Endings

As year endings go I think this one is one of the saddest for me. The person I've considered a best friend for a long period of time has been changing and showing aspects of her character that I just have a hard time over-looking or accepting. And while I know that part of being a friend is accepting and understanding I'm about at the end of those particular attributes. I feel like a battery that has been drained over the past year and I never get a re-charge. So as this year changes into a new year I think I'll let this best friendship change into a different kind of friendship.

It's sad, but I think on the other side it will be much healthier for me. *sniff

Comparisons

Bre and I at about the same age. Yeah, I'm stylin' that 80's Farrah 'do. But there's some resembelance there.

what ifs

Ever had those what if moments?

I recently reconnected with a college friend. He was probably my closest guy friend in college. The one that nothing romantic ever happened with and when you look back you wonder why and realize you probably were a dumbass for not going there. :)

Anyway, we were reminiscing the other day and we both laughed that we'd never even kissed. Which is probably a good thing because we've fallen back into that easy comraderie. But after the conversation if made me wonder "what if".

Not that I wouldn't want to be married to Rob. But it's strange how something as small as a kiss could have changed my path. Makes me wonder about all the little decisions I made without knowingly making them that lead me here.

He did make me laugh and feel good when he said he could remember the day we met at Teke Beach. I had on a yellow bikini (I have no idea if that's even correct) and he had to go get in the lake. *snort Those were the days. Sadly, Teke Beach is no longer there. It fell to the progress of a 4 lane highway. *sniff

*groan

I ate too much over the last 4 days.

I am only about a third of the way done on Christmas decorations.

I have put off errand running for far too long.

I need a haircut.

I think that's enough groans for one post.

*sigh

Political/Religious post to follow - Beware.



The following is an excerpt from an email from a family member to Bre -

Bre - what I would like for you to do is get involved with a Bible believing church. If that pastor is up on the agenda of the present administration he may enlighten you. Usually a family member won't be believed and it takes an outside person to turn on the light of truth. I will be praying that you will be strong enough in the Lord to be able to see what is taking place in what will be the "New World Order" that Obama will be president of one of these days. If you were a student of the last book of the Bible "Revelation" and the teaching of the "End of Times" you would be able to understand and see that Obama is going to be very much a part of the beginning of the Tribulation."

It goes on, but isn't that enough to make you shiver? This is coming from a close and usually rational, Baptist-going family member.

She called me - upset. After we talked she sent back a reply that simply stated she did not want any further emails either religious or political. So far so good. It'll be interesting to see how Christmas goes.

*sigh

I told you so...

That is a phrase that is very hard NOT to say. Every fiber in my body wants to scream it out loud. But I won't. I may have to write "I won't say I told you so" 1000 times each night, but some how I will not say it.

I stayed away from the Parents abode for most of the week. Yes, it was mainly to establish the fact that I will not be helping out with the puppy. But we went over there this weekend and Lord love a duck but that puppy is going to make my mother's life miserable after the SIL leaves.

Being the person that is the one that always helps, I had to bite my lip numerous times when I found myself on the verge of offering to take the puppy out, or hand the puppy to my mother, or help clean up a piddle spot. But I stood strong. Yes I did. And I even snickered when Mom stepped in an accident. Granted the accident was tiny - the puppy is tiny. But it's going to get bigger, mark my words. *evil grin

But you know, it's proven to me one thing. I've babied my mother in the past two years and I'm going to start not telling her "to go sit down, I'll do so and so", if she's good enough to get a puppy she's good enough to do other things. So this puppy might not be a good thing for Mom but it just might be a good thing for me.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good

Ok, so I'm tired of going after jobs that tell me I'm not worth what I say I'm worth. Or, think they can get me for a song and a dance because I'm unemployed.

So...

I made up some business cards and went to a seminar in Dallas. Where I networked my ass off. I'm now home with not one but two dentists that I'm now doing billing for, plus a contract that I'm about to sign to do some contracting consulting work - about an extra 1500.00 a month.

seminar - 0.00
cards - 10.00
gas - 30.00
room - 69.00
re-employed - priceless

The Bad

My mother is 2 weeks out of hip surgery. My brother "surprises" her with a puppy while I was gone. Have Shitzu, half poodle. I told them I hope they were prepared for SIL to stay until puppy was potty trained because I wasn't taking that on, and I don't see how mom is going to do it. Idjits.

The Ugly (in a cute sort a way)

The puppy. It is cute, but I'm not going to admit it. I'm staying far away until they figure out that Tummy's NOT giving in. As eldest and closest I get the majority of the mom and dad problems - but they've created this one - and I'm not stepping in to fix it this time.

*stretch, groan

I still haven't been able to get the kinks out from sleeping on a hospital cot for 3 nights. I tried to entice Rob to play Naughty Masseuse lastnight, but he guessed that my nefarious plan was to fall asleep about an hour into it. *grin He did just get back from helping my brother put a new rear-end into his truck, so I'll give him some slack on not falling for it.

Mom has two new hip now - yippee. One thing I've learned over the past few years - be kind to your joints, especially you hips and knees! Although, after going to rehab with her I think I'd rather get a hip than a knee. I felt sorry for all the knee people. Mom was the only hippy in the group, I think they were all envious.

