Rob's Halfway House - #10

[older_twilight_fan]

Hello everyone~ Hope all of you are well. I'm just hangin' with my son while hubs and my daughter are at one of her friend's basketball games. It's been a mostly quiet weekend after a rather eventful Thursday night. We were at my son's 6 pm baseball game Thursday and noticed clouds and the intermittent sprinkling of rain during the game, but nothing too serious... with no severe weather expected at that time. About halfway though the game, the clouds had increased and the boys were pulled off the field for a few visible lightning strikes. The kids and spectators stayed pretty close to the field, as the games can resume once the skies have been lightning-free for fifteen minutes. We were all just standing around and talking, waiting for the umpires to decide the outcome of the game when the skies rapidly grew darker and nearly black, the winds picked up, and the clouds were swirling around (for lack of a more descriptive term). I had encouraged hubs to take my daughter home a few minutes earlier, as she's terribly frightened of lightning, so they had already left the fields. The umpires finally ruled that all games were cancelled, and most people headed to their cars immediately to race home. The rest of us (boys and parents) were having our kids pick up their stuff out of the dugout, when it suddenly started raining sideways, the wind whipped furiously every direction, and we saw debris flying through the air. One of the park officials led us into a cinder block storage room behind the concession stand where we waited out the storm, just as the torando sirens started wailing. It was later confirmed that a tornado had touched down near another baseball field about one hundred yards from where we were. A couple of cars were flipped over and part of the roof or a nearby house was torn off, but thankfully no one was seriously injured. It could have been so much worse, especially because of the very sudden and completely unexpected nature of the stom, and considering all the parents and kids who were out and about at the ballpark that evening. All in all...it was a more eventful evening at the baseball park than I prefer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHLEY!!

Amy~ Sorry you've had kind of a craptastic week, and hope you have a better one next week. How is your Mom recovering?

Rachel~ Great to see you! Hope everyone is well and that you're getting at least a little bit of sleep. Thanks for checking in with us.

Karena~ Good to see you around here again. I'm glad to hear your little boy is feeling better after some antibiotics. I'm sure whooping cough can be a bit uncomfortable, and a little scary. I hope you enjoyed your shorter work week.

Sean~ Kristen does indeed look gorgeous. I think she was always naturally pretty....she just seems a little sexier and like she's more comfortable in her own skin nowadays, if that makes any sense. I guess all the Twilight-haters and naysayers like to tear down others to make them feel better, so they latch onto Rob and Kristen's personal life and make up silly rumors about their relationship that have no basis in actual fact. Congrats on receiving your check, and your new laptop!

Marielle~ Keeping fingers crossed for pics of a clean-shaven and well-suited Rob at the White House dinner tonight. I hope you and your bf are having a fun and busy weekend and enjoying the time spent with your parents. I know what you mean about not wanting to carry around those extra pounds, as I'm also carrying some unwanted weight, myself. Usually the best way for me to finally get my butt in gear with my eating habits is when I try on my clothes and nothing fits the way it should. You and those dreams about the handsome boys in your life....

Missp~ I'm sorry you seem to have injured your back too....that seems to be the theme of the HH. Unfortunately the older I am, I find it's even easier to strain various muscle groups without even trying....and everything takes longer to heal properly. I'm so proud of you sister, for all the wonderful and hard work you're doing with your Celebrate Rocovery program. I'm sure it is quite emotional and cathartic for you....and just think how great everything will be on the other side.

Brenda~ Thanks for sharing the pics of Kris and Charlize....they're both beautiful ladies.

Ashley~ Good luck on your driving test Saturday. Post a picture of your birthday cake if you have a chance, as we'd love to see it. That's too bad you're required to pay $100 for the book for your CNA class. Are used books an option, and is there any type of online book for this course?

Susie~ Way to go for being organized and getting ahead for next week--you go, girl! Hopefully that will make your days a little shorter and more stress-free, and you'll be able to come home between teaching classes again on Tuesday. Enjoy your dinner with Mary.

Caryn~ Ellen's "reading" of Fifty Shades was hilarious....especially when Ellen hit herself with the various kitchen utensils and was "oohing" and "aahing". Gotta love Ellen! The idea of Rob (and possibly Kris) at the White House dinner is kind of surreal; but you're right....C-span will certainly have a record number of viewers tonight. Sorry you've injured your back again and hope you recover as quickly as possible.

Lynne~ How was work yesterday, and was your employer able to compensate you? I'm so sorry that your editorial comments of the other book were inadvertently deleted. Is there any way they were stored somewhere on the hard drive and might still be retrieved? I hope your friend enjoys reading The Host. It's always fun to convert another fan to a book or movie series we enjoy.

