My Year In Review...

What a huge year we've all had around here.  I guess first things first, the new granddaughter.  Oh my what a blessing.  I was there for the birth and that absolutely made my life.  It was truly magical.  And to be able to be there for the birth I had to conquer a fear and FLY BY MYSELF!  That was such a big thing for me but I knew I had to do it and I can't wait to go again.

The little miss is now 3 months old and I cannot believe how time flies.  She is growing like a weed. 

This weekend they will fly into town so everyone else in the family and friends will get to meet the new addition.  Plus I will be able to get a photo of both of my beautiful granddaughters, TOGETHER!  I'm truly blessed.  

It's been a busy year with work and my new profession, art.  I've taken a couple of workshops and continued to enter in some national shows.  One of my goals was to finally be juried into one and guess what, it happened twice!  

My "Morning Glories" juried into the Allied Artist show that was held in the Salmangundi Club!  THAT was a big deal.  Then... 

I found out that "Pink Is The New Black" juried into the Arkansas national show.   

Of course I didn't win anything but getting in was awesome and gets my name out there.  

I then started on a self-portrait path.  It's still there but my drive has slowed down on it.  I'm hoping to get them finished by September for a show in the Broken Arrow Historical Museum.  

On a sad note was the passing of one of our dear art friends, Charlotte.  It was sudden and a huge shock that rocked everyone's world, including mine.  She was a mother figure and a friend so it hit me on all sides, taking me to memories of Gail dying and my mother.  So to help with the saddness I again turned to my art that pulled me out out of the darkness once before.   

" Remembering Charlotte"

Now Christmas is here and the New Year is upon us, 2020.  Hard to believe it's going to be 2020.  Boggles the mind for sure.  It's been a really nice quiet Christmas season, although rushed and busy, yet calm.  The Hubby and I really didn't buy anything for each other, we never really do but I did get him a book and a sweater.  He got me a new fireplace built in the screened porch at the cabin that I've been wanting for years.  Plus I'm getting a new car this next week when it arrives.  He was concerned that I didn't have anything under the tree to unwrap but I told him that was okay, but I would like to have a new parakeet.  He went shopping and we now have Frenchie in our living room entertaining us.  Plus he did have a card under the tree for me.  OMG, I almost cried, it was truly beautiful and today I got flowers for no reason.  He is really a thoughtful guy, most of the time...LOL...

Next month we celebrate 44 years of marriage...WOW! 

Mish-Mash, This-n-That

Today is just a mish-mash of pic's I found on my computer. 

This is an old Blondie cartoon I have kept for years.  It makes me laugh because in 1979, summer of 1979, I was extremely pregnant with my first, B, and was in my parents backyard sitting in a lawn chair watching my Daddy.  Daddy was putting up a hammock for Momma (she was in side).  He worked and we chatted and then he had it done.  It was time to try it out and I knew it would not be me so Daddy did the trial run.  He sat, he flipped feet over head backwards.  I was shocked briefly and then started laughing so hard that I thought I would have that baby right there.  He ended up on the ground under the hammock, feet splayed out in front of him.  It was the funniest thing I have EVER seen, my big strong Daddy flying thorough the air.  This cartoon is homage to that minute in my life (and his). 

This sweet little ride I am missing a lot right now with the spring upon us.  The Hubby has been in hot water for a long time since he sold it saying it was not practical and he didn't have room to store it....!!!!  Won't go into the argument but he is/was WRONG!  I miss it truly. 

Found this sweet pic of some kind of moth I took the snapshot of a couple of years ago.  Beautiful. 

Oh, memories of we three and Momma.  The photographer was our Granny on our yearly trip to the zoo.  It was an annual event that we took our lunch and then spent the day.  Great fun. 

Our Rides

My wonderful car.  My Granddaddy helped me get the loan to pay for this sweet thing, 1969 Chevy Malibu.  I so loved this car.  It ended up somewhere in Arkansas. 

The Hubby's first truck.  We had to park on the street by our apartment and one morning when The Hubby went outside to go to work someone crawled under the truck and unfastened his tool box with all of his tools and stole it.  We were devastated but moved on. 

New Years Day Happinin's

For my 366 days of blogging challenge I am going to occassionally follow the NaBloPoM challenge and writing prompts so I don't run of stuff to say. 

