Princess Fiona

   Imagine a shorter Princess Fiona with a slightly darker hair and Shriek, taller, thinner and brown instead of green.
   Now that you got that picture imagine that in several months (8 months) Shriek could marry Princess Fiona and the king could do nothing about it. This is also the King who Princess Fiona said, "When I marry Shriek, we're going to move to Florida."
  This Princess Fiona's biggest issue in their relationship so far has been, "What do you mean Babe you have to work today, I'm off and I have to work tomorrow when you work, oooh, noooooo.
  Yeah, I'm pissed. Princes Fiona dropped this precious little gem on me as I was picking her up from the movies with Shriek. Yeah, I know all you mommies out there are saying don't take the ramblings of a child, yes a child that is seventeen, but still a child seriously. I don't really, but it is still hurtful and when I hear her say these things I ask myself what would she do when they are married living in a one bedroom or even a studio because both of them decided to get married instead of finishing college, because Shriek said he would have to break up with her if he went away to college. And now they are married and the bloom is off the rose. You look over at that person who you married a few short years ago and ask yourself can I stand to be with that person another minute. The honest person would most likely say no. Then they would find a way to work past the low spot in the relation. But Princess Fiona is a child,very much younger then her physical age. At 17, she is more like a 14 year old. Can someone that young, physically as well as mentally summon up the will power to go on in a relationship that right now sucks. Being married is HARD!! It is the shark in Annie Hall (watch the movie!!) If it's not moving forward it's dying. Dead Sharks smell real bad.
  I was lucky, Teri and I were older when we met. We worked at our relationship. There were times that it looked like it might end, but we soldiered through. And now it's pretty good. We can fight and know how far to go. We can fight and take it beyond that point and it will still be saved by us.
 Relationships force you to look inside yourself, good ones anyway. And you find yourself asking 'Why did I just do that.' and 'Can I be a better person then that.' I have asked myself those questions and more and have been surprised by the answers. I've asked myself why I yelled at someone who just came home for something that was so small. and been surprised that I was angry at the new or someone at work who did something. It has blown my mind.
   I had an argument with Teri. It was the first day of her new job. Her cousins wife, Pat had died and I wanted Teri to not do anything. I was only working part time and she had a lot on her plate. I made dinner and afterwards I was cleaning up and she wanted to help. She got in my way and I did not want her there in the first place and she knew I was angry and I tried to tell her she was in the way. She got angry and left. A little while later she came in and said she was sorry. I went over to her and put my arms around her and began explaining what was going on in my head. I didn't know what I was going to say until I said it. I was amazed by the truth. I told her I was trying to let her relax after a long day at work and I didn't want her to be doing anything in the kitchen. And I under stood it was part of her make up to not sit by and do nothing and I was sorry. Would Shriek and Princess Fiona, the child they now are have been able to pull that off. I don't know.
 Does a Child, I teenager, someone in their twenties have the ability to continue to go back and go back in a relationship until they make it work and if they don't make it work have they done everything in their power to make it work before they leave. The younger you are the less likely you will make it last.
  I have droned on for several paragraphs and hopefully not put you to sleep. I just want my children to be happy and not make the mistakes I made,but no matter how much you tell them, they think they invented sex, illegal drugs, curse words, all the greatest dances, and if given a chance they could put the world right. God help them!! We were like that all those years ago and some of us didn't make it.

Oh for Alzheimer's 4/11/16

I don't know how many people can actually put themselves in my shoes. First off you have to eliminate all the people without children. Then you need to eliminate all the women and finally you need the eliminate all the men who don't really remember what it was like being a teenage boy interested in girls. There are more then they know. Yes the world has changed in the almost forty years since I've been a teenager, but it is still the same focus for boys, to get a girlfriend and have sex. Now, tomorrow, next week, whatever, that is the focus of being a teenage boy. I was one and I very clearly remember it.
 I remember going on vacation with my then girlfriend's family and the mother getting all upset that her daughter and I were on a pullout bed watching TV. I couldn't understand why she was so upset. If We wanted to have sex there were plenty of places we could go and not have to worry about someone seeing us.
  Now flash forward almost forty years. I have a teenage, two teenage daughters, one with a steady boyfriend, who is also seventeen, the age of my first girlfriend when we met. Lately she has been complaining about her stomach hurting. It has been going on and off for several weeks.
  I get a phone call, I missed, then a text that Nastia has thrown up in school, could I handle it, it's my wife's first day at her new job. I text Nastia and tell her she is going to the Doctor's after school to get her stomach problem looked into. Oh, and I forgot to say her period is late by almost three weeks. Yeah, I didn't have to hit you with a blunt object to make you see where I'm going with this one did I. And if I do, here is a picture of my daughter with a baby, not hers looking a little too happy.
  We get to the Doctors office and I let her sign in. She doesn't read where and how to write her name and ends up having to cross out what she hastily wrote and rewrite it. (I'm making a point with this aside.) We sit down and wait for the Doctor. After about fifteen minutes we go to the exam room and wait a few minutes more. While there she is bouncing around and we get to talking. I don't remember what exactly was said, but I told her nothing she said today was going to get her in trouble. I don't think she got the hint.
  The Doctor's assistant comes in and asks some questions. I tell her that Nastia has on and off had stomach problems and she threw up in school today and it was time to find out what was happening. I also slipped in that her period was very late this month. They picked up on it. She asked some questions and when the assistant said if she's ever had sexual intercourse, I stopped the assistant and said to Nastia, "Do You know what she said?" Nastia says "No".
  I say, "Before I tell you what it means, if you want me to leave the room after I tell you, I will." So I say to her, "Have You ever had sex?" I was asked to leave the room. I make a point of telling the Assistant I would be down the hall if she needed me.
  So there I was, at the end of the hall where I could hear voices, but not make out what was said. I listen harder, still just static and mumbles. A few minutes later the assistant came out to get Doctor Katylar, Nastia, steps out of the room and looks where I am. As the door is closing I hear, "Come on Nastia, your father is not here." I start to get more nervous. I felt like someone has hooked me up to a caffeine machine and turned it on high. I feel my arms shaking, I was really starting to get nervous. I was not ready to be a grandfather. My brother has fully embraced the notion of grandfatherhood, I am not ready.
   A little while later Nastia leaves the exam room with a little piece of paper, for some drug that I have no idea what it is for. I don't want Nastia to think I am prying so I say nothing, ask no questions and anything I say is loud, so everyone can hear. Like when one of the assistants say she is almost a women, I reply that I have to walk behind her with a baseball bat to keep the boys away. I was going to add a Walking dead reference about barbed wire wrapped around it but that audience would of just thought I was weird and not thought hey a Negan, walking dead reference, cool. By the way Abraham is the one he killed, my guess.
  We leave the office and get in the elevator, Nastia asks if anything is wrong, I of course say no. We get to the car and going out of the parking lot someone is going to slow, then someone on the road doesn't go when the light changes and I almost hit them and I call them a bitch. Nastia starts to pet my arm. I tell her I am OK... hardly.
 We get home and Nastia goes inside. I text Teri with the details of the visit. She asks the question on everyone's mind, except maybe Nastia, (I don't know for sure) Is she pregnant? I reply I think not...
  So there We are, the live of a father of two daughters who wishes he did not remember so much about being a teenage boy and how his one goal in life was to get a girlfriend and get laid.
  Oh for Alzheimer's