Songbird~ I'm sorry that you have tonsillitis and hope you recover quickly and the meds help you rest well. Good for you for sending the hubs and kids away so you can have some quiet time to rest and recuperate (there's just no such thing with kiddos around ).

Suzan~ You had some nice ideas of ways to thank the Twilight cast and crew. Maybe you could contact Laura and Pel here at the Lexicon and see if they know if something similar might already be in the works. I hope you enjoyed the lazy day today, and your holiday Monday. I like the few "Florence and the Machine" songs I've heard, and think they'll make an interesting addition to the SWaTH soundtrack. Thanks for sharing the video with the BD honeymoon footage....wow! Obviously I've seen all the footage before, but there's something about seeing a few of those scenes repeated over and over, and set to sexy music......THUD! I think I need to drag out my BD DVD and watch the first forty-five minutes of the movie again.

[Tornado]

Suzan - thanks for the positive words. Yes, I do have a reason for every cut. Unfortunately, though, sometimes it can be as nebulous as just saying that I think she's already said enough about something. That's a very subjective viewpoint, certainly. All I could say in my defence when it comes to those kinds of comments is that I trust my instincts.

Sean - yes it will be interesting to see how Kristen handles Graham Norton. It's a pity Rob can't go on with her. I really enjoy watching the episode when he was on. It's funny!

Susie - yes, I didn't think it was Amy's birthday, but you put it up, so I thought I just didn't know about it. At least you know the rest of us read your posts!

Tracy - that's scary about the tornado being so close to you. I'm glad you're all okay. My boss hasn't been able to pay me yet, but we're trusting that God will have the money in soon. I'm not sure the comments can be retrieved. I am thinking of forwarding it to my boss, though, who has the real version of that program, to see if she can see them. You never know!

[marielle]

Hey Everybody!!!

I’m working hard trying to finalize my travel plans… I’m now at the point where I have to find good, beautiful and interesting locations in Michigan and Wisconsin so we can determine how to drive from the Canadian border to Chicago.
(all tips and advises are welcome)

This morning we went to pick up my dad from the airport. It meant getting up at 4.15 am… Way too early so I’m absolutely tired…

Also I haven’t seen pictures of Rob at the White House yet. I wonder if he has been there at all…

Anyways,

Caryn, I thought the President’s red carpet was the only way Rob and Kris should do a “coming out” red carpet together… nice and exclusive!!! But you are right, they aren’t big fans of attention so I’m not surprised that they weren’t there…

Lynne, I think it’s always a big risk to buy a book as a present. My friends have such a different taste than me and I would hate it to get it wrong so much of the time I buy a gift card for books.
Perhaps with your friend, liking twilight, the host is a good bet.

Suzan, if the reviews of FF.net are only that small you can just thank them with a small Author’s note above the next chapter. Usually I try to reply to all those who have made an effort to point out my mistakes and/or wrote really helpful reviews…
My dad has been away for about 3 months… it’s his usual trip duration.
You know, things like Tortilla you can also eat cold, so you have make them one evening and the next you can eat it with a small salad. Most sauces can be heated in a microwave. If you make some sauce you can eat rice with you can buy “Lassie minuutje” it’s done in a minute in the microwave…
If you need some recipes I can send you some links of my favorites. (btw, A scientist like you shouldn’t have any problems rewriting the recipes for 4 to 2.)

Tracy, wow scary with the tornado touching down so close to you…
I have issues with my eating habits, mainly because I am addicted to sugar. I hope that my holiday away from easy foods and being active will help me with getting over it.

Alright, back to the maps and greenery!!

[marielle]

dubble post!!!!!!

[Jazz Girl]

Good morning everyone. Well, we haven't seen anything from last night just yet, but I'm still holding out hope. We'll see.

Tracy~ Oh my GODS!! I’m so glad you all are safe! Thank gods you were all able to take shelter that way. I lost my mind laughing when Ellen pulled out the whip… I was just off my chair!!

Marielle~ You’re right. 4:15 am in any time zone is way too early. I mentioned Mackinac Island on FB. It’s absolutely gorgeous and a very fun place to visit. And, I’m totally onboard with Sandy’s Saugatuck suggestion as well. Can’t wait to see your final itinerary.

Alright, well, I'm still in a bit of pain thanks to the back issues, so I'm going to gimp on back to my bedroom and snuggle up with some fanfic.

[Songbird]

Sean, that’s nice that you can watch your videos and things now. And that it's YOUR laptop, so hopefully nothing gets messed up on it.

