Yesterday afternoon, we loaded up the kids and went to the movie theater.
We saw the movie Taken, starring Liam Neeson.
Here’s a clip:
I thought the movie was very good. The language, at the beginning, was less than desireable, as was some of the discussion. However, the movie progressed quickly with a ton of action.
This is one mad father that you don’t want to mess with.
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: Liam Neeson, Taken | Leave a comment »
I can’t believe I almost missed it…the Budweiser Shootout…NASCAR’s first race of the season!
Perhaps you’re like my friend, Figgy, who seemed surprised to learn that I’m a fan of cars endlessly circling one another.
I’ll admit that it surprises me sometimes.
I’ll admit that I never thought I would ever sit and watch this sport. I remember spending many weekends at a friend’s house and glancing at the television on my way through the house. Her dad watched the races every week.
B-O-R-I-N-G
Especially to a teenage girl.
I’ve been to one car race, and it totally freaked me out. The Mr. and I had been married for about a year and a half, and we took a weekend trip with friends. One night, we attended a race at a small track. No, it wasn’t NASCAR, so the stands were almost right on top of the track. I had recently found out I was expecting a baby (who would eventually be Soccer Chick). I was petrified that there would be a crash and one of the pieces of metal would come over the wall and hurt my blossoming belly. So, I didn’t allow myself to fully enjoy the experience.
A few years later, my opinion changed.
Rooster was in the first or second grade. One of his classmates had a dad who worked for a company that provided food at NASCAR events. The classmate was a die-hard fan of Jeff Gordon. Rooster became a fan as well, and so began our interest.
Sundays tend to be lazy days around here. You’ll typically find me napping on the couch. Ahhh, I do love my weekends.
What a natural progression to watching races.
Now that I’ve taken up knitting, I have the perfect activity to occupy myself while I keep an eye on the TV.
Over the years, I’ve become a fan of Jeff Gordon (yes, “Pretty Boy”), Jimmie Johnson, and Carl Edwards (you’ve gotta love his backflips and boyish looks).
Do you watch NASCAR? Who is your favorite driver?
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: nascar | Leave a comment »
I don’t know if I used appropriate tense in my subject, but who cares.
I thought I would give you an update on Molly after the horrendous post last night.
She had a semi-decent night of sleep after waking up around 12am. She was sleeping with me, and I suddenly knew that she was awake. We headed straight for the door, with her wobbling and limping. She made it out and did her business, hustling as best she could to get back inside.
We went straight back to bed.
She has a place she hides when she wants to escape. To get there, she has to jump on the bed and then off the other side. It’s in a corner, only accessible via this route.
Despite her pain and bum leg, she went to her spot. I understood. It’s her place of safety.
That’s where she stayed the rest of the night/morning. She woke up, went potty, and we crawled back into bed after seeing the kids off to school. I called in to the school I was supposed to work at, explaining the situation with all of the sincerity I could muster.
Molly slept with her head on my leg until 12pm…a five-hour nap. I didn’t dare move a muscle. We both needed the rest.
After a quick jaunt to the bathroom, she resumed her position on the bed. Pele joined her from the other room. He loves both dogs and is very confused by the situation.
We all slept for another couple of hours.
I’m probably as messy looking as Molly. I haven’t showered or changed out of my PJ’s yet. I don’t anticipate doing so before the morning. With my long, curly hair, you can only imagine what I must look like. I won’t be winning the Mrs. America contest any time soon, that’s for sure.
I thank you for your prayers. I’ve seen some of you on Plurk, and I can’t tell you how much your kind words mean to me.
Filed under: Pets | Tagged: dogs, Pets, plurk | 1 Comment »
I am an idiot. Pure and simple.
As I sit here typing this, Molly is laying beside me, trying to sleep off the sedative she was given this evening.
Yeah, she and Aubie got into another fight. And I was partially to blame.
We’ve kept them separated for the last week and a half. Things have been going fairly well, except for the circus of putting dogs away before getting out the other ones to potty or visit in the living room.
The dogs have really been missing each other. Or at least I thought they were.
They’ve spent many moments whining in front of the other’s doors or sadly watching each other play outside, the desire to play evident on their faces.
This afternoon, I watched Molly put her front paws on the kitchen window sill as she spied Aubie and Pele frolicking outside.
I decided to get her leash and take her out to play with them.
Well, as she went through the doggie door on the porch, I turned loose of the leash.
You should have seen the joyful reunion. However, things quickly got tense, and soon they were at it again.
It took three of us to separate them. By then, Molly was dripping blood and limping heavily again.
Rats. This was to be her last day on antibiotics.
I put her in the tub to clean her up and get a better idea of where she was hurt.
It was bad this time. Much worse than the last time.
She has several deep puncture wounds on her right cheek. Her left leg is a mess. The kids’ anxiety level rose as we realized that we couldn’t stop the blood flowing from her leg. We dried her off quickly and hauled her to our vet.
I dreaded the drive, wondering what they were going to think of me.
I got there with ten minutes to spare before the office closed; however, I was informed that the vet had already left for the day, and I would be charged an after-hours’ fee for him to return. The receptionist was kind enough to offer up the name of another vet who was still open. I called them to let them know I was on my way.
