I was dying.
At least, I felt like I was dying.
I huffed and puffed up the tiny hill and reminded myself why I was doing this.
So I don’t scare people on the beach in my swimsuit!
A bead of sweat slipped down my back. Ew. So what if I scared people in my swimsuit? If Borat could traipse around in that green thing he put on, who cares about my cellulite and my jiggly thighs?
I had to keep going. I could do this. It was just a mile. I used to run the mile in high school in 7 minutes. Walking was no big deal. Of course, I was fit in high school. And now…well, I know I’m not fat, but I wouldn’t exactly call myself fit.
“Walking sucks,” I breathed out, slurping down some water from my bottle. A man jogging past gave me an odd look. What? Don’t people talk to themselves while exercising? Or perhaps that’s just me.
I didn’t want to be the fat one during our annual family reunion. All my cousins are skinny. It would be lovely if one of them could be overweight, but no. One of my cousins popped out two kids and you wouldn’t even know it. She doesn’t have an ounce of fat on her. It’s just not fair. Why didn’t I get those genes?
Then again, she probably doesn’t love fast food like I do. I’ve only ever seen her eat fruits and vegetables and tiny portions during meals. And then there I am inhaling the chocolate that I insisted be included and going back for seconds.
I wear tankinis on the beach. No bikinis, because yikes. My stomach is covered in stretch marks and looks like a deflated ball. I’d worry people might think I was diseased if I exposed it. Then I’d be like, “No, not diseased, my minions just stretched me out as much as my skin could go.” Especially Natalie, which isn’t surprising considering her temperament.
“Keep walking,” I mumbled. “Just keep walking.” My face was burning. I was sure it was bright red. It didn’t help that it was nearly 100 degrees.
I kept moving and when I made it back to my house, I sprawled out on the living room floor. The blast of air conditioning felt superb. I didn’t want to move but I had to get up and finish packing for the Texas trip. I’ll be there until the 14th so I had to ensure I had proper clothing.
Only…I had to get myself off the floor.
“Walking bad,” I said into the carpet. I need to hire a personal trainer who will scream at me to get off my ass. I’d probably cry, but at least I’d be working out.
Is Jillian Michaels for rent?
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Mace the Dog and Amazing Grace
Frank's sermon on Sunday was about Amazing Grace and it was wonderful as usual. He started his sermon with a little story that has been with me all week and I just thought today would be a great way to end the month of June. The story is about an old handyman who had a Heinz 57 dog named Mace. Mace was a great dog except he had one really weird habit: he liked to eat grass - not just a little bit, but in great quantities that would make a lawnmower blush. And nothing, it seemed, could cure him of it. The old handyman tried everything, but nothing worked. Mace continued to eat grass. One morning the handyman got up and went to do a job. However, when he got there he discovered that the tool he would need most on this job was not in his tool pouch. He was quite distraught because without the tool he would not get paid and would not be able to pay his few meager bills.....or eat. Sadly the old handman headed back home to his house. As he neared his house he could see that his dog Mace had been eating grass again and had cleared a very large portion of it from the front yard and there it was....his wrench...laying in plain sight, glinting in the sun. Going out to get his wrench, he called the dog over to him and said, "A grazing Mace, how sweet the hound, that saved a wrench for me." Sorry....I could not help it. I laughed when I heard it in church and have laughed each time I have thought about it this week. Of course this is really NOT how the song came to be....but did you know that the song Amazing Grace is a common tune and can be sung to other songs? Go ahead, sing it to the Eagles, "Peaceful Easy Feeling", or the theme song from "Gilligan's Island", or "Greensleeves" (What Child is This). It works. BTW...you can also sing "Jesus Loves Me" to the tune of the "Flintstones." The REAL song Amazing Grace has a great story behind it. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound...” So begins one of the most beloved hymns of all times, a staple in the hymnals of many denominations, New Britain or “45 on the top” in Sacred Harp. The author of the words was John Newton, the self-proclaimed wretch who once was lost but then was found, saved by amazing grace. Newton was born in London July 24, 1725, the son of a commander of a merchant ship which sailed the Mediterranean. When John was eleven, he went to sea with his father and made six voyages with him before the elder Newton retired. In 1744 John was impressed into service on a man-of-war, the H. M. S. Harwich. Finding conditions on board intolerable, he deserted but was soon recaptured and publicly flogged and demoted from midshipman to common seaman. Finally at his own request he was exchanged into service on a slave ship, which took him to the coast of Sierra Leone. He then became the servant of a slave trader and was brutally abused. Early in 1748 he was rescued by a sea captain who had known John's father. John Newton ultimately became captain of his own ship, one which plied the slave trade. Although he had had some early religious instruction from his mother, who had died when he was a child, he had long since given up any religious convictions. However, on a homeward voyage, while he was attempting to steer the ship through a violent storm, he experienced what he was to refer to later as his “great deliverance.” He recorded in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he exclaimed, “Lord, have mercy upon us.” Later in his cabin he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him.
For the rest of his life he observed the anniversary of May 10, 1748 as the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected his will to a higher power. “Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’tis grace has bro’t me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” He continued in the slave trade for a time after his conversion; however, he saw to it that the slaves under his care were treated humanely. Among Newton’s contributions which are still loved and sung today are “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” and ”Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” as well as “Amazing Grace.” Composed probably between 1760 and 1770 in Olney, ”Amazing Grace” was possibly one of the hymns written for a weekly service. Through the years other writers have composed additional verses to the hymn which came to be known as “Amazing Grace” (it was not thus entitled in Olney Hymns), and possibly verses from other Newton hymns have been added. However, these are the six stanzas that appeared, with minor spelling variations, in both the first edition in 1779 and the 1808 edition, the one nearest the date of Newton’s death. It appeared under the heading Faith’s Review and Expectation, along with a reference to First Chronicles, chapter 17, verses 16 and 17.
For the rest of his life he observed the anniversary of May 10, 1748 as the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected his will to a higher power. “Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’tis grace has bro’t me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” He continued in the slave trade for a time after his conversion; however, he saw to it that the slaves under his care were treated humanely. Among Newton’s contributions which are still loved and sung today are “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” and ”Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” as well as “Amazing Grace.” Composed probably between 1760 and 1770 in Olney, ”Amazing Grace” was possibly one of the hymns written for a weekly service. Through the years other writers have composed additional verses to the hymn which came to be known as “Amazing Grace” (it was not thus entitled in Olney Hymns), and possibly verses from other Newton hymns have been added. However, these are the six stanzas that appeared, with minor spelling variations, in both the first edition in 1779 and the 1808 edition, the one nearest the date of Newton’s death. It appeared under the heading Faith’s Review and Expectation, along with a reference to First Chronicles, chapter 17, verses 16 and 17.
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.
The origin of the melody is unknown. Most hymnals attribute it to an early American folk melody. The Bill Moyers special on “Amazing Grace” speculated that it may have originated as the tune of a song the slaves sang. Whatever it is....Amazing Grace is one of my favorite hymns...with or without the words. How about you? Have a wonderful Thursday!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Guest Post: 5 Things We're Doing When We're Not Writing
I love reading Chick Lit.
Half my books are probably that genre.
So I was excited with Lisa from BookSparksPR contacted me about a book she and her friend Liz wrote.
You might have heard about Lisa and Liz. They run a site called Chick Lit Is Not Dead and I love it, because it’s so true. If you want to read about the latest chick lit book, check out the site. They also do giveaways on books, which excites me because free books=an ecstatic Amber.
