Month: January 2022

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

OMG I’m shaking my head!

So I went to driving class tonight.  Because of the virus, they’re doing it a little differently, I guess.  The class itself is over zoom, and then they’ll come over with a car to do the one on one lessons.  Today was the zoom class.  I learned a lot!  There’s all sorts of signs and laws and different things you have to know!

Like right pedal go, left pedal stop!

There was one girl, though, well, I’m not sure how she manages to tie her shoes in the morning!  Maybe she wears heels! Perfect hair, perfect makeup, and dumb as a rock!  When they asked if there were any questions, she virtually raised her hand.

“What does a yellow light mean?”

“Slow down,” the instructor said.”

“okay,” she said, her brows furrowed.  “What…. does…. a…. yellow… light… mean?”

“It means slow down!”

“Whaaaaaaaaat…”

The instructor facepalmed and muted her.  “Ashlee”, she said, “Listen to me.  When you see a yellow light, it means that it’s about to turn red.  If you can stop safely, do it.”

“OHHHHHHHHHHH”, you could see her say, even though she was still muted.

People tell me I’m smart.  I didn’t think I was.  Now I’m not so sure.

I told Sabby what happened after the class, and she fell over laughing.  “Lily,” she said, wheezing, “that was a skit on an old comedy show.”

“Then…  she was playing a prank?”

Sabby shrugged.  “Maybe.  Probably not.  But for people my age, that’s the funniest thing ever.”  She went back to giggling.  “What does a yellow light mean…”, she said, shaking her head.

I looked it up on YouTube.  Dangit, she was right.  It was a hilarious skit.  And I’m still not sure if Ashlee was really that dumb or playing a prank on the instructor.  Maybe I’ll ask her tomorrow.

Either way, I learned a lot.  A couple more days of written instruction, and then I get practical!  Yaaay!!!!!

Sabby ordered pizza tonight!  I LOVE PIZZA!!! It’s almost as good as chocolate!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

Your favorite sixteen year old Lily!  At least if you’re Jack.

It was a pretty quiet day today.  Stayed up a little too late last night but ended up in a girl-pile at a decent time.  Woke up to Liz splayed over me like a stretched out cat and Beth with her arm under my nose.  At least she doesn’t smell.  She does snore.  They’re warm, though.  I like the warmth.

Of course I worked today, like I do every Sunday.  They closed church again for a little while while this run of the virus runs its course, so Sabby made a big breakfast.  I didn’t eat too much, but I couldn’t say no to a couple of chocolate pancakes.  It’s been nice outside, a little cloudy but a little cool, so my runs have been… cold.  But that’s the thing about running, you warm up.

I’m looking forward to driving school!  YAAAAY!!!  Sabby took me out to practice driving again.  She found this out of the way place where there aren’t many things to crash into, but I’m okay at it.  I’m not the greatest at following curves yet, and I’m not really all that good at paying attention to more than one thing, but as long as too much isn’t thrown at me at once, I’ve got this!

I’m scared to go on a major road, though!  So many cars!

I’ve been watching a few of those car repair channels on YouTube too.  Sooo complicated!  All these modules and wires and coils and complicated stuff that they seem to know about!  I asked Dave about it, and he said he’ll teach me if I want, but all I really have to know is, gas makes it go, oil makes it stay going, and everything else we’ll deal with as it comes up.  He did give me my own toolkit though!  I don’t know what to do with them!  There’s long tools, and short tools, and hammery tools, and sockety tools, and all sorts of little bits and bobs that I have no idea what goes where, but he said he’d teach me.  He said I don’t have to be an expert mechanic, but no daughter of his is going to turn 18 without knowing how to use a screwdriver or wrench.

It made me all warm inside.  Not even kidding.

Anyway, I’m going to bed.  Driving school tomorrow!  YAAAAY!!!  Regular school tomorrow too!  BOOOOO!!!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

So this morning I worked.  Work work work work.  Just another day of stocking and selling horrifically unhealthy stuff to people who really want horrifically unhealthy stuff.  My work doesn’t change the world.  But I guess it keeps people fueled up to be able to get to Houston or Dallas or wherever it is they’re heading.

After I got home, Sabby took Beth, me, and David to the mall.  After all, Dave’s birthday is coming up, and it’s time to get him a present!  But I still didn’t know what to get him.  Sooo many shops at the mall, and it’s still really hard to figure out what to get him.  An electric tie-holder?  A hard-hat shiner?  I was soooo confused.  Finally I went to a place called “Cool and Eclectic” and found one of those fake neon signs for his “man-cave” (that’s what he calls the garage, the silly billy).  Oops.  I shouldn’t say that here.  Oh well, he doesn’t read this.  I thought being a guy he’d like shiny, lighty things.  Sabby sighed and told me that I was probably right, it was probably a good present, and damn it all.

