Ridin' and Readin'

I usually get sick when I try to read in the car.

My Hero, Barney!

Words of Wisdom - always good advice!



[shouting to several prisoners]
Barney Fife: Now here at the Rock we have two rules. Memorize them until you can say them in your sleep. Rule number one: obey all rules. Rule number two: no writing on the walls.



Barney Fife: The last big buy was my mom's and dad's anniversary present. Andy Taylor: What'd ya get 'em? Barney Fife: A septic tank. Andy Taylor: For their anniversary? Barney Fife: They're awful hard to buy for. Besides, it was something they could use. They were really thrilled. It had two tons of concrete in it. All steel reinforced. Andy Taylor: You're a fine son, Barn. Barney Fife: I try.



Barney Fife: Well, today's eight-year-olds are tomorrow's teenagers. I say this calls for action and now. Nip it in the bud. First sign of youngsters going wrong, you've got to nip it in the bud. Andy Taylor: I'm going to have a talk with them. What else do you want me to do? Barney Fife: Well, don't just mollycoddle them. Andy Taylor: I won't. Barney Fife: Nip it. You go read any book you ant on the subject of child discipline and you'll find every one of them is in favor of bud-nipping.



Andy Taylor: What are you doing? Barney Fife: Gun-drawing practice, ten minutes every day. If I ever have to use this baby, I want to teach it to come to papa in a hurry.
Barney Fife: Well, I guess to sum it up, you could say, there's three reasons why there's so little crime in Mayberry. There's Andy, and there's me, and [patting gun] Barney Fife: baby makes three.



[Andy has told Rafe Hollister to try out for the musical] Barney Fife: I'm surprised at you, Andy. They want people who have had musical training. Why, suppose they ask Rafe to do something he don't know? Rafe, if they asked you to sing a cappella, could you do it? Rafe Hollister: No. Andy Taylor: Hey, Barn, what if they was to ask you if you could sing a cappella, what would *you* do? Barney Fife: Why, I'd do it! [snapping fingers in rhythm] Barney Fife: "A cappella, a cappella"... Well, I don't remember all the words.



Barney Fife: [while relaxing on the front porch after Sunday dinner] You know what I think I'm gonna' do? Andy Taylor: What? Barney Fife: I'm gonna' go home, have me a little nap, and then go over to Thelma Lou's and watch a little TV. Andy Taylor: Mmm-hmm. Barney Fife: Yeah, I believe that's what I'll do. Go home... have a nap... and then over to Thelma Lou's for TV. Andy Taylor: Mmm. Barney Fife: Yep, that's the plan. Home... little nap... then... Malcolm Tucker: [interrupting] For the love of Mike *do* it! [shouts] Malcolm Tucker: Do it! Just *do* it! Go take a nap, go to Thelma Lou's for TV, just *do it*!


What a great actor!

The Ugliest Yard on the Block

It's all about priorities, I guess. Mine shift now and then. What might be critical to me one week I can just blow off the next week. I guess I'm wishy-washy.

So it is with our front yard and the upkeep thereof.

We live in a very average neighborhood. Our home is about 47 years old. Nice big trees. Very normal...very average 1958ish houses. Some folks, like my neighbor, have a really nice yard. (Actually, she just recently moved in and is reaping the rewards of my previous neighbor's years of yard work.) Nice grass. Professionally fertilized. Good sprinkler system. Yard boys that mow for her. Nice flower beds, well tilled and prepared soils for nice bushes and flowering plants. Well trimmed trees. Everything about it just seems really nice to me.

And then there's our yard.

I actually love leaves on the ground. I love to walk thru a pile of leaves and kick my feet big. There's just something about the sound of it. It makes me happy. But something has happened that makes me even happier about leaves on the ground. It's called a 2 year old BOY! I know our neighbors look at us with disgust over our messy, leaf covered yard, but I just cannot make myself pick up all the leaves. I know it is time to do it, I just cannot take the big piles away - they bring so much joy to Blake.

So...our priorities have shifted from being a good neighbor and having the respect of our neighborhood to the house that never cleans up their leaves. I'm sure I'll give in when it gets a little bit warmer. But in the meantime, playing in the leaves is the greatest! In the overall scheme of things, it doesn't matter to me that my front yard looks great - but it does matter that my kiddo is happy.

I guess the neighbors will get over it. It's probably just been too long since they jumped in a pile of leaves themselves!

Yummmmmmmmm

If you haven't tried it....