Liz and Lisa wrote a book called The D Word. It sounds hilarious. (Curious on what it's about? Check out Amazon.com)
Clearly they do a lot of writing so they wrote a guest post on things they do when they AREN'T writing. So without further ado....here are 5 Things Liz and Lisa do when they aren't writing:
5 Things We’re Doing When We’re Not Writing
We spend a lot of time writing. The posts for our website, CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD. Our two books: I’LL HAVE WHO SHE’S HAVING & THE D WORD. And emails. We write a lot of emails. And we love to write- everything from a story to a clever Facebook status (although Lisa’s been pretty rusty in that department lately). But that’s not all we do. Or all we’d want to do. Or all our husbands would let us do. So here’s what we’re doing when we’re not writing (in no particular order).
1.Exercising (Lisa) or Avoiding Exercising (Liz)
In an attempt to keep her sanity (and lose her spare tire) since having the baby, Lisa squeezes in workouts whenever she can- even at **gulp* 5 a.m. She looks like a hot mess when she staggers into the gym bleary-eyed but she tells herself it’ll be worth it when she can move from tankini to bikini. Liz, on the other hand, is quite adept at avoiding workouts. In fact, if it was an Olympic sport, she might even medal in it. Her hatred for working out started back in college when she fell flat on her face while trying to keep up in a step aerobics class and then reared its ugly head again recently when she tried, and failed miserably at, P90X. That's when she decided that it was much cheaper and easier just to give up cheese.
2.Watching Reality TV
Without shows like The Bachelorette and Big Brother, we’re not sure what we’d do to feel numb to the stresses of life. Thankfully there’s enough horrible TV out there to give our brains the vacation they need from real life so we don't have to turn to booze. Although, don’t get us wrong, we definitely enjoy our cocktails!
3.Planning Our Next Trip To Vegas
Okay so maybe we were just in Sin City for Liz’s vow renewal (woo hoo ten years!) and maybe we even have a rule that we only go to Vegas ONE TIME a year (hell, rules are made to be broken right?) but we might just be planning another trip to Vegas for September… and then another one in November. We like to use the excuse that we want to see each other since Lisa moved to Chicago two years ago. But really, we love to get dressed up, play some blackjack and maybe have a little escape from the kids. Speaking of…
4.Being Slaves to Our Babes
Lisa’s baby is almost six months old and Liz’s kids are six and four. So it’s safe to say they keep us pretty damn busy! From Girl Scouts (why oh why did Liz volunteer to be a troop leader again?) to Mommy and Me swim class (Um, why did Lisa sign up for a 9:00 a.m. session?) we’ve got our hands full. And if that's not enough-we decided to take the entire brood to Hawaii later this summer. It will be so much fun once we can get through the plane ride, right??!!
5. Stressing That We’re Not Writing
Sure, THE D WORD was just released. And yes, we should probably be kicking back and relaxing and basking in the glow of completing another book. But that’s not our style. We’re already in the planning stages for our next book that we both believe we should’ve started writing yesterday. So if you come looking for us in the next few months, you’ll probably find us holed up in a hotel room somewhere between Los Angeles and Chicago banging out another manuscript!
------------
And great news. Liz and Lisa have offered a free e-copy of their book to a lucky winner.
To enter, just leave a comment on what your favorite book is.
For bonus entries:
Like chicklitisnotdead on Facebook
Follow Liz and Lisa on Twitter
Leave a separate comment with each entry.
Good luck! I will announce the winner when I return from Texas on July 14th.
Half my books are probably that genre.
So I was excited with Lisa from BookSparksPR contacted me about a book she and her friend Liz wrote.
You might have heard about Lisa and Liz. They run a site called Chick Lit Is Not Dead and I love it, because it’s so true. If you want to read about the latest chick lit book, check out the site. They also do giveaways on books, which excites me because free books=an ecstatic Amber.
Liz and Lisa wrote a book called The D Word. It sounds hilarious. (Curious on what it's about? Check out Amazon.com)
Clearly they do a lot of writing so they wrote a guest post on things they do when they AREN'T writing. So without further ado....here are 5 Things Liz and Lisa do when they aren't writing:
5 Things We’re Doing When We’re Not Writing
We spend a lot of time writing. The posts for our website, CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD. Our two books: I’LL HAVE WHO SHE’S HAVING & THE D WORD. And emails. We write a lot of emails. And we love to write- everything from a story to a clever Facebook status (although Lisa’s been pretty rusty in that department lately). But that’s not all we do. Or all we’d want to do. Or all our husbands would let us do. So here’s what we’re doing when we’re not writing (in no particular order).
1.Exercising (Lisa) or Avoiding Exercising (Liz)
In an attempt to keep her sanity (and lose her spare tire) since having the baby, Lisa squeezes in workouts whenever she can- even at **gulp* 5 a.m. She looks like a hot mess when she staggers into the gym bleary-eyed but she tells herself it’ll be worth it when she can move from tankini to bikini. Liz, on the other hand, is quite adept at avoiding workouts. In fact, if it was an Olympic sport, she might even medal in it. Her hatred for working out started back in college when she fell flat on her face while trying to keep up in a step aerobics class and then reared its ugly head again recently when she tried, and failed miserably at, P90X. That's when she decided that it was much cheaper and easier just to give up cheese.
2.Watching Reality TV
Without shows like The Bachelorette and Big Brother, we’re not sure what we’d do to feel numb to the stresses of life. Thankfully there’s enough horrible TV out there to give our brains the vacation they need from real life so we don't have to turn to booze. Although, don’t get us wrong, we definitely enjoy our cocktails!
3.Planning Our Next Trip To Vegas
Okay so maybe we were just in Sin City for Liz’s vow renewal (woo hoo ten years!) and maybe we even have a rule that we only go to Vegas ONE TIME a year (hell, rules are made to be broken right?) but we might just be planning another trip to Vegas for September… and then another one in November. We like to use the excuse that we want to see each other since Lisa moved to Chicago two years ago. But really, we love to get dressed up, play some blackjack and maybe have a little escape from the kids. Speaking of…
4.Being Slaves to Our Babes
Lisa’s baby is almost six months old and Liz’s kids are six and four. So it’s safe to say they keep us pretty damn busy! From Girl Scouts (why oh why did Liz volunteer to be a troop leader again?) to Mommy and Me swim class (Um, why did Lisa sign up for a 9:00 a.m. session?) we’ve got our hands full. And if that's not enough-we decided to take the entire brood to Hawaii later this summer. It will be so much fun once we can get through the plane ride, right??!!
5. Stressing That We’re Not Writing
Sure, THE D WORD was just released. And yes, we should probably be kicking back and relaxing and basking in the glow of completing another book. But that’s not our style. We’re already in the planning stages for our next book that we both believe we should’ve started writing yesterday. So if you come looking for us in the next few months, you’ll probably find us holed up in a hotel room somewhere between Los Angeles and Chicago banging out another manuscript!
------------
And great news. Liz and Lisa have offered a free e-copy of their book to a lucky winner.
To enter, just leave a comment on what your favorite book is.
For bonus entries:
Like chicklitisnotdead on Facebook
Follow Liz and Lisa on Twitter
Leave a separate comment with each entry.
Good luck! I will announce the winner when I return from Texas on July 14th.
It's Very Quiet
It’s quiet.
Almost too quiet.
Even the cat is spooked.
