Quote of the Day - Go BIG BLUE!!!

Football is an incredible game. Sometimes it's so incredible, it's unbelievable.

- Tom Landry

GO BIG BLUE!!!!!

Let's make it 4 and 0!!!!!!

My Dad and Alzheimers

Celebrating Pa's 80th Birthday

I've been neglecting my blog. I haven't posted in like over a week! It's just been so dang busy. I knew that going into this week this past weekend it was going to busy, and then you get thrown a couple of curve balls.

I recieved a call first thing Monday morning. My dad was taken to the hospital. He was vomiting blood and my mother used his lifeline to contact the paramedics. My dad was admitted and they've been doing tests on him. Ultimately we found out he has a tear in his esophagus. He is on a liquid diet now and once he can consume solids and keep in down, he'll be discharged to go home.



My dad is 80 years old and has Alzheimer's. What an awful disease. My mom and I have been taking turns watching him and keeping him company at the hospital. This morning when I arrived, my mom left to go back to their house to take care of their cats and pick up some things for my dad. Once she left, my dad launched into a series of questions:

Where am I?
Where do I live?
- and whereabouts is that?
I have a house don't I?
I have a wife right?
How many of us are there here? (referring to family here in town)
We're in Westmont right? (this one is interesting...he hasn't lived in Westmont since he was a child.....)

For 2 hours, these questions were repeated. Constantly. He was definitely a Chatty Cathy. But he recognized that he couldn't remember and you could tell it was frustrating for him. But I have to admit, it was the first time in awhile where he was friendly and did not get agitated. He was just happy to be talking. My dad has had Alzheimer's for a little over 5 years and it just gets progressively worse. Yesterday in the Emergency room he was trying to escape out of his bed. Fortunately he was so weak, that he didn't get far.

My dad is a little guy and the nurses fell in love with him He would come up with wisecrack answers, to their simple questions.....and then laugh at himself.

Alzheimer's is just such a challenge and my mother just loves my father like crazy to put up with these antics. I joke with my husband John and ask him if he'll be patient like my mother and take care of me. I also tell the boys to be prepared for John and I to grow old like my mom and dad.

I just got off of the phone with my mother and she is home alone and dang happy. She told me she left the hospital when my dad starting messing with his IV and told the nurses he was their problem now. (she cracks me up!) But just talking to her, I can tell she is savoring her time alone at home with no interruptions.



Ma and Pa AND Paul and Paulette

Alright, I've typed enough. This week is homecoming week at Orange Glen High School. So exciting for those kids. Kevin and some of his friends are doing dinner together and then off to the dance. And of course, Friday night is Football night and a chance for Orange Glen to go 4 and 0. So exciting! Thursday night I will have the Varsity football team here for team dinner. I love those kids. Every single one of them is great.

100,000 miles

My car has officially reached 100,000 miles. I remember picking the car up on August 10, 2003, brand spanking new. Since I am in sales it gets around. Longest roadtrip? From Escondido, to Laughlin, to Las Vegas, back to Escondido. Other then that, lots of trips to Orange County and Los Angeles. Her name is Mable and she is reliable. I love this car. Now all the poor thing needs is a car wash!

Orange Glen Football: Send off's , some football and Pizza!

Friday, September 11th was a day to remember, but also a day to celebrate for the Varsity Orange Glen Patriot Football team. Since kickoff was at 3 p.m. down in San Diego at Crawford High School, the boys were granted early release at school and there was a great send off for these kids at lunch time! There was a blue carpet and a student tunnel. Led by the Orange Glen HS Drumline, the boys followed and then the cheerleaders...all the way from the weight room to the buses in front of the school.



Student Tunnel



The boys picked up a sack lunch made by Wayne Johnson of Agrusas before boarding the bus and they were on their way down south.

Wayne Johnson handing out lunches for the boys



Orange Glen Football team loaded up and ready to go!



Head Coach Plash and his team ready to go



Team Huddle




What a GREAT game. Ending score??? 47 - 6...Orange Glen winning!!!! That's two games in a row!! The boys are are rockin' it this season. My son, #28 Kevin Donnellon, completed two touchdowns during the game. His Friend's Dana Walker #32 had two and Jacob Sneary #15 had two. Then "little" Willy....(we love Willy) #8 Willy Lopez saw the end zone with the ball!