Today's prompt was "What did you do on New Years Day."  That is quite easy, not much.  We of course spent the weekend at the cabin with friends.  There was a fabulous dinner of cornish hens, roasted fingerling potatoes and brussel sprouts and I made baked brie and fruit.  Lots of drinking and dancing was involved and three people took a tumble around the rocky porch and yard, one with a knot on his head.  Fun was had by all.  The Hubby and I decided to head back to our little heaven on earth before the new year rang in.  He had a bit more wine than usual and drifted to sleep on the couch about 11 pm.  I was not the least bit tipsy but decided I had better give up the couch while he scrunched down lower and lower.  Asleep I was by 11:45 and was awoken by the distant sound of fireworks at midnight. 

Yesterday morning we both woke feeling just fine, no headache and no remorse!  I was a good girl starting my eating off right.  I had my oatmeal and coffee with no cream (ick) and rushed around to ready for the 55 minute drive home.  I wanted to come home to fix our black-eye peas for good luck.  It is a tradition in my family and in many to have the black-eye peas.  I've never missed a year in my life.  The drive home was a bit weird as The Hubby's truck decided to sound off alarm bells just as we ventured onto the highway!  It said to stop engine NOW!  It's funny that the check suspension light has been on his truck for months and he has not been too worried.  We pulled over, stopped the truck and he checked the oil which read 2 quarts low.  Luckily we were close to a truck stop kind of gas station and pulled in to add some oil.  It was still weird going home but we made it home.  Finally home, the black-eye peas on the fire, a shower, a nap, ah, bring on 2012! 

Just a Tad Angry

I am just a tad angry right now! 

It is Sunday and we've had a wonderful weekend.  Friday night at the cabin with friends for a BBQ dinner then back home on Saturday because I messed up putting a wedding reception on the calendar.  Last night was the reception along with MORE BBQ and fun with other friends.   Life is just moving along nicely today.  Grocery store for food for the week and the day spent putting paint on some canvases.  I also sold my first painting and two giclee prints so I'm an official artist now.  See pretty nice weekend!  Marinating a chuck roast for the grill, wilted lettuce salad with fresh cucumbers from Daddy's garden.  Yes nice weekend.

I am just a tad angry right now!

Chuck Roast on the Grill:

Marinate in -

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup cooking sherry

3 - 4 Tbls. Worcester Sauce

lots of Louisiana Hot Sauce

2 Tbls basil, chopped

2 Tbls garlic, chopped

Put everything in a ziploc bag and marinate overnight. Grill about 20 minutes or so on each side.

I'm a tad angry right now!

I just heard The Hubby talking on his cell phone and heard him talking to a guy that has a boat for sale.  Really, REALLY!  You sell my Miata because it is not practical and you are talking about buying a boat.  Must be that there needed to be room in the storage area for your boat. 

I'm a tad angry right now! 

Merry Christmas to me

Well, we did it. I am now driving a new 2010 Jeep Commander. I love it.

We finally got it today.  The paperwork was all done and paid for on Dec 30 but with it being in Arkansas we had to wait till it was here, but it is!  I'm a very happy girl.

Happy New Year 2010

Happy New Year to one an all!  Welcome year 2010 !

First of all, I know, I know the colors are a bit much but I'm so bored with the old stuff that I'm trying all kinds of stuff.  Stay tuned in to see if I keep changing. 

The new year was brought in at the cabin, or at one of the cabinites places.  We had a wonderful pork tenderloin dinner while listening to Paul McCartney live album and watching, silently a football game.  Don't ask me who was playing because I have no earthly idea.  Later in the evening we had homemade creme brulee made by Bare, who doesn't even eat the stuff.  The best I have EVER had!  Oh my gosh, my last indulgence for awhile.  About 11 pm the guys were getting restless so the poker chips and cards were brought out.  It was 4 guys and me.  I love cards of any kind and am pretty good at them.  I don't know what all the check and call things mean in poker but I won the first hand big and the last hand big.  Told you I can play cards.  Finally it was pucker-your-lips time and we all got a good dose of lip action.  The Hubby and I were struggling to stay awake as we were up at 5 am like most every morning so we were closing in on being up for 19 hours straight.  Speaking of 5 am.  I had missed workout all week long because of the stupid ice and my reluctance on being the guinea pig on the stuff at 5 am but yesterday I braved it since the main roads were clear and it was melting (run on sentence).  I backed out of the drive and down to the street and of course found the only two patches of fairly tough mounds of snow packed ice to get stuck on.  I had to run inside to call The Hubby to push my little car forward and backward a bit to get me out, but I finally got a workout in. 