My kids are with my parents in Texas. Mom took them back with her so I could finish unpacking in peace. It’s much easier to unpack without kids wanting to “help.” I know all the parenting magazines suggest giving your child a job so they are included, but no. When I’m trying to get something done, I need my space.
Anyway, before they left, the kids would try to “help.” They’d pull the paper out of the box and throw it around. Then one would try to climb in the box, smashing the contents inside. I’d have to bite my tongue to keep myself from telling them to piss off. I’d try to put things away and they’d want to touch whatever I brought out and act as though they hadn’t seen that particular piece in years. I pulled out a lamp and both kids leaped on it as though it were candy.
So I appreciated the fact that Mom offered to take them back with her. I’ll be flying to Texas tomorrow and then we’ll have our annual mini family reunion on the beach.
But as I said, the quiet is strange. It’s odd to be able to sit on the couch and read a chapter without sticky hands coming at you.
It is nice to get errands done and not have a little person whining that they are booorreed and could we please go home?
The good news is, I’m basically done unpacking. The only thing that is left is the garage and I’ll leave that to Tom. He can organize it how he likes.
I do miss the kids though. Sometimes I’ll peer into their rooms and feel a pang in my heart. It was nice to get a break though.
Oh, and I’m flying to Texas so I get to endure an airplane. Since I’m flying without kids, I’ll try to read to distract myself that we might go crashing to the ground at any second. Or I’ll play Lost. But sometimes when I’m playing Lost my eyes will rest on a passenger and I’ll think, “He (or she) looks just like the type of person who would blow up a plane…” Yes, I think awful things like that. I can’t help myself.
For now, I’m going to go clean the bathrooms.
Without “help.”
And then I’m going to read.
Without my book being taken from me and hidden.
Almost too quiet.
Even the cat is spooked.
My kids are with my parents in Texas. Mom took them back with her so I could finish unpacking in peace. It’s much easier to unpack without kids wanting to “help.” I know all the parenting magazines suggest giving your child a job so they are included, but no. When I’m trying to get something done, I need my space.
Anyway, before they left, the kids would try to “help.” They’d pull the paper out of the box and throw it around. Then one would try to climb in the box, smashing the contents inside. I’d have to bite my tongue to keep myself from telling them to piss off. I’d try to put things away and they’d want to touch whatever I brought out and act as though they hadn’t seen that particular piece in years. I pulled out a lamp and both kids leaped on it as though it were candy.
So I appreciated the fact that Mom offered to take them back with her. I’ll be flying to Texas tomorrow and then we’ll have our annual mini family reunion on the beach.
But as I said, the quiet is strange. It’s odd to be able to sit on the couch and read a chapter without sticky hands coming at you.
It is nice to get errands done and not have a little person whining that they are booorreed and could we please go home?
The good news is, I’m basically done unpacking. The only thing that is left is the garage and I’ll leave that to Tom. He can organize it how he likes.
I do miss the kids though. Sometimes I’ll peer into their rooms and feel a pang in my heart. It was nice to get a break though.
Oh, and I’m flying to Texas so I get to endure an airplane. Since I’m flying without kids, I’ll try to read to distract myself that we might go crashing to the ground at any second. Or I’ll play Lost. But sometimes when I’m playing Lost my eyes will rest on a passenger and I’ll think, “He (or she) looks just like the type of person who would blow up a plane…” Yes, I think awful things like that. I can’t help myself.
For now, I’m going to go clean the bathrooms.
Without “help.”
And then I’m going to read.
Without my book being taken from me and hidden.
Wednesday Hodge Podge Vol 33
1. What makes you stand to your feet and cheer? Soldiers either deploying and coming home....and sporting events when the game is exciting and something unexplained happens.
2. What's your favorite patriotic song?
Of the traditional songs I love the Star Spangled Banner and I love America the Beautiful. Of the non traditional songs I would have to choose Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA."
3. Do you believe that opposites attract? If you have a significant other are you opposites?
100% do I believe this. Frank and I are opposites. He is math brained and I am liberal arts brained. He is very sure of himself. I am not always. He completes me and I complete him. I think together we make a whole and that is what marriage is all about.
4. You're going to get a behind the scenes look someplace-where would you like that someplace to be? Donald Trumps Mar-A-Laga in Palm Beach, FL. All my life I have ridden by the place and wondered what it looked like on the inside. I have seen pictures....but I would love to walk in the doors and really look around.
5. How far would you have to travel to ride a carousel (merry-go-round)? 20 miles to ride the Christmas Carousel in Valley, AL. I like carousels but would not go out of my way to ride one.
6. When was the last time you saw fireworks? What was the occasion? Do you enjoy fireworks?
Fourth of July 2009 at the Lake Martin Ampitheater and it stormed terribly to the point that they had to delay them. Nothing like being outside on a hill watching it lightening.(NOT). I enjoy fireworks and have since I was a child....when they are done by professionals. I don't enjoy standing out in the yard popping them. My favorite fireworks show was July 4th, 2002 at Thunder on the Hooch. Still Magnolias were the headlines of the big fourth show and as I finished singing and as the first firework went off....Frank proposed to me. That was a bang up Fourth of July. One I will never forget.
7. Of all the 'beauty products' you own, what item do you consider to be the most overpriced?
I don't have a lot of beauty products because I don't use them....but of some that I do have it would have to be the Bare Minerals. I was given some for Christmas several years ago...and did a crazy thing and went and bought some more. Griefus that stuff is high.
8. We are so fortunate to live in such a great country. I have traveled it extensively (48 of 50) states and I have also been to other countries and I have to admit there is nowhere more beautiful and I love this country. Happy Fourth! Stay safe and have fun!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!
I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your diary. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either.
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To not care that George Clooney is single again. He’s not my type.
To hope I don’t move for many, many years. I do not like the packing and unpacking at all.
To be disturbed by My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. (And to wonder how they afford those lavish wedding dresses.)
To be craving the fried rice from Benehana.
To wish that Blogger would stop messing up. I can’t leave comments on some blogs. It’ll just log me out even though I’m logged in. So then I re-log in but it still logs me out. I swear I’m not ignoring you, it’s Blogger. Plus, I can’t see my Followers. Hmph.
To be proud that I hooked up the printer all on my own. I’m awful at doing stuff like that. I half expected it to blow up on the desk when I plugged it all in.
To hate having to change my address on so many magazines. I probably read too much.
To love the place called Braum’s around here. It’s basically a burger/ice cream joint and it’s amazing.
To think Casey Anthony is guilty and should spend the rest of her life in jail.
To be a fan of the new McDonalds sauces. The buffalo one is really good. Now I want some nuggets.
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To not care that George Clooney is single again. He’s not my type.
To hope I don’t move for many, many years. I do not like the packing and unpacking at all.
To be disturbed by My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. (And to wonder how they afford those lavish wedding dresses.)
To be craving the fried rice from Benehana.
To wish that Blogger would stop messing up. I can’t leave comments on some blogs. It’ll just log me out even though I’m logged in. So then I re-log in but it still logs me out. I swear I’m not ignoring you, it’s Blogger. Plus, I can’t see my Followers. Hmph.
To be proud that I hooked up the printer all on my own. I’m awful at doing stuff like that. I half expected it to blow up on the desk when I plugged it all in.
To hate having to change my address on so many magazines. I probably read too much.
To love the place called Braum’s around here. It’s basically a burger/ice cream joint and it’s amazing.
