A Visit From an Okie.

Jim's Uncle Tom came up from Talequa, Oklahoma this holiday weekend to visit. I got a shot of him with Tim & Jim at breakfast this morning.

I LOVE Uncle Tom. He's your typical, self proclaimed "Country Boy" who's gotta have his coffee (straight black) every morning and shares my affection for bacon and eggs.
He's super cool and it was great to see him!

C'mon, Autumn!!

I live for fall. I'm an autumn on that silly color chart, you know, and its my very favorite season. It can't get here fast enough for me.

Every year around this time, I start getting listless. Like I NEED something but I have no idea what it is, but this year, I know what it is!

Its the changing of the colors in the trees in Riverside! Its the "Fall Edition" scents at Bath and Body Works! Its Pumpkin Spice or some sort of freaky nutmeg-type Candles! Its chili with a hot and gooey cinnamon roll for dinner on a cool Sunday evening! Its candy bar mini's by the bagful, useless Halloween crap that I do not need but HAVE to have, and pumpkins on the porch! Its weather cool enough for just your hoodie and maybe a scarf! Its that late afternoon/early evening sun sitting different in the sky!

I cannot wait. Its the best time of year! It needs to hurry and get here!!!

CRAZY WORK WEEK.

Heavens! The week before a 3 day holiday weekend at a newspaper can get nutty!

I've worked very late the last couple of nights, and I'm beat.

Tomorrow is D-Day, so to speak, and I'm not sure I can take much more. I suppose its a good thing to be so busy, considering the state of affairs at the Big Bird, but I'm spent!

Labor Day will be the first actual holiday I've had off for a while, and I think I may try to talk Big Daddy into a big breakfast and some sort of a road trip for the day. I gotta get out of the house. I have no big plan, but Mamma needs to cut loose!

Breakfast with the Ladies!

This morning before I headed in to work, I had breakfast with a few of my very good friends and work buddies, Vonnie & Leslie at the King's X, right down the road from my house. In the many years I've lived in Wichita, I have never eaten there. From the stories I've heard, its looking like they cleaned it up! I was pleasantly surprised at how clean this greasy spoon was!

It has to be said, however, I will eat breakfast with ANYONE who asks, ANYWHERE they choose, as I am a bit of a scrambled eggs and bacon whore......and it must be served with some hot coffee (cream and sugar please). I LOVE breakfast, but I don't get a chance to eat it much, so I reserve such a treat for the weekends once in a while. There's nothing better the the previously mentioned, and I get excited just thinking about it. God, I love bacon, especially when someone else has cooked it! Scrambled eggs and bacon make the rest of the day better for some reason.

I hope we start meeting up on the regular for breakfast. I had a real good time. And I think I'm fed for the day!

In stray kitten news.....Jim delivered Rikki Rockett to the Humane Society this afternoon, and the girls there immediately renamed him "Orange Julius" - what a CROCK! That's lame. Apparently, they have no sense of creativity or respect for the hair bands. Jim said they told him he'll (they said "he", so I'm going with it) be there for at least 7 days, as he has to be checked over and deloused, so to speak. Bless his little heart, he'll get three hots and a cot for a while, anyway.

SAILOR JERRY.

I am currently obsessed with the tattoo art of "Sailor Jerry" Collins. He developed his own pigments, thus single handedly expanding color options in the world of tattooing.

I just think its pretty awesome.

He died in 1973, but his legacy lives on in a gigantic product line, including apparel for men, women & babies, designer Converse shoes, housewares, barware, playing cards.....you name it.

I think I was born in the wrong time period. I love anything World War II - ish. Sailor Jerry is right up my alley.

On a similar note - thanks Heather for the heads up on Blog Gadgets. Lovin' me some Pin-Up Girls!

Wednesday Night Drama.

Drama last night, for me anyway, as my boy Daniel had his "Final Cut" on Sheer Genius. Needless to say, I was devastated. He was so adorable. Cutest little gay boy out of Dallas!
He was always so positive and happy, rarely did he say a negative thing about the other contestants. And his big Texas hair styles were wicked awesome. He even admitted that he's "from Texas! I carry hairspray in my back pocket!"
Last night when he got cut, he admitted they just didn't wear their hair big enough there in California, but he was also very gracious and kind as ever on his way out.
Just a cutie.
I personally think Dee should've gone home - she gives the same damn haircut every time.

