Something Worth Blogging About...

Once again, I've neglected my blog. I haven't had much to write home about these days.....I've joined the ranks of the unemployed. It's rough hitting those buttons on the phone each week to collect my unemployment. (do you smell sarcasim?) Optimistically on the job hunt, I took a week to travel to the great state of Texas for the wedding of Jim's cousin Amber and her new husband, Daniel.

It was storybook from the word go! With the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin as the backdrop, it was a beautiful evening wedding.

Here's Uncle Jesse (no, he doesn't own a white pick-up, nor does he wear overalls) giving his little girl away in her $10,000 gown. !!!! (she's an attorney for Austin's biggest law firm...smart cookie, that girl....and she DID pay for that dress on her own.)

Jim even took his suit out of the back of the closet for the shindig.

I finally got to meet his cousin, Corey, who lost his dad (Jim's uncle) 12 days after Jim lost his. Corey's not tall, Jim is just extremely fun sized.

Amber's guy, Dan, is a computer engineer....so between the 2 of them, I'm sure they are sitting very well.....they are honeymooning in Maui.

It was just about the prettiest wedding I've ever attended. She looked like Cinderella.....it appears that I do not have my pics in the correct order, but you get the idea.

Congrats, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Weigl!

Haven't Blogged in a While....

Damn Facebook.

It has kept me from Blogging in a while....that and a wicked nasty stomach virus that has kept me down and out here and there....

After a few weeks of violent incidents in the bathroom, I decided I needed to visit the doctor.

Much to my surprise, I had a virus that attacks the lining of your stomach and can go dormant if it so desires instead of just going away.

Mine went dormant, and a few glasses of white wine woke it up......with a vengeance.

So its been a rough couple of weeks, and I had no idea my stomach could get so angry at me, but I think I am slowly on the mend - and I'm hoping by the time we go away to Texas for a week in April, I won't have such wicked bathroom emergencies. That could make for a miserable trip.

Becky's Birthday Breakfast.

My baby turned 17 yesterday. Man I feel old.

So for her birthday, we made our maiden voyage to the Donut Whole this morning for some breakfast yumminess. Becky and I are officially in love with the Maple Bacon donuts. Fabulous. I also had a Pumpkin Ginger Snap.......wonderful. I worked my ass off at the gym for those donuts, and I enjoyed every sweet moment of it.

Miss Becky is a tad obsessed with photographing toilets - namely public ones (I'm not sure where she gets her eclectic/odd hobbies, SURELY not me) so of course, she had to snag my camera and make a beeeeeeline for the can.

She was pleasantly suprised:

I'm pretty stoked that the Donut Whole is open 6 a.m. to midnight, and the drive-thru is open 24hrs. RIGHT ON!!!!

Can someone please tell me,

WHAT IN THE HOLY HELL
HAS HAPPENED TO JOAQUIN PHOENIX?!?!?!?

Apparently he has announced that he is quitting acting forever and is going to be a musician. Whatever man, that's cool, I LOVED LOVED LOVED you in Walk the Line, but COME ON, DUDE! TAKE A FRICKIN' SHOWER, OR SOMETHING. Damn. AND......1986 called, they want their sunglasses back.

Family comes to Visit.

HEY LOOK! My double chin is going away!
Those workouts and dreadful low-fat lunch-cicles must be working!!

My brother, David and his wife and kids came for a Kansas visit. They're in Texas - my brother is an engineer for Fox Sports. For everything Fox, actually. He's my favorite techno-geek. He invited us out to the sticks, just south of Goddard last night, to join them for dinner at his in-laws. Nothin' like country cookin'!

My nephew Joshua turns 5 today. He's having a big Batman themed pizza party. I'm missing it because I'm working, but its just as well - my family is very disfunctional, and I really don't need the stress. Uncle Jimmy and I bought him Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends" - I'm sure he'll be thrilled to pieces to get a damn book for his birthday - but we also got a pirate ship to assemble. Uncle Jimmy got sent to the party to bear the brunt of my family hell.

My niece, Olivia, is growing so fast! She's almost a year old and I can already tell she's going to be a LOT like her Aunt Robyn - chatty, chatty. She's a talker! I have no idea what she's saying, but I am positive its very important.

Went to see The Keeper.....

and found a TROLL.....

Last night, Becky, Jimbo and I went down to see The Keeper of the Plains after dark (lovely, but I couldn't get a good picture to save my life).

Becky drug us on quite a little hike just east of there to a spillover grate illuminated inside by a green light. Creepy.

Right there, down inside the grate was a troll! CREEEEEPY.

I never even knew he was there. Chained to the beams and wearing sandals. He must be seen at night for full effect though....cause he's CREEEEEEEEPY.

