Last Day of March, First Day of Baseball Season

Or a whole lot of randomness:

My mother had another milestone birthday last Saturday. A good number of the grandchildren were in attendance, even after her favorite grandchild commented, "Only grandma can invite a day before the event and expect everyone will show up." Well that was my fault, really. My mother wanted to celebrate her birthday with just her children, all five of us, but my brothers didn't know about this wish. Only I know what she really wanted for her birthday. However, I cannot let that happen. How can she have a birthday without her grandchildren and great grandchildren in attendance? After all we hardly get together in one place aside from Christmas day, so I sent out an email and facebook messaged grandchildren of the plans after I heard from my brother that he reserved a place for us at a local buffet. Mother wanted to eat at buffet. Well, that's her only vice and joy to eat out every week. Sometimes, twice when I happen to take her on a Saturday and bro #4 takes her out on one of the weekdays.

And so when we arrived at the restaurant after braving the strong downpour she saw her grandchildren at the entrance first. So I whispered to her, "Everyone is here."

It turned out to be really good day. The restaurant gave us two hours to eat and eat we did. Then we all came back home to have cake and one of the grandchildren brought ice cream. Then there were card games for the adults, card games and board games for the younger set, and a whole lot of running inside the house and chasing by the much younger set (great grandchildren).

I made tea three times and we put coffee on once. When only my brothers and one sister in law were left because they were still playing cards, I made pizza and heat up the meatballs I made the previous night so they can nibble while playing cards.

Moving on....there isn't much going on with me. Work is pretty busy so far. My tv shows are quite interesting. I have gained two new addictions - Crisis and Believe. But I'm catching them via On Demand on the weekends.

What is most anticipated is the start of the baseball season today. The Giants are playing the Diamondbacks tonight. Hopeful that they would be competing when September comes, isn't that what's first day of baseball is all about?

On the homefront, my dear Emma celebrated her fourth adoption day (GOTCHA DAY) on Sunday and of course she had treats and lots more treats whole day long. Now she's back on diet :)

It's been raining, so it's fun. At least it helps our very dry state. I wish there would be more storms coming up.

So until next time.

Of Corned Beef and Cabbage and WTH.....

2013_03_30 002, originally uploaded by M'roy.

Every year on St. Patrick's Day our non-Irish household has adopted this tradition of eating an Irish dish, corned beef and cabbage. I love this dish. It's one of those dishes that can give you comfort, that one can make you happy. I look forward to St. Patty's because of this dish. It's also one of those once-a-year meal, like turkey is only for Thanksgiving.

Anyway, something happened to me. I don't know how to explain it. I don't know how it happened.

A couple of days ago on my commute home from work as I was nearing a Costco where I would gas up for the week, I suddenly found myself swerving left and right and my speed is higher than I would normally do.

I don't know what happened or how it happened. It seemed to me like all of a sudden I was trying to control the car from swerving the left and then to the right. It only happened a few seconds, but I felt like I was watching myself do it. It's pretty frightening on hindsight. But while it was happening and soon after I got the car in control again I was not scared. Fear wasn't what I felt. Confusion was. I was at a loss for explanation for what just happened. I was too shock to be scared. As a matter of fact, I felt my pulse and it's normal. My heart was beating normally, not jumping out of my chest as I expected after an experience like that. I am easily ruffled and get nervous quickly and so my "normal" reaction to what had transpired puzzled me. I told myself to take a few minutes longer to gas up so that I can compose myself, but when I got out of the car to put gas on, my legs weren't shaky. NO part of my body was stressed or agitated.

I pinched myself. Am I alive? I read and watch so many stories like this. Anyway when I got home (I made a conscious effort to drive slower than normal) I asked the husband to kiss to me. I then blurted out what happened.

Days later I am shaken, scared, but still very much baffled at what really happened.

One thing I know for sure....I'm lucky. I'm truly blessed. My guardian angel was with me the whole way.

First Time....x2

2013_02_23 023, originally uploaded by M'roy.

2014 so far is turning out to be a year of firsts. It also is gearing towards a spontaneous kind of year. I'm loving it so far.

On Saturday our friends' kids stayed over for the night. We volunteered to look after the kids that day because our friends were celebrating a wedding anniversary. Having no close relatives nearby, we thought that it would be nice to let them have time for themselves. It is our belief that husband and wife must spend time alone together for the health of their relationship. I am so glad when I got a call on Friday night as the cats loafed on top of me as I vegetated on the couch watching some tv show asking if I could take in the kids for a few hours. I told him we're eager to take the kids for the rest of the night, handing the hubby the phone so that he could make more convincing. Our friend said he would discuss it with the wifey first and call us back. I knew the wife was willing to leave the kids with us, she was the first one I told that I was willing to get the kids off her hands for the night.

Thus, it happened. My first babysitting "job" overnight where the kids aren't related to me by blood. The kids are 12 and 6 and so it wasn't any trouble at all. The Xbox was a big help, pizza was welcomed and bacon was inhaled. I adore these kids, they've been to the house a few times with their parents and they know the ins and outs of the house. Plus the younger one loves our cats. At 6 years old, he proudly announced he's a cat person!

Their time at home went by smoothly. We brought them to church with us, the older one was doing acolyte duties that Sunday. Of course they got questioning looks when they showed up at church without their parents. So happy I could babysit for friends.

Later after church, the other "first" in my life happened.

A few days before we learned that the Wheel of Fortune mobile is going to conduct auditions in nearby North Bay, at the newly opened Graton Resort and Casino. Since it's only about an hour's drive away we thought it would be fun and totally atypical of us to go and audition. The experience alone would be memorable I thought.

And it was. The line on that Sunday afternoon wasn't nearly as bad. It wrapped around the casino floor, but it moved at a reasonable pace. New to the audition process, I found the whole experience to be fascinating. We were given a piece of paper, a form to fill out, waited in line and then asked to drop our form in a see-through bucket and ushered into a banquet hall. The travelling host was energetic and funny. Then he draw 30 names out of the bucket, 5 at a time and those 5 were to play a Wheel of Fortune game on the stage. The people whose names got called were not guaranteed a slot in the show. I believe they were looking for personality that would be good for tv. The hundreds of names that were not called will get another chance in 2 months when they would draw more names for auditions or chance to get to the show in Los Angeles.

Anyway, it was fun and people were having a good time. I realized that there are indeed so many people addicted and fanatic to the show. I felt out of place there. I am a casual watcher and an average puzzle solver, I had no business being there. As expected I did not get my name called, neither was husband, but we did have the best time.

After the show (another batch of auditioners were being led into the hall), we sat at a penny slot machine. Each of us had $10 to waste on the machine. I lost all of mine and husband's $10 became $55.00 in three spins. Already feeling like a winner we went home with our "winnings" and went searching for some Mexican food.

Fun and tiring weekend.

Randomness

it's a bird!!!!, originally uploaded by M'roy.

Scandal is back!!!! Why am I not very excited?

No one to be excited about in the new lineup of American idol.

Nothing is making me excited about spring. Is it because we hardly had a winter to speak of?

I won a coach bag from a blog I read religiously. I won it just by commenting on a post, which I regularly do. My first branded bag. Thanks.

On my other blog, my kitties also won a bag of treats from another kitty blog we read regularly.

Two wins, maybe I should buy a lottery ticket now!

Been eating out quite too much this first 2 months of the year. Not losing weight at all.

Looking forward to not wasting away my 2014.

Would love to take on more sewing projects. The first time I sew it was like riding a bike, once you learned you will never forget it. I love it.