The vet’s office is located in the back of PetSmart. Molly and I had to pick our way around several jaw-dropped customers.
Embarrassing but necessary.
I found myself sheepishly trying to explain the presence of the staples on Molly’s ear and leg.
Ugh.
Please don’t call Doggie HRS, I wanted to shout. I really do love my babies. They were so sad, that I tried to make them happy.
Wrong move. I would have never allowed my non-fur-babies to play with others who had beat them up several times before.
Bad choice on my part, and Molly had to pay the price.
I left her with the vet and returned two hours later to find her nearly completely asleep and in no hurry to wake up.
To get her to the car, we had to load her on one of those big carts that are used to tote large bags of dog food. Her eyes were open, but she had no control of her tongue, so it hung down beside her. We had covered her with a towel to keep her warm.
She looked pathetic. I kept my eyes down as we walked back through the store to the exit.
Ugh.
We gingerly placed Molly in the back of my car (thank goodness for SUVs), and I drove home slowly. I don’t think it mattered much. She was barely conscious.
Mr. AuburnChick moved her from the car to the bed, her tongue still hanging out. She resembled one of the coyotes in the movie The Lion King. She kept trying to lift her head to wake herself up, but she just couldn’t.
It’s been about three hours, and she has regained mobility, but she is hurting…a lot.
She’s not exactly thrilled with me, and I can’t blame her. Perhaps she thinks it was my fault she’s got a foggy brain. After all, I was the last person she saw before being taken to the back of the vet’s office.
She has been wagging her tail for Rooster and Soccer Chick.
So, where does that leave us?
I don’t really know.
The first thing I’m focused on is nursing her back to health. For good this time.
The kids and I have acknowledged that we need to give serious consideration to finding her a new home. It’s not fair to make her live half of the day in a room. It’s not fair to risk putting her through what’s happened today.
Soccer Chick and I were in tears as we discussed our options. We are going to pray for God to show us what He would have us to do, regardless of what that might entail. I have not discounted a miracle. God loves all of his creatures. However, true love is doing what’s best for the other party.
Off to find some kleenex…oy, what a week…
Filed under: Pets | Tagged: dogs, Pets | 2 Comments »
Well, I’ve sufficiently dried my eyes enough to go through the pictures from last night’s game.
Lookie, lookie at what I saw through the camera lens…
First, the trainer who attends the school’s sporting events:
Not to be outdone…the school’s athletic director:
And lastly, a local sports reporter who had set up to broadcast live from the field…what a great sport he was to place this hat upon his coiffed hair…
Now…here are a couple of photos from the game itself…grab a hanky…
The moment the girls realized they had lost the game
Consoling one another after the game
Soccer Chick is faring okay today. She’s already made plans for Friday night…the night the team would have played in the Regional Finals.
Life goes on.
Filed under: Knitting, soccer | Tagged: big seed stitch hat, Knitting, soccer | 1 Comment »
Please forgive me, but I’m feeling a bit melancholy right now.
I got home about 45 minutes ago from Soccer Chick’s game. Her high school team played in the Regional Semi-finals. To win would mean going to the Regional Finals. A win there would mean a trip to the State Final Four.
Yeah, it was a big game.
Tonight’s opponent was the team we beat to win Districts. Weird, eh?
Well, the top two teams from Districts got to move on to Regional playoffs, so they advanced, but we had home-field advantage. They won their last game after playing two overtimes and then outscoring their opponent in PK’s (penalty kicks). Not the fairest way to end a game, but it’s got to end sometime, and the kids can’t exactly run themselves to death.
So, we were facing a team we’d beaten twice this season and tied once. The wins were close too, averaging less than two goals per win.
I had been a nervous wreck since last night.
I tried reminding myself that it’s only a game. I tried calling to mind God’s Words that speak of peace.
Deep down inside, I really wanted this for the kids.
More importantly, I didn’t want Soccer Chick to get hurt. My nerves are still fragile after all that she went through with her knee surgery.
The game was scoreless through the first half. The second half was a carbon copy of its predecessor. During regulation time, my heart nearly stopped as I watched, through the camera lens, as Soccer Chick took a brutal (and I do not exaggerate here) hit that took her and another player down. She stayed down a few seconds but arose looking around with a question mark on her face.
The mom sitting in front of me kept repeating, “Soccer Chick is not okay. Something is wrong with her.”
I carefully descended down the steps to the field, standing on the track as close as I could to her. She looked at me and assured me that she was okay.
The other player stayed down for a while. I felt so badly for Chicky. She was stricken with pain in the knowledge that her play had injured the other girl. I melted as I heard her apologize.
As I returned to my seat, I prayed and thanked the Lord that Soccer Chick was okay.
I watched as Soccer Chick crossed the field to talk to the player as she was assisted off the field. She’s okay. She had a bloody nose. It would seem that Soccer Chick’s head hit the other player’s nose.
And the game continued.
I watched Soccer Chick resume her play, never losing momentum despite the danger she had already placed herself in.
