Some people work out (for exercise)........

Some People Work Out....
Me? I go dancing:) It's not a splurge, right, it's my exercise!
Not exactly the same thing, but it gets me doing something. There are pros and cons to both, and joining a health club just isn't likely anytime soon. Not as fun, and, well, not the money.
My other dance group had a mini-ceili tonight. M's away at her dads, so figured I'd go. Their summer classes have started, but every 3rd Thursday of themonth, they hold a mini-ceili. I figured it out -- not sure when they started for summer -- but starting tonight until their last summer class is 10 weeks.  I can make 6 of the 10, meaning, M is away for wow, egads I don't like to think of it this way, 6 of the next 10 weeks. Okay, so THIS one, it's an additional night away, not all week. The others, though, she's away a whole week. Shaking that thought. It's still hard on us.

C didn't spend nearly as much time w/ M until after she was 9 he didn't ASK for more time, btw. It was the summer M turned 7 when he first asked for a week of her summer vacation, sure, let's work that out, great.  He sent her to his mother's for that whole week, and I'd have agreed to that, too, b/c well, that'd be his choice, but why didn't he also go, yanno? Just 1 week? When she was 8, he asked for 2 weeks, the first one when her little half-sister was being born. Her last week of school that year, and she's spending her first week ever with him.  Oh, she was stressed, but I visited her every day at lunchtime at school and surprisingly she didn't even tell others at school that she'd just had a sister born.  (I did let her get her ears pierced so she also had something to tell about herself when people oogled over her half-sister.)  
Anyway, so M's 9th birthday, at her party he declined to show for, btw, he had me served with custody papers (I maintain sole physical custody even after that), and he now has a lot of time he hardly knows what all to do with. It's to be so that it's 2 weeks straight with him later this summer, plus a couple 1 weeks, but anyone actually reading this journal knows it's screwed up, so other than the first year, 2 years ago, it's often going to be 3 weeks. It was so hard on her last year. I stayed encouraging her, etc., and she'd actually go sneak and call me manynights. When she stopped, I figured she ws getting more comfortable there, even if I had grown to like ournightly 1/2 hour talks:)
I'd gotten her a cell phone, too, but he would take it from her (and not even tell her he'd done that, so she'd be really worried). Last summer, they still lived local so no long-distance charges on the phone. hmmm. If she sneaks this year, I think it'll be to her cell phone, hidden in their garage (oy), like she did a couple weeks ago. I'm not encouraging her to sneak. But, she should feel free to call either of us whenever.

Anyway, I went tonight to the mini-ceili. My old boyfriend, SO, was NOT there, and I was glad not to see what I'm thinking is his van. Then I tried to analyze if that meant I was over him to be glad not to see him, or if that meant there was still some disconcertation (sp) going on in my head. Bleah. We got along just fine at the feis, and we can. Guess it's just easier if he and his girlfriend, (his former good friends STBXwife, formerly friends of SO's and mine) are not there. Whatever. It was fine enough live Irish music, some socializing, some fun enough dancing. Saturday should be good, too, at the Festival.
I kind of miss M right now, though. Even keeping myself busy. Daisy got walked a LOT today, lol, and M figured out it's Daisy's birthday! Or, at least, when we decide to celebrate.  (Daisy was in the shelter for a month, and they guessed her age.)   M also "groomed" Daisy, and wanted to give her a bath but that didn't fit in. It was nice to not have anything set planned. M's been off school since last Friday afternoon, and it was only the second day (sat. and today) that she didn't have to do anything during the day. (Sat. night was her g/f's dance recital, Sun Sunday, church and Si's dance recital. Monday, grandma's / Bob's, and his birthday, Tuesday, her twin-friends pool party, Wed., over Md.'s house.)  M wanted to be woken up by 9/9:30 as she was leaving later today, wanted to spend more time at home awake, ahh.
We found her cleats last night (wow, they can get expensive, but these were name brand and NOT so expensive, phew), and shin guards, no stick. Today, we re-looked and found a stick she likes:) and field hockey shin guards (so will return the others which are not as applicable). Other looking around, including at Borders and lunch at Panera:) I like how they have a lot of soup options each day that are affordable ($2.99 for soup and a piece of good bread), but mostly, I like that there are several vegetarian options any day.
M still couldn't find a card she liked, but we DID finally find a Father's Day gift she could give her dad. No, he never takes her to get me one (for Mother's Day), and likely never will. But, M wants to have one for him for Father's day, so, for her sake, I do this. I admit, I encouraged the waterproof first aid kit as it's $5. cheaper:) but, also more realistic as he used to boat and fish sometimes. Maybe she thinks we're all getting along better now..... ?  I was really, really tempted to pick up a mini-18 inch field hockey stick for Si, too, but kept telling myself I do not need to spend the extra money..... and didn't.   (Two years ago when M tried a lacrosse clinic, she was in a store with Sh and Si, as C works during the day and so Sh watches M, and Si at 2 years old was bought a lacrosse stick, not even a mini-one as they weren't available, as M had one.  Sheesz.  But, when M asked if she could get some lacrosse balls, she was told no.   I do not comprehend them sometimes.)