My son #28 Kevin Donnellon, running the ball towards the endzone



After the game we informed them we were taking them to Round Table Pizza for a celebration dinner. We had all but two boys show up for pizza! (yeah, those kids can eat!) They ate and played video games and just had a GREAT time. What a sense of community spirit and pride there too. The other patrons at Round Table thought it was great that the Orange Glen Team was there and they were winners!







What a fantastic day! And amazing! And truly memorable!

Salvation Mountain, Niland, CA

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go visit Salvation Mountain. Salvation Mountain is located in Niland, California, which is located on the southeast side of the Salton Sea.



Salvation Mountain is Leonard Knight's tribute to God and his gift to the world with its simple yet powerful message: "God Is Love." The minute we arrived with our two carloads of folks, Leonard was calling to us to go on the tour with him and another family that had just arrived. Leonard is 77 years old and has been working on the "mountain" for 27 years.

Leonard Knight, the creator and builder of Salvation Mountain




Leonard is so passionate about his mountain and very eager to share it with the public and all the detail that went into it. He has "rooms" in his mountain and you can definately tell the temperature difference when you enter them. Within his room he has a couple of "trees." The trees are made of tires. Car Tires, Tractor Tires.....and then built up with Adobe, hay and paint.

The "tire" tree



He has his resident cat that hangs out in the mountain too. His name is George.

"George"




Leonard told us to take the "yellow brick road" up to the top of the mountain. Of course the kids scrambled up it fairly quickly. They loved the moutain.



It is truly amazing. The bright colors, the weirdness of it all, it's just downright cool in it's own way.

The Yellow Brick Road




There is a dedicated website about the mountain, the link is below:

www.salvationmountain.us

The mountain is about 45 minutes away from our Salton Sea house. Right behind the mountain is another wierd sight. Slab City. I will post pictures and blog on that next.

Debbie, Paige, Leonard & Paulette



Kimberly, Tyler, Ivan, Kevin & Leonard



I told the kids to remember this opportunity to meet Leonard. I have a gut feeling that long after Leonard is gone, the mountain will live on.

Dust Storm; Sand Storm; Rain Storm; Flash Floods

Wow! We had some weird weather in the desert last night. We arrived Friday night and when we woke up Saturday morning it was overcast and humid. Later in the afternoon about 5ish, I was getting dinner ready and looking out the back window here in my kitchen and you could see the dark wall coming across the desert. Actually it didn't seem like it was moving that fast. The first thing you could hear was the thunder and a couple of lightning bolts. So I was anticipating rain. But no....what we got was a HUGE dust cloud with wind blowing like CRAZY! It got dark in the house and I looked out the window and I couldn't see more then 50 feet. Visability was almost zero. Of course I snatched up my camera and started taking pictures thru the windows. It was blowing so hard outside and the dust and sand were everywhere, I didn't dare go out there.

Here it comes!



Looking out towards Debbies house. Where is Debbies house???



Back row of houses, looking out our back slider door



After the initial duststorm, the sand was flying. Our front porch area has a fresh layer of sand up there I have to sweep up.


The power actually flickered in and out 3 times, but fortunately didn't stay completely out. Pretty soon the big FAT raindrops started coming. The rain was almost coming sideways hitting the back of the house and just covering my back slider and kitchen window.

Here comes the rain



Now that the sand and dust wasn't flying around anymore, Deb and I grabbed a glass of wine and went out to the front porch and watched the rain, the lightning and listened to the thunder. Southern California doesn't give you many storms like this and it was a joy to watch.

The rain came down so fast and swiftly that the roads out front started to fill up with water. Now you KNOW what they talk about when they say flash floods are imminent. It was amazing how much water comes down in the span of 20 minutes (if that) Enjoy the pictures of our weird weather! It certainly was a treat to watch!

Water out in front of the house





Behind Debbies house





Weird looking sky after the storm



Hanging out in the garage watching the lightning show after the storm.

Quote of the Day - Sept 1, 2009

Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.

- George Edward Woodberry