Guest Blog: By the One and Only (I think I am anyways) Gamer!

OK, so I may not be the only “gamer” in the world, but I live in my own world and they know me there. Anyways back to what I was saying…. Never mind I forgot. Oh wait! So it’s been a very long time since I posted or said anything on the blog itself. So last time I talked about me was how I and “Bossy” met or first kiss or something like that.  

Today I wanted to just divulge some of my history to everyone so they can get to know me better. I am the youngest of 3 boys. I grew up in a little college retirement ranch/farming city called San Angelo, TX. It is about dead center of the state. Easiest way to find it is look on the map of TX and look for Dallas/FT Worth then head south west from there to Abilene. Now drive time that about 6 hours. Once you get there head S by SW again until you get to San Angelo. That’s 2 and half hours more. It is about 2 and half hours away from Mexico though. Another place I grew up in.  Another story for another time also.

Me in the middle

While I was growing up in this little city (if you can call it that). I had a hard time with where I fit in the family picture. My oldest brother was a star weight lifter in high school, but he had a mental disorder from his early childhood called Spinal Meningitis (fluid on the brain basically) and he mentally developed a lot slower than normal. 

My older brother was basically a sports stud. He played football in junior high and that was it. Me, on the other hand…. I loved playing sports. Football, baseball, I even did track and field in high school. I made some good friends and lost a lot. Made more than just a few mistakes in my life you could say. I wound up leaving the state after my divorce was supposed to be final to my ex wife. 

I drove trucks cross country for awhile. Ended up staying in Utah, not by my choice either. Thanks DMV for making that decision for me! Been in Utah for almost 15 years now and I can honestly say I wouldn’t change a thing. I have made some really good friends, have an awesome family and some of the craziest in-laws I have ever seen. 

So growing up was rough for me, mom worked all the time. Dad was always drinking after work and beating the kids. Oldest Brother moved out, older brother got into drugs and gangs and I was left alone with the abuse until I moved out also. After I left Utah my dad did change. He is a different person. He and my mom stayed together for over 25 years and were never married. 

Last year was a real eye opener for me when I went back to see my mom before she passed. The only person who treated me different was my dad. Other than that nothing changed. The city was still the same. Well, except for the population growing from 98,000 to almost 104,000 in 15 years. I swear to this day, that little town is stuck in 1999. It hasn’t aged except for the people.

I Feel It Coming On

Here it is.

I feel it coming on. I just have this huge need to unload. Are you ready?

I AM JUST SO BUSY!!

Whew...

I feel better now, thanks for listening.

I am having a hard time remembering my life being more complicated than it is right now. I know it was, like back when I was a young mom with only three or four kids I was working 3 jobs and still managing to mostly get the laundry done and keep the house clean. Funny, I don't remember cooking much when we lived in that apartment...

I'm pretty sure Scout wore the same pair of pink shorts to school today for the third day in a row! The Dog Walker has been in charge of laundry for the last couple of weeks, but he does it a little differently that I do. For instance, Bossy opened up the dryer yesterday and informed me that the Dog Walker had just finished washing and drying an entire batch of FOLDED socks!.

Now I know that occasionally clean clothes get thrown in the dirty pile, but come on, wouldn't those be easy to spot? So I asked him about it and he just gave me this wide smile that I see when he is pretending to not know anything. His idea was to fold them before washing and then the pair would stay together.

It sounds like a great idea until you realize that folded socks have a much easier time coming clean if they aren't all knotted up and rolled.

OK, Ladies and Gents, It's after 2:00 AM and I'm getting a little punchy.
I've enjoyed our time today. Thanks for stopping by. You are an amazing listener. Maybe next time I will let you do a little more talking.

Blast from the Past - Mike the Hero

During the first year of my blog I shared this story about nearly drowning in the irrigation ditch. You can read my version of it here in as much detail as I can remember, but here is the short version.

When I was 5 or 6 years old (there is some discussion on my age), I fell into the irrigation canal.

I have a special place in my heart for a guy named Mike. He saved my life by pulling me from the irrigation ditch just as I was about to be swept away. I don't know, maybe I was a bit younger, but I still remember the taste of that muddy water filling my lungs and my oldest brother hollering. Suddenly someone grabbed my arm and pulled me out of what I was sure was going to be my watery grave.

My brothers also contributed to the telling of this story and I want to share their versions with you too. My eldest brother said,  "I remember that too, I remember running after you, never quite catching up enough to reach you, yelling the whole way.  Mike got ahead somehow, I think by running down the side of the road while I was trying to run along the ditch bank, or maybe his longer legs, or maybe he was just always in front of me, maybe all of those, and he caught you at the bridge, which would have sent you under, and maybe trapped you underneath.  So he was just in time.  Hadn't thought about that in years."

My second brother told it this way, "Yes. I remember that day, but  not particularly well. I would guess that Sandy was closer to 3 than 8 because I remember not being able to do anything except yell at Mike to try to get her. We were floating sticks down the rapid ditch water. Sandy slipped as she was reaching in to get one. I was right by her, but I could do nothing as the water swept her away. I remember yelling and watching Sandy float down the stream with Mike running down the side of the road. I don't actually remember seeing him grab her, but I do remember telling Mike that he was a hero. Mike (and the Thursby family overall) was tremendously good to Grandma and Grandpa."

I'm telling this story again because our dear friend, Mike, died of cancer on Sunday at the age of 54. Life is so fragile and so short. I will always be grateful that he made mine last a little longer.

Activity Days Activities

Baby Dolls loves to join us!

I'm really liking working with my Activity Days girls. They range in age from about 8 - 11 and for this last activity we had about 10 girls there. We met in the church gym and my amazing Princess taught them a dance class.

In just a little over an hour she taught them a bunch of different moves, stretches, and even a little routine. She is such a pro!

I wanted to share the little video I made with you, but my phone insisted on resizing it. I think the girls really loved this activity. Last month we taught them to make apricot jam and to play volleyball.

I'm excited for October because we are planning a little basketball! I will let you know how it goes. So far these girls have been up for just about anything.

I wonder if they would like it if I taught them to weed my garden?!