This Site is Addictive!!!

Go to this site - - and you will see what I mean:

Click on this link for the "Levers" game

This is the homepage where other games can be accessed: vectorpark

I am NOT a fan of computer games, but - - "Levers" grabs me and will NOT let go!

*sigh*

But it's FUN! Check it out . . .

In the Office Again . . . *sigh*

Yes, even though it is SUNDAY - -

I was in the office.

Working on the Data Book.

It was a good time to get things completed, though - - during the week, there are so many interruptions - - phone calls, people coming in, and the general everyday work that needs done - - that it makes it impossible to get through all th minute details that this book involves.

SO - - since yesterday was Nephew Sam's Birthday party (and I was NOT going to miss THAT!) - - that meant Sunday was designated as "Data Book Day".

I spent a total of 5 hours in the office, and accomplished so much - - got the whole book proofread one more time, got all the pages numbered correctly, filled in the page numbers on the Table of Contents for each section (all 9 of them) - - created the Index/Glossary section and got it alphabetized - - *whew*

Then I went through the 6-page Fact Sheet and got it corrected with accurate information.

Tomorrow I should be ready to fix the one survey page that still needs revising, and also correct that info on the Fact Sheet - -

Once that is all done, all the sections will get converted to PDF to preserve formatting when it's sent to the Copy Center - -

Then (hopefully) we will be ready to print. Thank goodness.

It's been a long hard trek - - but it will look fantastic when presented to the Board in April.

This project is my "baby" - - my "pride and joy" - -

I take great pains to make sure it is all accurate and formatted properly and looks as good as possible. It has the College's name on it, as well as my boss's name, and MY name. I want it to be a publication that the College can be proud of.

And once it's all printed and done for this year - - I will go home, look in the mirror, and count all the new white hairs it has caused me - - and then go visit Lady Clairol for a touch-up! :-)

Happy Birthday, Sam!

Dear Hubby and I went to his brother's new house in Bloomington today for nephew Sam's 10th Birthday party.

Pizza Hut pizza, Scotcheroos - - yummmmm!

And - - Nephew Travis and his girlfriend Renee were there also! It was good to see both of them!

This was also a nice treat for me, because I had not seen their new house yet, having had that nasty stomach flu a few weeks ago and having to miss all the moving day activities. So Debbie took me on the "grand tour", and it is a gorgeous house! The "parlor" is small and cozy, and would be perfect for curling up with a good book and a couple of cats . . . :-) . . . and the Master Bedroom is HUGE!! The whole house is wonderful. I'm sure they will be very happy living there.

Sam was having fun and got lots of neat presents.

All in all, it was a good time - - and it was great to be able to spend time with all of them!

So - - HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY, SAM!!!

Love,

"M-Unc" Steve and Aunt Liz

Snow Day Update

Well, the Banana Chocolate Chip Bread is baked.

The Blueberry Bread is baking as I am typing this.

The whole house smells WONDERFUL!! :-)

Both cats are asleep on the bed - - I did Callie's favorite thing - - folding her favorite fuzzy throw into 4ths, then placing the heating pad between the layers (only turned up to 2 on the heat dial). She LOVES that! She has spent most of the day on it, and has even been so kind as to share part of it with Carmichael! They look so cute curled up sleeping together - - it's tempting to go join them for a nap!

But I still have Blueberry Bread baking, so it's probably best to stay awake . . ..

The snow and wind have died down quite a bit now. At 10:30 a.m. we were downgraded from a Blizzard Warning to a Winter Weather Advisory until 4:00 p.m. We have probably 10 inches of the cold white stuff out there, and some pretty awesome drifts! And it just looks cold out there. *brrr*

I've only been out of the house twice - - once to step over to the garage and get something from the freezer, and the other time to do some "maintenance" - - we lost Satellite signal. No TV? Oh no!! SO - - I put on my coat, gloves, boots, and hiked around the corner of the house. Sure enough, the dish was full of snow - - brushed it all out, went back inside - - picture was back! That's one of the very few times we have lost signal since we got the Satellite dish last May. Some people may consider it a pain to have to go out and do that, but the good things GREATLY outweigh the bad! 180 channels, plus a whole bunch of Sirius Satellite Radio stations . . . and it's cheaper than our expanded basic cable cost us. (Hey, I'm no fool!)

Well, the timer just went off - - need to go check the Blueberry Bread!

SNOW DAY!! YIPPEE!!!

Well, I got my wish.

For the first time in three winters, the College is closed for a SNOW DAY!

I'm going to baka Banana Chocolate Chip Bread (Banana Bread with mini chocolate chips stirred in - - yummmm!), and I have some blueberries from a late summer farmer's market thawing out for Blueberry Bread (no chocolate chips in that, though!).

I'm also going to do a bit of filing in my home office - - just a little bit - -

And THEN - -

I'm going to pile down on the couch and spend some "quality time" with my two fur-babies! Callie and Carmichael are looking forward to it, I can tell - - they keep following me around the house, waiting for me to sit down and create a lap they can curl up in!

FINALLY - - a SNOW DAY - -

But one is plenty - - I want to make it back to work tomorrow, before "cabin fever" starts to set in! :-)

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If you haven't already noticed, there are a couple of new things on my sidebar. I've joined BlogMad and hope to get some more "hits" from that, and maybe some new readers? And some more commenters? Keeping my fingers crossed . . . .

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I also adopted a "virtual pet" from BunnyHero Labs. He looked so much like my kitty Carmichael, I just had to have him! When you click on the "More" tab at the lower right corner, it brings up a toy to play with, a ball and string on a stick. You can move it around, and he will stick his paw out of the basket and try to catch it. It's just TOO MUCH like my real Carmie . . .

Anyway - - Check out the site - - once you get to the homepage, click on the "CyberPets" link - - you can customize and "adopt" your own!

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Well, it's off to enjoy my "SNOW DAY" - - I hear the oven calling - - time to go start Banana Bread - - the whole house is going to smell yummy! :-)

Batten Down the Hatches!!

Well, we were under a Winter Storm Warning.

That has now been cancelled.

It has now been upgraded to a BLIZZARD WARNING.

Oh joy.

They are forecasting freezing rain, sleet, and hunderstorms this evening, and 1-2 inches of snow per hour from Midnight through 7:00 a.m. Tuesday.

Along with all that nice "stuff" will be 25-35 MPH winds.

Fun.

SO - - I may have my longed-for snow day yet! :-)

Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes just a week ago - -

And now this - - on the FIRST DAY OF SPRING, no less . . .

Ah yes - - weather in Central Illinois . . .. :-)

Keep ya posted . . .

Storm Damage

Springfield had LOTS of damage from the two F2 tornadoes that hit last Sunday night/Monday morning. One of the local radio stations, WNNS Lite Rock, has a slide show of storm damage photos on their website. You can access the photos HERE.

Some of the people in Springfield are STILL without power, and some will not get it back until next Wednesday. The really bad thing is, they are calling for pretty cold temps from tonight on, and a very good chance of an accumulating snow by Wednesday.

I'm saying my prayers for them.

Okay - -

Well, I promised to post about last weekend's little "road trip" - - and now that this HECTIC week is FINALLY over, there is finally time to do just that! :-)

Dear Hubby had two gun safe doors to pick up in Ohio (one for himself, and one for a co-worker) - - so he was taking a Friday and Saturday to make the trip to pick them up. Would I care to go along?

Hmmmm - - riding 6-1/2 hours, in the cab of a pickup, pulling a trailer all the way out there, and pulling the trailer and an additional 1,500 pounds (more or less) all the way back - - bumpy, rough, LONG . . .

Heck yeah - - I want to go - -

Seriously.

Because - - no matter what it is, it seems that if he and I are doing it together, it's always FUN! :-)

And it was . . . .

We pulled out last Friday morning at 5:00 a.m. Yes, that is 5:00 in the MORNING. Yes, I'm crazy . . .

We stopped in Rantoul for a quick breakfast, at the local Hardee's, where it seemed all the local farmers gathered. Listening to them pick at each other was pretty amusing as we sat there and ate. Then it was back on the road.

We stopped for lunch in a small town just across the Indiana/Ohio border called Antwerp, at a Friendly's. If you have never eaten at a Friendly's, I highly recommend it! The only time I had been to one was in New York City, and all I had was Italian ice or ice cream. As it turns out, their FOOD is great! We will definitely stop at a Friendly's again on future trips.

We finally made it to the small town of Tontogawa, just north of Bowling Green, Ohio, to pick up the safe doors. After about 45 minutes of loading and securing, they were ready to go, and we were on out way back towards Ft. Wayne, Indiana to spend the night.

This is where the REAL fun began . . . . . :-)

We pulled into Ft. Wayne, which is a fair-sized city. Of course we got lost trying to find the Red Roof Inn. Finally found it, turned to go to it - - and of course wound up on a street with NO entrance to it. *sigh*

SO - - it's time to backtrack and take another stab at it.

As we get back to the intersection and are waiting to turn left, we look about 1/2 block up, and see a very LARGE neon sign - - of a girl dancing on a pole. The sign with it said "Brandy's Exotic Dancers". I looked at Steve, and he immediately said, "I'm innocent here! I've never been in Ft. Wayne before! Honest!"

I just started laughing . . .

So he is still protesting his innocence as the light turns green, and he proceeds to turn left. As he does, we look next door to the Red Roof Inn - - -

and there is "Showgirls I Gentlemen's Club". Right next door.

I bust out laughing even harder.

Steve just says, "Aw S**T! I can't win here!"

But then it got even better - - we had to pull into Showgirls drive and go THROUGH THEIR PARKING LOT to get to our hotel.

He was mortified. I couldn't quit laughing at him.

Poor guy.