I asked her if something’s wrong, and she said she knew she’d get tired of seeing it, and that he’d probably want another.  I just sighed and said he was hard to shop for, and if it was a good present I was getting it.  She looked resigned but agreed.

Beth got him some cologne from the bath and body place, and David went to Brookstone and got him something there too.  I asked Sabby what she was going to get him, and she said she ordered something off of Amazon.  I smacked my forehead and told Sabby that I need to open an Amazon account.  She told me that was a terrible idea because it was way too easy to spend too much, and the mall was a pretty good idea after all.

I agreed, and I still think it’s a good idea.  Maybe I will anyway.  It’ll make it easier to send Jack a present every now and then too.  I don’t think Sabby will die on that hill.

Speaking of Jack, I still need to figure out how to “get him back” for those chocolates.   Maybe it’ll have to wait till I see him next.  And Jack knows exactly what I mean by that.  💋

So, um…  Operation Buy Dave a Present accomplished.  I guess we just have to wait for his birthday now.  I told Sabby that she probably should lay off the cookies this time.  She looked a bit offended, but then deflated.  “I guess I did go a bit overboard, didn’t I?”

“Just a bit.  I think Liz’s family still has some frozen and they didn’t even get the worst of it.”

She sighed.  “I just…  it’s just how I tell everyone I love them.”

I hugged her.  “I know.  But we don’t need cookies to know that.”

So then we went to the food court and got some goodies after our shopping.  We got home and hid our presents so Dave didn’t see.  Dave was in a grilling mood so he made us a delicious dinner.  Liz came over and ate with us, and then she, Beth and I went up and played games and brushed each other’s hair.  She stayed the night, though we had to go to bed at a decent time.  I love it when Liz stays over.  It’s so much fun!

You know, a lot of stuff happened before Christmas.  A lot.  So much.  I learned who I was, I fell in love, I met my birth mother, I found out I had money…  and I really just like these quiet family days the best.

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

What a nice evening! 

So they figured out what they’re going to do with Crystal now.  She’s going to be homeschooled by her mother until the end of the year, and then they’ll figure out whether to put her back in school.  She lost a lot of time, unfortunately.  But I’m sure they’ll figure it out, and we’ll still have lessons together!  She’ll come over sometimes on the weekends because she and Beth are BFFs now!

So Sabby took Crystal home, and Liz and her parents came over to eat.  We had Beef Stroganoff!  And cookies!  It was good!  And then we played games and watched a movie!  I don’t know which movie we watched!  But it was nice!  Beth got all cuddly and Liz and I ended up with different Beth-parts!  I got the head, she got the feet!  But we didn’t mind, and Liz got in a few tickles.  Beth deserved it!

No drama today, nothing out of the ordinary, no mischievous Beth or Crystal or even Liz, except Liz is staying over and the three of us are having a slumber party!  I found this game at the store called Girls’ Night Out!  It seems fun!  We’ll try it!  Probably better than truth or dare.  Truth or dare can be fun but it can go off the rails really fast!

Well, it’s time to go play games and try not to wake Sabby up by squealing too loud!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

What a boringly boring day!  Soooo boring!  But at least my floppy bits didn’t get honked today!!  Between you and me, it was just a little bit funny, but we can’t have that!  They’ll honk my floppy bits, and before you know it, I’m dared to walk outside in my underwear like before!  Gotta nip that in the bud!  Literally!  HAHAHAHA

Since I have my learner’s permit, Sabby took me to a place where there were wide streets and not many cars, then had me drive.  That wasn’t boring!  I did alright.  A few close calls here and there, I thought she was going to have a heart attack, but we ended up in one piece.  She told me the most important thing to remember when driving was not to panic.  All while she was pretty solidly panicking.  HAHA!

But I made it back safely.

Otherwise, it was a really quiet day.  Not a whole lot to talk about.  Crystal and Beth were extra nice to me today.  Hmm.  I wonder why.

Oh!  Allison got her books!  Her mother sent me pics!  She loved them!   Now she’s reading and reading and reading!  Reading is important for a little girl her age!  The more she reads, the better!  As long as it’s good stuff to read for a girl her age!  I sent her the books Beth likes so much, from the “Young Wizards” series, where Nita Callahan learns she’s a wizard and goes around doing wizard stuff!  Well, not the same books.  Beth would kill me!  Girl loves her books!  Allison had a tough month, with her family getting the virus – we didn’t know if her father was going to make it!  But he did!  He’s getting better!  So yay!  Maybe she’ll come over to visit soon!