To think Casey Anthony is guilty and should spend the rest of her life in jail.
To be a fan of the new McDonalds sauces. The buffalo one is really good. Now I want some nuggets.
Friday Night Date on Monday Night
Monday, June 27, 2011
Back to Korea
Tom left.
No, not because of our furniture shopping experience. Not because I wouldn’t let him get the leather headboard or the couches with cup holders in them.
He had to go back to Korea.
He left on the 20th and yes, it sucked.
I had just gotten used to him again. Actually, when he came back, it was as if he never left. The only thing I had to get used to was sharing my bed because I like to spread out. There were times where I’d stick my feet out in habit and Tom would be like, “There’s a person here now!”
I wish he didn’t have to go back. But alas, the Air Force insisted. He comes home in August for good. But then we found out that at this base he’ll deploy a lot. The good news is, he’s untouchable for 6 months so at least I’ll know he’ll be around for Christmas.
And then…well, then he could possibly go to Iraq. They deploy there a lot, unless all the troops are suddenly pulled out. I really don’t see that happening though.
But I won’t think about that now.
We had to wake up at 430 in the morning so we could leave for the airport at 5. Waking up butt early is difficult for me. The alarm went off and my first instinct was to throw it against the wall. Hard. Then my brain computed why I was up so early: Tom. Leaving. Again.
“I’m going to miss you,” I said groggily as I snuggled up to Tom.
He tilted his head town for a kiss. Ew, morning breath. Maybe I’m overly sensitive to smells because Tom never minds morning breath. He’s forever trying to get me to make out with him in the morning and I’m like, “Tom, really, I’m trying not to gag here.”
Still, since he was leaving, I allowed him to kiss me and just held my breath.
Then we got ready and got the kids out of bed. Natalie was like, “But it’s still night time.” I reminded her that Tom was leaving and mumbled, “Oh man.”
When we lived in Wyoming, we had to drive an hour and a half to the Denver airport. In Oklahoma, the airport is only a half hour away. Twenty minutes, if Tom is driving. It seemed like we were at the airport too soon and then suddenly we were at the curb and had to say goodbye to Tom. (We didn’t park since he was going to just check in and wait at the gate. He doesn’t like to wait around airports.)
“Goodbye, my Daddy,” Natalie said, waving.
Tommy was more formal. “Bye, Dad.”
I was like, “Don’t leave me! Please!” and gripped onto his leg.
I’m kidding.
I told him I’d miss him and that I loved him and to have a safe flight.
“If you get bored on your flight back to Korea, play Lost,” I suggested.
Tom wrinkled his nose. “No, thanks.”
“I’ll see you in August then,” I sighed. A gust of wind blew and a strand of hair went into my mouth. It’s really windy in Oklahoma just as it was in Wyoming. Apparently we can’t escape from the wind.
We hugged and kissed and I started to walk away but then he pulled me back to his chest. I breathed in his familiar scent: Old Spice mixed with a woodsy smell and blinked the tears back.
“Bye,” I said, pulling away.
“Bye,” Tom replied, hoisting his backpack up.
And then he was gone. Again.
Luckily my Mom had come out the day before to help with the moving in. Otherwise I’d have lost my mind. She also drove us back to the house. Another good thing, as I don’t like driving around unfamiliar roads. Especially in the dark.
The first half of our stuff arrived the 17th so Mom and I could finish unpacking that.
The other half of our stuff....well, who knew when that would arrive. We kept getting the run around from the moving company.
We pulled away from the airport and the last glimpse of Tom I got was him checking into the Frontier counter.
“I’ll see him in August,” I reminded myself, to stop the pain in my heart.
And luckily I’d be distracted from the annoying task of unpacking....
No, not because of our furniture shopping experience. Not because I wouldn’t let him get the leather headboard or the couches with cup holders in them.
He had to go back to Korea.
He left on the 20th and yes, it sucked.
I had just gotten used to him again. Actually, when he came back, it was as if he never left. The only thing I had to get used to was sharing my bed because I like to spread out. There were times where I’d stick my feet out in habit and Tom would be like, “There’s a person here now!”
I wish he didn’t have to go back. But alas, the Air Force insisted. He comes home in August for good. But then we found out that at this base he’ll deploy a lot. The good news is, he’s untouchable for 6 months so at least I’ll know he’ll be around for Christmas.
And then…well, then he could possibly go to Iraq. They deploy there a lot, unless all the troops are suddenly pulled out. I really don’t see that happening though.
But I won’t think about that now.
We had to wake up at 430 in the morning so we could leave for the airport at 5. Waking up butt early is difficult for me. The alarm went off and my first instinct was to throw it against the wall. Hard. Then my brain computed why I was up so early: Tom. Leaving. Again.
“I’m going to miss you,” I said groggily as I snuggled up to Tom.
He tilted his head town for a kiss. Ew, morning breath. Maybe I’m overly sensitive to smells because Tom never minds morning breath. He’s forever trying to get me to make out with him in the morning and I’m like, “Tom, really, I’m trying not to gag here.”
Still, since he was leaving, I allowed him to kiss me and just held my breath.
Then we got ready and got the kids out of bed. Natalie was like, “But it’s still night time.” I reminded her that Tom was leaving and mumbled, “Oh man.”
When we lived in Wyoming, we had to drive an hour and a half to the Denver airport. In Oklahoma, the airport is only a half hour away. Twenty minutes, if Tom is driving. It seemed like we were at the airport too soon and then suddenly we were at the curb and had to say goodbye to Tom. (We didn’t park since he was going to just check in and wait at the gate. He doesn’t like to wait around airports.)
“Goodbye, my Daddy,” Natalie said, waving.
Tommy was more formal. “Bye, Dad.”
I was like, “Don’t leave me! Please!” and gripped onto his leg.
I’m kidding.
I told him I’d miss him and that I loved him and to have a safe flight.
“If you get bored on your flight back to Korea, play Lost,” I suggested.
Tom wrinkled his nose. “No, thanks.”
“I’ll see you in August then,” I sighed. A gust of wind blew and a strand of hair went into my mouth. It’s really windy in Oklahoma just as it was in Wyoming. Apparently we can’t escape from the wind.
We hugged and kissed and I started to walk away but then he pulled me back to his chest. I breathed in his familiar scent: Old Spice mixed with a woodsy smell and blinked the tears back.
“Bye,” I said, pulling away.
“Bye,” Tom replied, hoisting his backpack up.
And then he was gone. Again.
Luckily my Mom had come out the day before to help with the moving in. Otherwise I’d have lost my mind. She also drove us back to the house. Another good thing, as I don’t like driving around unfamiliar roads. Especially in the dark.
The first half of our stuff arrived the 17th so Mom and I could finish unpacking that.
The other half of our stuff....well, who knew when that would arrive. We kept getting the run around from the moving company.
We pulled away from the airport and the last glimpse of Tom I got was him checking into the Frontier counter.
“I’ll see him in August,” I reminded myself, to stop the pain in my heart.
And luckily I’d be distracted from the annoying task of unpacking....
Bucket List Dreaming
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Project 365 - Week 26
Sunday, June 19th
I almost forgot a picture today. Today is Father's Day and we had a phone call this morning alerting us to the fact the our pianist was enroute to the hospital. I played all the hymns with the guitar. When we got home we died. The toll of the wedding we worked and family reunion from Saturday did both of us in and we slept all afternoon. Honestly....I was comotose. I went outside and say one of my daylillies blooming and captured it.