I'm enjoying the cooler non-mowing weather. It gets a little warm during the day and then chilly at night. Makes October my favorite month of the year.

I have a VW Beetle that has that crap called Soft Touch on the doors and dash. Now that she's getting a bit older, those are the areas that's starting to show her age. So I cruised around the web and found that plain old rubbing alcohol will take it off without hurting the plastic underneath. Well that and a LOT of elbow grease. She's slowly starting to look better.

With Mom's surgery and my MIL just having her knee replaced 3 weeks ago I've offered to make all the side dishes for Thanksgiving. We'll take dinner over to my Mom's early in the day and then go over to MIL's late that afternoon. I'm going to try very hard not to get frazzled and stay in a positive place.

Ok - that's about all the rambling thoughts I have right now.

*sigh

When your having a little morning delight and your hip pops and then you limp for the rest of the day - you know you're old.

Just sayin'.

Just stuff

1. My company from Texas has H1N1. Poor thing. So I have a "company's coming" clean house with no company coming. Major free time!

2. My mom's village is having a chili cook-off this weekend. She'd originally asked me to make a chili but I declined as Robbin was going to be here. Now that she's not I might do one.

3. I think I'm going to get Rob to go to the Haunted Castle in Muskogee this weekend if it's not raining. I haven't been on a haunted hay-ride in years.

4. I bought Daughtry tickets. Woooo

5. Need to finish organizing garage, but.... if it's pretty I'm going to capitalize on outside funtime as I think this winter is going to be icky.

Errgh

Ya know when you see something you like but decide not to buy it right then and then it stays in your mind? And you think to yourself you'll go back and get it one of these days? Only when you go back to get it, it's no longer there and not able to be ordered? You get that feeling of "errgh". I'm feeling - errgh, right now.

There's this cool iron, hanging candle lantern that I saw at this little shop around the first of the summer. Well, I decided with my birthday money that's what I wanted. So I went yesterday - not there and they don't know who made it. Errgh.

Guess I'll settle for a cd changer in the Beetle. Booorrrring.

Boo - I need you to come to my house....

for a few days.

This is the weekend of the October birthdays - every year I throw a bbq, or bingo day or croquet tournament in honor of all the October birthdays in the family. My mothers, mine, my twin nieces and my BF's.

This year I'm doing a murder mystery dinner at my house. It's a 48 page print out that I should have done last week! So I need Boo to come and get me organized!

It's "The Assassination at the Annual Superhero Assembly - dress up time! :) I've assigned rolls and figured out I'm going simple with the dinner. Appetizer - bruschetta - people mingle, exchange info from clue sheets, then there's a Superhero dance-off. Dinner - salad and lasagne - exchange info from clue sheets - and guess what Superhero Item I am -play Super Movie clue - then someone dies. Dessert - Breezy's zinger cake and coffee - solve murder.

But there's alot of prep work. Ack! I wasn't taking Friday off, but I am now! I need a list people- where's Boo when you need her!

So yesterday....

I had to take my mother for her pre-op stuff. She's getting the other hip replaced at the end of this month.

She had to set thru a class - one that she didn't have to for the first one, go figure - that went over what to expect, what the surgery entails and other things. The nurse that was heading the class was a cute thing about in her late 20's or so.

So were in a room full of elderly - I'd say late 60's to 90 year olds - people. And she's going over the pre-op exercises they want everyone to start. She goes over each exercise and then, meaning to say they've had great success post-op with people that have done the exercises she instead says "they've had great sex post-op". Dead silence. Then the oldest man in the room says loudly " WHAT'D SHE SAY!" - the room cracks up. She turns 49 shades of read, I'm laughing so hard I'm crying. It was hilarious.

I don't know about everyone else in the room, but I now want that surgery!

Be careful what you wish for....

You know that old saying, right? It's another way of saying that I'm never satisfied isn't it?

Remember back when Rob was driving over the road and he'd come home every 6 - 8 weeks and I was a big whine bag because of his away time. And then he got off the truck and started a local job here. Monday thru Friday, some weekends. Meaning he was ALWAYS home.

My house seemed to implode after that happened. His guy stuff creeped into a well organized home, I'd walk into the bathroom to find he'd un-earthed a beach towel to use as a bath towel (why? who knows). He wouldn't put things back where they'd been for over a year in the kitchen. *SIGH

And then he got a puppy! I'd forgotten how much work a puppy was. Diesel and I escape to the bedroom some nights to escape Demon Puppy sometimes. We lay there and lament about the good ol' days when I had my house and he had a puppy-free run of the house. We whine.

Well, last Monday he got laid off. Ack! both of us at the same time? Geez.

So yesterday, Rob gets a new job. Which will involve traveling- they'll fly him where he needs to go and he'll be gone at the most 2 weeks and then home for a few days before leaving again.

I'm hoping this is a middle ground to my two whines. :) Diesel - he's just sol.

editing - because I think this should be called a PMS post - I don't usually get mad that when I ask him to pick up a head of cauliflower while he's out and he brings me back the itsyest bitsyest head of cauliflower ever. But I am, I'm mad. *sigh



I've been on a bitchy rant this week, haven't I?

Still Irritated

I got really peeved lastnight and slept on it and I'm still irritated. Rob says I'm making much ado about nothing - so here's the scenario and you tell me if you'd still be irritated.