Lynne, oh that sucks!!! That’s a lot of work to do again! And having to read it twice when you barely got through it the first time. Eek. At least this time when you go back through it, you should be done! No one was here to wait on me. They went to my in-laws’ for the weekend. But my husband came back today and the kids will be back tomorrow night. I’m sure your friend will love the Host! It’s such a great book!

Amy, what a week! Did they turn off your internet at work because people were abusing the privilege, or to prevent it while the boss is gone, or did something go wrong?

Susie, mmm…empanadas. Do you ever do workshops with your students where they teach the group something? It’s a great way to practice English, learn about culture and have some fun. My friends and I have done a lot of cooking workshops with each other, just for fun. My Mexican friends taught us to make Frijoles, Tortillas, Empanadas, Pellascadas?, and churos. Our Indonesian friend taught us to make egg rolls, our Sri Lanken friend taught us a sort of rice dish, and our Iranian friend taught us Dolme (stuffed grape leaves) and an eggplant dish served with bread called something like Ketchkabodemjune. I know you said you’ve gotten to try a lot of ethnic foods, but wondered if you’ve also been taught to make any of it?

Tonise, I was wondering about that too. I thought it was for alcohol and drug rehabilitation, and I wondered how you got to be involved with it when I didn’t think you had an addiction like that. It’s a good point that we’re all rather dependent on something.

Marielle, it hasn’t been bad weather here. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be around 21 degrees and dry! You can give in to the sweet tooth…just don’t eat a LOT of it. If you tell yourself you can’t have ANY, you’re more likely to cave.

Caryn, sorry about your back! That’s what comes of being Superwoman! Take it easy! I agree about Ellen…she’s hilarious! I love this bit she does in stand up about hunting. But yes, it will be interesting to see what she’ll come up with for Rob!!

Ashley, I’m so sorry I missed your Birthday, but I hope it was fantastic and your cake was everything you wanted! Do we get to see pictures?

Suzan, yeah, I HATE dissecting! Were the rats not preserved in formaldehyde? When I was in 7th grade (13 years old) we had to dissect Starfish and Earth Worms. And then in 10th grade we had to dissect Starfish again, some other fish, and a fetal pig. So gross!!! I will never understand why, in high school, you can’t just get by with a diagram! We didn’t even have to dissect in my COLLEGE biology class. That’s something that should be left to those wanting to be doctors, or veterinarians, not high school students. Blech. You mentioned Emancipation Proclamation and The Help. Is that a fan fic for The Help? I loved the book The Help and I can’t wait until it comes out on DVD on May 8th. I didn’t get to see it when it was in the theater.

Tracy, that must have been very scary! I’m glad they found a place for you to take cover there! And great that no one was seriously injured! You’re right, there’s no such thing as quiet time when the kids are around.

I had myself a nice spa morning at home today. I took a nice bath, and I did a facial mask, exfoliated my skin, shaved…it was very relaxing! Hubs came home this afternoon, so we went to Subway for lunch. Tomorrow is Queen’s Day, so we’ll be avoiding the crowds, and the the kids will come home in the evening

[Tornado]

marielle - I don't usually buy books for people, but this friend had said she wanted something new to read, and I told her a bit about The Host, and she said she'd give it a go. I told her that she might have trouble with the first quarter of it, as some people seem to have found that part a bit slow, but hopefully she will persevere and enjoy it!

Songbird - no one was home to wait on you? Rats! At least the house would have been quiet! Yes, it was a bummer to lose all that stuff. I probably should go over it all again anyway. I was just trying to avoid it. Maybe this is God telling me I have to!

[Chernaudi]

Hi everyone

Don't have much time to post today, as I have a meeting tomorrow, some TV to watch ad a few things to do tonight to get ready for tomorrow.

But I can offer confirmation of Kristen, Rob and Michael all being in Vancouver as I'm writing this from Robstenation.

I'll be back later

[♥midnight_sun♥]

First off, THANK YOU all for the birthday wishes here and elsewhere on the interwebz yesterday! (And I'll pretend I didn't see the name mix-up from Susie. )

I went EARLY (7.30am, meaning I woke up a little before 6) to the DMV and got my license, so now I can drive without having someone else in the car with me. The rest of the day went alright - my cake looked fantastic and lunch w/ my brothers went well.

