Not a good beginning to my day....

After spending a wonderful day with Candi W. and Linda W. talking in the shop and then the evening chatting with Lauren Sauer, who taught this past weekend, and Debbie L. and Phyllis Y., I went home on a high Sunday night. I turned on the T.V., got myself a soda, and just vegged out. I must have fallen asleep (which is often my routine) and the next thing I heard was a loud, and I mean a pounding noise on my door. I thought it was just the ignorant June Bugs looking for a party so I really ignored it...after all it was after midnight. But they would not go away and moved on to the window over my head. Since they could see my head, the T.V. was on, I still just sat there but was thinking I might actually have to rise off the sofa and go to the door. Then I heard the sound I never like hearing, "Ocean City Police!"(Not that this is a sound I hear a lot, but I have heard it before so now I cringe) So of course, I arose like the wind, went to the door and outside of my place it was a mass of police cars and a big white van turned sideways in the street. Of course a neighbor was among the crowd gathered like it was a social event.."Hi Sally". What the hell...after midnight and police presence everywhere and he's "Hi Sally'ing" me. What twilight zone have I entered. The Barney Fife policeman asks if I know who owns the building, and of course I look at him like he's just landed in a space ship and said, "I do." And he then says, "Well, I'm afraid that white van was stolen and the kid drove it into your building...the good news (like there could possibly be any at that point) is that it just took out one post which stopped the van from ramming the side of the building. That was great news except for one thing...it was a support beam for the stairway going up to Mary's apartment. Yes, folks that's the first thing to greet me on what is officially my birthday. God, it can only go up from here. I hate these friggin kids...if yours if down here I'm sorry but I am sick of putting up with their crap every year. I can't put anything on my porch because they steal anything not nailed down, and now this. And I have 2 more weeks of this nightmare. So far at the hotel, Vernon had to call the police on Saturday night as the kids next door at the Paradise Hotel were throwing furniture off the 4th floor balcony onto the parking lot. Last night before I left Vernon passed me carrying a bucket of sudsy water and when I asked him what he was doing he said, "Some kid just pee'd on the porch of 811 (one of our apartments), with the tenants of the apartment next to it sitting there not 12 feet away watching. This is the 2nd time one of the kids too drunk to realize he wasn't at the Paradise Hotel, tried to enter one of our apartments. We have a nice family staying in that apartment so you can only imagine what they are thinking. Frankly I can't imagine why any decent people would even subject themselves to Ocean City during Junebug month. It's horrendous. Good Lord, beam me up Scottie. Other than that the weekend was a success. We were busier than usual on Lauren's weekend so the hotel was filled with families, but we managed to stake out our claim on the comfortable chairs in the lobby and stitch late into the evening. This is always such a lovely weekend because Lauren stitches with the ladies well into the night, and helps them with their projects long after the class is over. We love our Lauren and her projects. We've already got the "Red Bag" which is next years project so everyone can get this one pre-stitched long before the class. And the stitchers threw me a birthday party on Sunday....and I got presents...whoppee!!!! They always treat me so well, and have never forgotten my birthday. I didn't intend to have a retreat during my birthday but it certainly worked out to my advantage. It is now Wednesday and I'm at my usual spot...my desk trying to do anything but work. I did want to give you the update on the support post for the stairway which the Junebug took out Sunday night. Vernon and Brian went up on Monday and were able to put the support post back and get it bolted in so we are back in business. But it's not like we have nothing else to do here. But we are just a few days away from having this crew go home and the 2nd rowdy week with not only June Bugs but firemen as well. But we are grateful for our firemen so we don't care if they raise a little hell...they aren't stealing our furniture or running into our buildings. Friday I start my 10-10 shifts in Salty Yarns...ugh!!! Oh, My God, I can't believe I have to work nights again...wasn't it just a year ago I was doing this? I'm telling you...this summer is kicking me in the ass. Fortunately few of the tenants know who I am anymore and I am able to hide from the ones who would recognize me. There was a woman at the desk looking for me and I was sitting right in the inner office in front of the window where she could have seen me, and as soon as I heard Mary say she didn't know where I was I slowly sunk down in the chair. I had to question myself...I'm slowly going to the floor so she won't see sudden movement, at 61 to hide from an old tenant? What the hell is wrong with me? But you can be assured when she actually returns to the desk to inquire again, I'll be back down on the floor hiding. Update on the Smith Island Cakes. We had an Oreo cookie Smith Island and it was delicious. I'm not fond of Oreo's which is not to say that if I saw a bag here I wouldn't eat them...and I mean the entire bag. But I don't buy them, except the mint ones which I then dip in chocolate for holidays. O.K., I guess that means I buy them, but I'm still not fond. However I tasted this cake (O.K., I believe when you take an entire slice and a big one at that perhaps it's more than a taste...but for now let's call it a taste) and it was fabulous with a capital "F". Oh mercy, it was just too good for words. I can't wait for my next taste of a Smith Island, but Sara as usual has us on a summer diet and the only thing I'm losing is my mind. I usually get Mary (who is my co-conspirator) to get me A Stand lunches with French Fries for good luck. Yes, I have my own diet going on...the Seafood diet...if I see food I eat it. Anyway, I'm bidding on something on ebay and I'm in a bidding war so I have to go. This could get ugly. Have a great day stitchers and keep those needles moving. Oh, yea, if you have a senior student down here in Ocean City, please call them and tell them to leave 8-11th street off their reign of terror...Vernon is dusting off the tazer and I'm going to learn how to use it. Thanks for the assist.