New Year's Eve

Well, another typical Fierro NYE here.  We are watching Kameron so her mom and dad can go out.  Kevin worked today, so he's turning in now.  Kami's been in bed for about 30 minutes.  I expect the rest of us to make it to midnight.

The only venturing out that I did today was to Kleinschmidt's boots.  Natalie got some awesome kickers for Christmas, but they needed stretched a bit.  She's much happier with them, now.  She loved them anyway, but the right one was really tight through the ball of her foot.

My tiny little nothing of a cold was gone for almost three days, and then bounced back into my chest.  I still feel fine.  I don't feel sick in the least.  I have just spent two days coughing non stop.  It's that annoying tickle thing that won't let you get any rest.  That kept me up all night.  Between a couple of short naps, I think I netted 4 hours sleep.  Could have been worse.

Today was the same.  Cough, cough, cough.  All day.  Finally, a couple of hours ago, it stopped.  I was thrilled.  30 minutes ago, I nearly lost my voice.  Good golly!  What next?  I figure Kevin prayed for me to lose my voice, so he could have some peace.  LOL  Talking low, it's fine, so at least he gets a quiet wife, if not a totally silent one.

Now, those of us remaining are watching prison shows and chillin' out.  At midnight, I'll have a glass of wine and the kids will have some sparkling white grape juice.  It's tradition.  After that, I'll likely go to bed and the younger folk will stay up all night, watching movies or playing games.

Pretty rowdy crowd, huh?  Be very afraid.

Happy New Year!

Sunrise and Power Lines

I'm off work for a couple days, and am already enjoying it to the fullest.  It is really warm out this morning, so I stepped outside with my coffee and saw a beautiful red sunrise.  I love pictures of sunrise and sunset.  Love them.  Usually, I'm driving when I see them, so I find the perfect spot to pull over and get a picture of it.

When I'm home, though, it's another story.  I can see that it's beautiful and enjoy it from the side porch, but if the camera comes out, I realize how obstructed the view is.  Power lines and such criss-crossing the sky.  See?

I wasn't about to let that bother me, though!  I just walked under the lines, down the street a bit.  When I was clear of the power lines, I realized that the best shot would require me to be in a back yard that does NOT belong to me.  I didn't think it best to trespass at 7 in the morning, so I walked a bit farther.

By the time I was about a block from home, I found my spot.  I could enjoy the sunrise without disturbing any neighbors.

Ahh.  Much better.  Feeling satisfied, I walked back to my own yard and heard some very loud geese flying South.  Isn't it a bit late for that?  Oh well.

Big plans today.  If all goes well, Tim will have is car tagged and ready to roll.  It's not easy task to tag a car in Missouri.  Especially on the 30th.  Wish us luck!

Slow Work and New Cars

Work is SLOW!  I had to hunt for things to do today.  I saw that I have 88 hours of vacation for the year, meaning I shorted myself last year, so I'm taking Thursday off.  Can I get a shout out for 4-day weekends? LOL

I left a bit early today to come home and go on a mission.  I found a cute car on Craigslist for Tim, and he and Kevin checked it out a couple of times.  Kevin offered less and the guy agreed.  The problem was getting there and getting the car home.  Because we were slow, I was able to cut out early, and tonight was the night.

I got home before 5 and grabbed Tim and Kevin and we hit the road.  The first stop was the bank in Buckner for Tim to withdraw the money.  The ATM will only let you take out $800 in a day, so after that much, we had to back up and go to the window.  The car in front of us was doing something VERY involved, and we sat for over 15 minutes.  We were all pretty grumpy by the time it was our turn.

He got the rest of the money and we headed to Independence.  We drove through meth central to get there, but the couple was just as Kevin described them.  A sweet, older couple.  This had been her car.  A gift for their 40th anniversary.  She mentioned that she hadn't wanted to meet the people who bought it, because she was sad about it going.  When we left, though, she said she was glad it was going to such sweet people.

She almost teared up as we walked out the door.  It was cute and a bit sad.  It reminded me of the lady from whom we bought this house.  It was hers, and she couldn't stand to see it go.

So, Tim is now the owner of a cute little red LeBaron convertible.  If things go as planned, he'll have it tagged before Friday.  We'll get it inspected on Thursday and go get the tags.  His mom will get his insurance started tomorrow, faxing proof of insurance to me so Tim has it.  Wanna see?  I borrowed the pic from the Craigslist ad.

I borrowed the pic from the Craigslist ad.  I'll get better ones this week.

Merry Fish-mas!

Another Christmas is in the books.  It was a good one, too.  Everyone seems happy and satisfied with what they got.  We had a laid back morning and enjoyed it greatly.  I think we went through 3 pots of coffee!  That's really dragging out a morning.

Then it was time to get the food heated and put out.  Mom, Dad and Aunt Rena came over first, then cousin Mike.  After a while, Arick and Heather came by (Arick usually has 3 or 4 commitments on holidays, so it was good that he stopped in) and Amber did, too.  My friend Missy and her son Cole joined us, too.  Finally, Brett, Lacie and Kameron came over.

Kami opened her presents from us and it seems that we did just fine.  I had asked her mom what she needed for her, and she didn't have a snow suit, so we got that.  Other than that, it was toys.  She liked the doll stroller and the play shoes and the purse.  There was also a Mr. Potato Head.

When she opened this last gift, Monica gasped and put her hand over her mouth.  She was pretending like she REALLY wanted it and was shocked by Kami getting it.  When she made that sound, Kami looked up at her and then ran over and gave her the Mr. Potato Head!  It was the sweetest thing ever.  We all got a kick out of it.

Finally, I'll leave you with fish-face.

Merry Christmas Eve!

We made it through another busy season.  The last couple of days were SLOW at work.  Yesterday brought just a couple of emergency last-minute orders which we got shipped with no problem.  I'm just glad to have a couple of long weekends ahead.  I guess I'm pretty excited about it, too, since I woke up before 5:30 this morning.

Tomorrow will be a laid-back, no stress Christmas.  I've invited family and friends to drop in any time tomorrow afternoon to visit.  We'll have snack foods galore, but nobody is going to cook a big meal.  Everything I'm going to offer can be put together today, so tomorrow will be just a matter of heating and eating!  Mom has a three-section warmer thing that I plan to borrow, and I have a crock pot.

We'll do meatballs, lil' smokies, cheese dip, chocolate dipped treats, chips and dip, etc.  Mom's bringing her famous cheese ball, too.  Snack foods on disposable plates means no big cooking, no sinks full of dishes, and no stress.  Yup, that sounds pretty good to me.

I know Mom and Dad are coming, as is Brett (oh yeah, Brett moved out to make it easier to watch Kami during the day.  Long story for another time) Kami and her mommy, Lacie.  Nephew Arick will stop by, too.  I've invited Arick's mom and sister, but I don't know if they'll stop by or not.  I think my friend Missy and her son Cole will drop in, and I've invited neighbor Jimmy.

One thing about this style of gathering, it doesn't matter how many or how few stop by!  I would like to see a lot show up, just because I like to visit.  We'll see how it goes.

Today is going to be pretty full.  We'll hit the grocery store for last minute stuff for tomorrow.  We're hoping that Kevin gets to take Tim to pick up a car he's interested in, too.  He doesn't have insurance yet, so we'll have to trailer it home.  That makes me happy that the predicted snow didn't happen.  The roads are just damp and it's above freezing.  We plan to take everyone out to eat Chinese for lunch, since it's Christmas break and the kids have been cooped up all week.

Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to post tomorrow.  Merry Christmas Eve!

Two More Weeks

I can almost see the end from here. I'm tired of being tired. LOL Two more weeks of 60+ hours, and then I can have a couple of three-day weekends.

Two more weeks isn't much. I can do two more weeks.

Oh, and some advice for all of my friends: Buy stock in coffee beans next year around November 1. Then, sell it on December 24.

You're welcome.

Busy Season and Christmas Shopping

It's definitely busy season. I'm busy! Long days and they fly by, thanks to all the work. I'm thankful, don't get me wrong. If we weren't busy, I'd be worried. A few more weeks of craziness and then things will calm down a bit.

We also aren't having to work every Saturday like we have in the past. Customer service has been split into groups to cover various Saturdays. This week is my turn (4 hours, not a big deal) and on the 18th, everyone works for the final push to get orders in the hands of customers by Christmas.

Then, January arrives and conventions start. So far, I'm only scheduled for one. That's a first. It's my favorite, though. It is in February. We have a lot of new reps, so it allows everyone to go to fewer trade shows.