Other drama.....Well, little Rikki Rockett is still hanging around our driveway, and it doesn't help that the He-Man Cat Hating Jimbo is giving it TUNA! Can you believe THAT?!?

We even called PALS Animal Rescue and they were no help at all. Jim is going to call his super cool hippie aunt and see if she'll take him/her (I still don't know).

It cried alllll night last night, and a possum was giving it some grief, to boot. That made the crying unbearable......my guilt is overwhelming, and I have no idea why. Its not my problem, but the heart on my sleeve says it is.

Damn it!

Startling Discoveries.

Startling discovery #1: Oh, I do believe I have a HUGE problem....but its really tiny. This bitsy little kitten is hanging out next to the driveway, and intently watching the front porch, which is a huge deck that Jim had to seal off one side of with lattice work because cats and other things were taking refuge under it........I'm worried that this child's mother might be under there or something, cause its not leaving, and Jim is going to have a FIT when he gets home, because soft hearted Robyn took pitty and fed it some chihuahua food soaked in a little milk. (maybe we should keep that to ourselves, girls)

I've named it Rikki (as in Rikki Rockett of Poison, because of the hair color) but I have no idea if its a girl or a boy, and if it doesn't disappear soon, Jim could get super bitchy about it.
Second startling (but very cool) discovery? A full 12 pack of longneck Miller Lites will fit in my bicycle basket......I tested this by visiting my neighborhood liquor store. I'm sure everyone in there thought I had a DUI or something, but who cares what they think! I looked pretty cool riding up to the door with my dice calve covers and wire basket!
The neighbor kids are still telling me how cool my bike is, and asking me to ride with them. Does that constitute an invitation to a gang?! Right on!

Saturday Night Visitors and a Trip to the Men's Room

Tonight our friends Darrell and Sharla stopped by, with their SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD SON and the motorcycle they bought him. STUPID! I love these guys, but I wouldn't trust a seventeen year old boy on a bike. Darrell is making him take the motorcylce driving course, and he's only allowed to ride with them, but still! Maybe I'm just a worry wart. On the other hand, this kid has been drag racing in a Junior Dragster for years.

At any rate, they didn't buy him a Harley, the Harley is Darrell's. They bought him a Boulevard for "only" $10,000 (Darrell's got more money than he knows what to do with) - but it looks just like Darrell's Harley.
Darrell bought new pipes with the money he won at the casino a few weeks ago. We heard him coming from blocks away!

Sharla is so skinny, I bet he has to keep checking to make sure she's still on there! She's as thin as a rail! Just naturally that way.

Those two are a hoot. They're a couple of country folk from Oklahoma, he drives a tow truck and owns his own little trucking company - they make a ton of money, but you'd never know it by looking at them. Or as Darrell says, "We ain't fancy people."

They have two teenage sons, and just took in a foster teen because they couldn't stand to see how the poor kid was living with the family before them. They may not be fancy, but they're good people.

So....tonight, Jim and I ventured over to the Wal-Mart on 53rd St (the new store) to get some groceries and what not. In the middle of the trip, I was hit with some frightening tummy issues (been fighting it a few days) and had to make a crazy dash to the restroom. Normally, I'd avoid the Wal-Mart toilets, but it was an emergency. In my haste, I walked right into the men's room, and of course, there was a dude at the urnials. It took me a few seconds for what I was seeing to register, but I didn't stop walking, and I didn't say a word. I just turned right around and walked out. Quickly.

AWKWARD!!

Last Night's Show

I'm getting too old for this shit. But I did it anyway, because I'm clinging to my youth, tooth and nail. Heather and I went to the LA Guns & Faster Pussycat show last night in Old Town, and it was a good time, but I'm not the ONLY thing that time has drastically changed.

LA Guns THEN (very late 80's, early 90's)

LA Guns NOW

With Marty Casey of Rockstar INXS fame and some other young dudes I do not know. Marty was mean to our Heather last night, and therefore, I am refusing to blog about him.

Faster Pussycat THEN

Faster Pussycat NOW

They got scary, like Marilyn Manson scary.....and I don't recognize THEIR bandmates now either. I think there's just one or two original left, including Taime Down, and he was unrecognizable to me. (just like myself, he got a tad chubby in the face)

The long haired bad boys of my youth are gone. Looong gone, but then again, so is my ability to stay awake for a late night rock show.