Monday, June 20th
Today we went to Alex City and took care of some legal business and got my hair cut at my friend, Jo's. She has her house all decorated for the fourth and I loved this wreath on her front door. She is so creative.
Tuesday, June 21st
Wednesday, June 22nd
We went over to Beth and Ron's to have prayer with her. She is ill and needs to feel better. They have an amazing yard and garden. Beth's sunflowers are blooming, and we actually took that cabbage home and made coleslaw and cooked cabbage out of it. I had forgotten how much taste cabbage out of the garden had. We also were given some squash and my vegetable night was devine. I took Beth (and Ron) a fruit cocktail poor mans pie. Ron loves fruit cocktail so I thought I would give him some with a twist. My mom used to make them because fruit cocktail was so cheap to buy. Anyways....back to the garden, the baby squash are so cute and so is the little cucumber. I love cucumbers. WE NEED RAIN!
Thursday, June 23rd
Today was my daughters 31st birthday. We went to Alex City to check on friend Mary who had had surgery on Tuesday. Her birthday was last week when I was in Mobile and I had not given her her gift yet. Her hubby, Bill gave her that really cool wasp catcher in my first picture. Mary loves Fantasia and Mickey Mouse, she collects M.A. Hadley dishes and I bought her the blue salt and pepper shakers to go with her fleur de lis plate. We took her to have lunch with her husband at Wendy's, messed around town a bit, and came home. It was a good day!
Friday, June 24th
This was supposed to be my Sunday sign and I was going to say "nuff said." I loved the little puppy lying in the shade of the sign trying to beat the heat. Who knows...maybe he was a father....maybe she was a mother. I just loved the shadow.
Saturday, June 25th
Today was CRAZY! We had our cookout and spent the day getting ready for it. Greg, Wayne, Taylor arrived early with the 20 x 40 tent. We wanted to make sure people were shaded and cool. After they left we finished steadying the tent and put up our own 10 x 10 tent. I went inside and finished clearning the house and began preparing my part of the food. We provided the meat, buns, and condiments....and asked our guest to bring a side. We have some really good cooks in our church. From salads, to desserts and mac and cheese if you left my place hungry yesterday, shame on you. People began coming around 3:30 and by 4:15 Still Magnolias were singing our hearts out. We stopped for a bit at 5 and ate and by 6 we were singing again. I have to admit....singing again was AWESOME. We have not had a whole lot of music in our lives in the past year.....and we need to fix that. We finally wrapped it up around 8 when Mrs. Jean (in the read and white) came up and sang a couple of numbers with us. It was so much fun and she enjoyed it. It was such a fun day....but to be honest....I was dog tired when it was over and too tired to post this last night. Have a wonderful Sunday! I know I will.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Still Magnoias In Concert.....Again!
I am so very excited. Today we are having a huge cookout in our back yard. I have been planning this event for several weeks now. I love to hostess things. It thrills me to plan and implement a party. We have the hamburgers and hot dogs bought, along with the buns and condiments. There are white ultralite tables standing like soldiers, complete with folding chairs in our back yard. In just a few minutes our neighbor Wayne will be over with a 20 X 40 canopy for Still Magnolias and the people to sit under. There is a 10 x 10 canopy for the grills to go under. The grass is all cut (thanks Frank), the grill and mower will be moved to the side of the yard. Amanda will be here (her flight made it out of Cinncinnati last night after several attempts). Rebecca wil be here....and Still Magnolias will have 4 glorious hours in which to sing for our friends. Patti (Patti's Got Her Wheels On) will be here and so will Kimble. But the most important thing to me is that Still Magnolias will be together. We have not sung together....just us....since 2009 when we opened for George Jones at the Civic Center. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Frank has done miracles with the flower beds....the yard looks great and as soon as I get off this computer I will become the tazmanian devil - vaccuming and mopping. The rest is done. Then it will be cutting up tomatoes and onions time....and before long it will be THE TIME! There is a 30% chance of rain today...and you know...even that can't dampen my spirits right now. I will be sure to make plenty of pictures....and maybe even a video. I will be sure and post my pictures on my Project 365 post tomorrow. Have a wonderful Saturday! I know I will.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Chocolate Colored Couch
“I really like this one,” Tom said, gesturing to the headboard. With glass in it. Meaning, it was like a mirror. In the headboard.
I burst out laughing.
Both the salesman and Tom stared at me as though I suddenly belted out Bette Midler tunes.
“You’re kidding, right?” I said, because neither man smiled.
“I wasn’t kidding,” Tom said slowly. “I like this.”
Uh.
Okay.
This is why going furniture shopping with someone else can be difficult. It’s especially difficult if that someone else has a penis. I wish Tom were like some of those husbands who hand over the credit card and say something like, “I know you’ll pick out something great.”
But no. Tom wanted to come and pick out our new bedroom furniture and couches. Which I totally understand but a headboard? With glass?
“Or there’s this one,” Tom said, walking ahead of me. He patted a leather headboard lovingly. He frowned in my direction. “What?”
“What?”
“You look disgusted.”
Oops. I thought I had masked my disgust. It’s just, since Tom had been in Korea for nine months I really didn’t want to argue. We were still in the honeymoon phase of our reunion. I didn’t want an ugly headboard to ruin that.
“It’s….it’s….lovely,” I forced myself to say. “It’s just not for me.”
Where were the nice headboards made of wood the color of honey? I glanced around the room. Ahh, there they were.
My eyes drifted over to a beautiful one and I thought, “Yes, that’s it. I could totally picture that for my bed and…holy shit, 2000 dollars? For a headboard?” For the millionth time in my life I wished I were rich.
Tom followed my gaze. “Do you like it?” he asked, walking over. “I could deal with this.” He didn’t even check the price. The thing with Tom is, he’d buy me whatever I wanted. He’s just that guy. The problem is, I’m too practical. Oh, and I like to eat and we definitely wouldn’t be able to eat for like two weeks had we purchased the bed. Or paid for our cable and I’m sorry, I need to know what is going on with those crazy housewives in New Jersey.
“It’s too expensive,” I explained. “But that one isn’t bad.” I nodded my chin to a darker set with a happier price tag.
It was Tom’s turn to look disgusted.
“What? What’s wrong with it?” I wanted to know. It was a lovely dark shade with matching dressers and everything.
“It’s not my taste,” Tom admitted.
How could the lovely dark shade of wood NOT BE HIS TASTE?
“Are we almost done?” Tommy sighed beside us. He and Natalie had been trailing at our heels for an hour. At first Natalie thought it was a fun game to climb up on all the beds. But after the fifth one she was like, “Um, okay? Are we done yet?”
“We’re almost done,” I lied.
“You know,” the salesman spoke up and I jumped. I nearly forgot he was there. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see him though, he hadn’t left our side the second we walked through the door. He smelled a commission and was going to get it, damn it. Which meant he was suddenly our new best friend. “I have a discounted set near the front. A fabulous price.”
Tom and I shrugged. “Okay.” What did we have to lose? Clearly we weren’t getting anywhere.
So we followed the guy to the set and…
…really, it wasn’t bad. It was a cherry wood and the price was right.
So we took it.
Then we had to find a couch and that took forever.
Tom wanted to get a couch with drink holders in the middle of it. I didn’t like the look. Naturally, Tom loved it.
“Can you picture us sitting here with drinks?” Tom asked, plopping down. It was a recliner couch so he pulled the switch down so he could prop his feet up.
