I coulda slept in... shit

We got up at 6:30am to go race at Glen Helen... but we got stuck in traffic in Cherry Valley AGAIN... remember the snow last weekend! This time however they were fixing the freeway... maybe from the damn snowplows... hell I don't know... I do know that Cal-trans in California is run by stupid people who look at a calendar and choose the WORST times to work on the road... Seriously, 50 minutes later in bumper to bumper traffic we said "Forget it" and headed home... The boys would have missed practice... we all would have been stressed and hurried... not a good way to race...

The biggest bummer was the diesel cost to drive out there... at $5.19 a gallon!  OUCH!!!

We will be doing it all over again in the morning... We are racing the Yamaha Dealer Series... Kieffer made $150 in Yamabucks last weekend...

Ya'all come back now hear!

California Dog Beach

My daughter and my Granddogs... JD and Koda

Mike, Bob Bill and JD

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Hence the Phrase...

Wow it's the weekend again... I don't really have a story to tell, so I am going to write whatever comes to mind! 

Put your seatbelts on, I have no idea what kind of ride we will go on... LOL...

 

Let's see... whats been going on...

Sam's sister Lisa called today and updated us about Grampa's headstone...

On Memorial Day, Lisa went to visit with Dad

 

[Personally, I do not believe I have to go to a cemetery to visit and talk to Dad... I visit with him everytime I go in the backyard and just 'be'  like he use to do in my backyard] 

 

Whoa, that just made tears run down my face...   I miss that old man, he was a father to me longer than my own father...

 

Anyway, did I ever tell you guys that my father is buried about 30 feet from John Wayne? Well, he is... so are my Grandparents... John Wayne also called Newport Beach his home...  See, even in death... your around celebrities in California! LOL  [okay...no more name dropping]

 

 My mind got sidetracked!

[Which is easy for me] where was I? 

Oh ya... so Memorial Day, Lisa called us...

"Sam... was Dad in Vietnam?" 

 "No"

"Ya I didn't think so... but they put WWII, Korea and Vietnam on Dad's head stone"

"Nah, it has to be a mistake... he wasn't in Vietnam... Hell I was ALMOST in Vietnam Lisa... They stopped the draft the year I turned 18"

 

So long story... longer... the cemetery said

"He was in the Military till January 1962, the Armed Services declared the Vietnam Era to start in 1961... so technically... he served during Vietnam" 

So Dad is one of the few at the cemetery to have served during 3 wars and we should not have it taken off his head stone... it is an honor few share...

 

On to other things...

Today Sam and I ran to the office to check on things... then we ran to the bank, Home Depot, Pep Boys... Blah Blah Blah..

Anyway, I said "Let's go to Lunch" 

[I will do anything to get out of chores at home] 

Did I say that?  Shhhh I'll deny it- if you tell Sam I said that...

 

So we went to Las Casuelas Terrazza

[or maybe it was the Las Casuelas Cantina... I get the two confused here in town] 

Anyway... I was tripping out... seeing my town through Nurse Pam's  eyes... In her journal this week she has been talking about the beautiful mountains that surround my town... how nice it is here, the palm trees and she has been showing photos from her trip here last weekend...

 

[we are gonna meet up next time... huh Nurse Pam!]

 

OMG Nurse Pam, you hafta to go to the Oooom Dome with me and Sam's cousin Gram Pam...

Pam and Kendra's Adventure to the Ooomm Dome

Girlfriend, you haven't had fun till you hang out with me and my partner in crime... We laugh so hard!!! Just going to Jack in the Box can turn into a laughing so hard, you might pee yourpants kind of adventure!

 

I am going to tell you a story about the last time Gram Pam [Sam's cousin] was at the High Desert... I hope it will translate as funny in writing, or if maybe its one of those 'had to be there' moments...  It doesn't matter Gram Pam will read it and laugh so hard and she needs that anyway with surgery coming up...

Ok... so Pam, and her hubby Chuck were up at the high desert house... Gram Pam brought a turkey for us to make and it got juice all over the bottom of the fridge...  Chuck being the sweetheart that he is... got down on his hands and knees and started cleaning the bottom of the fridge... right behind him Gram Pam and I were sitting at the table... 

I said "Pam... you should tell Chuck... While your down there..."

Pam says "Oh hell no, that would take 2 hours!"

I am sure Pam was waiting for me to ask WHY it would take two hours but I didn't...

Instead, I said

"Hence, the phrase... Do you mind if I smoke while you eat"

I have NEVER seen Gram Pam laugh so hard in my life... I didn't think it was THAT funny! However she had me laughing with her till our sides ached...

Like I said before...

 

God I love her... she 'gets' my jokes!

 

Chuck was oblivious to our conversation...  Chuck is a simple man... and I LOVE that about him...  sometimes he takes things literally instead of...

 

wait...

 

Here is an Example:  Gram Pam was talking to Sam about their younger years being crazy...  Gram Pam says "Oh Wow, I knew so many people back then...I had a revolving door on my apartment!" 

