JC Penney...Torn Quad

So, I was watching the Biography channel with my dad the other day and they were profiling James Cash Penney....who started the famous department store above. They talked about how frugal he was, and how he didn't believe in store credit because it would cause consumer's to spend beyond their means. He basically thought credit cards were an evil future industry (smart man). Anyhow, after the show was over I commented to Dad what an interesting man Mr. Penney must have been. Dad nonchalantly blurts out, "…oh I interviewed him, spent the afternoon with him, and wrote an article about him in the fifties...nice guy, he even sold me a tie!" He apparently ended his story with the whole idea that Mr. Penney will always be a salesman (hence my dad buying a tie from him). Now, I know dad has met with plenty of Presidents and US politicians...but it never occurred to me that he might have met some other interesting characters. I am going to ask to ask him to draw up a list (I know he covered the Indy 500 for the AP for a number of years) while he can still somewhat remember. As for the JC Penney article, I'm going to try to get a copy of it. It is probably in microfiche or microfilm in the dusty basement of the Lafayette Journal~Courier in Indiana.

Small tear revealed in Soriano's quad
Star not expected back before Labor Day; Cubs stay confident
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
Sigh……

Musings...a personal side

I was riding my bike today, risking my life dodging potholes and cars, and I was thinking about how much I missed my Mom. Earlier in the day I was looking through some old pictures, prepping for the monumental task of scanning and sending photos to my relatives out west, and wave of sadness came over me. My mom was a beautiful, vibrant, funny, popular, intelligent and humble person. I can say this not only because I knew her, but the old and faded photos reflect these characteristics I speak of clearly. There is a photo of her eight grade catholic school reunion (taken sometime in the 80’s), and there she is front and center glowing, the rest of her classmates flocking around her like a herd of sheep. There is one of her that looks like it was taken the 50’s in a speed boat. My mom in a bathing suit smiling at the camera…the men in the photo fixated on her, not the camera. Another one that looks like it was taken in the sixties, my mom singing by a piano at a party, all eyes on her. Or the one of her in some guy’s letterman sweater in high school as she was lounging with some friends, again front and center. Of course, there are hundreds of photos of her with her children, the center of her life.

My mom was my idol. I know people say that all the time, but I admired my mom more than any other person I can think of. I was trying to remember if ever told her that, I don’t think I did. I can only hope that she knew how much she meant to me, and how I not only looked up to her, but looked to her. My mom was always only a phone call away. I could talk to her about anything and her advice was always wise and beneficial, not that I always heeded it. .

Anyway, as I sit here watching the Cubs with my other hero, my Dad (they’re beating the Mets 6-0), I can smile, my pride overtaking my moroseness. My Mom had the answers to everything. And although I miss my two friends I speak of above, I know my Mom is looking down on me and praying for me. I am the happiest and most content I have ever been…much of it thanks to my Mom. I’m glad I got to spend the last six months of her life with her here in Florida, I feel blessed. So, if you haven’t told your Mom today how much you love her….do it! She can be taken away at the blink of an eye.

On a lighter note, I added some links to a couple of my favorite sites at the bottom...check 'em out.

Here and Now

My favorite two nephews came for a visit this past weekend and it was a blast. Pictures will follow. Mitchell is getting too cool for the room. The innocent, painfully shy child has been replaced by a smart alec, annoying, fashion conscious pre-teen. Naw....he is a good kid...I had to remind him that I wasn't his mother so I was perfectfully comfortable putting him over my knee and whacking him a few times. My Stalinistic threating way of restoring order was almost always successful. Seriously, I swear, his mother (Lynda) and I spent over an hour in a surf shop looking for plaid shorts that fit him PERFECTLY. "Aunty Cathy, these taper in too much....Aunt Cathy, these are too short...Aunt Cathy these are'nt plaid enough...Aunt Cathy these are loose enough...." ARGHHHH. We were finally successful, I told him he was worse than a girl to shop with. He didn't seem to mind the compliment/insult and just slugged me in retaliation. I mean really, this is the same kid who, at four years old, cried when he pushed the air break button in a truck because he thought he broke it. Matt was glued to my new XBOX 360 and 45 inch plasma HD TV playing video games. Their favorite game was Dance Dance Revolution which put them on a pad on the floor trying to match the computers dance move....fun stuff.

We went to Disney's Typhone Lagoon and played in the wave pool. Mitchell showed no fear and I got to ride some waves. Mitchell liked me throwing him up in the air when the wave came...funny kid. Matthew and I dared to do the 5 story drop water slide. All I can say is, I did it....and I will NEVER do it again. The heart condition sign scared me a bit, but the cardiologist reassures me I get the OK. Damn....no excuse not the ride the scary rides.

