The 'what have you been up to' thread?

[Purpura]

Boo Hobie. For that your punishment is to eat a dozen Polish Sausages, that are shiny. After you Polish them off, you need to eat some borscht even though it is Russian. :P

I'll be rushin' off now. Haha


While I was walking in to work yesterday at Disneyland, I saw Mary and Bert and Mary Poppins and Bert and Mary. I asked both Mary Poppins and Bert, how they cloned themselves. (It was the two characters and three kids, dressed like Mary and Bert from the Chalk drawing scenes Lacy dresses hats on the girls and a hat with the striped coat on the boy.Very cute :) )

[February]

Yeah, Darph I hate when that happens too especially when the tech says there was nothing wrong and that the office needs to reset the boxes (had been tried but I digress. . .) but nobody tells me to call the office to have them try it again.

Truth be told, I think the landscaping guys hit the wires with the weed whacker again. Or tromped on them. Last year they took out the air conditioner of the lady next door. Maybe when the tech came and shuffled stuff around it went back to working, I don't know. I'm just not too optimistic that the connection will hold. We had rain this morning and so far so good but I know it's going to go out again at the worst possible time whatever that turns out to be (I'm such an optimist these days) biggest worry was that it was messing with our landline too and that is usually as reliable as Old Faithful.

Now for some of my news, I guess, since we're four pages in.

My teen daughter is now in full custody of her father and stepmother. She moved out in February. Her main reasons were:

She wanted to live with the family that 'supports her faith' (and you guys know the back-story there :( :( :( and that she 'couldn't stand to see me suffer' any more. Yes, she actually used the one thing I have no control over. I tried to keep her from seeing most of the worst- she usually stayed with her Dad right after my surgeries so that she didn't see it. When she was here I played it down as best I could. I never, EVER put her in any sort of 'caregiving' role, not so much as to get me a glass of water. Ever.

But how can you argue with that? You can't. So I gave her what she wanted.

Next year they're moving across country.

I've talked to her four times and seen her once since she moved out.

Mothers day was very very hard. She didn't even send me a text message. Nothing. Religious brainwashing IS the devil if ever there was one. For fifteen years I have given her unconditional love (it's still there she just doesn't want it.) and they won anyway.

I'm so sad. It's like being in mourning but people don't see it. They think, can religious influence really alienate a child from its own mother? I'm here to tell you that it absolutely can and does every day.

Packing up her room was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life.

But at least she won't have to see me 'suffer' any more. She's not limited by my disabilities anymore. Her step mother can drive her wherever she wants to go, and out there it's always a party of one sort or another.

She has to find her own way now. I'll always be hoping she'll find a path back to me.

Every time I see a Disney World commercial on TV I start bawling. So many memories. Over now.

[hobie16]

Weed whackers are great for tearing out low voltage lighting systems too. :D:

Sorry to hear about your daughter. It may be she's thinking the grass is greener with her father. She might find the religion she thinks is the answer may be so restrictive she'll be begging to get out. Time will tell. At fifteen years they think they know everything. That will last until at least twenty.

Tell ya what. My mom died about twelve years ago. You can be my mom this year.



Love ya Mom!

[Cranbiz]

Hi Bru, good to hear from you. I do hope that thing get better for you.

I have been getting settled in Cali, been busy learning new products and a completely different customer support model. I'm doing well and should get the permanent position, if my supervisor can be believed (and I'm sure she can be). I do miss driving the bus and the people I met, but everything happens for a reason.

I'm going to find the time to get to So Cal to visit the original soon. I have 2 comp passes to use before the end of the month. I promise not to be a SG, I think I have enough experience to know the difference :)

So can anyone recommend a decent but reasonable motel not to far away from DLR?

[hobie16]

DisneyMom recommends the Candy Cane Inn.

http://www.candycaneinn.net/

[lady ulrike]

Hi Bru, good to hear from you. I do hope that thing get better for you.

