My Trip to Maine

My friends that I play bingo with convinced me to sign up for a trip to the Indian Casino in Maine, so last weekend we all went. It was a great trip, and one of the few times in my life since my kids were born that I got away by myself for the weekend.

We left at 6AM on Saturday morning in a pouring rain.  The drive was supposed to be about 5 hours but we made it in 4 hours. We played bingo on the bus and watched a movie and stopped about half way there for breakfast.  We left our luggage on the bus and it was delivered to our hotel rooms by the bus company.  We played bingo at the Casino starting around 1 and going to 5:30. There were dozens of games, all at least $2,000. Some were like $25,000. I didn't win but I had a great time.

After the games we went to our hotel and they had a buffet diner set up for us. There was an assortment of salads and sandwiches and meatballs, buffalo wings, sodas and coffee. It ws great and included in the cost of our trip. Most of the others went out to the Casino for slots and cards that night but I stayed in with my girlfriend and chatted over wine, then went to bed around 10.

Sunday the hotel gave us breakfast and then we went back to the casino for another day of bingo. My girlfriend won mucho money sitting right beside me [$2,500] and was crying with the stress and happiness. I wish it was me! But I was happy for her. Sunday was a much prettier day in the 60's and with sun. The trees were all reds and oranges, the peak of the Autumn.

Would I go again?  Maybe in the Spring. That far up in Maine should be buried in snow soon. 

I am not able to do much of that stuff, being short of money. One weekend every three or four months would be fun.  I get to go to regular bingo about twice a month with these people. Most are retired and their kids are out of the nest, not like me.

Fyre :)

Painting

I tried to help my Hub paint upstairs yesterday. He knew I was no artist and assigned me the inside of a closet to paint a deep yellow. Working, working, here's a hint, dont start at the top if you have to bend over to do the bottom.  My daughter yells upstairs "Mom what have you done with the cat? She has a yellow head? "  Hub yells down come look at your Mom. It appears I have a yellow head also. We matched, me and cat! 

New Stuff

Hub is still un-employed but has now taken to spiffing up the house. He is painting it, one room at a time. Every couple of days we go to Loews and he buys more stuff. I get nervous worrying about him spending the money but it is starting to look nice around here. He wants to finish the inside by Thanksgiving.

My brother, whom I haven't seen since April, is coming for Thanksgiving. That will be great, I have the whole week off.  He is a great baker, there is not an item of baked goods he has not made. I love his cheesecake, I hope he will bring me some.

I am going away with my girlfriends for a weekend in Maine in two weeks. The leaves should still be in color by then. We are going to an Indian casino and playing bingo two days, it is a long bus trip but they talked me into it.

Work:  the job is a mess because my secretary quit in a huff before she could train the temp taking over her job. The temp cannot do anything but keep bothering me asking me how to do something. I hope she will learn something soon, or I should just do all the work myself.

The Holidays cant come fast enough for me. First is Halloween when my daughter is going trick or treating and then having a sleep-over. These kids are 15 and still do this stuff?

Fyre :)

Peaceful Autumn

Things have quieted down at home a  little.  The older daughter has gone back to college and a lot of the drama from her being home this Summer and working at her first job has ended.  I have seen how jealous her younger sister is of her, and now she has Mom all to herself again. The younger one is 15 and has issues regarding boyfriends, school and her group of girlfriends, which I think is damaging. I have asked her not to join in when her friends pick on other girls because of weight issues, who their friends are, or worse yet, racial issues.  We live in a city where there is quite a diversity of kids, black, white, spanish, asian. There is especially friction at school between the black kids and the asians. You think they would learn to coexist.  

We have been working on cleaning out the upstairs area where the girls speel. There are two bedrooms a common area and the attic. Hub would like us to have a yard sale and make some money. In this economy?  who is going to buy old clothes and sneakers? I told him I thought we could get id of some stuff if we have a $1. yard sale, everything selling for a buck. We have already donated bags of clothes, coats etc. Maybe it will happen but Hub always has these great ideas and then wants me to do all the work.

Fyre :)

Second Born, never good enough

Say you were the second baby in this family. And everyone gathered around you and thought you were so CUTE. And people brought you presents and held you and commented on your pretty curly blonde hair. And your older sister, who took this all in, was not a happy camper. You see, she was used to being the little one, then along comes this newbie who now gets all the attention, rats. She hates you. Because everyone else LOVES you. But she cant do anything to you because it would be bad. So she just keeps it inside.

In every picture of you two together as you are growing up, you are always looking at your big sister with love, and she is always looking away from you. When you run to play with her she runs away. When you bring toys to her she keeps them, but does not play with you. When Christmas comes she counts all the presents to make sure you dont have any more than her. After a while you start to branch out and not depend on her so much. You go to school and get your own friends. You read books, you go on computer, you watch tv. You do sports. Especially basketball. You love basketball. Sis never goes to a single one of your games.

When you have trouble in school you come home and ask for help. NOW big sis finally has her revenge. She is much smarter than you, she is really smart. She tells you secretly, so Mom and Dad dont know, that you are stupid. That it doesn't matter how hard you try, you will always be stupid. So for a long time you stop trying. And you do bad in school. So they put you in the slow class and tell your parents you must have add or adhd or are just not trying. Mom and Dad get you a tutor. Then the threats. You cant play basketball if you get bad grades. You cant watch TV or have computer till your homework is done and is correct. Etc etc  

......this gets worse, but I cant write any more today, part Two later....

Fyre