Chuck says  "No... No... [deep in thought] uh...it was a regular front door!" 

I love Chuck!

 

Lets see what else...

 

As you guys know, my daughter Candice is getting married in September.  She picked out her 'save the date' things to mail and of course being the parents of the bride we get to pay for everything...

So she sent an email, telling us how to order it... I wish we would have known there was going to be a 'proof' copy first... because Sam wanted to put... as a joke...

 

Save the Date:

Candice & Mike Bob Bill

 

Candice's boyfriend Mike Bob Bill - If you don't 'get' the joke - read this entry

 

 

 

I have a bunch more to say, but... we race at Glen Helen in the morning... so I better go to bed...

Goonie Mom

 It's Thursday and it has been a somewhat quiet week...  and I have been exhausted... The weather has been nice tho... 15 degrees below normal is good when you live in Palm Springs in the summer time!  2 weeks ago it was 113!

 

So Sam, Kieffer, Kameron and I were outside sitting on the patio... We were just relaxing in the nice weather... It's 5:39pm... before I tell you what I did... I have to tell you what happened earlier today...

Sam asked Kieffer and I to lunch... we went to Don and Sweet Sue's [The father who played Pa Walton opened it and its the best place to eat breakfast or lunch] so we were in the place... and I don't remember what I did... something gooney I am sure... remember I think Kieffer thinks I was put on this earth to embarress him... so he says "Wow Dad... and you married her! Were you really happy at first... like on your wedding day..." I woulda smacked him but I was a lady... I know he was being funny... I know we kid around alot...

 

So fast foward to 10 minutes ago... Sam was having a beer, so I decided to have a Smirnoff green apple wine cooler thing... so we are having a nice time outside soaking up the sun... when once again I did something gooney and only Kieffer picked up on it... then I heard under his breathe "and you married her"... that was all she wrote... green apple drink all over Kieffer... everyone looked SHOCKED... "What did he say?" so I repeated it and Kieffer started laughing...  "Game on Mom"...

"No... its called GAME OVER... Kieffer!" 

and he is in the shower...

We shall see if he is dumb enough to say it again...

For Lisa Jo...

HAPPY 40th LISA JO...

The 40's are gonna be the best years of your life!

God I love her... she 'gets' my jokes...

Ok... I have some news to share about Sam's cousin Pam...  She has been having 'female problems' and they finally found out why... Cancer in her

uterus... its 'contained' and they are going to do a hysterectomy soon...

 

So Pam and I were talking the other day and she said she had to have an ultrasound done before surgery... She has been really worried... we all have... so I thought I'd make a joke... lighten things up a bit...

 

"Pam... when they are done with the ultra sound... turn to the person doing it... and ask... Is it a boy or a girl?"  Pam busted up laughing...  

 

God I love her... she 'gets' my jokes... 

 

So Pam and her friend go to the ultrasound appointment... It was not a fun thing... they took a another biopsy... all the way up in her uterus...

pap-smear's are not fun... imagine them having to go all the way up to your uterus right?  [Sorry Phil] 

So the Dr. is all serious talking to them about whether the hysterectomy will be vaginal or how they may have to cut her open... talking about taking lymph nodes... blah blah blah...  "Do you have any questions?" says the Dr.

Then her friend says "I have one question... was it a boy or girl?" 

Suddenly, Pam busted out laughing... she said the look on the Dr.'s face was priceless!

 

Then they explained the joke to him and he lightened up... 

 

See not everybody 'gets' my jokes... Pam 'gets' them tho...

 

I love ya girl!!

Memorial Day...

Grampa's WWII jacket... A very special thing to me and my family and we were honored to be given it when he passed away...

 

See the rosary he carried in the jacket when he flew?

Grampa was a torpedo bomber on an air craft carrier in the Pacific... He bombed Iwo Jima... I once heard him talking to Artie about that day [Artie was a Marine on Iwo Jima -One of the first group of Marines to put up that flag on Mt. Suribachi Then a second group came along for the famous re-enactment flag photo] Anyway... Grampa said "We sure bombed the Hell out of that island! I really thought you guys would have no problem taking it" 

[I believe it took months... 20,000 Japanese were dug in and waiting for them]

 The number of American casualties was greater than the total Allied casualties at Battle of Normandy on D-Day.

Crazy huh!

Did I ever tell you guys Grampa's father was in the Calvary? Yup he was...

I have NEVER met a more patriotic man in my life than Grampa...

I miss you Dad... Your gone but never forgotten...

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See I wasn't kidding...

 

Three days after valley residents endured record-breaking temperatures well into the triple digits - the high temperature in Palm Springs on Monday was a scorching 113 degrees - the Santa Rosa mountains above La Quinta were blanketed with fresh snow. The high temperature in Palm Springs barely reached 80 degrees on Thursday.

