OMG...I just went sledding. The sledding is not much in itself, but where we went... I needed my head examined. I've never realized just how fast a sled travels. No exaggeration this hill must have been 200 yards long at a 45 degree angle. Then once you hit the bottom there is the frozen lake to deal with. You hit the ice going at about 55mph you fly about another 150/200 yards before you stop. One Wild Ride! Do you think that because I was sitting and my feet were flying up in the air that I can say I was sitting with my feet up taking it easy. Hmmm...don't think I'll mention to the doc when I see her tomorrow what I was doing. I'm the bright side...I'm feeling better. But damn I'm sore...must have been the walk BACK UP the hill.

Well I'm back. Late again as usual. I've got good excuses this time. Medical, so I'm not going to bore anyone. The urgent care at the hospital is a wonderful little place. I'm very proud of Duane having been the one to get it implemented, staffed and running so smoothly. Now the fact that he is the one who had to turn me into a human pincushion I'm not too happy about. Really though, if the NPR had gotten me stuck right in the first place they wouldn't have had to call in 'Magic Hands' as they call him. Hmmmm? Hope it’s just because he’s good at getting veins the first try. Lord knows he gives lousy back rubs. The real irony of the whole thing...bet no one reading this has ever had their Husband give them a pregnancy test before.

Vans back. Won’t start. Batteries dead. Might be the –9 to 0 the weather has been throwing at us lately.Sorry Leslie, simply no pity for you, we’re colder up here than you are over there. Or maybe the fact that the SOB's STOLE IT. Ohh, I hold grudges too long. But that’s ok been suckering my mom into driving me anyway. Had some great talks with her lately. Had 6 years worth of catching up to do I guess?

When I’m feeling up to it we have been swimming. Yes, in –9*. Hell its Michigan…that’s warm for this time of year. Can’t listen to any HP on tape sorry to say but that’s all right because my mom has A LOT to say so she keeps the conversation busy. We took a picture of me in my swimsuit holding a six-foot icicle to send to Aunt in Florida. I’d offer to post it here but I promised Wolf I would touch nothing and he’s far to distracted to bother right now. That and my mom took the picture so heaven only knows how it will turn out. Florida reminds me…I should go call Aunt BJ and tell her we are invading here house in July. Wonder if we can borrow her car again?

So where to start. My van was stolen Sunday night. Kind of. Ok, how can a vehicle be stolen kind of...well if it involves me, Johan Jr. (sp?/whale guy), it will happen.

Refinanced van from bank A in March. According to paperwork they received pay off on April 8th. Have been paying bank B ever since. Title even states that Van is owned by us and bank B. Came home Saturday after being gone only a few hours--took kids ice skating in town, like there’s not enough ice around the house--and pulled in the drive. Duane looks down the drive and says: "Lou, where's your car?" Then he says: "Did you make the payment?" To which I snap back: They are not going to repossess a car for a payment late by 10 days...NO, MY DAMN VANS BEEN STOLEN!"

Of course the first thing I do is call 911 and I was very calm until the operator asks me what’s wrong then I turn into a blithering idiot and fall to pieces. Duane takes the phone, gives the info, and hangs up. Two minutes later the phone rings and it’s the sheriff’s department telling us that the car has been repossessed. Now things get ugly!!!!!

Duane's yelling, I'm crying the kids are scared--sons miffed because his snow suite is in the van, such a sympathetic boy that one-and he tells the sheriff we are only late by ten days. Sheriff basically says: sucks to be you and that "bank A" hired a company called Best Recovery to take the vehicle and there is nothing he or us can do about it on a Sunday night.

Ok...did everyone catch that? Bank A repoed the van. Bank A doesn't own the van nor have they done so for the last 8 months! The MFer's STOLE MY VAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I immediately call Mary crying because that's what friends do and I want her 'quasi-legal' input. For those who don't recall Mary, she’s the Para-legal with the Theology degree...aka, a moral lawyer. She doesn't realize I'm crying and near hysterics and proceeds to tell me she doesn't want to talk law right now because she is on the final chapter of GoF and managed to see movie HP-CoS. Finally...she's read the book...seen the movie...and wants to talk about it and I got to shut her up. Oh cruel fate.

And just to make matters worse...what could be worse than not being able to discuss HP with your best friend?...my house keys were in the van and of course we didn't sleep a wink wondering if some repo-flunky would be coming through the door to rob and murder us.

My van went to Saginaw without me. Nice little 3-hour road trip. Bank A had to have it flat bedded back to us the next day. Their response?"Oh, well...sorry for the inconvenience...our mistake."

This is not over. Oh no, not by a long shot. Duane tells me I'm vindictive. That I don't let things go like I should--he found out about the sheets on his moms bed--and that I am the poster child for revenge is a dish best served cold. Ya think?

