One For The Road

Sillyness...

2009-11-10T07:03:00.012-06:00

And really - all it took was a couple of foam noses on Halloween...

Even Pop and my hubby got into the act!

So when I said I would post pictures from my trip out to Wyoming, this wasn't exactly what you expected, Eh?

Well - those will have to wait. I am celebrating a little sillyness today instead... :)

Home!!

2009-11-02T17:45:00.002-06:00

Woot!

And now I am going to go stand (yes - STAND) with a glass of wine and make my list for the week. Have to hit the ground running tomorrow...

The trip was good. Pop is feisty and we couldn't have asked for better weather - while we were there and for travel. :)

Pictures to be posted soon...

Over the mountain...

2009-10-27T10:28:00.006-05:00

Whenever I think of Wyoming - this kind of scenery is what I envision...

Really - the only thing misssing is a heard of antelope watching you go by. And we saw oodles and scads of very well fed antelope. :) They are just camera shy - or it might be that it's dang near impossible to get a good picture of them when you are crusin' along at 82MPH... Ya think??

And for the illustrious TNT - who never got to go over the mountain with me last time - I took a few pics while coming down the "Oh My God" Highway a.k.a. alt. US 14.

There are times when you think about just hurtling off of the edge... Not that you would want to or anything! But still...
Yeepers.

The view makes all of the ear popping well worth the effort however...

So at any rate - we made it in fine form to my folks for a visit. It's all good...

My ears finally popped. :)

Note to self...

2009-10-22T10:21:00.002-05:00

Just because you hear a loud THWOK while taking a shower there may be no need to tiptoe throughout the house wearing nothing but a (now) wet sarong and dripping suds all the way looking for an intruder.

The THWOK may very well be the 2 liter of diet coke on the counter - expanding. Duh...

Time to hope that the neighbors haven't been traumatized. Again.

Yeesh.

Some days....

2009-10-15T10:55:00.002-05:00

I just can't seem to get it together. Typical Wisconsin Fall weather - gray and dreary again today. That's not helping for sure...

But in a few days I will be on the road to Wyoming - time to go visit with the folks. Hopefully this time a U-haul and kid in the ER free trip!!

At least I know the scenery will be good - once we get past South Dakota anyway...

And that *only* takes a day and a half... ;)

So what's the point of this post?? Meh - don't have one... I just like the picture - I took it in August at the Dead Indian lookout over the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. Makes me happy.

And some days that's enough.

Today's post is brought to you by Molly...

2009-10-09T09:04:00.002-05:00

May we all find that level of relaxation sooner than later. Happy Friday!

F.Y.I.

2009-10-08T10:22:00.001-05:00

Some days it's *not* so good to be ahead of the curve...

Just sayin'...

And it made me giggle so there's that. :)

Mum's the word!

2009-10-06T12:39:00.003-05:00

But the flowers sure are pretty... :)

Any idea if I should be deadheading this guy to keep him happy?? I am horticulturally challenged at best...

Mud is a motivator...

2009-10-05T10:11:00.004-05:00

Who knew?? LOL. That's my little hitter with one of her best buds from the neighborhood. :)

Sporta had a blast at her football game Saturday. Apparently a muddy field makes tackling people easier - she got in some pretty good hits!! (And I only had to shut my eyes once...)

I don't know who was happier - Sporta or her Dad. But it really was a fine thing to watch... They ended up analyzing college games all afternoon. Heh.

And we are supposed to get even more rain this week. Can't wait to see how *that* works out! I'll just have to get more laundry soap - eh?? And remember to bring an old blanket for her to ride home on in the car... Hey - I never said that *I* liked the mud... ;)

And there it goes....

2009-09-30T12:26:00.002-05:00

It's official - time to start wearing socks again... **sigh** Boo.

And Fall is usually my favorite time of year! This year though it just feels like an unwelcome transition... I am not ready...

Maybe it's just my state of mind. [ed. Gee - ya think, Rich?? Duh!!] Yeah - it's definitely my state of mind. I have been trying to heal some personal heartbreak (from multiple sources) - and not doing a very good job of it, unfortunately. Ever wish you could just excise certain things from your mind?? Permanently?? Just so you can go - "You know, I am just NOT going to think about this anymore." And then *blam* - the shit gets deleted and you can move on with your life...

