NASCAR...

We spent this entire weekend at Kansas City Speedway...experiencing NASCAR! Above are Marvin, Chas, Shane and Candy with 80,000 of our closest friends! It was very unique! I went with very low expectations...and was pleasantly surprised! Not only did we all enjoy it very much...but we all agreed that we would definitely go again next year if given the opportunity! The sheer enormity of it is absolutely awesome! We arrived early on both days and by the time we got there...several hours before race time...there were cars, flags and people for as far as the eye could see! The sound and power of engines capable of speeds of 175+ MPH...barely harnessed by the driver...is something that you have to feel to believe! It would be impossible to be there and not feel the excitement! Despite rain delays, yellow flags and a final thunderstorm...which ultimately caused us to listen to the end of the race on the radio as we drove home...it was a wonderful weekend!! More later...I need sleep...now!

Be Well!

FYI...

There are a few things that have been driving me crazy lately. I will list them in order of aggravation:
1. Idiot parents who are raising ill-behaved children. I absolutely LOVE children!!! Children are a gift from God and they deserve to be loved, respected, protected, provided for, educated and cherished. I am so fed up with children who act like the spawn of Satan in public places...because their parents are absolute irresponsible, self-centered, idiots. Case in point - We were at Applebees the other evening, sitting at a nice quiet table, minding our own business after a long day at work. Several families (each with several small children) came in and were seated all around us. Within 5 minutes a total of 5 babies were crying in unison! After several minutes of almost unbearable noise...4 of them ceased. The table directly behind us however was quite another story. The tiny baby continued to cry while a toddler standing in the booth next to her mother also bawled. Dad eventually took the toddler to the restroom and when he returned announced loudly that she had been crying because her sister had smacked her in the eye (and indeed it was red). We were then treated to a ridiculous diatribe of stupidity from the mother as she ranted and raved for all to hear. This kind of behaviour went on for the next 15 minutes. The waiter then brought dessert menu's and was told curtly that the children were "bad" and could have no dessert. After an eternal meal from hell, the family stood to leave. Dad took the baby and his carrier out first and mom stood there with the toddler in tow while she argued with an unseen child (who had crawled under the table). At one point, mom reached under the table, grabbed the child, braced her feet and tried unsuccessfully to extricate her from the nether regions. Throughout the entire ordeal, mom continued to say things like "Are you embarrassed? Well you should be!" and "Fine, you stay here then...I'm tired of messing with you!" I wanted to spank them both!!! After watching the behaviour and responses of the parents, there was no doubt as to the source of the bad behaviour of the children! Oh...and by the way...when she finally did get the child out from under the table...it was not a toddler...the child was at least 5 or 6 years old!

2. Smokers - It is my firm belief that if smokers get to take 10 - 15 minute breaks at least 4-5 times a day...they should be required to come in an hour earlier than the rest of us...or stay an hour later! We don't get to just walk out every once in a while to 'feed our habit'....though I could use a chocolate break every now and again! AND...if you insist on sucking on cigarettes all day long...don't whine to me about that horrible cough, congestion, or chronic bronchitis that you can't seem to kick! AND...I'm sick of your nasty, ashtray breath and clothing that reeks! Perhaps all smokers should be relegated to a closed in area in the work place where they can choke each other with their aroma.

3. WALK ON THE FREAKING RIGHT!! Nuff said.

Be Well!

The sun is setting...

