Enjoying my company

Kevin's mom (Grammy) and his sister (Susan) and our nephew (Steven) came up to see us last night.  Linda made some awesome potato soup, and we played cards for hours.  Rummy was fun, and a pretty good game.  Spades, however, was where I was spanked horribly.  Kevin and Grammy finished with 521 (you need 500 to win) and Susan and I climbed out of the points basement to finish with 20.  LOL  We lost by 501 points.

It rained a lot of yesterday, and eventually turned to snow flurries.  There wasn't much, but you could grab a handful off the deck rail, so I'll call it the first snow of the season.  I awoke this morning and hurried to the window to see if we got any more:

Yup!  The ground is almost completely covered.  Pretty, huh?  OK, it sounds like my company is waking up in there.  We were up until the middle of the night playing cards, so everyone is sleeping in.  I better go get some coffee going!

Have a great Sunday.

A Wii would be nice

So, my niece brought her Wii over to Mom's yesterday.  I had a ball playing it with the girls.  Now I want one.

So, anywho, I'm perusing craigslist.com to see what's out there.  One guy mentioned that he wanted to trade music equipment for different things, and Brett wanted to see what he had to offer.  Well, let's just say that you never know what you'll find on craigslist.

Here is a sample of what he wanted:

I would be interested in tube guitar amps, nice set of drums, gibson guitar, fender guitars, acoustic/electric guitars, street bike, atv, small car, older ford truck, gun's, AT&T/Cingular phones(blackjacks, blackberry, or other smartphones, Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360, or tell me what you have the worst I can say is no.

I have emphasized what I found humorous.  Guns?  Drums, an old truck, or guns???

Wow.  What's the address?  I'll be right over.

What an incredible day

Kevin made sweet potato casserole for our offering at Mom's.  Aunt Rena made green rice and baked the ham.  Mom made the turkey, rolls, potatoes, noodles, and 400 desserts!  It was an awesome dinner.  I ate only one plate of food and I was miserable.   Sure, the plate was piled 3-layers deep, but it was ONE plate!

Several of us took a walk back toward the cabin, with 4 dogs in tow.  Pat and Charlene came back to mom's (from Pat's folks' place) and Kevin and Monica  came back after their nap at home.  We watched some mindless TV and told lies, err, I mean STORIES.  It may have been the best day ever.  It was close, anyway.

I have to work tomorrow, but I'll be right back after work, to hang out with my favorite people again.  I have a whole weekend with them.  I'm excited.  Well, as excited as a fat, bloated chick can get.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.  Some folks choose to be alone, some surround themselves with family.  We even got the web cam going to see my Georgia brother's family.  We got to see folks that couldn't join us in person.  That's a good thing, for sure.  Whatever you chose to do today, I hope it was a great day.

Mine was.

Topics to avoid while drunk during Thanksgiving dinner

Tryptophan. Yes, it's called tryptophan.  We all know.  We all still know.

Uncle Joe looks a lot like Aunt JoAnn.  What ever happened to Aunt JoAnn?  She disappeared about the same time that we connected with Uncle Joe.  Wait!  What?

Why do I have to bring my own wine?  You have a whole box!

It's not so much that I'm allergic to your cats, it's just that the cat hair in the potatoes grosses me out a bit.

You said that we could all bring our husband or boyfriend.  I couldn't choose, so I brought both.  Is this a problem?

Can I have a drumstick?  Can I have a drumstick?  Can I have a drumstick?  I don't like dark meat.

Grandma's looking H.O.T.

Shut up, the dog is fine.  She bit me first!

You kid is streaking through the living room again.

What does a girl have to do to get some rum around here?

Smell my breath!  What does that belch smell like to you?

Now, which wife is this?  Number 4 or 6?  I get all of them confused.

Tryptophan.  It's called tryptophan.  Still.

Traci was here!

Traci was here!

Tomorrow IS another day

OK, so I was worried about my job.  The busy season used to start right after labor day.  For the last year or two, we didn't get busy until early-mid October.  This year, it was early November, and we still weren't as busy as I think we should have been.

