M has survived his stranger danger and is en route home in the new car. There is a month left of the former owner's XM radio and M is seriously enjoying it. I guess I know what to get him for his birthday next month. Here is a pic of our new baby.



I need to take of pic of M's other baby, the engine to his Porsche is in 500 pieces all over my garage. So sad, and so, so messy. That would be why during the hurricane I had to find a strategic place to park my car outside away from the path of any falling trees.

Bah.

I am tired and grumpy. My house is a mess. The carpet is seriously trashed and beyond the help of my Green Machine. Time to call in the big guns, Stanley Steemer. But I am cheap and lazy, because my house is a mess and in order for Stanley Steemer to come, I think I would probably need to actually pick some stuff up off the floor. Bother. I feel the mess to be so overwhelming right now that it seems futile to even attack a small bit of it right now.

M is south of Jacksonville now, he is trucking down the east coast much faster than I thought. I am still worried b/c 95 in Florida has to be the worst road in the world but I am looking forward to seeing him soon. And to leaving him with the kids for awhile tomorrow afternoon while I try to regain some focus and sanity. Nothing a good pedicure wouldn't cure, right?

Yes, it is only 10 in the morning on Friday and already I need a drink. My husband is insane and my nerves are paying the price today. He is flying north to pick up his new car. The person he is buying the car from is picking him up at the airport and they will then drive 45 minutes to the guys bank to do the transaction. M seems to think I am the crazy one for being worried about him getting in a car with a COMPLETE AND TOTAL STRANGER. People have the benefit of the doubt in his eyes - they are good until proven otherwise. I am the opposite - people are bad until proven otherwise. I see the bad scary things in every situation. :(

And then, should he survive the stranger danger he is driving said new car home to Florida. 18 hours on 95. More worry for me. Bah. And M? He loves it. Big adventure, new car, long road trip. And me? Home with the two boys, planning the neighborhood halloween party which is tonight - not an easy feat in and of itself considering we had a major hurricane here 4 days ago! Anyway, I must just have Faith all will work out and M will arrive safe and sound back home on Sunday.

Ok, off to make hot dog worms and spiders and graveyard pudding treats. Mmmmm!

We survived Wilma. We were dirty and in the dark and a bit grumpy at times but we survived. Sometimes it felt like a snow day, all four of us bundled up in our big bed, watching a storm rage outside of the (hurricane code) windows. The boys built a fort out of quilts and kitchen chairs to keep themselves safe. We spent lots of time with our neighbors on back porches drinking wine and eating chocolate. We pulled our resources, we ate like kings on everyone's freezer stash of meat and frozen veggies and pasta. We took down our shutters, we stood the trees back up, we swept up the debris. The power came back on. Except for the scary lack of gasoline, we are doing OK.

Except for the bad news. Sunday at midnight we got the call. Good news never comes at night, beware the late night phone calls. My friend Liron passed away. She caught pneumonia and her body was too weakened by the chemo to fight it off. She was fighting all the way. So needless to say, I spent a good amount of time during the hurricane rocking my baby O to sleep, sitting there in the dark, having a good old fashioned cry. With no TV to watch, I replayed the many good times Liron and I had together over and over in my brain. I'm sure I'll be recounting some of them here along the way to help me through this grief. Her birthday is coming up. November 2nd. She would be 37. Please send peaceful thoughts to her two babies, her husband, her brother, her sister, her parents, her in-laws, and her many, many friends.

And call your long distance friends and tell them you love them. Then print out your email correspondance with them. I have Liron's emails from the last year, I wish I had them all the years back. Technology is wonderful but it can't replace that box full of letters.

I'm sorry I didn't get to say good bye Liron, I'll toast you with the good wine glasses every night. Thank you for giving me those beautiful wine glasses and teaching me that you should always, always use the good glasses. You taught me that 10 years ago, even before you knew how very short life could be. Love you.

A was the ring bearer in my cousin's wedding last week. He was downright dashing if I do say so myself!

