Previous thoughts about Tornado Watch/Warning

A little while ago the tornado sirens went off and we had to try to console 2 hysterical boys by watching basketball. This is not easy to accomplish, because they are now old enough to read the right-hand corner of the TV which clearly reads (in red, of course) "Tornado Watch" and "Tornado Warning".
At this point I have to again ask myself what the difference between Watch and Warning is. I am not the only one who wonders this, because the weatherman always has to clarify it, usually showing a graphic of some sort. Maybe it's just me, but if it's so confusing, why don't they just come up with new words? I mean, we Americans have NEVER been able to figure out that ridiculous metric system. So, we just stick with our very own units of measure that apparently only we Americans use. Maybe they should use "Stay In Your Basement" and "Your Neighbor's House Is Now In Oz". I have no trouble differentiating the two. I don't need a graphic or explanation for that. If they would just switch to those very understandable phrases, the weathermen wouldn't need to keep explaining Watch and Warning. Just think of the on-air time that would save. There would be much more time to show previous clips of death and destruction-inducing tornadoes during a break-away segment of the basketball game...which two, hysterical boys are watching to console themselves.

I am somewhat optimistic about the idea of very fast, circular winds which, well, which....suck. I'm no scientist (see above explanation for Watch and Warning), but if we did leave all the windows and doors open wouldn't it just be logical that my need to pick up around the house would be drastically reduced?? See? There is a silver lining on every cloud.

SOME people would be upset about all that bad weather and such. They're just those "the-glass-is-half-empty" type of people. I happen to be one of those "my-half-empty-glass-won't-need-to-washed-in-about-15-minutes" type of people. It's just all in how you look at it.
Well, I have to go now. Jeff says there's a clip of a tornado from a couple weeks ago on TV. I haven't seen this one yet, but I'm sure there's a lot of mobile homes strewn across Kansas. At this point, I have to ask myself why mobile homes are even allowed in Kansas? I mean, come on, we've ALL seen the movie.....

Christmas Eve is Almost Here

Tomorrow is the day that everything is supposed to be done and ready for Christmas day. In that case, I'd better get myself in gear today!
We're going over to a friend's house for fun and dinner tonight, then we're letting the boys be Secret Angels to a family. It's so exciting!!!
We had a mysterious benefactor call Antioch and offer to pay our monthly premium for our health insurance! WOW! What a blessing!! I feel like I won a spiritual lottery!! Thank you, Lord, for laying that gift on someone's heart. I'm still at a loss for words.
Sometimes, I don't know if I'm a "ye of little faith" or a "ye of great impatience". I'm probably like a combination of both! Know what I mean?

Okay, no more posting for now.....gotta run and make memories.

What Mommy Would Like For Christmas

Dear Jenna,
For Christmas, I would really, really like for you to use the big-girl potty. Please. I know how much you like to pretend about using the potty, but maybe you could do it for real.
I know how much you love to dress up, and I hate to say it, but the crinkly diapers are just killing your fashion look. It really takes away from your Cinderella bead necklace. Actually using the big-girl potty affects so many areas of your life; you're going to love it. It's really liberating.

Jenna's a Big Girl Now

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HoneyBear!
Jenna got a Radio Flyer wagon with 2 flip-up seats with buckles and 4 cup holders. She can hardly stay out of it, and she loves to put on her seat belt ("Buck-o's"). We also got her the Elefun game. It's an elephant with a blower inside; the trunk expands to 4 feet and blows little butterflies out of the trunk. The kids try to catch the falling butterflies with nets. You've never seen such excitement! It was like DisneyWorld in a box. Yeah!! Mommy scored on this one!! Her little friend, Mychaela, gave her a Birthday Dora, which she also loves.

We had a little "party" at our friend's house. Every year they make a birthday cake for Jesus. This year we celebrated with a Jesus AND Jenna birthday cake. CUTE!

I can't believe she's 2 years old; what a happy little surprise she was for our family. Thank you, Jesus!

The Hot Spots

The most desired businesses to sell candy in are:

Beauty Salons--it's all about women, chocolate and peer pressure.

Car Dealerships--walk straight back to the mechanic's garage, then take your chances in the showroom b4 you get kicked out.

Bowling Alleys--nothing says chocolate like a smoke-filled room.

Falling Down

I believe I was in 7th grade when I sold candy across the street from the Daly Plaza. I'm thinking it was the Tokyo Bank Building, but I could be wrong.
There's no one alive on this planet who was more uncoordinated with knees and elbows like I was at that age.
Combine those knees and elbows with 25 boxes of candy stuffed into 2 white bags. Now throw in an escalator. And you come up (or down) with:

A scrawny 13 year-old, falling and sliding down moving stairs with sliding candy boxes.
Legs and arms flailing, skirt a-sailing.
It wasn't pretty, folks.

Robbed!

This happened while I was selling on the Tallman Holmes Building Corner of Wacker and whatever. Tina was across the street at the Opera House corner.

Sometimes, I'd just be in kind of a trance out there. Thinking about whatever, just lost in my own little world. I'd robotically ask people to buy candy and be somewhat surprised when they'd stop to look at what I had to offer.

All my candy was in those (in)famous white, crinkly bags....think big Wal-Mart type. I had them stashed in a corner of the building, out of the way of people traffic, but where I had easy access for a refill on my show boxes. Apparently it was just too much for a couple of thugs to resist.

I had just finished a show-and-tell session with a buyer. That's where you show them each individual box and tell them what's in each box. As I stepped back to replenish the box I'd just sold, my heart dropped into my stomach. My bags were gone!

