Moving in and around...

It's been an adjustment but for me, not too bad. For Joanne, pretty bad. For the kids, both good and bad. Here's a synposis -

I was married to Will. Will had a baby with Joanne, Elijah. Joanne married a jerk off named Kenneth. They had a baby (while JOanne had a restraining order against him), Julie. Joanne, Julie and Elijah moved in with me going on two weeks ago now.

They are classic, textbook abuser case. I mean, if you googled right now "domestic violence" you would read their story. I guess he didn't hit her but emotionally, come on. And I asked Elijah if he ever hit her and he said no but threatened her all the time. I asked him if he thought he and his sister should always be afraid if he ever would. And I told him that his mom shouldn't have to live in fear - of anything!

We've had major meltdowns with both kids now - Julie at WalMart and Elijah yesterday wouldn't get up or dressed for church so he lost EVERY prinvilege a 9 yr old would want and it didn't even phase him. The rest of us were up and ready. INSANE. I think it's because he stayed up past midnight watching tv. I got up because i heard some noise and there he was watching tv. HOLA, get your buns to bed youngin'.

Joanne is doing the best she can (which could be desperately improved). We watch super nanny and Dr. Phil hoping she will pick up some tips. She needs transportation and we are looking for a car but her budget is crappy and so you get a junky car. She doesn't want to spend her whole wad on a car ($1,000) because she says she needs insurance, etc but you're not going to get much from 1k, know what I mean.

Today will be the big test day - Elijah starts school. At least he LOVES Cub Scouts and has met several boys from school there. He's been twice already and he is a social butterfly. He loves being with other kids and he never got to do that in Mosier. There are some downfalls to living in AMity. One of them being that he can't throw knives, shoot his bbgun whenever and practice archery at a whim. But that is probably where the bennies stop. Their old place had running water but only in the kitchen sink and only cold. To heat up water, she needed to boil it. I only went into the front part of the house (Shack, old hunting cabin) and let's just say that you would never catch me living there. NO electricity (ok, that is a lie too, they had solar. So it only worked when the sun was shining and in the winter, that wasn't long at all. Their whole house consisted of one room of kitchen and living room and then a sleep quarters. Their was a loft which would've been perfect for the kids but they had tons and tons of boxes stored up there.

And discipline - both financial and parental. Julie gets away with murder. She screams, she gets it so she basically screams and throws baby type tantrums all the time. She will be 5 in two weeks. Money, it's like a water fall cascading right out of Joanne's pocket. For this, I have a little more empathy. When you havne't been able to leave your house for months at a time due to lack of transportation, money, etc. when you finally get some, I understand trying to buy the sinple things in live like undies and sockies and shampoo, etc. But still, it's like i have all of that stuff. Classic...

Well, I'd better go. I'd like to drop Elijah off too. He tells me I'm mean and I say, yep. And I'd rather have you respect me than love me and you can't stop my love! :)

Hugs,

If I could find my camera...

I'd post some new pics.

I was just re-reading some old posts and I haven't told the whole story...don't be too surprised at this.

Day after Christmas - I wanted to go shopping but instead I sprained my ankle.

I applied to grad school but didn't get in. Oddly enough, I wasn't as disappointed as I thought I would be. I really thought I'd be devestated, but I guess things just work out?!?!

More to come lata,

Sharona

FACEBOOK REALITY

maleeny!!!!!!! This is for you girl, but for me and for anyone who doesn't understand the intrusiveness of FB on society. NEVER, remember, NEVER post anything on a wall that you might not want the ENTIRE world to know. Remember, 6 degrees of seperation!

Hugs,
SHaron

Old Lady Panties...

If you have a weak stomach, don't read this post. My office is located DIRECTLY across the street from the swimming pool and my parking lot serves as a city parking lot. Actually the city owns the building and rents it to the chamber of commerce and they rent us an office. So, I was walking into the office a few weeks back and I see this white thing in the road. I start to dread the fact that they might be old lady panties. I get closer and I do want to just walk right over them and leave them there for someone else to pick up but...
a. i'm a boy scout and we pick up trash
b. some old lady is missing her panties
c. they looked brand new!
d. they were in the middle of the parking lot and i just felt like someone's discreet underware were on display

So, I picked them up and at first was just carrying them by two fingers out in front of me like they were gross BUT then I realized that people driving down Hwy 99, otherwise known as Adams Street in MAC would see me holding these panties so I began to scrunch them up and hold them closer to my body so EVERYONE wouldn't see me holding them. I high tail it into the building and realize that I would have to walk by the Chamber staff to throw them out so instead I ask for a plastic bag and they want to know why so I mention that I picked them up and they thought I was completely gross - so, you know that new TV show - "What would you do?" Ask youself, what would you do if you saw an old lady panty laying on the ground in the middle of a parking lot?