Yesterday was my BF's birthday. We always meet her parents and her family for dinner. Invariably her Dad wants to pick up the whole check which I appreciate but would rather pick up our own. Sometimes he one ups me and other times I'm quicker than he.

So lastnight we go to Carrabas - we're the first ones there so I tell our waitress right off the bat that Rob and I are on one ticket. Therefore, I don't have a problem with ordering drinks, getting what I want instead of being cost conscious, ect.

So we eat, have a good time and enjoy our food and friends. Time for the bill comes and she asks how we want it split up, I catch her eye and motion between Rob and I and she nods her head. BF's Dad says he wants it all. So I get busy talking and then notice that "Dad" has a bill and is paying. I motion our waitress over and ask for ours, "oh, I went ahead and put it all on one since he said he wanted it all." WTF! What part of a seperate ticket did she not understand?

I chose not to make a scene, but I wanted to. But what a little twit. Grrr.

Theme song

I think Fleetwood Mac's Landslide is my theme song -

Oh, mirror in the sky

What is love

Can the child within my heart rise above

Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides

Can I handle the season's of my life

Well, I've been afraid of changing

'cause I've built my life around you

But time makes you bolder

Children get older

and I'm getting older too

What would your theme song be?

As an added bonus here's some pictures of changes - ok, really I'm just playing with my camera :)

Gunner and Diesel - 2 months ago

Gunner and Diesel - today

Elephant ears - last summer, along with some tomatoes that did nothing

Elephant ears - today. All the rain has given me monster plants!

More time on my hands

So I re-did the spice cabinet into a magnetic piece of art :) and then moved on to the bathroom. I forgot to take "Before" pic before unloading the room. Oh well. You can see it was a hideous green, the tub hardwear was ok but old brass and it was dark.

I still want to hang a different light fixture but this is a huge improvement. And I love the see-through shower curtain, let's in alot more light.

The color comes off as white in the pics but it's a warm, creamy, butter yellow with copper ceiling and sponging. I had to sponge the bottom as it had many spots where badly executed repairs had happened and the walls showed blemishes. But I didn't want to sponge the whole wall and I don't like straight lines. Was going to do a wavy pattern but that would have taken forever to tape off so this is it.



Next step is getting rid of all the mis-matched towels. Rob's going to be glad when I go back to work so I quit spending money!

Can't wait to take my first Lush bath tonight. I've moved all the towels to the RR luggage rack above the toilet as in pic and the shelf that was holding the towels is getting a cool copper basket filled with candles.

And, yes Boo, the showerhead is now hanging as it should. I had to let it hang for a bit to straighten the kinks. You never notice those things as you're taking the pics. *grin

Tybee Island - Part 3

Don't ask me why I didn't finish this, because I don't know. I'm here now because Weltek said to blog, so I'm a bloggin'.

Ok, so really by now all I remember is that I had my first 5 Guys burgers and fries in Virginia Beach. Bre and I took off some of her wallpaper. I bought them a firepit for a house warming gift. And the flight back sucked.

But....here's some promised pics.

Tybee Island - Part 2 of the Reunion

I promise to post pics as soon as the camera gets here :).


Rob took us to the airport. We had to leave the house at 7 - ugh! - but we were excited, because as much as both of us have flown we've never flown together. Check in was a breeze. We flew Continental Express Houston in a teensy plane - 1 seat on one side and 2 on the other. It was a bit cramped so I'm glad I was familiar with my seat partner. Especially as she used my shoulder as a pillow and me her head. That would have been awkward had we not known one another. *grin

Had a 2 1/2 hr layover in Houston so we grab lunch at Chili's (these posts should be sponsored by Chili's!). The next flight was a bigger and more comfortable plane and we landed safely in Savannah. We'd decided as Tybee is only 2 1/2 miles big we wouldn't rent a car as that would make us not run around as much. We always say we're just going to relax and then we wind up running like mad. So we grabbed a cab at the airport - I don't know if all cities are like this but they regulate how much a cab can charge for certain distinations - so it was resonable cabfare and not a shock. And on top of that he was very sociable and took us to where they filmed Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and by Juliet Gordon Low's house (founder of Girl Scouts). And the bench where Forrest Gump sat. We tipped him nicely, though not as nice as Johnny Depp does.


We arrive at our beautiful B&B - but let me ask you if you saw this -








with this sentence " is just steps from the ocean. " wouldn't you think it was right on the beach. It's not. It's got a grass yard - not sand like it looks like in the pic and there's a house in front of it. That was a teensy tinsey let-down but the feeling didn't last long. Patty - the Innkeeper (not the owner - the owner was a scarylady we only saw once) was a jewel. And made the Best Bananas Foster french toast for breakfast! The crabcakes with hollandaise was also to die for.





So we get settled into our room - The Morgan Room -

from the Savannah Beach Inn website
Before staying here I'd always wanted a really tall bed. Not anymore. It's freaking tiring getting in those things! And not that I did this but if you forget that you're really high up and need to get up for a bathroom trip in the middle of the night, it hurts when you fall.

The next day was rainy. Perfectly rainy. We had breakfast - Bananas Foster - and sit out on the porch with fellow B&Bers. One couple had just gotten married. They'd known each other since New Years Day. Another was celebrating their 50th anniversary. Wonder if the first couple will make it that far. There was a young couple from Australia that I loved listening to. That's one of the best thing about B&B's - the meeting of people and the atmosphere. Sooo much better than even a nice hotel.

