Papa ~ The Life of The Party

The mind is a funny thing, as I sit here and try to process  that my Papa ( grandfather) will now be earning his angel wings  only 2 short months later to be with Aunt Doll who was not only his best friend, but his big sister and the glue that held this family together.It feels like just yesterday as I wrote about their adventures as  they lived together the past few years, enjoyed a daily happy hour and the wonder of speaker phones ( to everyone else's dismay).As my heart breaks, and the tears are filling up in my eyes..... I can't help but to laugh, because the thought that keeps running around inside my head is who will be the one telling the stories now at the most inappropriate times....like um...... funerals... as he did during Aunt Dolls?

Whether you called  him Fred, FJ, Uncle Sonny, Dad, Papa or even Great Papa  we all knew him as a great man that was the life of the party, who could hold your attention with his smile, his laugh or his stories! You could here him yell " Hey Doll remember when ...." and she would laugh and say "Oh FJ stop it ... that didn't happen like that!" And they would both be laughing before they could even finish telling the story!  Just like Aunt Doll he never missed a good party or a chance to get on the dance floor! He was game to do anything or go anywhere all you had to do was ask!

Growing up Papa had this big house over in Oldsmar, Florida it sat on 3 lots and was the supreme house for parties! Block parties, birthday parties, graduations, holiday cook outs, reunion's ~  you name it he has hosted it! The entire town and family near and far would show up, everyone bringing something to eat or drink the men would all be lined up at the grills, his buddies would sing and do the polka dance while the kids all played in the yard. We had enough food to feed a small army, which I guess is what we were. There wasn't a person in all of  that town that didn't know Papa and to know him was to love him.

There was this huge tree out back that we would climb up in and grab the rope swing to fly down like Tarzan! We would race up the stairs to play in the hidden closets in this great big house, going from room to room to play hide an seek, jump from the top of the stairs to the bottom. The house was always filled with love and laughter I cant  recall a time that Papa ever raised his voice or got mad  or even yell at all us kids to knock it off like most would have done! Does that mean we were all exceptionally well behaved kids? I guess that is possible.....highly unlikely thou, I think he was just an exceptional man who knew we were just kids being kids and that was good enough excuse for our behavior as any! I guess I need to remember that lesson in my own life.

I know we will survive as a family, I know we will move forward and move on. They taught us to be strong, independent, honest, to be loving and caring and to make everyday count.  But I also know that things will never be the seem again, not with both Aunt Doll and Papa gone. Our hearts will still ache but I know they would want us not to be consumed with sadness, but to cherish the here ~  the now and to celebrate the life they had with the people they loved. They would want us to continue sharing stories because that's how you keep the memories alive, and we all have plenty of stories to tell! I know that old traditions we had as a family will now have to be new traditions made without them.

Papa and Aunt Doll
The Best of Friends

I will always cherish my memories and the times we spent together. I cherish  the thought that my little Prince Charming (PC)  got to know and love both Papa and Aunt Doll, that he will share in the "remember when stories" as they are being told. He has a whole collection of Hess Trucks from Great Papa that he has received every Christmas since he was 1 years old. He loves his collection and will always remember who they are from and will have stories of his own to pass along.

 PC was so sweet and so helpful with his Great Papa, at the last family wedding we went to, he held him up as he was unsteady on his feet when he walks, got him his glass of wine ( which didn't help he be any more steady on his feet)! He sat and they chatted, he went and got them each dessert and helped load him into Aunt Wendy's car. After we waved good by PC turned to me and say " We have a great family mom, and I really love Great Papa", I  looked over at him and smiled  (as I cant say I looked down on him since he is taller than me) and said "Yes buddy, that we do".

I know they always say that God has a plan......that plan does not always match up with our plans............ because we didn't plan on Papa joining for happy hour quite so soon in the great blue sky! They better watch out up there ~ the party is just about to get started now that he has arrived!

My Supreme Skills

My painting privileges  have been re-instated, clearly the hubster has long forgotten why he revoked them! Once upon a time....... when he was pre-hubster ..... he painted my entire house inside, all the rooms and all the trim in one long day....while I....painted the fireplace....with a toothbrush and q-tips...in yes the same long day!  In my defense it was brick and I was making certain bricks match the trim! And what a fine job I did....even if it took the whole friggen day!

Then while he was still playing the pre-hubster role, we moved in together (of course there was no pre-material activities happening during that time ~ so not to worry any relatives reading this) we worked different shifts, and I had a part time job at a paint store in the décor department which equals...discount...which also equals ....no paycheck but lots of paint and borders and wallpaper!! I painted floor to celling iris flowers in the spare room, sponged the wall a lovely pink (shocker) and green color with a huge border in the craft room, wallpapered the bathroom...... yes I was a busy gal and I was also planning the happiest day of hubsters life....our wedding!!!

