Oct 25

Can you believe that I’ve been waiting all week for that Bronco game? It was embarrassing, 59 – 14. I and everyone that I know thought it was going to be a blowout the other way. We hadn’t had a divisional game yet until that disaster and our division hasn’t been doing all that well. So, now that our divisional games are coming up, I thought that we were going to start a big winning streak with the Raiders as our first victory. Which it should have been, most of the games we lost were very close against really good teams and we should have beaten them. All right, it’s Monday and it’s time to put that fiasco behind us and move on to the 49ers game.
My mother-in-law wanted me and my brother-in-law to move all of the stuff out of her yard and take down the covering of her (I guess you would call it a tent). It’s the size of a garage made out of PVC pipes and canvas and it covers her back yard. Then, she wanted us to run wire around the top, crisscrossing and put a new tarp on. She wanted us to do it so that when it starts snowing, it won’t accumulate on the top and rip the canvass. We were supposed to get there at 0600 to start. Well, we got there at about 0800. No one wanted to get up that early on a Saturday. It was difficult dirty work, but we got it done about two or two thirty and it looks nice.
After that, the girls had their homecoming dance. Since it is us, we naturally waited until the last minute to go buy them dresses. Luckily, I didn’t have to go. (I hate clothes shopping.) The girls looked very nice and my eldest asked if she could go to an after homecoming party. She’s eighteen and responsible, so we agreed to let her stay out until after one. I would call her and then go pick her up. As they were out at their dance, my youngest asked if she could go to a different after homecoming party. We’re trying to give her a little more freedom so that she can prove herself to be as responsible, I agreed. I told her that I would go get her at midnight. But, she had to answer her phone when I called. My kids have a problem of answering the phone when I call. To her credit, she answered when she was supposed to. Since I was in a good mood and I didn’t want to go out twice, I told her that she could stay out until one and then I would pick her up when I picked up my eldest. Like before though, she had to answer her phone when I called. So, I called again and she told me where to pick her up. I told her to go outside, because I had already left and I knew the general area where she would be. When I got there, there was no house and no daughter waiting outside. So, sitting in the intersection, I called eight more times without her answering. Finally, after fifteen minutes, she answers and tells me that she is at a different address. Now, I’m a little mad. She said that she was waiting for me and her phone was in her backpack where she couldn’t hear it. (Sure, it’s always something. But, their normal excuse is that their phone died and none of their friends have phones, even though they are constantly talking to their friends on the phone.) But, I picked up everyone and everything was fine. We’ll see about next time.
Before the girls went to their homecoming dance, I had gone to 7-11 to get a double big gulp of ice tea. I don’t know how many ounces it is, but it’s the size of a football standing on its end and about as wide around from top to bottom. I was really looking forward to relaxing and drinking it after working on the in-law’s back yard all morning. I took one drink on my way to the sofa and was just about to sit down, when I dropped it. Ice tea went all over the place. I wasn’t a happy camper. Then, after the homecoming dance, I took the girls to Burger King because they were hungry and it was open at two in the morning. I ordered myself another large ice tea, because they have Gold Peak ice tea here in Denver and it is really good. Anyway, as soon as I got home guess what happened. Yep, I got one drink and as I was sitting down, it went over. Not a very good ice tea day.
Sunday, my wife had to work. The kids were recovering from the homecoming dance, and the Broncos had an afternoon game, so I spent the morning packing up the kitchen and my closet. I packed up seven large boxes of just pots and pans. I didn’t even get to the plates and bowls and stuff. Since the game didn’t turn out like I hoped it would, I should have just kept going. I could have finished the kitchen off and had the rest of the night to do whatever. But, no, I had to watch and scream at the television for three and a half hours. It wasn’t pretty. I tried to watch the night game, but the kids came over. My wife called them to come get their jackets and pick out what dishes they want for their new place. They haven’t said anything, but I don’t think they want any more stuff. I don’t think they realized how much stuff they have, and I think they’re running out of room. But, my wife wants them to take it so that we don’t have to move their stuff into the new place. So, we visited for a while and sent my eldest out for ice cream. By the time they left, they took a big box of plates and bowls and a large bag of jackets, but they conveniently forgot two other bags of stuff. They have been moved out for a week now, and my wife still hasn’t been over to look at their place. I still think she’s in denial about them moving out.
Before we went to bed on Sunday, I got that wonderful feeling. (No, not THAT wonderful feeling that I’m getting sick feeling.) And, wouldn’t you know, I woke up with a cold. I usually go visit my mom on Mondays, and by the time I got there, I was miserable. It was my birthday on Monday also, and I had planned on taking my mom out to lunch and maybe a movie. She doesn’t get out much anymore. Instead, she kicked me out after a few hours. I went home and took something and fell asleep. I was supposed to wake up and go pick up my wife from work. Oops, that didn’t happen. She ended up walking instead of calling me to wake me up. She was being nice, but it was cold, windy and a little rainy. Hopefully, she doesn’t end up with a cold. Anyway, we usually go out to eat on someone’s birthday and the birthday boy or girl gets to pick where they want to go. Since we just had two other birthdays, (October is a busy birthday month for us) I said let’s just go to Burger King. After we were eating, I went into the bathroom and the manager was coming out of the stall. He didn’t wash his hands and went straight back to work. I saw him back in the kitchen as I was exiting the bathroom. (I did wash my hands). Needless to say, that’s the last time I’m going to that Burger King.
Over the weekend, I also submitted my books to Smashwords. They compile them and transform them into all of the various ereaders. Had I known about them, I would have been using them from the start. I had been going through Amazon’s affiliate. But, I’ll see how Smashwords goes. It seems to be ok. They have a lot more formatting requirements, but it wasn’t as difficult as it seems. I might try their paperback publishing with Kidnapped. Which I am almost finished with the re-read. It will be done this week. Then, I’ll be able to start on the Great Detective. So, time to get busy. I’m putting Styx in the playlist for a little background music.
-Thom