We took a cab - The Crab Cab - he'd just purchased the business for 25,000.00 and has BIG plans to expand - to The Crab Shack "where the elite eat in bare feet" (another theme - crabs). The Crab Shack was where parts of The Generals Daughter was filmed. John Travolta supposedly loves the place. Reportedly via our cabby/tourist guide - the owner received 700,000.00 to film there and took the money and built from this little crab shack to the massive outdoor restaurant. It has a very cool atmosphere - Jimmy Buffet plays over the speakers in the live oak trees that drip with Spanish moss while misters hanging from the same trees keep everyone cool. The food trays were huge - you sit at these wood tables that have holes cut in the middle so you can just toss the shells as your eating your food.

Afterwards the cab picked us back up and took us for a tour while heading back to the house. By now we've heard numerous times that Miley Cyrus is filming here. So he took us by the church they are building which they're just going to turn around and burn it to the ground. The house she's staying - two blocks down from us. And the pier they are taking over to set up the carnival for the movie. I wonder what they're going to do with the Pier this year during 4th of July as that's where the Island sets off their fireworks. He also took us by Sandra Bullocks place and John "Cougar" Mellencamps places. Very nice. I wonder if they ever need housesitters. :)

We stroll down to the beach and feed the seagulls chips, but it starts raining again. So more porch swings. The B&B puts out cheese and wine at 3 everyday and then makes cookies at 8pm and puts out milk. I missed that when we left!

Friday we were idiots. We got up and had breakfast - oh how I wish I could have talked Patty into coming home with me! - and went to the beach. It was a beautiful and sunny day, damn it!
So we skip down to the beach - with our picnic basket, chairs, towels and water all supplied by Patty. But no sunblock, did we even think about sunblock. Of course not! We have Native American skin. It's been years since I've had a sunburn and I don't think Bre's ever had one. But I used to be a good mom and kept sunblock on her. I'm not such a good mom now. Because 4 hours later I was burnt, she was burnt and we were pooped. I blame it on the Atlantic - it was so balmy and gentle it was way too easy to float along like flotsam and jetsam - in fact I think that should be our nicknames from now on (though I think it's kind of pittiful when someone gives themselves a nickname :) )

We ate dinner at AJ's and had the best hushpuppies and cold beer ever. Then our cabby took us to the Pier and he and I and Bre set up on the park benches and watched them film a bit. The carnival entrance says Tybee Island Seafood Festival - Tybee Island doesn't have a Seafood Festival, but ought to now. Then he took us back to the B&B for cookies and milk where we played clue with our Australian friends and the older couple. I decided that night I could totally live on Tybee Island forever.

Saturday we were leaving for Virginia Beach, so we......had breakfast. The second B is the best part of a B&B! Packed up and took our luggage down to Patty. Our plane wasn't leaving until 3 so we made arrangements with the CrabCabMan Dave to pick us up at 1 and Patty said we could leave our luggage in one of the unused rooms while we strolled some shops and took a walk on the beach on last time.

I was a little melancholy to leave but excited to see Bre's new house.
I do have to say that I realize and appreciate the fact that I have a great relationship with my daughter. I couldn't ask for a better kid and am so thankful she's home. I say a prayer for all the moms and dads every night that has a kid they're worried about - which I guess is every parent, right :).

Next up: Virginia Beach and my first 5 Guys burger

Reunion :) at The 'Quah

Part One -

We picked Bre up 2 hours later than we were suppose to, delayed flights. So that previous title should have read 7 and one half hours. But it was worth the wait. And yes, I gave her a great big long hug. I didn't cry but I may have sniffled.

She looked so good ( I left my camera in Virginia Beach - Bre's sending it, so as soon as I get it I'll post pics), little on the skinny side but great.

So we did the whole family whirlwind affairs - dinner at my mother-in-laws. She did filets with mushrooms, a cream chive sauce and stuffed mushrooms. All were new recipes she'd seen on the food network and printed off. We were like chickens with our heads cut off as none of us knew any of the recipes. We almost wound up with parsley in the chive sauce and chives in the mushrooms. On top of everything we were doubling all the recipes and we kept forgetting that as we were cooking, so we'd double at the beginning and then forget half way thru then have to go back and add more of something. We now have a new rule - Only one knew recipe per dinner! It did turn out delicious though! And memorable :)

We had a washout with my family on Sunday. It was suppose to be a cook-out and then it poured buckets, so I changed it to a cook-in and started stressing. So I took a deep breathe and told everyone to get their raincoats and we went to Chili's. I drank a margarita and un-stressed. We then went back to the house, broke out the wine and the boardgames. I then proceeded to drink Bre under the table. She may be a war veteran but she "don't" have nuttin' on her mom when it comes to holding her wine. :) She's a very loving drunkey and takes really long showers when she's that way - I was impressed with my water heater.

Monday she and I and Rob just chilled out. We grilled some steaks, went to the movies and just visited. It was a nice quiet day and made me nostalgic for those high school years.

Tuesday we left for Tybee Island. I asked Rob to make sure he watered my basil and strawberries which were doing great - he didn't. Bad Rob.

