Smoked the Remote...left, left, left!

Sorry we've been away for a few days...Katie has recovered from her out patient surgery. I've now had enough naps that I have caught up on my sleep so I can think clearly again.

It's Saturday, so you know that means we hit the Home Plate Diner for breakfast. It's the only day they serve breakfast. We are trying to start a Breakfast Club with our friends and have a little fellowship with pancakes every Saturday.

We took a long nap after breakfast and then I watched a movie while Shane started the sports madness. He was watching the Busch Race, the Cubs and the NFL Draft. The remote was on FIRE! Of course the Cubs got cheated... according to Shane.

Here's my take on it....I love the Cubs, but I can't watch the games...it's like watching paint dry. Busch Racing and Nascar are just several hours of left turns. Left...take another left, left, take another left...left...left...left...change a tire....left, take another left...crash...left, take another left...please stop the madness. Add the NFL draft and watch all three...you just smoke the remote.

We also started working on the flower gardens. I pulled weeds and Shane bagged them. I didn't want him passing out in the yard. We cleaned one side and saved the other for tomorrow. It's a huge garden. I will have before and after pictures for you to see. I was popping Benadryl again today. The dirt and weeds had me hacking and coughing.

It's been a very nice day...even our four legged children have been on their best behavior.

More on the Flower Garden and Sports madness tomorrow...The Bears haven't made any draft picks yet, so tomorrow will be a big day.

Talk Talk Talk

Happy Assistant's Day to all of you out there that make miracles happen as you rescue your bosses on a daily basis. Meghan Sever, you are the Best!

Today started out early. Katie had out patient surgery this morning. She is resting comfortably at home now. She has a few problems, but nothing that can't be fixed. Thank you, Lord. She was really nervous this morning. I felt terrible that she was scared. A little prayer helped us both out with the feelings we were having. I told her that the medication she would getting was like a truth serum and that she might say or do things that she would not remember. Fortunately, I was there to hear it ALL. She was half awake and half asleep and it was all talk talk talk on her behalf. I will not break her trust in me by telling anyone what she said...but I was trying not to burst out laughing (BOL). She has an adorable personality and I find so much appreciation in the young woman she has become.

I can tell you one thing that she said...she was rambling on about eating healthy and not eating junk food anymore...and then she said that before the fall semester starts she will definitely need to buy a lunch box (she was mortified when I tried to get her one in high school...I guess they are ok for college...lol) and I will need to show her how to pack it so she learns to make the right choices. (She knows the right choices) Then, she said, "Mom, I really need to learn how to cook so that when my kids come home from school they won't say, "Let's go to MiMi's so we can eat!"...I'm still trying not to laugh...but it's hard. I can't wait until she gets up so I can tell her the rest of what she said. These eyes are sleeping right now.

Boggy Creek Monster...Is He real?? Not Worth Stopping to Uncover the Truth...Keep on Driving!

I was finally able to add the pictures that went with the past several blogs today. If you have time, I think it's worth going back and taking another look. I think we are going to have to get another internet provider. I didn't climb on the roof and rip the Hughes Net Dish down, but if we don't make a change, it's a realistic possibility.

Yesterday and today were tough on Emma and Bella. They are missing their friend, Tillie. Tillie's mom and dad are home from their trip and Tillie went home Monday afternoon. Bella layed around pouting in what seemed like desperation. Emma has just been giving me the pouty face as you can see below. Linus, out cat, he's just glad that he isn't overcome by dogs and all the barking and partying that went on here over the weekend.

Why, Mom and Dad, Why? We didn't break anything...why is the party over? When is Tillie Marie coming back?

Moving on....Katie had to go to the doctor on Monday. As a result, she is having out patient surgery in the morning. God has his arms of love and protection around her, so it is okay. Finals are coming up, so please say a prayer for a speedy recovery and that everything turns out normal. She was really hungry after we saw the doctor, so we turned to what every southern girl likes...a home cooked meal...(at a home cooking restaurant of course...we still haven't made it to Walmart to get groceries). All we needed was a little southern comfort food, some mother-daughter time and a couple of sweet teas. Remember, it's always Sweet Tea on Mondays.