Such a switch can happen, said Mark Moede, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego. "But it is nevertheless pretty unusual to go from extremely hot weather to windy to - I guess the folks in the valley would call it kind of cold."

The National Weather Service tracked something even more extreme Thursday: a tornado near March Air Reserve Base.

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In never rains, hails and snows in California the boys only warn ya!

OMG you guys... you are never going to believe this... we are under a tornado watch! We came home from Glen Helen which normally takes 40 minutes!

It took 3 hours... why?  We had a HUGE hail storm... and then we had to drive through Cherry Valley... which had 2 inches of SNOW!!!

[see the snow on the left side of the freeway!

They had snow plows out on the freeway, in front of us!!! See the clock... 3 minutes later that tornado touched down 10 miles away]

 

Maybe normal for you Lisa Jo or Ellen but NOT in California and certainly NOT on May 22 After it was over 100 degrees in the same place 48 hours ago!!!

 

If you watch the news and they show the tornado and a train overturned...

That is where Grampa just got buried... we were 10 miles away from it...

 

We go back in the morning... unless a tornado touches down and then Kameron said "We are moving..."

 

Oh ya... and Kieffer took home a 1st place trophey... Whoo Hoo

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American Idol

 

Are you waiting to hear all the Idol Show news?  Stuff like you had to dress up as if you were going out on a Friday night... No Logos, no cell phones... How you had to be in downtown Los Angeles at 11am and pay almost $20 for parking... stand in line with 7,000 people in 102 degree heat and turn your vouchers in for tickets... then stand in another line to get into the Nokia theatre... how you had better eat before you came because there is no food and you'll be there for 6 hours... through dress rehearsal and then the show...  or how about how the show got out at 6pm... just in time for rush hour downtown LA traffic and the drive home would have taken 4 hours...

 

I wish I could tell you about how great it all was... but I can't... I didn't go...

 

When I woke up to 113 degrees here...  it just wasn't motivating me to jump into a car and drive 2 hours into LA... 

 

However if Ellen and Jeanne and Lisa Jo and Emma would have  been motivated enough to book those airline tickets to come... I would have gone in a second...

 

I wish I could have given my tixs away to someone else but I couldn't I had to be there to show my ID and pick them up! I guess that keeps people from selling them or something... Heck I don't know... It was a shame because I had 4 tickets!  Oh well...

Oh and I could have gone tonight too... all I had to do was go last night!

The first 200 to show up tonight get to go on the red carpet something or other tonight... 

The weird thing is... the weather just dropped 15 degrees overnight too! Go figure... the bummer for us is the wind is blowing SO DAMN HARD we can't drive the trailer to Glen Helen... great... hopefully it will die down SOON! They just closed Gene Autry [a main street here in town that goes to the freeway] because of wind... GREAT...

 

OK, so back to Idol...  I want David Cook to win however I do believe David Archuletta won last night... The two hour final should be really good...  I know there will be tons of Stars at the show... someone said that to me... but I gotta be honest with you... I live in California... We see stars all the time...

Last summer Sam and I were riding bikes on the strand in Hermosa Beach and who comes riding by me Bruce Willis... I looked at him and I was thinking "Is that Bruce Willis?" and then he shook his head yes and said "Hi"  I saw Brittney Spears in Hermosa Beach too... I guess she was thinking of buying there... [no one wanted her to move there... its a beach town and no one wanted the drama of photographers]

My Mom use to do tons of 'Stars' escrows...  Lets see... she did Micheal Landon's house before he died, Bernie Kopel [Doc on the Love Boat] we  watched his dog for him when he went out of town... when the show was HUGE! Bernadette Peters... Suzanne Sommers and Alan Ladd's house... I could go on and on... but anyway... Star's are no big deal for me...

 

Anyway... next time I get really cool tickets... get your butts on a plane and get out here!

 

and that is all I have to say about that....

I gotta go and contemplate my stupidity...

 

 I hate being an adult... or doing adult things anyway... like calling insurance companies... ewwwww...

Anyway, that being said... I am getting old too because I found my reading glasses... and the world is so much clearer than before on the computer! I NEVER thought I would need reading glasses either... I have had perfect vision my whole life... I think I really knew there was a problem when we went to Texas and I couldn't read the map...

BTW... my eye is fine from that gnat flying straight in my eye... is was very very sore for a few days... but it doesn't hurt when I blink now... whoo hoo! No more crusty stuff either...  A couple of times when we were packing Grampa's stuff up, Sam and his sister's said "Are you ok? Your eyes look watery"

"Ya I am fine, I'm not crying, its that gnat injury" 

"Oh ya... I forgot"

 

Ohhh ... the coolest thing happened during the garage sale... we were outside and finishing up the day... when 4 old planes flew over the house and circled a bunch of times... they said
US NAVY on the bottom... they were yellow and blue biplanes...  I said "Look.... its Grampa, giving us a sign!"

How cool was that...