Yeah yeah - be careful what you wish for. I know.

Maybe like the tree I should just try to focus on the pretty parts.

Let's see - Computa turned 13 last week. This is going to be interesting... Especially now that I have access to her daily grades online - oh yeah. Technology is a wonderful thing! (She and I are going to have a talk after school today, btw.) Now I have just got to come to terms with the whole hair and makeup aspect of being 13 in the year 2009... Hoo boy!

WxMan and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary last week as well - holy cow, time flies. Or maybe that should read holy time cow flies... It certainly boggles *my* mind! Anyhoo - we went out for yummy snacks and stand up comedy. It certainly felt good to laugh for a change...

I am looking forward to a visit with T1G and Mr. and Mrs. Bad Example later this week - that is always a good time. And sometimes I learn things! Granted, a lot of the time they are things I never *wanted* to learn (see the excise things from your mind wish above) but its good to learn things none the less. Right??

And there is always lunch.

Hey - I am good at lunch! we are focusing on the positive here, people!!

And uh...

Well...

Okay then.

I am off to find some socks... Fuzzy ones preferably.

Fodder - but no time...

2009-09-18T09:46:00.003-05:00

Isn't that jsut the way of it though?? Something finnally happens that I'd like to blog - but I have no time to do it.

Yeesh...

At least that guy got a donut out of the deal... Though ys know? I do have my Nonny's donut cutter - I bet I could make some pretty good ones too...

Happy Friday!

Agendas...

2009-09-11T09:34:00.003-05:00

A not so gentle PSA... (click to embiggen)

Agendas - it's the hidden ones that are the most dangerous in my opinion... Wouldn't you agree??

As for me - I am going so spend more time checking behind rocks, I think. Just to be safe... It's legal to shoot snakes and buzzards, right??

Not that I really hope to find any - but still... Having access to recourse is a good thing. Always.

Some funny for a Labor Day...

2009-09-07T09:39:00.003-05:00

At least it amused the hell out of me...

So, note to self... Sometimes it's better to not think too much - just flap. Heh. And in the interest in that line of thought we are off to partake of some fair food and Demolition Derby today.

Car crashes and cheap thrills. A good plan I think...

September 1st

2009-09-01T13:25:00.002-05:00

And school has begun.

The girls (even after all of their complaining) were up and adam and ready to go this morning.

Heh.

As for myself, I plan to skip my annual tradition of cleaning all day. I am going to enjoy the patio and some quiet. I am beyond ready...

T - minus 5 days...

2009-08-26T10:14:00.003-05:00

Until school starts.

Holy crap - it's the end of summer already. How in the heck did *that* happen?!?! It feels like just a little while ago we left on our ~~vacation~~ whirl wind trip of all things family and now it's time to get back into the daily grind of school, homework, dinner on time, schedules, activities... Yeesh.

For the first time I am on the same page as the girls - not ready. I have really liked the whole "sleeping in" option this summer. One of the bennies of the girls being older is that they like to sleep in too! Who knew?!?! But all of that is coming to a close... Boo.

But it is what it is - time to get another year under all of our collective belts. And at least it will be Fall - not that I feel we had much of a summer (where's my global warming, dang it?!?) but Fall is my favorite season. So there's that...

(I know. I know... Keep diggin' for that pony, Rich! It's gotta be in this pile somewhere!)

And just because I can, here is a pic taken of Sporta and Computa registration day...

At least they look ready, right??

T.G.I F.

2009-08-21T09:39:00.003-05:00

Works for me. This week has been kicking my ass...

Happy Friday!

Home again....

2009-08-16T09:53:00.003-05:00

And another 1200+ miles logged on the road. Good grief - this has soooo been the summer for driving!! I am beginning to think that I need both a sherpa and a chauffeur in my next life. But I digress...

First and most importantly - Sporta came home from the hospital yesterday. While the doctors are fairly sure that dehydration and heat precipitated her collapse, it was the rest of the episode that called for hospitalization and a number of tests to be run. They are still running some cultures and what not but it looks like everything will be okay. Thank God. The whole thing certainly scared the crap out of WxMan and me... Yeesh.

