Concert in the Park

Shawn and I met up with Todd and Wendy at the free concert downtown. It was a nice evening... and mostly free (Shawn had a few beers and a hotdog so we didn't get off scott-free!) With our Disney trip booked and costing more than we had originally expected (Shawn added a day), we need all the free and almost-free things we can find from now till then!

I FINALLY got my photo program running and the pictures in the computer. I even managed to post some to my Facebook page and send an album of the February Disney trip to family. Only took 5 months! Now we'll see if I can add more to my program without deleting the first set of pictures! Since I'll be using the same memory chip, I wonder if ALL the pictures will be inserted when I upload more photos or if I can somehow select where on the chip to start uploading from. Guess when I get enough new pictures, I'll find out!

Speaking of Facebook, it's kind of addictive. I find myself checking it a few times a day. That's not good. I need to get it in perspective before I get lost in it.

Knocked Up

Augh! I am pretty sure Tiger Lily was gang-raped yesterday. I tried to save her from the two male cats that were cornering her but she just ran... and they ran after her. She finally came home this evening after being gone since Saturday night. And Tucker and the kittens are sniffing her backside, smelling something 'odd'. I failed her. Tomorrow I'll call the vet to see if they can 'make it right' for her. God, I'm a lousy cat-parent. I try so hard to take care of them and I just seem to fail over and over again. She came home ravenous and I'm sure she's going to sleep for a long time once she stops eating. Or maybe she'll eat in her sleep. Who knows. And to top it all off, I'm in desperate need of kitty litter. One box probably won't cover what I need. Have I mentioned I suck as a cat-parent?

Tom's Respite

So we are suppose to relieve Kathey of her children every week-end for the rest of the year - yeah, that didn't go down so well. They have reworked their plan after 'feedback' and they are now asking for 8-8 every other Saturday for all the kids. I signed up for four week-ends with Ana, including two overnights. I guess I'm suppose to start tomorrow but I don't know if I'm doing the chauffeuring or if Kathey is. I suspect it's me. That's fine, then it will be more like 9:30-6:30! Show Kathey what it's like to never be timely!

I'm going to take Ana and Susanna's girls to the pool for the afternoon (let's hope it doesn't rain!) and then to Long A&W for lunch. It should be a fun enough day, and not one that involves chasing Ana off the computer (which she won't be allowed on anyway.)

I'm slowly piecing together a will via the Suze Orman web site. It's not exactly easy. The trust is going to be even more of a challenge. And getting Shawn to do his stuff will be nearly impossible. But I'm determined to get some stuff done this month.

It Takes a Village --Not!

The latest crazy from Tom - he wants people to take his daughters every week-end from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning (which means Sunday evening) and the boys 8-8 Saturdays for the rest of the year! So they can get a break from Mom. Right, it's so Kathey can sit around all week-end eating bonbons and watching porn (or whatever she does all day while they are in school). How would being away from your stuff and your friends EVERY week-end for 6 months benefit the kids? I had already decided to decline the invitation to have my life disrupted so Kathey can play before I mentioned it to Shawn, who went ballistic over the idea. Kathey needs to get therapy for her issues and a few drugs into her system and buck up and be a parent. Or she needs to relinquish her rights and put the kids back up for adoption. She is ruining their lives and encroaching on everyone else's. You don't parent by calling the cops and shipping your kids out every chance you get. But Tom is more concerned about Kathey's mind frame than the kids' health and safety. This time I am not bailing them out. It's time for her to grow up.

Happy Birthday Fifi

15 years ago tomorrow my first niece entered my life and things would never be the same. I took said niece, Felicia (aka feeshamree) and her 'boy' friend Cayden out this afternoon. First we headed to the arcade where they played games and I read my book. Then we went to the movies; Transformers II. Finally we ended up at IHOP for yummy breakfast-for-dinner. I think they had a fun time - I know I did. And the cost wasn't THAT bad.

Tom sent an email saying Ana is home again. I wonder if Kathey learned her lesson about relying on the cops to handle parental issues. Probably not; she will probably call the police the next time she feels Ana is out of control or misbehaving. Those poor kids - they are doomed until they turn 18 and can bail out on Tom and Kathey.

I stayed up too late last night drinking wine with Shawn and had a busy day today with Felicia so I'm heading to bed. How old I've gotten!!

Losing Ana

Apparently, Kathey has called the police enough times on Ana that they removed her from the home last week. Every time Ana did something Kathey deemed dangerous to herself or others (like throwing a temper tantrum) Kathey dealt with it by calling the authorities. She found out Ana had been posting nude pictures of herself on the Internet (not good but a huge fad with teens) and rather than deal with it like a parent, she called the cops. Ana is now in the hands of the court and she may or may not return home. Kathey has destroyed her. And she didn't seem at all concerned last week-end during the birthday party for the boys. Ana's life is destroyed, Tom is in danger of getting foolish in a war zone as he worries about Ana, the other kids, particularly Andrea, are in danger of being the next on Kathey's enemy list... that family is totally screwed.

Then Charlie sends a text message to me and George a few nights back (after several drinks I'm sure) saying he can't get rid of Mom's and Dad's ghosts and he quits the trusteeship. Which is fine if he does (only it creates more trouble for Tom as he's next in line and will have to resign as well). I think I'm third in line so I can take care of the estate...finally. No judgement on Charlie - he doesn't have the support I have or the time I have to really deal with it all. Shawn will help me get it all taken care of in a few months. Even though it will mean telling George he has to move out so we can sell the house and contents. I think George is ready for it.

What a fun family I belong to!

Birthday Boys

I took Susanna's girls to Tom's for his sons' birthday party. Conspicuously missing was Ana - and when I asked where she was, the only response I got from Mommy Dearest was, 'she won't be attending.' Which means she's been locked up somewhere again. I am getting closer and closer to calling SRS on her. I watched her real close this afternoon and saw an almost bipolar person. She went from screaming at a birthday boy to gleefully shoving his face (with his permission) into his birthday cake. She is truly a nut case. George thinks she may have another tumor messing with her personality/emotions; he may be right.

Other than than, the party was fun. I'm glad I decided to go because neither family was well-represented. Kathey's folks and Aunt Karen were there, older brother Dennis and his two kids showed up about 90 minutes after us, a family friend and me and the girls. Family ties are unwinding. So I'm glad I went and represented the Hunts. Although I would have preferred to stay home and sleep and read!