 

we actually sang Navy songs Grampa had taught us that day too...

 

"The biscuits in the NAVY, they say there mighty fine, but one rolled off the table and killed a friend of mine...

Gee Mom I wanna go, Yes, Mom I wanna go, Gee Mom I wanna go home!"

 

There is a bunch more to the song but you get the idea...

 

Now lets talk about how hot it is here... 110 degrees here in Palm Springs... but it's a dry heat... LOL  That is what we say to make it okay...

 

Ohhhh boy...  I should have just told them "the camping is sold out" 

 

Shit, Shit, Shit... I guess we will be racing the Glen Helen National Amatuer Days this Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun...  Shit, what was I thinking? I wasn't... Crap that means we have 48 hours to pull the new trailer over here, load it up and go racing!  Our friend Jeff will be racing in his first "pro" race there! Its "The BIG SHOW" as we call it... I hope he does well...

Awwww this is NOT conducive to my resting, napping schedule I have planned... you probably think I am joking but I am not! I have been EXHAUSTED lately! Seriously! I sleep almost 12 hours and then take an hour nap!  We have done nothing but run here and run there lately... Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

I gotta go and contemplate my stupidity...

Grampa's connection to the biggest trial of the 90's

Back from Grampa's house and totally exhausted!

Had 4 hours of sleep last night... then a garage sale in the extreme HEAT today!

So a quick version of the last two days...

I learned something about Grampa I did NOT know... but you won't believe what it is... How is it that I didn't know this? Must have been because Grampa was driving and more active back then... so he drove to our house... We were rarely at his house...

Check this out...

During the OJ Simpson trial for murder... guess who lived across the street from Dad?  Christopher Dardin - the attorney... I NEVER KNEW that!!!

I guess Lisa went over there to his house once and he signed his book for her... After the trial, he wrote a book... then fell in love and moved away...

Here is his old house across from Grampa's... Wow...

 

 

Sam's sister Tina and my nephew Nicholas... the one who was a little over a pound when he was born...

 

Kameron's thoughts on garage sales...

Bachie- I think that is how you spell it?  Its Italian for Kisses?

Tina's dog

Sam, Tina, Kameron and Nicholas in Grampa's front yard and 102 degrees

My hunk o hunk o burning love... oooo he is so damn sexy

My neice Michelle who just finished a volleyball tournament and her brother Nicholas...

Nicholas acting like he is flying through the air on Grampa's vintage motorcyle... I said "You look like one of the village people with that hard hat on" he said "Who are the village people?" "Uh Thank you for making me feel old Nicholas... Don't you know Y-M-C-A-?"  "Oh ya I know them"

My sexy man who has been sick but is feeling better

Ohhh look there he is again...

that sexy hunk of a hubby of mine

 

 

Oh boy...

Today is Friday but it feels like a Monday to me... probably because we just got home from the Hi D house yesterday and we always come home on a Sunday [9 times out of 10 anyway]

Sam and I are leaving in a few hours for Grampa's house... Oh boy... can you say emotional roller coaster coming... we are helping pack it up and having a garage sale Saturday... fun fun fun...

Just walking up the steps to Grampa's is gonna be hard... he won't be there this time... No more  "Hey, you kids want something to drink?"  No more "are you sure I can't get you anything?"  "Sure Dad, How about a beach house in Malibu!"

Only dissecting his life and putting it all in boxes...

I have done it so many times in my life... My father's house, My Grandparents house...

I do have to say... I learned a lot about my Grandparents packing that house up...

Maybe I will learn something new about Grampa today... I miss him so much...  I am sure we will laugh and we will cry...

I don't need to be crying tho... One of my eyes is all red and unhappy anyway... A gnat flew in my eye yesterday and it took Sam and Kieffer to get it out! It hurt like hell too! Felt like a huge rock! A molten lava rock actually...

I woke up this morning and my eye was crusted shut...

Now that I have grossed you all out... Have a good weekend... I'll be back Saturday evening I think... You never know tho lately...

Oh! Please send some get better wishes for Sam... he is sick... 3 days now...

Check this out

OMG!! I put my name on the  waiting list for American Idol tickets... and your never going to believe this...

 

Congratulations! Due to your place on the waiting list, we are notifying you of seat availability to the final tapings of American Idol at The Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles, next Tuesday, May 20th and Wednesday, May 21st!!

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ ALL INFORMATION CAREFULLY!

THIS CHECK-IN VOUCHER HAS NO MONETARY VALUE TO ITS HOLDER AND MAY NOT BE SOLD OR EXCHANGED UNDER PENALTY OF LAW; ANY SUCH ATTEMPTED OR ACTUAL SALE OR TRANSFER OF THE CHECK-IN VOUCHER INVALIDATES IT AND IS GROUNDS FOR SEIZURE OF THE VOUCHER.