...on Monday. Today was busy! I got around early and headed for the post office in Kechi to send the world's ugliest bedspread back to LTD before going to work. It was one of those days when my concentration seemed to be split into tiny pieces. I generally use the time during my shower to start the day with prayer...probably sounds silly...but there are few interruptions and virtually no distractions! This morning however, I kept losing focus on my prayers. My mind kept skipping around to chores that still lay ahead, grocery shopping and a million other things. While I was putting on my makeup I remembered that I needed to start the dishwasher, so with half my face on...I went to finish loading it. I hit the start button, then returned to the bathroom to finish my makeup, when I noticed a smudge on the mirror...so I cleaned the mirror. As I finished wiping the mirror I looked down at the floor and was horrified to see a colony of dust bunnies next to the trash can...so I went after the broom. As I swept the floor in the bathroom I realized that I had not put the 'innards' of the coffee maker in the dishwasher so I hurried in, paused it and took the necessary parts out of the pot and put them in to wash. I returned to the bathroom, finished sweeping and put on some more makeup. As I was almost done, I remembered an idea that I had last night for moving the bedroom around, so I stepped in to check it out. As I stood there I caught a glimpse of my hair in the mirror and realized how badly my bangs needed trimmed. Back to the bathroom I went, retrieved the scissors and trimmed those bangs. Noticing the time, I headed back to the bedroom to dry my hair and as I picked up the dryer I realized that I hadn't measured the bedside table to see if it would fit in the place where I had decided to move it. I dried my hair very quickly, threw in a few curls, then proceeded to look for the tape measure. I was sure that I knew where it was...but I was wrong. However, there was a yo-yo where the tape measure should have been...so I unfurled the string and measured the table and the space with the string! Good news! It fit with several inches of string to spare! By that time I was really running out of time, so I grabbed my purse, the LTD box and my work bag. I hurriedly crammed in two cans of soda and a bottle of water, then realized that I had no lunch. Oh well...! On to the post office! The package was ready to go and I spent a total of 3 minutes in the building, then headed back to Park City. By then I realized that I had about 15 minutes to spare, so I decided to drive through Spangles and grab a jello for lunch. I flew straight up 61st street...right past Spangles...and ended up with a McDonald's yogurt cup instead. The whole day went pretty much the same way...everything that I started doing reminded me of something else that I was going to do...and I kept ending up with a myriad of things going on all at once! The good news is...I finished all of them except the grocery shopping...which I will do tomorrow!

Be Well!

Here we are...

Another weekend fading into the sunset. This has been a busy one! Saturday found us at Chas's house, helping her prepare for a wedding shower on Sunday! We accomplished everything on her list and the house and yard looked great...although...they always look great! Sunday was Church, then the shower afterwards! There were 15 women in attendance and everyone had a great time! Candy had chosen an icebreaker game, which made everyone laugh and absolutely served its intended purpose! Then, those who had known the bride for a long time, shared their fondest memories of her as a child and growing up. After that it was time for her to open the mountain of gifts ranging from a frying pan to pretty nighties and bubble bath and an assortment of fabulous smelling lotions! We topped the afternoon off with refreshments of lemonade, sugar cookies, snicker doodles, chocolate chip cookies, brownies and Rice Krispy treats! Everything went off without a hitch and hopefully the afternoon provided some nice memories for Chelsea!

I have rather neglected my housework this weekend (being either gone or pooped out most of it). After work tomorrow I will dig in and play catch up. Next weekend we will be at NASCAR in Kansas City! None of us have ever been to NASCAR before, so it will be a totally new experience!

Autumn is upon us, although temps today topped out at 92 degrees. That hint of change is still in the air and the weatherman tells us that it is indeed on the way later in the week! The leaves are already letting go of their benefactors, V's of geese have begun to fly over routinely, and the sun sets a bit earlier each day! The pool cover has been ordered and we will soon set the fire pit back on the deck for those cool evening tete-a-tetes that we so enjoy! Time passes so quickly that it is sometimes frightening, and we are reminded so often just how fragile life is.

That big, soft bed is calling my name! More tomorrow!

Be Well!

Almost to the finish line...

Friday eve!!! Remember a few days ago when I told you about an adorable little puppy visitor at work...his name was Harrison and he had been left behind by his family? Well, after two days of searching, and phone calls his family was located. Apparently, as they were moving, somehow both of their dogs got out of the truck and they didn't realize it. They had been searching for Harrison and his Schnauzer brother every since they discovered that they were missing. They came back to get Harrison but are still searching for dog number two. All's well that ends well! On a sad note, the compliance officer came through today and made the following announcement, "If anyone is interested, I have a totally blind Pappillon in the truck..." Needless to say...it broke my heart. I didn't dare go look at it...it would have gone home with me. I have been suffering from much deserved guilt every since...even blind dogs need homes. Some days just suck.

Be Well!

A fast one...

Monday night again and another weekend has come and gone! It was a good one though! Marvin's sister had surgery on Thursday, so his mom spent Thursday night and Friday night with us. Chas got home from her Florida vacation late Thursday, so Friday evening was dinner at our house and vacation pictures, stories and souvenirs! It was sooooooo good to have her back safe and sound again (especially after the mess she got caught up in on the way home) and the pictures made me really want to go back to Florida (even more than I already do)! Saturday was State Fair day! We headed for Hutchinson around 11:00 and took in the whole thing from the rabbits to the butter sculpture! It was a really fun day and we were all exhausted by the end of it! Sunday was Church and the best sermon that Pastor Bruce has ever preached! Chas had been plagued with a nasty headache for several days, so she slept in and met us for Shane's birthday lunch at Pistro's, which was fabulous! Then back to our house for cake, ice cream, gifts and a movie!

