I am under the mistletoe .... but no kisses.

We went to Columbia last week for Christmas with Gary's family. We spend the day at his brother's house and then the evening with the kids. We had lunch and opened presents. Judy loves to decorate the house. Each room has its own theme. I like the Kitchen the best ... gingerbread men. I am lucky to get my tree up and she decorates every room, a very festive home. You walk into the house and if you didn't have the Christmas spirit before ... you will when you get there. These days, it is sometimes hard to find someone who enjoys Christmas, other than the presents of course. I have to say that I use to but as the years go on ... my interest has lessened. We had a nice time at the Baugh Christmas but even after 8 years, I am not quite sure they understand my sense of humor. The bathroom at Steve and Judy's is completely decked out with Santa and Christmas. I walked in and sat down to pee (did you notice that I have a lot of odd experiences while peeing). I was looking around at the decorations and noticed that there was a mistletoe hanging directly above the toilet. At first I was frightened. I thought that maybe someone was going to come running into the bathroom while I was peeing ... but then no one came and I was completely offended. Here I sit under the mistletoe and know one is here to kiss me. I just waited ... and waited and waited. No one came. I stormed out of the bathroom and with the entire family in the front room said " there is mistletoe above the toilet and I was just in there peeing and no one ever came to kiss me, what is that all about?" and I walked to the other room. They just all sat there and said nothing. For 8 years I thought the Baugh's were just dry ... but maybe it is me.

The greatest gift ....

Last night Gary, Jamie and I went to a friends house for dinner and gift exchange. Beef skewers and tuna casserole. Homemade apple pie. It was a great dinner. We gathered around the tree to open presents. It is sometimes hard to buy presents for people. Even the closest of friends. Sometimes they say they want something in passing. You remember that they said it ... but they don't. Sometimes what they say they want is up for interpretation. What is a spatula for instance? Something you flip a burger with or something you scrap a bowl out with? Most of the time I think I am a good gift giver. I love to give gifts and I think I know the people that I buy gifts for ... but last night ... I failed in comparison. I think that the presents that we gave were good gifts. I think they were liked, but ... there is alot to be said for a handmade gift. I am not a mushy type of a person. Last night when I opened up my handmade rag quilt made by my "person" I had to concentrate so I didn't cry. It was a very special gift from a very special person. I am very thankful for my friends Phaedra and Hannah.

The attack of the Paper Towels

We ate lunch on Saturday at a diner in Branson called The Farmhouse. Down home country cooking. Not too eventful. We waited in line for a few minutes to be seated. Food was great. I had a Pork Tenderloin sandwich, probably the best I had ever had. We had blackberry cobbler with ice cream. Before our food was delivered, as usual, I had to pee. The restroom was a one seater. I waited my turn and then went in. At first glance, just your normal ladies room. Small but normal. Sink with a soap dispenser on the wall. I didn't notice where the paper towel dispenser was. I sat down ... and there they were. The paper towels, tickling the back of my neck. It was an automatic paper towel holder. The one that when you wave your hand in front of it, it shoots out towels. It was hanging directly behind the toilet. So when you stand in front of the toilet preparing to sit, it starts shooting out towels. It is fairly low so after you do sit, the red light flashes and when it stops, it shoots out more towels. So now it isn't tickling the back of my neck but my lower backside. What is a girl to do. If you have to pee too long the paper towels keep coming. You stand up ... there they go again. What do you do now? The towels are hanging so far down that when you stand up the towels hang from the dispenser to inside the toilet bowl. I ripped the towels off to throw them away but didn't move fast enough towards the trash can and the dispenser started all over again. So I am standing as close to the door as I can get to wash my hands and then step quickly over and tear the towels off and jump back to the door to dry. Before I open the door, I look around for the hidden camera .... does this crap happen to everyone, or just me?

The adventures of the Victorian Palace

I am far from a hotel/motel snob. I don't care if you enter your room from the outside or inside of the building. $25.00 a night and a vibrating bed or $150.00 and room service, it doesn't matter. On Friday night we checked in to the Victorian Palace. When we were greeted by Sarah Mae, the dog, I knew we were in for yet another adventure. While I was checking in and talking to the desk clerk I asked Gary to take our cooler to the ice machine and fill it up. The clerk gave Gary directions to the ice machine, knowing that we hadn't received our room keys yet. I finished checking in and headed to the room. Room 309. I get into the hallway and I hear someone knocking on a door and thought either someone had locked himself out of his room or he had made his lady mad and she wasn't letting him in. I chuckled and kept walking ... then my phone rang. It was Gary. I am thinking ... what is he calling me for, why doesn't he just wait until I get up to the room. I answered. He said, "turn around". I turned and saw him standing behind a glass door, cooler in hand. He was the man I was chuckling at earlier. He was locked in the ice machine room with no door key to get him out. I break him out of the ice room and we head up the stairs, there is no elevator in this hotel. We get to our room and go in. It is just a normal hotel room. Two beds, TV, small dresser, sink and bathroom. I go into the bathroom to check out the freebies, cause that isn't that part of the fun of staying in a hotel? How much soap, toilet paper, shampoo and lotion you can put in your bag. Boy was I disappointed ... There was one bar of soap at the sink outside the bathroom that was no bigger than Gary's thumb. I walked in the bathroom to check things out ... and there was nothing. No bars of soap ... there was a soap dispenser like you would see in a pubic bathroom. I turned around to look for the shampoo and OMG ... another public bathroom soap dispenser is in the shower. Is it soap or shampoo? Are you kidding me? And the adventure continues ... at breakfast. Breakfast for us is at 9am. At check-in we were told the breakfast would be eggs, waffles and biscuits with gravy. We get there and that was what was there, however, the biscuits were cold, the gravy was just barely warm, the waffles are the kind you heat in the toaster ... and the eggs ... the eggs were frozen egg patties. The best part of the entire stay was Sarah Mae, the dog and fact that they had pints of milk in cartons. OMG! There is nothing better than milk in a carton. The adventure ended with no small bars of soap or shampoo but four pints of milk in my cooler and one in my hand. I will definitely stay there again ... and next time I will bring Roxy with me ... she will love visiting with Sarah Mae and eating the egg patties while I enjoy the milk.