“I can picture one of the kids knocking the drink out of the holder and staining it, yes,” I replied.
Tom rolled his eyes. “They wouldn’t. It’s why it’s called a drink HOLDER.”
Clearly, he doesn’t fully comprehend the power of children.
“I don’t really want cup holders in the couch,” I admitted.
“But look. It also has a storage bin. You can put your books here.” Tom flipped it open.
“Ew. No. Not on a couch.” I couldn’t max my distaste any longer. If I didn’t speak up then we’d be going home with a couch that came with drink holders and storage.
“But…” Tom began to pet the arm of the couch.
“How about we keep looking?” I suggested.
“Geez!” Tommy yelled. “You said you were almost done!”
I wished he were an infant so I could stick a pacifier in his mouth to silence him. Not that pacifiers ever worked for my kids. They’d just spit them out and wail even louder.
We looked at many couches. They started to blur together. None stood out to me.
“We might have to look into leather,” Tom suggested after we circled the store for the third time. And yes, Jeeves was behind us. Jeeves is what I dubbed the salesman.
“We have many leather couches,” Jeeves spoke up. He probably wanted to smother us with a couch pillow since we were taking so long.
“I don’t like leather couches. You can never get comfortable on one and when it’s hot, it makes farting noises,” I said bluntly.
Jeeves winced as though he had never heard the word fart before.
“We’ll find something,” I assured Tom.
And we did. We eventually stumbled on a chocolate colored couch that was fluffy and comfortable to sit on.
“Oh, this is a fitting. A chocolate colored couch for a chocoholic,” Tom said, settling down on it. He wiggled his butt on the cushion. “I could deal with this. I mean, I like my drink cup holders but since you’re being mean to me, I’ll take this one.”
“Let me make sure it’s in stock,” Jeeves said hopefully. He was probably thinking, “They’re almost gone…just suck it up for a few more minutes, Jeeves, and they’ll be out of here.”
They did have it in stock.
We paid a substantial sum—I felt like we should own Jeeves for a day for what we paid—and then we had to go on our way and leave our lovely chocolate colored couch behind because we had to wait for them to deliver it.
I’ll get pictures posted. The other half of our household goods are finally coming today so when everything is set up, I’ll take photos.
I do love my chocolate colored couch.
And my wooden headboards—non-leather, thank God.
I burst out laughing.
Both the salesman and Tom stared at me as though I suddenly belted out Bette Midler tunes.
“You’re kidding, right?” I said, because neither man smiled.
“I wasn’t kidding,” Tom said slowly. “I like this.”
Uh.
Okay.
This is why going furniture shopping with someone else can be difficult. It’s especially difficult if that someone else has a penis. I wish Tom were like some of those husbands who hand over the credit card and say something like, “I know you’ll pick out something great.”
But no. Tom wanted to come and pick out our new bedroom furniture and couches. Which I totally understand but a headboard? With glass?
“Or there’s this one,” Tom said, walking ahead of me. He patted a leather headboard lovingly. He frowned in my direction. “What?”
“What?”
“You look disgusted.”
Oops. I thought I had masked my disgust. It’s just, since Tom had been in Korea for nine months I really didn’t want to argue. We were still in the honeymoon phase of our reunion. I didn’t want an ugly headboard to ruin that.
“It’s….it’s….lovely,” I forced myself to say. “It’s just not for me.”
Where were the nice headboards made of wood the color of honey? I glanced around the room. Ahh, there they were.
My eyes drifted over to a beautiful one and I thought, “Yes, that’s it. I could totally picture that for my bed and…holy shit, 2000 dollars? For a headboard?” For the millionth time in my life I wished I were rich.
Tom followed my gaze. “Do you like it?” he asked, walking over. “I could deal with this.” He didn’t even check the price. The thing with Tom is, he’d buy me whatever I wanted. He’s just that guy. The problem is, I’m too practical. Oh, and I like to eat and we definitely wouldn’t be able to eat for like two weeks had we purchased the bed. Or paid for our cable and I’m sorry, I need to know what is going on with those crazy housewives in New Jersey.
“It’s too expensive,” I explained. “But that one isn’t bad.” I nodded my chin to a darker set with a happier price tag.
It was Tom’s turn to look disgusted.
“What? What’s wrong with it?” I wanted to know. It was a lovely dark shade with matching dressers and everything.
“It’s not my taste,” Tom admitted.
How could the lovely dark shade of wood NOT BE HIS TASTE?
“Are we almost done?” Tommy sighed beside us. He and Natalie had been trailing at our heels for an hour. At first Natalie thought it was a fun game to climb up on all the beds. But after the fifth one she was like, “Um, okay? Are we done yet?”
“We’re almost done,” I lied.
“You know,” the salesman spoke up and I jumped. I nearly forgot he was there. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see him though, he hadn’t left our side the second we walked through the door. He smelled a commission and was going to get it, damn it. Which meant he was suddenly our new best friend. “I have a discounted set near the front. A fabulous price.”
Tom and I shrugged. “Okay.” What did we have to lose? Clearly we weren’t getting anywhere.
So we followed the guy to the set and…
…really, it wasn’t bad. It was a cherry wood and the price was right.
So we took it.
Then we had to find a couch and that took forever.
Tom wanted to get a couch with drink holders in the middle of it. I didn’t like the look. Naturally, Tom loved it.
“Can you picture us sitting here with drinks?” Tom asked, plopping down. It was a recliner couch so he pulled the switch down so he could prop his feet up.
“I can picture one of the kids knocking the drink out of the holder and staining it, yes,” I replied.
Tom rolled his eyes. “They wouldn’t. It’s why it’s called a drink HOLDER.”
Clearly, he doesn’t fully comprehend the power of children.
“I don’t really want cup holders in the couch,” I admitted.
“But look. It also has a storage bin. You can put your books here.” Tom flipped it open.
“Ew. No. Not on a couch.” I couldn’t max my distaste any longer. If I didn’t speak up then we’d be going home with a couch that came with drink holders and storage.
“But…” Tom began to pet the arm of the couch.
“How about we keep looking?” I suggested.
“Geez!” Tommy yelled. “You said you were almost done!”
I wished he were an infant so I could stick a pacifier in his mouth to silence him. Not that pacifiers ever worked for my kids. They’d just spit them out and wail even louder.
We looked at many couches. They started to blur together. None stood out to me.
“We might have to look into leather,” Tom suggested after we circled the store for the third time. And yes, Jeeves was behind us. Jeeves is what I dubbed the salesman.
“We have many leather couches,” Jeeves spoke up. He probably wanted to smother us with a couch pillow since we were taking so long.
“I don’t like leather couches. You can never get comfortable on one and when it’s hot, it makes farting noises,” I said bluntly.
Jeeves winced as though he had never heard the word fart before.
“We’ll find something,” I assured Tom.
And we did. We eventually stumbled on a chocolate colored couch that was fluffy and comfortable to sit on.
“Oh, this is a fitting. A chocolate colored couch for a chocoholic,” Tom said, settling down on it. He wiggled his butt on the cushion. “I could deal with this. I mean, I like my drink cup holders but since you’re being mean to me, I’ll take this one.”
“Let me make sure it’s in stock,” Jeeves said hopefully. He was probably thinking, “They’re almost gone…just suck it up for a few more minutes, Jeeves, and they’ll be out of here.”
They did have it in stock.