On Tuesday, May 20th we are taping the full dress rehearsal and the live performance finale. Due to security concerns and time constraints you must attend both the dress rehearsal and the live taping if you request a voucher for the 20th. The arrival time on the 20th is no later than 12 PM and you will be at the event until 6 PM.

On Wednesday, May 21st we are taping the live results show. The arrival time is no later than 1:30 PM and you will be at the event until 7 PM. In addition, after the live results show, the first 200 people will be allowed to join us for a special red carpet post-show with the Idol contestants.

Please remember vouchers are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Thank you and enjoy the show!!

Kieffer's posse, the new fence... and a new nickname

It's Thursday morning and I am still at the Hi Des house. They finally finished the fence yesterday but Sam got sick, so we stayed another day... [head congestion, sore throat, fever, cough] We didn't want the boys to get sick too...  We  will go home sometime today...

 

We have to go to Grampa's house on Friday and Saturday to pack everything up with Sam's sisters.  Then they can get it on the market to sell.

I swear, doesn't it seem like we are SO busy lately?

Run here, Run there...Ahhhh calgon take me away... Sam thinks I am crazy to feel that way! He doesnt feel that way! Probably, because he is home all the time now...semi retired...  he hates it when I say that... "I am not semi retired, work is slow, and finally after 20 years I am handling 'our' stuff that needs to get done"   then he says "Kendra, I am 50 years old... I feel like if I do not get these things done now... I will be too old one day to do them..."   Ok... stud muffin... but your killing me in the process because I can not keep up with you!

The last 2 days have been nice... I can keep up with him when he is sick!  Then he is on my level...  "Honey lets take a nap..."  "Ok"  "Lets watch AI and Hell's Kitchen" "OK" 

 

[he is still asleep in bed and it is 10:52am... he is sick]

 

Anyway... I wanted to tell you some stories from this past weekend!

 

We headed up here Friday afternoon.  We needed to finish the work we had started before Grampa died, then Kris' accident and then the Coronado wedding!

 

When we got up here... Kieffer's posse started arriving...

Kieffer

 

By Kieffer's posse I mean his closest friends from high school

[all of them were on the football team with him since 9th grade] 

I have often wondered if Kieffer would have the same friends all through high school... Kameron didnt...

 

So anyway... Kieffer's posse start arriving....

 

Joe - who knows 99% of any topic you can bring up... smartest one of the bunch... moved last year... an hour away... now goes to Catholic school and he hates it...

 

Joe is in the white shirt and Lance is on the roof

 

Lance - moved last year also to Chino Hills... not the sharpest knife in the drawer... think Joey on the show Friends...

On the wrestling team...  Kameron gave him the nick name "Sir, Lance a Little"

 

Kevin -

is still living in our town... he is at the house more than any of them right now... still goes to the high school

 

Diego -

We lovingly call him Day-go...  I don't know why... we just do... he is the quietest of the bunch and also at the house a lot...

 

Ok...  so as they all start to arrive...

 

[I had no idea they were all coming but it doesn't matter our doors are always open to Kieffer's posse]

 

In the door walks Lance...

I smiled and lovingly said

"OH NO! Not Sir Lance a Little"

he walked over and gave me a hug...

"Hi Mom!"  then he proudly stated

"I have a NEW nickname at my new school!" 

 I laughed "Ok what is it?"

 

"THE ITALIAN STALLION" he stated proudly... and I rolled my eyes... laughing...

then Kieffer said "Lance, we don't want to hear about what you do with horses!"

and everyone laughed including Lance...

 

Lance being funny behind Kameron on the roof

Sam, Kris and Manny our 82 and 1/2 year old neighbor up there... he brought some Champagne to go with brunch... Ill tell ya about that later

 

Kameron and Lance on the roof swinging hammers

The new fence

 

The old fence was by these trees

 

Look how much more room I have

 

The new addition is coming along

LOTS more room for GiGi and Rider

 

I am home now... I was enjoying it up there... a perfect 81 degrees... I get home and its 100 degrees phooey!

I came home to a great Mother's day card from Candice

 

[she sent you one too Pam... remind me next time you come... oh ya and remind me to give you back your glasses you left at the Hi Desert... which are currently sitting on my nose... I can't let them go to waste while they are here]

 

Anyway, here is Candice's card...

 

Mom,

Remember how we got along GREAT when I was little

argued a lot during my teen years, and started getting along GREAT again as I became an adult?

Well, I sure do and I'd just like to say...

[open the card]

What was WRONG with you during my teens? Why so many RULES? Couldn't you see that I was always right about everything?

GEEZ, I'm so glad you grew out of that phase!!

Just kidding

Happy Mothers Day...

 

Then her and Mike wrote some very nice stuff in the card...

 

 

I loved that card Candice that was funny! Thank you for taking the time to send it Honey... XOXO Mom...

 

That is all for now... time to catch up on everyone else's journal...

 

 

 

 

Hot Wheels car pic

Here is a photo of my Hot Wheels car as Kieffer calls it...