The night before we finally made a decision on a car.  We spent all of Tuesday test driving four cars:  Jeep Commander, Ford Flex, Nissan Armada and the Chevy Tahoe.  My heart was for the Commander as that has been catching my eye for a bit but after driving the Flex we were torn.  The Armada was unavailable, the Tahoe was pretty much like The Hubby's Avalanche and I've had a Tahoe before.  The Flex was a dream to drive but they were not very negotiable on the price.  Overnight we talked about it and I told The Hubby that since the Jeep was the better deal and it was my personal favorite I would prefer to get it.  Besides The Hubby has never been a Ford guy so I was surprised he was leaning towards it.  We bought the car yesterday and should pick it up tomorrow afternoon.  I will have pictures later.  Later that night at dinner I kind of started needling The Hubby about why he was going to sell my Miata and not keep it in storage.  We have kept his step-dad's 1971 El Camino, and his 1949 Dodge pickup that is being restored (let's talk money spent) and I didn't see the reason, just because it was a fairly expensive car that we could not keep MY car.  I mean I really don't mind him selling it but why is my stuff not that important.  We keep tons of his stuff and have a few buildings to do that.  We keep his collections but I'm asked sometimes to scale down my stuff while he amasses his.  I mean, I was just kind of perturbed by his insisting here and I wanted him not to think about the money involved, that it was a matter of does my stuff stink or something and his doesn't.  Well, let me tell you my needling set off a tirade from some pent up feelings.  I was on my second bite of prime rib and was left with my mouth hanging open and frankly embarrassed by his anger in the restaurant.  I love the guy but I hate it when we go rockin' along for months on end and he lets stuff build up to the point of an eruption.  I won't go into all that was said because there was plenty more but I was just curious of what you would feel if you and your stuff felt devalued somehow, how would you feel.  I kind of felt cut down.  Also, during all of this crap I ended up backing down on the dance stuff and will attend 1, I said 1 class a week with him dancing, YUCK!  I didn't address the crack on my weight.  I've already addressed that here!  Oh, man marriage is still so much work even after nearly 34 years this month!  ARGHHHHHH!!!!!

Enough is Enough

I know, I know that everyone likes snow but I am not one of them. 

I feel like I am stuck in this house, or office.  It is rather lonely and confining for me.  I will get out and drive in the stuff but only after the major rush of cars has happened to break down part of the ice on the roads.  My itty-bitty car just does not go well on the stuff, absolutely no traction.  Yesterday I had to go to the office as B is taking a few days off, like I did last week.  The Hubby cleaned off the driveway wonderfully well but the street below was another thing.  It had a few places of pavement with lots of ice.  I have a Miata which you can put anywhere, so when I backed out of the garage yesterday morning about 9:30 I just did a turn-about in the drive.  Our drive goes downhill and so does the street and knew that once I got to the street there would be no stopping and going basically.  So forward I went.  I rounded the corner, two corners, and luckily there was absolutely no oncoming traffic either way.  The side roads are murder but the main roads are not bad, although the melting from the snow mounds running onto the streets I knew this morning would be sheets of ice.  So, no workouts for me as I don't want to be the test bunny on the roads at 5:30 in the morning.  (Sorry W, I'm sure I'll be back to it next week!)  I so love my car but it has come to the point that I need something bigger and safer, especially during these icy moments.  Besides I need bigger to haul bigger canvasas for painting.  I am very limited in what I can carry in my Miata.  I don't want to sell it so we will probably keep it for the top down kind of weather but as of now, I'm looking for something new.  In fact, The Hubby and I are going shopping today, need to before the end of the year. 

I am totally in love with the new 2010 Jeep Commander.My head turns every time I see one.  Years ago I had a 1986 (new then) Jeep Cherokee.  I absolutely loved that car but it had no power and after 10 years became unreliable for me hauling around two kiddos.  Then I got a Tahoe, which I loved but I had no one else to haul around then and I had the yearning for my sportscar.  So here I am again needing to have space again.  The Hubby wants to look at the Tahoe againand the Ford Flex, which is my least favorite.

So Merry Christmas to me...