Today dawned sunny and warm, and I have the opportunity to work some extra hours this week, although tomorrow night is a special Council meeting which is promising to be the meeting from hell. A bright spot in the day was an office visitor! Code enforcement was called to pick up a stray dog and he was soooo sweet that they let him roam the office soliciting "pets" all morning! He was wearing a collar and tags, but was apparently "left behind"when his owners moved. The name on his tags (his owners last name) was Harrison, so that's what we called him all day! He ended up going home with the Mayor and as she carried him past my desk I heard her say to him "Now Harrison, this is NOT permanent!"(Famous last words)!

The news about my step dad continues to worsen, he is down to 125 pounds now, which is a loss of 5 more pounds in two weeks. Apparently, the decision has been made not to let Hospice come in to assist him...a decision that I strongly DISAGREE with...but it's not my call.

I have been plagued with leg cramps for a month or so and my right leg was really cramping yesterday. Enough that I didn't go down the stairs to see the kids off when they left. I thought that I had slid by today without a problem, but even as I type, the darn thing is tightening up! I think that I really need to hit the vitamins again...I just have to remember to buy them
! So, I think I will sign off here and take a hot shower and peruse the cabinet for leftover vitamins before I hit the sack! Don't worry guys...I will check the expiration date before consuming them! LOL!

Be Well!

At a glance...

Friday - Dinner with the kids at our house and lots of laughter!! Talked with Marvin during the evening and the conference is going well. I puttered around the house doing odd chores, then read until 1:30 a.m.

Saturday - Writer's meeting at 10:00 a.m.! We had not met in a couple of months due to scheduling conflicts and it was great to get together and get/give some much needed encouragement! After the meeting I shopped for an hour or so to kill some time before heading to Chas's house (in case she was still sleeping). I arrived at her house at about 12:15, just as she was finishing her lunch. We left her house about 1:00 with no particular direction in mind other than to stop at Shane's (he was in Kansas City with Candy for the day) to feed Sugar and let her out for a bit. We spent an hour or so at an antique store downtown, then went to the Warren hoping to find a movie that looked interesting. After perusing the titles and talking to the ticket takers, we decided that there really were no good movies out this weekend, so we got back in the car and went to Cheddars to share a Monster Chocolate Chip Cookie topped with fudge sauce and whipped cream (ice cream on the side)! It was delicious!!! Then we hit the mall for an hour or so and ended up back at Chas's house and watched several episodes of Feasting On Asphalt, and visited until around 9:30 p.m. Since Chas was still fighting a nasty cold and trying to heal in time for vacation on Monday, she decided to take some cold meds and sleep in on Sunday morning. A quick call to Shane told us that he and Candy were just leaving the Kansas City area with a three hour drive still ahead of them and the decision was made for all to sleep in on Sunday morning, then meet at our house for lunch at 1:00. I headed home. Once I arrived, I folded some laundry, read, showered, channel surfed until I fell asleep on the couch, then got up and went to bed at 2:00 a.m.

Sunday - A huge noise, which literally shook the house, windows and bed woke me at 7:30 a.m. I got up and checked around inside and out and could not determine the source...so I put some yeast rolls in a pan to rise for lunch and went back to bed until 9:00 a.m. At 9:00 I got up again, fixed a smoothie for breakfast, put some chicken breasts on to boil for dumplings, watched a bit of news, checked email, then showered. I talked to both kids briefly about the days plans, and Marvin called to chat for a bit. Around 11:00 my dad called to say that he would arrive in Wichita around 1:30 and wandered if we could all have lunch! It was a wonderful surprise! I called the kids to let them know , then put the chicken breasts and broth in the fridge, baked the rolls while I dressed and put them away, then we all met at Shane's house and proceeded to Karen's hotel to pick Dad and Karen up. Lunch was at the River City Brewery, then we took them to see the Keeper of the Plains and the Wichita Troll! It was a beautiful day for walking along the river front and we really enjoyed it! After that a short drive through Riverside park and the surrounding neighborhood, then back to the hotel. The kids both had things that they needed to do, so we went back to Shane's house and I picked up the truck and went back to the mall for a bit with Dad and Karen! I spoke to Marvin several times during the day and he sent pictures via cell phone of Chicago sites!