I'll be back to post about Tybee. It involves Miley Cyrus. You can take that as a good thing or a bad thing.

Five and one half hours

In five and one half hours I get to hug my daughter. I've not seen her for a year. A very, very long year.

All About The Kid ..previously titled: Change of plans

Bre's not coming in until the 11th. I don't blame her -- Mike leaves on the 11th for 5 weeks of training, so they are wanting to spend as much time together as possible before he leaves. I can understand that especially since they spent so much time apart in the last year.

Mike is staying active attached to the Seals, while Bre has chosen to go Reserves and use the money from the GI Bill to finish her bachelors. She's then going to apply to the Navy's Medical Program to become a Psychologist with the Navy. They both plan on retiring from the Service. Though I don't think Mike will enjoy it if Bre makes him salute her. *grin

I think she'll be going to Norfolk State U or Virginia Wesleyan College. You don't know how much I'll enjoy being a Mom to a college kid. She can combine her 1 week a month for the Reserves into a month long summer stint because of her rate.

She and Mike just bought a house. They basically did it over the internet and phone with a relator and a friend. So when they arrived in VA all they had to do was closing. I can't imagine doing something this big, in that way. *shakes head But they are happy and I am proud of them both.

She did splurge on a new tv. A 52" Sony flat. I hope her livingroom is big enough!

So after the trip to Tybee Island we are headed to Virginia Beach. I'm going to pick up some perennials for a house warming gift and we're going to shop for paint. I told both of them they were going to start getting power tools and stuff like that for birthdays and Christmas. Hey, if you're going to be a home owner you got have that stuff, right?

Stuff ending in "ing"

Swings - (ok Boo, I know this one has an "s" on it also) I received two of those hammock swings as a gift. Rob recently put them up for me, hanging between to trees. They are now one of my favorite places to eat lunch. The only problem is I don't want to go back inside.
.
Mowing - It's been raining here so much recently I think I'm going to have to hire a herd of goats to eat down the lawn before attempting it.

Weeding - All this rain has done wonders for my garden and even more so for the weeds.

Meditating - I love this time of year. It's a toss up between now and Fall as to my favorite. I get up extra early, fix a cup of tea and just go out and chill on the deck swing for about 1/2 an hour every morning.

Discomboobalated

Man - I've been back from Texas for 5 days now and just can't get it together. I still haven't unpacked, I haven't really visited here since being back, I don't want to do much except lay around.

Granted the heat wiped me out - I got on the plane in Tulsa in 70/80 degree weather and off the plane in San Antonio in 103 degree weather. And the humidity - gah! But it's not like I was camping out - I was at the Hyatt on the Riverwalk for goodness sakes. Great pillows, good bed. I should be refreshed and energized.

Yet 10 minutes after getting out of bed I want to crawl back in. And I had to make myself come here and post.

Anywhoos, it's a long weekend this weekend, so hopefully I'll bounce back then.

I can't believe

I can't believe it's been over a year since I joined blogland. So in honor of my missed anniversary around these here parts, if you're here and you see your name over on the left hand side of this page: Go straight to your blog and update.

ne caveat - say something nice about me. :) <--you don't really have to do that! Really.

Tour of Duty - OVER!

As Boo so eloquently put it: "She's outta there." Yay - and I couldn't be happier.

The following youtube made me laugh out loud when she sent it. She told me when they moved her from the small, yucky base to Prosperity this was the biggest thrill she'd had in months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23SsUvlc4Rs

Chuck and Subway

I've never participated in a campaign to save a show, but I think I can handle doing this. So Monday night I'm buying 2 foot long chicken teriyaki Subway sandwiches and settling down to watch what I hope is just the season finale of Chuck and not the series finale. *whimper

I've posted on OT my Chucklove many times and was shocked to find that this show is on the verge of cancellation. *kicks NBC Hatefully bastards, how can they even think of taking my Casey away!

So if you love me you'll buy a Subway sandwich Monday night and watch Chuck :).

The Fine Art of Roasting Marshmallows

Or...How Not to Burn Your Freaking Tongue

This past weekend the weather did not cooperate - if one was expecting to come back with the beginnings of a tan. But for some odd reason rainy days at Little Sahara was just what I needed. There's something about camping in rainy weather that slows everything down. At least it did for me.

We made a big bonfire Saturday night after a day of slipping and sliding around the dunes. Grilled some steaks, omg these steaks were awesome. We brought a huge tenderloin and cut the steaks and grilled them with some onions. To die for. Anyway, much beer and wine was consumed that night and the bags of marshmallows were brought out. Along with the graham crackers and the Hershey bars - ick. I like my roasted marshmallows straight up. Thankyouverymuch.

Talk evolved to what constituted the perfectly roasted marshmallow. As I've stated elsewhere I'm a hick. Therefore I like mine burnt. Not a little burnt. I'm talking chared, blackened,blow the fire out, crispy on the outside, ooeygooey on the in. In fact I've been know to burn it, pull off the burnt, eat the burnt, burn what's left on the stick, rinse and repeat until there's nothing left.

For the snobs around the campfire, they liked to gently and timidly toast theirs to a golden orb and then delicately take it off the stick and nibble. Ha! I could eat 6 to everyone of theirs. :) Of course by the end of the night we were trying to knock each others 'mallows off the sticks and yelling "Burn in hell you yummy globs of goodness".