I tried to smooth things over - - I even pointed out to him that we didn't even have to drive anywhere for supper, because their sign advertised "Free Buffet until 7:00 p.m."

He didn't go for that, for some reason . . . . :-)

Oh well - - it was all fun. At his expense. *snicker*

The next morning we found a GREAT bakery for breakfast - - Richard's Bakery. They are kind of a small place, looking pretty plain and unassuming, but when you drive by, you can see they have wedding cakes and all kinds of other things they make. So, we decided to stop and try a couple of doughnuts.

Oh. My. God. Those were SO good.

We got two apiece, but they were so BIG and so FILLING, I could only eat one. Steve managed both of his, somehow. But I kept mine wrapped up in the bag and saved it for Sunday (which, by the way, it tasted just as good and just as fresh-baked as the one the day before).

Ever in Ft. Wayne - - stop at Richard's. You will NOT be disappointed. That's a promise.

After breakfast, we headed up to Auburn, Indiana, the home of the Auburn-Cord-Deusenberg Car Museum. It is located in the original manufacturer's building, which has been totally restored to its original grandeur, including the Art Deco designs on the walls, floors, and ceilings. Absolutely amazing! And the cars - - oh my, the CARS - - are awesome. Completely restored Auburns, in all their bright, bright colors; Cords, and of course, Deusys. BEAUTIFUL works of art.

We loved every bit of that place, and will definitely go back again some day.

After a couple of hours of browsing fun, it was time to start heading back towards Illinois. We made it to Champaign right at supper time, so of course that meant stopping at our all-time favorite Barbeque place, Li'l Porgy's. They are one of the best!

Finally made it back home, just in time for a pounding thunderstorm. LOTS of fun unloading in the rain . . . *sigh*

But, we were home, and that's all that mattered.

It was fun going away with Dear Hubby for a couple of days, but it was even better being home with him and the fur-babies (who, by the way, were VERY glad to see us!)

SO - - that is the "Reader's Digest Condensed" version of the weekend trip. There were lots more things that we saw, and some more things that we did, but too much to go into right now. It's been a helluva week, and it's not over yet. I'll be in the office tomorrow trying to finish up my yearly Data Book (about 175 pages or more), which is due the first part of April. It's extremely difficult to get it finished up during the week, with phone calls and numerous interruptions, so tomorrow will be a good time to do it. It may take some time on Sunday also . . . oh well, I may have a weekend SOMETIME . . .

Thanks for stopping by. I'll post more over the weekend. :-)

I Know I Know . . .

Yes, I promised to post our trip highlights today.

I lied.

Not intentionally, though. It's just that it's been "one of those days" at work, and tomorrow is another L-O-O-O-N-G day, due to teaching Part 2 of the Intermediate Excel class tomorrow.

I think the reason for the bad day at work is due to the weather - - we just had those violent storms - - now it's COLD (29 degrees!) - - and they are calling for rain again tomorrow and Thursday.

My sinuses don't know WHAT to think! And so, as usually is the case when this happens, they decide to THROB. And HURT. Since they don't know what else to do. (Like take a nap or something . . . )

SO - - it's some aspirin and an early bedtime for me tonight.

And I will get the trip highlights posted by the weekend.

Promise.

Thanks for stopping by - - 'night . . . *yawn*

Survived the Storm

Well, last night was quite an adventure.

After I shut down the computer around 8:30 or so, the wind started really picking up, and the lightning was just absolutely awesome! We had quite a little windstorm blow through, and dump quite a bit of rain on us, but it seemed to pass pretty quickly.

Other areas around us didn't fare so well, though - - there was quite a bit of tornado damage in Springfield and the surrounding areas. In fact, my favorite Gordman's store lost their roof! :-(

I am officially in mourning over that loss. . . . .

BUT - - just when you think all the fun is over - - Mother Nature turns around and give you a BIG surprise!

We were wakened up at 3:00 a.m. this morning with the tornado sirens going off, wind blowing, thunder and lightning - - the whole show. We turned on the scanner and started hearing reports of tornadoes on the ground over by Springfield again. We turned on the TV, and the local station had their weather reports cranking out non-stop, showing the places of rotation, and where things were heading. From the looks of it, all the really bad stuff was going to skirt by just West of us - - which it did.

But it was STILL a pretty spectacular light show! :-)

SO - - I have been awake since 3:00 a.m. I'm teaching Intermediate Excel tonight, and will not get out of here until 9:00 p.m.

Can't wait to get home and get some SLEEP!!

I'll post my trip highlights tomorrow . . . I'll be WAY too tired to do that when I get home from work!

Thanks for stopping by!

Back From Ohio

Well, Dear Hubby Steve and I made our "road trip" to Ohio and back this weekend - - the one we had to put off for a couple of weeks due to the flu bugs in our household.

I will post about our little "adventure", but not at the moment. We have severe storms heading our way - - in fact, I can hear the thunder in the distance, and Springfield (just 35 miles West of here) has set off their warning sirens.

SO - - the computer is going down, and we are going on alert. Time to ride the storm out . . .

I'll post our trip activities soon!

Update on JT

I heard from our mutual friend A about how JT is doing. He came through the surgery fine, but is having quite a bit of pain. He didn't have his pain meds yet, and Tylenol w/codeine wasn't doing the trick. Once his mom got off work and can get the prescription filled, he will be in MUCH better shape.

But he's doing pretty okay, and I'm glad to hear it.

Hang in there, JT - - and come see "Mom" out at the College when you feel up to it! :-)

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Today was better.

I'm still not back 100%, but at least my energy level is better. Yesterday was such a chore, just trying to make it through the day, and it felt like 5:00 p.m. would NEVER get here! But my energy level was vastly improved today.

NOT looking forward to tomorrow, though - - TWO - - count 'em - - TWO meetings to take minutes at . . . *sigh* . . . one at 9:00 a.m. (staff meeting), and one at 3:30 p.m. which should be a real doozy!! I am NOT looking forward to it . . . and, since it is confidential, I can't even get on here and vent about it afterward! :-(

Oh well - - wish me luck . . .

LOOOONNNGGG Day . . .

Well, I made it through the whole day. Somehow.

By mid-afternoon, my energy level was dipping pretty low, but eventually 5:00 p.m. rolled around, and I was on my way out. *whew* Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Dear Hubby and I met a couple of friends for dinner this evening. About the middle of the day, I wasn't sure I was gonna be up for it, but everything worked out. It was fun - - some of these friends we have are just. not. right. But that's what makes it such fun! :-)

But it's getting late, and I'm exhausted. Tomorrow is another day, and hopefully will be a little easier to get through.

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Before I sign off, I'm asking for best wishes for my friend JT. He is one of my many College alumni who consider me their "College Mom", and he is going through a rough spot. Last week when he was at the College attending a concert over noon hour, he had a tooth break. Part of it fell out, part stayed in. Then the exposed nerve started throbbing. Then hurting even more. I got him some extra strength aspirin, and got him to my office so he could contact his dentist and his mom for a ride. When he called me back later, he told me the dentist couldn't see him until Thursday, but he was to go to the Emergency Room that even when they had a dental person on staff. Last update from our mutual friend Ann is that he is really drugged up on pain medicine, and antibiotics, for a severe infection. He is having surgery tomorrow to take care of things.

Get better soon, JT. I'll be thinking about you. Come back out to the College and see "Mom" when you feel better.

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Off to bed for me - - thanks for stopping by . . . 'night *yawn*

Back To the Office Tomorrow

Well, I emailed the training coordinator Friday and told her I would not be able to be in training Monday and Tuesday - - that being sick 2 days this pas week made it impossible for me to be gone any longer.

SO - - I'm going to reschedule to attend Part 2 in April.

I am going to get things ready for my Wednesday meetings tomorrow. I did NOT feel like going into the office today to do anything - - my energy level is still pretty low. I can actually eat "real food" now, but not much at one time. I fill up pretty darn fast. Which is fine. I don't need to overeat anyway.

Dear Hubby and I got up EARLY this morning (5:30 a.m.!) and got ready to go - - went to Caterpillar and got some scrap wood to use to help transport the safe doors next weekend. Cat has this deal where they let employees in at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings, and they get 10-15 minutes to load up whatever scrap wood they want from the salvage area. They usually have some pretty neat stuff, and good quality, too!

As we left Cat, it started sleeting. Then raining. Then snowing. THEN all mixed up together.

Really lovely . . . *sigh*

We decided to grabb a quick bite for breakfast. Then headed to Walmart for a quick grocery run, and then on home.

By this time it's almost 9:00 a.m. - - and we're both exhausted. SO - - it's back off to bed for a long winter's nap. The weather was very conducive to napping!

The kittycats thought this was a MARVELOUS idea . . . :-)

We didn't wake up until 12:30 p.m.!!!!

So this has been a basically lazy day for both of us. We still are not completely back 100%, in fact, Steve is still not going in early working any overtime, and may not the rest of this week. He is still fighting that darn cough, and isn't getting good rest like he should. But he has an appointment with his allergy doctor Tuesday, so maybe he can give him something to knock that.

As for me, well - - I'm hanging in there. My legs still feel a little shaky if I'm up doing too much for too long, but I'll just have to take it easy tomorrow and get done what I can. If my energy level tanks, I'll go home early if need be.

Wish us luck . . . ..

Flu Update

Well, I didn't make it in to work on Friday - - my tummy would not allow it. And I'm home today instead of helping my brother- and sister-in-law move.

Darn it. I feel like I've let everyone down . . . . *sigh*

And I'm getting Cabin Fever. I'm getting it BAD.

SO - - I have showered, and gotten into some real people clothes (instead of the jammies I've been living in!) and have decided that I at least need to get out for a few minutes before I go absolutely crazy! So I'm going to take a quick trip into town and go to the Post Office to mail a few things.