I think, this weekend, Kevin and I will have a short, local getaway. I found that I have enough Marriott rewards for one more free night. If so, we'll stay somewhere in Kansas City and maybe do a little Christmas shopping. We won't get much yet, but it'll be nice to have the chance to look around and get ideas.

OK, that was my quick break this morning. Time to get back to work!

Getting Ready for Christmas

The kids put up the tree and I decorated the railing on the front porch. Other than a few decorations around the living room, that's the extent of our decorating. We don't do a huge outside display or anything. It's nice to see other folk's displays, but I don't want to. LOL

Here are some things heard during the afternoon's activities:

"Hey, where's that one chick?" (Monica, referring to Mary in the nativity set.)

"Can we hang the extra ornaments in random places around the house?" (Brett, and no.)

"You can't throw him away just because his arm is broken off!" (Natalie, about a ceramic snowman)

"I lost Jesus! Oh, there he is." (Monica again.)

We also did a lunch assembly line to get lunches ready for tomorrow. Natalie was on sandwich duty, I packed animal crackers, Brett did the chips and Tim gathered supplies and applesauce cups for those who wanted them. It makes things go a lot faster and cuts down on morning craziness.

Thanksgiving at Mom's was great. The food was incredible, we had fun with family, the weather was perfect and everyone seemed to have a good time. We ate too much, but couldn't help ourselves.

Tim took his dog Rayne with us for the first time. I figured she'd do OK, but she surprised us by being great! There were six dogs there, and they all behaved themselves. Mom's dog Iris is doing so much better about being aggressive toward other dogs. They were all mellow and relaxed.

Now, if we can just get Rayne to ride in the back of the truck with Hawkeye, she can make the trip more often. This time, she rode in Brett's car. Kevin and I don't like to haul dogs in the vehicle. Frankly, the dogs around here have FAR too much hair. We'll start Rayne by driving slowly around the neighborhood like we did Hawkeye. Maybe she'll stay put, maybe not. We can only hope.

My shows are reruns tonight, so I'll likely turn in early. I did take a nap today, so we'll see how that goes. I feel so self indulgent when I nap. It was nice. And now, it's time to start another week. It's my turn to work a Saturday, so it'll be a long week, but that's OK. Up to a few years ago, we worked EVERY Saturday in November and December.

I hope everyone has a fabulous week!

With Some Productivity Mixed In

I *did* get that nap. I *am* watching the race and the Chiefs game. I *have* logged some "sittin' on my butt" time. However, I got some productivity mixed in. I just couldn't let a day this nice go by while I sat inside.

We got rid of the objects that were probably Jack-O-Lanterns a few weeks ago. I'm embarrassed to admit they were still on the front porch, but they were. Yuck. Kevin did that deed for me. Then he hosed off the porch and unhooked the hose to prepare for the cold.

We cleaned the leaves out of the window wells, picked up the yard, stored some outside furniture and just generally cleaned up out there. It looks much better. Since I had momentum, I also cleaned off the back porch. Now I won't feel guilty about sitting some more.

Now we'll work for three days, have a day off (no plans Thursday) and I'll work again Friday. Saturday, we're celebrating Thanksgiving at Mom's. I'll make the green rice, and Kevin will make the sweet potato casserole. We'll eat too much and be miserable for a while. Ahh, the holidays.

OK, I've updated my blog twice in one day. Weird. Back to your regularly scheduled Sunday.

Winter is on the Way

It's going to be in the 60's today. The sun is shining and it's absolutely beautiful. I've seen the long-range forecast, though. It's not pretty. Highs in the 20's, lows in the teens. Burr. I figured that was reason enough to break out the snow template.

We did a big breakfast today. We always do big breakfast on Sunday. Migas, hash browns, bacon, biscuits and sausage gravy. I ate too much, so I was quite miserable while cleaning the kitchen. I'm glad it's done, though. Now I can relax and watch the last race of the year.

I'm in desperate need of a vacation. The problem is, my vacation is 7 months away! I guess I better get over myself, huh? I'm watching Southwest's website for cheap airfare to TX in June. So far, it's $90. I'm thinking we'll fly if we can get tickets for $49 again (or less.) More than that and we'll just drive.

While grating the potatoes for hash browns this morning, I got my knuckle. I've done it before (in fact, I do it almost every time) but this one is different. It's the knuckle of my pinky, and it will NOT stop bleeding. It's been 2 hours, and I've changed the bandage 4 times! LOL What a stupid little thing. Who knew I had a major artery on my knuckle?

I'm thinking there is a nap in my future. I haven't been getting my Sunday naps for the past several weeks. I love my Sunday naps. It also makes it easier to stay up late for my Sunday night shows. It's pretty sad when you need a nap to make it to 10 pm. Does this mean I'm getting old?

27 Things.

1. Brett brought Kami to see me at work today. Brett, Tim, Kami and I ate lunch together.
2. Everyone at work thought she was beautiful. They're right.
3. The sky was amazing this morning AND this evening.
4. The moon is amazing tonight, too.
5. Mr. Goodcents makes a wonderful sandwich.
6. Traffic was terrible tonight.
7. Propane is expensive.
8. My car is wonderful. I dearly love it.
9. My stereo is equally awesome.
10. Listen to Clay Walker's "Where Do I Go From You." Loud.
11. Having your 23 month old Granddaughter call you "homie" is more than awesome.
12. This house is loud.
13. I hate mornings.
14. I love Friday evenings.
15. Friends are incredibly important.
16. I'm tired.
17. I'd like to have 12" of snow on the ground with a temperature of 70.
18. I don't do cold.
19. I need a haircut.
20. I can't see past my bangs.
21. I love my bed. It's warm and comfy and protected from nonsense.
22. My Daddy is healthy now. I cried when I found out he was fine.
23. I love new country music. Loud.
24. I like candles that smell like food. Vanilla, Hazelnut, Cinnamon, Apple Pie, etc.
25. I hate candles that smell flowery. They make my nose hurt.
26. My house is littered with toys, and it's fine with me.
27. I'm watching Super Nanny. Those kids are brats, and the parents are morons.

Calgon, Kit Kat, Southwest and BK

Calgon: Take me away.

Kit Kat: Give me a break.

Southwest: Wanna get away?

Burger King: Have it your way.

I wanna be selfish for a minute.

Stupid Virus

There is a reason I love Mac. Kevin's PC has a virus that I'm fighting. We thought we made headway Sunday evening, but upon restart, no ground had been gained. We took last night off to celebrate Monica's birthday, so I'm back at it tonight.

I'm stubborn. I'll get it. I just get SO mad about it. I don't understand the mind set of the people who release these things. It's like keying someone's car, TPing a house, or stealing a TV. It's exactly as bad. I don't get vandalism, and I never have.

I work with some pretty smart folks, so each time it doesn't work, I'll have new info to report and new questions to ask. I'll get it, and I refuse to let it cost me a dime. If I pay to have it remove, I feel like the keying, TPing, stealing criminals win. I WILL win this one. Hide and watch, baby. Hide and watch.

Happy Birthday, Sissy Doll!

15 years ago today, I went to the hospital and came home with Monica. She was such a beautiful baby girl. Before long, though, she started crying. She cried day and night, taking short naps between crying fits. I would walk the floor with her all evening and into the night while Kevin slept. Halfway through the night, Kevin would take over and I would sleep. She cried all.the.time.

When she learned to sit up, she was happy! For about 2 weeks. Then she started crying again. She cried and cried until she learned to scoot around. Mobility made her happy. For about 2 weeks. Then, the crying started again. Finally, she learned to walk. The crying was over. We figure that she was crying because she knew what she wanted to do, and her body wouldn't do it yet.

After she was a year old, we could tell she was different. This was the smartest little girl I'd ever been around. She potty trained early, started reading early, wrote her name crazy early and was tuned in to every word that anyone said. I remember driving into Kansas City with mom in the passenger seat and Monica in the back seat. I told Mom, "Sometimes, she's so smart it's scary." That little 18 month old girl said, "Raawwrrrr!" like a monster. Yup, she was listening.

Now, that baby girl is 15. It's time to get her driver's permit. She's in high school. She's a beautiful young woman, still as smart as anyone I know, and funny, too. She's jumpy and easy to startle if you need entertainment. She's unique and strong-willed and kind hearted. She worries too much, stands up for the under dog, and plays guitar like nobody's business.

She likes the Beatles and Green Day and chocolate. She keeps her room messy and spends too much time getting ready for school and can sleep for 14 hours in a stretch on the weekends. She works hard in June and July and saves her money for something important to her. She likes to bake but not to clean up the kitchen.

