You are here: Home / Archives for Just Life
Jun 18, 2013

Construction, Overheated, Rain & One Long Needle

By · 1 Comment

Yesterday I made an appointment to see my doctor about my foot.  Almost daily, my foot swells up and I have terrible pain, making walking difficult.  I was thrilled to get an appointment the next day, before I had to chew my foot off due to the pain.

There is no way possible to travel in York County without getting caught up in the construction.  One would think Pennsylvania has the best kept roads and bridges with the constant sight of Penn DOT workers on the roads.  Trust me, they are faking work.  😉

Follow the arrow for more construction!

Follow the arrow for more construction!

Father's Day 2013 026

I got to Windsor and noticed my car was overheated.  Probably from sitting, waiting my turn to get past the Penn DOT workers.  Great…so much for making it to my doctor appointment on time.  I pull into Rutter’s to let my car cool down.  I had a gallon of water in the car, prepared if it should overheat.

Ying car sits while I go into Rutter's for a drink.

Ying car sits while I go into Rutter’s for a drink.

When I came back out from getting a YooHoo and a chicken sandwich, there was a stranger beside my car.  He had a little bowl of water for Ying and asked me if I needed help with my car.  I told him I was waiting for it to cool down before I took the radiator cap off.  He had gloves and a rag in his work truck and went to get them, while I got the gallon of water out of my trunk.  When he returned, he took  care of removing the cap and pouring the water into the tiny little hole.  What a nice guy! (and easy on the eyes too!)

One nice deed completed for this guy, on his way home from second shift.

One nice deed completed for this guy, on his way home from second shift.

Now I’m back on the road and less than five miles to my doctor’s office.  I had called and told them I would be late but I had to let the car cool down, or I wouldn’t be going anywhere in my car in the future.  My 92 Honda looks like a piece of crap, but I love this car.  I paid $42 for it, it starts every day and it is cheap on gas.  As long as I can keep it running, I will drive this car!

So, I finally get to the doctor’s office and they take me back in a timely matter even though I was twenty minutes late.  I talked to my doctor, Carl, about my foot hurting again and he decided a cortisone shot was in order.  We also discussed what vaccines and immunizations I will need prior to my India trip.  He was going to start the vaccines, but the cortisone shot was more important.  One shot for the day was enough for me!  I take pain well and Carl was impressed.  He said, “You didn’t even flinch!  And you’re taking pictures too?”  I told him after giving birth, not much compares.

Do needles freak you out?

needle to footWhile we were discussing my foot, Carl noticed the huge bruises on the inside of my thighs.  He asked what the heck that was from and I explained.  “While trying to impress Tesla, I rode my bicycle down the cement stairs at the park.  My leg went under the seat and bruised me.  It’s been three days, so it’s not too bad.”

Ouchies!

Ouchies!

My doctor visit was over and I headed out the door.  The sky was so dark; a storm was imminent.  I had just posted on Facebook that a storm was brewing and five minutes later it hit.  I just love a good storm.  The more lightning and thunder, the better.  The construction workers, not so much.  Here are a few parting shots on my way back home.

skinny slow

skinny slow

Big Boy Slow

Big Boy Slow


Clouds

L shaped clouds

L shaped clouds

Rainy Pennsylvania Days

Rainy Pennsylvania Days

The Tuesday night Boot Camp at York Daily Record has been canceled due to the rain.  I imagine the field where we exercise is marsh land right now.  I couldn’t have participated tonight anyway as my doctor said to take it easy on my foot, especially the first 24 hours.  It’s rescheduled for Thursday and I will be there, just not pushing my foot to hard.

How was your day?!

Happy Rainy Tuesday,

~P.

Filed Under: Just Life · Tagged: , , , , ,
Jun 3, 2013

Street Rods, Bubbles & Sand

By · Leave a Comment

May 31, 2013…..A day in pictures.  Click on the first picture and the gallery will open!

Filed Under: Just Life, My Photography, Tesla · Tagged: , ,
May 20, 2013

Faith and Yard Sales

By · Leave a Comment

IMG_3168

I enjoy yard sales because, getting something I need cheap, is cool.  

Dale enjoys yard sales because getting something cheap is cool.