Am I a good parent or...

The Night started out pretty good. Nastia was at work, Teri had a retirement party to go to. Elena and I were left on our own for dinner. We had planned Tacos, but with Nastia working it didn't see fair.
 I gave Elena the choice of having whatever she wanted for dinner, she chose the food court at the mall.
  We left about 6:15 and had a nice dinner, she had tacos, I had Nathans. We talked about school and her friends. I tried to be non-judgmental of whatever she said. She talked about a friend who was having sex and how she told the girl it was not a smart thing to be doing. I didn't judge, I listened and told her maybe why this friend was doing it. I even let her take her unfinished dinner and go by herself to put it in the car.
    About 7 or so We walk around the mall and she bought me into the store Backstage to show me the tatoos she wants to get when she turns 18. I hope she changes her mind. by then.
   About 8, Teri calls and says she is on the way to pick up Nastia, I tell her don't hurry we are still at the mall. I then have a great idea for everyone to get some frozen yogurt. Teri says it is not fair because Nastia is having stomach problems and that will just make it worse. I tell Elena she can go get her sister and meet me at the car. They get to the car and we head home. On the drive Nastia says she didn't get anything to eat during work. I tell her she needs to eat when she gets home. She is all of 87 lbs with her clothes on soaking wet.
  Here is where it goes bad. Elena says she can eat her taco for dinner, I don't think about how wrong that is until Teri tells me how bad of an idea that is. Teri makes her soup.
   A few days ago Nastia threw up in school and we took her to the doctor. She was given some pills and she threw up again last night. Tonight she threw up again and Teri wanted to bring her to the ER. I said it wasn't necessary. She was just throwing up real bad and the chills and the pain in the stomach were from that. I also said that I would not be surprised if she was dripping in sweat. In my younger days I spent more then one night, early morning after drinking hunched over a toilet throwing my guts up.I think I'm right, but all I have to be is wrong once and something happen to one of the girls and Teri would never forgive me. It's not her fault, She did save her father from dying at least twice by making him go to the doctor. I hope, god please, that I am right and she will be OK until morning and when we take her to the Doctor, they will says she just has something that is not life threatening and she just need something simple.
She did spend sometime in the bathroom and she did have the chills. She did feel better after it was over, except for a sore empty stomach. The chills have stopped and she is very tired.
  Tomorrow morning I will take her to the doctor and we will find out what is wrong with her stomach. Hopefully everything will be OK and not taking her to the ER tonight will not matter.
 

In the Mirror

A while ago Teri said Elena was just like me. At first I said no, but in the back of my mind something said different. Now all this time later as I struggle to see God's plan for all of this I am sure of one thing. When I look at my daughter, Elena I am looking in the mirror. And that is part of the big picture.
  We, Teri and I received an e-mails from Elena's teacher that she had a folder that she was to work on at home over the weekend so when she came into school on Monday she could write a paper in class.
Do home work on a Friday! Homework is never assigned on Fridays and it is never done over a weekend! How dare they!! This was the silent thoughts going through my daughter's mind when Teri and I told her to work on her paper Friday. At her age I would of felt the same way and I would of not done the work or I would of fought my parents the same way she was about to fight us.
   Teri  had taken the lead and Elena was sitting at the table doing, sitting in front of her work, when I came home She was sitting twirling her pen and wasting time. I knew where this was going and I didn't want to be the anger in the middle of it all. I went upstairs.
   I came down later when I heard Teri yelling at Elena. The rage in her voice made me glad I'd not stayed. Teri was saying something about sitting there twirling a pen wasting time, could of been done by now. That was just the beginning.
  Teri and I talked to her, threatened her, joked, explained to her all angles that we could think of to get her to understand the advantage of doing the booklet in advance of Mondays paper she had to write in class. She didn't even have to write the paper at home, it was a class project!
   I first bought up the subject of punishment when I'd gotten frustrated with Elena. I'd told her after dinner, we'd started eating when the latest assault on fortress Elena's pig headedness had started. I suggested right after dinner she clear her plate and go right up to bed. In a show of thick headed dutchmenness my father would of been proud of she said,'Well I'll just go to sleep.' Well I'd be damned if she was just going to go to sleep and not suffer and regret the consequences of her decision. How dare she thwart my plan!  Teri jumped in before I said something like 'No you won't being going to sleep. I'm making you stay up extra late for that!!' Teri said that Elena was to go upstairs and get her cell phone, her Ipad and bring them both downstairs. Teri had decided on the nuclear option, Elena was losing her electronics, her toys, her babies. The Ipad and phone were put on the center of the table and left there for everyone to see and be reminded of the futility of rebellion.  Later I got in on the destruction when I caught her using her computer. Her response to the expected question was, "No one said I couldn't use it." and she was right, so I told her it was included in the bad.
     That night We made her sit with us as we watched a movie she had no interest in. There was the occational seigh, but for the most part she was good. In an effort to end this I gave her a very impassioned plea. I told her if she got up early, not really early, maybe did her chiors and sat down about eleven and did her homework I would talk to her mother and maybe Elena would be allowed to go to the library (yes, we took that away to.no she doesn't go there to read books, they have video games to play there.) . I also explained how We don't want to punish her and if she just gives in a little she can get back most everything she's lost very quickly.
   The next morning she gets up, does her choirs, sits down at the table at eleven and does her homework. She is done in under an hour. All that for nothing,wow. She goes to the Library, she still loses her eletronics until Monday night when she is forced to sit through another family night.
  We both hope she takes something from all this, but I don't know, I hope.
  She has forced me to take long deep hard looks at who I was growing up and how I changed. I was just like her in not letting anyone tell me what to do.She is more overt then I ever was. If someone wanted me to do something I didn't want to do I'd listen and do what I wanted to. I remember my mom fixing me a plate of home made french fries and a steak. For some reason I didn't want to eat it.I sat there for the longest time. It was one of my favorite meals. The only cure for me was to grow up.