Roxy ... just like her momma

I wrapped Christmas gifts for Roxy. To make it fun for her to open her gifts at Christmas, I always wrap a treat in with the gift. I wrapped her gifts and put them under the tree on Friday. A couple of times I would leave the room and when I would come back to the front room, Roxy was under the tree looking around. She would give me an "i am just looking" look and walk away. Gary and I left for a night in Branson just to get away from things. By the time my aunt came to stay with Roxy, she had opened a couple of different presents. One with snacks and one raw hides. She not only unwrapped the raw hides but she opened the bag ate them all. She had better be careful cause the next present she opens may have a snake jumping out of it ... and I am speaking from experience. Merry Christmas Roxy.

Today is Ranger's Special Day ....

Ranger. Born December 6, 1995 in Conway Missouri. Died of cancer earlier this year. Ranger was the first dog I had as an adult. We were perfect for each other. Stubborn to the end. He had parvo as a puppy and spent several days in the hospital with Dr Trokey telling me that few dogs survived Parvo. Ranger pulled through. His favorite thing to do was play in the sprinkler. He also loved his plastic pool, but although he loved to play in the water, he hated baths. He was a dog who loved his routine. Every morning before I left for work, I filled up his water bowl and added a few ice cubes and I filled up his food bowl and added a couple of treats. One day I was running very late for work and forgot the ice cubes and treats. Not only did he not eat or drink anything all day but he pee'd all over his food and water bowls. As a puppy he would chew on everything. I was told that in order to get him to stop I should put Tabasco sauce in a squirt bottle and fill his mouth full of it when he chewed on anything. I could not do the Tabasco so I used lemon juice. I used lots of lemon juice. It only took a couple of mouths full of lemon juice before all I had to do was say "do you want the juice" and he would stop chewing. Ranger loved to play chase. Especially with Phred. One day we were in the back yard playing in the water with Ranger. Me, Ranger, Phred and Momma. Ranger started chasing Phred. Phred ran in circles and Ranger chased. I kept telling her to stop running but she continued on and on and on until, it happened. Ranger bit her in the butt. All I heard for weeks was "he bit me and there was a bruise." One year Ranger dressed up as batman for Halloween. I could go on and on with stories of my puppy. Ranger was a great dog. He gave us lots of good times and memories. We miss you Ranger. Happy Birthday.

house guest ... from texas`

It is Thanksgiving and there is family visiting. Have you ever had those house guests that just drive you crazy? The house is too cold, the bed is too hard and they don't like anything you have to eat or drink. My sister has family in and they are driving her crazy. The in-laws ... mother, father and brother - in laws. There was a very special dinner tonight at their house. Mom-in-law planned and cooked. She came in and took over the kitchen. There was a very nice center piece on the dining room table, but it wasn't big enough for the important people coming for dinner. So she rearranged the dining room, she added everything she could find to the center piece, she added candles and had the table all decked out so much that the plates would barely fit. The important people from a university in KC came. Dinner was a success ... and then it happened. Everyone was sitting around the dining room table just talking and visiting. Important stuffy people ... everyone probably wishing they were somewhere else ... and someone says ... i think the centerpiece is on fire. After all the fuss about how imperfect the center piece was at the end of the night, it went up in flames. It just goes to show ... bigger isn't always better unless you want to roast marshmallows.

Casper ... the naked ghost

My sister has just returned from a visit to Chicago. She came home with this story about her friend’s niece (Molly) and her boyfriend (Dan) … the boyfriend and his family had never been big believers in ghosts but over the last three months or so, they had decided it wasn’t so unbelievable because they had one living in their house. They heard noises in the attic at night. Things around the house were moved when they were out and even food was missing from time to time. School was let out early one day so Dan took Molly to his house to wait for her mom to pick her up. Molly sat at the family computer and out of the corner of her eye … she thought she saw a naked man run down the hall. “That is our ghost!” No one had believed that they had a ghost but now Molly had seen him. He ran down the hall naked. He eats their food, moves things around and now runs around the house naked. What the heck?!? Later that night Dan’s dad went to the coat closet to hang up his coat and found a pile of clothes in the floor. He pick up the clothes, a bit confused as to why they were there, and what did he find? A naked man in the closet. It was their ghost, naked and hiding under a pile of clothes in the coat closet. The moral of the story ... if he is naked, he probably isn't a ghost. Apparently, this homeless man had been living in their attic for about 3 months, coming down during the day to shower and eat. I of course didn't find this odd at all ... as the man in my house is naked a lot ... just not running.

Cranberry sauce ... Are you kidding me?

It is getting close to Thanksgiving and because I am such a planner, I called my sister for the menu for turkey day. It was the usual stuff ... Turkey, Turducken, dressing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, pecan pie ... and on and on and on. When I was single, my responsibility was soda and a can of jellied cranberry sauce. Then I got married and moved to Columbia, so my responsibility didn't change, they said because of the traveling. We would come to Springfield for family BBQ's and I would ask, "what should I bring" the answer was always the same ... chips and soda. When I lived in Columbia, I held family gatherings for Gary's family and was able to prepare the entire dinner for 4 to 15 people. This is my second year back in Springfield. Last year we went to Columbia for Thanksgiving. So, you guessed it ... this was my big year. In a family where mashed potatoes have never come from a box, where pie crust have never been frozen, where everything is homemade and you have never had a bad meal ... and this year, it was my time to participate. My sister called me today to give me the menu and my responsibility ... and here it is ... corn. Butter, cream cheese, corn, salt and pepper, and sugar. Throw it in the crockpot and cook it for 4 hours. CORN. 10 seconds of prep and then just sit and watch the crockpot. Are you kidding me?