DO SO QUICKLY

do not pass Go

do not collect $200

just GO

In a Little Place Called Chappell Hill

I have the COOLEST Aunt and Uncle. They used to be known as Jack and Ebby, but now they are Peepaw and Meemaw. Blake decided one more set of granparents was a really good idea, and so did we, and we are glad to have someone else to blame Blake's bad behavior on, so they've been elevated to grandparent status. They live in Houston and weekend in a little place called Chappell Hill, about an hour's drive from their home. They have about 12 - 15 acres or so in this beautiful little spot in the country. (Chappell Hill is known for at least 2 things....their bluebonnet festival (my aunt and uncle have more bluebonnets than they know what to do with) and for Chappell Hill sausage - which is now avaiable at Kroger.) Their very small house-structure (some people woudn't really call it a house - bit it works for them) is at the top of the property facing west-ish where some of the prettiest sunsets in Texas occur. They are big dog people, so they've chain link fenced-in the entire property to help keep their puppies safe. They are also big nature lovers, so lots of the areas are left in a very natural state. They don't even kill snakes. I don't get that part of the deal. When it actually rains in Texas, they have 2 ponds, but most of the time they just have one really nice pond full of the biggest catfish you've ever seen. Fishing is not an option...the catfish are pets...some of them are even named. Going to feed these monster fish is one of the things that is always part of the routine when we go down for a visit. They've had this property for at least 25 years. Our family has made many trips down there. When my Dad was still alive, we'd have working weekends down there trimming up trees and pulling out briers (oh boy!) and clearing what we now call the glades. We started by camping out down there, then for many years we just stayed in the local motel in Navasota, about 20 or so miles away. The last few years, we've stayed in their awesome RV. But - we think something is about to change. I got an email from my aunt yesterday that said starting in April, they would be full-time residents in the country. I've not talked to her today, but am guessing they sold their house in the Heights in Houston (a very neat old part of town) and FINALLY will get to do what they've wanted to do for years which is live full-time out there. I am very excited for them. My guess is they will live in their very small "house" on the property while they build something out there. I can't wait. Whatever they build - I guarantee you it will be unique. I also know they've been wanting to get a donkey....yes....a donkey! Guess they can't wait any longer for that! Some may call them eccentric, and I suppose they might not deny that, but mostly they are just fun! We usually just make one trip down at bluebonnet time and another trip in the Fall, but sometimes we just need the escape of the country more often than that. It's such a peaceful place. Here are a few pictures from down there.

This is the front yard.

There's much work for a young boy with a wagon to do.

Small tractor.

Small tractor with "trailer" made taking a walk extra fun. Look at Gran!

Medium tractor. Vintage tractor that still runs.

Big tractor. Daddy and Blake joy riding!

Here's Gran with Peepaw in one of the glades. Most of the glades have benches or swings or chairs in them. A few of them have exercise equipment...but we don't spend much time in those glades. I think Blake was investigating a bone that someone found. It's such a great place for a little boy to learn about stuff.

They want a donkey on their property, but there are already several dragons. Not so sure how the donkeys and dragons will get along. Actually, my artistic aunt made this thing - cut out of thick metal...one sheet. It is along the edge of the big pond and it's eye lights up at night and you can see it from the house. This is the largest dragon on the property...or at least the largest one that I have found.
Hangin' in the RV - or as Blake calls it - the RB.

I hope all of you have a fun/crazy aunt and uncle. I've decided to be that to my 3 nieces that live in Kansas. I don't think their other aunts have much "crazy" in their blood - so I'm going to fill that void.

Would You Rather...?

Would you rather...

1. See in concert: Journey, Boston, Foreigner, Kansas?

2. Eat a taco at: Rosa's, Taco Bueno, Rio Mambo, Blue Mesa

3. Own (price is not an object): Corvette, Hummer, F350, Mercedes

4. Watch: Dick Van Dyke, Cheers, Andy Griffith, Green Acres

5. Drink: Sweet Iced Tea, Lemonade, Water, Coke

6. Play: Skipbo, Twister, Monopoly, Charades

7. Own: Chihuahua, Golden Retriever, Rescued Greyhound, Border Collie

8. With a free afternoon, no responsibilites, but alone: Go to a movie, Sleep, Take a walk in your neighborhood, Read blogs

9. Travel to (weather not a factor): San Francisco, Chicago, Key West, Boston

10. With a $75,000 gift: Buy an RV, Buy a boat, Travel, Buy a lake house

Don't You Hate That?

you never returned my phone call
I was very frustrated because you were so insistent that you would call me
I didn't really know what to do since you never told me the plans
please don't tell me you are going to call me if you don't plan on calling me
I'm almost over it

My Brush with DEATH!