Saturday Night with the Kid.

I have discovered that the Daryl Starbird Rod & Custom Show every January is the same old stuff. So I think I'm going to have to skip a few years so I don't get so dreadfully bored. The highlight for me is stalking the folks at the Midwest Airbrush & Pinstriping Guild booth. I'm sure they're sick to death of me.

Becky, Jimbo and myself attended last night, to the tune of $16 a piece. Sheesh. When Mr. Starbird runs off to the big car show in the sky, I hope its on the weekend and his family chooses to run a big gigantic obituary so I can get my damn money back.

Speaking of death, I do believe my favorite exhibit was the copy of "The Black Widow" horse drawn hearse. The undertaker that came with it was one super cool dude....big black top hat and all. Becky & I were in agreement that he looked like Ted Nugent.

I love it when Becky spends time with us on the weekend. Its few and far between with high school and an after school job....me working the weekends......but when the stars are in alignment, she's got a day off from work and there's a teacher in-service Monday, we have us a good time!

She's a tad cooky like her mother though, and just like mom, she appreciates the unusual things in life. Becky and I always seem to find ourselves laughing at the dumbest stuff and embarrassing the heck out of Jimbo......He needs to loosen up.

Here's mommy's little angel checking out some rockabilly boys just out of shot of my camera.

Open Letter to John Travolta.

Dear Mr. Travolta,

I enjoyed our visit this morning.

Allow me to explain.....

I was having my weekly "Cup of Coffee with a Celebrity" this morning (A.K.A. watching Inside the Actors Studio in my jammies with a mug o' joe) and suddenly found myself glued to the television and mesmerized by your all around nice guy-ness, clinging to your every word.

I mean, sure, I've seen every movie you've ever made, Grease repeatedly, Urban Cowboy like, a million times, (Pulp Fiction and Michael are my fav's though) and back in the day I watched Welcome Back Kotter reruns like a damn fool, but I've never considered myself a fan, like FANATIC fan or anything....
But today I have a whole new respect for you. I found your humble, genuine kindness quite refreshing. I was especially touched by the statement you made on how everyone has something very interesting about themselves to share - you just have to know the right questions to ask to find it. And your thoughts on not letting what others might say or think of you affect your outlook on your life or your career - well, that was just brilliant. You seem morally sound.

I must confess, as a very lazy Methodist, I used to scoff and roll my eyes at your religious choices, and admittedly, I know nothing about Scientology. With that said though, you seem to be an honest man of great integrity, and I dig that.

I'm totally adding you to my list of people, living and/or dead, that I would like to meet. You're going straight to the top of that list.

If you ever find yourself in Wichita on some sort of aviation-type business, call me. We'll do lunch. I can't make a bierock to save my life, but maybe we could go down to the McDonald's and get a Royale or Le Big Mac.

Sincerely,
Rockyn Robyn

The Bierock Still Eludes Me.

This is not any creation of mine.

"Operation Not Scared" took an ugly turn today. I took on a new project and failed. On Sunday, I attempted Crock Pot Beans and Ham, and it turned out so well, I got cocky.

Needless to say, what came out the other end of my cooking venture today was edible, but by no means did it even closely resemble a bierock.

I am not letting this culinary failure beat me down. It just makes me even more determined to get it mastered.

Heather? I may need a lesson in the ways of the Bierock. I'm just sayin'.

Starting 2009 Off With a Bang.

Even though I am NOT a fan of New Year's Resolutions, I have suddenly found myself stepping up and diving right in to some.

I've decided 2009 is the year that I stop being scared. Period. Scared of what? Whatever. Even the slightest, smallest phobias are getting sucker punched this year.

It started yesterday.....

Jim and I attended a Concealed Carry Handgun class, instructed by a 27 year lieutenant with the Wichita Police Department. I caught some guff, being what he called a "member of the media" attending a Concealed Carry class, but he was a wonderful instructor, and I was grateful to have had him.

Just sitting in the same room with guns was a HUGE step for me. Guns of any kind terrify me, especially handguns. I grew up in Western Kansas where terrible hunting accidents and guns-in-the-closet curiosities caused the messy deaths of fellow students and a few friends. I was ready to stop being "that girl" - That prissy girl that lives in a happy little bubble of peace, love and non-confrontation. I was ready to be the kind of girl that can look anyone square in the eye. The kind of girl that can stand up for herself without getting mad and crying. The kind of girl that isn't constantly scared of the unknown.