Hooters helps your hearing

My husband does not like loud places. When he goes out to eat, he likes to relax and eat in peace. Last night Phred, Hannah, Gary and I went to Hooters for dinner. It was a football Thursday and it was very loud, but for some reason, Gary didn't notice. He was cheerful, talkative and had no trouble hearing what the waitress said to him. Sometimes Gary can appear to be a bump on a log but now not only does magic tea make him come out of his shell but so does dinner at Hooters. Had we been at ... El Chico lets say, he would not have been so cheerful and I am sure that it has nothing to do with their waitstaff being mainly men. I am not sure how it happens but we never have bad service at Hooters, even if we have to eat our dinner with no drinks, napkins or silverware or if we have to wait a couple of hours for our food. We never have bad food, even if it is under cooked or burnt. You can have a horrible day and once you go to Hooters for dinner and the cute little waitress comes up and sets her Hooters on the table ... all is well with the world. It is a good night at our house if the chubby wife gets Buffalo Shrimp and the husband gets to flirt with his Hooters waitress.

50 shopping days until Christmas

My husband truly thinks I am a freak. I have a system for doing my Christmas shopping. I make a list of everyone I need to buy gifts for and then I just jot down ideas all year long. I buy gifts all year long so that by December 1 I am close to being done so that I can enjoy the holiday season without the stress of gift buying. This year I am trying something different. I am working on my list but am waiting until after Thanksgiving to start buying for the little kids. They usually have all kinds of things on sale after Thanksgiving. IT IS DRIVING ME NUTS. I have been to Toys R Us about 7 times ... walking around touching things. I have only bought one thing. I just need to go shopping and buy a gift. I have now just started adding random people to my Christmas list so that I can go buy stuff. If I can't buy gifts for the little ones, I will just buy for anyone. I freaked out last night because Thanksgiving is 27th and we have our "Baugh Christmas" on December 13. That is only 16 days to shop. I have to look at ads, go to stores, make lists, go to more stores and make more lists and then buy ... and that process is per item. I don't think that 16 days is enough. What if all of the good toys are gone by November 27? What them ... OMG ... I have to go shopping. I will just buy one thing ... something small. Maybe just a stocking stuffer.

Chili with Dave Ramsey

I am taking a financial class with my aunt once a week. She gets off work, we eat dinner at my house and then head to Willard. This week, Chili. My recipe is based on my pantry. This week I had more beans then meat. We had dinner. Chili with corn chips and sour cream. Then off to class we go. The class is a 60 minute DVD and then discussion and it is held in this very small meeting room off of the library. There is one long table, a TV, a sink and a restroom in the corner. You know what is coming next … beans, an hour later, small room with several people sitting next to you … I needed to fart. I am sitting very still while watching the DVD, butt cheeks squeezed together, praying no noises slip out before the movie is over so that I can go to the restroom. If I go now, they will stop the DVD and wait on me so I just sit, squeeze and wait. Finally, it is time for a break. I get up and go to the restroom. I have to pee. I have to fart. I think, turn on the water and flush the toilet so that no one can hear the fart. What if it is one of those loud long farts and it last longer than the flush? What if it stinks? It will all be built up in this very small bathroom and when I open the door it will push through and surround the table of people sitting just outside the restroom. I will be like Pigpen on Charlie Brown but instead of dirt hovering all around me, it will be the fart. I will be know as the chubby girl at Dave Ramsey that farted. Have you ever tried to pee and hold in a fart? I sit there a bit longer and then do what any lady would have done. I get up, squeeze my checks together again, wash my hands and go sit down with the others. I don’t say anything during the discussion because I have to concentrate on the squeezing and the stomach pains. When the discussion is over, I pack my things up very slowly so that everyone leaves before my aunt and I. Then we step outside and it happens. I relax and just let it out … it is not a fart, it is a toot. No noise. No smell. I suffered through and hour and a half of Dave Ramsey and heard nothing he said and all I had was a toot. A silent no smell toot. I get in the car and my aunt says, “no more chili before Dave, I had to fart the entire time.”

Garage Sales

We had a sale this weekend. I love to have Garage Sales and I love to shop at Garage Sales. I bargain with people over prices. But there is a point. It is funny to watch people who shop at garage sales and see how they bargain. There are three types of Garage Sale shoppers. The one who walks in and looks around and if they find something they want, they just buy it. They pay the price that the item is marked and they go on their way. Then there is the person who is looking for a real bargain. They walk around and look at everything, they pick up a few items and then decide which item they want to bargain on. It is usually the largest dollar item and they ask if you will take a dollar off that item. You do and everyone is happy. Then there is the most annoying shopper of all ... the one that either wants you to come down on everything or wants a lump sum price for everything that they have selected. Now, this is where it gets tricky because the purpose of the sale it to get rid of your stuff, but if I am going to "give it away" I would rather give it to the Goodwill or the Blind before giving it to a grouchy old lady that is hateful when you wont drop the price on everything in your Garage. I mean really. The item is a dime and you want to bargain with me. The lady who gripes when you wont sell a 700 page Food Network cookbook for 50 cents, the same price you are selling all of you paperback smut books. Garage Sales are a lot of work, are they worth it? I would say yes, for an 8 hour day of work, you walk away with $500. That is the cheapest entertainment and the best people watching you can get.

Meet Matt

Have you ever met that person who, no matter what they do or what people tell them, they continue to let people walk all over them. They let people take advantage of them and they don't even see it. I am being a good friend, they say. Well you may be being a friend but that person that is walking all over you is not even trying to being a friend. The last thing on their mind is YOU. You keep trying and giving, in hopes that one day they will surprise you and do something nice for you or at least say Thank you or offer you money to feed their kids when they leave them at your house for a week .... but that never happens. It is like living around negativity for 8 years. It just chips away at your soul. It is painful to watch someone treat your friends that way. When you can see how big their heart is and how special they are but then you have to watch people treat them like crap. They deserve so much more but they cant see it. You can only be there to listen when they are hurt or mad and treat them the best that you can to make up for any holes in their soul that might have been lost otherwise. Meet Matt .... doormat that is.