Picture this...

Southbound I-35W just north of Papurt Street (which is one exit north of NE 28th Street).
Thursday afternoon - 4:45 p.m.
Two lanes of traffic.
Approximate rate of travel - 45 m.p.h.
In the outside/right hand lane - a Rodeway 18 wheeler truck - pulling a tandem trailer, followed by another 18 wheeler.
In the inside/left hand lane - cars mostly alongside the big trucks.
I'm in the inside lane, the front of my car is basically lined up with the back of the 2nd 18 wheeler.

Then it happens!

(if you can pretend there is a soundtrack with this entry, this is where you'd hear the "da da da duhhhhhhhhh" scarey music)

The first thing I notice is sparks flying from the right hand lane. Then I realize that the 2nd trailer of the 1st big truck (the tandem part) has actually come loose from the first trailer and is sliding along the pavement on it's "legs" or whatever those post things are that a trailer sits on! An unmanned trailer is traveling down I-35 and I'm behind it! YIKES.

I basically just come to a stop on the road - not thinking too much about what or who is behind me. Not sure what the cars in front of me are doing.

Unbelievably, the loose trailer fades to the right onto the smallish shoulder and then just slides along the barrier until it comes to a stop. I just wait - knowing that the 2nd 18 wheeler is going to clip the lost trailer and then spin out or something. And guess what happened?




NOTHING!

We all just drove on past the lost trailer! I was in shock. Thankfully, Blake wasn't with me or I would have probably freaked out more over this. The Rodeway truck driver stopped a pulled over about 100 feet ahead. As I drove past his truck, he was just getting out. I'm sure that guy was out of a job today.

I really didn't over-react to this whole deal, but my mind still thought of all of the things that could have been. Why do I let myself think these things? The first thing I thought of was "if I had been in a wreck, I couldn't have been a good mommy for Blake." I told Kelly this and told him I didn't know if that meant I was a bad wife or not - but I guess it just means that I knew he could take care of himself, while Blake couldn't.

Anyway....all of those bad things didn't happen....and my brush with death wasn't really all that dramatic...I just basically wanted a post title that might entice you to read all the way to the bottom of the post!

Be careful out there! It's a dangerous world!

Leo Getz had it right!

Lethal Weapon 2 (I know...not the gentlest movie out there)
Leo Getz in the back seat
The go through the Drive Thru
Leo doesn't get what he ordered
He isn't happy about it (I know...not the gentlest part of the script)

Have you ever been to a restaurant, fast food or not, that has really great food but the service is awful but you love the food so much you keep going back but while you are there you want to slit your throat over the awful service but you cannot pull away from the great food and so you keep going back time after time and as you are waiting you question yourself every time but by the time you eat the food you forget all that?

We've got a place like that in our family - Popeye's Chicken on McCart by Altamesa. Oh man I love that chicken! Oh man they make me crazy!

My last experience:

Ordering at the drive thru:
Me: ....and I'd like that all white...
Them: that will be a 10 minute wait on white meat

Commentary: You are a CHICKEN PLACE! Why would you let yourself run out of white meat chicken?

Paying at the window:
Them: Here's your large Coke. That will be $12.45

(I hand them a $20.)
(She hands me back $17.55)

Me: (handing her the $10 bill) You gave me too much money back.
Them: Oh! That would have messed us up at the end of the night!

Commentary: I should have kept the $10 for the aggravation I was about to endure.

Still at the window:
Them: Can you pull around to the front and we'll bring your food out to you?
Me: Yes, but I want my other drink before I leave.

I pull around to the front and the wait begins. I can see them plopping up new chicken under the warming lights. I see the top-notch staff filling orders. I see what I think is our order being pushed from one side to the other. Finally, after 18 minutes, I get out of my car and go inside with my receipt in hand. Ms. Sharp-As-A-Tack sees me coming and starts putting my order together.

At the counter:
Me: You said it would be 10 minutes and it's been 18.
Them: Here's your order ma'am. Sorry for the wait.

I look into the bag and notice the two extra biscuits that I ordered are not in there.

Me: Where are the extra biscuits?
Them: Oh! Let me give you some extra biscuits.

So...why do I keep going back? They make me crazy in there! I don't see how they stay in business, frankly.

Do you have any places that you go that are like that? The food is just good enough to overcome the rotten service.