I'm a winner

Yes, I'm a winner. I am remiss in not announcing this sooner but just got wrapped up in travel, doctor appointments and stuff. I'm a bad, bad girl.

Thank you so much LAgirl at Sweet Tea. I am the proud recipient of the audio book Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews. It arrived today and I'm very excited to listen to it. There was an added bonus of some adorable Mary Englebreit note cards. Wow! Thank you again.

Today I'm taking the entire day off. Yes, the entire day. I am not moving out of this house, oh well, except to go to the personal trainer this morning. I don't even have the writing class tonight as it was canceled due to low enrollment. But that is okay too. So far I've watched 2 hours of Charmed as usual, watched the DVR of America's Next Top Model and American Idol, cleaned out three bird cages, eaten an omelet and an avocado, the dishes, taken my shower (with all the cleansers I have to use now) and well, that is about it. I need to do my laundry but I'm not going to kill myself over it. I'm enjoying just being here and the phone hasn't been ringing either which is very weird. Usually The Hubby or B or A are calling me. I like this quiet. I even have the TV on mute as it is so calm here today. I need this alone time occasionally. I probably should write but I'm just not feeling wordy inspiration right now. I'm feeling, well, LAZY and I'm very good at that. I have a real talent for it. Hey wait, that's my calling, lazy! Okay, now I'm just being silly but I know of a few family members who would agree with me.

I've also thought about washing my car today but that would mean crawling into the azalea hedge and grapple with the hose to hook it up to the spigot and I'm not feeling that right now. Speaking of my car, the carpenter dropped by the house to get some of his tools for a job at our shop and noticed something leaking out of the back of my car. It was water. Where in the world did that come from. Oh my God, that car! I love it but it has already seen better days with a hailstorm, a shopping cart crammed into the side of it, numerous nails in my tires and it doesn't even have 20,000 miles on it yet. The Hubby wants me to test drive some different kinds of cars, that are more sturdy and substance. He's afraid of me driving my itt-bitty car, I do love it. I kind of like some of the Jeeps (I used to have one) and mentioned it. He suggested I test drive. Okay, maybe I will. Hey another NEW car and the Miata is only 2 years old itself. I might like that. Even though I love my car I am limited to people who can ride with me and the amount of stuff I can tote around. There are some good and bad points here.

On the BlogHer note: my friend purchased our plane tickets. I'm so amped for this girl trip. It ought to be awesome. Thanks for the nudge K. I'm glad we're going.

Done rambling, think I had better be productive today....

Slip, Sliding Away

Wow, yesterday I decided it was time to get my little red car out of the garage, down the drive and off to the office. I waited around till about noon then piled into my car. The garage door open, my car idling I put the thing into park. Looking into the rear view mirror I saw that my paper was still in our sloping driveway, so I slowly started down the drive, grinding to a stop to open my door and grab the paper. You see, my car is a sports car so I am VERY low to the ground. I punched the button to put the door down, closed my door, slipped on the seat belt and was ready to back out the rest of the way. Well, I was stuck, even on a stupid incline. I tried to put it in drive then in reverse a few times and I ended up sideways in the drive. That is no problem as my car is tiny. I could probably put it sideways in my garage it is so tiny. I thought I would just go with what it was trying to do since I knew I might end up forwards. Just as I got it to the point I could move again, after a lot of spinning and noise, I saw the neighbor from across the street, a senior in high school, had just pulled to the curb of his house. I put my car in drive and as I passed his car, he was sitting behind his steering wheel with his mouth hanging open,I just smiled, waved and moved on.

I drive effortlessly to the office and pulled up out front. Another slight incline, much smaller than the driveway was awaiting me. A delivery guy had just pulled up too as I parked in my usual spot. I put it in park and added the parking brake when I saw Joe, the delivery guy, was approaching my car. I hit the button to down my window and then realized I was sliding out into the street, with both breaks on! Wow! I got stopped and he just kind of grinned and told me that he left the delivery in the back. Window back up I took the car out of both parks and slid the rest of the way into the street and tried several times to get back up the parking. Finally, I parked in The Hubby's spot that had lots of pavement showing through and was able to stay put. Later in the day when The Hubby arrived he parked in my spot with his huge Avalanche truck. B and I were inside watching our security cameras and she commented that it looked like his truck was sliding. I really didn't notice it when all of a sudden she said, "OH MY GOD, IT'S SLIDING." It was totally out of the picture and had slid in to the street. I jumped up ran to The Hubby who was on a call trying to sell a generator and said, "I need your keys." Being the observant one that he is, he shrugged his shoulders like I was crazy. I said rather loudly, "Your truck slid down the drive." He jumped and wrangled his keys out of his pocket and I ran out to reposition his truck. I found some more pavement and made it stick that time.