Glass vs Jug

I lived alone for a long time. The fewer dirty dishes the better. Now that I am married, is it still OK to drink straight from the milk jug? In trying to simplify my life, I have decided that it is perfectly fine to drink milk without dirtying up glass. I mean, then you just have to wash it. Yes, we have a dishwasher but that would free up a spot for something else. Something that you really need to use ... like a cereal bowl. I mean you are not going to pour fruity pebbles into the milk carton and then drink it .. a cereal bowl is necessary. And there are times when a glass is a must, like when you are having chili. You cant just sit the jug in the middle of the table and everyone just grab for it when they need a drink. Jug drinking is only used when you just need that one drink. To get you past a spoon full of peanut butter or to coat your belly before bed. After all it is just me and the hubby and we do exchange spit other ways ... so i guess it is no big deal that I drink from the milk jug. What if everyone drinks from the jug.? When you go to visit someone and they make chocolate cake for dessert and you want a glass of milk. Have they been drinking from the jug? Water with dinner and coffee with dessert .... when visiting others, pass on the milk.

Who is your hair dresser?

I went to get my hair done today. A new color and a new cut. I went to Hairy's. I have been there once before. It is always fun to go into a new place to have your hair cut. When you walk in, you immediately make note of everyone in there and what their hair looks like. Are they well groomed? I mean, who wants to go in and have their hair cut and colored by some girl who has a purple crew cut. Would it be better to get the lady who has the hair style from the 80's or the purple haired girl? What about the man who is all pierced up and bald? You get all excited about the idea of a change. Like the shorter brown hair is going to make your life a lot better or less stressful than the long blond hair. Either way, you are excited .... you get out of the car and walk into the salon. You look around, bald pierced guy, purple crew cut girl or lady from the 80's? You sit down and try to figure out who is going to get done first. OMG ... not the bald guy. I hope he takes his break before the next appointment. Should I get up and leave? Go somewhere else? The excitement that you felt on your way has now turned into anxiety. What do you do? You look around and look at what the clients they are now working on look like. The bald guy is cutting a little boys hair ... clippers. The 80's lady is doing a shampoo and set on a lady that looks like your grandma and the purple haired girls is still in the shampoo stage and water is splashing everywhere. You stand in preparing for a sprint out the door but before you get the door opened, it happens. Someone calls your name. You can feel the sweat building up. You turn around to see a skinny blond, well groomed, not a hair out of place girl about your age, holding a cape and waiting for you to sit down. Your body temperature drops a bit and you take a deep breath .... all is good again.

empty nesting it this week ...

I woke up this morning and it was .... quiet. No barking. No Handy Manny. No one crawling into bed with me ... just quiet. We had visitors this weekend. Drive thru zoo, Lamberts, Barn park with corn maze, pumpkins, hayride ... and now, just me, roxy and work. I guess it is time to get back to real life. Roxy is struggling too. She is wondering around the house looking for the girls. She has no one to bark at and more importantly, no one to feed her treats. It is odd. I am having so much trouble figuring out what to do. I have spent the last two weeks focusing on Jamie and what she needed and just worked my needs and wants (and work) around her that today ... i am having focus issues. maybe a nap would help. maybe i will take roxy for a short walk. maybe this halloween cupcake. it is amazing how much a couple of little girls can make your heart hurt when they leave.

Letting go of the grouch

Did you ever wake up one day and realized you had turned into a grouch? I remember several years back that I use to be more easy going, more fun and less grouchy. I guess when you are around negativity for long periods of time it just brings you down. How do you get yourself back up there? Hot air balloons, going to the zoo and rainbows use to make me smile ... now, when do you ever see me smile? I have had Jamie here for a week now and I find that every day I have a smile to give her. If we could all be so excited to see an elephant on the driveway in sidewalk chalk. What is it in life that makes us turn that corner to discontentment or sadness? When did I become too busy to sit outside for a few minutes and blow bubbles. I need to simplify. I need to get back to where I am excited to get started working so that I can get done and go out and play. I need to learn to love dancing in the rain, stomping in a puddle and singing "I've been working on the railroad" as loud as I can with the windows down. I have the perfect teacher for this .... Granddaughters. Today is the first day of a simple life where I can enjoy the simple things again.

Today is my Birthday ...

I went to my friend Hannah's house on Monday for her birthday dinner and we are planning to attend a big bash this weekend to celebrate her 11th birthday. With this birthday celebration on my mind and the hot air balloon I just saw fly over the house, I am reminded of my best birthday ever.



I love birthdays. I love to celebrate my birthday the entire month of July. It was my second birthday in Columbia. No one had mentioned anything about my birthday and I was getting a bit upset about the entire thing. There was no cake, no presents, no nothing. It was a Saturday Morning and I had been outside by the lake and heard the phone ring. I ran to answer it and it was my sister ... just calling to see what I was doing, but no Happy Birthday. Gary was busy around the house. No balloons. It was like I wasnt even there. Everyone had forgotten my birthday. Travis was hanging out, but still nothing. I am such a big baby ... I need presents and I need cake. About that time there was a knock on the door. I went to answer it and it was my Dad, my Mom, Jill, Amanda, Dean and Eric. Melissa and Stacy came later. My dad never traveled and he had come to my surprise party. They had driven for 3 hours to celebrate with me. Gary had planned the entire thing. We showed them around the Condo and the area, took the kids out on the lake, we swam, we (I) opened presents and WE ATE CAKE. We had two cakes because I am so hard to please that Gary had made what he thought was my favorite cake ... and then made a back up. My family didnt get to stay long but I was so touched that they had made the trip. I got three great gifts that year ... the party, the visitors and Gary surprised me again with a ride in a hot air balloon ride. That was the only time my Dad made it up to see me but it is a memory I will have forever.