THAT should wear me out pretty quickly - - my strength is still not back up to where it should be.

But I'm on the mend, and that's a good thing!

Keep ya posted . . .

Flu Bug, Part Deux

Dear Hubby Steve is pretty much over his fight with the nasty Flu bug that bit him. Except for the COUGH, that is . . . he is driving ME - - and HIMSELF - - crazy! Other than that, he's doing pretty okay. Finally got his energy level back, and things are cool.

Now it's MY turn. :-(

I don't have the same one he had - - his was all upper respiratory and chest. MINE, however, is stomach flu.

God, I hate this.

Woke up at 1:00 a.m. this morning with stomach cramps. Laid there in bed hoping things would settle down, but no luck. Got up at 1:45 a.m., and was up until 5:45 a.m. sick.

NOT fun!

And the worst thing is - - this is the ONE DAY this week when I absolutely COULD NOT be sick - - our office is hosting a meeting on campus with people coming in from all over the State, and we are the ones who need to make sure it all goes smoothly.

And here I am at home - - in my pink flannel jammies (hey, they are Victoria's Secret - - they are really COOL flannel jammies!!) - - wondering what to do. Our college is known for our hospitality and making people feel welcome when we host an event - - any event - - and I did not want that reputation tarnished in any way.

SO - -

By 7:00 a.m. I am on the phone to M, my boss's assistant, calling him at home to let him know what was happening. I also told him I was going to make some other calls and get everything arranged, and would talk to him once he got to the office.

I then called S, who was in town from a college up north, who was officiating the meeting. We have been in constant contact on the phone for weeks now, making sure everything was arranged. I told her I would work things our and get back with her very soon.

I then called C, my "partner in crime", who has worked conferences and meetings with me for years. We have it down to an art - - we don't even have to say anything to each other any more, we just know what needs done, and we do it. I explained the whole situation to her, asked for her help (BLESS YOU, C!), and told her where everything was in my office. I also asked her to put S in contact with Food Servide, in case there were any last minute meal questions (2-day meeting, LOTS of food).

I then called down to Shilling and talked to B, who takes care of setup. I told her the situation, and that C would be bringing S down to see her before 9:00 a.m. She told me not to worry (yeah, right!! I'm ITALIAN, remember???) - - she would take care of things.

I then called M back at home and told him everything was arranged for. I then called S back at her hotel room, and told her where she needed to go to meet up with C.

I also made sure everyone had my home number in case they couldn't find something they needed.

*WHEW* - - NOW I'm exhausted!!

By this time it is 8:00, and I decide it's time to head to bed and try to get some sleep, if my tummy will allow me to. Figured if they needed me, they would call.

I woke up at 11:30 a.m.

Wow - - no phone calls!

SO - - I got up and called C to see how things went. Everything went very smoothly, and S and her group were pleased with things. That's a GOOD feeling! :-)

So I went back to bed, and curled up with two fur-kittys and slept most of the afternoon. Dear Hubby woke me up when he got home around 3:30. I have finally tried to eat something - - let's see how THIS works out.

But now I am ready to head back off to bed. The way my tummy is feeling, it is up in the air as to whether I make it to work tomorrow or not. I'm hoping so, because I'm out of the office in training Monday and Tuesday, and have to pull things together for a staff meeting scheduled for Wednesday morning. I'll go in on Sunday and get those packets ready if I have to!

Thanks for stopping by, and wish me luck shaking this nasty Flu bug - - *sigh*

Battle Of the Flu Bug

Alas - - the dreaded Flu Bug has bitten the Jackson household. Not me, thank goodness, but Dear Hubby Steve has fallen victim. There has been a nasty bug going around the area, and when it hits you, it hits FAST and HARD.

Monday evening Dear Hubby was feeling like he was starting a cold. By the time he got up for work Tuesday morning, he felt he had a cold. By the time he got off work Tuesday afternoon, it had already worked its way down into his chest, so he stopped at Doctor's Family Practice to get checked out. By that time, his temp was up to 101.5, and he felt AWFUL. The Dr. not only prescribed him an antibiotic and something to break up the congestion in his chest, but wrote him an excuse and told him to stay home from work. At first he tried to argue that - - what a surprise (not!) - - but then decided that one day would probably do him some good.

Good thing he made that decision.

He was up and down all night, coughing, and feeling generally lousy. He got up this morning long enough to call the Absence Line at Cat, and also call and talk to his supervisor, then piled back down in bed for the day.

He felt LOUSY.

The CATS, however, loved it. They had their DADDY home, and he was nice and WARM!

I'm not sure they were too happy when he started sweating out his fever, though . . . :-)

I called and checked on him a couple of times today from work, but was afraid to call too often, because I didn't want to risk waking him up if he was finally getting some much-needed rest. So I stayed busy (not hard to do in MY job!) so I wouldn't "fret" so much thinking about him.

By the time I got home this evening, he looked as bad as he felt. When he took his temp, it was up near 102 . . . so I fixed him some hot chocolate and made him put on some extra clothing.

Then he finally started sweating it out again. *whew*

His skin is feeling quite a bit cooler now, and not as dry - - so hopefully the "mending" has finally started!

He's staying home again tomorrow. And if he's not LOTS better, I'm taking some time off and taking him back to the Doctor.

I'm not putting up with this crap.

That's my BABY - - my HONEY - - my MAN - -

And I want to be able to do SOMETHING to help him feel better!

*Rats*

I hate feeling this helpless . . . .

Wish Dear Hubby luck in his "Battle of the Flu Bug" - - it may have kicked his A** the past couple of days, but he WILL perservere! :-)

Happy Birthday, Babe!!

Today is Dear Hubby Steve's birthday - - and hopefully it has been a good one for him!

My Dad came up from Smalltown and we all went to my in-law's church, where Dear Nephew Travis was preaching today (I like to tease him about having his "student preaching permit" - - *laugh*). Aunt D, Uncle H, and Cousin R came also. Travis did a wonderful job with his sermon! That young man has a very promising future as a minister. We are all very proud of him.

After church service, we all went to my in-law's house to celebrate Dear Hubby's birthday. Quite a crowd there - - me, Steve, my Dad, Steve's parents, Steve's brother and his family, and of course the aunt, uncle, and cousin. Travis also brought his girlfriend with him. So it was a houseful, and it was fun!

Mom-in-law made 5 different kinds of pizza, and had salad and makings for sandwiches for those who didn't want pizza. I provided dessert - - chocolate chunk cookies, peanut butter cookies, and - - OF COURSE - - my world famous BROWNIES! :-) I didn't make anything fancy this time though - - just regular brownies with loads of chocolate chips in them, and then chocolate cream cheese frosting on top.

Then to top it off, I went to Dairy Queen for Dear Hubby's birthday cake. He has been wanting one of their ice cream cakes for a LONG time, so I decided it was time to make his wish come true.

Ever had one of those???

WELLLLLLL - - if not, then you absolutely need to - - they are nothing short of AWESOME . . . . *sigh*

The bottom layer is chocolate ice cream. Then there is a THICK layer of crushed fudgy cookies in the middle, and a layer of vanilla ice cream on top of that.

Then the whole thing is covered with vanilla ice cream "icing", and then decorated to order.

YUMMMMMMMMM . . . . .

It was wonderful.

Of course, I had to send any brownies and cookies that were left over back to Olivet with the nephew - - he can use the calories, he's too skinny anyway . . . *laugh*

Anyway, it was a pretty good day. Dear Hubby enjoyed it, and that's what matters most.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Babe. I LOVE YOU!!

Your "Sweet Baboo"

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Especially my Dear Huibby Steve - - who has been there for me through all the good times and bad for over 20 years now - -

I love you, Babe. Looking forward to the next 20 years with you!

Your "Sweet Baboo"

Food Pantry Work

This is actually a story about my Dad. He has volunteered for many years at the local Food Pantry in his hometown of "Smalltown, Illinois" - - putting in lots of hours every week, picking up donations from churches and meat lockers, counting, sorting, and putting away cases of canned goods. I was pretty concerned that it would start being too much for him. When I tried to talk to him once a few years ago, he told me a little story - -

[Once when I was about 12 years old, my family took a trip up to Iowa to visit some relatives in the Quad Cities area. We stopped at a small town diner around lunchtime. There was another family sitting in the diner, travelers like we were, stopping to get a bite to eat. One of their children (about 7 or 8 years old) said to his Dad, "Gee, Dad, these ketchup sandwiches taste really good with meat in them!"

I was only 12 years old, but that really hit me. I never forgot that poor family who couldn't afford to feed their kids anything but meatless ketchup sandwiches. And I promised that if I could ever do something to try and keep other little kids from having to eat plain ketchup sandwiches, I would. That's why I work at the Food Pantry. I'm helping families feed their kids.]

I never said a word to Dad again about all the hours he puts into the Food Pantry.

And when Mom passed away 3 years ago, he stepped up the hours he spent there. I'm glad he has that place - - it really kept his mind busy and kept him "grounded" during his grieving process.

Wish I could have had something like that to keep my mind occupied . . . .

But anyway - - this past weekend was the Boy Scouts Annual Food Drive. They called my Dad, who met them up at the Food Pantry, so they could drop off their collections. They pulled up in a panel truck - - full - - and 8 people started carrying in sacks of food.

And carrying . . .

And carrying . . .

And carrying some more.

By the time they finished, the Pantry was so full of bags of food you couldn't even walk through the place! Dad just locked the door and decided Sunday was another day - - he would start counting and sorting items then. He got home and called Dear Hubby and me, and proceeded to tell us the good news. When I asked him who was going to be helping him sort, count, and put away items, he didn't have anyone. He tried to make a couple of phone calls, but came up empty-handed - - lots of people had church events planned for that following day.

