Andrew isn’t the first of my nephews, but he is the one I’ve probably spent the most time with. I was 13 when he was born and we, Mom, Porter and I, watched him, a lot, while his folks worked, in fact, until I was 16 he was my main source of income. He was such a cute little bugger! People often remarked on how adorable he was! He even did a Fisher Price print ad at one point. But the story I shared with my son was a cautionary tale that involved my little brother.

One summer while I was watching Andy, Porter suggested we walk up to the drug store. I think the purpose was to get an ice cream cone but we loved to walk around and see what they had. Anyway, Porter offered to take Andy while I wandered. I think I was 15, Porter would have been 13 and Andy was about 2.

As I am wandering through Sav-on, I hear this little voice say, “Hey Baaaaaby” from a couple of aisles over. I know it’s Andy’s voice so I decide to spy. After a while of following Porter and Andy I see them pass an attractive female and Andy says the “Hey Baaaaaby” again. The lady then goes on about how adorable Andy is and was a nice guy Porter is for babysitting, etc. After the woman left, I walk up to Porter to ask what that was all about and he explains that when he sees a pretty girl he taps Andy and Andy has been trained to say the whole Hey Baby when Porter taps on him.

I couldn’t believe my little brother was using our baby nephew to try and pick up girls. Porter probably doesn’t remember it, and I doubt Andrew does, but I remember it like it was yesterday! I’ve been laughing at that story for decades, and now so can you!

After I got my plate made, I started towards the bedroom. Brian asked where I was going and I told him that there was no way I would be able to eat dinner while David was watching “Billy the Exterminator”! So I ate in the bedroom and Brian came in after he finished dinner and crawled up on the bed with me. He snuggled real close and we talked.

That’s the difference with us…when we are in the living room or else where the discussion is just on the surface.  But when we are snuggled close the talk is deeper, even if we are laughing, it’s on a deeper level. We snuggled and talked for hours. Cats came and tried to get between us. Then the dogs tried. And finally David tried and all he could do was be on one side or the other while we all talked or laughed.

Later Brian said, “I should really get up and go take a shower, but I’m just too comfy and cozy snuggled up with you.” and I felt the same. That, folks, is intimacy…it’s not about the sex, it’s about bearing your soul to the person you love most in this world and having that love and vulnerability reciprocated. Finally Bri did go take his shower and we got under the covers and snuggled some more. As he drifted off to sleep, I kissed him and thanked him. “For what?”, he said.

“For a wonderful evening.”

David is back in school, starting 7th grade in about 17 more days.  He has lots of fun planned for the remainder of the Summer, like a week at a sleep-away camp in WA state.  Thanks to his Uncle Po and Aunt Taya!

Brian starts a new schedule at work tomorrow.  They are working 6am – 6pm with a 30minute lunch Mon-Sat! OK, once again, HOLY CRAP! They are so busy at work the boss offered them a $1/hour incentive to get them to go with the new 70+ hour work week. Frankly we could really use the money, so I’m not complaining, perse, but I do worry about Brian. As it is, he is so tired all the time, all he’s going to do now is come home, eat, shower, go to bed.  Which sucks for both of us, but it’s supposed to be temporary. We’ll see…I’m kinda hoping it goes so well that the boss let’s the guys keep the extra dollar an hour.  **keeping fingers crossed**

Rochell is finally getting the house process going.  There was a hold up with the mortgage (loan officer is truth be told), so Mom went another way. So now we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel and it looks like she will be able to get into her new house, next door, before the snow flies. YAY!

I took a bad spill at the grocery store, where I work, last Monday. BADLY sprained my ankle. I don’t know when the last time was that I was in so much pain.  The pain has subsided for the most part, but the range of motion hasn’t.  Stiffness and swelling are still a battle. But I’m getting there.