Here is a photo of my Hot Wheel Boys... Kameron has a yellow number plate and Kieffer is 921...

Bolts... cuz she's Nuts

 

Its Friday - Sam and I are heading to the office, then up to the Hi Desert to finish that building project we have going... so that is where I will be until Tuesday... [Tuesday the fence guys are coming to put the fence out another 50 feet]

 

Kris is gonna come up and run the chop saw... he is still pretty beat up but he needs to make money... He went home 2 days ago...

 

gotta go...

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Kieffer says its a Hot Wheel's Car

Sam and I went down to Palm Springs Ford today and bought a car...

A Ford Focus... it gets 33 mpg!!!! Can you say YIPPEE!!!! We are drowning in diesel gasoline costs... We bought Sam's truck 6 years ago and my Excursion 4 years ago, when Diesel was cheaper than regular gas... Not anymore... Diesel cost 60 cents more PER GALLON here... and both big cars get about 11 miles to a gallon... it has been KILLING us!  Especially all the driving we have been doing lately yanno... Hi Desert, Los Angeles, Coronado, San Diego, and Kameron driving to Riverside 2 times a week... hour there, hour back... Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was costing us over $150 just to fill up the tank on the Excursion...  The car will pay for itself by not taking the gas guzzling, oops I mean diesel guzzling, large cars!  I will rediscover the 'small car' parking places all over again... I am so happy!

I'll show you pics, when we pick her up later...

 

[She is getting detailed, before coming to her new home]

 

As I am typing this Kieffer comes in and starts reading it...

"got any stories about me lately?"

"Ummm, I don't know... you want me to look?"

 

So I did... I showed him the wedding photos of him...

 

"Are you ever going to read my blog Kieffer... you know... one day... share the stories with your kids, and of course realize what a GREAT MOM I am!"

 

[I was just kidding, sometimes I get the feeling at 16, Kieffer thinks I am the biggest Nerd who was put on the face of this Earth to embarrass him]

 

So I was expecting a funny come back from him... but instead I got a serious...

 

"Mom, I don't need to read your blog to know your a GREAT Mom"

I said "Awww"

then he said "Ya, I'll read it one day but for now I'm living it"

 

Uh Oh....

I just showed him the picture of him and Koda in the pool in my last entry and he freaked

"OMG MOM! Take that picture OFF your blog"

"Why I like it!"

"Oh... no... off... it's terrible... it's like 3 years old! Ewwww take it OFF!"

"No I like it"

"Dad, look at that picture... and tell Mom to take it off"

Sam said "Why its a good photo, you look like David Archuletta in it"

 

then he just walked away...  oh well... we had a 'moment'... then poof it was gone LOL

 

Oh I have to tell you a funny from yesterday... well I thought it was funny... when I told Sam the story he just looked at me and blinked... like I was a weirdo or something...

Yesterday, after Sam and I went to Cost Co, we came home and unloaded everything... then Kameron decided to make himself a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich...

"Hey Mom, did you buy more peanut butter at Cost Co?"

"Yes, its in the pantry but finish that jar first"

"Ok, but what brand of peanut butter did you buy"

"Uh... Skippy... why?"

 

"I thought choosy Mom's like you, choose JIFF"

 

I started laughing... I thought that was funny!

 

I didn't think he was old enough to remember that slogan...

Pics of your other Granddoggies.... who you forget about

Get this... my daughter moves my 'other' [meaning she is jealous of Bolts] grandogs away from their Glamma... she doesnt send me photos... [except for today] and then she gets upset at me...

Excuse me Candice... these are the first photos I have gotten!

Next thing you know, she'll use the race card... She'll say I love my white Grandog more than my Black ones... I feel it coming...

All kidding aside... This is JD, the one who Candice nursed back from Parvo... and that is our soon to be son in law in September!  [Mike Bob Bill inside joke if you remember]

and that is Glamma's first granddog Koda [lil chihuahua] He loves GiGi... when I use to babysit him he would kiss GiGi's ear and I would make a PePe Le Pew voice

"Ahhhh Mon Cheri, Give it to me, you are my big black bitch, I love you"

Then poor JD came along and GiGi tried to kill him in the backyard... [well not kill him but she went after him] 

GiGi is socially retarded...

Gi Gi and her two men... taking a nap on the couch!

Kameron going to Prom but first a picture with Koda

 

Kieffer taking Koda swimming...

So there ya go... see all my Grandoggies... I love all of them equally... someday's I love Candice's doggies more because they are NOT here making Glamma crazy...

Did I say that?

 

 

The letter question

 

 Wednesday - Sam and I are off to the office and then to Cost Co... We are out of food!

 

Update on the letter... I never sent it...