SO - - Dear Hubby and I drove South and met him at the Food Pantry to help. In just under 2 hours, we had counted, sorted, and put away over 850 items.

And we were not through yet - - there were still plenty of sacks left! *sigh*

Then the Service Learning Class teacher from the Middle School showed up at the Pantry, and told Dad that she planned on having the students work on the food collections, because they needed the community service hours for their grade. She had not been sure who to call. Dad told her from now on to just contact him, and he would make sure to meet the kids there so he could supervise and also sign off on their work sheets. She told him they would be back up at 4:00 to finish up the rest of the work.

So we left, and went back to Dad's house to rest up a bit before heading back towards home.

It's a good feeling, helping other people. Dear Hubby and I had some other things planned for yesterday, but decided to push them back a couple of hours so we could help out Dad.

I'm glad we did.

I'm also VERY glad I have a husband who treats my family as if they are a part of his - - he adores my Dad, and would do anything to help that dear man. He also adored my Mom, and probably cried as much as I did when we lost her 3 years ago. And my *Grandmother*, well - - don't get me started there! She adored him, and always threatened to steal him from me! And he loved her just as much. I'm very lucky!

Oh - - Dad called us last night when he got back home from the Food Pantry. There was a total count of 1,367 items donated by the Boy Scouts Food Drive! Those young men should be very proud of all they help they are being to families in need!

**************************

Before we left to go help Dad, we saw a house for sale in the paper, that had been for sale before we bought our present home (about 11 years ago). It was having an open house that afternoon.

I had loved that house, and had been totally heartbroken when the deal fell through and we could not buy it.

SO - - We decided to go through it and see how kind (or not) the years had been to that house. I have the whole story posted on my "other blog "- - go check it out! :-)

****************************

Today is Lincoln's Birthday, and Campus is closed. It's been nice to have an extra day off! I got up REALLY early this morning (4:30 a.m., when Dear Hubby took off for work) - - went to the Gym and worked out for an hour (LOVE the morning crowd! They are zany and fun!). Then I got back home, showered and changed, and went out to run some errands. Made it home by lunchtime, and have just been kinda puttering around the house catching up on little odds and ends projects. Just a nice, relaxed day - - I need *lots* more of these!

Only problem is - - it's in the mid-30's, but the wind is gusting up around 25-35 mph - - and it's DAMN COLD out there! Glad I'm inside where it's nice and toasty warm!

Well, so much for this latest "novel" - - didn't mean to get so wordy, but it had been awhile since my last post and there was some catching up to do.

Thanks for stopping by!

Back To The Old Routine . . .

Sorta.

Right now I'm just hoping to find my desk by the end of the week! *sigh*

It is COVERED in papers - -

Somebody send me a shovel, please - - a BIG one!

Wish me luck . . . . .

Imagine 21

I doubt if John Lennon had THIS training in mind when he wrote his song, "Imagine"!

I am going through Part 1 of I21 training this week. This involves 2 days of videos by the creator of the training, 2 facilitators leading us through the exercises in the books, and lots of "audience participation" going on.

*sigh*

Basically, what I'm finding out (and this is only after the FIRST DAY) is that all this stuff they are talking about is the same stuff I've already had in my Psychology and Sociology classes at the College. It's just packaged up differently is all.

So it's just kind of a "refresher course" for me - -

HOWEVER - - there are a couple of redeeming points - -

I get 2 days out of the office this week! :-)

Yeah yeah - - I know - - it will be a week of "catch-up" once I get back, and will not be able to see the surface of my desk for the piles of work . . .

But it is 2 DAYS OUT OF THE OFFICE THIS WEEK!!!

Gotta love that, at least.

The other good point - - we (3 of us from the College) are sitting at a table with 3 retirees from Caterpillar - - who are ornery and rotten as the day is long - - they just ain't right, these people! And me - - the little "instigator" - - was right in the thick of all of it! My stomach still hurts from laughing.

We quickly got the reputation as the "bad" table today . . . go figure!

Tomorrow is another day of I21 - - and I can't wait to spend more time with my table mates. They are making this "assimilation"* training a lot easier to bear!

Then it's back to the old grind . . . *sigh*

Keep ya posted . . .


*I'm not kidding - - that's what it says on the front of one of the training manuals" "Assimilation Guide". Sounds kind of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", doesn't it? I mean - - the BORG were the ones who "assimilated" other people - - "Resistance is futile" and all that . . . *gulp* . . . Jean Luc Picard, where are you when I need ya????

Another Update on House Blog

We have had some more happen with the house building project, and I have updated that on my my other blog, "Escape From the Money Pit".

Check it out if you get the chance - - :-)

eBay Fever . . .

We got it BAD, too! :-)

We have had some items for sale on eBay this past week. Most of them were pretty big ticket items, too. Dear Hubby Steve had 2 snowblowers for Toro Wheelhorse - one in great shape, the other is in good enough shape to fix up and use (needs a couple of parts), a set of headers for a Ford FE big block, and some Isky racing valve springs and copper gasket. I had a really good IBM Personal Wheelwriter 2 for sale that I purchased about 10 years ago, but once the computer entered our lives, it got less and less use. It's still a good machine, though, and works great.

So we put these 6 items up for bid - - and all but the one snowblower (the one that needs fixed) sold! It was kind of exciting watching the flurry of bids in the last few minutes - - think I've developed carpal tunnel from hitting the "Refresh" button so much!

Dear Hubby is going to part out the snowblower that didn't sell and sell the parts separately. He said a couple of the parts on it are worth around $50 each. So that is probably the best way for him to go.

Now we get to do the "fun" part - - waiting for payments, packaging, shipping, etc. All the items are in excellent shape and will do a good job for the people who bought them.

Now that there is all THAT space freed up - - let's see what else Steve has in that garage that I can get rid of - - errr, I mean, put up for auction . . . :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Update On House Blog

I just finished updating my other blog, "Escape From the Money Pit".

Check it out and see how lousy things are going for us . . .

Sorry - - just kinda "bummed out" about it at the moment - -

But it WILL get better though - - I'm sure of it! :-)

Just wish I knew WHEN! *sigh*

Blog Map

Hey everyone,

Check out my sidebar - - I've added a few features to it.

The latest is the Blog Map from feedmap.net. It not only shows where I'm located, but other bloggers in my area. I didn't realize there were 15 other bloggers nearby that are registered with them! Kinda interesting - - I will have to check them out.

I also added some other things - - Link2Blog has a poll and some other blog links. They have lots of interesting things on their site - - check 'em out!

This is a very short post, and I apologize. But tomorrow is another busy day, and an early one - - I have a 9:00 meeting to be at, and still need to do some preparations for it.

I hope everyone has a good evening, and I'll post again soon.

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Catch-Up . . .

Yes, I know it has been a few days since my last post. It has been a busy week!

First of all, life in the office is hectic at best. My boss is dealing with some serious health issues at the moment, and this was her last week in the office before an extended absence. So it was a frantic week, with a State report due in by Friday, and a blue ton of "loose ends" to tie up before she left. I'm saying lots of prayers for her speedy recovery - - until then, her Assistant and I will keep the place running like a well-oiled machine (I hope). There may be some overtime involved over the next 4-6 weeks, though, to make sure everything gets done. Wish me luck . . . . *sigh*

I have also been dealing with an ear infection! That is something I have not had since early childhood! So it was off to the Doctor for an antibiotic and - - *shudder* - - ear drops.

Damn. I hate ear drops.

They don't HURT - - they just feel SO. DARNED. WEIRD.

They plug up your ear. You can't hear a darned thing. They just feel - - well, WEIRD.

Oh well - - just a few more days, and that part is over . . .

Dear Hubby Steve and I also lost a good friend this past week. She was admitted into the hospital on New Years Day with complications from an infection in her system. They were not sure what was causing it, but finally found something that they felt was of concern, and did surgery. Unfortunately, the infection did not clear up, and they could not find what else might be causing it. She passed away last Monday evening. She was only 47 years old, and one of the sweetest people you could every be lucky enough to meet.

Rest in Peace, Pam. You will be greatly missed by everyone.

Well, that is about it. Dear Hubby and I have been listing some things for sale on eBay this evening, but I wanted to take a few minutes to catch up on everything that has been happening. So now it's time to get back to listing items!

I hope everyone had a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by - - I'll be sure to keep everyone posted on how things are going in the office - - it should be quite "interesting", to say the least! :-)

No Spoiled Cats In THIS Household . . .

WELLLLLLL - - maybe just a LITTLE spoiled!

Have you ever seen the "doggy steps" they have now? They are a small set of 2-4 steps that you assemble and cover with an included sheepskin cloth (VERY soft!) - - it's to help small dogs and older cats get up on beds, couches, etc.

Well, guess what we have now for our old girl Callie.

Yep, a set of steps so she doesn't have to "strain herself" getting up on the bed.

No spoiling here, obviously!

It's not that she can't jump up on the bed. She can. But I think "Daddy" was starting to get concerned about her advanced years (she's now 15) and the enormous energy it takes for her to haul her lard-ass up on the bed.

She IS kind of a heavy-weight - - I call her "waddle-butt" - - boy, does THAT ever earn me some looks from her! :-)

Anyway, at the foot of our bed, we now have the steps. She can walk up them to the hope chest, and from there just step over the footboard and onto the bed, where she can spend the day sleeping off the exertion of climbing all three of those steps.

*sigh*

What we humans do for our animal companions . . . .

(But they are worth it!)

Home - - FINALLY!

Well, the great white hunter is finally home . . . . .

Grubby - - scruffy - - unshaven - -

and just as adorable as the dickens . . . :-)

Callie refuses to get off "Dad's" lap, Carmichael keeps rubbing up against him, and I can't quit hugging home.

So - - life is now back the way it should be. My honey is home!