Notice the difference?

Saturday morning, I set out to find a coffee pot and clothes for India.  I found a coffee pot for $3 and five pieces of clothing I believe suitable for India.  As a bonus, I discovered a pair of sandals for 50 cents.   We walked to several yard sales before leaving for the May Fair at Tesla’s school.  At the last yard sale, I met a lovely lady named Cass.  She was selling a few things and noticed Tesla looking at a simple, gold-tone, watch.  Cass told her it needed a battery and if her Mommy would get one, she could have the watch.  Tesla looked to me and I said “Sure, I’ll get you a battery.”  Tesla thanked Cass and me and went to tell Aunt Sue about her new watch.  Cass and I began talking, and somehow, in conversation, she shared that in 1980, her vindictive husband came into Turkey Hill Mini Market, where she was a clerk, and fire three shots from his handgun.  Those three shots each hit her, two into the chest and one in her face. Two bullets were found in her, one in the wall of the store.  And she lived.  She lived!  Her husband served three years and was free.  He remarried and had two more children.  Cass forgave him and allowed him to see his children, even allowing him into her home as their daughter passed away from cancer.  Cass said her ex-husband fought with his new wife and one day, during an argument, had a heart attack and hit the ground dead.  Karma.  Enough said.

I learned Cass attends Friendship Community Church and she had wonderful things to say about the pastor, the music and congregation.  I told her the church sounded wonderful and I would like to come.  She was so excited!  Sue walked over to us and I introduced her to Cass.  Sue had been to FCC for service in the past and said she would go to the service also.  And that is how faith is passed from one person to another.  Just talking to Cass for fifteen minutes and I knew there was something special about her.  When she told me she sits on the left side of the church because she can’t see out of her left eye, I never dreamed the reason her vision was impaired was because her husband shot her in the face.  Damn.

The six of us (Dale, Tesla, Andrew, Sue, Blaine and I) wandered into the church, checking things out.  Just inside, they hooked us up with name tags and I asked about Cass.  The ladies knew who I was asking for and said she was sitting at the last table directly in front of us.  They asked how we knew Cass.  I told them we just met her the day before, at her yard sale and she invited us to her church.  The ladies were delighted and welcomed us to the service.  

I heard one say to the other as we walked away, “Way to go Cass.”

Indeed, 

~P.

Filed Under: Just Life · Tagged: ,
May 15, 2013

Do you have Heather’s glove?

By · 2 Comments

That’s a question I didn’t expect to hear.  Heather has a ball glove?  Where was it when she was out in the field with the kids and the ball came down, beaning her on the head?  It was a hard hit too!  I heard the resounding echo of impact from the stands.

Today, after Tesla’s practice, I just wanted 30 minutes to hang out with her.  Nope.  John had texted the reason i couldn’t have her is “You’re watch never works.”  Tesla asked me to ask her dad if she could go with me.  I told her I already had twice, but she was insistent.  I asked and he said, “no, dinner is waiting for us on the table.”

Then he asked if I had Heather’s glove.  I said no and gave him a weird look.  He said, “well her glove disappeared and I’m just asking.”

He THOUGHT I took his girlfriend’s ball glove!  I replied, “Do you want to look at it?” and held my glove out to him.

He said, “No, if you say it’s not hers, I believe you.”  (Now there is a fucking first.  He believes something I say?!)

I replied, still holding out my glove. “You can check it for her name.  I know she likes to write names on things…”

I couldn’t help myself.  All those people standing around looking at me like I had possibly stolen my husband’s, girlfriend’s ball glove.  Right after he told me I couldn’t have 30 minutes with Tesla after practice.  WHATEVER!

Also, tell your wacky, grammatically-challenged girlfriend to stop brushing my child’s teeth.

~P.

Filed Under: Divorce, Heather, John, Just Life · Tagged: , , ,
May 15, 2013

Mother’s Day Madness

By · Leave a Comment

I believe having a traditional Mother’s Day has become impossible for the Crider family.  Men seem to screw it up for us.