And for the snobs amongst you, a nice moscato goes very well with roasted marshmallows.

Yes, I am a Hick!

So, I'm a hick - I am an All-American, redneck, beer-loving Hick-a-billy.

And here is my proof - This coming weekend I am going 4-wheeling over at Little Sahara during Rattlesnake Roundup Week and I am looking forward to it with excitement.

And yes, I will be wearing a helmet while out hoping and sliding around the dunes.

I may have sand in places that should never see sand but I will be smiling while trying to wash it out.

Easter Menu

I am obviously all about food lately! And not in a healthy way :) But ce la vie, or something like that.

I'm having Easter at my house, only I've changed the day from Easter Sunday to Easter Saturday as the weather is going to be beautiful on Saturday and Thunderstormy on Sunday. As croquet is an integral part of Easter than I need beautiful weather. And really, who's to say Jesus didn't rise on a Saturday!

So here's my menu for Easter Saturday:
proscuitto and basil pinwheels with mascarpone cheese - making these Friday
pear, gorganzola, walnut salad with red wine vinagrette
spiral ham with brown sugar mustard rub
purple potato salad - sil is making
cowboy beans - a friend is bringing - and really I don't know the difference between regular baked beans and cowboy beans
corn on the cob - Mom is bringing
hot rolls with honey basil butter - rolls I'm buying from the freezer section :), butter is easyschmeasy to make
Breezy's Zinger cake

Ok - I'm hungry. Have been hungry for days! And it's not like I'm not eating.

I love all things Easter - as a questioning Christian there's a feeling of renewal about Easter, and who doesn't love bunnies and colored eggs!

Happy Easter Saturday, everyone :)

Mondays Menu

Ok - so from the last post you know that I have a well stocked kitchen. I shouldn't have problems putting a menu for dinner together, right? The problem is that I have too much stuff :) I can't decide what to put with what.

So I'm going eclectic for tonight. I've got some teryaki chicken going in the crock, I think I'm going to make a BLT salad with Blue cheese dresssing and some sweet potato fries or maybe chips. I think the fries will be easier. I usually just cut them into "skinny" fries, zap them in the microwave so they crisp up a bit better in the oven, toss them in olive oil and bake them.

Here's a spice mix recipe that's yummy on them:1/4 tsp smoked Paprika, 1/4 tsp Chili Powder, 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes and 1/4 tsp SaltBlack Pepper. Put it on as soon as they come out of the oven.

Can you tell I'm hungry today :)

Observations

So the thing that I thought might happen happened. Rob is now looking for another job, but it's all good. He'll find something, I just don't want him going over the road again unless it's absolutely neccessary.

So here's the thing - I asked him to go grocery shopping for me since he has a little more free time than I do right now. OMG, what was I thinking.

You know, I should have been prepared. I remember his place when he was a bachelor. He was THE GUY that waited until the only items left in his fridge were half a lemon and something turning green. Then he'd go grocery shopping. He'd buy everything that looked even vaguely good. By the time he reached the checkout counter his cart was packed higher than a mom's cart with ten kids. Of course, that didn't stop him from trying to go to the 20-items-or-less lane.

I don't have anywhere to put this stuff! What 40-something year old buys Bugles and Funyons for crying out loud. Why do I want to go into giggle fits when I ask where my Bare Naked cereal is and he says the Count Chocula looked better? Do we really need 4 boxes of strawberry frozen fruit bars (though I do admit those are yummy, but 4?!) Since when did we start eating olives with garlic stuff in them?! I didn't even know they still made Pickleloaf! Ewwww.

I could go on and on... oh, believe me I could go on.

*sigh I do love him though and the teenage boy still trapped inside that he lets out to play everyonceinawhile. :)

Just Stuff

1. My Dad starts radiation today, which I think is ridiculous. He's in such bad health otherwise that the Doctor told him he'll die of something else before the prostate cancer catches him. He has no symptoms, so why put yourself thru the side effects of radiation?

2. My sister lost her job so she's going back to teaching. The sugar daddy is going to support her for the summer. Poor thing was so upset that he sent her to Vail for a week so she could de-stress. Yeah, I'm a little jealous, but I wouldn't choose that lifestyle. :)

3. Rob's looking for another job, the company he went to work for isn't having the jobs come in like they thought they would so there's talk of lay-off or part-time.

4. I have a week long work trip to San Antonio coming up in May that I'm looking forward to, the only bad thing is I'm going to miss my niece graduating from RN school. :(

5. Bre comes home in a little over a month. Yay!

Freedom, sing it with me :)

This week the bosses are away, so while I will probably <---see that probably *grin work a full week I can do it whenever I want.

So I worked some Sunday night late, and then I started at 5 am yesterday and pulled a 11 hour day. Today I worked not at all as it was 81 degrees and beautiful, I played in the garden beds most of the day. Tomorrow I think I will get up early again and work until 9ish and then play in the yard some more and then work again during the night.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday I plan on not working at all.

I think it should be like this every week!

I also think that people that get to set their own schedules like this all the time are very, very lucky.

If your happy and you know it clap your hands

*clap, clap, clap

So many reasons to be happy..