American Museum Of Natural History

The Girls had off for mid-winter recess the second week of February. Teri on Wednesday of that week decided it would be a good day to go to the Museum. I was working that day and I told her I was not going to go.Early that morning, I woke up and while I was lying in bed I realized I wasn't going to the Museum because that was what my father would of done. He would of gone to work and earned money so we could survive. The difference between my Dad's job and mine was I would not be missed if I didn't show up. I even had an agreement with my boss that I was paid a set fee and not by how much I worked. He'd taken advantage of it, it was time I did. So I called up the office as soon as Roger was in and told him I was not coming in and I told him the truth why.
  We got into the car a bit after 9 am and got into the city with no problem.Teri talked about going into the parking garage under the museum, bu I remembered parking on the street last time I went with Cory and Ryan about fifteen years ago.
 We drove up and down a few streets when I spied a car getting ready to pull out. It was a small spot, but I turned off the radio,told the girls to be quiet and backed into it on the first try. Nastia, who is learning to drive said she could never do that. I told her she would before she went for her license.Finding that parking spot, for me was the high point of the day. It got better when We realized we were only a block over from the museum.
  When We entered, Teri said the cost of tickets was $22.00 each, but it was just a suggestion. I was told to offer $10.00 a ticket, because that was all we could afford (1/2 a job between Us) I worked my way through the line thinking there is no way I will do that. We, I have always paid full price and wouldn't chinc on the price. What had this world come to when to get into the museum I would chisel the price. I got to the ticket booths and everyone followed me. I said five tickets. She asked how many children? I chiseled and said two, and three adults. Then She said the suggested price is $110.00. She gave me an opening. I took a deep breath, let it out  and said, asked I'm going to pay $50.00.  She accepted it without expression, without comment, without even calling me a cheap bastard, who has a lot of never short changing this wonderful organization, which was what I felt should at the minimum be my penance. She just says to remember to visit the food court, and smiles a strange smile, like there is a joke and I don't get it.* We go to the gate and get a smile from the guard, who takes our tickets and says don't forget to try out food court* and She smiled a smile that made me feel as if she knew something I didn't, like the world was going to end before I got my $10.00 worth of the Museum from my under paid ticket. We moved away from her quickly...
  The first place We headed was the 4th floor where the dinosaur was. He is so big that he doesn't fit in one room.
He is longer then my house, maybe even the length of our property. I have a video.
  We spend a good amount of time on the fourth floor. And when it feels like We have gotten our $10.00 worth* we venture to other places. We spend several hours walking through the different galleries and see things that you didn't know existed. Sad Things that no longer exist.

   About two in the afternoon everyone says they are hungry. Teri says there is a food court in the basement. A chill runs down my back as I remember the words of the ticket seller and the guard at the entrance.* Everyone agrees loudly, except me,who in a small voice tries to remind everyone what the witch, I mean the guard at the entrance had said, but they are gone and out of earshot* I give chase.

The cellar must be evil, it must house a deadly amulet that requires the sacrifice of a Russian father who's not Russian. It's all too clear. That must be that.* I run faster, but they seem to shrink further from me with every step I take. I raise my hand to yell for them to slow down, but I hear myself said for them to keep going I'll catch up. I start down a flight of stairs and suddenly realize I'm heading upstairs, the wrong direction. I stop and try to turn around and my feet are stuck to the steps. It;s like in a dream. I'm afraid to look down at my pant for fear that I will not be wearing any clothes. The lion heads on the ends of the banisters flare up like giant snakes, hissing and spitting at me.The rails next to me grab at me pulling at me, while twisting around me covering me, preventing me from saving my family. The rails prickly spines wind their way around me slowly suffocating me. They wind around my chest, forcing the air from my lungs. Around my neck and slowly into my mouth and nose, the thorns ripping at my skin, blood beginning to trickle down my cheeks. The Vines then cover my eyes pressing against them wanting burst them and enter my skull. As I begin to lose consciousness I hear two soft pops and the world goes black.