For anyone who say my FB status last night though...I had went out driving around aimlessly last night as I hadn't been out on my own yet, and after all the planned things for the day I was pretty bored. I had ended up intending to go to a park not too far from my house and walk around in the woods near there, but there was something going on there last night, so I ended up on the interstate and after more driving ended up visiting my brothers last night for a bit. (which they were happily surprised by) I ended up leaving earlier than I had intended though as there was a HUGE storm that passed through here last night, and since those usually last through the night, I didn't want to wait around my mom's for it to pass. After grabbing take out and getting gas, I went back to the interstate to go home (about 45 min drive from my mom's house, and then an hour on the interstate to get home) and oh boy did I make the wrong choice by trying to drive in it. All the semi trucks had every possible light on on their trucks that they possibly could and NO ONE was going over 35-40 mph, even though the minimum is 45. I literally felt like I was driving in a flood because of how hard and fast it was raining - not to mention there was hail at one point as well. Then about halfway home, it got so bad I couldn't even see the hood of my car, and I thought about pulling over, but the interstate along that area is way up high with farm fields a lot lower down on each side, and since there aren't any railings, I was worried about driving too far over and ending up in a horrible wreck or having one of the many semi trucks coming up behind me, end up hitting me by accident. The funny thing about the entire drive was that the SECOND I pulled onto the off ramp, it stopped. Like the rain just dead on stopped and almost all the cars I saw on the way to my house after that were completely dry, and I felt like a drown rat.

Marielle~I don't think its so much the science jokes, but just the characters for me. I was really into science in school, and so I understand most of the jokes, but most of the characters just fall flat for me.

Susan~Yes. I was supposed to get a minimum of fifty hours in before my test - ten of those at night - but I ended up with around forty-eight instead of fifty as I had gotten some new information saying that it wasn't necessary to get the fifty hours.

Suzan~Oh no. I could NEVER do healthcare. It's not even remotely interesting to me and I'd feel so bored most of the time. I'm actually only doing it because with the volunteer work I have, it won't help me with any paid job I could get around here, thus no one wants to hire me when they can hire someone else that won't need much or any training. And this way, with the CNA not only will I be able to get a nice paying job easily to help pay for college, but it's something that I wouldn't have too much trouble getting hired as elsewhere while in college full time.

Tracy~Sadly, no. There are no ebook or used book options as it's a brand new edition of the book I have to have, so new is the only way to go.

I promise to try and get pictures of the cake up soon! Right now I'm still trying to catch up on everything I didn't get done yesterday since I took the day off from everything.

[Susie]

Hi All!

Catch Up Post!


Sean – Now Rob and Kris are in Vancouver? What jetsetters. All that gossip about Rob getting jealous of Kristen’s publicity. Hardly. I’m sure he’s happy for her and besides, he would probably gladly give up some of his own since it is probably a big pain in the patoutie anyway. Congrats on getting a nice new laptop! What kind is it?

Karena – So sorry about your dad’s death 2 years ago. Of course you are especially reminded of him on his birthday. Sorry your son had Pertussis. That is nasty stuff. I’m sure you’re doing all you can for him. It seems to take its own sweet time getting out of the system, though. I hope no one else in your family catches it. You can get a shot for it, right?

Desiree – Oh no! I’m so sorry your daughter is allergic to penicillin. I hope her reaction wasn’t too severe. My hubs developed an allergy to penicillin as an adult and caught him by surprise. His face swelled up so much I could hardly recognize him. It took a couple of days for all the swelling to go down.

Brenda – Sorry you caught a cold. I swear by gargling with warm salt water twice a day every day without fail and I don’t get colds since I started doing that. The Japanese do that (or just plain warm water) and they get colds less often than we do. Aww! Your hubs is so sweet wanting to take swing dance lessons with you!! That is good exercise. Congrats on getting some more business. I hope your little surgery goes well. It’s good to get those things taken care of. I can’t wait to see you in Chicago too! I was worried that seeing me would cause some sort of gag reflex though. I mean you probably associate me with being sick. Let’s hope not.

Songbird – I used to teach a class at an apartment complex to a group of women from India and one of them taught me how to make pilav. Other than that, no we don’t do cooking demonstrations in class. I don’t have access to a kitchen at school. Your experience with cooking with different cultures in your Dutch class sounds like so much fun! Did you like the food? Daughter Dear is a graduating senior. If you got to wear cords with your gown, that was sure an honor. Iolanthe – I was in that show! So I know what you’re talking about. I’ve done all of the G&S operettas. I was in a G&S group for 10 years and met my hubs there. The group still exists – the chorus pretty much stays in the group, so a lot of our friends still do it, amazingly enough since I’ve been out of it for 18 years!

Ann Marie – I’m sorry you didn’t get that job. Maybe you’ll end up getting a better one. That’s good news about HHCon!