1. Bre comes home the end of next month
1a. Mike will already be there and is picking her up, has reserved a room in Honolulu and the next day taking her on an inter-island cruise. He's got me searching for diamond earring to give her for her belated birthday gift. Hence reason 1a, I love my kid's guy.

2. It's daylight savings time and even though it's only March, DST makes it seem like winter is behind us.

3. My fruit trees are in bloom, as are my forsynthia, daffodils and crocus. My weeping cherry looks like a firecracker exploded in pink. :)
3a. This makes the trainwreck that is still my yard from the icestorm not look like such a wreck.

4. Rob has a local job now, which means I get a normal life again. Yay!
4a. Though we are still in re-housebreaking mode there is improvement.

5. Kay laid an egg, so there are many wasted hours of egg-watching and hopefully baby red-tail hawk watching in my future.

6. I spent the weekend messing around with Maverick - my horse- as the weather warms his demeanor and movement improves making me hopefully he has one more good Spring and Summer and Autumn to enjoy. I know I probably should have made The Decision last winter, but it's hard. One more Springtime for Maverick makes me happy, though I'll know all summer that That Time is looming.

It's Good to be Home

Things I missed.....Rob, Diesel, my bed (I took my pillow though) and down comforter, my comfy threadbare pj's, my morning tea, my office chair, my tv programs. I'm sure there's more but these are the things that come to mind.

The trip was good. And things went really well with my friend that lost her son, well as really well as can be expected. She and I and another friend spent 4 evenings together with tears but also laughter. It was emotional and draining but also fulfilling and cathartic. And I'm telling you right now if you sense something's off make them talk to you even if you feel like you're picking at a scab they'd rather have left alone. And hug your kids today and tell them they are loved.

While I was gone Rob built me two shelves I'd been hinting that I wanted. One was to get my microwave up off the cabinet. It's great and I feel like I have an acre more countertop! The other is in the living room, up over the windows. I have some breakables I'd like up and away from people, plus this last Christmas I realized I have nothing to hang stockings from. Now I do :).

He also worked his butt off getting alot of these downed trees chainsawed and piled up. We still have alot more and alot of fencing to fix but at least it was a start.

I ate at some awesome places down in Dripping and got on the Wii Fit this morning to find I had gained two pounds. Ugh. I'm starting Weight Watchers this week, I need structure, so I'm biting the bullet. Wish me strength *sigh.

Oh, and I Juvedermed my lips. So once again.....Kiss me! :) I just did it a little. Now that the swelling has gone down they're not bad, though I have a bruise that makes me look like I have a Hitler mustache. Not sure if I would do it again, but since it was free the temptation to see was too great.

Why...

One of the women I really like at the clinic lost her son last week. She and I bonded over the fact that both of our only kids were military. She hasn't been able to talk about what happened but he committed suicide. She is understandably devastated and I can't even begin to imagine the pain. I don't even want to try.

She and her son had a close relationship, and she thought they talked openly and there were no secrets. Much like I have with Bre. I just wanted to hug Bre when I heard the news.

He was a year younger than Bre and was about to be deployed again to Afghanistan.

My heart breaks for her.

I talked to Bre and emphasized that no matter what she was going thru there was always help to be found and I would always be there for her. It's scary to think that your kid could feel like there was something they just couldn't deal with and wouldn't or couldn't reach out to you.

And then yesterday I took my father over to the VA hospital. He went on up to his floor while I tried to find a parking place, so I was waiting for the elevator which are as slow as molasses, and caught movement out of the side of my eye. I turned and there was a young man in a wheelchair with both legs missing trying to grab the door handle to open the door. My elevator door opened and people walked in, I told them to go ahead, I walked over and opened the door for him. I told him "they don't make these things easy, do they" he finally met my eyes and and responded with "and I thought Iraq was hard". I grinned at him but really I wanted to cry.

While I was there I saw 7, yes I counted, young men that were either in wheelchairs or had already gotten their prothesis. The guy I sat next to in the waiting room had an eye patch, we chatted for a bit. He had let his hair grow and I noticed he kept swinging his head forward, I assumed so his bangs would help hide the patch. I leaned toward him and said quietly "you know the patch isn't bad, reminds me of Jack Sparrow in a manly kind of way". He laughed and said he was going to use that one with his girlfriend.

If you ever want to see true courage go visit a VA hospital for a day.

Tired, pooped, bushed, weary, spent and haggard

That pretty much sums me up right now.

Family Medicine

My mother goes in to have a total hip replacement this Friday - she wasn't scheduled until June but the Dr had a cancellation so she got moved up. Yay! Also, we had to agree that one of us would stay with her and perform nurse aide duties until she's discharged as she will be on an understaffed floor. If no one could have stayed she would have had to wait until this summer. *sigh I'm glad both of my nieces are going to be nurses - less than 1 semester until they're both done. Yay.

I'll stay up at the hospital with her until she's released, hopefully Monday. From there she goes to my brother's house (heehee) for three weeks. I "get" to take care of her cats. I think I got the better end of the deal. *grin Not that I don't love my mother but she's a big whinebag where any and I do mean any amount of pain is involved.

While she's gone I take my dad over to the VA hospital for a consult on his prostrate cancer. His PSA test came back bad so he had a biopsy done week before last and it came back cancerous. *sigh Personally, I'm not even sure why he had the biopsy done. I've posted before that he smokes heavily, eats horribly for an insulin dependent diabetic and has about a 28% heart function. *shrug

The Tulsa Home and Garden show is in town this weekend. Do you think anyone will notice if I sneak out from the hospital and go?