"I'm not a library book." That could be an entry on its own. M asked me at least 4 times if I was certain C would bring her to field hockey camp Monday a.m. Oy. So, we talked about it, w/ me stating nothing about us arguing (I do not wish to bring stress on her if she doesn't need to know something). In what I said, I included that I know C knows that M is due back on Monday a.m. by the start of camp/school. "Due back? That sounds like I"m a library book." So we talked about THAT and various optoins on how to word what I meant. She actually chose "is expected home on/by Monday a.m." She does feel this is "home" but that is also a home to her as is my mother's. She did tell me last week that she plans to save up money to buy a place, so I'd better plan to have her living here a LONG time. lol Presumably after college, which she sometimes says will be way far away. :)

We'd looked for Father's Day gifts last weekend, too, when found her some summer shoes (FINALLY, we've looked), and a "World's Greatest Grandpa" shirt for my stepfather (Bob), and birthday cards, etc. I got my father a pair of shorts. I had gotten him some new clothes for his birthday (near Mother's Day), but he hasn't worn them yet. I have to get him to change his shirt.  He doesn't quite notice that he hasn't, or doesn't quite care until I point it out. I just wish he'd change it BEFORE we head to to the store, and not after:) He can get so excited that I'm coming by, he's anxious to just GO and sometimes he's heading out the door when I arrive. With the broomstick as a walking stick (oy), but not the sha-lay-lee (sp) that IS an Irish walking stick that he has, except it's not the right size.
MikeV wrote in his journal about how his parenting skills learned from being a parent to his son, have helped him in taking care of his mother. I see similar in how I help out my father. Except sometimes, my father has not been so dependent, so I have to be sure he doesn't notice I'm treating him like a child and that he is still the parent, a full adult, making the decisions he's capable of.
Daisy is sleeping now:) Captain is trying to eat his rabies tag M got on his collar. Finally, tomorrow, he gets neutered. I won't have to keep everyone separated any more for potential sexual activities(tho I wondered briefly tonight if sperm is still "in the system" so to speak the first couple times, like with a human man's vasectomy. I'm guessing not as it's a different procedure on a cat than on a human male).
It's been way too long since I've had a sexual workout:) I start to not even be bothered by it or think as much about it (unless someone special gets me thinking / going type thing). I don't know if it works that way for guys or not, but I know it does for some other women I know.
Ah, well. I'm have another dancing workout this Saturday:) I'm glad I'll dance one with N so I can have a chance to let him know that I find him to be a good dancer. He just started this year and I hardly see him, but you'd not know he just started this year. I'm really not trying to hit on him, heck, I think he's finishing up college so way too young, but it'd just be nice to have a chance to chat or something.  I'm glad I'll be in Lancers, too:) It's a great, fun dance, and fast as we dance it to MatMatt Cunningham. Tonight, the Clare Plain set was done very fast, too, and it was fun that way but almost too fast, as some were new to it.

Sometimes, dancing can even be a bit like safe-sex, but that's a whole other entry sometime:0
Ah, sigh, another night. Soaking laundry, should sleep. BJ hasn't come online that I've seen. His phone seemed out of area, too, when I tried calling him earlier (as if he's on travel someplace).  Whatever.
Peace, all.
Oh, I should add, C never did let me know 3:00 or 3:30. I kept debating just re-asking him, being nice about it of course. Then figured, well, I told him 3:00 would be okay, so I should have M home and ready by then in case, even if legally I'm fine at 3:30 as that's what the CO says. We were home at 2:59 (her packed bag ready, too, with washed clothes from there, and her stuff for Monday, and Father's Day gift). His girlfriend, Sh, drove up not really into a space or anything, double-parked, at 3:27 p.m.

Okay, where'd the rest of this go!   I hate entries made via the aol IM thing sometimes.  

I had ended it relaying how M and I had been singing a variety of songs in the afternoon, mostly from a Music in Motion show we'd seen a year or two ago, not this year's.   Imagine was one of them.  :)

Imagine all the people, living life in peace.   You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.   Someday you may join us, and the world will live as one.