  The next sensation I feel is a soft nudging, then  a harder one to the ribs. My Wife is glaring at me, asking me if I've fallen asleep on my feet and do I want her to pay the bill for lunch. I shake my head, smile, she looks at me like I've just asked a street walker for directions. I look around, having no idea where I am. Then the realization hits me. WE ARE IN THE FOOD COURT, but except for it being crowded, not a hint of evil do I sense. I smile reaching for my wallet, for a brief moment I fear it will not be there. A soft bulge confirms it's safe. I slide it out of my pocket and go for my debit card, as I glance at the total. It doesn't make sense, it looks like someone printed their phone number at the bottom, where's the total. In the back ground two high pitched voices laugh at almost a screaming pitch and now I have found the evil in the basement. All the cheap, all the bargain hunters, all the poor are herded down to the basement and made into Soylet Green (AHHHHHH!!!!) (If You don't get it watch the movie) (AHHHHHHHHHH!) No the revenge of the spirits is we are charged over $100.00 for a lunch of two orders of chicken fingers, fries, a sandwich and an ice cream and three drinks,for four people. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! THE HIGH PITCHED LAUGHTER GETS LOUDER AND LOUDER SUFFOCATING, OVERWHELMING, OH MY GOD I CAN'T BREATH!!



* Where there is a * that didn't happen, I hope.

A Snowy Saturday at home.

The prediction of up to two feet of snow anywhere from Virginia to New York was known for most of the week before and everybody did their preparations for it. Of course the supermarkets were still packed the day before the storm and I was wandering around doing last minute things either I forgot to do or didn't make time to do. The most upsetting last minute surprise was finding the snow blower that I worked on last summer only sort of worked when I started it up. At full choke it would run at low RPMs and if I took the choke off the motor would stop. I shut it off and hoped it would not snow too much.

   It was supposed to hit starting at about 9 pm. I went to bed around 11 pm and it hadn't started, I was glad and when I woke up around 7:30 with about an inch or two I thought god had taken pity on me and We would get only a little snow. Well the winds picked up and the snow picked up and it kept coming down all day long. I went out to sweep around 11am, then again around 1pm and a third time around 3pm when I spent some time playing with the dog.
     Mesha loves the cool weather and wants to go out in it every time someone goes toward the back door. 

  I have spent the fall working on the mud room and finished putting down the new wood floor the day before the snow started. I feel I have to wait until the weather changes to put a finish on the floor. Hopefully it won't get damaged.

   No One was going out anywhere today, the governor declared a state of emergency and Nastia was sick and her work called anyway to tell her they were closing so don't come in.

 n Everyone sat around and watched movies under blankets in separate rooms. I went outside when the weather let up a little bit and played ball with the dog. Teri declared it a perfect day when we gathered in front of the living room TV to watch The Martin. It was enjoyed by the four of Us.

  Now it is two minutes to 11pm, the wind is howling outside and the snow every so often blows up against the window and it has gotten quiet. It might not be a perfect life, but the day was damn close to a perfect day. God has blessed my unusual family. I hope they feel the same.

From Nastia's birthday to Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve and everyone except me has gone out to visit Aunt Sue. The House is quiet, which is rare these days. The Girls get up for school at six am, Teri a little while later and I'm up by 6;30.

  The Girls go off to school by 6;50 and I leave for my part time job about 8am. I stop off at my Mom's until 9'30 and get to work around 10 am.
 I leave work at about 2 pm and always get home to a noisy house, so this is rare.
   Nastia's birthday was simple this year, we went to the Hard Wok in Nanuet on Route 304. She invited David and everyone had a good meal and some fun. We were going to go for Ice Cream,but it was cheaper to stay at the Hard Wok and eat it there.
  That was Thursday, On Sunday we had Cake and Ice Cream. Only Nancy showed up. David couldn't make it, my Mom was very tired and I forgot to invite everyone else, oops.
   This hollow day (no I spelled it correctly, Forced spending, fake cheer, stress, some day I'll get into it) season has had it's share of firsts. This year, Nastia and Elena were told to buy their own Christmas gifts. For the proceeding few weeks I would get them talking about items they might get for their Mom. Hoping they would get something original for her that I hadn't thought of.The Three of Us went to the Palisades Center about ten days before Christmas. At the door I told them to go and buy their gifts. They could go on the own to together. As they walked away I asked if everyone had their money?  Elena answered, "No", she left it home. So I gave her 60 dollars, yes a mistake in hind sight and off they went. I walked around the Mall figuring I had awhile. About twenty minutes in Teri gives me a call and asks how is it going? When I tell her the girls are off on their own she tells me that was a very bad idea and I shouldn't of done that. I tell her they have to start growing up and this is how it needs to be done. She says they are to irresponsible, She is right, but if We wait for them to become responsible they will be ready for nursing homes. The only problem with my way is if something happens once it's all going to come down on my head and be my fault. Bad position to be in. Sometimes I feel she wants them put in bubble wrap. She won't let them touch sharp object, feels real real bad when they get a cut. I want them out there and safe. She wants them safe, then out there.
  After about an hour after they started, they called and said they were done. We met and on the way out Elena goes, "This is why I hate shopping,it takes too long. They're really not real girls I guess.

Boyfriend,boyfriends, and boyfriends!!

Nastia is dating David, a nice kid. After some of the losers she bought home before, David should be a relief, and mostly he is. He does dumb things like driving his car when it is not ready to drive. He's had an accident and will not drive my daughter any time soon. He's invited her over and then told her she can't come over because he has to do work for his aunt. Most all his transgressions are because he is a young kid and will get smarter.
  Elena, she is not dating, I think. Reason I say that is, she wasn't dating anyone, then she says she's dating a guy who lives long distance and met through a friend. Teri and I got angry because she is not allowed to give out her number to people she meets on Xbox. She insisted she knew the kid from Congers Elementary. I didn't want it after the loser Nastia met on Xbox and wanted to invite over for a weekend. The Kid would tell her he didn't go to school today because his parents don't care. True or false I didn't want to find out.
  The next night, she says her and Mathew might get back together, I let it go and Teri handled it. She dated Mathew for a while and broke up in the Spring, no reason given from Elena. Some time last month he began sniffing around again asking if she was dating any one and Teri and her made jokes about what she should say. Elena seemed interested and it went on for a while. He just recently said he is not ready to get back together with her. Is she really that tough on guys or are they just that weak? Kids, I don't miss being single, it SUCKED.