Then came the end of the day and the trick to get into our garage. I knew that not enough of the stuff had melted and was just slush on the road which is a problem on it's own. One of the problems we are having right now is the cold is jacking with our garage door. It starts to open and then just sticks or goes back down. Not good when you are in a little car that needs momentum and I can't get out to help it up as I probably can't even walk up the drive. My first try of course the door did it's thing and I had to sit and open/close it a few times before it finally heaved up. I knew since I had to stop my run up the drive that I would not make it the first time, but I had to try. Of course there was a slide and a grind of my tires as I rolled out into the street. This time I was able to back into the different direction where there was a lot of dry pavement but the steepness of the drive just was not going to allow me up. I kept rolling backwards and going further down the street and hitting the gas to get a fast run up the hill. After the fifth try I was able to bully my way through the stuff ending up going into the other side, The Hubby's bay but since I had the little car I was able to back and forth in a small space to my side. WHEW! What a day and I really didn't do much. Today, it is just now a few minutes till 8 am and I'm still unshowered and in my jammies. I emailed B and told her that I would not be in until there was more sunshine. I was not about to have another repeat of yesterday morning. I have to do payroll this morning but the guys will just have to wait until after lunch! I'm already tired.

Early Weekend

Yesterday, Thursday I had the opportunity to do payroll early and come to the cabin for a girl’s weekend. It was a chance to be with some "new" friends like my therapist suggested. The Hubby was perfectly happy for me to come up here although I’m not I hear it in his voice for sure but that’s okay because I am here! We went to Sin’s cabin for one of her friend’s birthday celebration with a few other ladies and I had the best time. We ate cheese enchiladas, tortilla soup and taco salad and LOTS of champagne and wine. I brought my IPOD over as Sin’s had mostly country and they wanted to dance. I have over 6,500 songs on my IPOD and a lot of dance, sing-along and disco. We danced and laughed and had wonderful moments of woman bonding. I so needed this and I found some awesome women that I did not know and hope to know much better. Thank you Harri and Sin!
Also, last night when I finally rolled in to hit the hat about 11:30 there was a message from The Hubby. A, in California has found a car. When she was home for Christmas The Hubby and her went out car shopping to help her know what to look for in a new car. Hers is about crap out and I don’t want a call at 3 in the morning that she has broken down on a California freeway somewhere with us in Oklahoma. She found one last night and that meant we needed to do some shuffling of some money so she could write a check for it. So, this morning after breakfast, or should I say brunch, I hit the phone lines, land lines to The Hubby, A and the bank to get the money churning. Finally done I told A she needed to get the ball rolling for her insurance as she did not want to drive off the car lot and be hit because she would then be S.O.L. So now I’m getting calls from her while the insurance person is on the other line trying to get it all squared away. Oh, she also remembered she needed to finish her online traffic school class for a ticket she got. “Uh, Honey, you need to finish that BEFORE you talk insurance so the rates won’t be so very, very high.” “Huh,” she says. My heads is now hitting the table. Whew, grown kids. They will always be learning, I still am.

The Wind Blows

I was awakened early this morning to rain hitting the roof. Too bad it was still too warm from yesterday. I was so hot last night. The ceiling fan was just not cutting it. I rolled around in the sheets and without the sheets just sweating to beat the band. Finally, I drifted back to sleep but was awakened by The Hubby watching the history channel and the rain blowing against the windows. It was about 6:30 and I had to get up to visit the bathroom and take another round of antibiotic. I started to get up and just stay up but the sound of the rain just lulled me back to the nice bed. I again drifted off to sleep and woke up to A roaming around the house and talking to her father. They were chatting about buying her a car and car insurance, 4 cylinder and 6 cylinders, and then they went into maybe she "should" get into selling real estate...yadda, yadda, yadda. I was glad they didn't get into a shouting match. I was impressed that both of them talked like adults. Whew.

