Yesterday was a perfect day and one more reason I need to retire NOW!! It was a Friday, everyone else was in school, and I was not (due to a tiring week of Parent/Teacher conferences).
The weather was PERFECT! About 70 degrees and no wind. All morning I worked outside on my yard-- got mowing, raking, and reseeding done on my front yard and a few other items done around the back yard. Then it was off to lunch with Perfect Patty and on to a gorgeous bike ride through Shawnee Mission Park. BEAUTIFUL day for a bike ride!
Then it was time for an ice-cream break at McDs.
The evening finished off with a trip to the Improv for an evening with the comedians. Enjoyed all three, although the poor white trash red-neck was my favorite---go figure. Enjoyed the company of Patty and Wayne Dailey too.
I definitely need to retire NOW so I can enjoy more days like yesterday!!
10/16/10
10/5/10
Beware of Yee Old Reading Glasses
One of the first markers of middle age is having to buy reading glasses. I succumbed at the early age of 40 while Wayne held out until his 50s.
Reading glasses have made our middle age bearable as we are both voracious readers. But I do think there should be a warning label attached to all readers.
Let me explain.........
Wayne and I were down to one car this week as the clutch went out on his car (it is middleaged too--for a car). So Wayne was having to drive me to work and pick me up and tote me to my dental appointment. When I came out of the dental office and glanced at Wayne, I thought he looked a little funny. The tip of his nose looked red. When I got closer, it looked like he had a bruise or something. I wondered if he was getting a cold sore on the tip of his nose. When I asked him about it---not wanting to make him self-conscious or anything----he said he had noticed it too. But it wasn't a cold sore and it didn't hurt him at all. It was a really strange mark. Just the ball of his nose and a little streak of purply/brown running upward. (So has he become a secret tipler?????)
Now we come to the part about the reading glasses. Wayne thinks the bulb of his nose was sunburned!! The day before, he was sitting outside on the back deck and then on the front porch while reading a book. He thinks the glasses intensified the suns rays in such a way that only that area of his nose got burned.
Thus the need for a warning on all reading glasses: "Not to be used in direct sun as the lenses may focus the sun and cause severe sunburn to odd parts of your body".
I'll let you all know when his nose starts to peel. Then we'll know if his hypothesis is correct (or if he's just hiding a drinking problem :)
Reading glasses have made our middle age bearable as we are both voracious readers. But I do think there should be a warning label attached to all readers.
Let me explain.........
Wayne and I were down to one car this week as the clutch went out on his car (it is middleaged too--for a car). So Wayne was having to drive me to work and pick me up and tote me to my dental appointment. When I came out of the dental office and glanced at Wayne, I thought he looked a little funny. The tip of his nose looked red. When I got closer, it looked like he had a bruise or something. I wondered if he was getting a cold sore on the tip of his nose. When I asked him about it---not wanting to make him self-conscious or anything----he said he had noticed it too. But it wasn't a cold sore and it didn't hurt him at all. It was a really strange mark. Just the ball of his nose and a little streak of purply/brown running upward. (So has he become a secret tipler?????)
Now we come to the part about the reading glasses. Wayne thinks the bulb of his nose was sunburned!! The day before, he was sitting outside on the back deck and then on the front porch while reading a book. He thinks the glasses intensified the suns rays in such a way that only that area of his nose got burned.
Thus the need for a warning on all reading glasses: "Not to be used in direct sun as the lenses may focus the sun and cause severe sunburn to odd parts of your body".
I'll let you all know when his nose starts to peel. Then we'll know if his hypothesis is correct (or if he's just hiding a drinking problem :)
Picture Perfect
Hayley and Kate were over at the house on Saturday and it is amazing how friendly the neighbors get when Hayley is visiting. Pete and Laura wanted to take Hayley out for icecream before Kate and Hayley headed out for the evening.
Folks it was 50 degrees out there and they wanted to go to the outdoor Sheridan's ice cream stand!!! I don't think so!!! Not when I know Wayne is hoarding some mint chocolate chip ice cream in the downstairs freezer!! So we talked Pete and Laura into staying for ice cream at our house.