I hate the virus.  I was found in the middle of the whole thing, so I don’t know a world without it, but it just seems like it just puts a damper on everything!  We wear masks everywhere, and get shots, and people still get sick and die.  It sucks!  But it looks like the new version is less dangerous, maybe that means it’s about to come to an end!  Let’s hope!  I want to see Jack’s face, not Jack’s face with a mask on it, even though his eyes are soooooo dreamy!!  I don’t talk about it much because I don’t like to talk about depressing things, and the virus is depressing!

Oh well!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!!!

I wonder about having sisters sometimes!  I mean I love them, but sometimes!  GRRRR!!!  Sabby told us we had to go to bed at a reasonable hour last night, and she was right, but when Beth and Crystal get together it’s like the mischief is more than either one of them by themselves!

So earlier they were whispering amongst themselves and then Crystal came over and asked me a question.  As I was answering, Beth ran over, pinched my floppy bits (not hard, but still!), yelled HONK HONK, and ran off giggling!

OH NO YOU DON’T!!!

See, Beth has a lot of good things to say about her, but she forgets things.  She forgets that I run every day and work out, she forgets that I know martial arts, and she forgets that my floppy bits are sacred!  So I caught up with her, slung her over my shoulder, took her over to Sabby, and while she was squealing and pounding on my back, I asked Sabby what I should do with her.

“What did she do?”

“Honked my floppy bits.”

Sabby frowned.  “Beth?,” she said, her arms crossed.  “Did you do that?”

“YES!  LET ME DOWN!”

Sabby sighed.  “Don’t hurt her permanently.”

“MOM!”

“Beth,” she said, “you know better than that.  Either I let Lily dispense her own brand of justice, or I take over and do it my way.  Your choice.”

Beth went limp.  “Alright.”

I was thinking about what to do with Beth.  That can’t go unanswered.  “Sabby?  I think Crystal put her up to it.”

“Oh, did she now?  Well, looks like we both have our work cut out for us.”  She stalked off to find Crystal.  Soon I heard some muffled yelling.

I deposited Beth on the couch.  I sighed.  “You know I can’t let this go, right?  Remember what happened to the last person that tried that?”

She fidgeted with her hands.  “I don’t… I thought it’d be funny.”

“It wasn’t,” I frowned.  “I really want to hold you down and tickle you until you say ‘uncle’, but I’m not going to.  Tonight you’re going to wash my car, and it’d better be spotless.”

“Lily -”

“Beth, you’re my sister and I love you, but you’re getting off easy.  You could be the one Sabby’s telling off right now.”  There was the muffled banging of a door and Sabby came stomping back in.

She lowered her head.

“And don’t ever do that again or I will tickle you until you say ‘uncle’.  Understand?”

She nodded.  I patted her knee.  “Wash my car – inside and out – and we’ll call it even.”

“Is that the punishment you decided on?”, Sabby asked.

“Yes, this time.  If she does that again, I’m going to go the more direct route and tickle her until she says ‘uncle'”.

Sabby nodded.  “I’ll hold her down.  Beth, do not ever touch people like that without their permission.  I thought you knew better than that.”

“I just thought it’d be funny!”

“Well, it wasn’t.”

Crystal came out.  “I’m sorry, Lily,” she said, her head down. 

I frowned.  “You of all people should know how inappropriate that is.”

She sniffled, ran over to me, and gave me a hug.  “I’m so sorry,” she blubbered.  “I didn’t mean it.  I thought it’d be funny.”

I sighed.  “If you want to make it up to me, help Beth wash my car tonight.”

She nodded.

So tonight they washed my car.  And actually they did a pretty good job.  I forgive them.  Actually I think they got more suds on each other than the car, but they got it done in the end.  Oh my God, the squealing!!  I went outside to see how they were doing and Crystal was chasing Beth around the car with the hose!

In other news, Sabby took me over to the DMV to get my learner’s permit today.  It was so busy!  We sat there for an hour until my number came up, then I handed them some documentation, and they gave me a piece of paper!  Now I can drive as long as Sabby and Dave are with me!  But it won’t be happening until after I’ve gone to driving school.  Still, yay!  I thought I’d have to get it after, but it turns out I need it to be able to go to school!

It’s quiet otherwise.  Dave’s birthday’s coming up.  Sabby’s going to take me to the mall this weekend to buy him a present.  I can’t think of what to get him!  I already got him a grilling set for Christmas!  I don’t know what to buy a man!  Maybe Sabby will have some ideas.  Maybe Jack will have some ideas.  After all, he is a boy.

Oh well.  Time for bed.

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

OMG it’s so fun having sisters!  Crystal came over for school, and she’ll be sleeping on the couch for a little while, anyway.  She and Beth hugged and were sooo happy to see each other!  I love that!  Sabby spent all that time looking for a friend for Beth and she found one in the weirdest way!  Crystal had so much to tell us!  She moved into a new house with her parents, and she has her own room with a shower of her own!  It makes me think of all the stuff I take for granted.