In many ways, she's a typical teenager. In many MORE ways, though, she's totally individual. Her hair color and style changes frequently, but not to match others around her. It changes with her whim. She can pull it off, too. Even when I botch a dye job, she likes it, styles it, and it's cute. She doesn't let ANYONE mess with her family. Some day, this girl will rule the world.

Happy Birthday, Monica. I love you.

Shock and Awe

Kevin does the grocery shopping for this family. I hate doing it, and he doesn't mind. Sometimes I'm with him, but I wander around the store aimlessly while he does the shopping. Since he was in Carthage for the weekend, I decided I'd do it today. Wow.

Walking into the store, I saw 4-packs of Green Giant vegetables for $2. "No way!" I though. I knew that I could get the generic a lot cheaper. I got all of the non-grocery stuff and got depressed about how expensive things seemed. Then, on to the grocery section.

Everything seemed very high priced. The more I shopped, the more my heart (and wallet) sank. When I got to the vegetable aisle, I went straight toward the generic cans. $.76 each? WHAT? When did THAT happen? Forget that!

I finished shopping eventually. It took an extra cart to haul everything out to my car. I spent way more than I'd intended, but we hadn't really done a big grocery run in a couple of weeks. I called Kevin and asked, "When did everything get so expensive?" He laughed at me and said that he knew about it.

I guess it's been longer than I thought since I've gone grocery shopping. I think I'll leave it to Kevin. Oh yeah, and Dear WalMart, I hope you're happy. You kept a LOT of my paycheck today. I don't like you. Sincerely, Rachel.

Working on a Saturday

I have to work until 2 today, and there isn't much going on. I've had a chance to catch up on a lot of work that is hard to accomplish when things are crazy. This will help me come in on Monday to a clean slate.

Kevin and Monica headed South to attend his Grandma's birthday party. That leaves me, Natalie, Brett, Tim and Kameron here. The rest of the crew will meet me after work and we'll run some errands. I need to hit Sam's club for some animal crackers and cocoa almonds.

It's turned quite cold, and I plan to spend the rest of my weekend in the house. Chiefs play at the same time as the race, so I'll be channel flipping tomorrow afternoon. I also have a ton of shows on DVR from working 13 hour days this past week. That is what I'll occupy myself with tonight.

Yes, I love weekends. Even if I have to work a few hours, I love the laid back feeling of no schedule. I hope yours is awesome, too!

It's a Boy! (again)

Brett will be living here for a while. Brett and Tim get along great (too great...they pick on me!) so that is good. There have been rough dealings in the past, but everything is out front now, so we are planning for smooth sailing.

Tomorrow, we're going to Tammy and Greg's for the Chiefs game. They are really putting on a spread, so I won't eat too much in the morning. LOL I'm excited to go over there, and so are the girls. It's been too long since we've hung out at their house. Good food is only a bonus!

Kami is awesome, and I am glad that she's here this weekend. Next weekend will call us out of town, so I would have freaked if we'd waited 3 weeks between visits. LOL You might say I'm a tad addicted. She has that affect on people.

On a final note: I wish SNL was still good.

Grandbabies, Prison, Cookies and Long Weekends

Brett and Kami came to spend the weekend. Treat! I won't get Kami next week, since we're going to Carthage, so I'm happy that I got to rock her to sleep tonight and I'll get to spend tomorrow with her.

This has been an exhausting week, and I'm glad it's over. I'll be refreshed and ready to solve the world's issues on Monday. Now? I'm tired. I'm watching prison shows and relaxing. LOL That's how I relax, OK?

Monica is spending the weekend at a friend's house, and Natalie has a district choir thing tomorrow so she went to bed early. Kevin gets to work tomorrow (Yeah OT!) which leaves me, Brett and Tim awake. I baked some cookies for the boys. The house smells wonderful! I wish I liked cookies more.

Hey! We all get an extra hour this weekend! Happy Days!

Auntie Em! Auntie Em!

What a drive in! It was windy all day yesterday, all last night, and it's still blowing this morning. I had to fight the steering wheel all the way to work this morning and it wore me out. The news said we have gusts close to 50 mph! It was an early morning, since Tim had to be here at 6, so I was able to get some projects started early. Now, I'm taking a blogging break while some image files copy.

Monica is doing fruit sales for FFA. The problem is, they didn't send any info. It just lists the item and the price. For instance: 26 piece gift box - $18. What is in the gift box? I have no idea. I emailed the FFA leader this morning, so maybe he can direct me where to find details. If I remember, the FFA fruit is REAL good stuff.

I had to call and wake the girls. When we have to be here at 6, I wake them at 4:50 and send them upstairs. One lies down on the couch and the other in my bed, with phones nearby. Then, at 6 or so, I start calling. Monica slept through the first couple of calls, but Natalie woke up on the first try. Unfortunately, I had to wake her up again with another call 10 minutes later. LOL They're snuggled down and warm and it's hard to stir them.

OK, files are transferred. Time to get back to work!

Ten Blessings

Facebook is often lit up with cries for help on Sunday nights. "Don't let the weekend be over!" "I don't want to go to work tomorrow!" "Dang, the weekend goes too fast!" It would be easy to get sucked into that mindset, and I've been trying to fight it.

Weekends are awesome. There's no doubt about that. However, I started thinking today about WHY they're so great. Is it THAT bad to have to go to work on Monday? If I didn't work Monday - Friday, wouldn't weekends be just 2 other days? Mom says they are for her. On the message boards that I frequent, I did a short post about this, and listed a few thoughts on the subject. It turned into a short list of blessings in my life.

Here, I'm going to list ten. I bet I could do ten a day for a long time, but I'm not going to. I'm just going to hit on the ones that I'm thinking a lot about tonight.

1. I have an awesome job. I work for a great company and I'm good at what I do. I enjoy it and I like the people I work with and I love my customers.
2. My granddaughter is here every other weekend. Her Mom is so good to let us have her. She lights up our lives and gives us a ton of laughter.
3. Kevin is working at a job he likes. He can see himself being at this company for a LONG time, and that makes me happy and relieved.
4. The weather has been amazing. it has afforded us many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors before winter comes and shuts us inside.
5. Tim has settled in to being one of us. He laughs with us and jokes with us and puts up with our weirdness. He's got a touch of weirdness himself, which doesn't hurt.
6. Monica and Natalie will pitch in and help when things need done around here. They don't tidy up on their own, but they are willing to help. That's good enough for me.
7. I have a comfortable home with all necessities and many luxuries. Wireless internet, DirecTV, and Diet Coke, just to name a few.
8. My parents are healthy and happy and can join our weekend fun. Mom feeds us from time to time, too. Bonus!
9. I have a husband who loves me and puts his family first. He doesn't go out and leave us wondering what he's doing or where he is. He's here. With us.
10. We have four kids who are all healthy, smart, loving and kind.

Animals on the Move

I'm used to the road kill slalom course that I drive each morning, dodging a dead skunk on the left and a partial raccoon on the right and most of a 'possum on the left. Yeah, no biggie. I'm used to it. Today, though, their still-living relatives were out full-force!

First, I saw a skunk walking beside the road. They have a slinky kind of walk that cracks me up, but I was worried that he'd turn around and head back into the road, so I gave him a WIDE area when I drove by.

Not far from that, there was a raccoon running across the road. He was HUGE! He would total the Smokin' Hot Neon! I slowed down to make sure he made it all the way across before I got there.

That made me paranoid the rest of the way in. I was sure I'd see a deer or something. Not today, though! I made it in without smashing anything...including my car.

Hello Fall!

It's been almost a week since I posted. Hmmm. I guess I didn't have much to say, huh? Work has been busy but I'm getting in early most days, so I'm keeping up. It's nice to get things cleared up and started before the phones are on and the doors open. Quiet time allows three times the work to get accomplished.

Kevin and the girls had a ball at the Maple Leaf Festival. The weather was better than it's ever been. Actually, I can't remember such a fabulous fall in recent years. The nights are crisp, the mornings cool, and the afternoons in the low 70s. I love it. No furnace, no a/c, no outrageous electric or gas bills. I heard that persimmon seeds have spoons in them this year, though.

Today is another employee appreciation day lunch. It's always fun to not have to pack a lunch and know that you're going to eat well anyway! We'll have grilled burgers and hot dogs and all the sides that go with it. This company is awesome about doing things like this for the employees. A little extra that isn't necessary can really do a lot for morale.

OK, back to work. We'll see what the rest of the week brings.

Friday Eve!