The folks are hanging in there. It was good to spend some time... And it was good to get all of the stuff I have had in storage in Wyo out of storage and home. Though I must admit, driving a U-haul through South Dakota and Minnesota in high gusty winds will wear your ass OUT! Thankfully I had a co-pilot, or I would have probably lost my everlovin' mind for sure! Thanks TNT!

Today it's time to find homes for everything. Thankfully, most of the furniture already has a spot all ready to go. Like this guy for example...

Looks cozy, no?? To be honest, I would like nothing more than to curl up right there and read ~~all day~~ a while. Oh well... Duty calls...

At least I don't really have to drive anywhere. :)

And the hits just keep on coming...

2009-08-14T09:47:00.005-05:00

Wanna know one way to get down out of your tree in a big hurry?? Get the word that your daughter has gone down at football practice and is being transported to the hospital when you are 1200 miles away. That'll do it.

Very early this morning she was transported to a bigger and better hospital with a great pediatric department in a nearby city and WxMan is with her. As her condition seems to have stabilized, I am going to stick to the plan - get my U-haul full of ~~things I really need and want~~ crap as scheduled and beat feet home.

Fortunately I have an excellent co-pilot with me. TNT is the best of the best, and while I will never be able to repay the favor I do sooooo appreciate her coming along for the ~~freakshow~~ ride this trip has been. Good grief.

And hopefully Sporta will be released today. And they will figure out WTF exactly happened to her...

So I am outta here. The stress express is hitting the road... Hope to land intact on the other side...

And I am already there...

2009-08-10T15:05:00.001-05:00

In Wyoming, that is. It was time to visit my folks and see how things are going plus get a couple of other tasks done that have needed to be done for some time.

One task involves driving a U-Haul home. Yeesh... Blogfodder there for sure.

At any rate - Pop continues to hang in there okay and all is rocking along. Boring is good these days. I will take it. And they seem to have finally figured out the chemo dosage so he's not hurting so much. Nothing bad about that. And let's face it - we have had enough bad for a while...

My hometown is just the same. Well... okay. Not exactly the same. The bakery closed and is now a bank (wtf??) but by in large things don't change much around here. I keep having flashbacks to 1987... Always weird.

My mom gave me a book to read - The Shack. I highly recommend it!! Wonderful wonderful book. And I needed both the lift and the imagery. Needed it bad. Very very bad. I have been way to far up in my tree of late. Going to try and get down for a while... It's either that or jump or fall and there's nothing good to be had from those scenarios, Eh? Yeah. I don't think so either... Climbing down is much better...

Anyhoo - it's not my patio, but the deck here is nice. Think I will go hang out for a while... And maybe read a little more. :)

Another Mom to the rescue!!

2009-08-04T11:11:00.006-05:00

And all I can say is thank God she saved me. I was seriously in over my head...

Why, you ask??

Sporta and I were shopping for cleats. Ok - that's not exactly it, because I would never willingly shop for cleats with Sporta on my own accord. WxMan has certain jobs around here - spider killing, lawn mowing, and most things sports related (equipment wise) for the girls. Generally that means cleats.

And shopping for any kind of shoe with Sporta is the bane of my existence. Seriously. It is excruciating and tedious. She's like Goldilocks on steroids when it comes to shoes. This one's too this... That one's too that... and it's endless. And Gof forbid *I* make a suggestion - I can collapse a whole genre of shoes because I made mention of them! Looks always play a part, but comfort is in the mix too. And she is picky. Picky picky picky picky... This, of course will serve her well as a grown-up! Any shoes she gets will be shoes she really likes. But to go shopping with her?? Oh my God, it's awful...

So anyway, WxMan had taken her to get cleats this morning. They made it through the decision making progress in a record 45 minutes! Woot! And got out for $25.00! Double woot! And I didn't have to go!! Triple... Well I am sure you get it by now.

Flash forward to just a couple hours later - WxMan is at work and Sporta is showing her buddies her neato bajito brand new cleats during which I hear a distressed call... "Mom?? Moooooom???? Come here quick!!"

Oh great - now what.

"Mom!! They say my cleats are illegal!! I won't even be able to practice tonight with them!!"

(In our defense, we just found out about this whole gig last Wednesday and got her signed up. the coach was thrilled as one team in the league really really needed another player.)

