Plus, he didn't make the baseball team, so he doesn't have any after school activities anymore.  The entire reason I wanted to get him a second bassoon is completely out the window.  We don't need that second bassoon anymore.  But we've got it, and it's STILL in bad shape!  While practicing yesterday, the bocal, (which had a huge dent in it that wasn't repaired because it wasn't required in order to get it into playing position), broke in two at the point of  the huge dent.  Guess who is responsible for replacing that little piece of metal tubing??  That's right!  We are!  Guess how much that little piece of metal tubing costs??  That's right!  Way more than it's worth!  The cheapest one I found was $199.00.  The cheapest one Steve found was $169.00.  And did I mention that we don't even need this instrument anymore???  UGH!!!

My Life

This is my life, in a nutshell.  Three incredible children, and a wonderful husband who adores me.  Yeah, I have it all.  I'm not ashamed to admit it.  Things are crazy, and hectic.  Something is always happening around here.  Never a dull moment, and that sort of thing.  It's good to chronicle the kookiness.  It keeps it in perspective.  :-)  I also have one more thing.  A mind that is going non-stop.  I think thoughts.  I am constantly thinking thoughts.  I decided to start documenting as many of these thoughts as I can, when I'm not chronicling kookiness.  Why?  Why not!  Enjoy the ride!!