My basic responce to everyone telling me to up date is why? I've talked to everyone who reads this and posted at least a half dozen times on their blogs. Not to mention the two dozen or so e-mails I've sent off. The 30 pages of chapter 12, give or take a dozen depending on if they get moved to 13 have been written and sent to Wahlee for beta and a new reader named Jack and I have been debating vie e-mail the time frame for Voldemorts DOB and weither or not I've got the correct dates of the dark ages vs- the plague. Then there is Wolf's letter I have been updating daily so that every ten days or so he can keep up with what is going on with all of us. I supose I could post his letter here because basically it is everything that has been going on for the last week I'll just edit out the personal......

Jan 2nd…Nothing for the first New Years was just too boring to make mention of. Did get happy dance news. Both Emily and Leslie are 99% sure they will be going to the Nimbus 2003 in Orlando. Heaven help the hotel! The three of us in the same hotel room together with two husbands. Hum…must think about those sleeping arrangements and get back with ya so you won’t be thinking us depraved and immoral. On the up side we promise to take loads of pictures, immoral or not.

Jan 3rd…Have you ever tried to shave the ass hair off a cat? Just did it. Think I need sutures. Don’t ask just enjoy the laugh.

Jan 4th…Listening to Robin Williams on TV while typing AP I had to stop because I was laughing so hard. He got on a religious rant starting with Henry the Eighth and the Pope and went wild from there. ! Jokes ran along the lines of why circumcise? Kept the sand out of the cracks while wandering the desert for 40 years to a wild imitation of southern hicks named Mary Jean and Joe Bob and their son Jesus. Had to have been a Jew why? Thirty, Single, living at home, taking over the family business. And jokes such as: Thank God he was an only child…can you imagine the pressure if you were Jerry the younger brother of Jesus…Ma, I don’t won’t to go to the beach, Jesus will just show off and walk across the water again!
Then some how he got onto Scots and Irish and beer, talking just like Fat Bastard, and I thought I’d piss my pants!


Jan 7th…If postage hadn’t been so much for two small books I would have arranged last night to send you two tons of snow. Not that we have a lot on the ground, mind you, its just I was shoveling it from a large area in a very cold place. My dad and his brilliant ideas told son he could use the pond on the front of their property as an ice rink to use his new skates on. Closer than me driving him to town every time he wanted to skate. Which I had to agree with, but keeping a large pond free of snow on a regular basis is WORK. I need a freekin Zamboni. If you let the sun warm it or freezing rain hit it while there’s snow on pond the skating surface is ruined so ‘mom’ gets roped into helping Robert keep it clean. Oh, yes I was thinking of you complaining about being wet and cold as I shoveled and swept in 10*/-25c? with a wind chill of –3*/-28c?.

While he skated I went up into dads workroom and stained my gift from Duane. He and father made me a large pine wardrobe for xmas. Again, started to think of you as father started to clean several of his riffles with Hoppies. I’m sure its spelled wrong but I know what is by the odor alone. A smell that brings very good childhood memories of time spent with my dad, hunting, fishing etc. He was getting a 22 ready for Robert for Thursday. We’ve signed him up at the Sports Club for a target league. Dad’s already had him there for something called pin shoot (knock bowling pins down as a target with various pistols) and he is better than most adults there. Like grandfather, like mother, like son I guess. I wonder sometimes, if there is something wrong with the notion that my kids second sports trophy might be in target shooting.?! Baseball was the first. God…I can here you saying right now…”Typical American!”

Jan 8th—Blonds huh? If that’s all the new recruits can think of then she’s not doing her job right! Alas, I’ve never ‘gone blond’ so am uncertain as to the reaction of young men to it. Today, however, I did loose the lighter shade of red and opted for something that covered the gray better. I’m now a lovely shade of auburn/brunette. It’s darker than I’ve gone in the past but I really love it. Sorry, you’ll have to dream of Leslie now for your redheaded girl. Hey think of it this way. When we send you photos of the three of us from Nimbus you’ll be able to show all those guys you’ve got a blond, a red head and a brunette just waiting for you in the states.

Jan 9th—Robert had to be snuck into the target league. Turns out he is not old enough. Then they saw him shoot. They are moving him right to the advanced course and he will qualify for his sharpshooter medal in six weeks! He out shot the instructor. Mummy’s so proud!

Jan 10— Still haven’t seen TTT. Read RJ’s blog on it though. Damn that woman can write and that’s hard to do with Blue’s Clues playing in the background! Hopefully I can swing it this weekend.

Ok that's the edited vershion... he and I gotta have some where private to bitch about our friends!!!!!!!!