Bocce Goes DEFCON 5.

It was a full on Bocce crisis yesterday. Jim had to get serious with Tabitha first thing, as we discovered the balls at the state tournament were MUCH lighter than the balls we've been practicing with, and it was throwing off everyone's game. (no pun intended there)

AND, to top it off, we've been practicing in gravel, they had to compete in grass.

Poor Tabitha was frustrated, and I don't blame her. She took 4th Place in singles.....she would have done better if the balls had been heavier. Later that evening she'd forgotten ALL about it, though, as she got her groove on at the dance with any gentleman within a few feet of her, with the exception of Coach Jim, who told her "fat country boys don't dance."

Tabitha is a hoot! True story: She came off the bus yesterday morning when we all arrived at the tournament and announced to me (very loudly, in front of a LOT of people) that I had her 8 a.m. meds, it was 8:45, and if she didn't take them right then, she'd be in trouble because "one of those pills is a birth control pill and an egg might have already dropped!" - I have no idea where she's heard this statement, but I'm sure it was an ill-advised warning by a staff person at her group home to ensure that she took them. She actually takes them for a completely unrelated reason. I laughed so hard I nearly pee'd.....she was NOT amused. We found some water and took the damn pills.

Brother-in-law Tim and his doubles partner, Jim-Bob, took the GOLD!! They had a tough time adjusting to the lighter balls as well, but they did exactly what Drill Sargent Jim told them to do - "ADAPT AND OVERCOME!"

Our other doubles pair, Terry and Leah ALSO took the GOLD!!!

I think everyone had a good time. I know I sure did!

We all walked away with sunburned faces, and at the showers in the ladies locker room before the dance, I saw entirely too much stuff I would love to have avoided, but it was totally worth it. I was so proud of them. They all worked very hard.

Our soccer teams did very well yesterday, too.....including our little team of young ones, they also took the gold! And of course, the dance was a blast as usual.....I forgot to take my camera in, but let me tell ya, it was a full on groove-fest, orchestrated by a band of state troopers and cops - those guys rocked!

Bocce& Soccer Trip

Well, at first I wasn't sure how I felt about the State Special Olympics Soccer and Bocce Tourney we're headed off to tomorrow in Olathe, but I gotta say, I'm kinda stoked now.

I'm actually looking forward to it. Our litte team of Bocce stars have worked hard, and they're a fun group, so I think its going to be a good time, and I'm hoping we bring home lots of hardware!

God bless Miss Heather - she's going to cover my shift at the Ol' Death Dealer's post so I can go. I owe her a big one.

Jim's brother and another athlete, Courtney are staying the night at our place tonight - the bus pulls out at 6 a.m. - and if I can keep from wringing their necks before then, well, we're golden.

I plan on taking lots of pictures! There's a dinner and a dance afterward, and I'm sure there will be plenty of crazy photo ops!

Say Hello to My Little Friend.

I had it on good authority that Sailor Jerry was around the corner from my house at Twin Lakes Liquor, and holy crap, it was. This is a banner day.

How swell is it, that two of my favorited things have been put into one beautiful bottle?! Really?!? Right on.

Sailor Jerry Spiced Navy Rum. And this stuff is soooooo tastey. Kinda caramel-ish, kinda vanilla-ish....and nearly three bucks cheaper than Captain Morgan.

Add a little of this bad boy to some Diet Coke with Lime, and you're golden. I think I'm in love. I'm totally keeping this bottle.

**UPDATE** - This stuff has made the last 2 days off of work simply magical.

Holy Crap.

Josh Groban on the Emmy's tonight.

That stuff was the shit! Wicked awesome!!

Anybody else see that?!?!

The Cutest, Saddest Little Thing Ever.

This sweet little face kept me up late last night.

I got a tad hung up on a show called "Orangutan Diary" - I can't remember the channel, but it's a documentary on a facility that rescues these sweet babies. And adults.

I was mesmerized by how much like us they are.

Some babies had been quarantined because of illness. They get the flu just like us!

That face and the stories of him and his group-mates tore me up. As a mother I just wanted to grab him up and hug him.

Big Trouble in the Garrison's Little Garrison.

Ah, the joys of (old) home ownership. Apparently the saying is actually true...."When it rains, it pours."

The ceiling in our bathroom had a big ol' woopsie yesterday morning during Wichita's Storm of the Century.

There's a skylight that I do predict will be a constant source of panic and rage for yours truly over the next few years.

What we thought was just a skylight issue, come to find out, is a full on roof crisis that none of the THREE inspectors (one of which we paid VERY good money out of our own pockets for) that came out when we bought the place seemed too concerned about.

I'm scared to death the whole damn ceiling is going to fall in. (My luck, I'll be in the middle of something important when it happens, if you know what I mean.)

And Yeaay for us....its smack dab in the middle of the room, right in front of the tub. Good stuff.

Lordy. This has been a week from hell for me.
I'd ask "What next?!?" - but I'm afraid to.

SICK AND ENVIOUS.