An unpleasent surprise

Late night, Teri, Elena and I were having a quiet dinner. Nastia was at work at the movies. Teri left the table and went up stairs, it was just Elena and I.
  Elena starts scratching her face and rubbing her eyes. I think she is suffering from allergies, so I tell her the more you scratch, the more it will itch. She gets up and goes to the bathroom down stairs. She comes back, then so does Teri.
  Teri looks at her and asks her if something is wrong, Elena says, no, she continues to scratch her face. Again Teri asks her if something is wrong. I get up to clear my plate and I want Teri to quit bugging Elena.
  When I sit back down she is still pushing Elena. I lift up her glasses and look at her face. I see some red cheeks and they are slightly puffy. Teri is still pushing Elena to tell her what is wrong, I still don't see anything really wrong.
  The next thing I hear is Teri, her voice starting to raise a little and a touch of frantic entering it say to her what did you take. I'm thinking, take, our daughter doesn't take anything!
  It turns out Elena had a bad headache, so she goes upstairs to take some aspirin. The problem is She doesn't know what to take, so she guesses and since it is a bad headache, she takes three. When she tells Teri what the bottle looks like and I read oxycodone, I get scared. At that point Elena decides it is time to throw up again and She hustles down stairs, Teri follows, I am asked to call and find out about the medicine she took.
  I call CVS and talk to the pharmacist, a pleasant lady who reassures me that Elena took Percocet and being it was out dated, it was less potent. She also gives me poison control's number, which I call and get another pleasant women who reassures me again that it was not endangering. She says the same things that CVS said and also said her throwing up was good too, it getting some of the drugs out of her system.
Poison Control also said she would feel bad for several hours, head, stomach would hurt, she would feel a little dizzy and keep her hydrated. Give her something to eat.
  Now a day later, she is mostly good, but is complaining her stomach bothers her. Teri say she's like the comment about Barney Rubble in the movie Night Shift, that Barney Rubble, what an actor.
She's acting a little if you don't get the reference.
The thing that bothers me most about this, is I didn't notice the three trips to the bathroom in a short time and the change in Elena's behavior.
The one thing we stressed beside never take medicine you can't read is never take more then two pills, unless told to.

Everyone goes to High School, Dutchess County Fair and water gun cuts

It has been a busy last few days.
    The Danger Girls made an appearance at the Dutchess County Fair for most of ten rides.

They hit the Zipper, which made me sick just looking at it. For those not in the know, two cylinders rotate around an oblong tube, the long way, while the tube spins occasionally flinging these same cylinders over its long end. They went on it three times. They then went on 'Fire Ball' A line of cars sit in a large loop and it spins around the loop. They went on it three times. Then the scariest one, I think was called Khaos. They sit in a group at the bottom of a long metal beam sitting straight up and proceed to be flung around in large loops. I was invited to join the Danger girls, but my danger days, Lighting loops and the Great America Coaster at Great Adventure are far in the distant past. So I sat and imagined ways the rides would break and fling people to their death and pray it would not happen (Really Dad!!).

  WE left for the almost two hour trip there after some fun (Really Dad!!) at home about 9:30, picked Nancy up and got there at about 11:00. We had our advance entrance tickets and the Girls had their advance ride tickets, so We entered with no hassle. We had lunch soon after, I had a poor Philly cheese steak and later found a stand that sliced the meat there, gave you onions and peppers and might of not used cheese sauce. Of course this stand charged a dollar more.
  We walked the Barns and Teri talked to one of the women who had cows there, who described the fair as a spa day for the cows. They get washed and special care every day of the fair. Teri, Nastia and Elena all petted every Animal at the fair it seemed.
  We finished the day at The Cracker Barrel in Fishkill, one of Teri's favorite places to eat. Fun was had by all.
    The next day the temperature went from a comfortable mid 80 to the low 90's, with humidity. No One did much.

   Monday was the last day of Summer vacation before school so with the weather still hot Jessica and David came over to swim. I got home from work at 2:30, I know I have to find full time

employment, but I'm enjoying it while I can. I was asked to cook up some hot dogs for three of the four swimmers.\I called them to eat, when Elena gets out of the pool she is in a little pain and holding her left hand in her right. Some Blood is pooling in her palm and a few drops of red are running over the edge and dripping down spotting the ground, leaving a red trail, reminding me of the red wedding on Game of Thrones. (Ask someone who's seen it)
  No it wasn't that bad. She was rough housing with David and she grabbed for the water gun and he pulled it away and her hand caught on the plastic sight on the barrel and ripped a two inch, maybe a little more gash,in her palm. It looked real bad, but it didn't really bleed. I flashed back to when they were first ours and Elena hit Nastia with the branch, I did better this time. I got her a rag, yes it was out of the pile of clean rages and it was a former towel
 torn into a strip for her hand. She went with Jessica and got dressed. I took her over to Immediate Medical care in New City , where this Polish doctor with a gay assistant (not that there is anything wrong with being Polish. It's a joke, grow a thicker skin.)
  We had insurance issues over the Summer and the Girls insurance was cancelled. Even though We got it taken care of in a few days their coverage didn't take effect until... anybody want to take a guess? That's right, not until tomorrow, the first of September. The cost wasn't too bad. It was $100.00 for the visit and $130.00 for the stitches. Do You know they charge by the inch for cuts.Elena, got six stitches. I asked if it was cheaper by the dozen, Elena didn't like that. She was a good patient. She just didn't like the needle in the cut for the pain killer.
  Lastly today is the first day of School. I didn't sleep very well. I guess I was suffering P.T.S. from my days going to school.
This might be Teri's first back to school day. She was always going to her job. Wait last year she did take Nastia to the bus stop. This year they both walked to the bus. It's gonna be fun this year, NOT!!