While slurping up the cream, I noticed the package of school photos that I had thrown on the side table. Every year I come home with the old school picture package. Laura and Pete couldn't believe I had them. They asked if I had actually PAID for them!!! Losers! Of course I don't pay for them! They're free for teachers. Then they had the audacity to say they couldn't believe I even sat for them.......like I had a choice!!! We even have to take an all faculty picture!!! Talk about a waste of film.
To add insult to injury they started laughing and suggested that someone should buy me a frame like the kiddos where I could put my picture each year so everyone could see the progression of my aging!!!!
I'm so glad that I hadn't thrown the package of pictures away yet--as I usually do each year. Cause paybacks are a bitch.
I will have the last laugh!
Folks it was 50 degrees out there and they wanted to go to the outdoor Sheridan's ice cream stand!!! I don't think so!!! Not when I know Wayne is hoarding some mint chocolate chip ice cream in the downstairs freezer!! So we talked Pete and Laura into staying for ice cream at our house.
While slurping up the cream, I noticed the package of school photos that I had thrown on the side table. Every year I come home with the old school picture package. Laura and Pete couldn't believe I had them. They asked if I had actually PAID for them!!! Losers! Of course I don't pay for them! They're free for teachers. Then they had the audacity to say they couldn't believe I even sat for them.......like I had a choice!!! We even have to take an all faculty picture!!! Talk about a waste of film.
To add insult to injury they started laughing and suggested that someone should buy me a frame like the kiddos where I could put my picture each year so everyone could see the progression of my aging!!!!
I'm so glad that I hadn't thrown the package of pictures away yet--as I usually do each year. Cause paybacks are a bitch.
I will have the last laugh!
Couples Weekend with the Queen B
Ah, the annual card-playing couples weekend.....This year we went to Mahoney State Park near Ashland, Nebraska. Great place and great company.
Wayne and I hitched a ride with the Dailey's - always an adventure! Riding three hours with 2 Waynes in the car can be a little challenging, but that is nothing compared to riding with Patty who has a penchant for multi-tasking. At one point she was tooling down the highway, driving with her knee cause both her hands were involved elsewhere! She even had time to enjoy the scenery along the way.
It was a beautiful day to drive to Nebraska. By the time we got to the State Park, Patty was a little tired of the backseat drivers (the Waynes) who were also using a GPS device that kept telling Patty to turn around cause she wasn't taking the GPS's advised route. So upon arriving at the check in booth, Patty responded to the ranger's greeting, of "How are you doing today", with the response, "Pretty good except for the back seat drivers and having to listen to the Queen Bitch".
Both rangers roared with laughter. I thought it was funny too, until I realized that they didn't know the GPS's nickname was the Queen Bitch. That was when I understood that they thought I WAS THE QUEEN BITCH!
Patty drove away before I could set the record straight! And to think I had handed over MY $10.00 to pay the state park car fee. Not fair!!!
There were many more laughs to come during the weekend. We checked out the digs which were great! I'd recommend Mahoney State Park to anyone wanting a great get-away. We had a fully furnished cabin that slept 10 people. Four of us couples had our own rooms with king-sized beds. Unfortunately, the Heutons--being the nubies to our couples weekend--got the cot and pullout couch. They were great sports though!
We all played cards, ate good food, went to the Omaha zoo, checked out old town Omaha, ate ice cream, enjoyed a melodrama, hiked around the state park grounds, some of the girls rode horseback, and we all visited the Arbor Day Farm on the way back to KC--once more enjoying some icecream while adding apple pie to the mix :)
I'm thinking we need more weekends like this. Laughter is great medicine!
Hey, where are we going next year?????
Wayne and I hitched a ride with the Dailey's - always an adventure! Riding three hours with 2 Waynes in the car can be a little challenging, but that is nothing compared to riding with Patty who has a penchant for multi-tasking. At one point she was tooling down the highway, driving with her knee cause both her hands were involved elsewhere! She even had time to enjoy the scenery along the way.
It was a beautiful day to drive to Nebraska. By the time we got to the State Park, Patty was a little tired of the backseat drivers (the Waynes) who were also using a GPS device that kept telling Patty to turn around cause she wasn't taking the GPS's advised route. So upon arriving at the check in booth, Patty responded to the ranger's greeting, of "How are you doing today", with the response, "Pretty good except for the back seat drivers and having to listen to the Queen Bitch".