That brings us to the here and now! I got back to the house at 5:45 and after eating half of a baked potato and a bit of cottage cheese, I did some research on the Denver Airport and Municipal and Industrial bond issues. The former was very intriguing (I am a conspiracy buff) and the latter two were most boring, but necessary for better understanding of some work issues.

I have been without Marvin for three nights now and I miss him soooooo much!! I am very anxious to see him come down the hallway at the airport tomorrow!!! Chas begins her vacation tomorrow! I am so excited for her! The trip that she has planned will be absolutely awesome!!!! Please pray for her safety in travel and while she is there as well, for her terrible cold to be well quickly, and her safe return to us!

Be Well!

A day...

Friday...my elusive friend...I have missed thee!! If only every second day was Friday what a world it would be!! I'm a bit at odds tonight...I have tried on all sorts of old blue jeans...put new songs on my Ipod shuffle...showered...channel surfed...checked email...chatted...talked myself out of a snack...and now I seem to have no alternative...time for bed! Until the morrow!!

Be Thee Well!

Just some stuff that I thought was interesting...

Okay boys and girls...just a few things that I have found interesting lately and have not had time to blog about!

The first two shots are of a mother duck and her baby. They have remained at the pond across the way throughout winter, spring, and summer! They have braved fishermen, fisher boys, fisher children (who throw more rocks than worms), algae infestation, moss as thick as a carpet, ice, snow, rain, hail, wind and hotter than hades temperatures! They are absolutely beautiful!!! When they go...and I know they will...I will miss them terribly!

The next two shots are of a prairie dog village on the way to the lake. This is not a zoo or a preserve...it is a common site along the side of the road in many areas of Kansas and Oklahoma! They are adorable little animals and they are busy, busy, busy! I absolutely love them!

The last shot is a rather unique lesson in looking both ways when crossing the street where I walk...it is the flattest squirrel that I have ever seen! I don't generally stare at gory things...but this poor baby was so flat that I went back to look again after gingerly stepping around it the first time!

Be Well!

In a nutshell...

It is Tuesday morning, though it will seem like Monday all day! The weekend whizzed by with lightening speed, just as I feared it would! A short recap below:

Saturday - After a call on Friday evening from my sister, letting us know the most recent prognosis from my step-dad's doctor, we decided a family get-together was in order. We had originally planned a cookout and swim party at our house for Sunday, but a picnic in Ark City seemed like a better idea. It was a good day. Almost everyone was able to attend, and we visited, played Monkey Bar Golf, and ate! My step-dad is horribly thin and pale, but his spirit is not diminished. Mom hasn't told him that the doctor has given up...but I think he knows his time is now drawing to a close. It seems extremely unfair to lose two parents in the same year...but life is extremely unfair...and so we keep on keeping on.

Sunday - Church was good and after lunch with the kids at Braum's, Marvin and I headed to Best Buy to see about having his new digital camera repaired. It is an expensive camera and suffered a bit of damage at the picnic on Saturday, when he slipped it into his back pocket then sat down. Apparently the LCD screen was punctured. The news at Best Buy was bad...they will not cover the damage even though we had purchased the extended warranty. We were told that only hardware malfunction is covered...not damage. After receiving a piece of both of our minds...which neither of us could actually spare...they remained unmoved on the repair issue but offered to pro-rate the remaining warranty and refund the balance...since the camera is no longer functional. This amounted to only $42.00...which did absolutely no good and seemed like insult to injury.

Monday - We spend Monday morning accomplishing some household tasks, including hanging shelves in the teddy bear room. Marvin spent some time playing with his photo software and after a light lunch of picnic leftovers, we hit the pool for a while. The water temperature was only 82, and the air temperature was in the upper 80's. Suffice it to say that it was coolish...so we only stayed for an hour or so. Monday evening we drove over to a local park and Marvin ran his RC Truck for a while. There were a couple of other guys there with their cars and they were quite impressed with the size and speed of Marvin's...right up until it crashed and broke a steering rod. He worked on repairing it at the scene of the accident for a bit and finally gave it up. We headed home and went for a walk around my pond...which is beautiful right now! The new aeration system has cleared 99% of the moss away and the two ducks which have remained throughout the winter, spring and summer were gliding about on the near perfect water like feathered ballerinas!

That wrapped up the weekend. I think we have probably been in the pool for the last time of the season now...the forecast for the coming week is low 80's with low 70's at night and rain several days...all of which will drop the water temperature even more. I am afraid that we probably had the last family gathering with Bill as well...he is so frail. Work beckons.

Be Well!