Elenapalosa part 2

When We celebrated Elena's birthday and I wrote about it I said it was going to be hot out on Saturday. Well it was, I looked at the clock on the garage wall and it looked like it was bumping up against 100.
   I helped Karl mow his neighbor lawn. While doing that the pool turns green and the pump for the kitchen and downstairs bathroom quits working. It's the pump that pumps stuff out of the house. When I got back Teri had everything humming along.There is nothing to do about the pool on short notice and the pump downstairs quit working because the GFCI outlet got old (more Home Depot Crap) and quit working. Tomorrow I'll fix it.
 She bugged me to eat lunch. After that she bugged me to shower. After that I sat down and was watching the Yankee game and falling asleep, she tells me to heat up the grill to start cooking the chicken. AHH...married life.
  The Chicken cooked on some foil letting it cook in the juices. I added barbecue sauce and let it cook some more on the foil. The barbecue sauce didn't seem to stick to the chicken, so I took it off and put it on the grill. I have to work on that a little.
  I picked up, with Elena her friend Jessica and Justin's family dropped him off. All four kids hit the pool and would of stayed there all day and night if we didn't make them get out.

   Everyone ate hot dogs, burgers and chicken. There were salads and we ate outside. It was after 5:30 so I guess it had started to cool.
  Everyone had Ice Cream cake and Elena opened gifts
  About eight Justin's parents come by to pick him up, a little while later I get out the bug coils as everyone starts to say good night. It was a night day.

Elenapalousa 2015 part 1

My youngest turned 15.
I know one day I will look back at this day and think she was so young then and I will wonder where all the time went, because I am doing that now.

  Moscow, is a dream I went to in a drug induced  cold I had one day and I'm not sure I was ever there, it seems so far away. The Girls on the other hand seem to be growing up so quickly I can't imagine where the time went and how I got so old and fatter ( I was never skinny).
  When You start to go gray, it seem like you start to fade and when you look at old pictures it seems there is too much color in them and You look all bright and alive. Just ignore this last statement, I don't want to be a total downer.
  Yes, My Youngest turned fifteen the other day, We are so proud of the young women she is becoming. She is no longer the skinny little Russian girl, who was afraid to speak up. She is a noisy teenager, with more opinions, then knowledge, you know the type, a typical American teenager, yep that's the one. A special aside to Masha, the Russian who I stumbled across in 2008 when We first bought the kids over. She said only Russians could raise Russian children. I guess She was right, their no longer Russian kids. Their free thinking Americans and if they were to go back to Russia, they would be looked at like a virus, a free thinking virus, what this world needs more of.

Our plan for Elena's birthday was to go to Nanuet Restaurant. About twenty seconds away Teri says "I think they are closed." Oops, I forgot on Mondays they are closed. We went to Nanuet Hotel and the pie was as good as Nanuet Restaurants. We had our fill and a little to bring home to snack on the next day. It was nice.
   Saturday, will be the day for a little party, by the pool, starting around 4pm. It is supposed to be hot.

She's driving my car AGAIN!!!

I knew it would happen, so like William Shakespeare said if it is inevitable lie back and enjoy it. If You don't know what I'm talking about, ask Ted Antwan, the weatherman on channel 7 from the 1970's, that quote got him fired and Bill Beutell frowned at him.
  Any way out of the politically incorrect to who the hell is driving my car. Yes it is that young lady you saw screaming by you at fifteen miles an hour the other day. The same young lady who jumped when the door locks finally engaged when she got the car over twenty miles an hour, yes that young lady and lets sing it together...I don't know wither to use little old lady from Pasadena by Jan and Dean or The Beach Boy's classic 'Fun, Fun, Fun' . Since I put it in quotation marks,I'll use 'Fun,Fun,Fun'...
        Well, she got her daddy's car
And she cruised through the hamburger stand, now
Seems she forgot all about the library
Like she told her old man, now
And with the radio blastin' goes
Cruisin' just as fast as she can, now

Chorus 1:
And she'll have fun, fun, fun
'Til her daddy takes HIS MUSTANG BACK!!

I like the sound of that last line.Daddy gets his car back, 

I just listened to that great classic. 

Yes, my daughter is driving my mustang and it is not like she is forcing me to let her and yes, she will not drive it when she gets her license... Get off the floor and laugh standing up, it's not polite to laugh rolling around on your neighbors floor.

  She has been out several times driving and she is doing pretty good, She has driven on a road, going stright. She has driven on someone's lawn because I guess driving on the road was boring. She makes wide turns and sometimes she cuts them real tight to see if I;m still awake. It all fun and games until someone scratches my car.

  

She's driving my Car, I won't let her turn on the radio.*

*Sing it to Bruce Springsteen's song 'Fire'

Nastia finally got her permit to drive. It was the way the world will end, and may just of.  It was quiet and quick, almost painless.
  The World ended, I mean Nastia got her permit back in June. She asked me if we could make another try at it, So We went up on a Wednesday afternoon about two-thirty or so. Ive learned that if you can get to DMV before 4pm go any day but Thursday when they have the late hour because it will be crowded.

