Dobbing with Dort

I was very close to my Mom. We had a very special mother/daughter bond. We talked for hours at a time, we laughed, we cried and I miss her terribly. I lost her in October 2011 and I am not any closer to closure today than I was on the drive to Hospice House on that Friday morning.

We had standing dates that nobody else got invited to. Since I work in a government office, I get Presidents Day and Veterans Day off. Now I know that you shouldn't take those holidays for granted, but for me, it was a day off to spend with my Mom and I looked forward to it so. It was the same every year.

I would make the 45 minute drive to her house the night before so we could visit all evening. We would get up at the crack of dawn knowing full well that neither one of us slept well since we were so excited to get the day going. Sometimes we would eat at home, sometimes we headed for Mt. Pleasant and had breakfast on the way. Then we get to the bingo hall. We would set up our places at a table and head into the casino for a few slots before bingo started. We would play for about four hours and then hit up the slots for another hour or so. If the truth was known ... I really didn't like going to bingo at all. I did it for her. My Mom lived for bingo. She would play bingo down in Florida for stupid shit like doughnuts and bags of potato chips in the old folks trailer community. I'm not sure if I have ever even yelled "Bingo"! Most likely the reason was because I could never keep up. I simply could not watch my four cards and chat with her at the same time. I always would rather have sat and talked to her than play that stupid game.

Looking back now, I'm glad I sucked it up and went with her since it was her favorite thing to do. What I wouldn't give to go set up my dobbers with her again.

Ease on back here tomorrow for the letter "E".

Crystal Cocktail Cruisin

One of my family's favorite pastimes during the summer months is cocktail cruising on Crystal Lake. I was raised on this lake and currently are part owner is two separate cottages there. A shared family cottage is in the process of being sold and the other one is being bought for our very own. Anywho ... picture a warm summer night, a large pontoon, a gaggle of family members who love the lake and a cooler full of cocktails. You get it!

It only takes a matter of minutes after someone yells "COCKTAIL CRUISE" and we are all on a dead run for bags full of snack, booze, life jackets, blankets and the keys. Crystal Lake has 724 acres of water filled fun for all ages. We have all the toys but when you fill a pontoon with about ten crazy people, a couple of little kids (who fight over who gets to drive) and take off, it's a night to remember ... or not. We have had a grandmother fall off the dock just getting there and her drinks flying into the air and to the bottom of the lake. We have sunk the front of the pontoon. We have had someone attempt to pee off the front, miss and pee all over the boat. We have lost a whole bottle of wine over the side (or maybe it was just disgusting and someone threw it overboard). We have watched July 4th fireworks.

On a good cruise night, it takes approximately 2 1/2 hours. If we leave early enough, the kids can float behind in tubes but if it gets dark, that is pretty scary. Even the kids love to go. For the kids, the highlight is when you are big enough to ride on Uncle Warren's knee and be the captain!

It's only April and already I'm dreaming of Crystal cocktail cruising.

See you tomorrow!!!!

Better "B" Blogging

I began this blogging journey a few months back when I was having trouble dealing with the loss of my Mom. It seemed like the perfect way for me to "talk" to her without actually being able to talk to her. After a few weeks, it turned into more of a release for me.

Sometimes I just need to get things off my chest or give a shout out to someone or something that has made my day. I have no words of wisdom, no recipes, most likely I have nothing of major interest to anyone but myself but this blogging thing ... it works.

After religiously blogging every day for a little while, the blogs became fewer and fewer. Now, I only sit down to write if I feel like I have something worthwhile to say.

Why the The A to Z Challenge? I enjoy blogging and this is more of a challenge to myself to see if I can say something every day and maybe learn something about myself or someone else along the way. Two days in and I'm still on a roll.

Tune in tomorrow and see where it leads you.

All About Amy

All about me! Following are my top ten.

Likes:
1.  Soccer
2.  Saint Bernards
3.  Fresh Cut Grass
4.  Springtime
5.  Summer Barbecues
6.  Road Trips
7.  Pontoon Cocktail Cruises
8.  Wine
9.  My Job
10. My Family

Dislikes:
1.  Rude People
2.  Michigan Winters
3.  Bad Drivers
4.  Falling
5.  Brussel Sprouts
6.  Slugs
7.  My Car
8.  Basketball Games
9. The Flu
10. Being Fat

Guess that sums me up. Tune in tomorrow for "B" day!