Family Reunion Drama, Wildfires and other crap

Thanks for all of your prayers for those affected by the massive wildfires spreading across Texas.  The fire in Bastrop is still being reported as 0% containment as of 8:30 this morning.  However, there is smoke in the air.  Which is a good thing, because if there is smoke, that means fires are being put out.  That is what I want to see.

So many staff here on my job have been affected.  Several staff members have lost their homes. Some are still playing the waiting game and are not sure if their home is still standing.  Entire blocks are gone.  Here is the saddest thing of all...it really pisses me off.  There are looters!!!  Yup....ignorant people taken advantage of this tragic situation.  Cars are not allowed in the neighborhood.  The neighborhood is actually still closes.  But people are going in on 4 wheelers and breaking into houses that are still standing...taking whatever they can get.  It makes me want to scream. 

I will be posting information on my blog for donations of clothes, water, hygiene items, money, etc. as soon as I know where it can all be sent. 

I'm still sleepy.  LOL  I worked 13 hours the other day.  I got home around 10 o'clock yesterday morning.  Did the kids have sympathy on me....NOPE.  They wanted to play.  They wanted mama to sit down and have breakfast with them.  So that's what I did.  I finally took a 3 hour nap.  It was awesome.  But then I had a heard time going to sleep last night.  Let's just say I was late coming to work.  LOL

Let's talk about the family reunion drama shall we.  My cousins (2 of them) and I have been planning the family reunion since the end of September 2010.  We made sure there were plenty of activities and something for every age group.  We kept the price at $100.  This included a meet and greet with alcohol and food, gift bags with key chains, pens and a family reunion t-shirt, lunch on the San Antonio river walk, a boat ride on the river walk, the family photo, dinner at salt grass steakhouse, church (transportation); and tickets to great america.  Not a lot of money.  We set up a forum on face book for people to make suggestions etc, etc, etc.  We had over 150 people say they would be in attendance.  Do you know how many people showed up?  20!!! Yup...20 people.  Let's just say we did not break even financially for the money we paid out of pocket.  Those in attendance had a great time.  I was able to take some amazing photos.  My kids had a blast.  All that attention on them.  They soaked it up like sponges.

My grandmother, 2 aunts, and 1 uncle were there along with my mom.  Let's just say the drama was plenty.  My aunt is a bitch from way back...and she gets it honestly, because my grandmother is the most horrible person to walk the face of the earth (only because her own mother is dead or she would win the prize).  The insults started flying early.  I must say I'm proud of my mom for finally standing up for herself and telling them to take a flying leap.

My mother is short and fat.  No getting around it.  She weighs less than 300 lbs and the scale is going down every week.  Well my grandmother immediately told her she looks like Byron (my aunts 2nd husband).  Byron was a man who weighed over 550 lbs butt naked.  He leaked from his legs and he was a disgusting sight to see.  No way no how does my mother look like Byron.  She told my mom she was offended by her remark.  My aunt jumps in and proceeds to call my mom all types of stupid motherfuckers for being offended by the comment.  Keep in mind when she was married to this beast she would get angry if anyone said anything about his weight.  Words were exchanged...and my mom did not spend anymore time with her mother and sister.  Which let me tell you is a good thing.  These people are evil...they live their lives to make others as unhappy as they are.  This time my mom didn't let them win and she didn't shed a tear.  That is major progress.

On the band front...my eating was great over the course of the holiday weekend.  I stayed on target.  I took my portable scale on the road with me.  I took it to each dinner.  I weighed and I ate.  I stayed true to protein the entire time.  With veggies as my other food. 

My food consumption took a nosedive when I had to come into work on Monday.  Because the phone call to come in came out of nowhere I had no time to prepare lunch or snacks.  I ate several bags of chips during that 12 hour shift and 2 candy bars.  Yup...crap. I was back on track before the day ended. 

I'm sitting in my office smelling smoke and craving a nap.  I'm reading blogs.  I just don't have it in me to play catch up.  I will comment though.  Hope everyone is having a great week.

BTW:  Many of you asked about my portable scale.  I picked it up at the local grocery store.  Or you can get it from T@rget.  I'm sure you can pick it up at the wally world as well.