First time driving

  We get there,Our quick pass has expired and all our paperwork needs to be redone. While I'm doing it our number is called. We walk over to the same window as all the other times and there is another person there. I wonder if that is a good thing or not. It starts to go bad right away. I'm filling out paperwork and they try to give Nastia an eye test. I stop them and shove the eye form, with the eye doctors real signature on it under the glass. I divide up the paperwork from what they want and what is extra. They tell her to get her picture taken and to wait for her number to be called again.
  A few minutes later, it is called and she goes in. I go in for a minutes, because she is having a problem with something, then I leave.
   I wait and wait and wait. I see her get up and go to the counter. She walks through the door and smiles and says "I got it."

It's quiet time, time to say God bless America

This was written back on June 29th 2012 when we were adopting Leonid and Annya

I was a little kid in the sixties, yes it was a long time ago and god yes I'm too old to have all the birthday candles put on my cake.
  When I was a little kid, patroitism was a dirty word. Malikey McCourt, whose brother wrote Angela's ashes was on WMCA radio and would rile up everybody by saying he would wear the American flag for his underwear with no problem at all. What all this is getting at is this country is an amazing place. Iv'e only been to two other countries, but I look at the kids who come over here and are put on display. They put up with us taking their picture, speaking in a laungage they don't understand, eat food different from theirs all in the hope to become part of a family. I'd like to tell both of them their is nothing to worry about, they are going to stay, but I can't. What if something happens and we find we can't adopt them. That would be cruel. They would think it was their fault. We still don't know where the money is coming from for this adoption. We are still working on refinancing the house which will give us some of the money, then we will try for a second and have faith in god that it will happen. Their are other options like taking a loan from 401k monies and closing my e-trade account so if worse comes to worse we'll make it. I just feel this is meant to be.
  All of these problems are nothing compared to what these kids have been through. We bought them home and on the ride home they got to use Teri's Ipad and my smart phone and when I got home I went and read from my ereader. I got nothing to complain about.

Elena gets out of Felex Festa Middle School

Yes, Elena graduated from Felex Festa Middle school. She ended the school year with just under a b average, which I must say is pretty impressive for someone who didn't speak English five years ago and went almost catatonic when yelled at and who had behavioral issues for most of her time at Felex Festa. At the ceremony I was going to talk to Mr. Clemente, the dean of student behavior because I hadn't talked to him in several month and I'd been used to talking to him and Dr. Benjamin on a regular basis. I got to see Dr. Benjamin more often because her office is located in E-wing where Elena was and Teri and I would always run into her.
 The ceremony was a tight one hour affair. The
The kids walked in and sat in the first three rows of the auditorium. The School principle, made a speech, a student made a speech, a teacher described the awards some kids were getting and all of that was fifteen minutes. There were about five classes and each class lined up, half the class would be introduced, everyone would get a moment to clap , they would leave, then the second half would come up. This went on through five classes. Elena's was the second class to be introduced. Awards were given out with the certificate commemorating the day. Like I said a tight ceremony.
   Afterwards we went to Dave and Buster's for

The ultimate eye roll

some poor food. The girls had hot dogs wrapped in pretzel dough and looked good, I didn't try it. Teri had soup and some potato bits covered in bacon and some dipping sauce that was OK. I had a chicken Caesar salad and it was mushy like it had been sitting around for several hours. The chicken was not hot and over cooked. Won't go there again soon. Ten years ago I used to go there just for that salad, I remember it being really good. About three quarters of the way through lunch it was time for Nastia to go to work for training. Of course Teri walked Nastia to the theatres. Would You expect less? Teri, Elena and I went into the game room, which was why Elena wanted to go there. She was having some fun, but it didn't look like alot. So Teri said I should start playing some games with her, so I did and I think that was what she needed, someone to play with.
 

ALL HER TEACHERS LOVE HER!!

 The last game we played, Air Hockey, I left my card on the game. When I went back to get it,I start looking around. This young kid comes up and hands it to me. I buy them a game of air hockey and run off. It was a little cheap, but at the time made me feel good. The card has 25,000 points on it.

Nastia at the prom and her first job

Nastia was invited to the Prom by her boyfriend, David. The tickets were $90.00 each, a lot for a kid who works at Burger King when he is not at school. Nastia was asked to buy the flowers, a little odd, but again the price to go to the prom was a little steep. The plan was for Nastia and David to take a limo to the prom with some friends. There would be no after prom stuff. When I went to my girlfriends prom, I was twenty-one, she was eighteen, we went to the Jersey shore after the prom. I'd never let Nastia go to the shore at 16.
 David, driven by his Aunt picks up Nastia and the two are dropped off where the Limo is going to pick everyone up.  They go to the Prom, where Nastia dances and David dances a little, they have a great time and Nastia gets home around midnight.
    We were at the movie one night when Teri sees some help wanted signs. Teri was the one against Nastia getting a job until she could make change tells her to put in an application. There was a lot of not getting back to Nastia and her going to the theatres asking if a decision had been made and being told it was too busy to talk.

 We were at the movies at the Palisades Center and they were doing a major overhaul and they had help wanted signs up. Teri, who was against
  Finally, she is told to come in for an interview and again she is finally hired. Eventually she is told to come in on Sunday at 6pm for training. She stays until 10pm. The whole time they are training her. They go over the dos and don'ts, about what to do if there is a robbery, and I pick her up at 10. Her schedule says she will work on Sunday and Tuesday from 6:30 until 10:30. When I see this We go back into the theatre

At Amanda's graduation

and I ask for her manager. My understanding of child-labor laws and my desire not to get back home after 11pm motivates me to ask why she is working until 10:30, when the law says 10pm, I even ask it nicely. The women, I have forgotten her name says if it is during school, she can't work past 10, but during the summer 11 is legal, She might of said 10:30, either way, she said they follow labor laws closely. Not sure of that part of the law, I thank her and we go.
 Sunday, her first offical day of work Nastia gets to work the concession stand, (Oh no the change monster)  When I pick her up She says most people paid with debit or credit cards. She learned to make pop-corn and it was fun, Tomorrow she gets to clean theatres, she's not anxious to do that, she says it will be boring. After tomorrow, I am sure she will never forget to clean up her garbage after a movie.