It's Friday eve at last! What a week. Busy season wears me out! I'm happy that the weather will be absolutely stellar for Kevin and the girls to make the annual trek to Carthage for the Maple Leaf Festival. Many of the activities are not as fun for me as they are for Kevin, so I typically stay home. And so it goes this year.

I don't have huge plans. I'm going to take Tim running on Saturday. He never asks to go anywhere, and I know there are places that he'd like to see around Kansas City that would likely bore the girls to death. Saturday is for him to check some local spots out. I'll also take the mother of my beautiful grandbaby a Sonic soda for her lunch time. She gave me a beautiful, perfect child to enhance my life.

I gave the dogs a blanket on the back porch. It was an old blanket. It was for a twin bed, and we don't have any twin beds in the house. It was torn and the stuffing was coming out. It was a ratty old thing and the best choice to donate to dogs.

And it was Monica's favorite.

Crap. I really didn't know that, or I would have never done it. Some of the things that I think are important are ratty in the eyes of others. I should have thought it through. Monica has her Dad and her Grammy's "keep it" tendencies. I keep nothing. I'll regret it some day, but I hate the clutter that comes with. I wish there was middle ground somewhere in this house. I gotta learn to find sentimental value in more, and they need to let more go.

Anyway, I've apologized to Monica, and I'll think to ask in the future. Just wash it and give it back to her? Umm, she's not interested. Rayne is in heat. 'nuff said. Sorry, sis.

A Blended Family

With Tim came two dogs. Not at first, but the first time his Mom visited, she brought them up. Tim's dog Rayne was my hope, because he needed something here that was his own. I wanted him to feel like this was his home.

Rayne's sister Ame' stayed, too. She's been bitten by rattle snakes twice in TX, and fall is the worst for that. Besides, they're sisters! I didn't want them to be separated. I could tell a lot of dog stories, and probably will, but for now, it's just an introduction to the "new" dogs.

Rayne is the alpha of the pack now. Hawkeye allows it and does what she says. Ame' is not the least bit smart (she's really stupid) and is a target for Rayne to pick on. Rayne bullies her unmercifully and we intervene when it gets real ugly.

Because of this pack and their weirdness, everyone loves Ame'. They (we) all feel sorry for her, and it's tough to not be mad at Rayne 24/7. Rayne is doing her job, but it's annoying to see her bully all the time. I keep telling the girls that they shouldn't hate Rayne just because Hawkeye waits to eat until she's OK with it. He's at least 20 lbs overweight. He will NOT starve. He gets to eat twice a day, and he's fine.

OK, enough setup to a silly little story. Natalie and I were on the back porch today (the dogs have the back porch and the entire yard to call their own) and Natalie called Ame'. "Come here, Ame'. Come on, girl!" Ame' came, but so did Rayne, who can push in between any human and dog interaction. Natalie started singing "Rayne Rayne, go away...." I laughed my butt off.

Every time I hear that song now, I'm going to think of this bully dog. She needs love, too!

Stupid dogs.

Oversleeping

Yes, I overslept this morning. I never do that! I'm trying to make this Kevin's fault, but it's difficult. I always stay up later on Sunday than I do during the week. It's not too much of an issue because I've slept later on Sunday mornings.

Last night, as I'm watching my Sunday evening shows, Kevin said he was going to bed. He asked when I had to be in today and I told him 6. He said, "OK, I turned on your alarm. It's set for 4:50." "OK," I said. Let's do the math. I have an hour commute and I have to be at work at 6. The alarm should have been set for 3:50!

I hate that panic that sets in when running late. Running THIS late? Total chaos. We made it on time, but I was a nervous wreck until about 8. I knew that I needed to double check the alarm and get more sleep tonight, to avoid another issue, so I came up with a solution.

I'm in bed.

Yes, it's true. I came home, changed into jammies, and climbed into bed at 6:15. Kevin brought dinner to me and I'm in for the night. I'll watch TV, but I'll do it from bed and probably fall asleep early.

Yup. It's a good plan.

A fabulous day!

We had an awesome day! Hung out at Mom and Dad's, grilled out, played and relaxed. Oh, and fell even more in love with someone:

Look at that face! I heart her.

Have a great week!

Whirlwind Times

It's been crazy at work! I still like my job and I'm still SO thankful to be employed. That helps on the rough days. Then, when the rough ones are over, I'll get an email from a customer with a big thank you or a "you're awesome" and it makes things wonderful.

This weekend, we're starting some one-on-one with the girls. We'll switch each weekend. Tomorrow, Monica and I will hit the road, and Kevin and Natalie will do the same. The only time the girls get to go anywhere other than school, it's all of us together. This will let them have their own time with us.

Tonight? I'll just sit here in the recliner and do NOTHING productive at all. Yup. That sounds JUST fine to me.

Happy Friday!

Tim's been working 7-3 this week, so we got used to waking up later. Today, he had to be in at 6. I woke up at 4 and showered, then stumbled into the kitchen. Kevin was making some breakfast (since I was out of bagels, my usual fare) and I reached for the coffee. We are OUT of coffee! There ought to be a LAW against that.

I had to get fuel this morning, anyway, so we grabbed a mocha. I'm better now. I've got a ton to do today, which means the day will go fast, and then I get to pick up Kami on the way home. We don't have any real plans for the weekend, other than relaxing and playing with her.

Tonight is our homecoming football game. It's supposed to be fairly cool, so I'm not sure if I'll go or not. If it's not too chilly, we will, but we have Kameron to think about. The girls will definitely go, and then the dance is after. It's Natalie's first homecoming dance. First dance of junior high, for that matter. They're excited.

Next weekend, Brooke is coming to visit. We'd like to go to Renaissance Festival, but the tickets are pretty pricey. I'm trying to win some on the radio, and I have some $4 off coupons, so we shall see. We may decide against it, but I sure have a good time when we go.

I hope everyone has a super fantastic weekend!

Employee Appreciation Day

My employer has frequent Employee Appreciation Days in which they have a caterer feed us lunch. Sometimes it's burgers and dogs on the grill with all the fixins. Other times it is a potato bar, or tacos, etc. Today we're having another, and it's BBQ. I think they said beef or chicken sandwiches to choose from. I'm excited!

They don't have to do this, yet they do it several times a year. Today's event has a bonus, too! We get to spin a wheel to win cash! Everyone wins a little green, but there are a couple of sweet slots on the wheel. Last time they did this, someone won $100! It's a lot of fun, and I feel blessed to work for a company that does things like this.

Kevin got a steak dinner from his job one day last week. That was pretty cool, too, but I didn't get any. LOL Dad's worked for that company for a long time, and I think they do that occasionally. I'm not sure when or why they do it, but it's nice to get a little something extra sometimes. The way things have been, though, I'm just thankful to have a job! Kevin was unemployed long enough to make me really appreciate being employed.

I'll let you know if I win big $$. No I won't. I'll be busy spending it.

Go Chiefs! Go Hawkeye!

I made the mistake of staying up until 10:40 to watch the first half of the Chiefs game. Mistake because I get up at 4. I'm doing pretty well, considering. The QT mocha doesn't hurt anything. I hadn't planned on watching any of the game, though. I just sat down to watch a few minutes and we were really doing good!

I don't mean to sound surprised, but, well, I'm surprised! I hope this is a sign of the season to come. We haven't had a good season in some time. The game made it apparent that there is a lot to work on, but a win's a win. And I got to see the awesome 94 yard punt return by Dexter McCluster for a TD. That was impressive.

It stormed last night, and is still raining this morning. I think it's supposed to rain today and tomorrow. I've NEVER seen our yard this green in September. Usually, by mid-August, it's brown and crunchy. It's nice to arrive home to that pretty yard.

We made it so the dogs can get onto the back porch. Brooke and Tim's dogs are used to being inside dogs, so we didn't want to just turn them out into the elements. Besides, we've been looking for a solution for Hawkeye during weather events, too. So they have a way onto the back porch now, but Hawkeye wasn't having any of it.

He thinks that Rayne and Ame have cooties, and he'd rather stay out in the elements than to be near them. Phooey on girls. Until last night, that is. I happened to be back there when I heard big fat raindrops hitting the deck, so I called him. He came in! He kept his distance from those horrible woman dogs, but he stayed in all night. It's so funny to watch him. He acts like Mom's dog does to him. Iris thinks Hawkeye has cooties, too.

OK, time to get back to it. I have an hour before the Tuesday meeting, and I can get a lot done in an hour!

Getting to Work Early

I always get to work early. I arrive at least 30 minutes early, and usually closer to 1 hour. I just feel better if I can get here and get things caught up before the door opens and the phones come on. Now that I'm ride-sharing with Tim, I get here 2 hours early, to get him here in time. I get SO much done in the quiet early hours.