Wednesdays with Timmy.

Kinda like Tuesdays with Maury. Only with the brother-in-law.

On my way over, I swung by and picked up Ron, a fellow athlete who was on the Kansas Volleybally Team with Tim at the first ever Special Olympics Nationals a few years ago.

This evening we (mostly I) made tuna tortellini, with a HUGE lack of pots and pans. Dang. I agreed to start cooking with him on the regular, so I guess we're going to have to venture out and get some cookware.

Tim knows how to make hamburgers, and we keep him in good supply of meals from the freezer, so he doesn't have to use the stove too often on his own - Jim's affraid he'll leave it on by mistake, and that is very likely.

I think next time, Robyn's gonna have to take her sweet-ass Panini press with her - I think he can handle sandwich assembly.

I figure with Jim on call on Wednesday nights, I might as well hang out with the OTHER twin. I don't think he'll ever be Emeril, but I'm trying! Tim's very high functioning, but EXTREMELY forgetful, so it'll be an interesting test of my patience, for sure.

Maybe I'll take pictures of our creations and blog about it when I can!

Bocce Buddies.

It was Special Olympics Bocce practice night again, and I had a few more athletes interested in coming out for it, so tonight Tabitha & Kent joined us. They've never played before, but they sure were good at it!

Here we have Jim-Bob (yes, thats really his name, actually, I think its James Robert, but to everyone its just Jim-Bob) in the sunglasses, his fiance' of about 16 years or so, (not kidding - they've lived together forever.....commitment issues I guess....)Leah, and on the right, that's Tim, my bro-in-law. Here's Terry - she's an old pro at this sport. Seriously. The girl's got game! They should have made HER the coach, she's that good.
These 4 - Tim, Terry, Jim-Bob & Leah, have been with our Special Olympics team for a very, very long time. I couldn't even tell you the years between them, but they've been with the team WAY longer than me, for sure.
I'm really enjoying coaching this sport. Last Thursday, we were missing some athletes, so Jim and I played with Leah & Jim-Bob.....guys against girls......and I gotta tell ya, I think I'm a pro. I'm wicked awesome with a Bocce ball.

Panini Breakfast

This morning, Becky and I slept in and then got up and made breakfast Panini's in my new Panini Press......AND THEY WERE SOOOOOO FANTASTIC!!

I love that damn machine. So easy to use. So easy to clean! We used some of the jalepeno cheese bread I picked up at the farmers market the other day, some ranch dressing, bacon, turkey & provolone. It was the bombdiggity of sandwiches. I am so excited about this new toy of mine. I'm going to be a Panini eating fool! And its perfect for a gal like me - that finds herself dining alone most nights while Jimbo is still out working.

So this afternoon we went out and bought a wire basket for my new bike, a bell that says "I Love My Bike", and some dice valve covers. I'm going to be the queen of the neighborhood!

Birthday Goodness.

Today was my birthday. Started out crummy, got WAY better come evening time.

I got home from a semi-crappy day at work to find my sweet baby girl there with a Panini Press for me! Very exciting! I love Panini sandwiches. So does Becky.

I'm looking forward to makin' some interesting sandwiches with Becky on it.

THEN! Jimbo drug me out to the garage to present me with a super cool Del Mar Schwinn Crusier bike to ride while we restore the Hollywood Schwinn that the Clintons of the White House (but not THAT White House) gave me a while back. Jim needs to do some tweaking - the guys that assembled it put some stuff on backwards....like the front fender.
It looks blue here, but its actually a pearly purple-ish color. I LOVE IT!!

I felt like an 8 year old, climbing on that thing tonight and tearing around the block. I cannot WAIT to ride it on the regular....I can already tell its going to be REALLY good exercise. And I feel so damn spoiled!

I'm totally getting a bell and a wire basket for this thing!

Jimbo, his brother, Tim, and Becky took me out to dinner at Johnny Carino's for my favorite meal, the cheese tortelloni.....and a HUGE glass of wine.

I also got a beautiful plant from my buddy, Vonnie, and my other other good friend, Leslie, stopped by work today with a goodie bag that included a Happy Bunny shirt that says "Hi. Where's Your Off Button?"

At any rate, it turned out to be a perfectly self-indulgent, giant child day for me. And it was fantastic!

I HATE Garage Sales, However...