Let's just say that this week, it hit.  I am so busy that I can't even catch up to myself.  The phones are ringing off the hook, and the orders are flooding in, needing phone calls to be made.  I am in panic mode, and don't know how I'll keep up, but I'm SO happy that the season finally hit.  My job may be safe, afer all.

Tomorrow, I get to meet Traci!  I've met many online friends, but only a few through journals and blogs.  I am so excited!  I only get a bit less than an hour with her, and I know that they need to be on their way, but I'm excited to meet Traci and her family.

OK, time for bed.  I've got to be ready for tomorrow.  I have to do many things, that I hope to take pics of, and I have to meet Traci!

Signs, Signs, Everywhere signs...

Remember that song?  Anywho, I've mentioned my commute many times.  Let's talk about some signs.

Kansas City has "scout" signs.  I don't know if they're called the same thing in every city, but they show traffic, and if there's an Amber alert, that's the first place that it shows.  The other day, there was an accident on the right shoulder of I-70, past Blue Ridge Cutoff.  The sign, abbreviating, said, "Accident past Blue Ridge Cut Right Shoulder."  I thought, "Wow, now they're even giving a medic report on the injured!"  

Once I get off the interstate, on the way home, I pass three or four signs that say "No Center Stripe."  The problem is, there is a center stripe after all of them.  Maybe time to remove the signs?

There is a semi-portable sign before my exit.  The message on this one changes, but there are just a few that I seem to see over and over.  It has read, "Motorcycle awareness begins with you", "You drink, you drive, you lose", "Click it or ticket", " and speed limit enforced."  Duh!

Tonight, it said, "Trucks rock.  They also roll.  Buckle Up!"  OK, who is trying to interject the humor?  That doesn't seem to be the idea behind the sign.  Maybe that IS the idea, but everyone before now has failed.  Maybe the new guy, down at the highway department, showed them that humor was the way to go.

I'd try to get to the bottom of the messages on the signs.  However, they break up the monotony.  I'll take that over commuter boredom any day.

Oh yeah, one more "sign."  About 2-3 days per week, I follow a delivery truck for Lance snacks.  The truck bears a picture of a guy's jeans, with a package of crackers extending out of his back pocket.  The words say, "I've got Lance in my Pants."  

LOL  Good times.

Saturday nonsense

It's been a typical Saturday at the old homestead.  Kevin had to work for a few hours, so he was gone when I got up.  Around 10, I took Natalie's friend home, and Natalie and I headed to Blue Springs.  We went to Aldi, and Kevin met us there when we were almost done.

When we got home, Monica was here, getting clothes for another day.  She stays at her friends house for an entire weekend pretty often, if we let her.  Today, friend's family was having their Thanksgiving dinner, and they wanted Monica to join them.  Tomorrow, she's going with them to see Twilight.  She read the book in just two days, so she's excited to see the movie.

Tonight, I fixed Kevin up with a rice sock:

His knee was bothering him, and I happened to remember this cheap heating pad solution.  It's great to warm up with in the winter, put on a sore body part, or whatever.  It is just rice, in a sock, microwaved.  Viola!  Kevin thought it was pretty awesome.  I just wish I'd remembered it years ago.  

Hawkeye went out to Mom and Dad's with us this afternoon.  Our visit got cut pretty short by a call from Monica, needing something from home, but we were there for a bit.  Long enough for the dog to wear himself out:

He loves it out there.  Natalie does, too.  She didn't come home with us.  She's still there now, planning on spending the night.  We're going over there tomorrow, anyway, for a fish fry.  Yum. 

I took a LONG nap this afternoon, and it felt great.  When I woke up, Brett was here.  He brought out a belated birthday present for Monica.  If he'd called first, I would have told him that she wasn't here.  Oh well.  I made a big pot of chili and a pan of cornbread, and now we're all just chillin' out.