I was starting to panic and get mad at the same time. Also in front of the Tallman Building was a CTA bus stop. I stepped further out on the sidewalk, and checked out the people waiting for the bus. There were two big guys waiting there. One of them had a bag stuffed back into the side of his coat under his arm. The other one had a bag just in front of his knees between his legs.

I got all fired-up in a hurry. How dare they??!! What jerks!!
I gave them my dirtiest look, which wasn't hard to come up with since I was sooooo mad. I hissed at them with disgust:
"What do you think you're doing?! Give me back that candy; I need it!"

They didn't run away with my candy. They didn't leave the candy and run away. They laughed. Yes, they laughed right at me and let me snatch my bags from their hands.
"She needs her candy....bwaaaahaaaahaaaa!!"

I guess a mad, scrawny 14 year-old demanding anything from 2 thugs came across as hilarious.
The bus pulled up and they got on and rode away-----without my candy!
And the mad, scrawny 14 year-old was victorious!

Selling Downtown with Michele

Another funny incident was downtown Chicago. Usually, we girls took our candy in those white plastic bags. Today, though, a few of us were just going to carry the case. I had it all loaded up just like I wanted it: two rows of the turtles (HOT seller!), 1.5 rows of peanut butter cups, and .5 row of mints (NOT seller). **At this point in my post, anyone who grew up with me and/or helped me thru math class should be pleasantly surprised at my correct use of fractions.**I don't remember the other girls who were walking down the street with me--except one: Michele Edwards.
Why would I remember Michele?
Imagine downtown Chicago. Think of the backed-up traffic at every light. Think of the horns that start honking BEFORE the light turns green. Think of those cab drivers. Think of the bike messengers with a death wish. Think of the swarms of people waiting to cross the street. Okay.....got it?Just as I took a few steps out into the intersection to cross the street and beat the light, Michele comes behind me and shoves my case out from under my arm.
It was a turtle/peanut butter cup/mint patty fiasco all over the intersection AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN. Horns were honking everywhere, people were tripping over me and my candy, cabbies were cursing, and I was frantically grabbing boxes and screaming, "MICHELE, YOU IDIOT!!". As I looked up for a split-second, all I saw were teenage girls sprinting away laughing their heads off. I recall being pretty steamed about that for the afternoon. Now, though, it is kind of funny--mostly because I wasn't run over or crushed. Hey, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger

Getting Past Security

I remember how we would try to sneak past security guards to get into buildings to sell candy--what a giggly "rush" it was to make it to the elevators, etc. I remember being picked up by the police in Niles? Michigan with Ronnie Bostian as my partner for selling without a permit in the city. He dropped us of at McDonald's to wait for our van which was going to pick us up at the end of the afternoon. We waited awhile, and when we thought the coast was clear, we took off again to a strip mall.He was waiting for us when we walked out of a business. Man, he was mad! "I told you....blah...blah....yelllllllll!" We were mortified, of course, and he took us right back to McDonald's. This time we stayed put. And what an exciting story we had---and,boy, did we laugh as we talked about what happened over and over with each other.

Getting Lost

Our parents or drivers would drop us off at some point in a business strip, and we would walk (miles some times) to our meeting destination. One time, I believe I was 3rd or 4th grade--my mom dropped me off at a strip there in St. Joseph, MI (I think this was before "territories" were established---so don't yell at me for selling in your spot ). Well, I did a few stores, and when I came out of one, I panicked because I didn't know where she went. I ended up at a pay phone in a restaurant vestibule, afraid to dial the "0". I didn't want to involve the police--they were mostly "after us", you know. BUT I was lost. So I called the operator. I was choking back tears and asked her "Do you have a thing where you look for people?" I laugh now when I think of how I asked that! "Honey, we're looking for a lot of people; is there something you need to tell me?", she asked. I burst out in tears "I CAN'T FIND MY MOM!!!" She talked me through the name of the restaurant, did I see a street sign?, and just talk to her until an officer arrived to help me. I was FREAKING OUT! AN OFFICER??!!! Oh, man, they're going to arrest me or my mom---maybe I should just bolt and take my chances on the street!I hung on to the phone anyway and waited for my doom,er, the policeman. I remembered we had parked in the parking lot of a mall, so I took the officer to where we had parked. He pulled up behind our car and read our license plate numbers over his radio. I panicked again---Oh, no! The plates are EXPIRED!! I knew he could catch me if I jumped out his door. I was trapped and going to prison now; I just knew it. Well, sometime after that, my mom walks out of the mall, looking around like she doesn't see the police car (expired plates, you know!) I crack up to this day seeing her face looking so innocent Well, it all worked out okay; no jail time for either of us. And then we drove off to sell candy in a different spot.

Happy 13th anniversary, Sweetheart!!

Time flies when you're having fun! You're my best friend and I love you so much. Thanks for all your encouragement and support....and just being you.

Okay, you're all going to have to have a little patience with me. This is a brand-new adventure for me! I imagine I'm going to end up with posts not where I want them to be, but I hope you'll enjoy them, even if they're all over the place.

Early Candy Sale Memory

One of the earliest memories I have of selling candy is from the first grade. I was standing outside of a bank asking those coming in or out if they would like to buy candy for my school. I did try to use my good manners, which included being respectful with "Yes, Ma'am" and "No, Sir". One particular lady, I recall, just could not get over the good manners. She bought some candy from me (I believe this was when we were selling the peanut brittle in the little cans). But she was a bit flustered at the "ma'ming" I was giving her.

"You don't have to keep saying, 'Yes, Ma'am' to me, you know?"

"Yes, Ma'am, I know."

I put my hand over my mouth.

"Ummmm, I mean, 'Okay, Ma'am."