A sweet apology.

This morning, a went into Elena's room where the remains of the office are. Most of it has been dismantled to be reassembled upstairs when I get it finished. The remaining piece there is the printer and a desk. I was faxing out some papers when I noticed a not folded up on the desk.

I thought it was from, Anna Lisa,a girl in school that Elena knows. It was from her teacher, Ms Sullivan. The not talked about how Elena came into the class room with her head phones on and to Ms. Sullivan the meaning was don't talk to me. So She wrote Elena a note about how she felt. I showed it to Teri by saying, "I know You don't like me snooping, but..." To my surprise after reading the note she wanted to talk to Elena about it. I thought it was no big deal, Teri thought it was a matter of disrespect.
   We go down stairs and Teri talks to Elena about the note and her actions and how she was to apologize to Ms. Sullivan. I put my two cents worth in and say she didn't have to apologize, but she should. An insincere apology was as bad as not apologizing. Teri gave me the death stare. So when Elena came back I elaborated on what I said and tried to leave it at that.I figured She would do what I would of done at her age, nothing.
  Later I'm mowing the lawn and Teri goes over to me and says"I heard from Ms. Sullivan,She said Elena came up to her, clenching and unclenching her fists. Elena says to Ms. Sullivan, "I've got something to say to You, but its hard."

Ms. Sullivan says"Would it be easier if I looked away?"
  Elena goes on with what I am told was a sweet sincere apology. Ms Sullivan says she looks away, as she is starting to well up with tears a little.
   I didn't think it was a good idea to take it as far as Teri wanted to but it worked out fine.

The Eighth Grade Dance, Elena dresses like a beautiful Young Lady and opening the Pool

 It was a year ago,the end of May when Nastia went to her eighth grade dance. Teri, Nancy and I went to dinner and picked her up around 9;30. She was flying high on the wonderful night she had.
  With Elena, I felt it was not unreasonable to hope she had the same experience. Her Mother went out and got her a very nice outfit. A dress you say? Not this young Lady. A stylish pair of short black pants and a white top, you know girl clothes. I don't know why She doesn't like dresses, maybe it's because everything is all open down there.
  Elena was dropped off by her mother, then she came home to make crab cakes for her and Nastia, I had a steak.
  A little after nine Teri says I should get going to get a good place to park. After a few turns looking for my wallet I'm on the road. I turn onto McCarthy road and go up the hill. At the top just before BOCES, traffic stops. They had moved the dance from the Gym to the Black and White Kitchen. The only problem, someone didn't plan out the traffic nightmare, when parents would pull up and stop and wait for their kids backing up traffic. It was backed up to the corner of Rt 304 and in the oppisite direction past BOCES. I parked in the bus parking lot and walked over to pick up Elena and Jessica. They were both standing with Mrs. Sullivan and I almost walked past them. Elena and Jessica were light as a kite, legally high. They were both talking loud and laughing. They had the great time I wanted them to. They listened to music, danced one dance, had ice cream and hung out with Ms. Sullivan. That was all it took.
   
We opened the pool at the end of May. Opening the pool is never an easy thing. We bought a new cover last fall. It split a seam, so I worked around it and kept the pool covered. Then during the Winter the dogs enjoyed playing Jesus Christ and were walking on the pool. Mesha decided that the pillow under the cover was a toy of hers and she made a hole in the cover to play with the pillow, which she ripped in half.

 To top it off the dogs started using it as their bathroom. They would leave it and we would remove it. It went fine until a sudden warm spell that lead to Spring. No one wanted to swim in that water. I drained the pool at the end of May
and let the water run down the side of the pool that we buried figuring that the water would push the dirt away from the pool like it did a few years ago and it would make it easier to fix the pushed in side. WRONG! What can go wrong will go wrong and it did. The Water ran under the liner and up the sides. The liner was floating. I emptied the rest of the water to confirm this, then dug a hole at the low point around the pool and put a pump in the hole until the water quit filling it up. We then tried to reset the liner, but you push the left and the right gets all out of place. We did the best we could and now the pool is clean and full of water. There was only one hole in the liner and it was again over near the ladder, which makes me think the ladder is putting the holes in the liner.

About a week ago, Nastia and I went back to the belly of the beast, the lair of the Dragon, the ... well you know DMV

About a week ago, Nastia and I went back to the belly of the beast, the lair of the Dragon, the ... well you understand, we went back to the DMV and she failed the test.
  It went so easy this time that I knew the only thing that could, would go wrong was she would fail the test.

GET ME OUT OF THIS SIT-COM!!!!!

It was a lovely spring afternoon, I pick her up at school, we dart over to the DMV, there is only a few people there on a Wednesday and we have our go to the head of the line pass still. And it was all over before I knew it. You know like...when... you know... great expectations... something you've been waiting for... anticipating... you know... getting your license. The anticipation was... hey she still hasn't gotten her license. She got sixteen of twenty right and had to get eighteen of twenty right.
  Watch, next time we go they'll just deport her.

Elena joined the track team and has been enjoying herself doing it. She has been getting good grades on her circle sheet and Dr.Benjamin and I have disconnected the hot line between our house and the school. Things could not be going better for her.She will go on to High School with about a B average or a little less. Very impressive from a year ago. Nastia will go onto tenth with an average around B+,also very impressive.
   Nastia's Spring concert was tonight and it was a joy to sit through.I'm used to going to the elementary school show that drag on forever and you don't want to be there and the kids don't want to be there and it drags on forever. This was a tight one hour show, with music I mostly knew and it was well done. There was So it goes, a Billy Joel song, Somebody to love, a Queen song and a medley of Beach Boy hit among others.I could of sat for an other hour. Very well done.