I have been getting settled in Cali, been busy learning new products and a completely different customer support model. I'm doing well and should get the permanent position, if my supervisor can be believed (and I'm sure she can be). I do miss driving the bus and the people I met, but everything happens for a reason.

I'm going to find the time to get to So Cal to visit the original soon. I have 2 comp passes to use before the end of the month. I promise not to be a SG, I think I have enough experience to know the difference :)

So can anyone recommend a decent but reasonable motel not to far away from DLR?

I can't help you with the hotel, but let me know when you come and I can probably give you a tour, at least part of the day(s)

[Lasolimu]

can anyone recommend a decent but reasonable motel not to far away from DLR?

When ever I make a cheap trip I stay at the Islander, it isn't very expensive and is not far from the parks a little off the corner of Harbor and Katella.

[DisneyMom]

Yeah, Darph I hate when that happens too especially when the tech says there was nothing wrong and that the office needs to reset the boxes (had been tried but I digress. . .) but nobody tells me to call the office to have them try it again.

Truth be told, I think the landscaping guys hit the wires with the weed whacker again. Or tromped on them. Last year they took out the air conditioner of the lady next door. Maybe when the tech came and shuffled stuff around it went back to working, I don't know. I'm just not too optimistic that the connection will hold. We had rain this morning and so far so good but I know it's going to go out again at the worst possible time whatever that turns out to be (I'm such an optimist these days) biggest worry was that it was messing with our landline too and that is usually as reliable as Old Faithful.

Now for some of my news, I guess, since we're four pages in.

My teen daughter is now in full custody of her father and stepmother. She moved out in February. Her main reasons were:

She wanted to live with the family that 'supports her faith' (and you guys know the back-story there :( :( :( and that she 'couldn't stand to see me suffer' any more. Yes, she actually used the one thing I have no control over. I tried to keep her from seeing most of the worst- she usually stayed with her Dad right after my surgeries so that she didn't see it. When she was here I played it down as best I could. I never, EVER put her in any sort of 'caregiving' role, not so much as to get me a glass of water. Ever.

But how can you argue with that? You can't. So I gave her what she wanted.

Next year they're moving across country.

I've talked to her four times and seen her once since she moved out.

Mothers day was very very hard. She didn't even send me a text message. Nothing. Religious brainwashing IS the devil if ever there was one. For fifteen years I have given her unconditional love (it's still there she just doesn't want it.) and they won anyway.

I'm so sad. It's like being in mourning but people don't see it. They think, can religious influence really alienate a child from its own mother? I'm here to tell you that it absolutely can and does every day.

Packing up her room was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life.

But at least she won't have to see me 'suffer' any more. She's not limited by my disabilities anymore. Her step mother can drive her wherever she wants to go, and out there it's always a party of one sort or another.

She has to find her own way now. I'll always be hoping she'll find a path back to me.

Every time I see a Disney World commercial on TV I start bawling. So many memories. Over now.

Bru, she will be back. She is trying to figure out who she is. Hoping it's soon.

[GaTechGal]

In the words of Sebastian the Crab "Teenagers... They think they know everything. Give them an inch and they swim all over you." She'll be back. You wait and see. She's really learning so much from you and she doesn't even know it. Like how to make the best with what life gives you. And she really needs to spend a little more time contemplating that 5th commandment. It's in there for a reason. So I second Hobie's sentiments even though I have both my Mom and my Mother in Law living in town with me. Happy Mother's Day Bru. :D:

[delsdad]

Bru, she will be back. She is trying to figure out who she is. Hoping it's soon.

DisneyMom speaks the truth. Your love, patience and tolerance will overcome the intolerance and closed-mindedness that her new faith is giving her. And one day, hopefully in the near future, she will realize who she is missing out on having in her life. At 15, most kids are a mess emotionally. Some kids get tatoos or smoke or drink, others make radical lifestyle and religous changes trying to find an identity. Once she starts to find an identity, she WILL be back.

You are a perfect example of a mothers unconditional love! [hugs]