Hunting Widow

I'm a "hunting widow" this weekend. This is the last weekend Dear Hubby Steve can go deer hunting.

So Thursday evening around 6:00 p.m. he took off down South for his final excursion into the woods for this season - - well, for deer, anyway. There is still turkey season coming up . . .

Anyway, he won't be back until Sunday evening. Kinda nice to get him out of my hair for a bit so I can get caught up on some things.

So far, I have cleaned and vacuumed the house, made a double batch of Chex Mix, baked a batch of brownies, made pudding, went to the Gym and then grocery shopping, and finished 2 loads of laundry. I also made great menu plans for Sunday evening and our day off Monday.

Guess I'm trying to keep busy so the time goes faster.

Even though it's nice to have him "out of my hair" so I can get some things done . . .
I miss him, dammit.

*sheesh* Go figure . . .

I'm a big girl - - independent - - strong - - able to handle myself - -

and miserable at the moment.

Hurry home, hon. I miss you - - and the fur-babies miss their daddy.

Can't wait till you get home tomorrow.

But until then - - there are more brownies to bake - - and dishes to wash - - and the rest of the Christmas decorations to put away . . . gotta keep busy.

Anything to make the time go faster so Sunday gets here sooner.

HECTIC Week . . .

. . . . and I am SO glad the week is over!

The boss was out sick all week, her assistant was out sick 2 days, and with registration in full swing and classes starting next week, it was a total zoo. Every night, I went home exhausted.

Thank goodness this is a 3 day weekend!

Next week should be interesting, with classes starting up. It will actually be kinda nice to have the students back. The halls won't be silent tombs anymore - - and lots of activities will be going on - - the College really is a fun place to work, most of the time anyway.

Update, Part Deux . . .

Well, I got a phone call today from the Chair of the committee. He called the instructor after our chat yesterday afternoon, and got him calmed down.

How did he calm him down? Let me tell ya - -

He told him the SAME DAMN THINGS that I did, that's how!

He was willing to listen to another FACULTY member - -

But apparently NOT to an Administrative Assistant!!

*sigh*

Some people . . .

(What a jerk)

Okay - - it's over now - - I got a good night's sleep, snuggled up with Dear Hubby and two adorable, cuddly fur-kids, and life is *much* better now.

I hope everyone had a good week, and have a wonderful weekend planned!

Update . . .

Well, I do feel a bit better now.

I've got home, changed into some warm snuggies, ate some homemade Italian Wedding Soup, and piled down on the couch with a couple of cats, and that helped - - A LOT.

Then, once the old blood pressure was down to an acceptable level, I got on the phone and talked to a couple of good friends. You know the kind I'm talking about - - not only can you vent to them and say just about *anything*, but you can both laugh about it afterwards. In fact, we all got the giggles. It felt good.

NOW - - it's time to try and move this cat off my lap and get to bed. A good night's sleep will do me a world of good.

And tomorrow IS Friday, after all - - :-)

WELL . . .

Tomorrow WAS better, but Thursday, well - - that's a whole other thing . . .

It has been SUCH a HORRIBLE day!

Where do I start - -

First of all, I get 2 frantic phone messages as soon as I walk in this morning. The secretary in the office down the hall is home, deathly ill, and has some things that need done TODAY, and no way of getting in here to do it. At least she knew who to call - - I'm the lead over Secretarial Services, so I got one of the girls to come to the office, and got her started on all the "stuff". Before you know it, it was done and in the mail where it belonged. *whew*

The *other* frantic message was from my boss, who was also home ill. She has a major project going on - - a PowerPoint file- - that is due ASAP. It needs to be integrated with other people's PowerPoint files for a College-wide presentation this coming Monday afternoon. We talked, and she told me where to find all the information to help start the file. No problem - - it's been fairly quiet out here, I should be able to get this whipped right out, right?

*WRONG*

It seems that THIS is the day that EVERYONE in the WHOLE DAMN WORLD decided, "Hey. We left Liz alone for TWO WHOLE DAYS. We need to start bugging her NOW. Everyone, all together now . . . "

I have now officially lost my mind.

It's gone.

Whatever shred of sanity I may have had left is now history . . .

The phone has been ringing constantly, some with questions I can't answer, and other with questions I could but am not able to look up the info RIGHTNOWDAMMITBECAUSEINEEDIT!, people have been in and out of this office to the point that I'm considering a revolving door! (Hmmm - - that way, if I'm *really* on a tangent, I can keep it spinning and spit them right out in the hall . . . ^grin^)

But the worst - - the ABSOLUTE WORST - -

Was this instructor who returned a call to me from yesterday. I had called because I am needing some information from him prior to a meeting Monday afternoon. Of which I am just clerical support. NOT the Chair of the committee. Or anything else that requires decision making.

And he decided he needed to be an ass.

I know, I know - - LOTS of people can be asses, and this one has had more than his share of ass-time . . . but until today, he had never been an ass to ME.

He kept arguing his point with me, and telling me that he was NOT going to do suchandsuch, and I needed to do thisandthat, and I needed to realize all this stuff - - to the point where I actually had to hang up on him.

I was livid. I took off out of my office door (almost ran over the mail lady - - SORRY, CHRIS!) and went to the office next door to talk to the Chair of the Committee. Well, fortunately for him, he had already gone home.

UNFORTUNATELY for him, I had his home phone number, and knew how to use it. Which I did.

When he answered, the first thing I did was apologize in advance for what I was going to say, and how it was going to be said.

And then I unloaded. BOTH barrels. No-holds-barred RANT and RAVE. He heard it all, and then some, in no uncertain terms.

I know I said "SOB" (spelled out, of course!) at least once, mentioned not being paid enough to take this man's "bull****", and am pretty sure used some other "colorful metaphors" during the course of my rant - -

Gotta admit, the Chair took it pretty well. Poor guy - - I had held it in so much with the instructor, that once it came out, it was not a pretty sight! He got me (kind of) calmed down, and then promised to call the instructor and take care of the situation. I apologized once more, promised to calm down, at which we BOTH laughed, because once my Italian blood gets boiling, it take a L--O-O-O-N-G time for that to happen!

Well, let's just see what tomorrow brings - - at least it's Friday, which helps. And I get to go down and spend time with my Dear Daddy, which always puts me in a better mood! :-)

I hope you all have a good evening, and thanks for stopping by! Now that I have unloaded on all of you, I feel MUCH better! :-)

It's Really MONDAY, Not TUESDAY . . .

I don't care WHAT the calendar says!

Coming back after being off work for almost 2 weeks is HARD, no matter what day of the week it is!

I have been sitting here, looking at my desk, trying to dig through piles of mail that stacked up - -

Reading what seems like HUNDREDS of emails - -

And just trying to figure out which way is up!

Oh well - - new year - - time to get started!

Tomorrow will be better! :-)

All Good Things . . . . *sigh*

Well, today is the last day of Winter Break. Tomorrow Campus is open, and Caterpillar is back to work - - it's back to the office for me, and to the big trucks for Hubby - - back to work - - back to the "old grind" - - *SIGH*

Oh well, all good things must come to an end, I guess . . . . .

Winter Break this year was FUN! Dear Hubby Steve and I did lots of things together, went a few places, spent time with some friends, and a couple of days just totally "vegged out" and never even left the house. Built fires in the fireplace and just kicked back with the "fur-kids" and had a good time.

We both needed that - - badly!

One fun thing we did over Break was host our annual party for our "looney tunes" group of friends. These are people I worked with during my stint at DCFS, and these people just "ain't right" - - so needless to say, there was no telling what might happen. As usual, the group did not disappoint! We were all in fine form.

The main difference this year is that everyone in the group had to work except for Steve and I, so we scheduled the party for right after work on Friday, and had supper ready for all of them. Lots of work, but this crew is worth it. They are crazy, funny, TOTALLY not right, and true friends in every sense of the words. We are lucky to have them in our lives!

But it's the New Year, and time to get busy and take care of business . . .

So - - now we face tomorrow, with batteries recharged and ready to take on the world! :-)

Hope the world is ready for us . . . ^grin^

2005 - The Year In Review

Well, another year has almost come to an end.

2005 was a fairly "difficult" year for me in many ways - -

** My co-worker, Betty, retired after 6-1/2 years of she and I working so well together. I miss her so much, but I'm happy for her. She is enjoying life "on the outside", spending time in her garden and seeing her granddaughters a lot more now. Someday it will be MY turn . . . *sigh*

** They decided not to replace Betty when she retired. We have a very busy office, and she and I were always swamped. But instead of replacing her, they gave my boss an assistant to help her out. I'm all for that, because she is a VERY busy lady in a VERY busy office. HOWEVER - - the situation now is very different; instead of ONE administrator with TWO administrative assistants, it is TWO administrators with ONE very stressed-out administrative assistant . . .

And they wonder why I'm on Prozac????? *sheesh*

** The year is ending on a sad note for me. The past week has been a very difficult one. I have two friends that have been on my mind constantly - -

One was (yes, past tense) a retired administrator from the public school district, where I used to work. After retiring in the early 90's, he came back for a short time when the personnel director (my boss), was called up to active duty and sent over to Iraq for Operation Desert Storm. He was a very kind man and wonderful to work for. He was my boss for 6 months, and it was good. Since then, I would see him around town periodically, and it was always nice to get to talk to him and catch up on things. He was very involved in community activities, and was president of the county fair board of directors. In fact, he was very instrumental in putting the fair back in the black and kept it going for many years. One of the fundraisers he helped organize was bingo, to help raise funds for the fair. Last week, he and the other volunteers were cleaning up after bingo was over. All the volunteers except him and one other man were outside putting trash in the dumpsters. A masked man came into the building, shot him in the chest, and stole the small fire safe he was carrying with the bingo proceeds in it. My friend died at the hospital 20 minutes later. No one except him and the other man saw anything. Leads are nearly non-existent at this point. Needless to say, I'm upset, and more than a little angry.