Slow moving hurricanes are the worst. Wilma is just churning up mayhem down by Mexico, not leaving those people in peace. And this is causing much anxiety and angst here in south Florida. Her arrival date just keeps getting pushed back and back. We thought she'd be here Saturday, then Sunday, then Monday. Now it is freaking Tuesday morning. We are all stocked up. We are gassed up. Everyone is on edge. Everyone is waiting. People get ornery. It is not fun living in South Florida right now.

A is concerned that Halloween will not happen because the big storm will be here. Poor guy.

M was supposed to go to NJ today, pick up his new car and then drive it home and be back by late Saturday night or Sunday morning. We decided to cancel the trip of course b/c of the hurricane. I do not ride out hurricanes by myself thankyouverymuch. And of course he rescheduled for next Friday. At this point he may beat Wilma up the east coast!

I just want to ge tback to normal life, whatever that may be!

As if hurricane stress wasn't enough, I lost my new pair of earrings that were the closest I have found to an old favorite pair that was lost years ago. I am obviously not worthy or deserving of these beautiful earrings! Argh I could scream at my stupidity. Note to self, if you do not have time to actually put earrings on before you leave the house, then go without them. Do not put them in your shallow pants pocket and think they will still be there when you actually remember to put them on. Drat and double drat.

They were so purty. And we are not talking money here, they were on sale for $8. But they were just so purty. :(

See ya Fred, Wilma has flown the coop and she is pissed. PISSED. She is one huge mother of a storm, record setting bad ass queen of the seas.

And of course she is coming right at me. Well almost. She has to cross the entire state of Florida to get to me, probably doing more damage to others before she knocks on my door, but I will selfishly moan and groan about it all the same. Because I just spent $250 for hurricane supplies. Because I feel like I live in some 3rd world country where there is no food or water on the shelves. Where I wait in lines 4 to 6 cars deep for gas. Because I am worried about my family's safety, I am worried about their health and what conditions here will be post-hurricane.

I talk about our weatherman like he is a long lost friend, "well, Steve said blah blah" and "let's wait and see what Steve says." Sad, really.

They keep pushing the hit out - now it is looking like Sunday night. I just want it over with. My car is full of gas and my counter is covered with canned food. I have water, soda, juice and wine. Let's just get this over with so we can move on with life.

WIL-MAAAA!

Yes, I am still here. Just slacking on the blog front. Much more so than the real Slacker who managed to have a new baby and keep up with her blog! You are putting me to shame lady :)

Things that I think may have happened to me since I last blogged -

- I got my period back. Yay me.

- I found out I have a B12 deficiancy, not great but much better than MS which is what the doctor was thinking.

- MRI's are freaky

- I have been indulging myself by going out with two different sets of women friends (neighborhood and preschool) for a monthly MNO - that means I get out of the house 2x a month by myself, get to drink, laugh and be merry. Yes I can do all of that at home but a change of scenery and faces is a good thing now and again.

- My feet are crying out for some pedicure loving. Crying.

- It is 70 degrees out and I think it is cold. Hold me, I may have become a Floridian.

- I just returned from the great north where I indulged in much cider drinking and soaking in of the beautiful fall air and landscape. I need to make some pumpkin bread and my fall experience will be complete.

- Despite being an exceptionally stubborn child, A did a bang up job as a ring bearer in my cousin's wedding last weekend. Vast quanities of photos will be forthcoming.
- I hate flying with children, especially my own children. A is pretty much just fine. O on the other hand wants to kill me with his willfulness, archy back and kicking feet.

-My husband, whom I love dearly does try my patience at times. I have nagged him constsntly for the last two months to just buy a new car already and quit obsessing over the want ads and EBAY motors. Just buy one! So he did. It's in New Jersey. Did I mention we live in Florida. So now he has to fly up there to do the transaction in person and then will drive it home. This weekend. With Wilma breathing down my neck. Great. This car better be damn cute!

- I have discovered the culinary genius of feta in Campbells Tomato Soup. Embrace this heavenly combination, you will thank me. Throw some elbow noodles in for good measure. It is comfort in a bowl.

That is all for now. I will try to return at a more regulary scheduled time :)