My bestest bestest friend since KINDERGARTEN, Jennifer, and her husband just moved from Hoisington, KS to Clearwater, KS, and she has a 3 year old that's going through clothes like mad.

So Saturday morning, before I head in to work, Jenn and I are going to have some quality girl time and hit the west side garage sales. (Cowgirl - anything good goin' on in your neighborhood?) I cannot stand garage sales, but perhaps I'll be able to find myself some good stuff to practice pinstriping on!

Jennifer has been my best friend since the very first day of kindergarten out in Great Bend, KS. I love her. Very much. We've been through so much stuff....mean girls, puberty, bad boyfriends (and a couple of good ones, wink wink!) nasty breakups, terribly broken hearts, CRAZY parties, lots of drinking, her wedding, my divorce, babies, job changes, WHEW!.....serious water under that bridge. I would not be the person I am today had I not picked a fight with her over the play kitchen that fateful morning in September, 1977-ish (or something....stop doing the math in your head....I'm old.)

She and her husband, Dirk, took jobs at the high school there in Clearwater. He's an algebra teacher and a football coach, she's the guidance counselor....and they are the best people I know. And I am soooooo excited to have them here now.

At any rate, anything Jenn wants to do, I'm game for! Cause I love that girl!

**UPDATE**
It rained all morning so the garage sale trip was a bust, but we did hit the Farmers' Market at 21st & Ridge and got some wicked awesome jalapeno-cheese bread from Yoder that was the BOMB! Yummmmmo.

Bocce Rocks!!

I have been to the Bocce Pit, and it is good. Actually, ITS AWESOME!!!! I had such a blast tonight with the Special Olympics athletes! I cannot believe I've not coached this before! We practiced at Sedgwick County Park tonight, (they have Bocce pits) and its much tougher than it looks.....a LOT tougher! It takes some restraint and control. Unfortunately, I had to run out to a sporting goods store with my brother-in-law and buy TWO BOCCE SETS tonight, (the team set is MIA) and those balls ain't cheap! But Let me tell ya, it was worth every penny!
I cannot WAIT to try this game out myself. WOOHOO!! Next week I'm taking pictures to post for the world to see our little team!

New Adventures.

Monday I drug out my 1 Shot paint and brushes and decided to do some more practicing. So I painted the tissue box cover I picked up at a thrift store a while back.

I'm getting really frustrated, partly because I need a place to practice and not make a gigantic mess. Jim says I can have a spot in the detached garage, but its so HOT right now! The painting isn't going as well as it should, but perhaps when the weather cools off I can spend some time out there and really focus.

It looks like brother-in-law, Tim, is about to be my new buddy. Tim and I are going to start cooking together over at his apartment as often as possible. Jim's afraid he'll leave the stove on, and his list of things he knows how to make is very short. On top of the cooking, I'll be helping him keep his apartment picked up, mostly to keep Jim off his back.

Ever heard of Bocce? Its kinda like lawn bowling. Well, its also a Special Olympics sport that takes place along with soccer. It took me a week or so to talk the brother-in-law into giving it a try, (it would get him out of the house on Tuesday nights) but in the process, I got roped into being the coach. ?!?!? I know JACK SQUAT about bocce. I guess I better go google it.

NO CANCER! NO MONEY!

The biopsy came back benign! No cancer! Whew! That was a nail biter. When I finally got sick of waiting for them to call me, I got on the horn. Coincidentally, my doctor and another doctor were looking at the results, so I was on hold forever and the nurse wound up having to call me back. I was super relieved to not have to spend all weekend worried sick. Now if I could just get lefty to heal....I kid you not when I say, its black and green - HUGE bruise.

Last night's adventure to First Council was a real stinker. Jim and I dropped about $200 each, and came back with completely empty pockets. (I did very well for a while and got cocky - blew the whole thing.) Our friend Daryl spent about $100 and came home with $2400!! (He stayed on one machine and it went up and down and finally hit a jackpot) His wife Sharla spent about $100 and won around $250.

I should have just given my wad of money to someone and had them kick me in the ass!

I laughed out loud when security asked Daryl if he needed an escort to his vehicle. Daryl is a big bald scary biker lookin' dude - I doubt anyone would want to take him on for $2400. They even gave him a gift bag of goodies on our way out.

It really wasn't a bad little drive down there, and knowing Jim, we'll be back down there again sometime.