Brett is parked at one computer watching comedians on YouTube, Kevin is nodding off with a sock full of rice on his knee, and I'm watching TV and surfing online.  L.A.Z.Y.  I love lazy Saturdays.

A cold Friday night Poem

Here we all sit on a cold Friday night,

The warmth of my house though, it just feels so right.

Monica went to a friends house to stay,

And Natalie has a friend over to play.

Kevin is watching TV in our bed,

I have declared all my friends journals "read."

I know I should scrub until my home is clean,

But there's always tomorrow, do you know what I mean?

I love when the weekend is finally here,

I watch TV, chill out, and sip on a beer.

Next week is a short one, I'm happy 'bout that,

I'll sit 'round on facebook and enjoy friend's chat.

I'm thankful for having a good life and home,

And having a husband, not tempted to roam.

We probably seem boring to those looking in,

But by golly, we're happy, enjoy your weekend!

The planning of a pre-teen (or two)

Both girls must clean their rooms by 9 (30 minutes from now) if they want to have ANY social life this weekend.  One is running up and down the stairs, trying to plan for tomorrow.  The other is playing a flute (she plays trumpet.  Where did the flute come from?) and shouting at a cat from time to time.

I don't care what they choose.  Honestly.  If the rooms are messy at 9 (bed time,) there are no sleep overs, no movie trips, no fun.  If the rooms are clean, let the fun begin.

Let's see what happens.

Oh, and why is Izzy sleeping with a ghost?  That's just creepy.

** Added at bedtime (9:00)

Both rooms are cleaner than they've been in a while, although not perfect.  They ran the vacuum, though, so all of the figurative crap is off the floors.  If they wake up with their alarms in the morning, and I don't get a boat-load of crap about getting ready, the weekend plans are on.

America's Best

I've mentioned here before that we get our eyewear from America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses.  Sure, they're always very busy, and sometimes seem to be unorganized, but they are so CHEAP!  Other than Natalie, the whole family is blind.  Kevin, Me, Jonathan, Brett and Monica; we all need corrective eyewear.  I can afford it at America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses.

The last time I was there, I was trying to buy contacts for Kevin.  They had a discrepancy in when his prescription was due, so they couldn't sell them to me.  Now, I know he's good until April of 2009, and they saw that in one place, but on his chart, he was due for an exam.  I stood there long enough, with them trying to figure it out, that they took pity on me and gave him a free trial pair to wear until he could go in to straighten it out.

Today, I needed contacts, and his trial pair was done, too.  The issue hadn't been resolved.  I have a great relationship with them, because I give them a lot of money.  That tends to make people like you.  Really!  Try it!  Throw a lot of money at someone, and they will like you.

Anywho, I got there and told them that I wanted contacts for me and for Kevin, and asked if his issue had been resolved.  To make a long-story not QUITE so long, they kept me there for almost 30 minutes, trying to figure it out.  They finally did.  As she rang me up, I asked if I could have a "kit," since we were out of contact solution at home.  A kit is a travel size bottle of solution, and a new contact case.

She said, "For your patience and trouble, I'll do better than that."  I walked out of there with contacts for me, and contacts for Kevin, at full price.  I also left with a free pair of contacts for each of us, and TWO "kits."  Rock on.  I would have stood there even longer for that!  At least 2 more minutes, anyway.

Seriously, if you are on a limited budget, try America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses.  The prescription is the same as I get at any other eye doctor, and the optometrists there are certified like they are anywhere else.  The end product is just much less expensive.

OK, I've pimped them enough.  I'm just trying to get America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses, as a google search, to show my blog.  Try it tomorrow.  Maybe I'll get lucky.

Now, I'm off to listen to my pandora station and check out what my friends are doing online.

But it's COLD

I had a Monday.  Anyone else?  Yeah, I know.  It's epidemic.  Seems to happen about every 7 days.  Hmmm.  Someone should look into this.

The girls both got up with their alarms this morning.  That never happens, but it did today.  It made for an awesome morning, as Mondays go.  I got to work early to prepare for a web class that I taught today, and things were fairly smooth.