Happy Birthday Hannah!

Internet Issues

hello all. i just wanted to check in. we made it home from the blues fest. i have a 3 year old staying with me for a couple of weeks and my internet is down. I will blog later today, please dont give up on me ...... thanks for reading. Let me know you are still out there ... have a great day.

Gone for the weekend ..

We are leaving town this afternoon. Columbia bound. Roots n Blues n BBQ festival. We will return on Sunday evening. Look for my next blog on Monday morning. Have a great weekend everyone.

At what point did it become ok ....

for teenagers for say the "F" word in front of two teams of soccer parents? At what point did it become ok to make our kids cry because they didnt win a soccer game. I spent the weekend watching the best midfielder in Springfield play soccer in St Louis. I am sure that Amanda gets all of her sports skills from her Aunt. She played three games. They tied two and won one. She played great. We sat on the bleachers and watched. We cheered. We encouraged. We supported. Even when the shot was a little high, went out of bounds or was stolen by the other team, we supported. On one side of the field sat the teams and the coaches. On the other side of the field sat the parents and the "coaches". When did it become OK to yell at your kids and tell them in front of a hundred other people everything they are doing wrong. When did we teach our kids that it is OK to be disrespectful to not only an adult but the referee of a game? This was a college showcase tournament and we came in third out of eight and we were excited about that. Our girls played well. They played three games. Two forty minute halves on each. It was warm. Instead of cheering them on, there were parents there, telling them how to play, where to run, when to shoot and yelled at them when they didn't. They were probably following the instructions of their real coaches. It is a game. I saw at least three different girls that after speaking with their mom or dad after the game, walked away in tears. It is a serious game. A competitive sport that could send our kids to college. But they are our children. Amanda, you played great this weekend and I was proud to support you in all three games and will see you again next time on the field. GO MAMBAS! GO NUMBER ONE!

Is it odd that my husband dates?

I went out of town over the weekend. My husband went out on a date on Saturday. Gary, his date and I didn't think this to be odd at all, however, when we spoke about it in public, others thought it odd. "Who are you bringing to the party?" "My friends, husband" .odd?. I told my Mom, Sister and Niece on our way to St Louis. "What is Gary doing this weekend?" they asked. "He is going out with Harley (a made up name for the friend)" They all got quiet and asked, "Isn't that odd?" I guess first we need to decide what the appropriate wording is. Gary had dinner with Harley. Gary went for drinks with Harley. Gary had a date with Harley. Gary went out with Harley. Which one of these is the correct statement? Amanda informed me that "dating" was when you just went somewhere with a person. We are dating. This means that you can go places with that person, but you can also "date" others at the same time. "Going out" means that you two are seeing only each other. This makes thing much clearer ... NOT. Gary cant be "going out" with me and "dating" Harley because that doesn't meet any of the guidelines. OMG .. next time I will just say he is having drinks with friends.

Thanks for waiting ... not so patiently

Hello all. I am sorry for the delay. I spent the weekend in St Louis with my Mom, Sister and Niece. Soccer. And I have not been feeling well this week. Please look for my real blog later this evening.

Shopping Show

I am addicted. Have you ever been so addicted to a TV show that you plan your entire week around it? Well I am that way with the KADI Shopping Show. I listen every weekday and I plan my OT on Saturdays around the hours of the Shopping Show. What do they sell? They sell certificates for all sorts of things. Oil Changes, Food, Branson stuff, and much more. Today, they had a hotel room at the Sheridan Suites in KC at the Plaza. Ok, here is the deal, it is a $280 value for one night in a suite with free sit down breakfast and free parking for $180. Now, normally I am all about the cheaper the better when it comes to a hotel/motel. I don't care if you enter from the outside or inside. Breakfast? Doesn't matter whether it is a donut or a box of cereal. As long as there is a bed and a toilet, I am good. And I have stayed at some doozies. If I can find a room for $25, I am in heaven. But for some reason today, I had a NEED for a $280 room. I don't really have any reason to go to KC. I cant afford to shop at the Plaza. I have no time off to take a trip. But I NEEDED that room. I called my sister to see if she had reason to go to KC. I asked Gary if he wanted to go spend the weekend in KC. NO. I listen to the shopping show so that I can save money on places we go normally or save money on things we have to have done like oil changes. But today, it is all about a hotel suite that i really really don't need. I have the phone as close to my hand as I can get it without holding it. I have my redial set just in case she knocks a couple dollars off of it. Does anyone want to go to billings with me to pick up some cupcakes? Sassy's had great cupcakes and the certs of half off. Pizza in Fairgrove? Come on, we can eat pizza and cupcakes on our way to KC.

Internet Dating

who would have guessed that I would meet a husband on the internet. We chatted a couple of times on the internet and then he didnt want to mess around anymore. After two conversations, we decided to meet for dinner. Nakoto's. I told him what I looked like and what I would be wearing and he told me the same. We were to meet outside at 7pm. It was cold that night so i waited inside. The Host asked if I had a reservation. Yes, we had a reservation. It is under Bill. That was all I knew. His name was Bill. The host looked at me a bit odd and i said I would just wait to be seated when Bill arrived. I waited and waited, with the host glancing my way several different times. 7pm came and went. I decided he wasn't coming and so I decided to leave and as I walked out the door, there he was. He thought I wasn't coming also, after all, we were suppose to meet outside. We walked in, the host looking at me oddly again, he asked about our reservation again. Yes, we have a reservation. GARY BAUGH. What? You told me your name was Bill. So now the Host at Nakato's thinks I am a food hooker and will just eat dinner with anyone. We go sit down at our table. We are on our first date and we are sitting with six strangers. Those who don't know me .. I am a huge people watcher. First date, sitting at a table with 7 people I don't know, not the best idea. I think I ignored Gary the entire time. I was so busy trying to keep up with all that was going on with the others at our table. To my surprise, Gary, not Bill, called the next day and we scheduled our second date.

BINGO!