The same day this happened, I received a phone call from another friend's husband, telling me that my friend was in the hospital, and had been there for FOUR MONTHS! She is dealing with many, many problems with her health, and they are not sure when she will be able to come back home. This situation is a long story, and will probably require a post of its own. Let's just say that there is a LONG history here, that I have known my friend since I was 18, and do not want anything to do with her husband. I do not like him, and do not feel that I can trust him. I cannot bring myself to be around him, and because of this, it has been over 10 years since I have been to see my friend. We do keep in touch by phone, cards, and letters, but we have not spent any time together. I cannot say any more than that at this time. HOWEVER - - once I found out about her being in the hospital, I made a point of getting over there and seeing her. We spent a LONG time together, did a lot of catching up, and I will see her again soon. But not when her husband is around. Period. More about this later.

The whole year has not been bad, though. We have had lots of good experiences also:

** Hubby Steve and I got our house plans drawn up, finalized, and blueprints made. We are now in the process of receiving bids from the contractors we contacted. Hopefully we will be deciding on a contractor sometime in January. I have another *blog* describing this project - - check it out sometime.

** Our grandsons are growing up big and strong and healthy, keeping everyone (especially mom and dad!) on their toes. They are my little men . . . .

** After many years of wanting one and not seeing any way of obtaining one, I was able to get the vehicle of my dreams. Thanks to Dear Hubby Steve and his knowledge of vehicles, we were able to get an incredible deal on a 2005 Jeep Liberty! It's my "baby" - - drives great, gets me through anything, and I just LOVE it! :-)

** I was given the opportunity to do some more teaching this year - - Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and some other Intro courses. Each class is offered through our Non-Credit division, and each one only lasts for 2 sessions. It's good experience, and a little extra "pocket change" never hurts! I would never want to teach full-time - - I definitely do NOT have the patience level for that! - - but doing this on a part-time basis is okay.

** Made an "A" in my Webpage classes, and will (hopefully!) have my website up and running shortly after the first of the year (oh my gosh - - that's TOMORROW, isn't it??? Guess I better get busy . . . . ).

Well, there you have it - - quite an "interesting" year - - some good, some bad. But thankfully, Hubby Steve and I and our families are well and healthy, we have wonderful friends that enrich our lives, and overall, life is pretty darned good.

I hope 2006 is a good year, not just for Steve and I, but for everyone.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Ahhhh - - Winter Break! It's A Wonderful Thing . . . .

Don't get me wrong - - I love my job. But Winter Break is the time I get my batteries "recharged". That's a GOOD thing. I haven't even THOUGHT of my job since Campus closed at 5:00 p.m. last Thursday.

And I don't plan on thinking about it until Campus re-opens next Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. :-)

Fa La La La La . . .

It's Christmas Eve!

It's going to be a GREAT Holiday season this year. Campus closed at 5 PM Thursday, Dec. 22nd, and we don't go back to work until Tuesday, Jan. 3rd. It could NOT come soon enough this year - - it's been kinda rough . . .

We thought Hubby Steve was going to have to work Holiday Shutdown at Cat, but he found out he doesn't have to! So we get to spend all next week together! We are both pretty happy about it. We had not made any plans because we thought he would be working, so we get to spend some "quality time" together here at home, and maybe make a day road trip somewehre next week - - IF we feel like it, that is!

AND - - I'm only wanting one day - - just ONE day - - for housecleaning. He's agreeable to that (what a sweetie!) because he knows we are having company next Friday for our annual little gathering of our group of close friends - - Judy and Curt, Jerry, Mike, Cindy, and Jan. They all have to work next week, unfortunately, but they have been told to just come on our to our house right after work on Friday, and everything would be here for them - - my Christmas treat to them. None of them are right in the head . . . Should be fun . . . . . :-)

This afternoon we are going over to Hubby Steve's parents' house for Christmas Eve Dinner. Keith and Dawn and the Grandboys will be there, as well as Steve's brother and his family - - wife Debbie, and sons Sam, Luke, and Travis. Travis is home from Olivet Nazarene U. for Winter Break, and it will be good to spend time with him again. His girlfriend flew back home to San Deigo to be with her family, and she will be missed. I'll send her Christmas present with Travis so he can pass it on to her once they are back on campus.

I am bringing appetizers and desserts for the Dinner this evening. Tried a couple of new dip mixes to go with some crackers and fresh veggies. One is a dip called "Garlic Schmarlic" (*laugh*) and it is really good. They sell it at the Food Mart in Springfield, which is where I tried it at their Christmas Open House a couple of weeks ago. The other is a sundried tomato-pesto mix. It's got a great flavor also.

For desserts, I made a cinnamon swirl bundt cake with vanilla glaze. It smelled so good while it was baking! YUM!! I also had some mixes for pie fillings, so I made a White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse pie in an Oreo Cookie crust, and then a Lemon Mousse pie in a graham cracker crust. Unfortunately, no fudge or cookies this year. I didn't get ANY fudge made, and less than half of the cookies I usually make. Time (AND energy) was at a real premium this year. Oh well . . .

Can't wait to spend time with my Grandboys! It should be really fun this year. Alex is now 6, and just as energetic as all get-out. Jon is now 3, and just a total bundle of energy. It's gonna be fun, especially at present opening time - - bows and ribbons and papers flying everywhere - - ahhh, Christmas!!

********************

Tomorrow we are heading down to my Dad's house to spend Christmas Day. I wanted to cook dinner and bring it down there, but he wouldn't hear of it. Instead, he made reservations at a restaurant. Said he didn't want me having to work on Christmas Day! What a sweetie.

After dinner we will be heading over to Auntie Ann's house to visit with the big ol' Italian Clan - - all the cousins and their families. Nothing like a big Italian family . . . I just love it!

********************

Hubby Steve and I, along with our fur-kids Callie and Carmichael, wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Stay safe and well, and have fun with your families.

Got My Grade . . .

I am totally shocked.

TOTALLY.

I got an "A" in my Web Authoring course!

Hot Damn and Hallelujia!!

I'm hoping Faith took into account the "meltdown" I was having over the Flash program we were using, and decided to be kind and give me high marks for effort.

I will be finalizing my website and getting it online soon. I'll post the address as soon as it's finished.

EVERYONE HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!!

I'M DONE!! YIPPEE!!

The Final Project is done.

Finished.

Checked out, zipped up, uploaded, submitted, DONE.

*whew*

Yesterday Faith was able to help me figure out where I was on the Flash blog, and helped me get "unlost" with my Flash slideshow. I was TOTALLY lost on that! And the things she showed me to do, I would never have thought to look in those places and at those particular things. She said Flash is pretty strong on programming, and I have NO programming background AT ALL.

But it's done. And submitted. And ready to be graded.

HALLE - DAMN - LUIA!!!! :-)

(sorry about that - - it just had to come out . . . *laugh*)

And last night? For the first time in weeks? I slept SO HARD, ALL NIGHT LONG.

It felt great!

So NOW my attention turns to finishing up the gift wrapping, starting the Christmas Cookie baking (I have none of it started! *sigh*) - - and Christmas cards. Then cleaning a very sad, very neglected house before the Holidays.

Campus closes next Thursday, Dec. 22nd, at 5:00 p.m., and we don't come back to work until Tuesday, Jan. 3rd. Ahhhh - - Winter Break - - my favorite time of the work year! It can't come soon enough this year . . .

I hope you all are having a good week!

A LITTLE MORE Progress . . . . .

Well, we met with the instructor today to work on Final Projects. I now have 2 of the four Flash requirements up and running; the other 2 will (hopefully) be taken care of tomorrow. They are not PERFECT, not by any means, but good enough to count for credit. The 2 we worked on today I will be taking great pains to get them cleaned up and running smoothly, because I want to keep them for my website. However, the 2 we will be working on tomorrow are strictly for the project, and once I get it all graded, they are coming OFF the website. One is a slideshow presentation that I do not want or need, and the other is a blog made out of Flash. And heaven knows that a Blogger blog is MUCH easier to create and update that ANYTHING in Flash!!!!!

So it's a helluva lot of work for a grade, but nothing else. Oh well - - gotta do what ya gotta do sometimes . . .

Anyway, it's all downhill from here, I hope!

And once it's done - - it is SERIOUS party time! :-)

Wish me luck tomorrow!

Some Progress Made - - FINALLY! *whew*

Well, I presented what is finished of my Final Semester Project today. Overall, it's not bad. I still do not have any of the Flash stuff working in the website, except for the clock we made in class. At least THAT worked!

After class Faith helped out Kathy and I on our projects. Flash has been giving BOTH of us fits! Kathy and I both work at Richland - - actually, right across the hall from each other. This is the second Web design class we have taken together, and it helps to have someone that close for moral support, if nothing else. But I digress - - sorry . . . . .

ANYWAY - -

Faith has agreed to help both of us out on lunch hours Tuesday and Wednesday. As long as we get our project requirements finished up by Thursday, we will not get an incomplete. If we are NOT able to finish by Thursday, Faith willl give us incompletes, and we will have more time to try to finish. I'm hoping to have my Flash requirements DONE by Wednesday.

Tonight at home I worked on the things we had covered after class today - - there is a graphic on one of my pages that I want to have "fade in" to the page and then stay on the page, not looping over and over. I was FINALLY able to figure out the motion tweening and the Alpha color options needed, but the playback looping is still going on. BUT - - we will fix that tomorrow.

ALSO - - there is a small car picture that I have added animation to so that it will travel across another page in the website. That one still needs some "tweaking", but that will also get resolved tomorrow.