Tonight, Monica made layered taco surprise, and we all enjoyed it.  Some people around here had seconds (not me this time) and it was gone when I went in to do the dishes.  That's the sign of a good dinner.

Tomorrow, I think I'll surprise the girls with a yummy breakfast.  *If* I can get up with *my* alarm!  LOL  I will try not to hit "snooze" too many times.  That's my big weakness.  I hit "snooze" too many times.  I'm a big fan of snooze.  Extra sleep, 9 minutes  at a time.

OK, I'm off.  I'm still enjoying my meez.  She was at work all day while I was.  She's a tough little worker.  I hope she gets a good night's sleep.  

G'Night, friends!

Meez

I forgot about Meez!  I reconnected with my darling meez today, and added it to this journal.  See me over there?

<-----------------

It's a lot of fun to play with.  Earlier, when I went to the store, my Meez was at a store, too.  When I go to work, the Meez goes to work.  Now, guess what I'm doing?  LOL, that's right!

I know that when you go to a page with a Meez on it, it blinks a few times as it loads.  Is that so annoying that I should have it on here?  It is sort of annoying to me, but not too bad.

Let me know, please.  I'll ditch it from this page if it's an annoyance.

Lazy Sunday morning

Here we are on a lazy Sunday morning.  I'm wondering if I'm going to get out of bed at all today. Yeah, I know.  I will.  Right now, though, it feels pretty good to lie here, sip coffee, and read blogs.  

I was checking out my sitemeter this morning.  I had a visitor from Canada.  I wonder if it was the person who Googled "fun stuff to do on Saturday  nights at home."  If so, I'm sorry.  Seriously, if a bored Canadian stumbled upon this blog, looking for fun stuff to do?  Sheesh.  I probably pushed them over the edge.

It would be fun to bait the site with stuff to get google searchers here.  Like, if I typed, "work from home."  Then, those people who want to get rich quick with very little effort will see this and scratch their heads.  "Gee, Mildred, this lazy slob talks about NASCAR too much.  I can't make money like this."

All right.  I have to get my house cleaned up and get to the store today.  It sure is hard to get out of bed when it's so cold outside.  I'd like to stay right here until time to get up tomorrow.  Wishful thinking.

Just the two of us

Natalie had an absolute BALL at activity night.  She kept saying how awesome it was.  Phew!  Then, after she had been home for a bit, she asked me if it would be OK if she stayed home with me this weekend.  I said, "sure" but she wasn't sure how to tell her Dad.  She is always in fear of hurting someone's feelings.

Of course he was fine with it.  I wanted it to be her decision, and there will be times in a few months that I will be gone to conventions, so she can hang with me all she wants for now.  I heard a rumor that my Uncle Don is coming up to Dad's, so we'll probably venture over there to visit some.  Natalie and I are both fans of Uncle Don.  

Besides that, if he's here, that means maybe Aunt Rena will stay home.  She's gone most every weekend, and we'd like to see her, too.  Finally, I want to see Mom and Dad.  The weekend is the only time I can see anyone, since we all keep such different hours and it's dark by 3:00.  OK, maybe not that early, but I get home in the dark, so I want to stay in.

Anywho, it's just the two of us.  No telling what kind of mischief we'll get into.  I'll try to take pictures.  LOL

Random crap

This is the last weekend that I can wear this shirt, and have it truly represent Carl Edwards.  Next year, Aflac is his new sponsor.  I just bought this shirt in April when we visited our awesome Texas friends to attend my first-ever Nascar race.  Carl won that day.  *sigh*  He is currently in second place in the points standings, and has a tiny chance at the championship.  He would have to lead the most laps, win the race, and Jimmy Johnson would have to finish worse than 36th.  Yeah, I know.  He's still my hometown Missouri boy, though. Go #99!

Monica took a pic of the front of the shirt too, but it blurred.  Oh well.  