Last night I went to play Bingo with my aunt. It starts at 630pm and gets over around 930pm depending on how slow the caller is. We went to win the $5700 pot. If you have never been to play Bingo before, it is serious business. There is no messing around, no laughing and definitely NO HAVING FUN. We were in trouble all night long. First we sat at an empty table only to find out that a mean old lady usually sits there and she was just running a little late and "everyone knows I sit here" is what she told us. Every night she plays bingo and every night she sits in the same place. We moved. My aunt had to go to the bathroom in the middle of a game, so I was playing her electronic Bingo machine. The Bingo monitor came and took it out of my hand, "it is against state law to play two electronic machines at one time". Every one around me started mouthing me "i knew she wasn't suppose to be doing that'" "it has always been against the law" "have they never used the machines before?" I was hoping to win a Bingo game just in case we needed bail money. We got to laughing so hard that people told us to keep quiet. This of course just made us laugh harder. By the time the last Bingo number was called, people were glaring at us and pointing at us. Who knew there were so many uptight people at the Bingo Hall. We didn't win, but we had fun.

Shaving your legs

Is it really necessary to shave your legs if no one is going to be seeing them? Once you stop wearing shorts, can you stop shaving your legs? What if you are going to just be wearing capri's? Can you just shave the part of your leg that is going to show? When you start to only wear long pants and jeans, why shave at all? Once the hair gets long enough it is softer than your actual leg anyway. The biggest problem is when it comes spring time again ... you have to buy a couple of new razors to get all of that hair off of your legs. I will let you know how it works out this winter ... i bet my legs stay warmer than yours.

What is on your Christmas List?

I have started my shopping for Christmas. We make lists. I make a list for who I am buying for and my ideas for what I might get them. I make a list of what I want. Do you have those people in your family that HAVE to have a list from you and then they either don't buy what is on your list or they change your list to suit themselves? They change your list because they think you need something better than you have asked for. You ask for a set of towels, you tell them exactly what brand and color you want. You ask for big bath towels that are very soft and you want them in dark colors. What you open up your gift on Christmas .... you got towels ... but they are white and pink, scratchy towels, the ones that leave marks on your skin when you use them. You look at the person who gave them to you and they are so excited because you could get more for the money than the ones you asked for. Do you have those people in your family who buy presents all year long, they get in on all of the bargains and just put them in their closet until Thanksgiving and then they get them out and decide who to give them to instead of buying gifts for specific people, they buy a bunch of crap with no one at all in mind. It is the thought that counts ... this doesn't apply to these people because they didn't think of you at all when they bought it. OMG! Am I a spoiled brat or what? Is it wrong to want a gift that had some thought put into it? I would much rather you get me something at the dollar store and have actually thought about me when buying it than spending $100 on something for me that I will have to wait in line after Christmas to return. Oh, yes, I have no problem returning Christmas gifts. I have also been known to sell a few birthday and Christmas gifts in a garage sale. OMG! I am a horrible receiver. I guess that is why we all love to give more than receive.

Brain Dead .... or just empty

I have nothing. I am organizing the Christmas presents that I have bought and I thought that I would share a couple of Christmas stories .... the one where I was given a Christmas present on Tuesday and told I could open it on Saturday when my "friend" came over. I opened it, wore the boots for three days and then rewrapped them to open them again on Saturday and I was so surprised to see that I had been given a great pair of boots. Or the one about how I made up
Christmas Elves so that my husband would let me open gifts early. Or the time Gary put those pop up snakes in my presents so when I opened them early I would freak out. But for some reason these stories just arent very interesting today. I am so boring today. Nothing. Maybe tomorrow will be a brighter day.

The Princess Hikes Her Leg

Did you ever wonder how that kitten knows to go potty in the litter box. You bring them home, show them where the litter is and when they need to pee ... they go to the box, pee and cover it up. Same with the puppies ... how do the girls know to squat and the boys hike their leg? I mean it is the mom's who takes the little girls to the restroom and shows them how to cover the seat perfectly with toilet paper (before the fancy toilet seat covers) so that they dont have to sit on the toilet or how to stand over the toilet to pee without actually sitting down. It is the dad's who teach the little boys how to stand in front of the urinal and dont look down or around at others. So, who teaches those puppies and kittens? Well at our house it was Ranger. The strong willed Corgi who taught his little sister Roxy to pee ... by hiking her leg instead of squatting. I think it was just another way for him to continuously let me know that he was and will always be ... the boss at this house. I can only imagine what the neighbor dogs are saying .....

Potted Meat

When I was at the store a couple of weeks ago I saw a can of "potted meat." I had remembered my dad eating this on a sandwich when I was young. I remember having a sandwich with him, potted meat on white bread and a glass of milk. My dad died in 2004 and I love that I can go to the grocery store and many other places and find things that make me think of him. I bought the can of potted meat. Today I am feeling a bit weepy. I miss my dad, my grandkids and Ranger. I went to the kitchen for some breakfast and decided on a glass of milk and a potted meat sandwich. I went back to my office and after one bite ... i still miss my dad ... but not the potted meat sandwich. Once again, a memory of my dad has made me laugh as i spit the sandwich into the trash.

Ladies Room

For those of you that know me, you know that I drink a lot of water and have a small bladder. I have probably seen the inside of every restroom between Springfield and Columbia. This weekend we ran around alot and as the day went on, I had a couple of questions come to mind as I sit and stare at the messages scratched into the stall doors. These questions have been asked by many women I am sure ... but here they are again. Have you ever noticed that for some reason the locks in the ladies room are always broken? What is it about a round lever that you push through a round hook that is so difficult that it doesnt last? Is there that many women who cant hold it that they come running full force into the bathroom and just push the first door open, occupied or not, busting the round lever and exposing the little old lady trying to pee. How much could the levers cost that Walmart or JCPenneys cant afford to have a couple extra on hand? Have you ever tried to pee with your leg up on the door to stop if from opening. This brings me to my next question ... have you ever been to one of those restrooms that there is only about 6 inches between the door and the toilet? You have to crawl up and around the toilet to even get into the stall. Then you have to turn around and hope that the auto flush doesnt go off and spray you with water. The good news is that when you sit down, your knees are pressed up agains the door so it really doesnt matter that the round lever is completely gone in the stall you have chosen. All this talk .... I gotta go pee.