There are a lot of folks that I work with that don't mind getting here at the last minute. That would make me nutty. I'd be in a full-on panic until I arrived, worried about traffic and such. Thinking about this today, I posed the following question on a message board that I frequent:

How early do YOU get to work? I know that some of you don't work, so when did you prefer to arrive when you did? Some of you have to be in so early anyway, I can't imagine you giving yourself too much extra time (right Sonya?) 3am? Wow.

Anyway, how early do you arrive?

Melon Belly

There's something you need to know if you ever visit this house. Anything you say can and WILL be used against you. If you mis-pronounce something? You'll be mocked repeatedly. Make a comment before you realize it made no sense? Too late. It's ammunition for the smart alecks on this house.

Today, we were eating the last of the Israeli melon, because I needed the bowl that it was in. I kept telling the kids to eat a piece when they walked by. I had more than I wanted, and I announced, "Wow, I have a belly full of melon." That's all it took.

Kevin said, "Oh, is that your blues name? Melon Belly?" Everyone laughed. Pretty soon, everyone was making reference to it. If I was going to pick a nick name for myself, I'm quite certain it wouldn't be Melon Belly.

I'm just sayin'.

Happy Friday!

It's been a long short week! I know it was only 4 days, but I'm ready to sleep in tomorrow. I'll sleep until at least 6 if I have anything to say about it. We're going to try to cram a lot of fun (with very little expense) into this weekend.

Tonight, the high school football game. Mom? If you want to go, email me. We'll come get you.

Tomorrow morning, we are going to Bass Pro and then to a little place that Kevin and Tim are itching to visit. I'll likely get a haircut at some point, and Monica wants one, too. We may grill Saturday evening. Gotta see what my aunt and her husband have going on at Mom's.


Well, there's a meeting in 5 minutes that I'm supposed to attend, so I'd better get in there!


Happy Friday!

Chuggin' Along

We had a great weekend. Brooke came to visit and brought one of Tim's friends with her. He was surprised and I think it really made him happy. She also left his dog, Rayne, up here, and we decided that her sister should stay as well. Ame has been bitten by rattle snakes twice in her life, and September is a bad time for that. Also, since they've been together since infancy, I hated to see them split up.

They're great dogs. We were wondering about the food situation, since they don't eat the same kind, but Brooke said that, if Hawkeye would change (he will...hers is better food) then she'll just buy it all. She has more dogs eating it! LOL Works for me. We made the back porch accessible to them, which will make it easier for Hawkeye to escape the weather, too. They are all getting along fine, after a day or two of posturing.

Kevin's doing well on his job, and so is Tim. It's interesting to have 3 people getting ready for work in the morning, when it was just me for so long. The girls are adjusting to getting themselves up and around. Yesterday, after Kevin woke them up and left for work, they both fell back to sleep. I spent 45 minutes calling one, and then the other, to no avail. Finally, Natalie answered. They got to school in time. Phew!

We made it pretty clear last night that they would need to mature about setting and hearing alarms, or they could go back to the bedtime from elementary school years. They did NOT want to do that. This morning, I tried to call Monica...no answer. Then I dialed Natalie...no answer. GREAT! Then, I get an email that Monica had tagged me in a photo on FB. LOL They were awake, but not near the phones. Good for them!

Since Tim has to be at work at 6 most days, I get up at 4 and we're gone a few minutes after 5. It's crazy early for my normal shift, but I get SO much done when nobody is here and the phones are off. It's nice to start the day without feeling like I'm behind. I can answer emails, check voicemails, move orders and take care of the work blog. It still allows time for me to do some "me stuff," too. LOL

When Brooke was here over the weekend, she brought some Israeli melons. I'd never had them, and the appear to be similar to cantaloupe. She said they're "gross," which made me really want to try them. I finally cut into one last night, and they're pretty good! I have some in my lunch today. There is one whole melon left, and it's for Mom. Brooke asked specifically that I get one to her. I'll take it by tonight or in the morning, since they really need to be consumed soon. Maybe I can take down her mini blinds while I'm there.

OK, back to work. This weekend will find us at Bass Pro, the ninja store, and possibly me getting a hair cut. Lots of fun stuff! This leftover hurricane rain should be gone by then. Today though? Rain all day. Green grass is lasting longer than I've ever seen this year. Sweet!

Friday Eve

It's Friday Eve!

Tim is doing great at work, but going from not working to 10-hour days is wearing him out. His job demands that he stand and walk all day, so it's kicking his butt. Kevin started his new job yesterday, and he stood all day, too. That kicked *his* butt. I had a very busy day, although I sat through most of it, but it kicked *my* butt. We were all pretty beat last night, to say the least.

Still, it's awesome to have three incomes in the house. It's going to help SO much. Kevin said that his job is not difficult, and the people are great, so as soon as his body is used to standing all day, he'll be fine. He got to see Dad yesterday afternoon, too, so I think that made him happy. He also found out that he gets to work Saturday. Bonus!

Coming in early has been interesting. Driving in the dark (and twice this week in the rain) is something I'm not used to. That usually doesn't happen until winter. Also, spending 11 hours here makes me pretty beat when I get home. However, I can get SO much done in those couple of hours! By the time my coworkers show up, I've gotten over several of the hurdles that would have been difficult once the front doors are open.

I don't work the entire time, though. I use about 30 minutes to catch up on blogs and update my own. I can check my message boards and see how the morning is going for my FB friends. When busy season hits hard, I probably won't be able to do that, but for now, it's working out great.

Tomorrow is Friday, which always puts me in a good mood. It's going to be busy, but good. After work, I'll drive home and we'll all head to the high-school football game. I'll have to leave a bit early, since I'm driving someone to Union Station to catch a train. Kevin was going to do it, but he gets to work Saturday now, and I can sleep in. LOL

After the game, Natalie is having a few girls over to spend the night for a belated B-day sleepover. Saturday, I'm taking her to buy some boots (a belated B-day gift from us) and Sunday, Brooke will arrive for a visit. Monday? L.A.Z.Y. if I get my way.

Have a great Thursday!

Sleeping Through the Storm

With my new schedule requiring a 4 a.m. wake up, I was pretty tired last night. I knew there was supposed to be a storm or two, so I set my cell phone alarm as a backup. We also let Hawkeye in, since he hates storms so much. The regular alarm went off as usual, so I woke up and showered, not thinking anything about the weather.

After I got dressed, I took the dog out and saw that the grill was lying on it's face again. *sigh* Oh yeah, storms. There was a limb from the neighbor's tree in our yard, and between our fence and the highway. Wow, it must have blown pretty hard.

Before we left this morning, Kevin woke up (to start his new job, yeah!) and I told him about the grill. He explained that the power had been off most of the night, but that he had reset the alarm. The storm window in our room was also making all kinds of racket, due to the high winds, so he had gotten up, found some masking tape, and done a quick-fix to shut it up.

Apparently, I can sleep through anything. I feel GREAT!

Good Stuff

Wow, have we had a few days of good news! Tim got hired last week to work where I work. That's fabulous and we'll share a ride and split the fuel cost. This means me leaving earlier in the mornings when he's on 10 hours, but it's worth it to cut my fuel in half. I can always have some computer time at my desk instead of in the recliner at home. LOL

Kevin had a few job prospects that he was working on. O'Reilly was one of them, and we kept wondering why they wouldn't call. They would say, "Call us in a few days." He would call and they would say, "We'll call you at the beginning of next week." I was getting frustrated. I should have just shut up and let it happen, though. Why?

He got a call yesterday from the temp place that hires for the place my Dad works. They asked him to do the drug test today and start tomorrow! WooHoo! This is steadier work and more $$ than O'Reilly by quite a bit. If all goes well, the job will hire him full-time after he does his stint with the temp service. Right now, he's on days, but they may switch him to 2nd shift later. If they do, he can ride with Dad and Dad's neighbor and split fuel with them.

Sweet!

Brooke is coming up this weekend and bringing Tim's dog. He'll be happy to have his dog here. He'll be happy to see his mom, too. Don't get me wrong. LOL I'm excited to see Brooke and hang out a bit, even though it will be a short visit.

Tim had to be in at 6 this morning, so we left at 10 til 5. I knew we could leave at 5 and be fine, but better safe than sorry, right? Well, the traffic was so light at that hour that we got here in 40 minutes! Holy Cow! That's at least 15 minutes faster than usual. Good to know. We won't leave before 5 any more. He won't always start at 6, either, so I won't have to get up at 4 every day. Thank goodness.