I wanted to pick-up Tesla Saturday night and made that request to John.  I tried to rationalize with him that it would be less driving on Sunday for Tesla.  The court order states I can pick up Tesla at 9 am.  Then she had a tball game scheduled at 2pm in Dallastown.  And finally, she would go back with her father at 7 pm.  (He informed me he would not be picking her up, I must return her to him.)  We live on either end of York County and that is a long day of driving back and forth.  He didn’t care.  I picked her up Mother’s Day morning.

After Tesla’s game I tried to call my mom at her home.  She was feeling so poorly she couldn’t get out of bed.  I reached a recording stating my number was blocked.  Only Walt would block his child’s calls from their mother.  She is not allowed to call me.  Walt and John have similar personality traits, if you haven’t noticed.  Tesla and I successfully reached mom using Dale’s number.  Dale’s not blocked because Walt relies on him for free computer advice.

Tesla went back with her dad (begrudgingly) at 7 pm.  On the way there, she told me Heather still brushes her teeth for her and it hurts her gums.  I already told John to tell Heather to stop brushing Tesla’s teeth.  He (or she) replied with “She can dress herself as well without help!!  But to do it right she needs help.”  I’m not sure what that reply means.  Seriously, Tesla’s teeth are in fantastic shape and were long before Heather came into her life.

At the end of Mother’s Day, I finally sat down on the couch to relax.  Jarrid was stopping over after moving more of his belongings to his new place.  During that time, Zeth managed to fall out of the bathtub and dislocate his shoulder while over at his aunts.  Jarrid drove Zeth to me and I took him to the hospital.  Zeth was obviously in pain and his arm hung at a strange angle.  Arms just aren’t supposed to hang like that….the doctor popped it back into place three hours later.  Zeth was SUPER grumpy.

Mother’s Day ended with me falling asleep in Susan’s car in the parking garage outside York Hospital waiting for Zeth to return with an appropriately hung arm.

Leave it to men to screw up my Mother’s Day.  😉

~P.

Filed Under: Just Life · Tagged:
Apr 12, 2013

Miscellaneous conversation with Suz

By · Leave a Comment

Miscellaneous conversation I had with my sister back on November 22, 2012.  I jotted it in my calendar.

I’m not sure what it means anymore, if I was serious or being sarcastic, but no matter…it’s funny.

 

Me: I am slightly irritated.

Suz: By your future ex-husband?

Me: No, by my vagina.

 

LMAO  WTH?  Maybe Suz would remember.

~P.

(I just looked in my journal.  I was pissed at John for going into my mom’s rehab session and bitching at her for asking Tesla if she misses her mommy.)

Filed Under: Just Life · Tagged:
Mar 8, 2013

I was grilled and chewed up like a cheap hamburg

By · 1 Comment

I was grilled tonight by John.  He is claiming I called and told Google that the business had closed.

About two years ago he claimed I purposely withheld mail to the company from Yellowbook.  He even took me to court (well tried to) over that.  It never made it before a judge because, surprise, I had nothing to do with it. Click here to read that fiasco. http://wp.me/1j2Ur

Now John knows I’m refiling for a divorce hearing before the Divorce Master.  Can you imagine that being your career title?  It even sounds brutal so I’m not looking forward to having one decide my divorce.  But, I rather a Master decide than John.

So I have no idea who, if anyone, called Google.

If only I had my pen with me, you could hear his relentless badgering about Google, and if he finds out I had anything to do with the company “being closed” he will be contacting his lawyer to sue me.  Again with the suing.

I reminded him of the Yellowbook fiasco and I resumed playing with Tesla in the yard.  I had stopped just to say hello to Tesla.

Tesla said, “I want Ying to play with Biscuit and Scout.”  Heather’s dogs have collars that are supposed to contain them in the yard.  Those collars must not work.  At first the dogs just ran around the house.

Heather looked directly at Tesla and snapped, “Get that damn leash on your dog!”  Then she looked at me and I said, “Really?  Damn?”  She responded, “You’re not even allowed to be here.” A jab at the court order barring me from my own property.  “Wow, you have balls.” and she responded, “Bigger balls than yours.”

I’m not even sure what she means by that but, if she is implying she has big balls to move herself and four kids in while John is in the middle of a divorce, well, I guess she does have bigger balls.  I didn’t expect to get in an “I’m pretty than you!” fight and just kept walking with Tesla.