Both rangers roared with laughter. I thought it was funny too, until I realized that they didn't know the GPS's nickname was the Queen Bitch. That was when I understood that they thought I WAS THE QUEEN BITCH!
Patty drove away before I could set the record straight! And to think I had handed over MY $10.00 to pay the state park car fee. Not fair!!!
There were many more laughs to come during the weekend. We checked out the digs which were great! I'd recommend Mahoney State Park to anyone wanting a great get-away. We had a fully furnished cabin that slept 10 people. Four of us couples had our own rooms with king-sized beds. Unfortunately, the Heutons--being the nubies to our couples weekend--got the cot and pullout couch. They were great sports though!
We all played cards, ate good food, went to the Omaha zoo, checked out old town Omaha, ate ice cream, enjoyed a melodrama, hiked around the state park grounds, some of the girls rode horseback, and we all visited the Arbor Day Farm on the way back to KC--once more enjoying some icecream while adding apple pie to the mix :)
I'm thinking we need more weekends like this. Laughter is great medicine!
Hey, where are we going next year?????
9/18/10
Poor White Trash Yard Art
"Drunken Drive Way Takes a Wrong Turn"---That's the headline I plan to submit to the local Platte County News Rag.
After a frenetic week of work, I was ready for a little down time. The plan was to spend a quiet Friday evening playing cards with my "saintly friends" from Gloria Dei. As it was only 4 o'clock in the afternoon, thought I'd relax on the couch before gearing up for the evening. But there was no rest to be had for the weary.
I could hear that the neighbors were restless. Lots of boysterous chatter interrupted my rest. I could tell they were out in the neighbor's front yard---remember the neighbor who lived so close that she could get to my front door before I could even get out of my chair!!---that neighbor!
By 4:30 pm Wayne arrived home only to declare that the neigbors were already starting up druken driveway for the evening.
Knowing I would get no further rest on the couch, I decided to be social and join the fray -- start my evening a little early --what the hell. So I grabbed my chair and my diet coke--(yes, should have added some rum to that coke in hindsight!).
Bri-Bri was already a couple sheets to the wind. He and the rest of the revelers had already started creating yard art with their beer bottles and cans. Their first work of art was forming into the face of a clock. They only needed to land a can in the 12 o'clock position to complete the venture.
Not sure if the clock was ever completed as we left to prepare for our next event and the neighbors changed their focus to decorating our our yard with their lovely trash-art creations!
They have become ever more bold--probably due to the alcohol already consumed--decorating during the daylight hours before we have even left the premises!! At this point in our neighbor relationship, I have realized that it is really best to just let them go---and enjoy the fruits of their labors.
I am just happy to know that the neighbors are having fun and finding a way to entertain themselves. They all know that I secretly enjoy the attention--after all--this 50's decade is all about me!
So I now share with you the fruits of their labors:
After a frenetic week of work, I was ready for a little down time. The plan was to spend a quiet Friday evening playing cards with my "saintly friends" from Gloria Dei. As it was only 4 o'clock in the afternoon, thought I'd relax on the couch before gearing up for the evening. But there was no rest to be had for the weary.
I could hear that the neighbors were restless. Lots of boysterous chatter interrupted my rest. I could tell they were out in the neighbor's front yard---remember the neighbor who lived so close that she could get to my front door before I could even get out of my chair!!---that neighbor!
By 4:30 pm Wayne arrived home only to declare that the neigbors were already starting up druken driveway for the evening.
Knowing I would get no further rest on the couch, I decided to be social and join the fray -- start my evening a little early --what the hell. So I grabbed my chair and my diet coke--(yes, should have added some rum to that coke in hindsight!).
Bri-Bri was already a couple sheets to the wind. He and the rest of the revelers had already started creating yard art with their beer bottles and cans. Their first work of art was forming into the face of a clock. They only needed to land a can in the 12 o'clock position to complete the venture.
Not sure if the clock was ever completed as we left to prepare for our next event and the neighbors changed their focus to decorating our our yard with their lovely trash-art creations!