I'm now running again and it was fun to go running with Lynda and Susan...the three Reeder's talking away and having a blast (well, Susan was listening to her IPod...but let's face it....she never has anything interesting to say...heehee).

Speaking of Susan, she is going to Chicago this weekend to visit her friend Barry and go root on our Cubbies who are only one game out of first as my tiny fingers furiously type this post.

Work is great. Busy again and the stock is doing well. Anyone who knows my liberal leanings is well aware of my anti-war stance (not to be confused with anti-troop stance....I mean really, do you think putting an overpriced yellow ribbon magnet on your car makes a marine feel better when and IED goes off under his vehicle...), but I have to admit that the war has given the corporation a lot of work.

Hey...you know who... don't let things get to you, we all make mistakes or bad decisions in our lives. Life is too short to hold grudges or be angry, my Mom lived by this credo. Happiness can be achieved by not dwelling on the past or penting up anger. Sometimes things beyond your control happen, just roll with it and be happy. You are worth it! Besides....we all know that HATE leads to the dark side, the dark side leads to....oh wait...that is my inner geekness coming out.

A Shaved Cat Is a Splendid Thing

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHhahahhahahahahhaahhaha



I actually was nice to Mickey (a.k.a. Butternut) when coming home from the Vet for a few days. But now I can go back to calling "Fat Fuc*"....er I mean "Bald Fat Fuc*" It couldn't happen to a nicer cat. The good news is that he is now de-matted and has some healthier teeth...the bad news: he's going to live.... sigh. Cindy is not happy about Butternut coming home, she had high hopes that we were down to two furry feline hair ball coughing, couch scratching, litter box smelling, ungrateful creatures.

Mike gets serious with Guitar Hero II during his last visit:

Hot Rod and Hellion!

My brother Mike, his wife Carol and their cutie patootie son Brandon visited last weekend. They were supposed to fly, but they rescheduled their flight for a later date and drove down JUST FOR THE WEEKEND! It was really sweet and I know Dad was soooooo glad to see them. If you were wondering what $137,000 will buy you in an automobile...see Mike's car below, a Porche 911 Carrera 4S with X-51 Power Pack (I have know idea what that means except it is really fast and it took him 7 months to get it.)

Now they didn't just bring their fast car, they brought their cute son too. He is a real spitfire and full of energy. Mike says he has two gears...6th and Park. I believe it. He is a riot though and his adorable looks just makes you smile. He got his first wipe out wave and played a bit on the beach. Pictures are below:

It sure was good to see them, we'll see them again in July.

My Kind of Town Chicago

Well, I survived a trip to Chicago and LaPorte with Dad. We flew there and met up with bro Andy and his wife and some of the relatives for a Cubs game and dinner at Morton's. Then, I drove Dad to LaPorte, Indiana to visit Grandma. Grandma turned 99 in March and is still going strong. She is a little confused sometimes....but heck, so am I. The Cubs even did us a rare treat and won the game...they were playing the Nationals, so no big victory. Here are some pictures:

Dad doesn't travel well, so it was good to get him out there to visit his mom, allbeit for a short visit. I even got to meet the first living fourth generation of Grandma's family, my third cousin. He is pictured here. His dad is my second cousin Steven (Pam's son). The local paper did a story on the four generations living in LaPorte starting with the aforementioned greatest grandma in the world (Bess Reeder). I also got to see Richie, my second cousin. I hadn't seen him since he was a baby. I got to see my cousins too...but they aren't cute kids so their pictures don't get posted. Not pictured are my cousin Lisa's girls (2nd cuz's katelin and Danielle). I will post thier pics later.

I have contractors working at the house, making room for Dad. I still want to buy a bigger house, but now is not the time to sell or rent. I'll let things settle for a while. Meantime, we are all trying to get along...everyone knows how patient I am. Dad is his usual grouchy self, but he has a lot to deal with so Susan and I cut him some slack. With his health issues and him missing mom so much, he has had a rough time. My parents really loved each other all 48 years of their marriage. That is rare these days. They used to joke that nobody would have either one of them and that they were stuck with each other....but the truth is, they really loved one another. Dad seems a bit lost without her.

Hokie Day Friday April 20th

"We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness...We are the Hokies..."