The Library continues to keep me busy. I’ve wrapped up my first Summer Reading program and there were lots of lessons learned. In fact, tomorrow when I get in, I need to write those lessons up so I remember for next year.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading and reviewing on my book blog.  I love having access to books before they are published, being in on the sneak preview. It’s a blast and I’ve been fortunate to read some really great literature…a couple of stinkers too, but the good is far outweighing the bad! If you want to check it out… www.novelgoddess.com

That’s about it for Mott, North Dakota. Life is different here, not better or worse, just different!

Way back when, my little brother, Porter, was a video games editor and writer for Amazon.com. Part of his job was to play all the new video games that were coming out and he would write about them on Amazon. With that said, Porter had every video games system on the market, as well as all the latest and greatest games to go with them.  He also had a built in excuse when his wife would get a bit perturbed with the amount of time he spent playing said video game, “But honey, it’s my job!”.  I remember he and I talking about this when my family was visiting his home for one of the first times. The story came out as he was setting up my then, 4 year old son with some video games to play with while we were there.

At the time I remember chuckling at the convenience of that excuse…oh how the tables have turned! Porter no longer works for Amazon, and probably only plays video games when he and my son are together…but I, on the other hand, find myself frequently using his “convenient excuse” whenever I want to read rather than do laundry, dishes, or other household chores! OK, Po, the shoes is on the other foot, you can start kicking me with it. LOL! Love ya lil brother!

I had to work at the grocery store today, and Brian had the day off. I knew Brian and David would probably be in the store around 3pm to plan dinner.  You see, the Saturdays that I work and Brian is off, he usually makes dinner. Brian and David did turn up shortly after 3pm to inform me they were making tacos for dinner.

Sonya, who I was working with today, asked her brother what he was making then proceeded to invite herself and Cameron over to join us. Truth be told I invited them about a half second after she asked if she and Cam could come…she knew she wouldn’t be turned down!

Shortly after that, Brian’s brother and his wife show up at the store…while Brian and David were still there.  Sonya mentioned to Michele that she invited herself over for taco dinner then Michele asked if she and Kenny could come too. SURE, the more the merrier.  Then Brian says to me, “You better call Mom and Gram and see if they want to come”…they did.

To be fair, Sonya and I didn’t want our other co-worker, Dixie, to be left out so we invited her and her boyfriend as well…but they had other plans.

Everyone converged on our house between 5 and 5:30pm. Bri already had 6 pounds of hamburger seasoned and cooked up. I whipped up some pico de gallo, and started frying tortillas.

After the tacos we all sat around for a good ol’ gab-fest. We hadn’t done that since Christmas…but this was much more relaxed. I think we should do this at least once a month! We all have so much fun when we get together at someone’s house over a meal.  And even though it was dinner for 9…it was relatively quick and easy. Ah, the joys of having so much family so close!

The day started out with a phone call that my best friend had had her baby…a darling little red-headed little guy. This was still in the days when the hospitals still only allowed the immediate family into visit new mothers. While Suzie and I considered ourselves sisters we knew hospital administration may not agree. Being the smart-ass I am I had a plan in place in case anyone questioned me. Since the baby’s father was not in the picture I was going to tell anyone who challenged me that I was the father and that I was a pre-op transsexual when I got Suzie pregnant…and I’d since had gender reassignment surgery. Since the baby had red hair it was plausible enough to work.

All the stress and worry during Suzies pregnancy was for nothing and her son had arrived safe, sound, and healthy. Such joy!

After leaving the hospital Porter and I went to go check on Nanas house. Nana was in a rehab facility recovering from a stroke the previous month.

Porter and I go to Nana’s to find the house had been burglarized and evidence indicated the burglars could still be in the house.

We made the necessary calls from the neighbor’s house and started the reporting and clean up process.

We made it home in time for a pizza dinner and the phone call that Nana had passed. It was utter devastation.

Nana, born Valborg Lynnea Eklund, had been born January 7, 1902 to Swedish Immigrants. She was one of those positive people who became the best of friends with EVERYONE she met! Going for a couple of groceries could take hours if you weren’t careful. She was an incredible oil painter, something she loved! Mostly she loved her family and made each and everyone of us feel like she loved us the best.