We paid a substantial sum—I felt like we should own Jeeves for a day for what we paid—and then we had to go on our way and leave our lovely chocolate colored couch behind because we had to wait for them to deliver it.
I’ll get pictures posted. The other half of our household goods are finally coming today so when everything is set up, I’ll take photos.
I do love my chocolate colored couch.
And my wooden headboards—non-leather, thank God.
Jesus Take the Wheel
I have always liked the Carrie Underwood song, "Jesus Take the Wheel." The first time I heard it...I had to pull off the road so I could cry. It was not until Yesterday that I fully understood the lyrics of the song. Matthew 28:20 kept running through my mind, "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Yessiree he is! Yesterday was another ordinary day. About 10:00 Frank and I went to Alex City to see Mary (she had surgery earlier in the week). We got there, I gave her the very late birthday present I had for her (I was in Mobile on her birthday), we met her husband Bill at Wendy's for lunch, went to Home Depot and I bought 6 more plants for my front garden. Mary felt she needed to walk some more so we went to Longleaf and browsed through the antiques and wannabe antiques. AFter taking Mary home we headed home ourselves and as luck would have it found ourselves behind an eighteen wheeler around Hillabee Creek. From Hillabee Creek to New Site there is no where much to pass.....and when we got to those couple of little spots there would always be cars coming.....so we stayed put...knowing that in Newsite it four lanes and we would take him then. Right before the road splits there is a sign that states, "slower traffic keep right." Frank and I both expected the truck to move to the right lane. When, after four houses he did not, Frank moved into the right lane to go around him. We were between the cab of the truck and the body when we realized he was pulling into OUR lane. Frank was amazing, he hit the horn, and then hit the yards of the houses to our right. We hit a culvert, almost a tree, several hard dips, the truck moved back to his lane, and we ended up stopping at the old school house to check on the car. It was amazing that in such a populated area....we did not encounter the first mailbox. It was so natural just to go immediately into prayer mode while this was happening. I KNOW there are mailboxes along that road....where did they go? I could not believe it when we got out and there was nothing broken or missing. I thought the whole front fender from my car was going to be laying in a ditch somewhere. I figured the right tire would be bent and the frame of the side of the car would be dented. The culvert we hit jarred my teeth hard and of course when I saw it coming I tensed my back. Assured that we were good we returned to the car and resumed the trip. At the local Foodland.....there he was....he stopped to get him a little something to eat. I was still shaking like a leaf and felt like throwing up. The human in me....wanted to stop my car, get out, and punch the man in the face. The Christian in me would not let the human have it's way. We were ok....the car seems ok.....my back is a bit tender but ok, it was the ride of a lifetime...and Frank was a great driver (I would have flipped the car). Jesus was definitely in control and Frank even said so himself. What a ride! When I got home I looked up the trucking company and called them. I did not want to sue them....I just wanted them to know what happened. True, semi's are big and drivers have many hidden areas....and passing on the right side is one of them....but we were close enough to him that he could have seen us by that point.....he knew we were behind him for several miles....or should have.....and HE should have pulled into the slower traffic lane. There were multiple cars behind him.....duh! That makes you slower traffic dude. The people at the trucking company were lovely and assured me that they would call this driver and tell him what he almost did. The human in me went, "Yeah Right!" The Chistian in me feels that was good enough. She asked me if I wanted the driver to call and apologize. I told her, "No, thank you....I just wanted you aware of what happened." I felt much better after the phone call. Thank you Jesus for taking the wheel and keeping us safe. Have a wonderful Friday.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Ouch! My Neck!
I couldn’t get comfortable.
I tried to lean my pillow against the window and rest my head on it. Within two seconds my neck started to tense up.
I tried to set my pillow on my lap and lean down.
My neck didn’t like that either.
It didn’t help that Tom had his music on. Tom doesn’t listen to music I like. He listens to music where the artist crones about bitches and hoes. I couldn’t ask him to turn it off though. He was doing all the driving from Wyoming to Oklahoma.
“What’s wrong?” Tom asked, noticing me sit up. I was massaging my neck and scowling at the pillow.
“I’m too old to sleep during road trips,” I answered. When I was younger I could curl into a ball and sleep like that. Now if I tried to curl into a ball my knees would cramp.
It was midnight and we had just driven away from our base in Wyoming for the last time. We were on our way to our new base in Oklahoma, about a nine hour drive. Tom prefers to travel at night so the kids are asleep. And they were. Fast asleep, I mean. I wished I could get some sleep.
“And I like them bitches and hoes,” Tom’s music blared.
“Your music sucks,” I mumbled as I attempted to get comfortable. Why couldn’t we be rich and travel in a comfortable tour bus?
“My music doesn’t suck. Yours does,” Tom retorted.
“Mine has real lyrics. Happy lyrics,” I argued. I mean, really. Why must men constantly rap about women being hoes? It’s been done. Move on. I fluffed my pillow a few times and leaned it against the window again. This would just have to do.
I managed to sleep on and off. Each time I’d wake up my neck would be killing me. And a few times I dreamed about bitches and hoes.
I’m kidding.
We made it to Oklahoma in the morning. The first thing we did was drive to the housing office to see if we could get our house that day instead of waiting tomorrow. When Tom ran inside to get all the paperwork, I waited in the car with the kids and the cat, who was beginning to meow pathetically. It sounded like we had a sick child in the car from the way he was carrying on.
I decided to stretch my legs so I opened the car door and…
…holy crap, extreme heat. See, I had left Wyoming where the high had been in the sixties. Suddenly it was ninety degrees.
Needless to say I got right back into the air conditioned car.
“Meowwwww….meowww…” Max the cat whined.
“Hold on, Max,” I said.
“Meowwwwwww….MEOWWWWW…”
“Mommy, he sounds sad,” Tommy said, sticking his face up to Max’s cage.
“MEOWWWW!”
“Maybe he has to poop?” Natalie suggested. She’s been really into poop these days. It’s all she wants to talk about. Like she calls me a Poop Face. Or she’ll say, “Hi, I’m Natalie and I poop. Do you?”
Crap though. Maybe Max DID have to poop. Hopefully we could get into the house…
Tom appeared a little while later and good news! We could get in the house early. We followed a worker from housing to our new home and she let us in.
I was impressed. Everything is brand new. And we even have a fridge that has water and an ice maker on the front.
Pictures will follow when it’s furnished. I’ve posted some on my Twitter account.
The new house though?
Is wonderful. It’s the nicest base housing we lived at and this is probably because these are privatized. That means it’s run by a non-military company but it’s still base housing. They even mow the front yard for you. Win!
After we were handed over the keys to our new home, Tom and I danced in the kitchen.
“Look at this fridge with the ice maker on the front!” I yelled.
“Look at this garage where I can put all my tools!” Tom yelled.
“Look at Max squatting on the floor!” Natalie yelled.
Crap! We scrambled to get his cat box set up and placed him in it. There would be no messing up our new floors.
“Now we just need to go furniture shopping,” Tom said.
True. We needed a couch and a bedroom set.
That adventure will be in tomorrow’s post. Furniture shopping with a husband who has different taste than my own=blog fodder.
I tried to lean my pillow against the window and rest my head on it. Within two seconds my neck started to tense up.
I tried to set my pillow on my lap and lean down.
My neck didn’t like that either.
It didn’t help that Tom had his music on. Tom doesn’t listen to music I like. He listens to music where the artist crones about bitches and hoes. I couldn’t ask him to turn it off though. He was doing all the driving from Wyoming to Oklahoma.