That would be a few reasons my painting privileges were revoked, I could go on but I will spare you! So for the past 15 years I have been band ...until now.......so either he figures my 15 year hiatus of being aloud to actually touch the house with a paintbrush has made me a better painter....maybe he figures that I have soaked up all his skills by simply observing them..... or he has lost his mind. I am thinking he has lost his mind or he's desperate to get the house finished that he has enlisted my supreme  skills.......

Yep hubster had to go out of town as we are in the mist of getting the house prepped for painting and  I was left  in charge with painting supplies and my little Prince Charming to help me finish getting the house primed. Clearly this was not a well thought out plan for several reasons.....

I Need your ID

Whew - it's been a long weekend...and by long...... I mean L-O-N-G!!! With Friday being a National Holiday ...aka Prince Charming's birthday, we have been on the go, go , go all weekend long with Busch Gardens on Friday, Go Kart Racing on Saturday, slumber party and a cookout on Sunday so the family could see the little Prince! Monday I will need to go back to work to rest!!

 Friday we were going over to Busch Gardens, hubster and I got dressed and ready and we waited...and waited ...and waited for the birthday boy to emerge from his room and be ready to go.... he emerged all right in his long sleeve brown ***** shirt and his green hoodie.....did I mention it was 90 degrees out and we were going to Busch Gardens? Usually at amusement parks, people are half naked, even when they should NOT be! My eye started to twitch and I had to head to my bedroom to grab a few orange rubber bands to complete my outfit.......you know so that I could snap the shit outta my wrist instead of start an argument with PC about how he would have a freaken heat stroke since it is HOT out and he is on long sleeves and a sweatshirt!!!!

 I thought maybe once we arrived he would come to his senses and at least take the hoodie off and leave it in the car, I was wrong! I did look at him and say "I better not hear even one time that you are HOT!" Hubster and I were surprised to see that PC was not the only jackass wearing long sleeves and a  hoodie ~ some of them even had jeans on ~ at least PC had on shorts....well because he doesn't even own a pair of pants!

 After we had had our fill of fun at Busch Gardens, and everyone (including us I am sure) was starting to stink, we headed back to the car to go have a late lunch, that would not require taking out a small loan.  As we sat down and relaxed in the nice cool a/c I ordered a "Watermelon Margarita" ahhh doesn"t that sound yummy and refreshing??
WAITER: "I need to see your ID"

Swimming in a Sea of Toes

OMG...SERIOUSLY... I think as I am in a the downward dog pose (really could be called Ass High pose)  and look up to realized that OMG....I am swimming in  a sea of toes......yes TOES people. .... EWWW not just your dirty toes ......but "camel toes"! Yep that's right, the hubster and I went back to yoga class for class # 2 out of 5 that we have! And if you missed my first experience with yoga ~ you can catch up here!!!

So off to the back of the class hubster and I go, after all I don't want people making fun of my ass in yoga pants! And here is yet another tips on yoga pants.... ... One should NOT wear light color yoga pants....just remember  that black in slimming.... even down there in the nether regions ~ and light colored yoga pants.....not so much!!!

That's when it hit me!! I had to stop myself  from the giggle fest that was building up in my throat!!!

I thought OMG this would be the perfect place that one should wear a "Cuchini ~ The Camel Toe Pad" and no folks I am not making this shit up!! I read it on  "Baby SideBurns Facebook Post"   look for the April 6th post ~ friggen hysterical! As is everything she writes!!!

So there I am suppose to be all calm and relaxed, thinking there is no way, I will survive this class with all these "colorful toes" watching me! I must have looked confused in yet another tortured pose as the cute little instructor~ who by the way is the only person who looks amazing in these stupid ass yoga pants... but why wouldn't she ?? After all she teaches yoga like 10 times a day!!!

Just Mudding Around

Mud Crusade 2012

Usually when I ask the hubster "Does this make me look fat?" or "Does this print  make my ass look big" he instantly says "No" mind you he is usually asleep on the couch (meaning his eyes are closed) or he is on the computer and could not even tell you what frigging print I am wearing ~and if that said print is making my ass look big or not because that my friends.......... would require him to actually look up and see!!! This morning he almost gave himself whiplash as I came around the corner  to announce that I thought my boobs were getting smaller ~  seriously I think I actually heard the snap in his neck as he whipped his head up to check out the situation! Sadly for him, the girls had already been locked and loaded into the sports bar and topped off with a tank top, cant have the girls jumping out or anything while we go and play in the mud!