To bluntly change the subject...We are now dealing with the repairs needed on my car. We purchased it after I totaled my first mercedes. Yes, it was traumatic but, it was comforting to know I wasn't alone. Ellen Degeneres also wrecked her Porche the same day. She was being chased by paparazzi, of course...I was just on I430, which aren't good odds for anyone in 5 o'clock traffic. 4 other cars wrecked while sightseeing my wreck. The state trooper was freaking out in the ditch and cussing like a sailor. It's the only part of that day that I look back on and laugh.

Since I brought my other mercedes home, it has been traumatic. It was a real beauty...bought it from a man that collected cars because he was rich and bored....with the stock market like it is...he may not be rich and bored anymore...who knows? Any hoo...there's been trouble ever since. Parking lots do not offer any protection for me.

I was in Hot Springs, I pulled into a single row parking area and went inside to install some equipment. I came out, backed out of the same parking space and hit the largest telephone pole I'd ever seen. It seems to me that if I pulled in and backed out of the same spot...that the pole could not have been there when I pulled in...??? So that makes for the first flaw...a dented trunk and rear bumper. I was absolutely sick about it.

Next issue, I pull into the parking lot of the UPS store (several months later). They have very high curbs there or my car sits really low, because when I pulled out it put a little crack it my front bumper...not too bad.

Another few months pass and I'm in the Valero parking lot searching for an available gas pump. A truck comes out of no where and hits the side of my car with his oversized redneck truck. He was mad that I made him wait for the Benton PD to write it up...he was on his way to go fishin'. I hope his catch was minimal to none. I didn't see a fishin' pole in his truck.

A few weeks later, I went to Cupcakes on Kavanaugh (must try!!!) with Tally Atwater and the curb is also very high in this location as well. Do I really need to repeat what happens? Tally starts picking up pieces of the little larger crack in my bumper. I tried to pull it out, but there were wires attached and Tally could not control her laughter, nor could I. I just looked at, Tally, and asked, "Oh well, what can I do?" That's all Kavanaugh had to offer...high curbs! So, now I have a few flaws.

When I switched insurance companies I disclosed all of the incidents to stay on the up and up. None of the incidents were worth filing claims on if it meant my insurance premiums would increase.

Then it happened... the grande finale...I ran over a dead deer...I didn't see it until I was right on top of it and it was too dark to stop afterwards, so I drove home. I was in the area where the boggy creek monster was supposedly sighted. Since I saw this movie when I was a child, I did make a mental note to stay away from Boggy Creek.

To get to the point...I have now pulled the under carriage off of my car...caused a drastic oil leak and yes, the medium crack on the bumper...not a problem. The bumper flew off the car. The insurance company sent a check this week, because this time a claim was necessary. Part of the undercarriage is still on the car, but it is dragging the ground. The check they sent was a little over $700. I wonder if I can even get the bumper for $700, much less the under carriage repairs??

We'll see...but here she is in all her glory...she is headed to the repair shop. It doesn't look too bad in the pic, but most of the damage is under the car and the bumper you see is missing the bumper underneath it.














On a happier note, Emma was showing off her girlie panties earlier today. GR3...Mattie and Birdie are getting western style panties.















Shane and I had the opportunity to have lunch together today. I had a salad. In theory, this sounds like a great idea. However, after you load it up with eggs, onions, croutons and 2 cups of thousand island dressing...it would be better to eat a double cheeseburger. You just can't take the thousand island away from a Texas girl, unless you are prying it out of her cold dead hands. Also, notice that I added a wheat cracker on the side to make it seem more nutritional. LOL...















It was a great lunch date with the hubby. We even talked about some National News and I ended up a little fired up. I had some strong feelings about it...I said something to Shane and he said he could tell...LOL!

Shane isn't feeling well this evening, I wish I could make him feel better.

I will have much to share tomorrow, so I hope you stop by The Square....until then.....

Could our Clothes BE any SOFTER?