I didn’t go to Nana’s funeral…I fought to not have the memory of her in a box missing her essence and all that made her Nana. I still wonder if I should have gone…not that Nana would have cared… She would have said, “Oh Honey, do what makes you happy.” Not going to the funeral was closer to “happy”, but it would be a while before we could happily laugh at the Nana stories.

I think of Nana often, I hear her often in my head, and see her often in my dreams, as well as when I watch my sister Lynnea (Nana’s namesake). I miss you Nana and look to the day when we will see each other again.

Actually he turned 12 last Tuesday, on the 28th. We didn’t all get together to celebrate it with cake and ice cream until today though.

Dude got the iPod Touch he’d been wanting. He only asked for two things, a PS3 and an iPod Touch like mine. I told him way back when, that there was no way we could get him both so he needed to pick one. That’s why he got the PS3 for Christmas. Meanwhile he has been great about saving his allowance and any other money he could scrounge (like change), so he could get the iPod. Just last night he came to me saying he’d saved enough for the iPod and could we order one.

I’m glad he got what he wanted. He is such a good kid and is very kind and helpful. I wish I could give him everything his heart desires, knowing him, he wouldn’t ask for much for himself, he’d focus on others.

Last year, for Thanksgiving, it was just Brian, David, Kenny and I. The meal was chicken rather than turkey and all the side dishes were new recipes.  I’m realizing that I am not one for “traditions”…I seem to always be on the lookout for “new” and “different”.  With that in mind, I suggested something different for today.

I suggested that we have soup for dinner. I volunteered to make 2 different soups, Sonya was going to make one and so was Rochell.  I was also going to bake fresh bread, and a couple of pies. The idea was suggested as a lark, until everyone surprised me and said it was a great idea. WOO HOO!

Fast forward to Wednesday morning when I wake up with a migraine and a terribly sore throat. David had been home all week with Strep Throat…and was kind enough to share it with me. So much for Thanksgiving dinner!  Rochell and Sonya sent some soup over…which was greatly appreciated.

Thanksgiving 2010 did not go as planned, but that’s OK…we still have tons to be thankful for and we are, every day.

Basketball season is upon us once again. This season, seems shorter than last season…thankfully! Last season we did a lot of driving around in the bitter cold with lots of snow on the ground!

This year David is doing so much better. He’s understanding the mechanics and nuances of the game much better and is playing more. Brian has been bailing out of work on home game days at 5:00 so he can see the whole game, which David loves. This season also has his grandmother, Aunties, and a cousin coming to the home games. The big difference is that last year the home games were actually played in Regent which is about 12 miles away.  While the Mott gym is smaller, it does make for a much larger turnout and it also means less driving for mel…YAY!

David is also getting much more playing time as well as carrying the ball and shooting…all skills have really improved over last year…the added height doesn’t hurt either! LOL!

Just had to share a few pics from Tuesday’s game.   I’m trying to get back in the habit of shooting more and posting here more!

My almost 12 year old son would be the dude on the right and yes, he has a gun in his hand.  That is counter-intuitive to everything I ever heard or learned growing up in Los Angeles, or living in Las Vegas.  David had to attend 24 hours of “Hunter Safety” training and pass a comprehensive test before he could get a hunting license. He knows more about guns than I do, I think, and I was on a shooting league in Vegas way back when.

Both David and his Dad enjoy their early Sunday morning forays into the chaparal to try and roust a few pheasants…neither one has actually hit any though. They are even dragging my poor dogs out with them who have no training in hunting but seem to be naturals anyway. I guess I am the only animal lover in the family…I refuse to hunt or clean what they hunt, and if they ever do actually bad something, I suspect I won’t be interested in cooking or eating it either.

“Every party has a pooper that’s why we invited you…Party Pooper”. Yep, that’s me, a party pooper! (How much longer until hunting season is over???)