Amy – Someone backed into your truck? Did they give you their insurance info? What a crazy week for you, to be sure. Flooding of your office? What a mess. I’m so glad your mom’s surgery went well.

Caryn – I’m so sorry you hurt your back! Well at least you got to rest the rest of you this weekend and that probably was needed as well. I hope you feel better soon. I giggled when you mentioned that Rob and Obama pictured together would be almost too much to handle. The birthday lunch was in fact a dinner complete with wine, appetizer and dessert. It was great. She’s the kind of friend I can talk with for hours. We’ve known each other for over 31 years! (how old are you again? ) *tee hee* LOVED Ellen reading 50 Shades. Hilarious!! I love her. Daughter Dear gets only her charm and EQ from me. I never was scholarly at that age. I developed that later in life.

Ginnie – We’re so glad we can be here for you! Just keep checking in with us, OK? Hang in there.

Ashley – (I got your name right) Sorry about the text book miscommunication. The TB test wasn’t that bad, though, was it? Part 2 is when they look at your arm x number of days later to see if there is a reaction, so that’s painfree. I hope your driving test went well. If it didn’t, you’re like my daughter. She didn’t pass the first time. They make it really difficult. I’ve read that 50% of testers fail the first time. Of course I hope you passed!

Tonise – Not only did you and Caryn both do Marching Band in college, but you both threw out your backs and were laid up on the couch yesterday!! Thanks for explaining the Recovery program you are doing. It is great that you are so proactive and taking control of your life. And as you’ve said – you have to do all of this before Mr. Right can come into your life. I’m so glad your lap band slip has healed!

Marielle – 4:15 am is basically still night – not morning! But since I know how much you love your dad, it was worth it, right? I’m glad you’re having a nice weekend with your parents. I’ll let Kayla and Sandy give you tourist advice. Nothing like a dream about your Jr. High crush. That first love/crush holds a special place in our memory – it’s so raw, isn’t it? I think it is because it was so intense when we first feel those feelings, the intensity is remembered along with the memory. By the way, if anyone can make hiking boots look fashionable, YOU can. Phi Beta Kappa is an academic honorary society. What you’re thinking of are the SOCIAL sororities and fraternities. They have Greek letters because Greek is associated with academia. I was in a sorority at my college – Alpha Delta Pi. It was founded in the 1800’s. There are ADPi Chapters all over the U.S. We have a secret handshake and ceremonies, but basically you pledge to stay true to that sisterhood and you can’t join another sorority. The purpose is for self-development, community, and service. Most sororities/fraternities have their own houses on campus. I lived in the sorority house. It was so much fun. The parties with the fraternities were great. So many hot guys. Mostly it’s big universities and colleges that have them, not small private colleges, like my daughters. There isn’t a Greek system at her college, nor at my son’s college.

Grayce – Sorry about your thyroid, but you’re probably right about the meds helping with your emotions and weight gain. You’ll probably feel much better soon.
Lynne – Well, I’m not sure everyone reads my silly posts, but I know you’re such a quick reader you can make it through every last word of the entire thread and still have time for everything else in your life! I’m so glad you already have a BD2 viewing buddy! Oh No! That’s absolutely terrible that your editing comments didn’t get saved! I can imagine how frustrating that is. Grrr! I would be upset too. Good luck getting through it again.

Tracy – What a frightening experience! Wow. You can see how people get caught off guard when storms come up so quickly. Basically the siren went off right before the tornado touched down! Was your son scared? How about your daughter and husband on their ride home? Did they have to stop the car, or where they luckily driving away from the storm? Did she get even more scared? I’m so glad no one was hurt. I loved your story about singing at Pat O’Briens at midnight. How fun! You crazy girl, you! Choirs are so much fun, aren’t they? There’s real community there. I didn’t get the cold, so I stand by my gargling.

Suzan – Fantastic SuperMega post, Girl! You were right about it being Ashley’s birthday. I typed the wrong name!! (I’ve since corrected it) I would be wiped out working a regular full time work week too. I’m sure you’ll get somewhat used to it, though. I loved the sexy vid. Thanks for posting. Also thanks for the link to the Florence SWatH song. Very cool. Yes, my daughter is graduating on May 27. She’s not quite sure about her summer job, but she will be working in Argentina/Uruguay for a year starting on August 15. It’s service work similar to the Peace Corps. She won’t know her exact assignment until July. LOVE your TY idea!!! Yes. Take it to the Mods, Alphie and Pel. I got all choked up thinking about it.


See you tomorrow!

EDIT - Ashely - We were posting at the same time! I missed seeing yours, so sorry if I'm not current in what I said to you.