The only things left after that are a blog and a slideshow presentation, both built in Flash and imported into a page in the website. I have the basics built, but don't have them all pulled together so they work. Once those two things are finished and added to the website, it will be time to test out all the links, make sure everything works the way it should, zip up the website file, and submit it to the instructor.

THEN it will be serious party time!!!!! (Can't wait)

It's worth losing 2 days worth of lunch hours - - heck, I can afford to lose a little weight . . . :-)

Wish me luck - - I'll keep y'all posted!

More Crunch "Stuff"

Spent most of the day working on my Semester Final Project.

STILL not done.

I've gone as far as I can with it until I can get together with Faith for some more one-on-one instruction in Flash. I don't know why I'm having such a "mental block" with that program!!

I'm frustrated with the program, the project, and myself at the moment . . .

SO - - enough of that for today! I'll figure it all out tomorrow - - or Tuesday - - or Wednesday - - or . . .

* * * * * * * * * *

Tomorrow morning is our office's Christmas Open House. (Or should I say "Holiday", in order to be "politically correct?" Oh hell - - it's CHRISTMAS - - don't EVEN get me started on being "P.C."!!) Anyway . . . hubby Steve and I went out this morning and hit the local Walmart, picking up holiday plates, cups, napkins, etc. Also bought orange juice. The other two people in the office are bringing muffins and breads. I'll get to the office at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow and start getting everything set up for the 9:00 a.m. start time. I hope we have a good turnout. It's the firsst day of Finals Week, so we should have most of the faculty on campus. I can't think of any of them who would turn down free food . . . :-)

* * * * * * * * * *

Went to Springfield yesterday to the Food Mart's Christmas Open House. It's a little Italian grocery/deli in downtown Springfield, just a few blocks from the Capitol Building. I used to go there all time when I worked for the State, and ever since I went to work locally (Decatur), I still make a point of stopping by anytime I'm in the downtown Springfield area. The Pirrera's are wonderful people, and they always have the best Italian foods you can find in the area. They bring in lots of things from New York City, and The Hill (the Italian neighborhood in St. Louis). It was so crowded in that little store yesterday, you could barely move! I'm glad the Open House was a huge success for them this year.

After leaving the Food Mart, I finished a little more Christmas shopping. Went to Penny Lane, a funky shop that is reminiscent of the 60's and 70's "head shops". They have all that kind of stuff, and more - - Southwest items, Dragons and Mythical figures, posters, and incense galore. Neat place. I found the perfect gift for a friend in there. Also went to Petals and Accents, and found a couple of gifts for Luann and Sara. So it was a profitable afternoon!

Then it was back home to work on my Final Project all evening . . . *sigh*

Well, it's off to bed for me. I'm getting up extra early tomorrow so I can get to work extra early.

You all have a good evening.

End of Semester "Crunch"

This Web Design project is really getting to me . . . *sigh*

I'm doing great with the DreamWeaver and Fireworks portions part of it - - a couple of minor "glitches", but nothing I can't work out . . .

It's Flash that is getting me down.

Last semester, we didn't get into Flash, except for one small little thing that we did to see how it works, and it was TOTALLY confusing to me! THIS semester, the book we are using assumes we have basic Flash knowledge from the previous semester.

Wrong!

It is like spinning your wheels and not getting anywhere (like a rear-wheel drive, compact car in deep snow). I knew I can DO it, it's just figuring out HOW to get it done!

I even took a 4-day weekend, when hubby Steve was deer hunting, to take my self through the Flash portion of last semester's book. I read all the chapters, did all the step-by-step assignments,
and really learned a lot. But for some reason, I'm having problems retaining the knowledge and applying it to the project . . . this is just so damn frustrating . . .

Faith, our teacher, has given us lots of handouts with instructions on how to do different things with Flash, and shown our class how to do them, and I take good notes to go along with the handouts, but when I get home and try to recreate, I'm lost. There must be some steps here and there that I'm missing . . . . I just need more TIME, and that is something I'm almost out of!

I did email Faith late last week and asked about getting an an incomplete. With Campus closed from Dec. 23rd until Jan. 3rd, and hubby working, I would have a lot of time to spend on the ol' computer pounding out this website. She said she would be willing to do that for me, but proposed something else first - - instead of submitting my project on the 12th when it is due, would I be willing to come up and work with her next week for a few hours to see if she could help me through the rough patches? She did not have to turn in a grade of Incomplete until the 19th, so maybe by then we would have it done.

Well, OF COURSE I SAID YES!!!!!

So next week I will be spending my lunch hours up in Faith's office working on this darned thing. I'll ge the whole thing loaded onto my little jump drive and bring it with me. Hopefully she can help break through this Flash "mental block" I have . . . wish me luck!

P.S. THANK YOU, Bill, for your encouraging words - - I'm giving it my best shot!

4-Wheelin'

I have never owned a 4-wheel drive vehicle before. Heck, I've only been behind the wheel of one before, and that was for about 10 minutes during a brief test drive of a Jeep Liberty a few years ago.

So now I have a Jeep Liberty of my own. I just love it! But I did not know exactly how - - or more importantly, WHEN - - to kick it into 4-wheel drive.

Well - - yesterday it snowed.

And snowed.

AND snowed some more.

By the time cranky Mother Nature was through with us, we had 5.5 inches of the white stuff, with winds kicking up to 15-20 mph. So of course there was also the drifting to contend with.

5:00 p.m. finally came, and it was out to the parking lot to clean off the vehicles. Talk about a mess! At least a couple of inches of snow all over the Jeep, PLUS ice underneath that! Given the wind chill was hovering near 0 degrees, I was almost as "cranky" as Mother Nature was!

Finally in the Jeep and getting ready for my first drive home in 4-wheel drive. Popped it down into it and took off.

Why did I wait all these years to own one? That trip home was SWEET!! The Jeep handled all the roads with ease - - plowed or not.

But the real test was yet to come. Our road is a North/South road. We live on the East side of the road, facing West, with nothing across the road but an empty field and the Interstate. The wind was out of the West 15-20 mph. Needless to say, there were lots of drifts. But Lady Liberty went through those drifts like they were nothing - - barely felt a bump.

Talk about a rush!! It was great!

The Liberty is the best purchase hubby Steve and I have ever made. I'm hooked on Jeeps for life!

Y'all be careful driving out there, y'here? :-)

GOT My "Lola" Fix!!!

Yes I did - - went to Peoria, actually FOUND the Peoria Heights district, and got to see Jessica's new shop!

The new "Hey Lola/The Moondancer" is a WONDERFUL place! Jessica, you should be very proud of what you and Julie have there!

I found some neat "treasures" during my visit. One is a beautiful Hematite bracelet, which goes very well with the Hematite necklace and earrings Jessica had made me earlier in the year. And also found a great little necklace - - the stone looks like fossilized wood or granite or - - something - - anyway, it's sort of a varigated light blue in color, and she wrapped iit and vined it in silver wire. It's hanging on a sterling silver chain. And she made it a present to me. I am in love with it! Thank you SO MUCH, Jessica!

I took hubby Steve's Aunt Pat with me on the trip. She really enjoyed herself. She has been interested in learning how to make jewelry, and Hey Lola is the place to get some inspiration. Aos, there is a shop just down the block called "Free to Bead", and they have every bead and stone imaginable for making jewelry, and all the jewelry findings, chains, and tools besides. They also give lessons. Too bad Peoria is so far away - - it would be fun to learn.

Aunt Pat and I also ate lunch at One World Cafe, and she is now a fan of the place, just like everhone I have taken there. The food there is all fresh made and delicious! (And they have "killer" desserts!!) If you are ever in Peoria, I highly recommend it.

Well, it's back to homework for me. My Semester Project for Web Design is due on Monday. Not sure if it will be ready or not. I am seriously thinking about asking for an imcomplete to give me more time to finish it. It has just been so hectic lately, and by the time I get on the computer at home in the evenings, I'm too tired to think straight. But I'm giving it my best shot . . .

Anyway, I'm outta here for now - - I'll post again soon and catch up everyone on things.

'night!

Needing My "Lola" Fix . . .

Well, I am hoping to be able to head to Peoria this weekend . . .

I need my "Lola" fix . . . been awhile . . . need a "fix" BAD . . . :-)

I haven't been to the new shop yet, and can't wait to see it! "Hey Lola" is now in a new location in Peoria Heights, sharing space with "The Moondancer" - - looking forward to seeing it! Their website is up and running. Check it out at www.lolasbeehive.com. Although the site is still under some construction, they have some pictures posted of the new shop, and it looks amazing - - I will definitely report back about it after my trip.

More later . . .

Dodged a Bullet . . .

Went to the Endodontist today about all this jaw pain I've been having.

I do NOT need a root canal - - *whew!*

Dr. Hallam thinks it is a combination of a lot of different factors - - I had a temporary crown placed, then had my anxiety med level drastically reduced, and then had the permanent crown placed . . . all in a matter of 2 weeks time.

He thinks the pain is being caused by all these factors combining to make me clench my jaw at night in my sleep, thus causing the jaw pain and the swelling and tenderness in my jaw hinge. He also recommended I try Tylenot instead of the Advil, since it didn't seem to be doing me that much good. In addition, he advised me to tell my family doctor about all this. As luck would have it, I have an appointment with Dr. Kahn next Wednesday, and I will definitely share all this with him. He may have to up my Prozac level a bit . . .

SO - - after I left Dr. Hallam's office, I went by Dr. Hastings office and let them know what happened. Dr. H. said he wanted me to try a "soft night guard" to wear while I'm sleeping, which would keep me from clenching my jaw. He asked if I had time to get the impressions made right then - - it would take about 15-20 minutes. Well, of course! ANYTHING to help alleviate this PAIN I've been living with!! They got all the impressions made, and I pick up the guard next Monday morning before work.