She was amazing. I’m teary-eyed as I recall play after play where Soccer Chick came out of nowhere to take the ball away from an opposing player. She passed to feet (soccer lingo for making passes that connect to same-team players), she headed balls that she shouldn’t have been able to reach. She even megged a gal. This is where you pass the ball between another player’s feet. It’s cool, trust me…especially at full speed.
Soccer Chick wanted to win the game. It was very clear in the way she played that she was playing to win.
The game ended in a tie.
Overtime.
Ten more minutes of near-goals, corner kicks, and throw-ins.
Tied.
A second overtime began.
A repeat of the first.
It ended in a tie.
PK’s.
Just what we didn’t want.
The opposing team has won all but one of its games that have gone into PK’s.
Five girls from each team sat and waited for their turn to kick the ball into the net.
I cringed as I saw Soccer Chick go up second, following one player from each team…players that made their shots.
She missed, kicking it high and hitting the crossbar. She hung her head in disappointment. My heart cried out for her.
This was so unlike her. She faced a pressure that I can only imagine. She’s 17 years old, for heaven’s sake. Certainly not a World Cup player.
She wasn’t the only person on her team to miss. Two others did.
Game over.
The other team won.
The stadium was quiet except for the other team’s wee contingent, which celebrated their hearts out.
Tears began to flow.
I eased to the field, uncertain of what to do.
All I wanted to do was hug Chicky.
We’ve been through this a few times, and I know she takes the losses personally each time.
How do you tell the girls that despite the score, they are a success?
Who defines success anyway?
The world says it’s the amount of money you earn, your grade point average, how you look, or the numbers on a scoreboard at the end of a game.
I beg to differ.
Success is watching a group of mismatched girls come together during a season to play like champions.
Success is never giving up, as evidenced by two overtime periods. The game could have gone on all night.
Success is doing something so remarkable that half of the student body shows up for a game called soccer…in the South…where football and baseball rule.
Success is watching players shake hands with each other, graceful in defeat.
Success is the journey, seeing where you started and how far you’ve traveled. To take even one step forward is success.
These girls dared to go farther than any local girls soccer team has ever gone. They dared to dream beyond what many thought them capable of, including Your’s Truly.
This is how you define success.
Filed under: soccer | Tagged: high school, soccer, success | 4 Comments »
Wow! Another very interesting video from Living Waters Ministry. Too often, Christians are accused of being judgmental. Soccer Chick has, herself, called me out on what she perceives as my judgmental attitude. It’s a fine line we walk, isn’t it?
I love how Ray Comfort uses the Word, while maintaining his concern for this individual, to point to God’s judgment.
Filed under: Christian | Tagged: Christianity, Living Waters, Ray Comfort | Leave a comment »
Isn’t it interesting how a seemingly routine errand can lead to something that pulls at your heart?
Today I didn’t have a subbing job, so I ran a couple of errands on my way to a friend’s house. I was going over to work on her laptop, but I needed to stop at the bank first.
If you’re like me, you probably go to the same branch…the one closest to your house or place of employment. Maybe you go during your lunch hour. Perhaps you run by on your way home from the grocery store.
When you live in a small city like mine, you tend to form casual friendships with those you do business with.
Today, upon entering the bank, I spied my favorite teller. A few months ago, I noticed that she hadn’t been there in a while, so I asked how she was. There have been some staffing changes, and I was curious. I was told that she now travels to different branches. She’s so good that they use her to fill in whereever there’s a need.
Today was her day to be in “my” branch, and I called out to her. She responded with a smile. We identify with each other…both of us having teens.
There was something different about her today. She was wearing one of those caps that chemotherapy patients wear. I overheard her use the word chemotherapy to a co-worker.
My heart fell.
I immediately wanted to do something for my favorite “Traveling Teller.”
This is how charity works, I believe. The tug of the heart that leads to action.
Do you remember the cap I made for Ms. Jean? The pattern for the cap is here. The cap that I made did not exactly turn out the way I wanted, but I know it was the thought that mattered.
I bought some Chinchilla yarn a few months ago, intending to make another cap — one that hopefully resembles the picture in the pattern:
After seeing my favorite teller today, I am thinking that I might just need to go ahead and cast on for the hat. My intention is to offer it to the gal with a hug and prayers. Please pray for her. Said teller’s name is Jody.
Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: berroco, Charity, chemo cap, chinchilla, Knitting | 1 Comment »
First off, thank you for the nice comments about my scarf and green hat. Y’all have a way of making me feel so good!
Now, I’ve had a couple of you ask what size needles I used to make the Pom Pom hat. The pattern suggested size 19’s. I remember running out to the store to find some.
Here’s what I knit that hat with:
Yeah, I know. Them’s some big needles, eh?
I was able to complete the hat in under two hours, and that’s only because I had to seam it up.
Make the hat, people. Do whatever it takes to bring an embarrassed smile to your own family.
Changing the subject a bit…
I thought I would share these pictures I took of Molly today.
Notice her sewn-up ear?
She’s such a sweet girl, she really is.
Filed under: Knitting, Pets | Tagged: Knitting, Pets | 3 Comments »
AuburnChick's Adventures 