Tonight is Natalie's first "dance."  It's called "activity night" since they are just in 5th and 6th grade, but there is a DJ and a place to dance.  I don't think anyone will dance, but that's OK.  There are other rooms.  There is food and games and other activities.  Monica's first activity night was a nightmare for her, so we're hoping that Natalie's goes better.

Monica got a digital camera for her birthday.  That's what she wanted more than anything, and there was NO way we could afford it.  We checked two large Wal-Mart super centers, and found nothing we could get.  Kevin made a last-ditch stop at a nearby, tiny supercenter, and found the mother-load!  All of last-year's cameras were on sale!  

She got a Nikon, and is more than thrilled with it.  Her first words, after I woke her up this morning, were "Thanks again for the camera, Mom."  Yeah, we did good, without breaking the bank.  Kevin even bought a 1 gig card for her, and got some new rechargeable batteries for the household, since there is a second digital camera here.  Still, he got out of there for a VERY reasonable price.

Tomorrow, Kevin and the girls will head to Carthage for the big birthday weekend.  Grammy had her birthday, and the dinner is tomorrow night.  My car is too crappy for all of us to go together, so the truck is the only option.  That means, 3 at a time is the limit.  It's also GG's birthday tomorrow.  GG is Kevin's grandma, and GG means "great grandma" to the grandkids.  She was born on November 15, just like Monica, but 75 years earlier.

Oh yeah, did I mention?  Monica is 13 tomorrow!  Yup, the big 1-3.  A teen.  It's the big one.  She is looking more grown up every day, and that makes me a bit sad.  This is my second chance at "my oldest."  Brett is my oldest, Jonathan is Kevin's oldest, but Monica is OUR oldest.  The boys have moved on in their lives, so now we have to survive the girls.  Trust me, boys are easier.

However, she is an amazing young woman, and is such a joy.  I remember when I found out I was pregnant with her.  I had no symptoms, so to speak, and by the time I realized something was up, I was told that I was WAY further along than I thought.  In this situation, to judge the age of the unborn, they measure a few things.  They measure the length of the femur and the size of the head.

Have you SEEN the heads on this family?  We have some BIG ol' beans.  Because of this, I think they induced me about 2 weeks early.  I think this is probably the reason that she had asthma as a baby.  Many trips to the ER and many illnesses.  She has since outgrown this, and is doing fine, thankyouverymuch.  She is a shining star around here.  I love you, Sissy Doll!  

OK, the final bit of randomness:  The Wizard of Oz is on tonight.  When I was a kid, my whole family hated this movie.  It was on once per year, and I REALLY wanted to watch, but the family did NOT care to join me.  My mom would let me take the little TV to my room so I could watch on my own.  That was the one time a year that I had a TV in my room.  It was the most wonderful thing EVER!  Sometimes, she'd even make some carmel corn or some other treat for me to enjoy during the show.

Have I mentioned lately how much my childhood rocked?  No?  Well, it did.  When I had sleep-overs, my friends would put in snack requests ahead of time, and Mom tried her best to accommodate. 

Wow, that was an additional bit of randomness, after I said I was done. Sorry.  Have a wonderful weekend!

CMAs

I found out tonight that Cheesy Enchilada Hamburger Helper (our favorite variety) CAN be eaten in moderation.  It may have even tasted better that way.

Monica got stuck with a 2-person project when her partner refused to help, so she worked for hours last night to complete it on her own.  Kevin took her to work to make sure that the teacher knew that she did it alone.  When she got to the class?  She couldn't find it.  She got a detention AND had to do it again.  *sigh*

Natalie and I are ready to settle in and watch the CMA awards, so I'm out!

Cold rain

I don't mind driving in the rain.  I don't mind driving in the dark.  I HATE driving in the rain in the dark.  Glaring headlights and stupid drivers.  Also, my car is old enough that it doesn't have intermittent wipers.  With as light as it was raining, I had to hit the button every 3-5 seconds...for the entire 1-hour drive.