So instead of heading home with a numb jaw and curling up in bed with my fur-babies, it's back to the office I go to finish out the day. Oh well . . . I was actually happy to be back at work!

By the way - - one of my co-workers who had been to Dr. Hallam had told me he was a real cutie - -
She wasn't lying . . . :-)

(What can I say - - I happen to LIKE "eye candy" . . . )

Catch-up Time

Okay, I know it's been ages since I've posted, but with good reason: Not only have work and class and teaching been keeping me running, I've been suffering from tooth- and jaw-ache. Living on Advil - - without it, I'm in pain, but with it, I'm groggy as hell.

Mea culpa.

But now, I will try to catch everything up. SO - - here goes . . .

Work: It's been pretty hectic. Lots of meetings and activities going on. Everyone gearing up for Semester end (Finals week is coming up), and of course the holidays are just around the corner. Lots of things to catch up on before campus closes for Holiday Break.

**********

I got invited to the Chamber of Commerce's 53rd Annual Community Luncheon last week! There were probably about a dozen of us from the College who attended for the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Good food, and lots of good people there. I had a chance to chat with quite a few folks I had not seen in quite a while. Lots of fun.

**********

Next week I'm teaching Intermediate Word Tuesday and Thursday evenings. This should be the last class I'm teaching this semester. I'm already signed on to teach FIVE classes next semster though . . . but it's fun. I enjoy showing people how computer work, and some of the neat things you can do with software programs.

**********

My class is keeping me busy. We have now covered DreamWeaver, Fireworks, and Flash, and now are totally immersed in working on our Semester Projects. Hope I can get mine finished in time, but this TOOTH thing has been kicking my you-know-what, and it's been tough.

**********

Now about the tooth problem - - I had a crown placed about a month ago. I have had some jaw discomfort ever since, right where the dentist had given me the novocaine shot. But it was getting better. BUT - - about 2 weeks ago, my lower left jaw started giving me pain. It was not constant, so I would take a couple of Advil and it would ease up. I figured it was something to do with the crown seating itself, and that it would pass.

WRONG.

It started getting worse - - and worse - - and worse - -

Now it's to the point where I take 2 Advil every 4 hours, and if I'm (God forbid) LATE taking them, I'm in misery. The pain even wakes me up in the middle of the night, so that I'm grabbing for the Advil and the water bottle.

Last week I called my dentist and told them what was happening. After lots of discussion, they said it sounds like I am needing a root canal. They referred me to Dr. Hallam, an Endodontist. He does these things all day long, and is supposedly a "pain-free" dentist, like mine is.

I've talked to a lot of people who have been to him, and they all tell me the same thing. Seems like he's the real deal - - nice, cute, fun, and most important of all - - PAIN-FREE.

We'll see.

ANYWAY - - Monday at 1:00 p.m. is my appointment. I can't wait to get in there and get this taken care of. I have been feeling LOUSY from the discomfort and all the Advil I've been popping.

Wish me luck on Monday - - say a prayer for me - - I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm Sorry!!

I know I know - - it's been practically FOREVER since I typed in an entry . . .

Life has been HECTIC, to say the least.

LOTS going on to fill you in on - - have not had the time to do it with work, homework, sick hubby, etc.

I will be back on this weekend catch up - - that's a promise . . .

Stay tuned.

Bleah . . .

I'm "puny" today - -

There have been some nasty little buggies making the rounds on campus, and I had been really lucky avoiding them. My health has been surprisingly good this Fall, considering the weather. This is usually the kind of weather that throws my sinuses into a tailsping. But I've been lucky so far . . .

Until Saturday.

Hubby Steve came home from a morning hunt with his brother, and was feeling really tired and kinda achy. Then the headache started, and then his stomach got into the act.

By Sunday he was all better, but I was feeling really tired, and kinda achy . . .

I did not have a good feeling about this.

By 1:15 this morning, I was awake and up and feeling LOUSY. I finally made it back to bed around 3:30 a.m. By the time my alarm went off at 5:20 a.m., I was still feeling bad.

BUT - - there were some things on my desk at work that I had to have out to committee members for an 8:00 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, and if I didn't get them the materials TODAY, they would be totally unprepared TOMORROW.

SO - - I dragged my a** out of bed and made it to work.

Hmmm - - not too bad - - I can do this - - really I can . . .

not.

I got the materials out to the committee members, and by 9:30 was on my way back home.

Well, the cats were sure happy to see me - - they LOVE being able to spend the day in bed with Mommy! :-)

I'm feeling quite a bit better this evening. If all goes the same as hubby's did, I should be all okay tomorrow.

But you know, DEAR Hubby Steve - - it's just like I told you at Rural King with the "butt-crack" guy - - you don't necessarily HAVE TO share EVERYTHING with me, y'know . . .

*sigh*

Thanks a bunch, sweetie . . .

(He's SO lucky I love him as much as I do!)

AWESOME Barbeque in Murphysboro

If you ever get the chance to go to Murphysboro, and if you (like Hubby and I) love good barbeque, you must try 17th Street Bar & Grill.

They are Three-Time World Champions for their barbeque. They have been profiled on the Food Network, and also have food booths at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield every year, which is where Hubby first tried their food (and absolutely loved it). In fact, it was SO good, he wanted to check out the actual place to see if the atmosphere matched the food.

It does.

Last weekend on our Day Trip, we made a point to time it so that we would be in the Murphysboro area at lunchtime, and stopped at 17th Street.

The food is fantastic, with large portions and the best quality meats, the service is fast and friendly, the prices are not unreasonable. They have a great sauce, and their own special "Magic Dust" seasoning, which adds a nice flavor to anything you sprinkle it on. They sell their bottled sauce and the Magic Dust there, and we brought some back home with us.

We tried the Combo Platter. You get your choice of two of pork, chicken, or beef, with two sides. We both tried the pork and beef brisket. I got fries and applesauce, Hubby got fries and baked beans. There was SO MUCH food, I ended up eating the brisket and taking my pork home for a sandwich the next day (which was just as good as the previous day!)

It was SO good - - and worth every mile down there.

We will definitely go again - - and I highly recommend you make plans to get down there and try it, too! :-)

Last Weekend's Day Trip

Okay okay - - I know it's almost a week later, but humor me - - it's been a rough week!

But we had some funny things happen on our day trip to Southern Illinois last Saturday . . .

We got up at what my friend Connie would call the "butt-crack of dawn" (rather appropriate, considering what happened during the trip - - but I digress . . . )

Drove to Pana, stopped at a restaurant for breakfast. The Coach had the football team in there for breakfast - - lots of "jocks", proudly wearing their varsity hats, varsity jackets, acting all "macho" and stuff - -

Until one of them walked in - -

wearing shorts - -

and cowboy boots.

I am not kidding.

Hubby Steve gave me this smirk and said, "Makes you proud to be from here, don't it?"

If I wasn't still half asleep, I would have smacked him.

Okay - - head on out of town and down south. We are heading for the Steelville/Murpheysboro area. Hubby Steve is buying a new barrel for his Benelli hunting rifle, and we are to meet him around 10:30. About 20 minutes outside Steelville, Steve calls the guy, who tells us his farm is "way out" in the sticks, so it would be easier for us to meet him at his wife's business in town; a place called "Pooches" . . . o - kayyyyyy, "Pooches" it is.

We get to town and find Pooches, which (appropriately) is a dog grooming business. Hubby walks in first, with me following behind him. The man he is to meet is sitting in the back of the shop. His wife comes up, says "Good Morning!" (all cheery-like - - how DO morning people stand themselves????)

anyway.

Steve says, "I'm supposed to meet Mr. Hicks."

She says, "Oh, I thought you had a dog with you."

To which I say (with a litttle wave from behind Steve's back) - - "No, I'm his wife."

She TOTALLY missed it.

That is, until her husband said, "Are you insulting people's wives again, hon?"

THEN she got it.

And exited to the back room and shut the door.

And didn't come out again until we were leaving.

Now THAT was funny! :-)

The last thing to happen was when we stopped at a Rural King store. Hubby was off looking at whatever he looks out, and I was happy as a lark in the clothing section, checking out these CUTE little sweatshirts with the CUTEST little kittens on them (and they were on SALE, too!) - - minding my own business - - when Hubby comes and drags me out of the clothing section because there is "something" he must share with me . . . he has seen a guy displaying "butt crack."

So what? It's not like I haven't seen it before. He assures me I have NEVER seen ANYTHING quite like this.

*SIGH* Oooo - - kayyyyyy

So off we go - - and he points out the guy - -

And then has to literally help me pick my jaw up from the floor.

The man is bent over the shopping cart - - and I swear - - I SWEAR - -

he had butt crack all the way up to his shoulder blades.

It was AWFUL!!!!

It was like - - here's his belt - - and here's his waist - - but it just kept going and going and going - - all the way up to his shoulder blades.

He took me away from the cute little kittens on the cute little sweatshirts (that were ON SALE) for THAT????

He said he could not have lived with himself if he had not shared something that special with his wife, the love of his life, his life partner . . . yada yada yada . . . . .

How do I put up with him? *sigh*

Oh well - - I'm not bored!

OKAY KELLY - - THIS ONE'S FOR YOU . . .

I've been reprimanded.

I had the NERVE - - the unmitigated GALL - - to bake BROWNIES and not tell Kelly!

And she really told me about it today, too.

*sigh*

Mea culpa - - mea maxima culpa - -

Okay Kelly - - the next time I'm going to bake brownies and bring them in to the office, I PROMISE to post it on here first, to give you plenty of advance notice.

I mean, I wouldn't want you to hike ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE TO THE OTHER END OF THE BUILDING just to see my bright and smiling face, now would I?

(Just like a little kid - - gotta bribe you with food) . . . :-)