--Nikki Giovanni, University Distinguished Professor, poet, activist

O.K, the news is full of this unfathomable, shocking, horrendous act by the fuck-nut from Centreville. Pardon my language, but it just tragic that a cowardly, low-life, cruel, insane piece of shit has sadly effected so many lives. There are many insane people in this world who unfortunately kill them selves, end up homeless wandering the streets and truly struggle to live day to day, and I have the utmost sympathy for them. But most of them, 99.9% I bet, don't harm others before they take their own lives. This punk loser was a coward and just down right evil. The hollow point bullets, the fact that most victims had no less than two bullet wounds, and the self promoting "media package" he sent to NBC illustrates the deep seeded meanness this pile of horse shit had in his soul....trouble or not.

That said, tomorrow is Hokie day. I received several multi forwarded e-mails from family and friends who are alums of VT urging people to wear the school colors of burgundy and burnt orange. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a Virginian and a huge Hokie fan (just review my archived posts). I didn't attend VT (George Mason), but have family and friends that attended. My school doesn't have a football team so most of us were either Wahoos or Hokie fans....I chose the ladder early on. Anyway, I will be sporting one of my many hats tomorrow just like the people in these pictures have/will do.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/230/464523040_77ebcd6b00.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/220/464748557_1b66fd50cb.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/219/464748313_fc8e5d4845.jpg?v=0

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20070418/i/r2877489024.jpg

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20070418/i/r1005857563.jpg

http://web.mlsnet.com/t200/

Good show of support.

Play Ball and a Picture worth $5000

Well, as if to add to the drama in my life, my beloved Cindy had to have a serious operation. For those who don't know, after returning from Mom's funeral in Fairfax I gave Cindy a bath. I noticed a huge orange size lump on her hind quarter. Turns out she had a tumor and it was the size of a football after the surgeon removed it. It appears to be fatty but the biopsy isn't in yet. They were able to save her leg (for now), they were worried they would have to amputate it even if it was benign due to blood circulation. She is doing well but is wondering why her mommy is torturing her so. Total so far is 5 grand in medical bills, but look at this mug...can you blame me! I think the morphine patch makes her 'happy'.

Susan took my tickets and took Dad to the Nats game today, their spring training opener. They got creamed and their "ace pitcher" (the only sure spot in the five man rotation), Patterson got clobbered in the first two innings. They played the Orioles....so on a happier note, the O's look good! I got Dodger town and Nats tickets for this upcoming weekend.

Too choked up still to write about mom and what happened. It was all so quick. I loved her so much and she really was the woman I looked up to the most. I don't know what I'm going to do without her....I'm looking for a bigger house to buy so Dad can live with me and Susan. Dad and I will buy the house. Can't say anymore yet about Mom....my heart aches every day. And Dad is having a hard time. It was the toughest thing I've ever had to go through.

More later....

The Best Mom Ever

Mary Esther Freese Reeder

June 7th, 1929 to February 10, 2007

Funeral - Friday, February 23rd 11:30 A.M., St. Leo's Catholic Church, Fairfax, VA

Arrangements and Burial - Fairfax Memorial Park, Braddock Rd., Fairfax, VA

MERRY Xmas....I need a Vacation!!!

Well, we had most of the Reeder brood in Florida for Xmas, since Mom and Dad reside down here folks deciding to travel to the parents for a change. Things were fun. Most people drove down from Virginia, with the exception of Mike, Carol and Brandon who flew (who, unfortunately, had to make a hasty retreat on Xmas day....missed you at dinner!). The kids enjoyed it the most, of course. We had Xmas Eve at my house and Xmas dinner at the Hilton on the beach, which was surprisingly good! My sister Lynda, her husband Mike, and her two adorable sons (my number one nephews!) Matthew and Mitchell stayed with me and Susan....oh, did I mention their dog Boomer too?! Actually, we kept him and Cindy separated, except for the back yard in which they miraculously got along fine. The boys are growing like sprouts and my house looked like a game parlor with the Xbox, Gamecube, gameboy, matchbox racetrack, stuffed animals, pokemon, yugio and figurines all around the place. But, IT WAS WORTH it...they are growing into such great young dudes. Mitchell is now into skateboarding and way to cool to give his Aunt Cathy a kiss on the cheek good bye....pretty soon he'll be talking on the phone to girls and wanting the car keys....ugh!

Andy and Anne (and Rocco of course) stayed with Mom and Dad. Mom said she loved having them because she didn't have to do anything. Anne organized the garage and Andy cooked...I think I'll have to have them down sometime...my garage needs organizing.....teehee.....just kidding guys.