OK, I'm over it.  I'm home now; inside out of the cold.  Kevin had stir fry done when I walked through the door, and the girls took care of laundry and dishes.  It is MORE than enough to make up for the crappy commute.

I am having too much fun on Facebook.  I am hooked on YoVille, myFarm, Kidnap, and others.  At times, there are three computers around here, all doing various activities on Facebook.  Sheesh.  At least the homework and chores are done first, right?  LOL

Oh yeah, sometimes I run into my MOTHER in YoVille!  ACK!  Add to that 3-4 coworkers, and it makes for some funny stuff.  I guess it's better than spending money we don't have to go to movies or anywhere else for entertainment.

Now, back to Facebook!

Back on track

Over half of the customer service reps at work have decided to go on a weight loss challenge.  I sort of started the idea, after coworker M started dieting.  I was amazed at how many folks jumped at the idea!  My plan was to start tomorrow.

After sitting around all morning, though, I realized that I was letting a nice, sunny day go by outside my window.  I asked Natalie if she wanted to go for a walk.  She did, and Kevin joined us (Monica is at a friend's house.)  We walked 2 miles, making Hawkeye one happy dog.

I came home and fired up my old Spark People account, and started logging calories and setting goals.  I even did the strength training that they suggested.  It's cool, because you tell it what equipment you have available, and it will make a routine around that, instead of telling you to go buy something.  All I have are some dumbbells (no comments about my family here, ok?) so it gave me crunches, squats, arm curls, etc.  Natalie and I both completed what was suggested.

I've done this so many times.  Then, one day, I always sabotage myself and never get back to it.  I am really determined, and it helps that we are challenging each other at work.  Each week, we report lbs lost, and put $1 in the pot.  On January 1, the person with the most lbs lost gets the pot.  Money is a great motivator.  So is not being fat, for that matter.

I'd like to be able to wear some cute clothes to conventions next year.  I'll not be blogging much about my efforts, because that would be boring.  Heck, by the time I get done logging everything on Spark People, I'm sick of thinking about it.

Now, to be disciplined enough to walk in the dark.  Whether I walk morning or night, it's going to be dark.  And cold.  Hawkeye will like it, though.  He's passed out in the floor right now from our walk today.  He's out of shape, too!

Pandora and a cold Saturday

So, it's a blustery and cold Saturday here in middle America.  I went to work early and taught a web class, using new software that we haven't tested enough, so there were a few issues.  We worked through them, though, and the overall result was quite positive.  I'd rather not drive 1 hour each way on a Saturday, but with the response being this positive, how can I not?  LOL

After work, I heard a rumor that there may or MAY NOT be hamburger stew at my Mom's house, so guess where I stopped on the way home?  It was awesome, as usual, and my family met me there.  Not long after eating, I headed home.  I need to be home on Saturday, I need to be home when it's cold, and I need to be home after working.  Yup, that's 3 good reasons to be HOME.

For over an hour, I've been listening too, and fine tuning, my pandora station.  If you haven't set up a pandora station yet, you're missing out.  Of course, some folks don't physically need music as much as I do.  I've ridden in cars with people who don't turn on the radio, and it's like an alien concept to me.  TURN ON THE MUSIC!  www.pandora.com

Through facebook, I've caught up with some long-lost friends.  Even a couple of adults that I babysat for when they were kids.  I miss them and it's great to catch up.  Facebook is a cool thing.  Forget my addiction to YoVille, there are good things happening there.  I like it way better than myspace.  Sorry, myspace.

OK, I'm out for now.  I hope you all have a warm and wonderful weekend (what's left of it.)  I wish you all the comforts that can be offered by hamburger stew.  Haven't had it?  Head on over to Mom's place and ask for the recipe, OK?  LOL, sorry Mom.  I hope you don't get trampled by the millions (or the three) readers of this drivel.

Oh yeah...about that day off...

When I posted that I needed a day off, and that Saturday was coming, I had a temporary memory lapse.  I have to work tomorrow.  *sigh*  I'll be done around noon, though, so it won't be too bad.  Coworker B and I have to teach a couple of web classes.  They usually fly by pretty quickly.