“What’s wrong?” Tom asked, noticing me sit up. I was massaging my neck and scowling at the pillow.
“I’m too old to sleep during road trips,” I answered. When I was younger I could curl into a ball and sleep like that. Now if I tried to curl into a ball my knees would cramp.
It was midnight and we had just driven away from our base in Wyoming for the last time. We were on our way to our new base in Oklahoma, about a nine hour drive. Tom prefers to travel at night so the kids are asleep. And they were. Fast asleep, I mean. I wished I could get some sleep.
“And I like them bitches and hoes,” Tom’s music blared.
“Your music sucks,” I mumbled as I attempted to get comfortable. Why couldn’t we be rich and travel in a comfortable tour bus?
“My music doesn’t suck. Yours does,” Tom retorted.
“Mine has real lyrics. Happy lyrics,” I argued. I mean, really. Why must men constantly rap about women being hoes? It’s been done. Move on. I fluffed my pillow a few times and leaned it against the window again. This would just have to do.
I managed to sleep on and off. Each time I’d wake up my neck would be killing me. And a few times I dreamed about bitches and hoes.
I’m kidding.
We made it to Oklahoma in the morning. The first thing we did was drive to the housing office to see if we could get our house that day instead of waiting tomorrow. When Tom ran inside to get all the paperwork, I waited in the car with the kids and the cat, who was beginning to meow pathetically. It sounded like we had a sick child in the car from the way he was carrying on.
I decided to stretch my legs so I opened the car door and…
…holy crap, extreme heat. See, I had left Wyoming where the high had been in the sixties. Suddenly it was ninety degrees.
Needless to say I got right back into the air conditioned car.
“Meowwwww….meowww…” Max the cat whined.
“Hold on, Max,” I said.
“Meowwwwwww….MEOWWWWW…”
“Mommy, he sounds sad,” Tommy said, sticking his face up to Max’s cage.
“MEOWWWW!”
“Maybe he has to poop?” Natalie suggested. She’s been really into poop these days. It’s all she wants to talk about. Like she calls me a Poop Face. Or she’ll say, “Hi, I’m Natalie and I poop. Do you?”
Crap though. Maybe Max DID have to poop. Hopefully we could get into the house…
Tom appeared a little while later and good news! We could get in the house early. We followed a worker from housing to our new home and she let us in.
I was impressed. Everything is brand new. And we even have a fridge that has water and an ice maker on the front.
Pictures will follow when it’s furnished. I’ve posted some on my Twitter account.
The new house though?
Is wonderful. It’s the nicest base housing we lived at and this is probably because these are privatized. That means it’s run by a non-military company but it’s still base housing. They even mow the front yard for you. Win!
After we were handed over the keys to our new home, Tom and I danced in the kitchen.
“Look at this fridge with the ice maker on the front!” I yelled.
“Look at this garage where I can put all my tools!” Tom yelled.
“Look at Max squatting on the floor!” Natalie yelled.
Crap! We scrambled to get his cat box set up and placed him in it. There would be no messing up our new floors.
“Now we just need to go furniture shopping,” Tom said.
True. We needed a couch and a bedroom set.
That adventure will be in tomorrow’s post. Furniture shopping with a husband who has different taste than my own=blog fodder.
A Momma's Birthday Wish
Today is my daughter's 31st birthday and I wanted to take a moment to recognize her in a special way. I wrote a little ditty for her. She has always fussed at me because I had not written anything about her and I could fill a book with stories of Kathryn alone....and who knows someday I just might do that.
The Story of a Life of Love
Thirty-one years ago, 1980, on June 23rd
Into this world a precious baby was born
Her name was to be Emma, but became Kathryn Leigh
And this pink little bundle gave a new life to me.
Waiting to celebrate were Peepaw and Granny
Doctor Stimpson was there and spanked her on her fanny.
Her daddy, a brother and sister were there
She had such a sweetest smile and a head of red hair.
From the moment of birth she had my heart in her hands
And was loved oh so dearly by all of the grands.
She was her Peepaws darlin’ and a munchkin to me.
To her daddy she was called Lil Miss Piggy.
Godparents Chuckles and Sue were so blessed
They loved her just like she was one of the rest.
I rocked her to sleep with Chattanooga Choo choo
She loved when I sang it and would always say whooo whoo.
Her favorite song was Mighty Like a rose
I’d sing it and then kiss her tiny turned up nose.
We traveled a when she was two, four, or six
We all had a ball and our time together - fantastic.
She swam like a fish from the time she was three
And her favorite past-time was playing Barbie.
She loved being in church and being with friends
She is a blessing and the joy, it never ends.
New Kids on the Block her favorite group
She kept up with them and knew all the scoop.
She would dance with abandon and sing harmony
And life with this child was a blessing to me.
At birthdays she and Jill would become the bow girls
Wearing their bows with the sparkles and curls.
They posed for pictures and rode in the boat
They swam in the lake or they’d lay there and float.
She was my change girl in three different schools
She adapted so nicely and learned all the rules.
First HHS, then Dadeville and finally at Radney.
At her first sock hop she was as cute as cotton candy.
We spent lots of time with the Prices in K’ville
Cades Cove, Gatlinburg, remember the still?
Remember P. Forge and the trip with the flood
We stayed in the cabin man this trip was a dud.
You came with me to school during each summer
Most kids would have thought that this was a bummer
You would clean and arrange my room nice and neat
You seemed to think this was a real grownup treat.
Then came the summer when you would get burned
That was a lesson I wish we’d never learned.
Our days were filled with debridement and pain.
I hated the sunshine and looked forward to rain.
Yet God really came through with a miracle or two.
And your legs healed so nicely and they looked brand new.
I remember changing your wraps and seeing burnt skin
And the smell is something I hope I never smell again.
Faculty Follies and traveling some more
Florida trips with Thompson were never a bore.
Remember the walk from the dock to hotel.
The pie in Jan’s face oh the stories we could tell.
Remember the graduations for Scott and for Jan
The Pacific Northwest and the back of the suburban
You named your section of the car Kathryndom
Old Faithful, Wyoming, and remember the gun?
Pacific Northwest was a great time you see….
But PEI with just the two of us was the best there could be.
The haunted feeling in Salem and the Seven Gables Inn
Neither of us slept and we locked ourselves in.
You would come to school with me during the summer
Most kids would have thought that this was a bummer
You would clean and arrange my room nice and neat
You seemed to think that this was a humongous treat.
Oh our trip to Cleveland and Helen and naming the baby.
Taking old fashioned photos and can’t forget Disney
Remember the Christmas trip with Eric and Sandy
Remember family reunions with Ramona and Mandy?
Having you Ben Russell was really a blast.
I hate it that those times well…they just did not last.
In New York we rode on the bus and saw sites
Being with you made this trip a delight.
We have shopped til we dropped both here and abroad.
Mackinaw, Frankenmuth, Italy, et al.
The huge trip to Bronner’s was really a site.
I can’t believe we were there….a day and a night!
We have shared many smiles, many miles, and some tears
You were always a constant o’er the past thirty plus years
You are more than my child you a friend, one of the best
I cannot wait to see what is in store and how you’ll be blessed.
I am proud of you munchkin, with your huge amazing heart.
And I knew that I would be right from the start.
I know God will bless you and make clear your way
Right now I must stop and say, Happy Birthday!
I love you, Momma
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