So I queried the little buggers, sent WxMan a text, and determined that odds were pretty good that they were about as illegal as they get. Shit. Do we have time to go return them? Yes. Great. I am so thrilled. Not.

Because I knew what was going to happen...

Just like with all shoe shopping experiences I have had with Sporta, she would fight me every.step.of.the.way. Wanting this - not wanting that and never ever agreeing to my suggestion of the basic normal "sure to be legal" plainish black cleats that would surely be in the mix. It's just how it is with her...

And as I mentally predicted it - sure enough... We got to the sporting goods store, she led me to the "cleats" section, and the fight was on! She picked out (after much discussion) the most freeking complicated looking cleats EVER. Declared that as you could "see no metal" they MUST be legal. Holy crap - I don't think she would be able to walk in the damn things, let alone run in them. I mean I get it and all... They really did look pretty bad ass - but she's a beginner fer gottsake! She's only been playing in neighborhood games!! I could see her digging in and though the "let's just get outta here" vibe was hitting me hard, I decided to call in reinforcements if I could.

So, there was another mom at the end of the isle who obviously had this whole "cleats" thing down to a science. I needed an expert - bad... Really bad. So I approached her and just asked if she knew about the ins and outs of the legality of these particular cleats?? Because as I told her, "I have absolutely no clue what I am doing and it is patently obvious that you do!!"

OMG - the woman was an absolute doll... in about 5 minutes she explained the whole "which cleats are legal" thing to me and advised Sporta to go with the much more sedate (plain black) cleats that I had suggested. Because those mac daddy cleats that she had picked out would most likely hurt her feet and make the games and practices not very fun. And Sporta??

She listened.

Holy crap.

We left with the slightly more expensive plain black cleats - and Sporta is thrilled with them. I should bake that other mom a cake, but I didn't get her name and that would be a little stalker creepy anyway. I did tell her thank you though! Big time...

So Sporta's got her cleats and she's all ready to start practice tonight. Wanna see what sport she chose?? Check it out...
Badass. I should probably get a blindfold, eh? This isn't flag football after all. Wait until you see her in her pads. Holy crap.

Oh and the wristband?? She got that at Disney Land. She got it because she thought it was really pretty and she wears it all the time... **sigh** I don't have the heart to tell her that it can be perceived another way. Sheesh.

On the fence...

2009-07-28T13:31:00.000-05:00

This time literally!

Thank God no one was around with a camera. Hell! Fortunately, no one was around period!

So yesterday I was working with a client. While in the process of fixing lunch, I noticed that they were out of napkins. Ok - fine. No problem. Paper towels then....

Whoops - no paper towels either. Hmmmm... After looking for an extra roll for a while, I thought okay - I'll just go out to my car and get some of the extra napkins out of the glove compartment. So I walked out of the client's house gently pulling the door closed behind me and turned to see that I had WxMan's car. Duh... Not mine. And I had locked it.

I walk back to the house to go get the keys and the damn doorknob won't turn... WTF??

Shit!!! It locked behind me! Crap crap crap crap crap CRAP!!!

Ok - take a breath...

Right - no problem... The front door is open. We were enjoying the breeze! I'll just go in that way!

So I go around to the fenced front yard to go in through the unlocked front door.... Yup - you guessed it. Padlock on the gate...

Double SHIT!!!

My keys? Inside.
My phone? Inside.
My elderly client? Inside. Hard of hearing, and ensconced in his chair watching Days of Our Lives. Shit. No help there...

So after a few moments of internal freaking out I start to scope out the fence. Oh good God...

Keep in mind that I do not ever remember having successfully climbed over a fence even when I was a kid. And I feel confident that I am even more clumsy and uncoordinated NOW than I was THEN. But what else am I gonna do??

Find a sturdy spot. Check.

See if I can hoist my ass into a position where I have potential to end up on the other side of the fence. Check. (Though this part took the longest and I am sure looked beyond ridiculous.)

Prepare to land on the other side without breaking anything. Gut check.... Geronimo!!!

So the good news is, I got over the fence without breaking it or myself in the process. And without impaling myself on anything. Bad news? Birkenstock sandals (oh shut up - they're comfortable!) are not meant for climbing fences - or anything else for that matter. I have the bruises to prove it...