So we spent most of the day getting a cold, hard education in a classroom setting and "dry firing" at targets. Then 4:30 came, and we all drove over to a firing range, where we had to fire 5 rounds into an FBI regulation target, one handed, at a 3 foot distance, to qualify for the okay to apply for a Concealed Carry License. (this sounds easy, but my little hand barely had the strength to pull the trigger all by itself - its tougher than it sounds.) Then we had to fire 20 more rounds two handed from 5 and 7 feet. (that's my target at the top of the blog. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself! except for the 2 strays.)

This was the very first time EVER that I had held a loaded gun, let alone fire it. I was petrified. I chose to use a revolver, as the glocks were just too hard for me to handle and get the job done.
The firing range was full of a few other classes, so it was loud with gunfire, even with my big red ear protection muffs on, and I was jumpy and shaking like a leaf. Shaking like a leaf is not good when you have to load a revolver in front of your instructor and then fire it one handed. (if you're conjuring images of Don Knotts, so was I at the time!)

Long story short - by the end of the day, I had overcome my gun fear, and after the shaking stopped, I felt like a million bucks.
Will I apply for the license to carry a handgun? Not sure yet. If push comes to shove and I was in fear for my life, could I fire a gun at another human being? If I had one in my nightstand and someone entered my home with the intent to do me harm, you're damn right I would.
Will I purchase a gun and spend time at the firing range with my husband? You bet. (I wonder if I can get one in pink to match my cell phone and my digital camera.) The confidence I had in myself when we left was refreshing. And I stood a little straighter for facing one of my demons, head on.

So whats next? Well, this morning I tackled the fear of making crock pot beans and ham - my very first pot got started and its cooking as I write this blog. I am CONFIDENT that it will be edible this evening.

New Year's Eve With the Girls.

Much to Jim's dismay....the evening of Dec. 31 was
GIRLS NIGHT!!
He was bored stiff, but took it very well.
Where there's chips and dip, Jim's not too far away.

Vonnie invited Leslie, Jim and I over to her place
for New Years Eve.

I think the photos speak for themselves.

Believe it or not, I was a VERY good girl, and awoke New Years Day feeling quite proud of myself, and not at all wanting to die. This is a HUGE step forward on my path to being all growed up.....knowing when to say when.

We did have a real good time though,
and it was good to cut loose and relax with my girls.
And Jim.

Obsessive-Compulsive Meets Patience.

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a bit of a clean freak - especially at home. Chalk it up to a mother who was a complete nazi when it came to being tidy.

I am, as I sit here and type this blog, ready to freak the hell out. My home is filthy with chunks of ceiling everywhere, its noisy, and my chihuahua is a ball of nerves.

Today there are roofers on my roof.

I was not expecting roofers on my roof today.

I discovered them in the shower this morning. I could hear them up there, but they're awful fast, and as the skylight directly above me was being ripped out of the ceiling, there were at least three guys speaking spanish and laughing very loudly. Awkward, to say the least.

So back to the chunks of ceiling. Its everywhere, and there's not much I can do about it till they quit for the day. This is a HUGE problem for me. HUGE. It's all I can do to sit here and wait. I want to vaccuum so bad I can't stand it.

Bewteen the mess, the noise, and the dog barking so hard all four feet come off the floor......I suddenly feel entitled to a drink.

Christmas Dinner and the Houdini Dog.

Riley the Super Chihuahua has a new name.
"Houdini Dog".....

Let me back up a little.

The other day, Rebekah and I, at Jim's request, purchased a little hoodie for the dog. He's 6 lbs of skin and bone, and he ssshhhivvvvers like he's going to freeze to death, whether its 20 degrees or 100 outside.
He let us put it on him without a fight, and then sat there in disgust as we laughed at him.
Needless to say, he hates it, and when no one is looking, he manages to get out of it, leaving it right side out, and sometimes it even looks like he folded the damn thing for me! Talk about giving me the finger!

So on to Christmas dinner! It turned out very well, considering the outdated tiny-ness of my kitchen! it got a little crazy but in the end, it was worth the struggle!
I even got to use the buffet that came with our dining room table. Very exciting.

Ah, that roast was the BOMB!

Considering this is what I've got to work with in the way of kitchen appliances,
I think I really pulled off a feast! The only redeeming quality about this range
is the double oven action going on here. The rest of it? Blegch!

Someday, I'll have that chef's kitchen
I've always dreamed of.
Till then, well, back to the crock pot!

Mama Cashes In.

FIRST ORDER OF BLOGGER BUSINESS: I got my diamond earrings for Christmas!! Right On!!
I'm kind of a "kept woman" these days.

My sweet baby girl got me a wicked awesome pair of Snoopy VS The Red Baron pajama bottoms and some fuzzy blue slippers to match - ADORABLE.

She and Jimbo decided to get me a super shnazzy french beret - they were in agreement that the one I've been wearing makes me look "like a little old lady"......whatever. This new one IS pretty cool, though. I'm looking forward to wearing in public for the sole purpose of embarrassing them to no end. I look pretty bad ass in it.

