Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Black Friday 2008

Couldn't sleep night before. Didn't get to bed until after midnight. Up at 3:30 a.m. sicker than a dog (nausea). Listened to my aunt gripe at my cousin about her driving all the way to the store (about a 30 min drive). Got to Walmart about 4:30. The only thing I really wanted to get that day was a kitchenaid mixer that WM had for $130. When I got there, there were 10 mixers and about 20 people already standing there waiting to grab. I stood around, chatted for a while, evaluated my chances of getting one without being killed and decided that with the carts and people blocking my way, there was no way on earth that I was going to get one of those 10 mixers at 5:00. I went on and got other stuff and met my cousin at the checkout line.

After surviving the long checkout line at WM, we headed to Target. Arrived before they opened. The gal who ended up in line behind me to get in was one of the close ones to the mixers at WM. Asked her if she got one - she did...for her friend. But the little old lady who had been standing beside her - who was the first one to get there at 3:30 - did not get one because "She was too nice. Everyone just grabbed them from around her." Hello holiday spirit......

After Target, we hit radio shack & gamestop in the mall (Target is in our mall back in MO). Then we got breakfast (my aunt with us for the first, and last, time and she has to have breakfast - and it did help my stomach a bit) then to Toys R Us.

While my aunt & cousin stood in line for an hour and a half at TRU to save $9 (yes you read that right - $9), I parked the car (I had let them out at door), came in to check where they were (already in line), went shopping next door at Circuit City, came back, browsed around TRU, visited them, went back and bought more at CC, browsed TRU some more. You get the idea! LOL! I had a 10% discount gamers card at CC - we could have gone next door and bought the two items (Rock Band 1 and Wii Animal Crossing City Folk) for only $9 more. Had my aunt known that, we would have been there (she hates being in line and money really wasn't an object with her) but my cousin was determined that her 20% off one item coupon at TRU was a much better deal.

Oh, and I took over driving once we were in Columbia. My aunt never complains about my driving and my cousin's driving was making me even sicker.

Anyway, after that wonderful morning, we headed home and I went back to bed. I would say my black Friday was the worst part of the whole holiday. No money, sick, only about 10 items on my list, etc. I usually get all of my shopping done on BF, but it didn't happen this year.

And thanks for asking...........LOL!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Thanksgiving 2008

We're back from our thanksgiving in Missouri

We had an awesome t-giving - up until I was sick on Friday. Didn't stop me from going shopping, though! But once I was done with the early morning shopping, I was in bed for the afternoon!

John's brother Danny from Chicago came down with his son Zain - first time we've seen him and he's 5 years old! He's a very cute and very polite young boy. He was a sheer joy! He started when the arrived on Wednesday screaming in fright about the dogs – Lucky and John's brother's dachshund Sandy. (They had gone to a friend's house once who had two great danes – who eagerly jumped up on him and freaked him out.) I told him we get him over his fear of dogs. By the time they left on Saturday, they had adopted a dog from someone on the parking lot at Walmart (whom Zain named "Noisy Quiet Love"), determined that was not the right dog for them, took it to the humane society and got a dachshund instead!!

John's other brothers were there for t-giving day (well, not the two that we've disowned) and everyone got along great. Ate, played some PS3, played some football, shot some guns, shot a longbow that Danny brought down, etc. His sister and her hubby were supposed to come but John & Danny were at their house on Wednesday night and there was a lot of drinking and Wii playing going on. So sis & BIL ended up too sick for t-giving - hangover LOL! But John spent a good amount of time over at their house on the other days, so I'm sure they got their fill of him.
John did not get to hunt, but one of our friends got a deer and John went over and helped him skin it and cut it up (the meat processors won't just take the whole deer anymore - you have to bring them just the meat and they will grind it and make sausage, jerky, etc.) Anyway, we will get some of the meat when we go back up there at Christmas.

Not only did I get to visit with my cousin and best friend, but I also got to visit with the gals from my old office that I was so close with. One is leaving the office, another got married in August and is pregnant! The things I've missed out on! (If John doesn't get a job and we end up moving back to MO maybe they will rehire me!)

Of course Jacob's cousin Blake spent the entire week with him. And the boy who was his best friend in 1st grade (Joseph) came out and spent a day with us. (We try to get them together over the summer when Jacob is there visiting, but it just didn't happen this past summer.)
John, his BIL (Chief of Police), and I took Jacob and Blake down in the woods and taught them how to properly load, handle and fire John's 22 handgun, S&W 40 and his 223 rifle. Jacob enjoyed it and looks forward to some more shooting lessons with his dad.