Well, there you have it. I have to go pick up more panties! Keeping the lots clear of 'em.

Gorilla Marketing gona away...

Remember when...last year I got those two tickets really close together? Well, I had this in my in box today...I consider it abhorent behavior to market traffic school (to someone who is obviously a traffic offender) without having a ticket (currently, that is).

Happy Birthday, Sharon! We wish you a year filled with health, happiness, and success! To celebrate your birthday, we'd like to give you a special birthday discount code worth $5 off our course: HAPPYBIRTHDAY. Hopefully, you will not get a ticket this year but if you do then enter special discount code HAPPYBIRTHDAY at www.GoToTrafficSchool.com and get $5 off the price of the course! Even if you do not have a ticket, you may be able to take our traffic school course for an insurance reduction. Talk to your auto insurance agent to find out if you qualify for a discount. Or, if you know anyone else who has recieved a ticket you can forward them your referral code XM2-EFA-KC3 Any person who registers for our course using your referral code will get a $2.00 discount. Not only that, we will deposit $3 into your personal MAKE MONEY account. Login to your account at http://www.gototrafficschool.com/member/Login-Make-Money.aspx to cash-out whenever you want! Or sit back and watch your Make Money balance grow and cash out later! You can make a ton of money by referring your friends and family to GoToTrafficSchool.com. From all of us here at GoToTrafficSchool.com, we wish you a happy and safe birthday! Sincerely, GoToTrafficSchool.com

Another one bites the dust...

Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! Happy birth...day to Sharon, happy birthday to me! Yeah! I have an odd mix of feelings about old and young and middle aged? Is that possible? LOL...

So, it's been a CRAZY week beginning with Jody's birthday party on Sunday. It was so fun to see all the people (most, I should say) of Jody's friends and family that came to her 4oth Bday party at the spa at the beach and stay at the beach house. She knows how to throw a party and her mom was a stud in creating a feast and hiding the cars and arranging for her son in law to move them all back out of hiding so we could leave when it was all done. Terry, Jo's husband gave her a freakin' awesome bed frame for her birthday! It was a rock start gift that probably earned him enough brownie points (at least it would earn my man some serious rock start points) that would last a good long while. She liked it and had mentioned to him that the store was going out of business so he hustled on down there and made them a cash offer and they accepted and it was lower than their original costs and he even put it up at her mom's house, which was all the cooler!

ANyway, then Monday my intern arrived and decidedly told me it was time to clear the deck, I mean, clean my desk. I should post a before and after photo...seriously. She really helped me not just clean it off (because we still have a lot to file) but organize it and implement some tools to make it work for the long haul.

Then Tuesday, I was so busy I can't even remember all what I did. but the most IMPORTANT thing happened is that I got a phone call from my boss telling me that a complaint that I submitted back in January was being taken seriously and that the Council hired an outside, independent investigator and that I would be giving my testimony about the incident on Mar 10th. This made me soo happy I began cheering because I honestly had written the whole thing off, believing she was going to get away with it scott free. But then it got even better - my bestest buds conference called me to give me the greatest news of the day - that she hadn't passed PDL and they (Center for Professional Development) refused to commission her as a BSA Professional!!! This means that she really must've been a "hit" and made an unmistakable impression because it's hard to be refused a commissioning. I guess she hardly made it to class and was always hung over (see a trend here?). The point? This news made me VERY happy. I know that I shouldn't revel in her lack of moral character and bad, childlike behavior but she is gross and deserves to suffer a little bit (lots) of consequences for her actions.

Last night I drove to Tillyamook for the purpose of starting a troop from a thriving Webelos program and oddly enough, the only families to show up to the pack meeting were the Webelos. I think this is very indicitive of that pack's history. We'll see if they make it...it would be very depressing if they didn't.

Still to post about: radio show, ride along with Steve, pizza delivery debacle, Lisa's birthday card