Suzanne Calling

This morning, I went to our designated meeting facility to turn in my stuff and complete my work assignment. Forms in triplicate, do my final time sheet, turn in the computer. There was one thing I was waiting for this morning on my area, so I dilly dallied and got there at 10am. I was sticking around, waiting to get my copy of the triplicate forms, when my supervisor’s boss answered his ringing phone. “Yes? Are you sure? How many? Seriously?” He hangs up the phone, looks at me and asks “You want to keep working, right?” Does a bear poop in the woods? I didn’t put it that way, but my yes was rather quick and hyper. He told me don’t hold my breath, but once they got stuff ironed out, I’d get a call for the next stage of operations. Then, another call came in. We needed to redo some canvassing. I was there, so I got sent out. When I returned, more details were available. Training starts Monday and it’s in another part of the county. I feel like the governor’s office was ...

Tonight's What's For Dinner Wednesday will be replaced by this special program, because I forgot to take pictures of my dinner tonight. Last night, Ed told me a story of his youth. Each week, he'd flip through the TV Guide to see what shows he'd get to see when he had the TV all to himself on Saturday mornings. This was in the years before TV Guide started their grid of all the major channel's programming. You had to look up the time, then see the 13-18 choices for that hour. He would try in vain to find one particular program. Sometimes it'd be on WOR (Channel 9). Other times, WPIX (Channel 11). This particular program confused him. Why was it all over the dial, at all different times? Why couldn't he find it actually on the air? For years, he was confused, because he never found it actually being broadcast. Tonight, we found it: Ed informs me that this does not count, because something ELSE was on instead of "To Be Announced." He says ...

For the job, anyway. The assignment I'm on ends tomorrow because we've completed the task in six weeks, instead of the twelve we were told we'd be working. It's been interesting. In all that time, the furthest my assignment has been has been about five miles from the house. I've had the chance to see up close some things that I'd driven by many, many times and wondered how they would look up close. I've taken lots of pictures of flowers. today, a gentleman invited me to take a look down at the lake that abutted his property. I told him that his daily vista is what my family goes camping to enjoy, yet he lives less than a mile from my home. Some pictures from today: The beautiful view from that man's land: I was invited into a greenhouse, too. After four weeks of toting the camera and taking pictures of dozens of flowers, it was so very cool to get a look at these: When I was leaving the greenhouse, this fella was curious and came over to say hel...

What do you get when you finally give a nine year old boy the cell phone you've been discussing for months? A kid who wants to call his aunt at 11am to tell her when dinner will be ready. A kid who already had the phone to his ear as we were walking out of scouts tonight, to tell Daddy we'll be home in about a half hour. A kid who tells you that his first text looked like "67w 3203 r429w" because he hasn't figured out how to change the letters yet. (He was trying to text How's it going? to his best friend. Yes, they both have unlimited texting!) A kid who was told to call you if he needed anything when you decided to run to the store. He didn't but he ran out to the car to show me his cellphone PLAYS MUSIC, Mom! (Sony put a walkman feature in his phone) A kid who tells you he wants to find the Phineas and Ferb theme for a ringtone. Unless his Dad figures out how to record his goofy "You need to answer the phone" sound bite. He's over ...

When Ed put the wrapped box under the Christmas tree that year, I honestly was stumped. The shape didn't match up with anything I thought he'd purchase. Game Teen was a baby and we'd focused our energies on his presents (like the Tickle Me Elmo that he would later tackle). Little did I know that Ed's new employer gave out a decent end of year bonus and he knew exactly what he wanted to buy with it. Christmas Eve, they cut him out of work early and he came and picked me up from work to go grab some last minute groceries. Mema was here to celebrate Game Teen's first Christmas, so we were doing up a nice meal. In the store, we found the coveted Hershey's Raspberry Chocolate Chips and I grabbed a half dozen, with plans to make cookies that night. Normally, this would have Ed excited (he loves cookies), but he told me that we should just relax and watch Christmas movies. Huh? I'm off at 5 pm on a holiday and you don't want me to make cookies? I think...

And I've got a picture. It's not the best, but you understand this, right? You have to be sneaky and coy when you're married, but are falling for another... To be honest, I think Ed's in love with the Keurig already. Two cups of Kona and coveting more? It's a safe bet that the mac daddy coffee machine he scoffed at back in January as a frivolous waste is rapidly taking his heart, too. Let's see, so far we've tried: Coffee People Donut Shop Coffee -tastes like Krispy Krack's. I want more and can't wait to try their Xtra Bold K cups that we've got. Tully's Kona Coffee . Smooth. Definitely buying this one! Celestial Seasoning's Mandarin Orange Spice Tea -I made Chef a cup of Iced Tea with it and he loved it. Van Houtte's French Vanilla . Yum! (that is all...) Gloria Jean's Hazelnut . Ed loved it and I think he's psyched that he's got a box of it that is all his (I like hazelnuts, just not in my coffee) Green Mount...

I got an email from Game Teen's Scoutmaster a little while ago. Our Boy Scout Council is officially giving him modifications to attain Eagle Scout. The only thing is-they don't know much about Asperger's Syndrome and have requested a list of the Eagle required merit badges and what modifications may be needed for them to review and approve. My project between now and Tuesday night's meeting is to go through the list of 14 of the 15 badges and determine what is realistic for him to achieve and if a change is needed, what kind of change is necessary. *The reason for 14 is that he's already earned one of the required badges, First Aid.* In a sense, it will be like a road map for Game Teen's journey over the next few years. Normally, these leaders have motivated boys to have their Eagle at 14 or 15 years old. Game Teen now has no age limit-as long as he wants to do it, he is allowed. The first one looks like one requirement would be too much for him to do by him...