It was great to see everyone lest Jeff, Won Ok and Elizabeth who didn't make the trip.

Best Present: not the $60 basketball jersey for Mitchell, the $50 Game Stop gift card for matthew or the Doodle Pro for Brandon NOPE.....it was the $4 Socker Boppers! Those boys, including little Brandon, just beat the crap out of each other.....ahh.....give little boys inflated boxing gloves and they are amused for hours!

Best Quote: eight year old Matthew, "Aunt Cathy, what does 'alcoholic' mean??".....Aunt Cathy, "Why....what did your Mom and Dad say about me!!!!!".....Matthew, "Huh?...someone just called Homer one on the Simpsons....". Aunt Cathy, "Oh...o.k. then....it is verrrrrryyyyy BBBBBBaaaaddd..."...that is true folks, you can't make stuff like that up.

Best moment: Aunt Cathy teaching a new basketball player, nephew Mitchell, a crossover dribble.... I fell right on my ass...that is right, RIGHT ON MY ASS!!!!! My sister's Lynda and Susan didn't hesitate to laugh their butts off....Mitchell is so polite he hid his face and tried not to laugh. THAT is why I'm going to list MITCHELL as my beneficiary on my health insurance and NOT my mean sisters!!!

I posted some pics from my stinky camera below...gonna have to replace that darn camera...or learn how to use it! More to come!

Double digits and almost eight decades...my GOD!

Happy birthday to two of the best "men" in my life. Today my father, Donald Lewis Reeder turns 78 years old...and my beloved nephew Mitchell Brian Hoag turns the big 1-0!!! They are both important people in my life and I'm just so proud that they both are such cool guys. Mitch had a big sleep over of ten of his closest friends and Susan and I took Dad and Mom out to Meg O'Malley's in Melbourne for his b-day. Here's to many more...pics of Mitch's b-day sleep over to be posted....when his mother (Gwinder) sends them to me...

Lean Mean Wrestling Machine...and Pokemon Trader!?

Had to post these pics of my number one dude, my nephew Matthew. He had his first wrestling match last weekend. He got all hyped up for his three matches and was ripped and ready to go...of course, that didn't stop him from showing off his Pokemon cards to his opponents after the match....aaaahhhhh the sweet innocence of youth....the Knicks and the Nuggets could take some lessons from these boys (read the papers if you don't get it).

Hello!...Hello!...Mickey R U There??

It was great to hear from my good ol' friend Mickey, one of my dearest friends ever. Of course, some things haven't changed since the 4th grade at Westmore or college at George Mason. Mickey's gonna call, so he says...Mickey?
Mickey, I know you read this...so call your ol' pal..wink, wink. I miss you.

Cathertizations, Cardiologists and a Cadillac

Well, most of you know of my medical scare this past month. After complaining to the Doctor during a routine visit of mild chest pain, my life got turned tipsey turvey for a while. I had abnormal EKGs and flunked the nuclear portion of my stress test which indicated a 90% chance of a blockage. I had to go to a Cardiologist and have a cardiac catheterization for a stint to be put in. Turns out, he couldn't find it (OK, stop laughing smart asses, he found my HEART...it was the blockage he couldn't find...I now have definitive proof that I do, indeed, have a heart. No Mom, it didn't have a big crack in it!) and suggested that the other two tests gave false positives....I'm glad about that but wish I didn't have to have a tube stuck up my groin into my heart. They put me on a blood thinner and patted my on the back. I'm left with an unbelievable bruise where they put a clamp on my leg...ugh.

I bought a new (semi used) car to replace the aging Altima. See pics below.



Mom and dad are adjusting slowly, they have found their way to me and Susan's house on there own (both good and bad news....teehee) and are trying to get involved with the Senior Center. We took them gambling on the boat last weekend. I made out like a bandit and couldn't lose...nobody else won, but what do I care.

Cindy is still pooping like crazy!

Theyrrrrreeeeeeee Heeeeeerrrreeeee!

Well, not quite yet. For those who don't know, my parents are relocating to Melbourne, FL from Tucson, AZ Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately, because of health problems, they have to move closer to some of their kids so that we can help them out occasionally. And, when choosing among their sprawling brood....Susan and I got trapped...er lucky, I mean (Just kidding mom and dad). I just got back from a trip to Tucson following my sister Pat's trip. Lynda is going out today, then my brother Mike and me again. I will bring them back with me on Sunday the 3rd of September. The idea is that they don't have to be alone. With dad not being able to drive and mom recovering from another small stroke, they need the help. They will stay with me until their moving van gets out here with their stuff.