Documentation of dinner to come! It turned out pretty darn good, if I may say so myself. I shall be called, from this day forward, "The Pot Roast Queen."

A True Christmas Miracle.

Somebody alert the media. Yours truly will be attempting to make the family Christmas Feast this year.

Starting at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, I'm doing the cookin' for the Garrison clan.

This may not seem like a big deal, but with the dilapidated, run down, ratty-ass 60's kitchen I've got, it should prove to be a real interesting day.

Thank Heaven for crock pots, because it'll be roast all the way, kids.

And trust me - there will be pictures taken to document this unprecedented occasion! And of course, a blog posting!!!

Jim's Company Christmas Party.

Somehow, I managed to upload pictured of Jimbo's company Christmas party, without pictures of Jimbo! I don't know what the heck happened to them.

But here are a few highlights....

I officially LOOOVE his co-worker, Bryan. He's a scream. Very flamboyant, cheerleader & cheerleading coach, loves getting pedicures. He's just adorable and I think he's my new BFF.

I caught him eating cake here.

Now, lets talk about Jim's boss, Tate. Oh, my. Very handsome. I'm pretty sure after a few drinks I was following him around like a puppy. He's a western Kansas boy (mmmm...hmmmhmmm) and one tall, cool drink of water. And a drummer......need I say more?

And his wife, Jackie is just the biggest sweetheart! I was hoping before I met her that she'd be a real horse's ass, but NO! I love her! Dang. That makes it so much harder to oggle over the boss.

Virginia played it low key this time. She stayed off the hooch and I think she probably found it much easier to get up the next day.

Transpooper Pee.

Oh, no, no, no. I meant "Transporter 3".....

Sucked so bad I was surprised there was any air left in the theater when it was over. A crapfest of EPIC proportions. I am not exaggerating.

I really took one for the team going to see this gigantic turd last night. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm okay with action movies - I sat through the last 2 Transporter flicks with Jimbo - the first one on DVD, and the second in theaters, (and then repeatedly on cable because Jim had the clicker - it was out of my control.) and I liked them just fine. Jason Statham is some SERIOUS eye candy. So I brought this all on myself when I said, "Sure babe. Whatever you want to see is fine with me."

I think they went too far making this third installment.

The only redeeming factor is that Mr. Statham was shirtless many times.

Allow me to break down the numbers for you:

Number of times "Frank Martin" had to fight multiple hench men all by himself: 3

Number of times his shirt was either ripped off or taken off voluntarily: 4 (oh, mommy likey - might have been 5.....things get fuzzy for me when it comes off.)

Number of times his Audi took an impossible flying leap that should have killed him or at least rendered the car undriveable: COUNTLESS.

Number of cheesy "Holy CRAP that was stupid, who writes this stuff" lines the bad guy had: Like, 12

Number of times I looked at my husband and said "Really! Really??! Is this what we're doing?!": probably 10

Hours of my life I will never get back: almost 2

It was very, very, very bad, and I wanted to kick my own ass for agreeing to see it. Jim is SOOO sitting through a chick flick this week.

Idiot of the Day Award.....

Goes to this kid right here.

Today at work, I was standing in the middle of a room full of advertising sales reps, awaiting some instructions.

While I waited, I noticed some Christmas decor attached to some garland, and decided to touch THEM, with the palm of my hand. Cupping them ever so gently, palm up, I suddenly realized they were the ONLY CHRISTMAS BALLS STRUNG ANYWHERE on that garland.....and then it occurred to me that these TWO SHINY BLUE BALLS were hung there as a dirty little inside joke by someone, and I HAD BEEN STANDING THERE, FONDLING THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM. !!!!!!!!!!

I looked around to see if anyone had noticed, and immediately felt very dirty and stupid.

Naive much? Yes. Yes I am.

I Hate the Kansas Cold & The Snow.

Chihuahuas don't dig it, either. This one, otherwise known as "Riley The Super Chihuahua," spent most of the day under a blanket, with his nose out just far enough to keep himself in the know. Getting him to go outside and take care of business in this kind of Kansas weather takes an act of Congress.

I don't so much mind the cold, but the wicked wind and the snow and ice I can do without.

That poor Mexican river rat with his butt parked on my couch agrees.

I Found This and Had to Share!

Freshly-borned Capuchin is a skosh grumpy

One-day-old baby Capuchin monkey:

"It is ENTIRELY too bright out here! Turn out the lights! Get me a sleep mask, SOMETHING! OMG PEOPLE!"

I found this and the quote at Cute Overload, while parooooozing some random blogs. I thought it was funny as hell.