They have become ever more bold--probably due to the alcohol already consumed--decorating during the daylight hours before we have even left the premises!! At this point in our neighbor relationship, I have realized that it is really best to just let them go---and enjoy the fruits of their labors.
I am just happy to know that the neighbors are having fun and finding a way to entertain themselves. They all know that I secretly enjoy the attention--after all--this 50's decade is all about me!
So I now share with you the fruits of their labors:
9/6/10
Bestest Damn Neighbor to the North
Alright! Just so that you all know that I have the bestest damn neighbor living to the north of me, let me sing her praises!!!
Within seconds of posting the last comment on the Family Stories piece, Laura was banging on my door with a pile of money!!! I had not even had time to log off!!!
First you must understand that Laura is always surprising me. I wake up on Easter to a yard filled with yellow puff ball dandelions, or pastel colored pinwheels by the dozens, or plastic Easter eggs, etc. And I can never leave my house again over Christmas for all the trashy decorations that are plastered over every inch of my yard.
Laura's creativity is endless and all she needs is the cover of night! (It helps that we are in bed by 9:00 pm most nights :)
Thursday, the night before my birthday, Laura brings over a tray filled with almost every birthday item that I blogged about earlier in the week. "Yes, my birthday is Friday, Sept 3rd, and I expect lots of attention from all my friends and family---gifts, money, chocolate, adoration......whatever!" In the center of the tray was a basket of flowers. Surrounding the flowers were home-baked cookies (in the shape of a crown--I am the Queen if you didn't know.) and four or five different types of small chocolates and a birthday card. Laura even gave me the crown cookie cutter. So my expectation of attention in the form of gifts, chocolate, and adoration were fulfilled (Laura does adore me as Queen of the neighborhood and her adoration is very evident!).
I immediately called her and told her she made my night and my birthday hadn't even begun. Evidently, upon re-reading the blog entry, she must have realized her error in not giving me money, so in the comment box she said she'd give me a dime sometime. We'll I now have much more than a dime, $1.12 to be exact! Cause when I posted that I'd gush her praises when she brought me the money-----I had the money before I could close out the blog.
I hadn't even left my computer chair, when bang, bang, bang--someone's accosting our front door. Thought Wayne would have a heart attack. Then I hear someone running down my stairs--to discover it is Laura with a handful of change. She has now officially granted every one of my birthday blog requests.
And now you understand this tribute to the Best Damn Neighbor to the North!!
Within seconds of posting the last comment on the Family Stories piece, Laura was banging on my door with a pile of money!!! I had not even had time to log off!!!
First you must understand that Laura is always surprising me. I wake up on Easter to a yard filled with yellow puff ball dandelions, or pastel colored pinwheels by the dozens, or plastic Easter eggs, etc. And I can never leave my house again over Christmas for all the trashy decorations that are plastered over every inch of my yard.
Laura's creativity is endless and all she needs is the cover of night! (It helps that we are in bed by 9:00 pm most nights :)
Thursday, the night before my birthday, Laura brings over a tray filled with almost every birthday item that I blogged about earlier in the week. "Yes, my birthday is Friday, Sept 3rd, and I expect lots of attention from all my friends and family---gifts, money, chocolate, adoration......whatever!" In the center of the tray was a basket of flowers. Surrounding the flowers were home-baked cookies (in the shape of a crown--I am the Queen if you didn't know.) and four or five different types of small chocolates and a birthday card. Laura even gave me the crown cookie cutter. So my expectation of attention in the form of gifts, chocolate, and adoration were fulfilled (Laura does adore me as Queen of the neighborhood and her adoration is very evident!).
I immediately called her and told her she made my night and my birthday hadn't even begun. Evidently, upon re-reading the blog entry, she must have realized her error in not giving me money, so in the comment box she said she'd give me a dime sometime. We'll I now have much more than a dime, $1.12 to be exact! Cause when I posted that I'd gush her praises when she brought me the money-----I had the money before I could close out the blog.
I hadn't even left my computer chair, when bang, bang, bang--someone's accosting our front door. Thought Wayne would have a heart attack. Then I hear someone running down my stairs--to discover it is Laura with a handful of change. She has now officially granted every one of my birthday blog requests.
And now you understand this tribute to the Best Damn Neighbor to the North!!
