Another weekend in the books

Autumn has arrived and with it, a sore throat and runny nose. Darla had suffered with a similar malady just a week or so ago and now it has hit me. I never handle the change of seasons well and the problem is I'm warm when we go to bed and freezing in the morning. I had been leaving the fan on over the bed and the window cracked open, but closed the window and shut down the fan last week as I was waking up cold in the morning. I guess I didn't do that soon enough as I sat amid a growing stack of used kleenexes yesterday and watched football. The outside temperature was still in the mid and upper eighties, so I can't blame the weather. I am stuffed up with a runny nose (if that is even possile) and have a sore throat. I'm drinking alot of water and living on Nyquil right now.

Darla and I are off to the last golf trip of the season this coming weekend, when we will join 23 other golfers and their significant others for a trip up to Angel's Camp to play the Greenhorn Country Club on Saturday and then on to Valley Springs to play La Contenta on Sunday. I have never played Greenhorn and we will stay in a three bedroom condo at the resort with two other couples and two stragglers, Boyd Robertson and Greg Wanee, who will leave their wives behind. We will have a big barbecue on Saturday night, play cards and party. I told Darla that I'd take her out to dinner on Friday night in Angel's Camp. Angel's Camp is in Tuolumne County and is the site of the annual Frog Jumping Jubilee that Mark Twain wrote about so many years ago. Twain (Samuel Clemmons) grew up in this area and was a newspaperman for the local paper.

Darla and I had Daniel's football banquet (dinner dance) on Saturday night. This is the annual fundraiser for the football team with silent auctions, live auctions and a chance for the 40 something woment in the crowd to strut their middle-aged stuff and embarass their 16 year old football players or cheerleaders. It is always fun for Darla and I to watch these siliconed wonders with their low cut tops and low self esteem try to act twenty again. It is pathetic in reality and we always go home firm in our resolve to be ourselves, tight waistlines and all. I always manage to buy some bargain at this event. Last year, I got a $100 gift certificate to La Provence restaurant for $90 and this year I got a $100 gift card to Fat's (a local chain of six fine dining Chinese restaurants) for $85. When you are trying to feed the six footers in our house, you need all the help you can get.

Daniel continues to prowl the sidelines at his games being little used and much forgotten. He did get into his second game when they were in a blowout 46-6 and he played most of the second half. They squeaked by in this last game 42-36 and Dan did not see the field.

I played golf this weekend and shot a 43+40=83 at Diamond Oaks. I had the reservation for two weeks and had trouble getting anyone to come out and play this weekend. The club had an elite event on Saturday for the members who pay an extra $60 for the Diamond membership, so many of the guys were otherwise disposed. I finally got my old partner, Dave Armijo to join me and we played as a twosome. Dave shot about a 93 and I had a birdie on 17 to help me keep my handicap in tact. I look forward to the coming weekend and two days of golf in the foothills.

Darla and I have been struggling with the boys' lethargy at home. Both of their rooms are nightmares of clothes and junk strewn all over the room. I have an agreement with them that I won't bitch about the condition of their rooms during the week if they keep their door shut so I don't have to see it (or smell it) AND that they have the room clean, vacuumed and dusted by Sunday night when they leave. They have been pretty good with the first rule, but have completely lost interest in the second rule. They like to come back on Monday afternoon and cram everything back away in ten minutes and call it a week. Their bathroom is atrocious, rarely if ever cleaned, the mirrors are filthy and the tub and shower a nightmare. I had a small fit yesterday and told them to have their rooms clean by Sunday night and they both blew me off and didn't get it done. Daniel has some puppy dog crush on an older gal who has graduated from college and is leaving today or tomorrow for a year in Africa doing missionary work. They had dinner last night and he spent all day worrying over a going away gift and the card he was going to give her. He was so distracted and smitten that he got even dopier than usual and couldn't concentrate on anything. I was really mad last night and told Darla she needs to deal with this situation because I am at my wit's end. She doesn't understand how I can yearn for the day that they are both out on their own and soiling their own homes instead of mine. Neither of them do chores around the house anymore. Last week I was trimming trees and working on the outside of the house. Darla had fixed a roast and came out to say both boys were hungry and could I hurry up and come inside. Did either of the boys come out and offer to help me? God forbid that they do anything to help out around the house. I'm very frustrated with this and really crave the weeks that they are out of the house.

Well pray for me as I suffer through this family problem. It will really take Darla and I having a united front to deal with this. Daniel thinks that his football practice is everything and he should be able to come home and lay in his sty of a room and watch cartoons on television and demand dinner at a certain time and David is just as bad as he gets home from work or school and can't see outside of himself. Personal accountability has always been a missing element with these kids. I can't seem to get them to see how selfish they are and how you have to pitch in to be a part of a family. I happily do the lawn every week, but when I'm raking leaves or trimming plants it would be a pure joy to have one of them ask if they could help me. Usually they walk by and try not to make eye contact with me lest I corral them into helping. It's tremendously frustrating to me. Neither one of them has been bitten by the "work ethic" bug and it won't serve them well as they go on in life.

Jennifer and John got moved into an apartment in Walnut Creek this weekend. They picked up the trailer on Saturday while I was golfing and took it to Walnut Creek and loaded up their new apartment. I am not in favor of them living together, but that is my conservative bias. Jennifer is 26 and makes her own decisions and I understand that. I won't let them stay in my house together and the same rules will apply to the boys as they get older. Jen and John have about a 15 minute commute to work and their apartment includes a gym membership. She is happy and I'm happy for her. Living out of a suitcase gets old and even if the apartment sits empty for months on end, at least they'll have a place to call home when they get back. So far, there are no plans for her to return overseas any time soon.

Well, that's it. Sorry to go on a rant, but that is what the blog is for. Sometimes I just need to sort out my emotions on electronic paper. Take care. Ciao.