I needed to write it tho... I can't seem to be mean even when I am right about something... must be a defect or something... I would have sent it if I thought it would have changed something but it wouldnt...  I did however read it to Kris about a year ago when she was in his ear "Your Dad doesnt pay you enough" Blah Blah Blah... see how she breeds anger and resentment in her child? Trust me on this, my husband gave Kris a MORE than fair hourly pay...  She has so much anger and jealousy boiling inside her she tries to get it all over Kris... Ewwww... When will she realize she is not hurting me with it, she is hurting her own child!

 

Maybe I could understand if I stole Sam away from her... but I didnt, she left him, she cheated on him and then I came along... an 18 year old in a sports car... guess she wasnt expecting that...  because then she wanted him back...  She toyed with his head for a long time, finally he had enough and we have been together ever since... [She did marry again but it ended in divorce years ago]

She is VERY VERY jealous of Kameron for whatever reason... maybe it is because Kameron is my oldest boy, I don't know... whatever... her issues have issues...

About 4 years ago, when Kris moved back down here from her house [again]

he moved in with Sam's Mom around the corner...  Loni came to visit him and they both got drunk and got kicked out of a local Casino... a friend of ours witnessed the 'scene'... Wow... Mother of the Year I gotta tell ya...  She must be so proud!

Anyway... enough about that... Eeeewwwwww....  I guess I am hoping Kris will finally see what she is doing to him... He is 26 years old and he needs to grow up...

 

Sam and I are praying this accident really wakes him up... 

Part 2

I tried being a friend to you, it made my life easier with him.  The hardest time for me was when you were between boyfriends.  All of a sudden, you didn’t want to be alone, you wanted to play Mommy, but you couldn’t handle the disciplining responsibilities of parenthood or the intense emotional commitment it takes to raise children.  I would have understood if you had a different idea on how to teach values or life lessons but you didn’t.  Unless you count sabotaging ours!  What amazes me the most is how you teach him to value material items and then teach him  to run away leaving it all behind.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

Why Loni?  Why do you choose to dissect me, Sam, and the other kids?  Could it be because you don’t want to look at the life lessons you have taught?  I could go on and on about how you taught him to reject our rules, then face consequences, scream & storm around acting like he is SO mistreated, call you and you rescue him from our terrible, horrible family who mistreats him so much!  Then you get on the phone as Kris listens and tell everyone.

How you can breed anger, resentment and jealousy in your own child I will never understand.  Why you help him cultivate a victim mentality is beyond my comprehension.  What purpose does it serve in your life?  This, I now realize is the reason Kris doesn’t feel like the other kids…  He was taught your Life lessons to live by not ours. 

 

  Your Life Lessons :

 

þ     1. Quick Trigger anger to those in his life without giving anyone the benefit of doubt.

þ      2. Running away when things get tough, then acting like a victim to gain support from others

þ     3.  Never save for anything, instant gratification, and fun aremore important.  .  When your money and toys are gone, be angry with those who saved and have them.

þ     4.  Do not be grateful for the gifts in your life instead look for the things you are not getting then allow resentment and jealousy to boil inside of you

þ     5.  Never apologize for anything your quick trigger anger may have caused.  Just act like nothing happened when you see them again.  Do not ever try to work out the problem.

 

In other words, your philosophy is:

 

Do not parent your children – Don’t teach them life lessons – Allow someone else to do it and then undermine everything they do and go around town saying “They sure messed this kid up – Why isn’t he like the other kids?  They treated him differently!”

 

 

 

So you see… if it seems like we  give more to the children in this house who live by our rules i.e.: don’t do drugs, respect us, go to school, clean their rooms on Thursdays, write thank you notes or letters and can somehow find a phone on Mother’s Day, Anniversaries, Birthdays and Holidays  Well…  Then I guess they earned it!

 

I gave freely of my time, love, and money.  I don’t owe anyone anything. I believe a child’s attitude is a direct reflection of what is being taught around them.  I am proud of what your son accomplished under my loving care.  (2 file folders of certificates of achievement confirm this)  Are you proud of his accomplishments while under your loving care?  

Dropped out of school, drugs, disrespecting you, being in debt thousands of dollars on accounts you helped him open, jail, court, gambling, smoking… You must be so proud… 

 

I am sure instead of taking a good long look into what I have said; you’ll just fire off another nasty letter to me.  I won’t read it.  I will never respect or value your opinions on Kristofer.  You will never grasp the true meaning of parenthood.  You just do what is self-serving with no regards for the future consequences for your own son.  You always take the easy way instead of the path that teaches life lessons.  Let me answer a question you asked me after not taking him to the orthodontist in 8 months.  “Don’t you think I want what is best for Kris too?  He is my only child” Based on results Loni, No you don’t.  You only want what is best for you.  

I won’t be available this time around.  I will not help get his life together after you have made a mess of it once again….

 

I have nothing left to give to Kris; he has taken and taken not giving anything in return but a negative attitude and path of destruction when he runs away again.  {Congratulations, your son is just like you)

 

I will not be put through another episode of ungrateful, resentful Kris and sabotaging, liar Loni.  You both need to grow up and be accountable for your choices.