So, I'm looking forward to the company....lets face it, Susan is kind of boring. Although, for the record, "yes, mom, I know I'm not getting any younger and I know I have no kids". OK?! Now, you never have to bring the subject up again! See their Florida house below.



Hahhahahaha....he even looks sexy in his mug shot! (I don't know why I'm posting this).

MAMA Mia!!

NINE on Ten...if it weren't for the ref...we may have won!!! I'm so proud of the boys from the U.S. They played like finally expected...and then some. And, the boys in blue didn't look so bad either. Could it have been the "miracle maker" candle I burned in homage to the U.S. team (see below)....???or just plain luck?! All I know.....they played great!!

Alberto, Spiders and Czechs, Oh my!

Well, believe it or not we had our first named storm of the hurricane season so far. Alberto was a wimp as far as storms go...but it did give us some much needed rain to help douse the many wild fires that are harassing Florida.

I got the scare of my life a couple of days ago. I had just taken a shower in my very dimly lit bathroom (no power due to the aforementioned storm)....I was drying off and a Spider fell from the top of my head into the sink. Now, I don't know if I picked it up in the Garage while looking for a flashlight or if was in the Shower, or on my towel. All I know is that it was a SPIDER and it was in my HAIR!!!! I was fearful that it was a Brown Recluse, but didn't have the nerve to go look at it for five minutes. I gathered myself and took a good long look at it as it lay stunned and wounded in the sink. I then squashed it and washed it down. I confirmed, after looking it up on the internet, that it was indeed a Brown Recluse...I'll never forget what it looked like. See picture below and try not to get the shivers thinking about this thing crawling, with its two hinged tri-sectioned legs, in your HAIR!!

I was lucky that it didn't bite me....at least I don't think it did. Even if it did, it would have been on my head and we all know that I have nothing up there to damage.

Even more disturbing was Monday's soccer match between the U.S. and the Czech Republic. I've been waiting four years and endured many qualifying matches waiting for this moment as my beloved U.S. squad took on the world in Germany at the World Cup Finals. They played awful...I think the 1967 Fairfax Scramblers (only family gets this one) could have played the Czech's more competitively. The U.S. lost 3-0 and now must face Italy this Saturday in must win game. See dejected U.S. Captain after the Czech game below:

The good news is....they are playing the Italians! Hey, even if the U.S. gets crushed...we get to see the total hotties from Italy play. Their whole team could be models.....you only have to like sexy men, not soccer to enjoy their games!

"Captain Fabio"

Staring 11 against Ghana

Go USA! World Cup 2006

World Cup started on Friday. I've been waiting impatiently for the US's first game on Monday. I'm going into work this weekend so that I can take of Monday at noon to watch our team take on the Czech Republic.

Went on the gambling cruz boat yesterday with Susan and some friends. I met my future husband...Milan from Serbia-Montenegro (he kept saying Yugoslavia...guess he's living in the past). Funny thing, after he left our table, the new dealer was from Croatia....

More later....
PS-Susan ripped up at the black jack table....I only lost 70 dollars, so a victory for me!

Cool Planes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz5I8o9k6Xg

For those of you who wonder what program I work for at at my company, click on the above link which takes you to a short 2 minute video of the Joint Strike Fighter.....

Happy Birthday to YOU!!

Today is my Aunt Louise's birthday. She is more commonly known as 'Weez' to me, my brothers, sisters and cousins. Today Weez is 80, after all these years of her telling us she is eighty....today, she is actually 80! Growing up, even the neighbors and friends called Margaret Louise Freese, born May 2nd, 1926 in Bloomington, IN, simply 'ant weez'. Seriously though, Weez was/is an inspiration to the modern woman. Before her time, Weez graduated from Indiana University with a teaching degree and Math degree. She would later earn her Master's degree way before it was common for women to do so. She entered the world of business and finished her career with the Federal Government's Federal Highway Institute (Dept. of Transportation). I can remember, as a six year old, going with my mom to take her up to the Mr. Donought's in Fairfax to catch the Metro Bus into DC before the sun came up for her commute to work. She moved and lived with us until I was thirteen, and after that, her house was a fun place to spend a Friday night.

So Weez, for the countless comforts and hugs, the rides to soccer practice, the extra cash, the car on friday night, the algebra tutoring, a place to stay, and the fun rides to the beach at Kitty Hawk, NC every summer....thanks, and Happy Birthday!! Love you!