So I've been sick for like a week. As Forrest Gump would say, cough due to cold....or something like that.

Yesterday, my body said "ENOUGH!" I called in sick, took a fistfull of drugs and slept all day, with the exception of an hour or so, early evening, where I flipped on the television and found Turner Classics Movie channel, where it was a full on Kay Francis fest.

She was an exotic beauty, if you ask me, and quite the snappy dresser. She was THE big deal before Betty Davis came onto the scene.

How is it, the dames in all the old flicks have flawless, porcelain skin? Man, I was born in the wrong time period. I would love to have lived back in the 1930's 40's, 50's......ah the hats! The pearls! The gloves! THE DRESSES!! Wow.

Even though I searched the internet extensively, I've not been able to find a photo of her late in life. I'd love to know how well she aged.

According to Wikipedia, she died as a result of illnesses due to breast cancer. Her personal life was a hot mess, as she was prone to torrid, well publicized affairs......oooooh......ah, I'm still envious. She might have been a dirty girl, but she was a beauty!

First Night of Volleyball

Tonight was the first night of Volleyball for my Special Olympics team. Even though we had a big turnout tonight, seems down a bit from last year. Our athletic director, Kim (the one here with the ball) was as uptight as ever!

I guess Jimbo is coaching our highest level team again this year, and I suppose I'll help him. Its a good cop, bad cop thing with us, and it works pretty well!
Our highest level is what we call the A Team - very high functioning guys, and generally good boys, but they LOVE to horse around.
Ah, there's my buddy, Rexie. I love that guy. He and I are the same age, but you'd never know it by looking at him. In the 6 or 7 years that I've been coaching, I have NEVER seen him get that ball over the net. Nor have I EVER seen him make a basket during basketball season, but he's got more heart than any athlete I know. He's a doll. Can you see that shirt?! It says "Irresistible" - what a hoot!
Her are some more of the usual suspects! Heath, Phillip and Jennifer.
So now I've got Bocce on Tuesdays, Volleyball on Thursdays.....and if I was off on Sundays, I'd be at bowling, too! I do miss the bowling on Sundays, but I must confess, it can be exhausting.

Wow. We've just hit the busy season! In November, we'll go to Overland Park for a few days for the "Fall Classic" - its a weekend of bowling and volleyball competition. And its a blast.

Birthday Girl!

Today was Heather's birthday!
Isn't she pretty? Such a pretty girl.

Jennifer M. did a good job of making her feel special!
And BUBBLES!!!! Who brought the bubbles? Thats pretty cool, but it looks like she had a tough time getting into them!

Good job, Jenn....you really jazzed that office up! You're the bombdigity of birthday planners!

And food galore! Everyone brought munchies, and it was awesome. I meant to get Funions, and I forgot! Its probably a good thing - I would have sat down there and ate the whole damn bag.

Heather also got some gifties from us girls. It looked like she cashed in pretty well!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SISTER! I hope it was a good one! We love you!

God Bless 'Em!!

I'm so excited I think I might have pee'd a little.

I found out this afternoon that tomorrow morning, the Pumpkin Spice Latte and other seasonal items, are coming back to Starbucks for the Fall season.

YEAYEAYEAYEA!!!!!

Ah, THIS is a good sign that my time is coming!

And on top of THAT, Bath & Body Works drops their Fall Editions tomorrow!!! Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, here I come!

Man, I'm pretty stoked. It just doesn't get any better than this.....

Oh, wait! The forecast is showing a high of 68 degrees tomorrow, too!!

WOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!!

A Day at the Zoo With the Twins!

Jim and Tim, that is! The three of us went to the Sedgwick County Zoo today. It was a hot day, but tolerable.

I made Jim promise it was going to be a nice, chilled out, good time day, and that he wouldn't ride his brother like a drill sergeant. So he did manage to chill out and relax. They both did.
This is the funkiest bird I've ever seen. Beautiful, but funky!
ACK! I hate the bats. And they were loud and screechy today!
Baboon + camera = nasty attitude. This guy was a tad rude. I was afraid there might be some poo flingin', but we bailed before it got too ugly.
Today was the very first time I've seen the penguin exhibit. They're so cool!
Now this is my very favorite part of the day. These guys just laid there and stared back at us! The one on the left sat there and picked at his teeth and stared at us. Adorable.
Ahh, now this angel was feeling pretty needy today, because her sister was out for breeding.

And the goats were as annoying as ever!
This one rammed me in the butt several times and Jim & Tim had to save me from him more than once. I feared for my life!
Oh, yeah. We got Sno-Cones. Jim bought us some Sno-Cones. I had the grape. Tim & Jim had lime. Aparrently, the lime was a little tart.
Jim made a friend at the petting area. I've seen this horse bite at people before, but today, Jim was okay to visit with, as long as he had food in his hand. This horse is a beauty. Seemed kinda shy, but Jim managed to get up close and personal.
All in all, the day was good. I just wish it had been a little cooler. It was FANTASTIC to have a whole day off with Jim! Its been a while since we both had a day off of work together!