Or maybe I am just a total clutz. Either way, I was glad no one was there to watch though I am sure I was funny looking as hell...

And the client?? Never even missed me, thank God. Next time I will just fold up some tissue and call it good...

I'm not dead...

2009-07-17T10:32:00.002-05:00

Just busy as all get out.

The girls made it home yesterday - very happy to be back in their own space. :)

So we have lots to do and lots to catch up on...

And of course, laundry is first on the list!

Hey - I never said that my life wasn't filled with adventure...

More fun to be had...

2009-07-09T11:03:00.002-05:00

While the home front is now quiet (all fingers and toes intact, post 4th) the girls continue to have a good time with grandparents** as they make their way back this way...

Last week they spent some time exploring the grand canyon. (For some reason pics aren't loading to blogger. I will try later.)

After that, a day for some cooler fun in Sedona and slide rock was definitely in order.... Here is Sporta making her jump...

Dang, that looks fun. Computa had fun too - it's just harder to catch her at it these days...

They have also spent time at Disney Land and California Adventure and made a trip to Leggo Land. And while they are sounding more than a little homesick, I find it hard to feel all that sorry for them.

I know. I know. Mean old Mom... But hey - it's better than cleaning out closets and cleaning carpets - that's what I have been doing!

So they will start making their way North-ish today. And I *have* been missing them both. I do wish that I could bottle up a little of this quiet for the next day of screeching that is to come along though. That would be fabulous...

**And a big THANK YOU to Loretta and Dal for making this all happen. I hope the screechy days have been few and far between!

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-04T15:14:00.002-05:00

And as is tradition, we are off to have some fun with good friends and make things go 'splodey.

As I said to Zonker, "Here's the thing. I'm cookin' and we're gonna blow a bunch of shit up. It's always a great time! Feel free to come on up!"

And the food is pretty good too. I hope all y'all have a great fourth! I am off to go load the fire extinguisher... Oh - and bail money.... ;)

Vacation!

2009-07-02T10:24:00.002-05:00

Alternate title: "How to drive from damn near Canada to damn near Mexico and back in 11 days and survive..."

We started out heading for OKC. WxMan's grandmother turned 90 - and there is no not celebrating that! GG looks absolutely fabulous, and thoroughly enjoyed her party and seeing all of her children, grand children and great grand children all together for the first time in ages!

I can only hope to be as with it and spry at 70 - let alone 90!!

The next day WxMan was off to golf - so I met up with a dear lady who I have been meaning to get together with for YEARS! Rave was all that and a bag of chips - clapping even! ;) And she picked the best place to meet up.

Pops on Route 66 - holy crap that was a LOT of soda. Some of it pretty dang interesting... The kids DEFINITELY had fun trying things that I would never drink in a million years...

The food was great, the atmosphere bubbly, and it was great to see Rave and meet her sons - both charming.

The next day it was time to hit the road again... GG insisted on cooking us breakfast before we left town...

For the record, she prepared a family favorite - Wormy Pancakes. (Translation: Homemade funnel cakes with plenty of butter and syrup. Mmmmmm....)

That's WxMan's dad ~~seeing if his is ready~~ supervising. ;)

GG - once again - was in her element! But soon it was time to go and we spent the day making our way to Phoenix.

Fifteen plus hours later we rolled into my brother's driveway and staggered inside.

But getting to spend the next day chilling by the pool made it all worth while... This is my cutimous nephew. :)
And the "pool within the pool" was a big ball of fun... Note my girls are in tee shirts - we are translucent after all...

Anyhoo - after a day of R&R it was time to head to Tucson for WxMan's family reunion. His mom was hosting the event and it all went off without a hitch! (Note to self - family reunions and casinos work well together. Go figure!)

So, here are the girls at a Mission - damn near Mexico :)

And here they are chillin' in their grandparents backyard - pretty cool, eh?

I am pretty sure they didn't mind seeing WxMan and I hit the road home that evening without them. Heck, my hiney still hasn't recovered from the trip! And they had more fun coming. Next stop Slide Rock and the Grand Canyon! Woot!

As for me, I have company arriving today and tomorrow so we can ring in the Fourth of July!! Ready for some things to go BOOM? I sure am....