Now there is some mind-numbing nonsense that I need to attend to.  I hope you have a great weekend!

I need a day off

I guess Saturday is coming.  There's always Saturday, right?

I don't have a lot to say, and I'm not feeling very peppy or fun, so just let me quote my friend Amy:

Meh.

Ah HA!

I am SURE that I found the errant setting, now!  I had a setting from long ago that would send an email notification to me when I got a comment.  Unfortunately, I set up the blog long ago, in another home, in another town, with another ISP, with another email address.  This has been fixed now, and if someone (Mom? Traci? Bentley?) would leave a comment, we could verify that I've fixed it.

There is nothing more annoying than a " bounce back" email.  I'm sorry that it's been happening.

Mom? Traci?

I'm trying to find a setting that would cause that "failed email" problem, and I think I may have found it.  Can you gals comment and let me know?

My final political post

Yeah, I'm not known for political posts, and I'll not debate on this blog.  I'll not even mention who I voted for.  It's just to much of a hotbed.  Here are a few random thoughts from today, though:

America has come a long way.

McCain handled the defeat with SO much class and integrity.

Movie/TV/Music stars need to SHUT UP.

I like free Starbucks.

People today held their heads higher than usual, proud that they voted.  THAT is a good side of Americans.

Fuel prices will likely rise again, now that the election is over.

Who's gonna clean up after the new puppy at the white house?

Would that person do my dishes?

How soon do we start seeing/hearing political ads again?  Two years?  Give me three, please.

People get REAL mad and fired up when talking about politics at work.

I'd rather talk about puppy poo in the white house.

Finally, strangers are very friendly in line at a polling place.  Probably vicious in traffic, though.

I'm just sayin'.

Can we just watch Viagra commercials now?

I voted. I collected my free Starbucks coffee.  I skipped the Krispie Creme (donuts make me sick) and didn't even get the Chik-Fil-A sandwich tonight.  I was wiped out, and just wanted to come home.  Oh well, free coffee is better than a poke in the eye with a stick.

Now, can the political ads just stop?  Just like that, right?  They're gone?  Over?

Thank. God. In. Heaven. Above.

I'm SO done with the mud slinging.

Vote!

Vote your heart, vote your conscience.  

Just vote.

Pondering the free stuff

OK, I know that you used to be able to get all sorts of free stuff on your birthday.  In my early twenties, I would get a free car wash, visit 3 different bars that offered a free drink, and even get a 1/2 priced pizza!  It's not as easy to find such things anymore.  You can get embarrassed in a restaurant if you like, but that's about it.

Now, though, I'm tuning in to the fact that we can get some free stuff for voting!  Don't get me wrong, I planned to vote anyway, but free stuff?  Starbucks is offering a free tall coffee, and Ben and Jerry's Scoop Shops are offering a free cone (I don't think we have one of those around here, but I'm gonna check!)

Now, since my body woke up at 5:30 on a Sunday, I'm off to google this a bit and see what else I can find.  If you hear of something good, let me know.  Maybe I'll just skip work and run around getting free loot!

Added later from what I found on Bargain list:

A few restaurant chains are doing their patriotic duty by giving away free food on Election Day this November 4th. Start the day with a free star shaped doughnut with patriotic sprinkles fromKrispy Kreme. Each customer that shows up with an "I Voted" sticker will receive one. Then head over to Shane's Rib Shack where they'll be giving away a free "Vote America Meal" that consists of three hand-breaded chicken tenders, fries and a 20 oz. drink. Here again you must show your "I Voted Today" sticker. Chick-fil-a is also fulfilling their patriot duty with a free Chicken Sandwich for all voters. Finish up the day at your localBen & Jerry's between the hours of 5-8pm, and you'll get a free scoop of ice cream. All offers valid on 11/04/2008 only

The candy hangover

Here is Monica, the undead homecoming queen:

And here is Natalie, my cowgirl: