Life 'N Stuff

My View Today

2012-02-01T20:11:00.000-06:00

Wow. I've been challenged to another, uhhh, challenge. It's another Photo Challenge. I may do both, I may quit and do neither, or I may be sporadic, but my blog has had more attention from me in the last week or so than it's had in months.

Day one of this challenge is "My View Today." My view? Tonight? Not pretty. I was doing our tax return. How about my view on a harvest-season drive home? (Yup. I'm already breaking the rules of this one. There may be no hope for me. Here ya go:

Slow traffic, anyone?

Something Old

2012-02-01T20:04:00.000-06:00

Yeah, it's old, but I love it. It's my fuel-sippin' baby, and I wish I could drive it forever. What's this about? It's the 30 Day Photo Challenge!

Nature

2012-01-31T19:15:00.000-06:00

What is more amazing in nature than birth? My second grandchild, and first grandson, was born early this morning. I got to visit him before work. So.Perfect. Nature at it's best.

What are these posts about? Check it out here.

Inspiring Person

2012-01-30T06:02:00.000-06:00

Today's topic for the 30 Day Photo Challenge is "Inspiring Person." No problem.

Dude can fix ANYTHING with NOTHING.

Favorite Color

2012-01-29T17:19:00.000-06:00

I don't have a favorite color. I don't think I ever have, or I don't remember. I posted on Facebook about this, and had a record number of comments. Most were joking around, but some were offers of help. Mom suggested I look in my closet and see what color prevails in there. Ummm, black and gray. BORING.

Anyway, I thought about it all day and couldn't come up with anything. Finally, knowing the day was drawing to an end, I started perusing my pictures. Yup. Apparently my favorite color is brown. What shade of brown? Hawkeye brown, thank you very much.

I love this guy. Very much. With all my heart.

Something Funny

2012-01-28T08:15:00.000-06:00

I love this chicken, and I want it. It will not fit into my Neon, so I have yet to bring it home. Every time I see it, it reminds me of this. It also makes me laugh greatly. And now I am caught back up with the 30 Day Photo Challenge.

Books

2012-01-28T08:05:00.000-06:00

I took this yesterday, and it would have been on time, but then our company arrived, and I forgot. Sorry!

There are movies and CDs here, too, but this mess holds some of our books. I don't have time to read as much as I used to, but I sure do love to lose myself in a good story.

Morning Sky

2012-01-26T18:22:00.000-06:00

Cheating alert! It was super foggy this morning, and traffic was horrible. However, the fog looked JUST like the morning that I took the above picture, so there! Take the 30 day photo challenge with us!

Leaves

2012-01-25T18:53:00.000-06:00

This is the window well outside of Monica's basement bedroom. I should probably clean it out, but to quote my friend Amy, "Meh." Click to see what this is about.

Happiness

2012-01-24T07:51:00.000-06:00

Smile

2012-01-23T18:29:00.001-06:00

Day two for the 30 Day Photo Challenge is "Smile." This child can make me smile when nothing else will. Believe me, it was much needed today.

Favorite Food

2012-01-22T14:37:00.000-06:00

I can't say that I have a favorite food, so this one was tough. I decided to post one of my biggest weaknesses:

Chips of all kinds. It's one of the main reasons that I'm fat. Well, there are MANY reasons for that, but chips rank right up there. I could live without sweets for the rest of my life, but grease and salt? Nope.

30 Day Photo Challenge

2012-01-21T17:57:00.000-06:00

I challenged mom to join me in something for the next 30 days. I've seen several versions of it, and I chose this one. I'll be posting an image a day for the next 30 days, starting tomorrow. I am resolved to stick with it.

If anyone would like to join us, please let me know in a comment so I can check yours each day, too! The first day's inspiration is "Favorite Food." Wow, I'm going to have trouble picking one. :)

Hello Winter! (and other things)

2012-01-11T19:06:00.001-06:00

Just a short post, so I can avoid going a month between posts.
Winter has arrived. It's a month or two late, but it's here. The North wind is howling and making it miserably cold outside. It also makes you cuss when you get out of your car. Or maybe that's just me. It's nasty out there. We're supposed to have a blizzard tonight. Not really. We may see an inch.

I have been sans computer for about four weeks. I have some tech help getting Mom's old desktop PC back to working order for Kevin (it was fine when she put it away, not so much now) and I have a new laptop (thanks to some big love from a friend.) The girls both have new laptops that they got for Christmas, so if I can get Kevin going, we're golden. For now, he's using a mini.

If you are without a computer for a long time, it's takes a long time to catch up. I tried to get on Facebook on my phone, but it's impossible to catch it all. I had to TALK to my mom to find out what was going on. Can you IMAGINE? We had to use verbal interaction to let me know how the cows were doing. Weird.

The youngest dog, Radar, had gender reassignment last week. Well, not really, but he can no longer make babies. He's completely back to his old self now, jumping and licking and running around the house like a crazy dog. Well, he IS a crazy dog, but whatever.

OK, that's what's going on here. Back to your regularly scheduled life.

Night Driving, Computer Issues, and Busy Season

2011-12-13T20:17:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Kevin turned on his computer to find that it had crapped out. I imagine it's a virus (again) but I can't whip it this time. Yet. LOL We'll see. We have the key, if we could find someone with a Windows XP operating system disk. Most computers do not come with a disk these days. Now, we're screwed. I'll keep trying, but my hopes aren't extremely high.

Also, I don't have a ton of time. We are in full-on busy season. I have to brag that I took the most calls today. Well, it only counts the calls that ask for "anyone in customer service." It doesn't count the calls that ask for you. Anyway, the school portrait season found me off the phones a lot, so it's great to get in and do my part. It just sucks that it's dark when I get there, and dark when I leave.

I don't mind driving at night. I don't mind driving in the rain. I DETEST driving in the rain at night! The road glares back at you, the windshield is glarey (not a word? Too bad!) and people ride their brakes non-stop. I hate it, but I got home without dying, so I guess it's all good.

Now I shall relax and then go to bed. Yup. I'm tired. It was a great weekend, but I think I'm still getting back into the swing of the work week. LOL

Excitement

2011-12-08T21:42:00.002-06:00

The excitement is killing me. I have to work tomorrow, and should be sleeping. Yet, I have friends coming to see me from VERY far away, and knowing they are coming is keeping me awake.

My mind is going 40 different directions, and I keep seeing things that need cleaned. Mind you, these friends wouldn't mind if it was filthy when they got here, but I don't want them to come in to a mess! Clean clean clean!

They land in the morning, will meet me at work for lunch, and then they'll come to my house. They'll enter when nobody is home. What if??? What if there is dust on the TV stand? ACK! Dust it! What if there are dishes in the sink? Wash them!

Thanks to Kevin and Monica for helping me and not telling me that I'm crazy (much.) I simply HAVE to sleep, but I'm not sure how I'll do it. I'm EXCITED!

My Girls

2011-12-02T21:17:00.000-06:00

"Raising teenage girls is like trying to nail Jello to a tree." No truer words were ever spoken. *sigh* Lord, help me.

I think I may have a date with my husband tomorrow. I hope it's true. We shall see. I have to do some work in the morning, and I need a haircut, and we hope to be a bit selfish at some point.

And I'm going to have a couple of new grandkids within the next year, and for that I am thankful. And old. Thankful and old. That's me.

I choose to laugh. What else are you going to do? Get depressed? Nope. Deal with issues as they pop up, work as much as you can, love your family, and love your life. I love my life. Please remind me of this when I'm complaining about something, OK?

What a Race!

2011-11-20T19:31:00.000-06:00

If you don't like NASCAR, stop reading now.

Wow, what a race. What a SEASON! Tony deserved it, and I won't take that from him. I really wanted Carl to win it, but Tony had more wins, and more wins means a lot. Seriously? The race ends with a points tie? A tie broken only by the number of wins?

I sat in this chair and held my breath, yelled, sweated, and laughed. Amazing. Simply amazing.

I shall go to work tomorrow and know that, although my driver did an awesome job, Michelle's driver did better. I'll sit next to her all day, knowing that she picked this year's winner.

Watch out next year, Tony. Watch out.

She Passed!

2011-11-15T19:59:00.000-06:00

Monica took her driving test today. It's her sweet 16, and she REALLY wanted to pass on the first try. Our plan was for my dad to take her. Sunday night, I was looking over the rules and see that it has to be a parent or legal guardian. CRAP! I make arrangements at work for me to take her. She says that you can take the test in Richmond any day of the week.

This morning, as I go to the website to verify the hours, I see that they only test on Thursdays. WHAT? Oh NO! I don't let the girls see me panic as they are getting ready. The closest Tuesday testing spot was Carrollton, which is 40 minutes or so away. 40 minutes in the opposite direction of my work. Oh, and one more small detail...they don't start until 10:30. *sigh*

We dropped Natalie off at school, and headed right over. We knew we'd be painfully early, but that would allow Monica to drive around this new town, figuring things out. We arrived around 8:40. I let her drive around, giving her instructions like they would. She did great. She was freaking out more by the minute, and so was I, but we held it together.

We entered the courthouse about 9:30, and started our wait. At 10:20, the three (are they cops?) entered and told us to give them a few minutes. Monica started sweating bullets. I felt so bad for her that my stomach got upset. She asked, "What if I need to puke?" I said, "Do it before you get in the truck." That was the end of that conversation.

The ~~hag~~ lady called us in, and said, "What kind of test are you here to take?" Monica said, "Driving." The heifer mumbled the word "permit," but neither of us knew what she wanted. Monica said, "Excuse me?" Jerk-face barked, "PERMIT!" Monica dug it out and handed it over. We were told to wait in the hallway. Soon, the same ~~ass-hat~~ lady came out and asked for Monica, and said, "I'll follow you to your car." I almost cried for her, as she headed out, away from me, and away from my protection, advice, and love.

There was another mother there, who had a son taking the test for the second time. We talked about it and she helped me keep my mind off it. He is the youngest of 5, so she's done this a time or two. I wish I'd asked her name, because I'd love to thank her again. I waited ~~2 1/2 hours~~ 15 minutes, and Monica came walking back into the courthouse. She looked scared to death, and I gave her the "So?" look, but got no reaction.

Crap. She wasn't crying, and didn't shake her head "no," but she didn't nod, either. The ~~bitch~~ lady was walking ahead of Monica, looking like the stick hadn't been removed from her ass, but had been driven deeper inside. Finally, I made eye contact again and mouthed the word, "So???" She finally nodded slightly, but never smiled. She was SO freaked out.

The ~~dried-up waste of oxygen~~ kind officer told her to "work on the things we talked about," as she was filling out the paperwork. I wanted to punch her for her attitude, but I didn't have time for a ticket or arrest. I had to get to work! She finished with, "You can go down to the license bureau to get your license." I went into the hall and asked the nice 'other mother', "Where is the license bureau?" She said, "You go down by the bank with the drive-through and...oh yeah, you're not from here. You can do it anywhere." THANK YOU!

Monica wanted to drive at this point, but I had to get to work (break some speed limits) so I told her I'd drive. I ~~flew like an idiot~~ continued on to Lexington to the license place, and found the most laid back, chatty people I've ever met. Good LORD but that took forever. After that, we grabbed some McD's and I flew back home, kissed her, and jumped in my own car to go to work.

Thank goodness I didn't get a ticket. I got to work, caught up on all I'd missed (email, voice mail, orders, etc) and left at 5:15. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but I'm home and good for tonight. PHEW.

Oh, and my little baby girl is a licensed driver!

Evil Yard

2011-10-13T05:10:00.000-06:00

One morning, Kevin heard something on the side porch, and it was Radar. "How did YOU get out of the fence?" We found a place that he had dug under a gate, and figured he had squeezed through, so we filled the hole. Tuesday morning, I opened the front door to take Susie out to potty, and Radar was sitting on the front porch, staring at the door. What the HECK?

We found another hole that didn't really seem big enough, but maybe, and filled it. He got out again. I went out to walk the fence Tuesday night, and couldn't see anywhere that he was getting out. He wouldn't even try it with me in the yard. He wants to lean on me and play. I don't know what made me do it, but I pushed against the bottom of the fence with my foot. The whole back stretch of fence is loose enough that he could lean against it and get out. Yes, this is the fence that is less than 2 years old. *sigh*

I told the family that he was to be locked on the back porch during the day yesterday, and we borrowed electric fence supplies from Dad. By the time I got home from work, Kevin had most of the posts in the ground. Natalie and I strung the fence, letting Kevin do the corners, and Kevin hooked up the charger. I sent him inside to eat and relax while I watched the dogs to make sure all was well.

Almost immediately, some folks rode by on bicycles. Sure enough, Radar ran along the fence, barking. He was a distance from me when it happened, but I heard the yelp I'd been expecting. I think it got the front of his leg. He was up on the deck before you knew it. I thought he would have to get bit a couple of times before he figured it out, but he's far more cautious than that.

He didn't know what got him, but he was sure that the back yard HURTS, and he wasn't going to go into it ever again. He laid down on the deck with his back to the yard. It was kind of pitiful.

I'll have to play with him in the yard some, to show him that it's OK, as long as he stays away from the fence. He'll figure it out. Poor thing. Better scared or shocked than hit by a car, though. I would hate for that to happen.

Dang Dog

2011-10-09T06:26:00.000-06:00

Monica spent the night at a friend's house, so Susie slept in our room last night, and Radar slept in Natalie's room. Susie decided that, since she can't read a calendar, we should awake at 5:30. She's little, so she has to get creative to wake us up. She jumps on the bed, off the bed, on the bed, off the bed, etc until one of us says, "Dangit Susie!"

I let her out to potty and then decided I was awake to stay. Dang dog. However, it's nice to sit and sip coffee, enjoying the quiet of the morning. It's my weekend to work, so I remotely logged in to my work computer and got some stuff done, came back in to watch some music videos and drink more coffee and surf the 'net.

I want to get some yard work done today, so I went ahead and cut down the hibiscus this morning. That was one of the main things I wanted to do, and it was done by 7. Yes, maybe Susie helped me after all! With a Chiefs game, a NASCAR race at our home track, and more yard work to do, I think it's good we got an early start.

Thanks, dang dog.

What a Mess!

2011-09-29T04:46:00.001-06:00

Radar likes to go after moles. He catches them, too. This results in a yard full of holes. I asked Kevin to go to Dad's and get a load of dirt. My plan was to have dad dump the bucket load of dirt onto a tarp in Kevin's truck, and then I could easily transfer it into the little cart that pulls behind the lawn tractor. Brilliant!

I got home on Tuesday and his truck was backed into the drive with a load of dirt on a tarp. Perfect. Monica's truck was gone, however. I came in the house and asked Natalie if they'd gone driving and she said that they were at Grandpa's house. OK, I'll get started on my own.

I opened the shed to push the lawn tractor out and it had a flat tire. CRAP! I checked the air tank. Empty. *sigh* Calling Kevin's phone number resulted in Monica answering. I asked her to have him bring Grandpa's air tank home, and she said they were working on her truck. It had been making a noise. Fine. I'll go out there and fill OUR tank.

Kevin and Dad were working on the back wheel of her truck when I got there. The emergency brake had an issue...or something. I should really listen better. Anyway, after coming home and airing up the tire and pushing the mower out of the shed, I found out it wouldn't start. WHAT? I'm not an idiot. I know how to start the tractor. It just had no plans to start.

About that time, Kevin and Monica got home, and he tried. It wouldn't start for him either, so after ALL of that, we were stuck using a wheelbarrow! Kevin pushed the load around the yard and I filled the holes. We got done after dark. Next time, I'm doing this on the weekend and starting in the morning!

I'm a Criminal

2011-09-22T19:35:00.000-06:00

I stopped at QT after work for fuel. I don't like to go over 300 miles on a tank, and I was at 340. I put in my Pump Start card (it's a card that you use at QT so you don't have to prepay.) The pump said, "See attendant." OK. I go inside and he swipes the card and says, "This card has been deactivated." Weird. I paid with a different method and pumped my gas.

They had given me the printout of the deactivation message, and there was an 800 number on it, so I called. The lady asked if I remembered getting $24 worth of fuel at QT last Thursday. I said, "Yeah. Was it the Oak Grove location?" It was. Oh NO! I got other stuff that day! What if I forgot to tell them about the fuel, paid for the other stuff, and drove away? I'm a delinquent!

I called Kevin and asked him to check the bank account online. He found where I had written a check to QT that day for an amount that sounds like plenty to have paid for $24 worth of gas. Cool. I stopped by the bank and asked for a printout, and then went to the Oak Grove QT. I explained the situation and he started looking into it.

After a few questions were asked, he was able to pull up the transaction and get a copy of the itemized receipt. I didn't remember that last Thursday was the day that I bought breakfast, lunch, snacks for my snack stash at work, and a few other things. What wasn't on that receipt? The FUEL! How embarrassing! I told him that I felt like such a rebel.

He said, "A rebel doesn't usually come back to pay for their gas." LOL I paid for it and he said that my pump start card will be reactivated by 2:00 tomorrow afternoon. What an airhead! I'm just glad that I didn't go in there with attitude and accuse them of doing something wrong. Thanks to my buddy Brooke for warning me, "May want to check the attitude" when I was complaining to her about it, on the way to take care of it.

Two Awesome Kameron Stories

2011-09-16T19:41:00.000-06:00

OK, I've been super busy with work. So SUE me! Anyway, I have a story from last weekend, and one from this weekend, that just CRACK me up:

Story One:
Jon came up last weekend to go to a concert, and he took Monica and Natalie with him. He has to get rid of his dog because he's working full time AND going to college and she's not getting enough attention. I couldn't stand the thought, since he'll want her back in a year or two, so we said we'd take her. She cute, fun, housebroken, and fine.

He got here, picked the girls up from school, put Susie (the dog) in her kennel and left her here, all while I was at work. He was to meet Kevin in Blue Springs so Kevin could give the girls some spending money. After meeting, Jon got less than a block, and his wheel locked up. He called Kevin. Kevin went back, gave them his truck to go to the concert and called me.

I picked Kevin up after work, we picked up Kami, and came home. Kevin left again to go get the broken car. (Shout out to Friend 1 with the trailer and Friend 2 with a truck) and Kami and I came inside. We let Susie out to see how she'd do. She didn't know us, and didn't know where her person (Jon) was. I decided to take her out to potty, and Kami came along. Susie went potty and came back in with us.

I was on the phone, talking to Grammy (Kevin's mom) when I heard the door open and close. I peeked around the corner to see Kami going onto the front porch. I opened the door, told her she needed to come inside, and kept talking to Grammy. After a minute or 2, I hung up the phone. Kami said, "Hey gramma? Let's find Susie!" She said it in a sing-song voice like we were going to play a great game.

I said, "Find her? Ummm, where IS she?" Kami answered, "Outside!" CRAP! OH NO! I ran to the front door, opened it, and peered outside. Susie was over in the driveway sniffing around. I said, "Susie?" with a question in my tone, because I didn't know what she'd do. She came right to me and came inside. Crisis averted. LOL

Story Two:

Tonight, Kevin and the girls are at the high school football game. I decided it was a bit too cool for Kami (and me) and we stayed home. She settled in for a bit of Sponge Bob. Something was said on the show (I have NO idea what it was) and I thought I heard her say "That's what your momma says." We do "Your Mom" jokes at work all the time, so I thought it was funny, but wasn't sure if that's really what I heard, so I didn't react.

Two minutes later, I said something to the dog. Kami said, "That's what your momma says." I laughed, and then regained my composure. I asked her, seriously, "Who taught you that? Who says 'that's what you're momma says?'" She looked me straight in the eye and said, "Your momma."

Holy Hannah. I haven't laughed that hard long in a LONG time. After this week, I needed that. Sheesh, I love this kid.

Like Another Hole in the Head

2011-09-09T05:02:00.001-06:00

Yes. I understand that I'm out of my ever-lovin' mind. That is NOT news to anyone. If you go into this knowing that, it'll make more sense.

Jon has this dog. She's half Jack Russell, and half Chihuahua. We had another pup of that same mix a few years back, and we loved her personality. Jon is working full time and going to college, and he feels like it isn't fair to have a dog, since she doesn't get much attention.

You know where this is going, right? I told Kevin that, now that we have Radar, we can't all go anywhere. Hawkeye can just stay with my parents if we want to go away, but with another dog, those days are gone. If one of us has to stay close to home for one dog, why not two?

I also think, when Jon gets to a better place in a year or so, he'll wish he had his dog back. If she's with us, that can happen. If she goes to someone else, she's gone forever. She fully housebroken, kennel trained, and sweet as can be.

Yeah. If you wonder how bad I need another dog, just see the title of this post.

Wednesday

2011-09-07T04:44:00.003-06:00

If every day is going to be like yesterday, I'm glad it's a short week. Wow. Tuesday jumped out of the alley at me with a billy club and beat the crap out of me. Rude. I hope Wednesday is more kind.

I came home last night and announced that I'd like to spend the evening in the Mom Cave. That's my room, after I take in my computer, snacks and a drink. Usually, my cave time is alone, and I go to sleep super early. Last night, though, the girls wanted to hang out, so I let them. I got to veg out, anyway.

This weekend will be crazy. Jon and his girlfriend are coming up to take my girls to a concert on Friday night. They'll be here tomorrow night through Saturday morning. Brian and Heather are talking about coming up for the Renaissance Festival. Not sure if they'd come up Friday night or Saturday morning, but we'll have a lot of people running around.

We may as well add Kami to the mix! I guess I'll give her mom a call.

Back to Work

2011-09-06T04:48:00.000-06:00

I often feel like holiday weekends fly by too fast, and almost feel cheated when it's time to go back to work. This time, though, I feel like I got a full three days of fun out of the weekend. It's nice. We got to see my St. Louis aunt and her husband, and Brian surprised us by driving up on Sunday morning!

Kevin did a lot to the cars, changing Monica's transmission fluid and oil, changing my oil and fixing the speaker in my passenger door. I watched a lot. We also BBQ'd on Saturday, which had Kevin standing in the pouring rain grilling, at one point. That was different.

The girls and I went to the mall (ick) and Kevin got to go to a gun show. Even with all of that going on, I feel like I had a lot of time to relax. I woke up super early on Monday and watched a couple of movies. Yup. I certainly got my money's worth out of this weekend.

Now, it's time to go back to work. Lots to do before the phones come on this morning, so I better get headed that way. These cool mornings are wonderful, and it even makes my coffee taste better. How is that possible?

Staying Cool

2011-09-02T04:44:00.001-06:00

We still don't allow Radar the run of the house at night. He never has accidents, but I'm afraid he'd chew on cords or something. That means, he sleeps on the floor of our room, until 3 in the morning or so, when he asks to go outside.

It's been around 100 degrees lately, which is miserable, in case you didn't know. When Kevin goes to bed, he has to position the fan so it hits him. It's a round fan that sits on the floor, but you can swivel it up. It's like this:

Sometimes, Kevin will wake up and realize that he can hear the fan, but not feel it. That is when Radar has tilted the fan down toward him. We always get a laugh out of that. Wednesday night, he did a new one that still has me laughing.

Kevin woke up and could hear the fan, but not feel it. He grabbed his cell phone and hit a button to create some light. Sure enough, the fan was pointing down at Radar. The difference was Radar's position. He was lying on his back, his head under the bed, back legs spread eagle, with the fan blowing right across his junk!

I guess that's ONE way to stay cool.

Traffic Dangers

2011-09-01T04:41:00.003-06:00

I was on the way to work yesterday, when traffic came to a screeching halt. At the hour I go in, traffic is seldom heavy, and when there is a slowdown, it's near the city. This was in Blue Springs, barely 5 minutes into the Interstate part of my trip. I sat in the slow lane wondering what the heck was going on.

Before I could even think about what I was seeing, a wheel bounced out of nowhere and hit the SUV in the fast lane, tearing the side mirror off and banging off the side before bouncing into more traffic. It had to be inflated, because it bounced like a super ball. I was shocked beyond belief. Traffic started to move.

As we gained speed again, I was looking around for a car without a wheel. Nothing. Nobody pulled over. Nothing. That made it an even bigger mystery! I don't know if that wheel was on a trailer or in the bed of someone's truck or what. Very bizarre. Made me worried all the rest of the way in. A wheel falling from the sky could do a LOT of damage to a Neon.

Traffic Dangers

2011-09-01T04:41:00.001-06:00

Frozen Diet Coke, Dog Food, and Driving

2011-08-31T04:38:00.001-06:00

We switched to a mini fridge in the computer room, instead of the drink fridge that we have on the back porch. I think it will use a lot less electricity, and it's not out there where it gets so hot, so it shouldn't have to work so hard. I think it's going to work great, but we're still figuring it out.

We had a lot in there when I first plugged it in, and I wasn't sure where to set the temperature control. Half way wasn't cold enough, so I turned it up. This morning, my Diet Coke was half frozen. Does that make it a popsicle? I turned it down a notch and a half. We'll see how that goes.

Mom asked if we had two dog food dishes, and we do. Radar eats under the stairs on the back porch, since he likes to be in a "cave" of some sort all the time. Hawkeye's bowl is on the other side of the room. We don't leave food out all day for them. They get to eat twice a day. If they don't finish it, I dump it back in the bucket. They finish it most of the time.

I know a lot of people leave food out all day, but Hawkeye would definitely bully Radar if we weren't here, so we just don't. I make sure they get plenty to eat, but I'm not free-feeding. Maybe I should feed ME only twice per day. LOL That would get some pounds off. For that matter, eating the same thing every meal would probably do it, too, but I'm not switching to dog food.

Dad took Monica driving some places she hadn't been before, including the Interstate! He says she did well. The man has nerves of steel. I would have been a nervous wreck. She has to do it, and I'm glad she did, but sheesh. The Interstate? LOL I'm proud of her. We're 2 1/2 months from a license. *sigh* I'm old.

Quiet Morning

2011-08-30T03:45:00.001-06:00

I was in bed around 8:30 last night. Monday kicked my butt, and there was no need to keep fighting it. It was nice to tell the girls goodnight, and just turn in early. I slept great all night, too! But then, my body said it was time to get up, so I did.

It was 3:30. I tried to go back to sleep, but realized that it wasn't going to happen, so I got up and showered. After making coffee, I fed the dogs and came in to fire up the computer. It wasn't quite 4:30. This leaves me nearly 2 hours before I will leave for work. Now I remember how much I love the house being this quiet. Sipping coffee and watching the news with no pressure to hurry up and get ready is a good thing.

About feeding those dogs: Hawkeye has decided that just being the lead dog isn't enough. He has recently started bullying Radar. Kevin caught him in the act over the weekend and took advantage of this situation to remind Hawkeye that this would NOT fly. Hawkeye got the point.

Still, I sit out on the back porch while they eat, morning and night. It's the only way Radar will eat without looking nervously at Hawkeye. It's obvious that he's been bullied away from his food. Not anymore. It's only 10 minutes, twice a day, and worth it to me to make sure he gets to eat. Hawkeye could stand to lose a few pounds, not gain them by eating for two!

Speaking of eating, time to make my lunch, eat a bagel, and see what happened on Facebook overnight. Maybe, if I started getting up this early every day, I'd start blogging again? Hmmm. Not sure if it will happen, but going to bed that early sure felt good.

Shopping

2011-08-04T19:12:00.000-06:00

I HATE shopping. I really HATE shopping. However, I'll be shopping for school clothes tomorrow, and taking advantage of the no-tax weekend.

I hate shopping. Groceries, clothing, household items or anything else should be delivered to my house without me having to shop. I hate it with a passion that burns hotter than 100 suns.

However, I love spending time with my girlies. We have fun. We'll do fine. When I reach my breaking point, we'll stop. I plan to make that as late in the day as possible.

Bring on the sales?

I mean, Bring on the sales!

Control + Z!

2011-08-03T19:22:00.000-06:00

You know the command, right? The + command? Yes, that is the keyboard shortcut for

I needs me some control Z. When I told a customer a wrong price today? Control Z would have been easier than calling her back. When I spit Diet Coke on my steering wheel because of something I heard on the radio? Control Z, please.

There is no rewind button. Roll with what happens. Fix your mistakes, and move on. No need to dwell on the BS. Get on with your bad self. Make the most of it and move on.

HOW HOT IS IT????

2011-08-02T17:34:00.001-06:00

It's so hot that...

HOW HOT IS IT???

It's so hot that my car gets hotter on the highway than it does on side roads!

Let me explain. All of my life, I've known how to handle cars that overheat. You turn off the a/c and turn on the heat. Pull some of that heat off the engine and try to buy time until you can pull over. Don't get me wrong, the Smokin' Hot Neon did NOT overheat. I'm just so tuned in to my gauges that I notice a bit of a rise in the gauge. It was a bit higher than usual for the past two days.

It wasn't nearly high enough for me to panic and pull over, or even to take the next exit. I just noticed it was higher. First, I turned off the a/c. It leveled out and actually started to drop. Still not where it usually sits, but it dropped. (Understand that I was still over 3/8 of the gauge range from "hot") I just kept an eye on it and kept driving.

When I got off the interstate and stopped at a light, it went back to normal. If you are low on coolant and your car is getting hot, stopping will make it heat up that much faster. Not today. My car was happy to have a breather. It got into the normal zone and I turned the a/c back on.

It was fine all the way home. I've NEVER seen that. I'm sure someone has, but not this chick. It's hot. And now, for your cliche' of the evening:

It's not the heat, it's the humidity.

You're welcome.

It's Just a Dog

2011-07-25T19:31:00.000-06:00

Hawkeye is a big, old, overweight hair ball. He needs fed twice a day, let in during extreme temperatures (aren't they ALL extreme lately?) and we had to buy a fence to keep him from exploring the neighborhood and getting arrested.

Radar is an annoying little punk of a dog. He wants to chew on things and lick us and flop around with wet paws after digging in the water dish. He ate my blue tooth headset, and he often digs holes in my yard to get to the moles.

They're JUST dogs. Why not sell them? Why not give them away? Why not shoot them? Why not call it quits and give up on dogs? It would be SO much easier to leave town if we didn't have to worry about dog care. Why bother. They're JUST dogs.

I don't rate my dogs at the same level as my children, but they are VERY much a part of my family. Nobody is as excited to see my get home as they are. Nobody appreciates their supper as much as they do. Nobody gripes less about eating the SAME thing, EVERY day as they do.

The affection, companionship, and total devotion is at a level not found in many humans. They are everything a pet could be.

Tonight, a long-time friend sent a text to tell Kevin that it was time for his girl to be put down. He's had her for YEARS. Her medical issues were insurmountable. It was time. No more hurting. Time to go. I told Kevin, "I'll send him a text that I'm thinking about him." I was fine. I took 10 steps, started a text, and then fell apart.

The girls saw, and wondered what was up. I told them, and they cried with me. They've known Belle since they were toddlers. It's a big thing, and we know what she meant to Brian. We all had a good cry, and then I went out, found my dogs, and hugged them both.

Even the one who bit my head and licked my ear while I was trying to hug him. Even the one who left my shirt full of dog hair. Both of them.

But it's JUST a dog. Right? Just a damn dog.

I Have Frustration

2011-07-14T18:41:00.000-06:00

Life isn't that bad. We are all doing well and moving on. I still wish I could vent a bit more than I can. I am not miserable, really. I still love what I do and I love my customers. I still love most of the folks I work with. I'm just tripping up a bit on some personal issues.

I will move past them. I always do. I will move on and be the chipper person I have always been in the past. I was pissy today, and I HATE pissy Rachel. Tomorrow, it's back to me.

Monica drove with Dad today, (my dad, not hers) and did well, from what I've heard. I couldn't ask for a better teacher. He taught me, and I'm a PERFECT driver. LOL I'm proud of her, and glad that Dad said he'd step up. We are to "parenty" to properly instruct her.

Big Brother is on tonight, so I need to go finish some things, so I can sit on my ample bottom and watch my show. Can't wait to see what is revealed tonight. I hope they explain Dick's disappearance. Yup, I *did* just lose everyone who doesn't watch that show.

Riding With a 15 Year Old

2011-07-13T19:18:00.000-06:00

Tonight, I rode over to Odessa with Monica. There were a lot of firsts.

She drove that curvy, hilly, country highway for the first time.
She pumped gas for the first time.
She handled everything in top-notch fashion. (not really a first for her)
She did a McD's drive through, ordering and paying.

Dad's going to work with her on her driving, because parents tend to get too jumpy and uptight. My daddy is the best driving instructor I've ever met. If he teaches her like he taught me, she's good to go.

I didn't post yesterday to get sympathy comments, but I appreciate knowing that I should update sometimes. I'll do better.

Now it's time to watch Big Brother (recorded earlier) and unwind. I'm still struggling with some things, but I'm putting them in better perspective. I can do that, if given enough time. My knee-jerk reaction is to cut some throats and say my piece. With time, I realize that I don't need to walk through life with THAT big of a chip on my shoulder.

Nothin' Much

2011-07-12T19:21:00.000-06:00

I don't have a lot to post. Actually, I have a TON to post, but I can't do it in a public forum. Both of my readers are welcome to email me if they wonder what's up with THAT statement.

I wonder if I should delete this blog. Sure, I've wondered before and then decided against it, but seriously...shit. I can barely take time to update facebook. Blog post? About what? When?

The new puppy is settling in nicely. He ate my bluetooth headset. I'm not digging through poo. I'll buy another.

Monica has purchased the red pickup that was Kevin's. It's HER truck. Kevin has the truck that he bought from his mom. Me? Yeah, I'm still driving the Smokin' Hot Neon. We have transportation in spades.

OK, I'm out. I just can't get past the rotten crap that I need to spill, but I have friends for that. This blog is not the place. I love you ~~all~~ both, and will try to update sometimes. *sigh*

Off to the evil FB world. LOL

Blogging on the Road

2011-06-15T05:35:00.000-06:00

Our vacation started this morning. Bright and early this morning. We were up by 4 and out the door by 4:35. Of course, we had to stop at WalMart and QT, since you can't start a vacation without giving those two some money. We finally pulled out of Oak Grove at 5:35.

Within 30 minutes, we were on I-35 South. This is where we'll stay...all day. Seriously, until we're in Ft. Worth, we'll be on the same road. Seems funny to me for some reason.

You should see the inside of this car, too. I have a power inverter plugged in to the cigarette lighter, with the computer power cord plugged into the 110 and the iPhone plugged into the USB. The aux. cord is plugged into the car stereo, so we can listen to Pandora through the car speakers. There are so many cords up here that I can't get to my Diet Coke. LOL Fewer stops that way, I suppose.

So, we're on our adventure, and I just had to blog from the car, because I never have. I got to borrow an "internet stick" for the trip. I call it that because it makes my coworkers roll their eyes at me.

Tornado Devestation

2011-05-22T21:25:00.002-06:00

I was going to make a post about our family members who are hurting, devastated, and lost everything. I was going to post about how my girls are going to help. I was going to post about how horrible it is.

I can't.

Please google "Joplin, MO" and read it for yourself. Kevin's family is hurting and needing help. Please pray or send good thoughts or do whatever it is that you do.

I'll try again tomorrow.

Rain

2011-05-11T19:37:00.000-06:00

It's our spring busy season, so I have very little PC time. I read what I can, play a game here or there, and that's it. I am checking in to say:

"Rain, glorious rain, beautiful rain, wonderful rain!"

Good night.

Goodbye, Asshat.

2011-05-01T22:32:00.000-06:00

Yes, he's gone. It's huge. Facebook lit up and I enjoyed posting about it as well.

To those of you who choose to say that it's a government conspiracy to fool us and those who choose to say that we're evil for celebrating and those who say that it's not real and those who only want to start an argument because they have no life:

Do your thing. Go through life hating and being skeptical and trying to stir up the crap wherever you can. You are better than me? OK. It's not an argument that I'm inclined to get involved in. I'm sorry that you are bitter and sad.

God bless those who fight every day and night to keep me and my family safe. I celebrate when a rapist is taken off the streets. I celebrate when a child molester is captured. It doesn't make rape or child molestation stop, but it is a win.

I count this night as a win. 5-1-11. The good guys got a win. We win. I win.

Good night.

Busy as Heck

2011-04-21T19:44:00.000-06:00

OK, it's spring busy season at work, so I'm whupped. Monica is playing softball and things are kinda crazy. Not bad, just crazy.

Oh, and to four certain people? This is for you:

Yeah. I'm better now.

To the rest of you? Have a wonderful night and an awesome Easter weekend! I hope you have a 3-day weekend. (I don't.) LOL

Happy Days

2011-04-12T04:54:00.000-06:00

Kevin started his day shift this week. He's also currently working 10 hours a day (God bless OT) so he's out the door by 5, and home by 5:30 at night. It's nice to have him home in the evenings again. That puts me on morning duty, so I'm not going in as early right now, which suits me fine.

Monica's had early softball practice for a couple of days, so she has to be at the ball fields at 6:15. I take her (less than a mile from home) and come home to get Natalie up and around. It's only the second day in, but it's going smoothly so far.

It's so nice to have the windows open all night, waking up to a cool (but not cold) house. No warming up cars, no scraping frost/ice, and no miserable muttering when getting out of the car. It's sunny on my drive home and for a couple of hours after. It sure does make my mood a lot better.

The coffee is good this morning and I think I'll get to the eye Dr. this afternoon. Time for new contacts, and I'm sure I need a stronger prescription. *sigh* The annoyance of being half blind. I'd LOVE to have laser vision correction. Maybe some day. For now, I'll just be thankful for contacts.

Spring

2011-04-09T16:24:00.002-06:00

It's kinda hot in the house this afternoon. I'm beaming from the inside out just typing that.

What a long, torturous winter. Seemed like we had NO breaks in the crappy weather.

I'm happy. Oh, and we need to mow the yard! YEAH! I love mowing the yard.

All for Nothing

2011-04-04T05:16:00.000-06:00

Went to the Dr on Friday, and he spent way more time with me than I expected. He said that I need to be walking on it, and not to wrap it unless it swells too much. He also said that it could be as far as the 4th of July before I'm 100%. Great. LOL I can tell I'm a bit better every day, so I am on the mend.

Saturday, we bought a gazebo that was a really good deal. We spent about 3 hours and still didn't have it together, but it was getting close. Sunday morning, Kevin and his mom left for a Royals game, and the girls and I decided to go finish the gazebo.

It was hard, but we did it. Our arms were sore from tightening bolts over our heads, but we felt good that it was done. Dad made some strong anchors out of rebar, since the stakes that it came with were wimpy. We anchored it with the new anchors, since it was a REAL windy day, and then ran a quick errand.

When we got home, the gazebo was a wadded up mass of metal. Totally ruined. Mangled and destroyed. If it hadn't been for our fence, which caught it, it would have been in the highway, causing accidents. I wanted to cry, but knew that there was work to do. Natalie and I spent another couple of hours taking it apart into pieces of a manageable size. What depressing work!

So, I didn't even own it for 24 hours. I've wanted it for a long time, worked my butt off on it, and never got to relax in it. I should have known. Living on top of this hill means CONSTANT wind. Oh well. Live and learn. I just wish I had something to show for these sore muscles!

Stupid Ankle/Whiney Baby

2011-03-31T18:59:00.000-06:00

I keep going to bed, hoping that it'll be all better in the morning. I wake up to a very stiff ankle that I cannot walk on, and then I want to cry. Then, I find a way to gimp into the bathroom, crying or nearly crying all the way. Pop some Advil, and go on. I have 3 or 4 good hours each day, where I barely limp, but morning and evening suck.

I feel like a whiney baby, most of the time. I have to ask others to do things at work, and I hate that. I'm independent AND stubborn. My right hip and knee hurt, from limping with the left foot. My left calf is screaming, from walking funny. I'm all done with this crap.

Tomorrow morning is my follow-up appointment. I rarely attend follow-up appointments, for myself OR my kids. Seriously, I'll show up tomorrow, spend an untold amount of time waiting for the doctor, who will come in, spend 30 seconds with me, and then say, "Yup, they were right. It's sprained. Now kindly pay on the way out." Still, it's not much better, so I'll go.

I have things that I want and need to do. None of them involve ice or an elevated foot. None of them involve limping. None of them involve asking others to take an order to billing for me. *sigh*

Would somebody call the WAHHHmbulance?

It's Always Something

2011-03-25T19:30:00.000-06:00

I stole the title from Mom. Yup. I'm not ashamed, either.

Last night, Kevin was at work and Monica had an away softball game, so Natalie and I decided to have the first driveway fire of 2011. I had several boxes on the back porch and planned to use them to get the fire started.

I stepped out of the back door, holding the boxes, so I couldn't see where I was stepping. I took two steps when my left foot went off the cement. My ankle broke over and I heard a loud "pop," followed by me hitting the ground. I couldn't get up.

After 5 minutes or so, I got up with Natalie's help, and stood there, wondering if it was broken. I was eventually able to put weight on it, barely. Since I could "walk," I figured it wasn't broken. By the time Kevin got home, it was swollen and bruised and hurting worse. I still didn't go to the ER, though, because I figured it wasn't broken and I don't go to the Dr.

It got worse as the night went on, and I couldn't sleep. The weight of the blanket on my foot caused too much pain to get to sleep. I figured I was pretty well screwed at that point. I managed a few hours of sleep, and when I woke up, my first thought was, "Uh oh."

I couldn't even get out of bed to go to the bathroom! Kevin got some too-big crutches from downstairs and I made it to the bathroom, and then we assessed the ankle. Yup, it was time to get some X-rays. We got the girls off to school and headed in. Kevin wouldn't let me drive, although I think I could have done fine in the truck (my car is a manual transmission...clutch=pain.)

I was at the hospital for about 2 hours, all together. She manipulated the heck out of it for X-rays and caused me to get horribly close to tears. The final word was no breaks, just a bad sprain. Fine, put on an air splint and send me on my way.

At work, I couldn't use crutches. You can't carry things and use crutches at the same time, so I had to hobble and limp along. At least I was only there 6 hours, but I could feel the splint getting tighter and tighter. I propped it up on my trash can when I was at my desk, but I couldn't avoid walking completely.

Kevin and Monica picked me up at 5 and we stopped at Applebee's to redeem a gift card. It kept hurting worse and worse. After finally getting home, we propped it up in the recliner and took off my sock. Uh oh. Maybe I did too much today. It's bruised all the way around and swollen. Yup, I think I'll be doing a lot of sitting this weekend.

Hump Day

2011-03-23T21:27:00.000-06:00

I had a horrible day today. Well, mostly this afternoon. It's all handled, now, but it was REALLY rough going for a while. I was more than happy to run out of there at 5!

Fund raising gigs cost a lot of money and take forever to get the product back. However, it's sweet to get a little surprise when you get to work. Workmate Emily announced this morning that the cookie dough was in. "Did I buy any this time?" Yup. Two tubs. Sweet!

Guess what my family had this evening! Yup, triple chocolate cookies and M&M cookies. Happy sugar freaks. Plus, now Emily has to buy overpriced crap from MY kids! Win/win!

Back To Work

2011-03-20T21:03:00.000-06:00

It was a fabulous weekend. I have no words.

Fish faces all around!

I Love Weekends!

2011-03-19T08:14:00.001-06:00

I know I haven't posted for a long time. I'm getting nagged about it, too. It's been kinda crazy, though.

I took a trip to Texas for my birthday. It's something I wouldn't have done on my own, but Brooke decided she'd take matters into her own hands and fly me down there. I left after work on Wednesday and spent 4 glorious days in the warm sun. I got to see David and Susie's river place, which is where the annual party (a gathering of our message board friends) will be this year. It's beautiful there.

I left the 80º temps to board a plane at 6 in the morning and land in Kansas City where it was snowing and 30º. Got to the airport to find a flat on the truck. Talk about a rude welcome home. Worked this week and made it to the weekend. It's going to be a GREAT weekend, too!

In about 30 minutes, I'm going to get Dad, and we'll go pick up my car. At last! Dad's been awesome to let us use his truck for two weeks. If not for that, I don't know what we would have done. It's also made us thankful for good fuel mileage. Dad's four wheel drive chugs gas like Charlie Sheen chugs...oh, sorry. Anyway, I'm getting it back and I can't wait!

Tonight, Jonathan is coming to spend some time with his Dad. I'm excited about that, too. We'll have Brett and Kami come over to visit with him, and Kevin will take him shooting at Dad's place. They are a couple of gun nuts, for sure. Mom's agreed to make potato soup tomorrow. Jon wanted potato soup, so I said, "No problem!" Then he said, "Like grandma Wood makes?" Oh. Umm. I can make the soup, but I can NOT make it like mom does. LOL

OK, it's almost time. Gotta go get my ride! The guy said that the timing was just a touch off, too. Not only does that explain the idle, which I thought was just part of the car's personality (LOL, I'm an idiot) but my mileage should get even better, I think. I get an average of 35 mpg now. It's a happy day!

Poke!

2011-02-26T17:14:00.001-06:00

Monica crouched down in the hallway and said, "Boo!" when Kameron found her. Natalie ran to the kitchen and did the same. It was quite a game, until Kameron changed it. She decided that each time she got to Monica, she'd poke her in the nose and say, "Poke!" Between how funny her voice was when she said it, and the sound of Monica's hysterical laughter, I had to stop taping. My giggling was starting to shake the camera.

Here Comes the Cold-Want Some Homemade Food?

2011-02-22T19:31:00.000-06:00

It was beautiful last week. Pretty good over the weekend. Tolerable yesterday. Better today. Will be nice tomorrow. Let's stop there, because Thursday's forecast makes me want to kick a puppy. LOL

The girls are doing better tonight. They didn't kill each other, and didn't even look like they wanted to. Win!

When Kevin was not working, he had dinner done when I got home. It was fabulous. When he worked days, he got home before me and had dinner done when I got home. It was fabulous. He took care of dinner during the week, and I would cook up a storm on the weekends. Big breakfasts, big dinners, and several things to help with lunches during the week.

Now, Kevin doesn't get home until 9. That means that I get to come home and start dinner, and we hope to eat by 7. Then there are dishes, etc. You know, the stuff that mothers do every night of every week. That's what I'm doing, and that's fine.

However, when the weekends come, I don't WANT to do all the extra cooking. I don't make the giant batch of tuna salad. I don't cook ahead. I just can't find the joy in doing that, after doing it all week after work. So, I was pouting in the kitchen tonight (I have to stay in the kitchen while the oven is on, don't ask) and feeling sorry for myself for not getting a cooking break.

And then it hit me: I have food to cook. I have a family to cook for. I have appliances to cook with. I have a warm house in which to cook. I feel like a total TOOL for feeling sorry for myself. Life is good. No, life is GREAT! This weekend, I will cook up a storm for these people that I love. Yup. That's the plan. I hate it when I get whiney, but I love it when I get smacked in the head with reality enough to appreciate what I have.

So Tired

2011-02-21T20:01:00.000-06:00

Does the Calgon thing work? Does it REALLY take me away? I need that. Yeah, I need Calgon.

Help. Send help immediately. Tell them, when you call, that I have two teen-age daughters. They'll understand.

Sorry, Mom. Sorry for everything I said and did between the ages of 10 and 30.

I'm sorry.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T19:42:00.000-06:00

I read this post tonight, and realized that I could have written it. We don't "do" Valentine's Day. Maybe a card here or there, and a special "I love you" but we just don't go all out. I love to see cut flowers, but please don't buy them for me. If someone gives them to you and you want to regift, sweet! I just can't spend my bill money on flowers that are three times the normal cost.

I woke the girls and then went to work. Kevin took the girls to school and then went to work. Tonight I came home and started dinner. When it was done, I finally got to relax (13 hours after I left home.) Kevin isn't even off work yet. He'll be home around 9.

We've been together for over 16 years, and this is our 15th V-day as a married couple. Nobody has crazy expectations. We just go on as if it were any other day (it is, right?) and keep going to work each day, doing what needs to be done.

Am I whining or sad? Heck no! We're in a better place than we've ever been. I could make a laundry list of things I wish he'd do, but his list for me would be even longer. However, we're content and in love and we keep on keepin' on.

I love him.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Feels Like Spring!

2011-02-13T19:36:00.000-06:00

It's amazing what a warm day will do for a person's spirits. I was sitting around this morning, contemplating what to do with the sun shining, when an ad came on TV for the Lawn and Garden Show in Kansas City. That's not anything I would typically get fired up about attending, but I immediately thought of Mom. Yup, she would enjoy that, and I'd get out of the house and into the sunshine.

It was cool when we left her house, but the sun was shining brightly and we headed out. The first stop was to drop Kameron off with her dad. When I got out of the car there, it was a bit warmer. Arriving at the American Royal brought temps even a bit warmer, although the breeze was kind of cool.

The L&G show was typical. Some fun things to see, give aways to sign up for, and fancy patio setups to be jealous of. We saw the whole thing and got a few freebie samples of stuff and some brochures of other stuff. When we left, it was darn near perfect outside.

We stopped at Aldi, since I needed groceries and then it was Happy Hour and Mom was buying! WooHoo! I never knew mom could drink that much! Every day is an adventure, huh?

Ramen Troubles

2011-02-12T17:39:00.000-06:00

Kami wanted Ramen for dinner. I went out to see what we had, but all that is left is the spicy kind. Hmmm. No problem. I boiled some egg noodles with chicken bullion in the water and she likes them just fine. Win!

Heart Health Awareness Month

2011-02-12T08:36:00.002-06:00

I Live in a Crazy House

2011-02-10T21:23:00.000-06:00

I came home with Papa Murphy's pizza to cook for dinner. I brought it and some other stuff in. Nobody was around. I made another trip to the car to get the WalMart stuff from this morning's stop, as well as my computer, etc. I brought that in and still saw nobody.

The dogs were out of food and water. The dishes hadn't been done. There were 8 Diet Coke cans on the counter, waiting to be crushed. The trash cans were still by the curb. I wasn't happy. I fed and watered the dogs, told the girls to DO something to help out, and started dinner.

Monica wants to have a friend over tomorrow night, but has no way to get here. She could come over after school, but there are no adults here, so I said "no" to that plan immediately. I offered to pick her friend up after picking up Kameron tomorrow night. *sigh* OK, fine.

Natalie is planning to spend the night with a friend after school tomorrow for friend's birthday. She'll ride the bus there. I asked if she'd packed yet, and she hadn't. *sigh* She packed, and said that she didn't have a gift. Umm, OK? I started calling Kevin about 2 minutes after he got off work. No answer. I tried and tried for over 30 minutes. Nothing. *sigh*

Finally, he answered and said that he forgot to take his phone off the silent mode. It was too late. No more towns on his way home. I told him that I'd get up at 4 in the morning and go to OG to get a gift card or something. He said that he could drive South from there and get to OG in no time. Thanks, Kevin.

Natalie wanted to get B-day friend a piñata. What? Yes, last year, her piñata didn't measure up, and Natalie offered to bring one to this year's party. Umm, no. You're not toting a piñata to school, on the bus to a friend's house, and making that your gift. No. How about an iTunes card? Oh, she has no internet. Umm, OK, it's a WalMart gift card in a greeting card. Done. *sigh*

Kevin's on his way home. He has birthday swag, although it's not a piñata. The night is crazy, and normal. Normal for here. Nothing is ever normal. Nothing is ever easy. At least I get to pick up Kami tomorrow and spend some quality time with her. She's not crazy yet. Give her time. She'll join the rest of us in the insanity soon enough.

*sigh*

Home

2011-02-08T20:15:00.002-06:00

Great trip.

Great show.

Great customers.

Great weather.

Great to be home.

Great to have laundry done.

Great bed.

~~Good~~ Great night.

Setting Up the Booth

2011-02-07T06:24:00.001-06:00

I made a video of pictures we took setting up the booth from beginning to end. I put it on Facebook, but thought I'd put it here, too. The first picture shows a PVC pipe that we ship a display thing in. The freight company totally destroyed it. I took that picture to show the freight company, but thought it would be fun to leave it in.

The weather is beautiful here in Columbia, SC. Tomorrow, we'll go home to snow. *sigh* Oh well. It'll still be good to get home. Now it's time to go down to breakfast and do another set of trade show hours.

Snow-Day Poem

2011-02-02T21:17:00.000-06:00

A facebook friend posted a short, one-verse poem about snow being cleared, so I felt the need to post my OWN poem. I did, and I'll copy it here:

My husband cooked my dinner,
And my father cleared my drive.
Forget the snow, forget the cold
It's great to be alive!

My house is warm, the family safe,
My job keeps bills at bay,
I swear I'd never want to
Have it any other way.

Sheesh!

2011-01-31T21:19:00.001-06:00

Stupid snow. Stupid winter. Stupid stupidity.

Whatever. I want March, OK? Can we skip February?

Thanks.

More Snow Coming

2011-01-30T18:43:00.000-06:00

If the predictions are right, we could get another 8-14" by Tuesday afternoon. Tomorrow morning's commute will start us off with freezing rain. That makes me sangry. Perfect attendance is very important to me, since it means a good bonus at the end of the year, that we usually use for Christmas for the kids.

I pride myself in driving the 40 miles each way regardless of the weather. I have a car that can do it, and I allow extra time and drive smart, making it in when those who live fewer than 10 miles away don't. It's a pride thing in many ways.

Still, I'm not stupid. I won't risk leaving my kids motherless because I have to prove a point. For that reason, I've packed a bag to take along tomorrow and Tuesday. I think I'll be able to get there just fine tomorrow, but getting home may be tricky. If the roads are impassible and wrecks are everywhere, my butt is staying at work.

I don't want to stay there, but I also don't want to die. I have diet Coke and emergence groceries packed. I'll have everything I need to stay put, but I sure don't want to. I love where I live, but in times like this, it can be a pain in the butt. Worth it in the long run, though.

One last complaint: I don't want the kids to have any more snow days. This week could potentially bring 3 or more, keeping them in school past Memorial day. With Monica's job starting in June, that would cause conflict. I'm trying not to borrow trouble, though.

I'll just take my suitcase, and hope to bring it right back home tomorrow night. Where I'll sleep in the house with my family, as it's supposed to be.

Yogurt Time!

2011-01-29T21:30:00.000-06:00

I know I posted this on Facebook, but here it is again.

Who's Grounded?

2011-01-26T19:58:00.000-06:00

When you ground your child, who is really grounded? It's a week this time. That's a LONG time to be grounded. For me, that is.

I've already faced the "I thought a week meant 5 days" argument. I've also dealt with the "But it wasn't TOTALLY my fault!" argument. *sigh*

Yes, folks. I'm grounded. Until Monday. Please send wine. (Not "whine." I have plenty of that.)

An Early Birthday Surprise!

2011-01-25T19:44:00.000-06:00

I'm going to Texas for my birthday! Woohoo! Brooke tried to surprise me, communicating only with Kevin and a friend or two. It wasn't working. How can I leave for 4 days without knowing until the time comes? What if my vacation had been denied? LOL She tried hard, but finally had to tell me.

I quickly arranged for a couple of days off and a 1-hour early knock-off and it was all set. I'm going to TEXAS! I get to spend four glorious days with my Texas buddies, Brooke and Susie. Oh yeah, and David. LOL Sorry, David. There is going to be a lot of girl-business in your house. I'm so excited I can't contain it.

Yes, my dear friend bought a round-trip ticket on Southwest for me to fly down and visit. Yes, I have some cool friends.

Is it March yet?

Weird Saturday Evening

2011-01-23T09:08:00.000-06:00

We left around noon yesterday to do some errands. I dropped the girls off at the mall and met Kevin (he worked a few hours) at WalMart. We got what we needed there, and then he went to Oak Grove and I went to Aldi for groceries. Kevin beat us home, and as I pulled into the drive, he came out onto the side porch and announced that we had no water.

I posted to Facebook, wondering why, and sure enough, I got an answer. Works every time. Turns out there had been a water main break in town, and they turned off the water to fix it. *sigh* Mom lives 2 miles away and has a well, so we have access to water, but we thought we'd wait it out and bring some snow in to melt. Things like that become an adventure around here.

I walked away from the kitchen, leaving Tim alone with a cooler full of snow. When I came back, I found this:

I laughed and took a picture, and then walked toward the bathroom to find out what I was hearing:

It was Natalie, using the hair dryer to melt snow.

When I started wondering what was taking the snow on the stove so long to melt, I got my answer:

Yup, Tim was watching the pot! It'll never boil, now!

So now our water is back on, but we're under a boil order until further notice. I guess they do that when the lines have been drained. I thought we'd go to mom's this morning and get some water, instead of boiling, until I looked out the door at my car.

Another 2 1/2" on top of my car? How long 'til spring?

Drama. Always With the Drama.

2011-01-21T20:13:00.000-06:00

There is, once again, drama on the message boards that we frequent. There seems to be drama from time to time. The majority of us get together once or twice a year and have a grand old time. Some feel the need to beg for or DEMAND the attention that drama brings.

I suppose that's true for any large group of people. If you work outside the home, you know who the drama queens or kings are. If you attend church, there are likely drama-driven people there, too. Remember high school? Drama. A large group of people = a bit of drama.

How do you react? At first, I get defensive or mad and spout something off. Then, I realize that I've been baited and I just shut up. Shut the heck up. Watch it play out. Why get involved? Hate and anger sucks up a LOT of energy. I'm too lazy for all of that.

In the last couple of days, I've insulted friends of two different acquaintances. Not on purpose, mind you. It was me being honest and not knowing the level of friendship that was there. One person handled it perfectly. She told me that she was fabulous friends with the other person and hoped that I would understand her point of view. I did, and I appreciated the candor.

The other decided that she was all done and couldn't be around people who disagreed with her friend. She just couldn't read any more about her friend being bad. I'm sorry. You don't have to like all of the people that I like, and I don't have to like all of the people that YOU like. We are ADULTS!

It would be laughable if it wasn't so sad. I pity folks who have no interaction (or so it seems) with other humans, outside of the internet. Get out of the house. Go to work. Meet people. Go to a coffee shop. Go enjoy McDonald's free internet. Take a walk. Say hello to neighbors.

Seriously! Let's all move along. I love my online friends VERY much. You don't have to like my friends or my family. It's OK. My IRL friends and family, though? Yeah, I have to say that I love them more. You don't have to like them for us to communicate. I like them just fine. I love them.

How Long is my Commute?

2011-01-20T07:16:00.000-06:00

I have no idea how long to allow for my commute lately. Tuesday morning, it was icy so I left at 6:30, since I have to be at work by 8:30. I was late.