Wonder Women

Did you ever wonder how your mom did it? How is it that the entire time I was growing up, my Mom always had the house clean, dinner on the table, laundry caught up, gave us girls everything we needed and had a full time job. Not to mention in the summer time, she tended to the garden. Canning green beans, tomatoes, pickles and corn. I do not remember a day coming home from school to a messy house. i don't remember a day when my dad came home and there wasn't dinner on the table and by dinner I don't mean a frozen meal or a hamburger helper. What is it about today that makes this almost impossible? Or are we just lazy complainers. My laundry is not caught up. It is a rare day that Gary comes home to a home cooked meal. What do I do with all of my time that I cant do a load of laundry everyday or take 30 minutes to make a Rachel Ray meal. Was life more simple then? Maybe my priorities are all jacked up. Either way, Thanks Mom for all you did and do for us.

What is reality?

I am a reality tv junkie. Big Brother. America's Next Top Model. Project Runway. Shear Genius. The Biggest Loser. The Amazing Race. But what is up with the shows that are just about people and their every day lives? Jon & Kate plus 8, this is about a couple who had twins and then sextuplets. It is shows just about them ... living their life. They go to church. They go on vacations. This week I watched as they took their kids to the store to buy tents and sleeping bags for a backyard camp out. Little People Big World. This show is about a family of 6 with both average size and little people. Again, just living their lives. Going to the grocery store or a soccer game. Kids by the Dozen. This one showcases different families with 12 plus kids. I watched one this week about the Heppners they had 16 kids from age 25 years old to 3 or something crazy like that. It showed them going to the grocery store and the one thing on their list that I remembered was 30 apples. Who buys 30 apples ... plant an apple tree. The husband and older boys work away from the home to make more money so that they can support all of those kids. You would not see me letting Gary leave me home alone for months with 12 kids so he could "work" away from home. I just dont get it ... what is it that I can do in my life to get my own show. I completely believe that I could be entertaining. I have a crazy family and Gary has an even crazier family, however, me sitting alone at home in my office working for 12 hours is something that we would have to change. Maybe I could work naked ... we could call it a horror show. What could I call my show? Gary and the fat naked lady that works at home? Maybe I could be on Oprah too? How boring must I actually be if I spend my time watching other people live ... OMG!

is it silly to feel so lonely?

Today Roxy is spending the day at the "Spa". She is going to have a bath and get her nails trimmed. She has been gone for about 10 minutes and I am feeling a bit lonely. She will be gone all day. Our normal schedule is that I stay in my office and work and she either lays on the couch and watches QVC or lays in the bedroom on her bed and watches Hallmark Channel. Today, she lays somewhere else. Everytime I get up from my chair, she comes running to see if I am going anywhere she may want to go. The bathroom or the kitchen. Today, I go alone. She sometimes lays under my desk and everytime I move my feet, she barks at me just to remind me that she is under there and trying to get a nap in. Today, I nap alone. It is very evident that the princess we call Roxy is gone today and I miss her. Who is going to tell me when the mail comes and when the UPS lady gets here.



When she arrives home, she will be a very happy big ball of hair with a pink bandana around her neck. I cant wait .....

Beautiful place to live

Yesterday I visited Cabool. I had a great time. I went to visit a friend's mom (my second mom). We went for corn from their garden and I got so much more. Just sitting at the dining room table and looking out the window to watch the hummingbirds enjoy the beautiful flowers was just so relaxing. I walked through the garden and was filled with envy. Although the rains of last week did a number on some of the corn, it was still wonderful. Sunflowers, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. Luckily there were nice size rows ... everything was so tall, you wouldnt have been able to find me. Cantelope or Mushmelon? We talked about my childhood on the farm. Canning veggies and picking potatoes. We had Bacon and Tomato Sandwiches for lunch .. the ultimate summer sandwich. We talked about everything that we wanted to make ... scrapbooking, quilts ... we looked at collectibles, some worth lots of money and some close to the heart. Lady, the dog, kissed some of us when we got there and kissed all of us when we left. We didnt have time to go to the Creek, which I was glad because it gives me an excuse to go back. As we were leaving, phred became sad. I was surprised to find that I also was sad. I had had a great time. I had received more than just corn and other veggies. I received a sense of peacefulness, a sense of happiness. As we drove home, with my "step daughter" singing very loudly in my ear, I realized what a special life I have and how blessed I am to be able to share my life with my family as well as the family of friends. Thank you Betty and Eddie for a wonderful day in Cabool. Oh, and phred ... sorry you didnt get any relish.

Work at home ... are you serious?

I got an email today from someone wanting a part time job, work at home, where there is a lot of flexibility "make my own hours" i believe were the words used. She has a busy life with husband, kids and just needs a little extra money. So, she thinks of me and my job? I dont know how many times I have heard things like ... since you are at home can you go do this for me ... what do you mean you dont have time for lunch, what are you doing ... my kids are at a friends this afternoon, lets go see a movie ... you have training or a conference call for what ... or people just stop by the house to hang out for hours just chatting away without a care in the world, after all, it is their day off and since I am at home anyway .... What part of the phrase "WORK at home" is so confusing? Just because i am at home ... I still work 60 plus hours a week. I still have meetings and conference calls I have to attend. I am not just doing laundry and watching soap operas ... I HAVE A JOB Yes, some days are no brainer days just like everyone has but most days, it is stressful, and I actually have to think about what I am doing. Yes, there is a lot of flexibility .. I can go to lunch some days and I can some days go shopping in the middle of the afternoon ... but if I am out running around in the middle of the day .. chances are that I got up and worked 3-4 hours before your alarm ever went off and I will still be working way after you go to bed. So, yes, I seriously WORK at home.

