tiggerprr’s scratching post

Today was the first holiday (already) without Ken. I wanted to be certain that we acknowledged the day and I came up with the most meaningful way I could think of for us to express ourselves and our feelings. It’s real important to me that we keep him alive in our hearts and memory. I also think it’s good therapy for the kids, and for me really.

What I suggested was that we each write him a letter or a card for Father’s Day. We then tied them to balloons for release up to the heavens. We took them to the beach he’d started to spend his lunches at, in the hopes that our messages would find him there. I like to think they did anyway. Ashlyn had to work all day, and wanted to speak to Ken in her own way so she didn’t accompany us. And that’s ok, because we all express our grief and feelings differently and in our own time.

After we sent them into the air, we watched them until we could no longer see them and then had lunch at his favorite beachside restaurant here in Myrtle Beach, Damon’s Grill. The view of the ocean is spectacular there, and of course, the food is USUALLY great. The kids had fun reminding me of a time we went there that wasn’t so great. I must be getting old, or I have selective amnesia, because I really didn’t remember a bad time there…then they finally said something that sparked my memory of that one time.

I’m really hoping that the kids are finding some comfort in these things. I am honestly doing the best that know how to help everyone, and myself, deal with these feelings. But, there’s really not a “how to” book out there that encompasses everyone for this situation… I just hope that Ken can see us…and that he can feel our hearts, heavy as they might be.

Anyhoo! Wow, I can’t believe I almost missed it! Today marks the 1st anniversary of the birth of tiggerprr’s scratching post. After a few test posts, shortly after midnight on 8/11 my first “real” post was unleashed on the world, a Thursday Thirteen of all things explaining reasons I should blog. Let’s see how those reasons stack up a year later, shall we?

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Janice and Susan over at 5 Minutes for Mom are having a ginormous blog party. The cool thing is, you don’t even have to be a Mom to participate! What an excellent way to meet new friends and take some time to visit with old ones.

There’s even some very cool prizes that you can win if you participate.

A little about me, for those of you who are just visiting for your first time. I’m a 38 (39 on Tuesday ::cries::) year old Mom of 1 daughter and 2 stepkids (a boy and a girl), wife, catmommy, friend, etc. I like to play internet games (World of Warcraft, presently), blog, golf and I love Coach purses ::winks at Daddy Forever::. I’ve been blogging since August of 2006 and I had no idea how much fun it would be or that I’d make so many friends. I mostly write about my life, my family, my pets (who are like children) and the TV shows that I can’t live without, things that piss me off and well, whatever else strikes me that day, ie. everything and nothing. I also have a Project 365 blog, but find that it’s really hard to get a picture a day without boring people to sleep on their keyboards.

I hope you enjoy yourself while you’re here, there’s a little something for everyone, I think.

This is a crosspost from tiggerprr’s project 365.

We had a great time at The House of tiggerprr. I got lucky and scored a 745pm reservation at Yamato Steak House, which is a Japanese Teppanyaki place (think Benihanas). Ken arrived home from work just in time for us to get to the restaurant. I forgot my camera, so I didn’t get to take a picture of the restaurant. I did however, filtch one from a review site that you can see here. Our chef was funny and very entertaining, actually the best teppanyaki chef I’ve ever had and I’ve had lots! We ate and ate and ate and I still had enough left over for breakfast this morning!

We got home and handed out our tokens of affection. Here’s Ashlyn with hers:

And here’s what I got from the hubby:

The box was so cute, it wolf whistles at you when you open it. I’m keeping that one for when I feel the need to be reminded how hot I really am. LOL

I tried to take a picture of the hubby, but he was camera shy. I got him some Lucky 6 cologne. He really likes the bottle, and the scent. Whew, I was sweating it. Remember, he’s worse than a woman about scents, clothes and don’t even get me started on him and shoe shopping.

The best thing I got though…was this from Mon Petit Chou (My little cabbage, in French. A French term of endearment):

Hope you and your families enjoyed your day of love as much as we did!

Everytime I go out on the road here in Myrtle Beach, I feel like I am honestly placing my life in the hands of 1000 Rain Men who are “very good drivers”. Except that, Raymond Babbit would might have been a better driver if he were real. I’m out yesterday on my way to an appointment when some dumb chick barrells her car halfway out of the parking lot she’s coming out of into my path. Thank goodness there wasn’t anyone in the lane to the left, as I had to do a quick lane change in order not to hit her dumb ass. I glared at her…and you know what she did? She was laughing like she accidentally did something silly instead of endangering her own life and the life of someone else’s wife and mother.

I find it harder and harder everyday to think that all these advances we’re making to keep humans alive longer and safe from disease is always a good thing. Think what you want about Darwin’s Evolution Theory, “Survival of the Fittest” ensures that stupid animals don’t pollute the Animal Kingdom’s gene pools with more stupid animals wading in the shallow end for very long.

I always wish that I could Jeannie blink and take a downloadable mental picture of people that piss me off so I could rant with visual aids. Or so I could spontaneously capture something cute that the kiddo or the cats do. Ashlyn made a great face last night when we were talking about something that I would have loved to show you, but alas no…the moment was lost because I don’t have that super cool camera. If a super scientist is reading my blog and invents said embedded camera, I expect full credit and royalties. Just sayin’.

The cable internet people hosed my connection earlier and it was very slow…I was angry with them because they were being dumb too. But they fixed me, and I’m no longer pissed. So, they’re off the hook, for now.

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day…I have cards and a little something for Ken. But not a gift, gift. Why, you ask? Because he’s impossible to buy for. If he wants something…he gets it himself. For example, he showed me a Skagen watch that would be great for a Christmas gift a little bit before Christmas. About 3 or 4 weeks before Christmas, he found one he liked better on eBay and BOUGHT IT! If I wanted to buy him a tech gadget, because he is a tech gadgety sort of fella, I can’t…because I will inevitably purchase the “wrong” thing. So I’m totally paranoid. I can’t buy him clothes usually, because that man is worse than a woman when it comes to shopping. It sucks that he can think of awesome gifts to get me (sorry Daddy Forever) but I end up getting him just crap. I know it’s the thought that counts, but, dangit, I wanna be able to get him a gift that will make him feel all warm inside like my Coach purse did me. Or how a future pink Coach purse would make me all gaga. (Side note: my birthday is coming up, and I think the 39th birthday is the Coach Purse birthday.) I’d hoped to find a Wii, because wii would really like one. But no, the shopping gods and the illness gods conspired against me. Again. So, hrrrm.

I did however, find a cool present for Ashlyn.

Today is my dear friend Desert Songbird’s Birthday. Would you believe she’s 29, again!? I admire her so much, as she refuses to let her disease, Pulmonary Hypertension, define her or stop her from living. She has what often seems like limitless energy for her kids, her faith and her friends. I hope you will join me in wishing this very special lady a very Happy Birthday today! You can get to her site by clicking the birthday card in this post.

Here’s my wish for you Songbird, that you have many happy songs to sing and many, many years in which to sing them! ::hugs::