Last night, it dumped 17' of snow on us. OK, it was more like 8", but whatever. I set the alarm for 4:30 and planned to leave at 5:30. Kevin cleared my car off and I hit the road at 5:20. I pulled into the parking lot at work at 6:40. Are you kidding me? That's only 20 minutes longer than usual.

Here I am, at work, ridiculously early. Oh well. Better than late, I suppose. There's a chance of a bit more Friday, and some accumulation on Sunday. This is the most winter-like winter we've had in a while. What happened to global warming?

I'm SO Mad at my Mother!

2011-01-18T19:39:00.000-06:00

I can't take it anymore. I can't hold it in. She's just gone too far this time.

I had a REALLY rough day and needed to blog about it. I needed this, and she didn't even take my feelings into consideration.

What did she do? Oh, how could you even ASK me such a question. She's just beyond help this time. I mean, how DARE she?

As I came to my blog, I didn't know what all I'd say, but I was certain that the title would be *sigh*.

Dangit, Mom! That was MY title!

*sigh*

Most Depressing Day of the Year

2011-01-17T06:28:00.000-06:00

I read that today is the most depressing day of the year. I know that January is always the hardest for us, and this year is proving the same. We have to buy propane this week and my $6 car problem turned out to be a $140 problem. Surprise!

It's like this every January. That helps, in a warped sort of way. Knowing that it's "normal" for things to feel like they're falling apart keeps us from feeling like they won't get back together. They will. It's just miserably cold and the days are short and the money is, too.

As long as we recognize this and keep chuggin' along, it'll be fine. The days are getting longer and the cold can't last forever. Right? It'll be warm again one day, right? When I'm having a rough time, though, trying to keep my spirits up, I spend a Sunday like this:

Yup. That'll raise your spirits!

Technology Today

2011-01-13T19:51:00.000-06:00

I am amazed. I don't have a huge house, but my wireless router is at the other end of it. I am at THIS end of it. I can go into my room, shut the door, crawl under my electric blanket, and surf the internet. It amazes me.

The door is shut. There are two walls and a bunch of people between me and the router. There is furniture, TV and sound system signals, cell phone calls going on...all between me and the router. Yet, I can surf the internet, annoy people with my games (You DO know how to hide the games, right?) and check on my friends and family.

Don't laugh too hard that it amazes me. I still don't understand how an old-style, wired telephone works. I talk into this end, and someone across the country (or in another country) can hear me in real time, and I can hear them, too. I don't get it.

I can plug a tiny little ear piece into my ear and place my phone above the sun visor of the car, and talk to my friend Brooke all the way home from work. I don't have to take my eyes off the road. I don't have to worry about holding the phone to my ear. I just talk, and she answers. It's so cool.

I have a dish shaped thing on my roof. It points SSW, and it fills my house with TV, movies, music, and almost any entertainment I could ask for. How does something THAT far away in space offer me an escape after a long day's work? I don't get it.

For that matter, how do I put my debit card (just a rectangle piece of plastic) into a gas pump and have the gas pump tell me that there is, indeed, enough money in my account to put gas into my car. I don't have to go inside and talk to anyone, or freeze and slide on the slushy, post-freeze parking lot to offer some form of payment. I insert my debit card, pump some fuel into my tank, and get on my way.

Do NOT get me started on instant messaging!

I am amazed and thankful. Shout Out to all of my out-of-state friends. I haven't paid long-distance charges for a phone call in YEARS! The cell phone minutes, instant messaging, email, message boards, and facebook as taken care of THAT.

I'm happy. Amazed and happy.

No New Pets

2011-01-12T21:38:00.000-06:00

My phone rang as I was driving home from work. Thank goodness for bluetooth. I answered...

Monica: "You know Bubba's friend Danielle, who goes to KU?"
Me: "Yes?" (only barely remembering the name...)
Monica: "So, she has a hedgehog that she's looking for a good home for."
Me: "No. We're not getting a hedgehog."
Monica: "But he's cute and I'll do EVERYTHING to take care of him."
Me: "We're not getting a hedgehog."
Monica: "He's nocturnal, so I won't have to do ANYTHING during the day!"
Me: "No, We're not getting a hedgehog."
Monica: "But, Mooommm! He is SO cute!"
Me: "Ask your Dad. I am driving and I gotta go."
Monica: "OK, thanks Mom!"

LOL. I'm evil. Still, I'll sleep fine tonight. Hedgehog free. Kevin's new (later) shift may work against him. BWAAHAAHAAHAAA

Winter Wonderland - Bah!

2011-01-12T07:35:00.000-06:00

The roads are finally mostly clear. Of course, I had to start taking an alternate route to work, since the George Brett Bridge is being redone. This really messes with my mojo. I guess I should have spent part of the last 7 1/2 years checking out alternate routes, but I didn't. For you local folks, 50 (350) hwy is the logical route to take, but there is ALWAYS a wreck and a backup that way, so no thank you.

But I got here, and the new route won't be too bad. I think our temps will actually make it up to 30 by Saturday, so if the sun shines, the roads will finish clearing off. I know that everyone is sick of hearing about weather, but it is SO miserably cold. Wind chills around -20º this morning. That is just stupid cold.

I hate cold. I'd rather be sweating in the middle of August than cold in January. I get cold and can NOT get warm again. I love my electric blanket, but I don't think it would be wise to bring it to work. It would be nice, but customers may look at me funny, trailing my power cord around with me everywhere I go. Makes me giggle to picture it.

Anyway, if it has to be miserably cold, at least it's pretty. The snow makes everything look so clean. It's bright and cheery. When it melts, everything will be brown and dead looking again. I wouldn't mind if the snow stayed on the ground for a while.

I had a laugh out loud moment on the way home, yesterday. I got in the car and headed out, snaking my way through Raytown, looking for my new route. My windshield was filthy, so I hit the sprayer. The spray came out and arched over the hood ahead of me! What the heck? I pulled over into a parking lot and saw that there was ice over the nozzle, deflecting the spray in the wrong direction. I hit the ice patch and removed it and all was well. Still, the moment that it happened, my jaw dropped and then I started laughing.

OK, that's my check in. My commute is almost down to a normal time now. No more 2 hour drives. Oh, and a word to the wise: If you are going to be stuck in your car for 2 hours in traffic on bad roads, do NOT drink a huge mug of coffee followed by a Diet Coke. Bad.Plan.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

2011-01-02T18:54:00.000-06:00

It's back to work for me tomorrow. It's been a great four days off, in spite of the coughing. I still don't feel bad, and the cough is getting less frequent. Only thing that "hurts" is my diaphragm from coughing. LOL We were totally lazy today, and ended the day with some junk food. Left over chili on fried tortilla's. Yum.

Kevin and Tim changed the oil in Tim's car yesterday. It's ready to roll, now. He can start looking for a job in nearby towns. Monica spent the night last night, and will again tonight, at Brett's house. She's enjoying extra time with Kameron. The Chiefs game was disappointing, but the Colts/Titans game was exciting to the end.

Now, we'll watch some Undercover Boss and my Sunday night shows on ABC. Back to normal tomorrow. No more paid days off until May. *sigh* The first weekend in February will be my annual trip to South Carolina for a convention. It's the only one I'm going to this year, so far. Something may get added later, but for now, just the one.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

New Year's Eve

2010-12-31T20:58:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-30T07:43:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-27T21:27:00.000-06:00

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!

2010-12-26T05:21:00.000-06:00

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!

2010-12-24T06:59:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-08T07:51:00.002-06:00

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

2010-12-02T07:06:00.003-06:00

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

2010-11-28T18:31:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-21T14:40:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-21T10:49:00.002-06:00

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.

2010-11-19T19:03:00.003-06:00

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

Calgon, Kit Kat, Southwest and BK

2010-11-17T21:24:00.003-06:00

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

2010-11-16T19:01:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-11-14T19:04:00.004-06:00

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

2010-11-14T17:42:00.003-06:00

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

2010-11-13T11:41:00.002-06:00

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)

2010-11-06T21:59:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-05T21:47:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-10-26T05:15:00.002-06:00

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

2010-10-24T16:57:00.002-06:00

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.

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.
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.
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.
The weather has been amazing. it has afforded us many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors before winter comes and shuts us inside.
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.
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.
I have a comfortable home with all necessities and many luxuries. Wireless internet, DirecTV, and Diet Coke, just to name a few.
My parents are healthy and happy and can join our weekend fun. Mom feeds us from time to time, too. Bonus!
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.
We have four kids who are all healthy, smart, loving and kind.

Animals on the Move

2010-10-21T06:07:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-10-20T06:02:00.003-06:00

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!

2010-10-14T18:09:00.002-06:00

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.