A visit home would not be complete without some sort of auto repair by my dad! LOL! I was losing water so he determined that the plug on the radiator was bad so he had to drain that replace the plug. While investigating the "belt squeak" that has been going on since March, he determined that my alternator as making noise and could possibly go out, so he replaced that – we figured better to be proactive and do it now then get back down here to TX and have to pay a mechanic to fix it. Of course, that cut into the already tight Christmas gift funds.

I rested a lot, read a few books, and enjoyed food, family and friends. It was probably one of the best thanksgivings I've had in years!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

WHY?


Sometimes "Why?" is the only thing you can say. I walked into Jacob's room and saw the following sight. When you see something like this, what else are you supposed to say? His response - "It was loading." (as in, the Sims game was loading up on the computer) Ummmm....ok......

Battlestar Galactica


Well, Battlestar Galactica is over for this year. Won't be able to see anymore until 2009! And then it will be 10 episodes and it's over! How will I survive? My other favorite - Lost - will also not be on again until 2009. Both of these shows provided awesome episodes this season and I would rate both season finales as 10/10!


So the question still remaining on BSG - who is the final cylon? I've bounced around with so many thoughts on it this season - Kara, Laura Roslin, Gaius.... Hard to say who it will be. Then I read the message boards which muddles it more. The PTB on the show say it is not anyone who is in the last supper picture. Ok, but Tory (one of the revealed 4) is not in the picture. If she takes the empty space, that would have to leave someone in the picture as the Final one.


And those darn writers - "All will be revealed". Ok, well a lot was revealed but the final cylon will not be revealed until "the 2nd half" of the season. ARGH! Cheaters!!


Anyway, it's going to be a looooonnnnng wait until January 2009!

Sunday, March 2, 2008

About me

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No, but the other name that my parents thought about was Kimberly Dawn.

2. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Livercheese

3. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS ?
Yes, although I struggled with strep throat and tonsillitis as a child. There was talk of removal at one point (when I had both strep and tonsillitis) but they never followed through.

4. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
NO WAY!

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
I hardly ever eat cereal, but my favorite would have to be Frosted flakes. No milk in my cereal. Just on the side. When I was young my favorite was Lucky Charms but I would just eat the marshmallows out of it.

6. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Generally not, but I usually untie them to put them back on.

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
I used to love Mackinac Island Fudge at the Subway in Boonville (fudge with brownies) but then they got rid of it. Now I buy Blue Bell milk chocolate and make milkshakes.

8. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
I’m not really sure!

9. RED OR PINK?
Depends on the shade. Don’t really like either one, but with pink so popular right now, I like some of the pinks with designs or complimentary colors.

10. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Where do I begin? My Weight

11. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My parents. I hate living so far from them. Also, some of my friends who I have not talked to in years (Lana, Lisa, Lisa B, Gary)

12. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Jacob working his power point presentation in the other room (to convince dad why we should let him spend $120 on a FPS game creator and expansions)

13. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Vanilla, although I’ve started liking some of the fruity candles (strawberry) from Yankee Candle.

14. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
I hate the phone! Jacob called me at poker last night to see when we would be home because his friend Nelson was leaving and had tried to freak him out. Plan to call mom in a little while to check in.

15. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
I know some don’t consider it a sport, but it would be Poker (love to play it, too). Of traditional sports, I like to watch soccer because it is constantly going.

16. HAIR COLOR?
Brown

17. EYE COLOR?
Officially called Hazel – kind of a blue/green. When I cry, they turn very green.

18. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope glasses. Tried contacts a couple of times throughout life. Since my eyes are so bad, they have to be hard and they are just too uncomfortable.

19. FAVORITE FOOD?
A good steak and baked sweet potato from Texas Land & Cattle.

20. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
We watched IRobot again because one of our friends had not seen it.

21. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter – I hate being hot!

22. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Mom’s chocolate pie or banana pudding with ‘nilla wafers.

23. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
I just finished Eclipse – the third book in the Twilight series. I read through it fast so I would know what happened and am now going back and reading it slower to catch everything.

24. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Some baby tigers with the moon on the background.

25. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Didn’t watch TV – Saturday night is poker night! (took 6th)

26. FAVORITE SOUND?
The sound of my son’s voice.

27. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Neither do much for me, but I at least listen to some Rolling Stones songs if they are on the radio.

28. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
I guess living here in TX. Or maybe it was the trip to Ohio (where we crossed over the border to the McDonalds in West Virginia)

29. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
St. Joseph Hospital – Boonville, MO

Thursday, July 12, 2007

My Element & Sign

On I group that I belong to, someone asked the question - What element are you? I had to think a lot about this because elements can mean so many things. I like to be barefoot as much as possible. Does this mean I am earth? I love to watch the rain and I love unique glass pieces. Does this mean water? What about sitting by a campfire just staring into the flames? Fire?

Ultimately I decided on wind. I love the AC blowing in my face. I love to sit outside with my eyes closed on a windy day letting the breeze blow over me. When I needed to think, I used to love going to sit on the Boonville Bridge because there was always a breeze.

Here's my answer to the group board:

I am an aquarius but hate to swim or take long baths, but I do like to sit in the garage and watch the rain. I used to think the Aquarius sign was all about water but then I found out its element is actually air - which really seems to fit me. I love having the AC blow in my face, love to sit outside with my eyes closed on a windy day, love thunderstorms when the wind is blowing the rain and twirling the trees.

I checked out the Chinese zodiac which says I am a fire lamb/sheep. I think the lamb/sheep description fits me in the "opposite" way that it refers to - anonymity, quiet life, good book, joys of the palate (this means I like food? duh! LOL), pessimistic. I also used to be a painter and some of my stuff was pretty off the wall (now, that would be an interesting scrapbook). So I guess that part of it is right on track.

"Lamb people have good taste and are quite charming and elegant � and rich. You may find them the center of attention at a stylish dinner party, ravishing all with incomparable wit and bon mots. The opposite is also true: they are often quite shy and sometimes prefer complete anonymity, the quiet life at home with a good book, a roaring fire, and the joys of the palate. A creative flame burns in their lives and you may find them before a canvas experimenting with bright bold genius strokes of paint. Sometimes, they tend to be pessimistic and question the meaning of life, wondering "why they dwell among green mountains." They are quite often deeply religious or spiritual and quite passionate about their work and their belief."

Thursday, July 5, 2007

It's just a dumb bird....

Monday night hubby comes home with a bird that he has found on the ground while taking his late night walk. It has a cut on its head. It's not a little bitty baby bird, but not a full grown bird. A bird that probably just started to fly and got hurt. He decides he is going to nurse it back to health (even though he is leaving for Vegas in less than 48 hours). It's mostly alert, but pretty lethargic.

We get a box lid, put a towel in it, and crush some dog food up for it. I cut down a plastic cup to a little bowl and we put some water in it. We put the box outside the back door on Lucky's pillows and hope for the best.

The next morning the bird is still in the box but is more alert. We have a friend who has a friend who is a bird rescue person so she calls her. The bird rescue person says to put it back in a bush near where he found it and the parents will come back and feed it (what? I was always told that bird parents would abandon their young if humans touched it. Hmmm....maybe a tale to keep us from playing with the birds?) Well, John is too busy to do that before Tuesday night poker. By the time we get home after poker, the bird is fiesty and will not let him pick her up. So he says she is getting better and let's just leave her here.

The next morning we get up to an empty box. YEA! The bird has flown away....not. It has moved out of the box and is now hidden between the pillow and the house. We move the pillow out and try to move the bird. Again too fiesty to let us pick her up. So we decide to just let her do her thing.

John leaves for Vegas, so now the task reverts to me to care for the little bird.

I go out later and she has moved farther out on the patio - under one of the chairs. Later in the day, I find her in the yard near the fence. I go buy bird seed for her. I come home and find her back near the house in the gutter downspout. I put some food by her. I come home again later and she is near the fence gate (the food has not been touched). She's been making the rounds around the yard. I decide it's best to move her back to her box and fluffy blanket. I get gloves on, and against her protests, I put her back in the box. Fresh water and add food. She seems to be doing pretty good - alert, moving her head around watching my every move. As I tried to pick her up she spread out her wings so I know they are fine. I look out the window at her a couple more times before I go to bed and she is curled up in her bed.

The next morning I check on her. She appears to still be half asleep which surprises me. It still doesn't look like she is eating, but there are two little piles of poop so surely she's eating something or there wouldn't be anything coming out. I make sure her box is under the chair so that if (ha! not an "if" lately, but a "when") it rains it may not rain directly on her.

I think about her as I run out to get lunch for a coworker and me. Should I go home and check on her? It is raining, hard at times. No, she's a bird. She's meant to be out in this weather.

Finally I get home and I run to check on her. As I'm unlocking the door I look out the window. This does not look good. Rather than being curled up in her little bunch, she appears "sprawled out". I go to the wet box. Her wet little feathers look so pitiful. Her head is down and I know before I touch her or the box that she is gone.

She's just a bird, one that we did not think would make it. Then why am I crying?