Today I plan on spending the day like yesterday...doing absolutely NOTHING! Since I'm trying to get better from this stupid virus I am taking full advantage of resting. The antibiotic is working pretty quickly on this round and hopefully after this I will be finally over it all. A friend had MRSA several years ago and although it is always with you she has not had another outbreak. She was so bad that they thought she might have to have chemotherapy. YIKES! I must get well, I must get well, I must get well. I think if I can stay well for the next few months, no colds or sore throats that I will be home free. I just have to build up immunities. I'm not going out anyway because the virus has popped up on my face and doesn't look real pretty.

Well, I guess I need to get to the reading and resting. Maybe a shower, journal, read and then sleep a little today. I might have to cook later but I already did a wonderful roast and veggies last night, so I've prepared them that it will probably be pizza tonight.

Disturbing Dreams

I was up before the dang alarm went off this morning. Actually I was jolted awake by my dreams, yelling and crying, so much in fact that my stomach hurt. I had some very disturbing dreams last night. I dream all the time lately and very vividly. The dreams last night made me wake with my jaw clenched and angry. I don't remember much but one of them I was living in a nice trailer home in the middle of nowhere, by myself. I was talking to "someone" about my tornado shelter that was in the middle of the trailer, a concrete shell. The trailer was overgrown with lots of vines that curled in and around it, sort of like the tree house in the Robinson Crusoe show. I was also holding a book to read that I had finished and was looking for another book to read. (Well, I have just finished the first installment of the Twilight series and need another book to read, easy to figure out.)

Next I was going fishing with The Hubby and our architect/friend JB in a very clear green-blue pond that was extremely deep. I had the feeling it was around the new construction area by Bass Pro in Broken Arrow by the expressway, where there used to be a horse farm. I looked in the water and there were some very odd fish and huge fish swimming around, with gigantic teeth. JB threw his line in first and caught one that flew out of the water trashing and I yelled at him to hang on. He was laughing when it flew off his hook back into the cool green depths. Oh, and the little piece of land we were standing on was just a strip of dirt with green moss about 3 feet wide, I didn't look behind us. I was afraid to. The creatures were scary, almost prehistoric with giant gnashing teeth and contorted slimy bodies. Creepy. I know where I got this from, at least the creatures. I was playing a game on ClubPOGO called PICTUREKA before I went to bed last night. It is sort of like Find Waldo, where you find objects and there were a lot of creepy creatures like in my dream, although the dream fish were more realistic than the drawn ones in the game.

The last dream was what woke me up with the crying and anger. I was driving my little red Miata down a highway, fast and there was a truck a little ways behind in the left lane as I was in the right. It was a section between Tulsa and Inola on 412 going up to the big turn to Catoosa and the casino area. I slowed because there was a huge, almost horsesize golden retriever dog running across the road and I didn't want to hit it. I slowed but the white truck in the other lane seemed to speed up and flash by me right towards the golden dog. I turned my head and didn't look but knew what was going to happen. I looked up to drive past a bloody shape of a flat dead dog and the white truck barrelling ahead to a sort of gate, or toll gate. I slowed my car at almost a standstill at the gate and the man was getting out laughing and talking to a bunch of people, like it was a party place and his car had turned into a golf cart. He was wearing yellow golf clothes too. I reached out my hand and smacked him on the back and asked why he couldn't stop, didn't he see the dog. The Hubby was standing there next to him laughing and talking to other people also. I was crying and yelling at him but he just shrugged his shoulders.

That was when I woke up feeling horrible. I had been crying in my dream and yelling and my jaw was killing me as it was clinched in anger. My back hurt and my stomach was in a knot. Well, I guess you are supposed to dream, that means you are in REM sleep but dammit not with those kinds of dreams. I have been dreaming a lot lately but these were the most disturbing ones I've had in a long time.

Holiday

Well, the weekend is fast approaching and the deluge of people at the lake will be happening soon. OH MY GOD I don't look forward to this weekend. I know it is a holiday but I HATE fireworks and all it entails: people, noise, alcohol consumption, and stupidity. It has become a tradition to drink, blow up stuff, be loud and obnoxious. These are my observations. I would really like to stay in town in my home and just watch TV, blog and twitter all weekend but since The Hubby is in charge of the big show I have to go and support him. It also makes me a little nervous as he is dealing with very big powerful stuff and it is dangerous but he is very careful.