Anyway, we went from a 1-income house to a 3-income house in just a few short days. I just keep walking around smiling. Things are looking up! There is so much to be happy and thankful for. Now I think I'd better start getting some things done. I'm here, so I may as well start working!

It's a Boy!

Wow, it's dusty in here and there are cobwebs in the corners. Poor neglected blog. I've been crazy busy, but mostly in a good way. Last weekend was our party in OH, and we had a ball. I'm just now starting to feel normal (we got home Sunday evening) but it was worth it. Smokin' Hot Neon gained 1300 miles!

Kevin's unemployment ran out 2.5 weeks ago, and we were scared. With help again from Dad, which will be repaid today, we made it through, and the unemployment has been reinstated. It seems that things have to be edge-of-your-seat around here, but we keep pulling through. Kevin had an interview yesterday, so keep your fingers crossed.

Since Brooke and Tim were here for the party over the weekend, we kept Tim. He'll start interviewing and find a job to get established before his mom comes up. He's pretty awesome. His mom has a lot of nicknames for him, so I felt he needed one here. I tried T-dawg, but everyone laughs at me when I say it. Whatever.

Tim is 20 and quiet and helpful and respectful and fun. Funny as heck, too, like his mom. He's offered a lot of entertainment in the few days he's been here. The girls are happy that he has guitar hero, too. Bonus! As the three returning Texans were leaving Monday morning to head home, Brooke sent Kevin a text that said, "Congratulations, it's a boy!" Too funny.

Today, the girls start back to school. Monica was up and showered when I went to wake them. Natalie? Not so much. She's working on it, though. OH! She just came upstairs. I guess they'll get ready on time after all. Kevin's awake now, too, so I guess I can head to work. I was worried they wouldn't get up in time to get ready for school.

Ciao'!

A Lot of Stuff

There are things going on. 90% of them are fabulous. It's awesome. Friends, parties, road trips and such. All good things.

There are also bad things. Stress on loved ones that shouldn't exist. Life is good. They need to respect this lady like WE do. I hope and pray for nothing but the best for her. The rest of you? Whatev.

You don't matter. She does. I'm just sayin'.

Busy week

Tonight was freshman orientation (Monica) and 7th grade orientation (Natalie.) I missed both. I miss a lot of things. I guess this is a reason to be glad that Kevin is home right now. They have someone at home to take care of this while I work.

Tonight, a late customer kept me a bit after 5. A couple of wrecks on the interstate later, and I knew I'd miss being on time. I called both girls to see how upset they'd be. They were WAY more interested in seeing old friends than in what parent attended. Cool. Not the "bad mom" this time.

I came home, they were gone. I laid out what I'd fix for dinner (since they'd get home at 8, starving) and had an hour to use to my advantage. I vacuumed out my car, and then washed it. Money saved. About the time I was finishing, the family pulled into the drive. ACK! I haven't started dinner yet!

Turns out, they forgot the supplies that they wanted to put in lockers, and Dad brought them home to get them. PHEW! They left again, I finished the car, and then I started dinner. As it finished simmering, they got home. Perfect timing.

In 48 hours, I'll have a house full of family and TX friends. Friday, we leave for OH. Wow, what a week. Color me STOKED!

Birthdays, Dead Birds, and Road Trips

What a week, and the next one is going to be even crazier. Awesome, but crazy. I can't believe how little I've been online.

Kevin's birthday was Wednesday. He requested carrot cake, so we did that. He's not getting his gift until tomorrow, since it needed a ride from Carthage. It's riding with his Mom, who will be here (with his grandma) tomorrow. We both looked for this gift and she found it at a better price than I could come up with in KC.

Thursday, the fledgling swallows on the West side of the house left home too early. The cat got four of them, and one was hopping around. The girls kept moving it under the bushes and hiding it from the cat. At one point, Natalie went out and saw that the cat had gotten it. When she went to move it, it moved a bit, so she knew it was alive.

It was roughed up quite a bit and panting hard, so we brought it in and after about an hour, it started perking up. It ate a bit, lived through the night, and even pooped once, so we had hope. Friday morning, he was tweeting up a storm and still eating well and giving us hope. Friday afternoon, he just stopped breathing. They buried him under the tree in the back yard. Natalie is sad about it, but I'm glad she tried.

We have Kameron for the weekend, and Brett came to stay, too. She's napping now, as is most of the house. Kevin is changing oil in the vehicles and I'm watching some LAME movies. Seriously, they are bad.

We have a trip to OH to make next weekend, so we're staying home and not spending any money or fuel this weekend. Gotta be tight wads, even more than usual. It's worth it, though. I am stoked for this upcoming week.

Have a great weekend!

WHAT a Tuesday

Work was crazy busy, but I kicked butt and took names. I got it all accomplished, and then some. Felt good to not leave work wondering if something wasn't done.

Kevin's unemployment had stopped about 4 weeks ago. Understand that we can NOT afford to live here on only my income. There was a letter on Friday that he would get it again, including what he's missed. We were squeaking by, barely, and finally had to ask my folks for a bit of help this past weekend. Gotta love it when parents can help. (this will come into play again in another paragraph or two.) Kevin's back pay kicked in today.

Jon (my stepson) and his girlfriend came up and took Monica to Van's Warped Tour. Kevin bought their tickets in February, when things were sunnier. Monica's wanted to go forever, and she had her chance. They all had a ball, and she participated in her first mosh pit! ACK! Jon is a tall and muscular dude, so he had her under his wing. Still, I'm glad I didn't know until it was over. LOL

Today, I went to work and the others rested up, waking kind of late and recovering. Jon and Lindsey left this afternoon to head home. Before too long, I got a call from Kevin. Apparently, they're car was acting up something horrible, and they were too late for a mechanic. Also, they're pretty broke from young life and driving 150 miles to attend a concert.

Kevin drove the hour plus to Harrisonville, and made arrangements for the car to be repaired tomorrow morning. The guy even let them buy their own power steering pump instead of paying a mark-up.

Now, they're all here. We've had dinner and everyone is happy for the time being. The catch is, we're buying a power steering pump and labor for them. They HAVE to get home. They have jobs and they can't afford to do it. My folks help me, I help my kids. It's how it works.

Meanwhile, life keeps churning on, in the 102 degree heat, and we're getting by. What else can you do, other than just get by? We have a trip planned a week from Friday, and I'm really hoping nothing messes it up. I HAVE to go. Not because I HAVE to, but because I WANT to! LOL Here's hoping!

Video Blog Post-Funny Websites

Today, on the way home, I chose to discuss funny websites:

And now, I apologize for the bluetooth headset. I HATE when people go out of their way to walk around with them. They feel SO important. I should have removed that before shooting the video, but didn't think about it. Sorry. I'm not an asshat. Just tired.

Here are the links:

People of WalMart

Emails from an Asshole

Awkward Family Photos

Cats that Look Like Hitler

Please comment with more. I need a good laugh.

Video Blog Post-Do NOT Wear That!

I did a video blog post this time. I hate how my voice sounds when it's recorded, but so be it. Who doesn't?

Oh? What? You want to see the suspender girl? Oh, OK. I didn't think you'd get that far into the post. Here ya go:

Great Saturday

What a great day we had yesterday! Mine started off with a lot of driving...I picked up Kameron from her other grandma in Oak Grove. Then, we headed to Lake Lotawana to pick up Brett. I brought them home and dropped them off, only to turn around and head back that direction!

I stopped by work to fill a couple of coolers with ice, and then met my niece at a welcome center near the stadiums to get Monica. She'd been down South for a week. After that, we stopped at WalMart for diapers and to fuel my car, and headed home.

We had planned to have folks over and grill, but the forecast didn't look good. We don't mind cooking out in the rain, and sitting inside, but this was going to be a pretty large group, so we switched to plan B. The party moved to Mom and Dad's. His shop is perfect for this situation.

I'm REALLY glad we did it, too. It rained a LOT, but the evening ended with a double rainbow. Sweet!

Goodbye, Angel

It's been a great day, except for the horrible part.

I got a lot done, and did it in fine fashion. I left work and headed to a friend's house. There was a party. A party that was NOT a celebration.

Angel is gone. My friend Angel took another job. She no longer works there. She's.Not.There. What the heck???

Angel, we laughed tonight. We had a good time, right? It was a blast.

It was only after I left that I realized the true reason for the gathering. You won't be there tomorrow. Damn. I've cried until I can't cry. I don't know what to do. I'd talk to you about it in the morning, but you won't be there.

