Wordless Wednesday

It doesn't take much to make some people happy...

Most of my family is like that. But, this is going to be at the top of the list for a long time.

My niece (26) and nephew (30) live in FL. They are fanatic fans of the Orlando Magic. I got a call from them with B saying, "Patty, you won't believe this. A radio station..." G. interrupted and said, "Let me tell it."

A radio station was having a contest. The first 20 people to get to a certain sports store would play Wii bowling. The top two would win. B and G were the first two to arrive at the store. B bowled an 81 and G a 141. Some guy came along and bowled a 241. Then two girls bowled 143 and 147. So, B and G were losers. BUT, the radio station said they were having a raffle of those who hadn't won and B's name was called! She was the low score and the radio guys were saying they thought the low score should win a prize, so I wonder if they fixed the raffle. Doesn't matter. The prize: two tickets to.......................BOWLING WITH DWIGHT HOWARD.

Dwight is the center for the Magic. The Fanatics love him. Dwight loves to bowl and is having a fund raising event on Thursday. There will be Magic players, celebrities, friends, family and the Fanatics! I don't know how they are containing themselves. If you offered each of them a million dollars or bowling with Dwight, they'd go bowling!!

I told B to make sure she has good batteries and lots of memory for her camera. Can't wait for the phone call from the alley on Thursday!

And we're off...

Today is the first day of our daughter's marathon course - human anatomy. She goes to Syracuse every week day until the end of July. And.... we are babysitting Anna.

OBX

If you were able to go on a vacation for one week, anywhere you wanted, and with anyone you choose, where would you go, who would you take and why would you choose that location.

I would go to OBX with as many of my family who could be with me. I especially would want my husband, son, daughter-in-law, daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter to be there.

We have gone to OBX for the past three years and are going again in August. This started when my brother asked my two sisters, my other brother, and me if we'd like to do a family vacation. My sisters declined. So, my brothers' families and my family found a house and did a week in paradise - there were 16 of us. We had the most fantastic time. Each family fixed dinner two nights. The last night we got pizza. That meant no fixing meals for four nights and when it was your turn, you tried to make something special. Last year my niece and nephew drove up from Florida to join us. This year, my son and daughter-in-law can't make it which makes me sad. But, Anna will be with us and that makes me delirious!!

It's a week of heaven for me. We rent a house on the beach, but it has to have a pool. I love the people I am with and enjoy spending time with them. It's a laid back week. If someone decides to visit a lighthouse, they spread the word and whoever wants to go jumps in the car. Sonic usually ends up being a two-car trip as we don't have that in our area. If someone wants a bacon cheeseburger for breakfast, no one says anything about it. I love grocery shopping with the kids - they can get whatever treats they want because it is vacation. Swimming at 6am is a joy. The past three years, my nieces' and nephews' Christmas present has been an album of our vacation. I love watching them relive our time together and then swap to look at their cousins' albums.

Living on the ocean is so calming. I don't know if it is something I could do year round, but the memories of a week in paradise last the whole year until we go back again.

Deja vu at NICU

My daughter had to go to Syracuse today to register for the Human Anatomy class she is taking this summer. She asked if I'd like to go and, of course, I said yes.

She said she'd called NICU to see if Helen was working today so we could take Anna to visit. Helen was Anna's nurse for the first 10 days she was in NICU. The Human Anatomy building was next door to the hospital. Molly registered and we headed to the 9th floor of Crouse.

I can't explain the feeling I got when the doors of the elevator opened. I was fine until then. As I stepped off the elevator, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. It was almost like we'd never left there 6 months ago. As we turned to go down the hallway to the NICU parents' door, I got tears in my eyes. The only thing that had changed was that Anna was on "this" side of the door. Molly worked the intercom out of habit. Helen was thrilled to see Anna. Anna was thrilled to see Helen. I truly believe she knew her. We got there about 1 pm. Parents began arriving for the 1:30 feeding. I knew the look in their eyes. Helen was wonderful. She said, "See what you're going to take home. Anna was here 7 months ago." Anna looks the picture of health, is gorgeous, and put on a great show of jabbering. I know it gives hope as I remember a little fellow visiting when we were there in November. But, I also know how difficult it is living the life of NICU.

Enlightened At A Little League Game

I went to my nephew's little league game. He loves baseball and sometimes pitches as closer. His team isn't the best this year, but they have fun. There are kids on the team who appear to be first time players. But, they are learning and seem to be improving.

The team they played beat them 20-2 in a previous meeting. RT's team went ahead 8-6. I could not believe - yes, I could - what I saw. Two coaches for the other team were going nuts. They were the base coaches and yelled, jumped, hopped, and ran all over the place. We sat by first base. That base coach told the runner that they needed 2 runs to tie. The poor little fellow tried to take second. He got caught in a run down, but made it back. The coach called a time out and, while the kid was still on the ground from sliding, got in his face and yelled, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" I said in a loud voice, "He's trying to score 1 of the 2 runs you told him you need." Thank goodness for the kids on the other team, my nephew's team couldn't hold on and ended up losing the game.

I was sputtering after the game about the other team's coaches and how awful they were. I talked with my nephew about it. He started telling about other coaches and I heard many inappropriate things that have been done. It really bothered me until I had a thought...

The kids see/hear all these things and know they are wrong. So, maybe, when they grow up they'll remember and not behave like the adults they had to be around.