I went to Jazzercise this morning but I didn't workout. I just checked people in then came home and washed my car. I'm just not ready physically for the rigorous workout that I do yet, next week.

My poor little car. It is really pretty when washed but it also means I see the hail damage and the shopping cart dent in the side of it. People, when you go to the grocery store PLEASE make sure the carts are in the little corrals. That is what happened to my little car on a windy day. Someone just left the cart standing and when I came out to my car the stupid thing had rolled into my passenger door and put a HUGE dent in the darn thing. NOT GOOD!

Last night one of my high school classmates, Roger came over and we began the early stages of planning the 35th class reunion. I can't believe I have been out of school almost 35 years. I really don't feel that old but I guess I am. I'm not sure I'm ready to get it going again. We have one every five years and sometimes I think that is too much but it got started a long time ago, long before I was on the planning gig. I used to do a newsletter every six months but quit it a few years ago after a 10 gig at it. It's called burnout. Now there is talk of a multi-year reunion in a couple of years so I guess I had better get with the plan.

Think I'll take the day off again.

Oh "Hail"

Last night we realized when we got home that there was a board meeting at the lake so we decided at the very last minute to drive up there after dinner, spend the night and then come back Saturday afternoon. We hopped into my cute little red Miata and drove with the top down as the evening was delightful. This morning it was a little cloudy and the weather forecast was later in the afternoon and the severe stuff might likely be in the southern part of the viewing area. Well, the neighbors are adding a deck so they are working hard and so Harri and I decided to go to town and get burgers for the working guys. We jumped into her Lexus and flew into town and on the way back we were commenting on the dark clouds we were driving towards. I should have been very worried and you know when we left I had the thought to leave my key, but I didn't. We were driving on the curvy country road when all of a sudden HAIL, HAIL, HAIL. It was a little hail but torrential sheets of hail. There was every size from pea to golf ball. We had to pull over under some big trees because the windshield would surely be broken if we continued to drive into it. As we were sitting under the tree we saw a poor horse standing under a tree next to the fence being pelted by the hail. It was so sad. I was almost in tears because I knew my little red car was sitting out in the open being most assurredly damaged by the hail. Finally, the hail began to lessen and we booked it on the road back to the cabin. I knew The Hubby was going to be pissed that I didn't leave the key but you just never know. Next time and from now on. We pulled up and the three guys were just staring at us and The Hubby had a horrible look on his face. I knew he was in the ozone with anger. Thankfully he was able to cover the car with light tarps and some carpet squares. We uncovered it and he said it was coming down so hard a fast that he was not able to be quick enough to protect all of it and sure enough there are dents all over my car. I'm just devasted. I think someone or something, karma, is telling me not to drive the thing to the cabin anymore or at least put it in the garage. Yes we have a garage there that it fits into but, well, unless you LEAVE THE KEY, it won't happen. Dammit!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and we are going to have the mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and B22 over for smoked ribs, my special oven roasted sweet potatos, asparagus and salad. Most of the day I will lay in the hammock, do a little laundry and read. Maybe I'll do the laundry today so I won't have to do anything but cook tomorrow. The Hubby cleans up after dinner so I don't mind. I will miss my girls but they will call or email.

My New Wheels

Well, after the window was broken we knew that it would be Wednesday before my car could possibly be fixed and with rain in the forecast off and on I get to drive a special car. The Hubby's prized 1971 El Camino that was his step-dad's. Oh joy, what fun...I am kidding you know. Actually it drives pretty nice except it is deteriating inside pretty bad, makes me sneeze every time I get into it. Oh well, at least I have wheels.

I walked my little tooshie off last night. The walking program set a walk for 3.63 miles between St. Francis Hospital and Lauraette which is full of hills. Oh my goodness my feet and legs are killing me. It doesn't help that I was pretty abused at my personal trainer on my quads in particular and Jazzercise in the morning and bowling 3 games in a hour the hour before the walk (we were making up last weeks). I was so sore I could hardly walk in the house last night. It's not as bad today. Today we worked the upper body so I expect that tomorrow I won't be able to lift a cup of coffee to my lips. It's all good. You know when you wash your jeans and they get tight and they loosen up after you wear them a few days, well, my size 16 jeans were in the dryer yesterday and I took them out, slid them over my very sore legs and buttoned and zipped and lo and behold they are still loose. YEEEEEAAAAAA! I'm on my way to a size 14. I'm so very excited.