Just Damn.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

It's hot. I'm tired. Still, I can appreciate the things that made me smile tonight. The things that are paid for!

These things are in my driveway, and they're paid for.

Sweet!

Green Paint, Tenderloins, and Naps

Since we couldn't mow this morning, we stayed inside in the a/c. I know we sound like wimps, but it's so incredibly hot and humid. Mom had invited us over for tenderloin sandwiches, so we headed over there around 12:30. Dad was painting.

Dad doesn't like to waste paint, so any time he's painting a tractor, all metal around the place becomes that color. I can remember, when he was painting the Allis Chalmers, everything on the place turned orange. Tools, fence posts, everything.

Guess what? Now he's working on an Oliver. No more red stool. It, and many other items around the place, are slowing becoming green.

Natalie and I headed inside to visit with mom and avoid the heat, and we decided to watch "Marley and Me." Mom's dog, Iris, has issues with other dogs. This is a problem since she can see things on TV. I've never been around a dog that knows what's going on on the television.

"Marley and Me" is about a dog. The dog is in the movie a lot. This means that Iris spent a lot of time attacking the TV. It was really kind of weird, but funny. Poor TV has dog snot on it, now. Iris almost seemed smug when Marley died, but we won't go there.

Mom had her tenderloin assembly line set up. It was a thing of beauty. There is no way to explain how much I adore these things. They are simply fabulous.

If you've ever had a really, REALLY good one at a restaurant, this are about 3 times better. I'm just sayin'.
Soon after eating, we headed home with a nap on our minds. This house can be made VERY dark if you so desire. Natalie blacked this place OUT for us. Kevin fell asleep in about 3.5 seconds, and I realized I'd rather be in bed than in the recliner. It must have been the right move, since I woke up 3 hours later.

Wow, lazy huh? It was wonderful, and I don't feel guilty. Tomorrow, it's back to work, and I can say that I had a great, relaxing weekend. How was yours?

It's a Jungle Out There

So much for mowing. We woke up early, to try to do it before it reaches 97 degrees, and turned on the news while the coffee brewed. Weather lady was showing the radar, which showed a rain cell that had just moved through our area. Huh? We looked outside and sure enough, it's soaked out there.

*sigh*

There is a chance of severe storms off and on all day. When it's not storming, we'll have a heat index over 100 again. I understand that it's summer, and I try not to complain TOO much about the weather, but my yard is going to be a jungle.

::best voice of Carl from "Slingblade":
"Some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a kaiser blade."

Yeah, that's what I'm going to need to cut the grass out there. Or, I could adapt to the lawn care method's that the crazy neighbors use...just let it grow. It's nice, the way they set up the perfect habitat for our local mosquitos. I'd hate to see THAT little creature go extinct. Yeah. Right.

Thank goodness for a/c. I guess we'll be inside a lot again today. Later, a trip to mom's for some of her patented tenderloin sandwiches. I'm drooling already.

My Kids are Crazy

My girls are constantly doing things to make me laugh. Sure, they do annoying kid things, and leave laundry in their rooms and "forget" to rinse their dishes. That can be made less irritating by the things they do that crack me the heck up.

I was on the phone with Brooke last night. We talked for hours. Kevin was otherwise occupied with TV and Natalie was listening to music on headphones. I figured they wouldn't miss me much.

Well, the conversation went on too long to suit Miss Natalie, so she came out onto the back porch, figured out who I was talking to, and devised a plan. She started singing everything I said, Family Guy style.

This doesn't sound funny? Do it to someone for 8-10 sentences. Oh my Lord. I couldn't carry on the conversation for laughing so hard. She sang EVERYTHING I said. That is a weird thing, folks.

I'm just sayin'.

Brooke 'n Stuff

I have this friend. Her name is Brooke. We are probably sisters, but cannot prove it via any practical methods. She is SO not a girl (like me,) she hates bananas (like me,) she is horribly wrong, when it comes to humor (like me,) she loves dogs (like me,) and I could go on and on. We spent 2 hours on the phone together tonight. It's OK. We both have T-mobile, so the minutes don't count.

Here's the deal: Brooke and her son Tim are moving to MO. They will stay with us for a while. Tim will likely stay when they visit in August, and Brooke will come later...likely in January. She wants to come when the weather is most like Texas...you know, Missouri in January. Umm, OK.

Anywho, I haven't published a lot about this, because I am cautious about what people's reactions will be. Doesn't matter, really. We're talking out all of the details (rules?) and stuff, so it's gonna be all good. I've been in situations with 2 families living together, and it worked out fine. I expect the same to work here.

I do NOT talk on the phone, outside of work. I talk on the phone a lot at work, so I don't do it at night. However, when Brooke calls (or I call her) we talk for 27 hours. Or 2. Whatever. I keep the bluetooth on, she puts me on speaker, and we go about our daily business while talking about everything and nothing.

We weighed our dogs tonight, while on the phone. I was quite sure Hawkeye was fatter (heavier) than her largest dog. I win. There are other bets going on, too, and I'm sure I'll win them. I win, OK? It's what I do.

On to another subject, I have MANY guests showing up here in August. We're renting a van and traveling to OH together. First, though, they'll spend 2 nights and a day here. I cannot wait. It's going to be awesome. I can't wait. Did I mention that I'm excited? The party? Icing on the cake.

I don't like cake.

I like Doritos.

The End.

Dear Truck, We have no Money!

So Kevin called me this afternoon. I was on break, and asked what was up. Apparently, the truck wouldn't start.

Let's back up. This has happened several times in the last month or so. It won't start, we wait 10-15 minutes, it starts again, and we're off. It always happens when it's miserably hot outside. We figured that something was getting hot, and when it cooled off, it would start.

When he called today, it had been sitting over 30 minutes, and still wouldn't start. Worse yet, there were groceries in the truck! I informed my supervisor that I had to leave, and made arrangements for someone else to close the front counter. I picked him up, and he moved the gazillion groceries from his truck to my car. Seriously. Dude shopped.

Anyway, neighbor/friend Jimmy came by later, picked Kevin up, and they got it started. Something about the solenoid. I don't listen well. What?

Kevin bought said solenoid and put in on, and it started with no problem. All good, right? OK. I would think so, but neither Jimmy, nor Kevin sound confident that the problem is solved.

*sigh*

The bright side? No car payment. Two cars, no payment. I can roll with that.

Come on, truck. Just be fixed, OK?

Gas Prices

Last week, I fueled for $2.47 per gallon. I always figure my mileage when I fuel up, just so I know how the Smokin' Hot Neon is doing. A rapid drop in mileage can signal other problems, too. That makes it a good idea to check it, at least occasionally.

(Do you know that I have a friend who doesn't know how to calculate mileage? I thought that was funny, but not in the "making fun of a friend" way. I just found it funny that nobody never taught her! In case there is anyone else like that, know how many miles you've driven since the last fill-up. (the trip meter works great for this.) After filling the tank, take the miles driven divided by the number of gallons that fit in your tank. If you drove 300 miles, and your tank held 10 gallons (300/10) you're getting 30 miles per gallon.)

There. This ends my public service announcement. Back on topic now:

So, I pulled into QT tonight, knowing that my mileage won't be as good as the 38 mpg that I got last time. That had been a record for me and the SHN. We spent all weekend in city conditions with the whole family in my car, though. That car really FEELS a load, and we had it loaded. I was contemplating this as I pulled up to the pumps. I got out, and almost fainted. $2.67 per gallon. WHAT? 20 cents more than last week?

It's a communist plot, I tell you. The evil oil barrons are out to get me! EVIL!

Oh, and I only got 29 mpg.

Communists.

This week, it's back to me flying solo. Mileage will be good again. This is good news, since I'll probably be paying $5.00 per gallon by Friday.

Lots of Saturday Drivel for the Readers I Didn't Know I Had

Monica had found the perfect computer for her, in her price range. Kevin helped her find it online at Best Buy. $329 seemed like a great price. She begged us to take her last night, and I said, "Ain't no way I'm going shopping tonight. I'm beat! We'll go in the morning." I'm sensitive like that.

We have Kameron for the weekend, and she slept 10 hours, waking around 8 and behing her typically happy and fun self. The girls got up and around and we headed out. The Smokin' Hot Neon is a tight fit in the back seat when Kameron is here, but the girls love her so much, they deal with it.

We got to Best Buy and found the computer. For $349. HUH? Why is it cheaper online? They have floor models hooked to the internet, so we went to their website and sure enough, the price went up $20 overnight. Monica looked at me and said, "I told you we should have come last night." Crap. I hate when she's right.