But Ying ran astray to the neighbors fenced in yard.  Biscuit followed.    While Tesla walked to the neighbors to collect our dogs, she asked if I would ask her dad if she could spend some time with me.  I noticed earlier Heather’s crew was loading up to leave.  I had even moved my car to be out of the way.  I told her I would ask but I never got the chance.

“Get in the car Tesla, we’re leaving.”  I looked at Tesla while we were still a distance away and said, “I think you are leaving.”  She said, “No, I’m staying here with my dad.”

How quickly things change.

Everyone was now switching to the truck instead of the van.  Her dad was suddenly leaving and Heather was firm they were all going.  She also informed me it was none of my business who was going where, showing that fake courage she stores up for an occasional outburst.    Wow…amusing.

I just wanted half an hour with my kid.  Instead I was served up and chewed out.

Whatever.

~P.

 

 

Filed Under: Heather, John, Just Life, Tesla · Tagged: ,
Feb 28, 2013

Yo Mamma, you the bomb

By · Leave a Comment

“I’ve never let my schooling get in the way of my education.” M. Twain

            I graduated from high school in 1989 and began college in 2010.  The education I received in high school did not prepare me for life.  Twenty-one years later the education that I receive in college will improve my career opportunities but still does not prepare me for the rest of my life.  The two educations in academic settings do not limit or define the knowledge I gained.  Schooling is important, but life itself is an amazing educator.

School could not prepare me for the position of domestic goddess.  It could not prepare me to be a loving wife.  It most definitely could not prepare me to be a great mother.  I looked to my own mother as a role model.  My mom did not work and was always home when we filed off the bus.  She cooked dinner every day, even on the weekends.  Our family of six was grounded by our mother and we blossomed under her guidance.  School does not teach the skills one needs to be the rock of a household.

Mom pushed me to be the best student possible but never went overboard.  She realized her daughter was smart, smarter than she.  I didn’t need help with my homework or even told to do my homework.  What I needed was my mom to have my back.  She encouraged me to let my personality shine and be the unique child I was and eventually the adult I grew to be.  My mom was my best friend and to this day, is still.  We laughed together, cried together and united when needed.  For as kind and understanding as my mother was, my father was the opposite.  If anything, I learned I did not want to be like my father.

Academia is important.  Schools teach students the core basics in education.  In life, the educators are the people who surround you, family, neighbors and friends.  I was lucky to have an out-standing mother.  She guided and supported me for the first eighteen years of my life and I am eternally grateful.  She has always been and will always be my life role model and hero.  I hope my own children will have that same emotional connection and opinion of me.

Filed Under: Family, Just Life · Tagged: , ,
Feb 20, 2013

Static

By · Leave a Comment

1. pertaining to or characterized by a fixed or stationary condition.

2. showing little or no change

3. lacking movement development, or vitality
That is how I feel about my life.  I want to break out of this rut and make changes.  I feel trapped, held back and stuck in life.
The Animals song pops into my head….but it’s me singing to Tesla.
We gotta get out of this place.
If it’s the last thing we ever do.
We gotta get out of this place.
There’s a better world.
Don’t you know, don’t you know, don’t you know?
I want to get you out of this place.

It will happen.  I dream of traveling with my child in tow.  Exploring the world while sharing our experiences through creative nonfiction and photography.
We escape to foreign lands, educating her and myself as we move from country to country.
Yes, it might sound far-fetched.
That’s never stopped me before.
We we gonna go?
We we gonna go?
~P.
Filed Under: Just Life, Tesla · Tagged: ,
Feb 16, 2013

Meteors and Asteroids

By · Leave a Comment

I don’t believe in coincidences.  Meteors falling from the sky in Russia and asteroids on the way?  Let’s be honest, we earthlings really are helpless when the solar system tosses objects at us all willy-nilly.  I hear we can blow them up long before they hit the atmosphere.  So what happened in Russia?  Were the meteor watchers all on lunch?

God creates, God takes away.  God makes changes as he sees fit.

~P.

Filed Under: Just Life · Tagged: , , ,
«Previous Page
Next Page»