She’s been talking to her therapist too, and it seems to have helped.  She’s still a little shy and skittish, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but she knows that nothing that happened is her fault, so that’s progress.  It’s sad, but she’s doing well.  I didn’t post last night because we had a mini slumber party and we were playing games and eating cookies (we had some left over and Crystal hadn’t overdosed on cookies yet!) and brushing each other’s hair!  Crystal has the thickest hair ever, it’s so nice!

And I signed up for driving school!  It costs a bit but it’ll be worth it!  And after that I can get my learners permit and start driving!  Sabby seems a bit hesitant but we’ll take my car!  So if I mess up, I deal with the dings and dents!  I went out and started it (I’ve been doing that every few days just to keep it tip top) and checked all the fluid levels!  Everything’s great!  It starts next week  after school!

Let’s see, what else.  OH!  The lawyer finally got back!  He was taking a vacation (who could blame the guy) and told me that it might take a bit to straighten everything out but my SSN and birthday is now what it was at birth!  September 23!  But my legal name is still Lily Smith, I was legally adopted!  An adoption can change a name, but not a birthday!  So now I have to take all that info to the owner and get that changed, and the lawyer is going to call the IRS and get that straightened out.  Doesn’t sound fun!  Oh and I have to do taxes too this year!  Maybe I’ll get a refund!  Wouldn’t that be cool!  The lawyer also verified the trust – it’s legit.  Though he’s as mystified as everyone else as to where it came from.  He thinks it might have been an insurance payout of some kind, but…. who knows!  He doesn’t know who sent me the info either!  He’s not sure we should dig too deeply.  Sabby told him to do what he thinks best.  He did contact the trust administrator and got details as to how it’s being invested.  Maybe I can’t touch it until I’m eighteen, but we can at least find out if it’s being managed well.  He ran it by one of his financial friends and they said everything’s fine.  So…  I’ve got money.  shrug.  Is it weird that I don’t care?  I’ve got everything I need already.  I’ve got family, and friends, and a boyfriend, and what else could a girl want?

But no, I’m not giving any of it away.  I promised Sabby, and besides, if I’m smart I can do a lot with that.  Hopefully.

Oh, speaking of boyfriend, Jack is soooo sweet!  There was a knock at the door and there was a package!  Jack sent me a gift!  It was CHOCOLATE!!!!! OMG!!!  Not the cheap kind either, but the expensive melts in your mouth satiny stays on your tongue and kisses you while it melts kind!!!  OMG!!!!  SO GOOD!  And Jack’s… perfect.  So perfect.  Oh my God I love that boy so, so much.  Not because he sends me chocolate.  But let me tell you, it doesn’t hurt at all!!!  I’d send him something too but there are laws against that, so I guess I’ll just have to thank him properly next time I see him.  Hear that, Jack?  I’m going to kiss you within an inch of your life!!!!

I wish every girl had a boy that sent them something they like as much as I like chocolate!!!

Maybe I can send him cookies…  but if I do it’ll be cookies I make myself.

Anyway, Crystal wants to play a board game before bed!  So fun!  I love having little sisters!!!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

I think Sabby finally gave in on the cookies.  After giving cookies to pretty much everyone on the block that would accept them, we still had a few piles left, so she took the rest to church this morning and gave them out.  Apparently there were still so many that there were a few left over!  Can you believe that?  I hope she doesn’t do that next year!

Oh yeah, they’re going to church again.  I don’t know if I mentioned that.  I know there’s still the virus and everything but Sabby thinks it’s important.  I’m kind of glad I’m working.  I don’t want to go.  I remember last year when a couple of older folks died.  I don’t want that to happen again.  Though I do worry a bit about Dave and Sabby.  I hear the new virus is a bit less of a problem, but I don’t want to stake their lives on that!

I went to work this morning, and of course, did all the stuff I do at work, you know, doot dooting and shelf stocking and karen wrangling and all that stuff.  Thankfully I didn’t have to wear that stupid santa hat again.  I don’t know what it is about santa hats, but it seemed to drive men nuts!  And there were so many Christmas Carols!  I made up my own lyrics!  “Angels we have heard are high…”  hahahaha!!!!!  But that’s all over now.  Thank goodness!!!

School starts again tomorrow.  I guess Crystal’s coming over for at least a couple of weeks while they figure out what to do.  Dave says her father is doing a good job, so I guess they can start to get back on their feet.  I feel bad that so many people are left behind, but there’s only so much you can do, right?  And tomorrow I’m going to find out what it’ll take to start doing driving lessons.  It’ll be fun!  And scary!  kowaiyo!   Kowaiyo!

Anyway I’m glad New Years was pretty quiet.  A week where the biggest drama was Sabby making enough cookies to almost literally feed a small army?  Works for me.  I miss Jack, though.  A lot.

Love you all!!! ❤