She bought the computer, and we headed across the street to Famous Footwear. She bought a pair of Vans that she's been wanting. What do you want to bet she wears them to Van's Warped Tour? LOL Her big brother Jonathan is taking her, courtesy of Kevin buying tickets months ago.

After that, we hit WalMart to find a case for her. $30 was the cheapest one that she liked, so she decided she could live without a case for a while, and we'd keep looking around. I remembered that Big Lots had computer cases, so we ran in there. She found a REAL cute one for $10! Score! At the same time, she grabbed some new ear buds.

We hit Pizza Street, where Kami had fallen asleep and I wound up holding her through her whole nap. LOL I forgot what that does to your arms. My baby is 12, after all. Anyway, she's cute enough to make up for it, and my family was kind enough to be food runners for me.

Back home, Monica walked through the setup process on her laptop, played for a while, and saw my mother's facebook post about needing help eating a blackberry pie. Suddenly, she wanted to spend the night at Grandma's. LOL I dropped her off, and picked up Natalie's friend in the next town to spend the night.

Finally, I'm home, relaxing, watching the race, and playing with the baby. Natalie and her friend are in the guest room watching a movie, and I'm embedding NASCAR propaganda in my granddaughter's head. So far, she'll chant "GO GO GO!" at the screen, or with a little prompting, I can get a "99, 99, 99" out of her. It's working, too. Carl's hanging out in the top 10 all night so far.

I hope her mother doesn't mind. BWWAAAHAAAHAAAHAAA

Apparently, I'm a moron

So. Ahem. Yeah. So.

I have a hard time confessing when I've been a total moron. Sure: If I do some stupidly silly thing, I'll tell it before anyone else has a chance to. If I do something hugely stupid, I tend to be so ashamed that I cannot admit it.

Today, though, I found out my most monumentally stupid move EVER.

For quite some time, I've had no comments on my blog, other than Mom's. I accepted the fact that I don't post often enough, I'm on facebook too much, and everyone just got sick of checking back. OK, I'll quit blogging. Whatever. I'm OK with that, since FB is such an "instant gratification" environment. I'll live without blogging.

Today, I was looking for a certain post on my blog, from way back. I went to the dashboard (which I NEVER go to) and saw something odd. "73 comments awaiting moderation." Huh? What is that about?

::SLAPS FOREHEAD::

Oh YEAH! Back in January, I changed things so that I had to approve any comment! Mom's comments show, because she's an admin on my blog. Everyone else had to await approval. Holy crimeny! I had 49 actual comments (after getting rid of spam) that had been left between January and July.

What an idiot! I forgot I made that change! After approving them, the emails rolled in. I read each comment and felt SO good. Remo telling me that it's OK to drive with 2 feet, Russ telling me why he shouldn't have kids, many well-wishes on Sadie's passing, guesses on mom's surgery, Heather making me realize that she DOES know I exist. Oh my Lord, how thrilled I was to sit and read all of those comments.

Thank you all. I SHALL keep blogging. Maybe not every day, but certainly more than in the past. I promise to check the dashboard more often. When I made the change, I really thought I'd get an email when a comment was waiting (that's what happens with the work blog) so I just assumed that nobody commented anymore.

Also, I'm still reading all of your blogs. I don't comment enough. I will do better at THAT, too.

Thanks, blog friends. Thanks.

Happy Birthday, Mom.

My mom isn't normal.

Thank God.

My mom will tell you what she thinks, even if it's not popular. She'll tell you to buzz off, even if it makes an enemy. She is what she is. She doesn't play games, and she doesn't pull punches.

Thank God.

Mom is opinionated and stubborn. I wonder where I got it? LOL Mom says it like it is.

Thank God.

She makes the best potato soup in the world.

She introduced me to rice and raisins. She makes the best cinnamon rolls ever. She actually makes the best ANYTHING ever.

That lady can cook.

Thank God.

She is the perfect mate to my Dad. They compliment each other perfectly. She nursed Dad back to health after his heart issues, and changed everything about their food habits to keep him alive.

Thank God.

She loves her animals, her plants, and her family.

Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you!

Dear Blogger (part 2)

I don't miss you yet, blogger. I still think you are an ass hat.

I want to miss you, but I don't.

Meh.

Dear Blogger

I'm glad I got Dad's post in yesterday. Today? Blogger is being a jerk. One of those friends who you may need, but isn't willing to put forth any effort.

I tried to post about our current flooding situation. Blogger said "no." I tried again. Blogger said "no."

To heck with you, blogger. I'm all done with you. Facebook plays nice, and is instant gratification. You bring me only 2 readers. If you EVER update to facebook (I know, it's not your fault) then it's viewed 7 gazillion times. I need you no more.

I'm not breaking up with you, but maybe we should take a break.

I'm just sayin'.

Happy Birthday, Dad.

Today was my Dad's birthday. If I was a good daughter, I would have posted this last night, so he could have seen it on his birthday. I'm not, so I didn't. It's been a rough couple of weeks. Cut me some slack.

I've always loved being Dad's "right hand man." Yeah, I know. Let it go already. Anyway, I wanted to go everywhere he went, do everything he did, and laugh at everything he laughed at.

We would ride around in his truck, belting out Waylon Jennings tunes with the 8 track tape player. We sounded GOOD! I helped haul hay. I backed trailers into the barn when most girls were scared to drive. I loved my daddy, and had a good time with him.

When I was little, Dad entertained my brother and me however he could.

Here is a more recent pic of the three of us. Last year, maybe?

I asked Mom to send me several pics. I asked for one of Dad in the hospital, when I thought my Daddy was dying. She sent it. Forget it. I ain't posting that crap. Every time I looked at it today, I cried. No way, no how.

My daddy is, and has always been, Superman to me. I love you, Dad. Happy Birthday.

My Mother, the Criminal

Mom took Natalie and me to the Brad Paisley concert Friday night. It was awesome and spectacular and wonderful. The problem is, I found out JUST how much of a renegade my mother really is.

If you know her, this is going to shock you. The information I'm about to share will leave you reeling. Don't read further if you have been lulled into believing she's a quiet country girl, always doing the right thing.

I guess it started when we stopped at Hi Boy for a bite to eat. Mom told stories of walking there with my Dad when they were dating. She seemed so sweet. We got back in the car and asked, "Will this car ding at me if I don't buckle?" I told her it wouldn't and she said, "Good!" It was at this time that I realized she was spiraling out of control in her life of crime.

At the Sprint Center, they didn't look through her purse very closely. If so, I would have had to call Dad for bail. We sat down in our seats an hour in advance of the show and started chatting. She reaches into her purse and pulled out a pen. Proud of it, she says, "Look, it's a laser pointer!" or something to that effect.

Laser pointers are against the rules at concerts. I told her as much, and she acted innocent, like she didn't know. Whatever, Mom. I'm hip to your lifestyle now. She obediently put it away, though, so I thought we were OK.

I thought wrong.

As she put the pen-of-evil away, she pulled out something else. "I got this on Daily Steals, too!" she announced proudly...as she whipped out a knife. WTH, mother? I had to make her put the purse away, before the semi automatic weapon was pulled out. The weapon that I'm SURE she had in there somewhere.

Before we go back, I'll have to ask her to go to this page, and click on the very last question.

*sigh*

Happy Mother's Day

Dear Mom,

Thanks. Thanks for taking good care of us during our childhood. Thanks for putting up with us. Thanks for not killing us for our attitudes and nonsense. Look! We baked you a cake!

OK, maybe that was a long time ago. Still, we DID it, right? That was back in the days of getting off the bus in winter, opening the back door, and seeing a baby (calf, puppy, skunk) animal starting it's life. The days when you made hot chocolate for us to have at the bus stop, because it was cold. (PS, what's up with that halter top? I WORE that? Wow.)

Back when you let me have parties. When 6 or more of my friends would descend upon our house, and eat everything in sight while watching shows that you MUST have hated. Yet you allowed it, and baked special treats for us. I remember watching Purple Rain while eating homemade carmel corn with a dozen people in our little living room.

I love you. I think you were/are an AWESOME mom! Jim and I made you a grandma too soon, but that wasn't enough for me. I decided that you should be a GREAT grandma! (maybe that was Brett's decision, but whatever.)

Here's to you. Here's to the cow milking, horse riding, child raising, family feeding, animal lover that I call "Mom." Here's to you.

And here's to every pot of potato soup that you've ever made for me:

I've learned to love them all. Mmmmm, potato soup. My favorite.

Oh. Sorry. I got caught up in the moment.

The point is, I LOVE YOU, MOM!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Love,

Rachel