Today has been a day of rest, as it should be. Katie is still napping, but she doesn't feel well. She has been feeling bad for a few days, so we will need to take her to the doctor tomorrow. Shane got up this morning, but felt tired after he made his morning coffee and read the newspaper...all news hounds crave their crisp, fresh paper on Sunday mornings. Tip...never, never try to read it before a news hound experiences the crisp, fresh paper.

Since we moved to our new house, the paper is always on our front porch....placed neatly on the door mat. I have wondered about this, because I think everyone should have their paper delivered in the same manner. It's a product and service that we purchase. At our old house, we were lucky if it hit the driveway. And getting a dry paper on a rainy day was a treat. We pay the same price for the paper at both houses. I love the extra effort and service, but everyone deserves great service.

This is not to poke fun at Shane, but this story is really priceless. Actually there are two things that I have to share. Shane has been trying to perfect his ability to make a good cup of coffee. Generally he puts too much coffee in the filter and he fills the caraffe to the top (12 cups). I've told him that he can just make 4 cups and use less coffee. He told me once that he did not know that he had options on the water amount. :) For some unknown reason, he asked me how much coffee he needed to put in the filter. I told him 2 scoops and to only fill the caraffe to the half point. He admitted later that my directions perfected his coffee. He will probably keep working on his ratios, but he has the coffee making going on now.

Shane has also been doing laundry for a long time. It's a very impressive quality in a husband and bff. He started laundry yesterday and I walked in just as he was putting the fabric softener back in the cabinet. Something didn't seem right so I walked over and checked out the situation. I was stunned at first. He had poured Downey in the soap dispenser. humm. I asked why he did this and he said that he was putting his detergent in to wash the clothes. I pointed out that he had poured downy and he was still telling me no...I had to take the downy out of the cabinet and read it to him. OMGosh! But this brings many answers to the laundry he does...like...why do we run out of Downy so often when it's supposed to do 80 loads? Why don't the stains ever come out of the clothes he washes? Why do the towels smell different when he does them? Why do the clothes seem to have a soft feeling to them that feels thick? Well, we have uncovered all of these mysteries. He said he wondered why I bought so much detergent and so many different kinds. LOL. I changed our system to Woolite for gentle washing, whites and darks. So we have different choices for detergent depending on what we are washing. Also, I have always used Downy in the washer on the rinse cycle and I use a dryer sheet as well. Maybe overkill, but it makes the laundry process and clothes turn out to be a pleasant experience. So, I will take the blame for not explaining the new Woolite system. And I guess he will have to own up to the fabric softener. owever, Downy has changed their containers and drifted away from just blue downy. This whole experience has made me laugh everytime I think of it. It will always be a great memory and a funny story to share. The great part of this is that I'm married to someone who brings me great laughter and he's a great sport. He is so funny and I love him for all the fun he brings to our marriage. He's definitely a LOL Man. The absolute best kind of man to share my life with....it's never dull and I dig that about him!














Does this look complicated? LOL Man in action.

The weekend is coming to an end and as always it passes by so quickly. Tillie will be going home tonight or tomorrow, depending on what time her mom and dad return from their trip. We have really enjoyed her visit. We hope that she continues to show her parents that she found her voice on the square. She should definitely share her feelings, and as I noted yesterday...she has A LOT to say about a lot of things. Here is one feeling that she shared...not sure what she meant, but it's hilarious.















Katie got a new job at a local restaurant and attended her orientation yesterday. She is perfect for this particular job because she is a native Texan. She will be part of the wait staff and will be waiting and servicing dinner guests. She also will have to do some country line dancing to entertain the guests. She told her new boss that the dancing would be okay. However, she noted that she didn't know if it took two left feet or two right feet to mess it up...but she definiately had the feet to create chaos on the line. We think she will do great. Her boss thought she was hilarious. She's my other source for LOL!

We will bring the weekend to a close by finishing the laundry and some of my OCD making sure the house is in order for the week. We hope you have a great week and we'll try to do the same.

Until tomorrow....