I truly hope you can find something positive to fill the void of what you threw away.

 

Good luck on the journey...

Why I don't want her in my home after all these years...

A letter I wrote to Kris' Mom in 2004 he was living with her at the time...  I dont know why the fonts won't stay the same? Oh well....

 

DearLoni,                                                                       

 

I have spent many hours reflecting on Kris’s childhood, trying to understand why  he feels he was not treated like the other children in this family. 

I tried to be a wonderful mother to your son Loni.  I was passionate, determined, and totally committed to providing for his successful future.  If anything, I worked harder helping him because of his learningdisabilities. 

 

 I gave him exactly what my children received:

 

1.  Top education (Private School)

2.  Best medical and dental treatment

3.  $5000 worth of orthodontics (the most out of all my kids)

4.  Vacations all year round (Hawaii, Maui, Club Med in Mexico, Summers in Havasu, Skiing vacations in Big Bear, Yosemite, Pismo Beach, Malibu,

Manhatten Beach Surf Trip, Disneyland every year, riding dirt bikes….]

5.  A loving home with pool and housekeeper 5 days a week.

6.  A Step-Mom who worked at the school mostly in Kris’ class

7.  A Dad who was just as active in his life…  Boy Scout Leader, Assistant Baseball Coach.  He taught him to ride dirt bikes, fish, water ski, snow ski, play sports and took him to work when he could.

 

We gave him Christmas’ most kids dream of …  Presents covering the floor, Santa waking him at 3am with jingle bells.  We had to sit him down at 13 years old and tell him there wasn’t a Santa, It was Grandpa. 

 

 Tell me where he was mistreated?  He received more attention because he was the oldest and more toys because you gave him what we didn’t.

 

 

So tell me was he treated differently because of the negative things you taught him or because you never made him accountable for anything?  You just satisfied his every wish, when I tried to teach life lessons.

 

 Why couldn’t you help me raise him?  Just once, back me up 100%?  When he told you some far fetched story and you calmed down long enough to hear the facts  and agreed with what I was doing, just once I would have liked to hear you scream at him in the same way for making you look like a fool.  You never did…   

If our lives had been reversed I am the kind of Mom who would have backed you 110% I would have been grateful a Step-Mom loved my child as I loved yours.  I would have made sure he wore his headgear or arrived at his orthodontic appointments after she spent $5000 on braces.  If I somehow overlooked it and she wrote me an e-mail telling me how it put an undo burden on her, trying to make up the hours I would never write a nasty e-mail back stating things like “It is not your place to question what he does with me”.  When she would drive 4 hours on a weekend to meet me.  I would show my appreciation by being on time.  Knowing my actions towards her were speaking volumes to my child.

No, matter what we would have been a team he could not manipulate!  I would have taken full advantage of the gifts she offered and what a success my child would be!  What a lucky child to have 2 Mom’s that love him.

 

Part 2 in next post

Warning Phil.... do not look at pictures

Sam and I just got back from the high desert house... We went up there because they were picking up the 30 yard dumpster this morning at 7am... So we headed up  yesterday afternoon...

I have to say I had a really good time cleaning out the closets and goofing off with my hubby... The weather was PERFECT! We worked on getting more trash into the dumpster until about 7pm and then we kicked back by the fire just talking till about 9pm... It was really nice...

Kameron and Kieffer went riding at Starwest MX park last night... They met Christy [Pam's daughter] her hubby Troy, and their sons Blake and Corey there too... Christy and Troy bought one of our old bikes for Corey... He races MX also... [Corey is 13 and loves hanging out with Kam & Kieff]

BTW it was Kieffer's first time back on his bike after his broken leg...I know you guys think I am nuts to let them go back to racing but its in their blood and I made them quit for 2 years... I was more worried during those two years off than I ever was when they raced!

When they race, they work out, they eat right, they are in bed at a decent hour, they are with us all weekend racing...  When they don't... oh boy... they hang out with friends till all hours of the night... girls, girls and more girls seem to come out of the woodwork... I could go on and on... trust me...

Racing keeps them out of trouble...

 

So anyway... we headed back home from the hi desert this afternoon... we did NOT want to leave... but we will be heading back next Monday because the fence guys are coming up to move the fence out another 50 feet... My doggies will LOVE that!

 

When we got home, I talked Kris into taking ashower... He hasnt had one since the accident...

After his shower I told him I would help him clean up his wound on his ankle, but Bolts had another idea instead! She came running in the house a HUGE muddy mess! She was digging in the planter while the sprinklers were on! So, I had to give her a bath and THEN do Kris' ankle!

 

WARNING!!!  Gross pics below...

 

Phil said "No more gross pictures ok?" 

 

I said "If I gotta go through it, you guys gotta go through it with me!"

 

Bolts after playing in the planter-

Kameron was at school

 

Kris' ankle

 

 

Kris' other foot

 

 

Tags: Kris' foot, bolts