44

I think I can now relate to how my parents generation felt when JFK was sworn in. I have a feeling of hope, inspiration, lightness. Something else that struck me today - none of these feelings come from the fact I'm watching a black man become President of the United States. Obama has become colorless to me.

I wrote quite a bit about my dislike of the Bush Administration here but decided to delete all of that and keep this on a more positive note.

I agree with what Boo wrote Over There. I think Obama has that something that gives people hope and makes them want to do better. I also think he's a very intelligent man and is not going to surround himself with Yes Men.

I personally would not want to have his job. But I pray that he does the best he can and makes the right decisions in the years to come.

And - I'll say it now. Will Smith will play Obama in a future movie. *grin

My baby is 23 - Ack!

I couldn't help but compare our lives at 23. She definitely didn't follow my path.

I was 3 months into My 23rd year when I became a new mom. I was living in North Carolina and my marriage was very rocky by then, but when they laid her on my chest my whole world changed. My heart melted and I'd never seen anything as beautiful as that little monkey-looking thing lying in my arms.

I had worked the day before - I was managing a pet boarding house and Wednesday was my day off. I woke up feeling not quite right, so I called my Dr and they told me he was at the hospital, if I didn't feel better later than to call back. March 1st was my due date. So I took a shower, washed my hair and shaved my legs, thinking that would make me feel better. It didn't, so I drove to the emergency room where they checked me and said I was fine, I had another 5 weeks, go home and get some rest.

So I went to the little greek restaraunt I always went to and got some banana pudding. The owner made his usual fuss over me and I went home. A few hours later I was feeling worse, my head ached, my shoulders and legs hurt and my back was starting to kill me. So I called my ob again, he was there and said to come in. I got there, they took me back, he sent me behind the curtain to change into a gown and bam! my water broke.

He and the nurse drove me over to the hospital wrapped in a sheet :) it was buttass cold out! We got there, he checked me said everything was fine and he was going to go grab something to eat. The nurse had called my ex and he showed up, he had called his family and they showed up. (My parents were not planning to come out until March *sigh) Everyone was settling in for what they thought was going to be a long night.

I still hadn't had what I expected labor pains to feel like but all of a sudden I had this overwhelming urge to push. The nurse told D. that he was to make sure I was breathing because if I was breathing then I couldn't push. I was busy trying to figure out how to trick D. into thinking I was breathing and pushing when bam again, there was no stopping me pushing. The nurse was grabbing Bre as the Dr walked back into the room. 6:57 pm Wednesday January 15 1986 Charlotte North Carolina - my life changed forever.

Twenty-three years later and she still melts my heart! In 5th grade she said she wanted to be a sailor in the Navy....or....a dolphin trainer :). At 17 she signed up for the Delayed Entry Program and hasn't looked back. She knows what she wants and goes after it. She's the best thing I've ever had a part of.

This Is The Pits

Ok - ya'll know Rob is home right now. At least until the start of Feb if not longer. And you know I usually only get to see him once every 4 - 6 weeks.

So....I'm taking advantage of him while he's home for so long. And by advantage, I mean "advantage" *insert lascivious eyewaggle here

I've deleted this next part and re-written numerous times because this is funny but I don't want anyone to go "TMI, TMI!" so here goes......while being frisky (NOT Frisque!) he rubs my armpits! I'm thinking "what the hell! I shaved!", so lastnight, after a few of these armpit rubbing sessions, I can't take it any longer. I'm say "Stop! What in the hell are you doing? Do you suddenly have a pit fettish that I need to be aware of? I freaking shave, ok and I use deodorant! Maybe not on Sundays, but still...... (the shaving part, not the deodorant part)"

So here's the story - he was listening to a station on satellite, probably Maxim or Stern, who knows. And some woman on there said that the pits was an erogenous zone for women. So he, my loving, goofy, doof of a husband, gets it in his mind that this is something I must have been wanting my whole adult life. Someone to stroke my pits, yeah that's what's been missing from my life! Not!

So ladies and men, if you're partner starts doing something that is wigging you out, just stop and ask. It's probably something as simple as some dorcas on a talk show giving bad advice!

A Man Who Cries is Sexy

I don't care what anyone says, a man that is comfortable enough in his own skin to cry during a movie turns me on. *grin

We went to see Marley and Me lastnight. Tears are streaming down my face because I don't want Rob to know how hard I'm crying so I don't wipe them away. It wouldn't do any good anyway, as I have many that would just take their place.

I notice Rob's hand is holding mine a little tighter and then his knee starts bouncing. When Rob gets emotional he becomes a knee bouncer. I always kid him that, that is his "tell". So I surreptitiously look over and "awwww" Rob's got tears glittering in his eyes. And then one falls over his lashes and slowly treks down his cheek. He doesn't see me looking, but raises our hands and without thought brushes it away. I now have a tear resting on my knuckle and a melted heart. *sigh



Loved the movie. Had a great New Year with a good party to boot. Hope everyone else did too! I'll probably be back to post about the Great Partini New Year's party of 2009 :) later. We're leaving for Springfield now so I've got to get my behind in gear.