9/1/10
Family Stories
Hey there everyone! Can you tell I've gone back to work??? I'm still breathing even though I seem to be entering my hibernation mode. Just darn tired and running like a crazy woman with work, the community garden, baby Hayley, the Just Between Friends consignment sale, and my yard work.
Now for a little family storytime.......
Got a birthday card from my sis this week (Yes, my birthday is Friday, Sept 3rd, and I expect lots of attention from all my friends and family---gifts, money, chocolate, adoration......whatever!) Now back to the card...
Paula's card was signed, "Love Jane". I did a double take and looked on the envelope at the return address because I have a friend named Jane---so the "Love, Jane" confused me-----until I read her short note:
"With therapy I have learned to accept that I am Jane! Thanks! You old poop stain!"
With those words it all fell into place. And I laughed and laughed and laughed!
Ah, the memories, they seem like yesterday---and obviously they are very close to Paula's heart. When little Paula Jean was just a young thing, she and I shared a room. (I am seven years older than the little squirt so of course she worshipped me.) For some reason, while we lay in bed at night, I thought it was very funny to torment her by whispering the phrase, "Hey Jane, where's Sally?" She'd yell that she wasn't Jane and I just kept whispering the phrase to her every few minutes. This would go on any night that I decided to yank her chain. And obviously she has harbored these memories for over 30 years.
Now lest you think me cruel---just remember that we were, and still are, a disfunctional family (every family is!!!) and I had every reason to save my sanity with these little games. With 5 kids in the family--3 of them bed wetters and quirky to boot, I deserved some down time. If I wasn't helping to raise Paula, I was being asked by my parents to allow one of the bed wetters to climb in bed with me after he had wet his bed, then my parents' bed. And yes, he would then proceed to wet MY bed. And don't feel sorry for Paula. She was the type of kid who was always afraid of the dark and wanted to sleep in my bed too! It was a regular zoo in my bed!!! Did Paula work to overcome her fear of the dark????? NOoooooooooo! She went to every scary movie she could find! She watched Halloween at least 3 times!!!! And then it was, "Sue, I'm scared.....Can I sleep with you?"
So now you know one of my favorite family memories. How about sharing one or two of yours?
Come on---pull out a family skeleton or two!
Now for a little family storytime.......
Got a birthday card from my sis this week (Yes, my birthday is Friday, Sept 3rd, and I expect lots of attention from all my friends and family---gifts, money, chocolate, adoration......whatever!) Now back to the card...
Paula's card was signed, "Love Jane". I did a double take and looked on the envelope at the return address because I have a friend named Jane---so the "Love, Jane" confused me-----until I read her short note:
"With therapy I have learned to accept that I am Jane! Thanks! You old poop stain!"
With those words it all fell into place. And I laughed and laughed and laughed!
Ah, the memories, they seem like yesterday---and obviously they are very close to Paula's heart. When little Paula Jean was just a young thing, she and I shared a room. (I am seven years older than the little squirt so of course she worshipped me.) For some reason, while we lay in bed at night, I thought it was very funny to torment her by whispering the phrase, "Hey Jane, where's Sally?" She'd yell that she wasn't Jane and I just kept whispering the phrase to her every few minutes. This would go on any night that I decided to yank her chain. And obviously she has harbored these memories for over 30 years.
Now lest you think me cruel---just remember that we were, and still are, a disfunctional family (every family is!!!) and I had every reason to save my sanity with these little games. With 5 kids in the family--3 of them bed wetters and quirky to boot, I deserved some down time. If I wasn't helping to raise Paula, I was being asked by my parents to allow one of the bed wetters to climb in bed with me after he had wet his bed, then my parents' bed. And yes, he would then proceed to wet MY bed. And don't feel sorry for Paula. She was the type of kid who was always afraid of the dark and wanted to sleep in my bed too! It was a regular zoo in my bed!!! Did Paula work to overcome her fear of the dark????? NOoooooooooo! She went to every scary movie she could find! She watched Halloween at least 3 times!!!! And then it was, "Sue, I'm scared.....Can I sleep with you?"
So now you know one of my favorite family memories. How about sharing one or two of yours?
Come on---pull out a family skeleton or two!
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