I have nothing ....

It is Thursday. Two more days of work. It is time to Blog ... and I have nothing. Not a thought in my head. It is just another day ... working ... tired ... grouchy. That is it. Serena Williams beat her sister in the quarterfinals of the US Open. Sarah Palin gave a great speech last night. Big Brother 10 is on tonight and I think that Renny is going home. But still nothing in my head ...

Granny?!?

What do you think of when you hear "Granny"? Old lady with her gray hair up in a bun on top of her head. A cane? Some people would say that it is a bad word. Well, I would have to disagree. This morning, there is not a word I would like to hear more. With a small hand up to her mouth, she yells "Graaaanny". In August, our 3 year old granddaughter Jamie came down and spent three weeks with us. We had a great time ! Bike riding, bowling, jump mania and just hanging out with family and friends. She has such a cheery personality, very similar to what I use to have. My favorite together time was in the mornings, laying in bed watching (and singing along of course) Handy Manny. I am missing her ALOT today. The UPS lady just dropped off some DVDs that I ordered for her the next time she comes down ... My Bed Bugs. They are silly non animated characters that she just loved to watch in the evenings to help her settle down from a busy day. "Granny, lets watch those bugs before we go to bed". Well what does a Granny say to that?

looking at the past

This week has been an odd one for me. This has been a working Holiday for me so I havent gotten far from my computer, which has brought me back in contact with three people from my past. A friend, a "boyfriend" in the loses sense of the word and the daughter of a friend. I know that people go in different directions in their lives, move on, move away but when looking back ... do you ever wonder why you lost touch with those of your past? There are two things that happened in my life in 2000 that changed my relationship with most of the people I called friends. I met my husband and I moved to Columbia Missouri. When you think about today, the people in your life right now ... what will your relationship be like in 5 years. Will those you spend your time with right now become those of your past? For those you dont keep in touch with, is it because you werent that close of friends? Did one move forward and the other remain the same? Did you just run your course with those people? In this day and time, moving away is no excuse to not keep in touch. Cell phones with unlimited texting and free long distance. Email and blogs. So why are those friends no longer in your address book?

did this really happen ....

I am sitting on the couch watching some of the us open and all of a sudden Roxy sits up stiff as a board from a nap and barks at me from across the room. She sits still a minute and then starts running 90 miles an hour through the house and then ..... nothing. She is gone. I get up and go look for her and she is sound asleep on her blanket in the bedroom. Makes you wonder ... am i crazy or is it the dog.

GNO for August ....

What is GNO? Once a month I get together with my friends to do something without husbands and without kids. Girls Night Out! We do a couple of different things while we are out. Bunco. Dinner. But last night we went to the casino. Downstream Casino just on the other side of Joplin. OK, well this GNO didnt go so well for me ... I lost my money. The good news is that Kim won it. We left around 5:30pm and got home around 1:30am. It was a good time. Not to busy. I love to play the Hot Shot slot machine. It is very deceiving though ... you get to play a lot of bonuses so you think you are winning, but in the end ... your money finally runs out. You always see a wide variety of people when you go to the casino. It is a people watchers dream. Some get so excited to win just a dollar on a penny machine and then some get really upset when they lose their ten bucks. What kind of a gambler are you? Do you got to play and have fun or do you go to make money? If you go to the casino to make enough money to pay your bills ... you need to call the 1-800 number. You are going to lose your money. The people that crack me up the most is those that say they cant afford to play anything but penny machines ... and then bet $2 a spin on that penny machine. We had a great time but I am ready to go to a casino in Missouri so that I can play some Roulette and my fav ... CRAPS. I am looking forword to September's GNO.

time to be an adult .... YUCK!

Being an adult sucks sometimes. Gary and I are in the process of getting our Will completed. As I sit here looking at the Will ... I think, who are we suppose to leave our stuff to? Who would even want our stuff? Are there people just sitting around waiting for us to die so that they can get our stuff? Roxy ... you are safe, I am leaving you to Peter along with the TV. That was the deal, right Peter? I hate making decisions. Gary has kids, I don't. Do we split our twelve dollars and fifty cents three ways or just donate it to the humane society? LOL. I guess it really isnt that difficult ... my family heirlooms go to my family and Gary's goes to his ... sell everything else and divide up the money. But who gets the money? Gary's kids? Our grandkids? My step daughter Hannah? Roxy? Oh well, I foresee lots of late night dicussions ahead of us. One thing I do know ... we will be buried, not cremated and our plots are in the Harrington Cemetary in Republic MO. Put our black tombstone up next to my Dad's. This brings another question to my head ... what will be on the back side of my tombstone .... any suggestions? Miss you Dad.

The auto biography of me .... or not

For those of you that know me, you know i have a lot of drama in my life with three step kids (all in their 20s), their significant others, the ex-wife and her family and my granddaughters. So, I have decided to write a book. I have started by just making a list of the people in my life, current and past, and I am writing down thoughts and experiences I have had with them. I will then just work it all into a story of how I got where I am right now. I may have to edit some things out but we will see. Do you ever think ... did that part of my life really happen? Or how did I get here? And the one that comes up most often ... What was I thinking?

my first time

I guess you could say that I was a late bloomer. I am in my 40's and have worked on a computer for most of my adult life but just recently found the fun in playing on a computer. I have used email, been in a few AOL chatrooms and even met my husband on the internet but since I was behind a desk all day, I had no interest in being on the computer after I was done working. I got a laptop for my birthday in July (didnt receive a happy birthday from any of my step kids but that is an entire different blog) and have been online ever since. I have bought stuff from craigslist. I have found out who won the POV on Big Brother 10 before the show airs, facebook, myspace and just today read my first blog. Aja ... great job on your blogs. There is always alot going on in my life here in springfield, mostly boring but still alot. I hope that someone comes on here occassionally and reads about it.