Big Cedar

Thursday, we set off for a weekend of fun, relaxation and bliss. In November, I had purchased one of those $59 "Branson Getaway" packages from Bass Pro where you get 3 days and 2 nights plus $50 in show tickets and a $25 gift card for Bass Pro. Basically you get $75 worth of freebies in addition to the 2 nights in a nice hotel, all they ask in return is for 90 minutes of your time to try to sell you a piece of the time share pie.

Normally they put you up in the Radisson. We stayed there the last time we did it and didn't care for it so we were supposed to stay in the Clarion, but then at the last minute Bluegreen called and said they were putting us up at Big Cedar in the Valley View Lodge. Ok, that seems nice, a little ouf of the way, but nice. All we wanted was an indoor pool and a hot tub and they had that so we were good.

We left for Branson by 5:45, we hit nasty traffic on I-44 in Joplin twice, it took us over an hour to get to the Rangeline exit, which normally takes right at 25 minutes or less. By the time we got to Branson it was after 8:00 and we were beat........ We checked in and crashed. Or tried to. The idiots in the room next to us had their tv blaring all night long, we could hear it over our heat/AC unit running less than 4 feet from our heads. It was loud. Around 1:00am we called down to the front desk and complained, it took them well over an hour to turn it down, no rest for us though, Bob and I were exhausted all day Friday. We did our tour of Big Cedar bright and early Friday morning and I asked them up front, is there a resort in Wyoming, near Cody, 'cause that's where we like to go. They said yes, Cody is very popular!! At the end of our presentation they show us the book and there is nothing in or near Cody, I was interested in joining (a cheap package) but ONLY if there was something in or near Cody. We were pissed 'cause there was nothing. There was a resort up in Montana, but sometimes we don't GO all the way to Montana, that's another few hundred miles........ So, we wasted our time for nothing. Oh well, the hot tub was more than worth it.

We went to Branson Landing for some shopping and lunch at Joe's Crab Shack, yeah, I got crabs....... LOL I love that place! We walked the Landing and shopped like crazy people. MWH found some super fabulous deals at Aeropostale and Claire's while I ooh'd and aah'd at the cute crap at Build-A-Bear Workshop. Yeah, I'm 34 and I still go into Build-A-Bear just 'cause I LIKE IT. I swear when I have grand kids they'll be gettin' a room in total BABW gear! LOL Luckily my friend's daughter was having a birthday party this weekend and I got her a little something from BABW since I was there. They had the most adorable little valentine's there too..... sheesh, I'm too addicted.

Friday evening we went to Lone Star for the best freakin' steak EVER. Both MWH and I had garlic mashed potatoes and Kaitlyn's chopped steak had the most amazing mushrooms!!!!!! I swear, we were all ready to pop after that meal, it was sooooooooooo good!!

We got back to the room and changed into our suit and spent time in the hot tub which was outdoors and it was so neat to be under the stars in the peace and quiet sitting in that relaxing water...... Bob and I both agree we gotta get us one of those. LOL That's an amazing feat, we never agree on anything, but that we did agree on! LOL

We were all tired and ready for bed so you'd think we'd have slept well but again the neighbors with the noise decided to keep us up. UGH! How annoying. We got up early Saturday morning, packed, loaded our gear and ate a great breakfast at Big Cedar and headed over to the pool for one more swim for Miss Whineyhiney. You gotta love that kid.

After that we headed back to Branson for one last drive down 76 and to hit any little shops we missed.

We really didn't do much but it was so nice to get away........ I hope to do it again soon!

Unplugged

Sometimes when I channel surf I see MTV's Unplugged on the grid and while I've never watched it, I snicker at the title. Just what are those freaks at MTV unplugging? I mean come on, these people brought us Jackass and that real world reality show, what's it called, lemme think, The Real World? Creative geniuses I tell ya, geniuses!! God only knows what they're unplugging or where they find these loosers who have no real world experience to speak of. I'm guessing there is something about these MTV shows that require a release form, a back-up supply of blood and some hair for a DNA sample. Nothing good can come from that, nothing good.

Anyway, today, I am officially unplugged.

Stop reading here if you don't want to know more 'cause lemme tell ya, you don't wanna know more.

Last week I was slightly bitchy, this week I've been way bitchy. It's all because I was full of shit, hence plugged. After some wonderful colace pills, a gallon or two of water, some extreme piratey vulgar language and many, salty tears, I'm no longer plugged. I'm unplugged.

So far, MTV seems to be uninterested in my unplugged story. I have no little dwarf or midget coming at me from the shadows to break my femur or bite my ankle, no one named Stevo appearing in a Tarzan thong to hang some sort of endangered lizard off my ear lobes to test me for pain tolerance and I doubt any bands will want to set up camp on my door step to play their latest and greatest rock song. I guess I'll just have to bear life being an unknown. Oh well, it can't be too hard now that I'm unplugged.

Sheer genius, my kid...

School has been out all week and Miss Whineyhiney has decided that she is going to learn how to knit. Yeah, she'll be teaching herself using instructions from a book she got from the local public library and from this site I found on the internet.

I've got a talented kid, I really think she can figure it out.

Over the years, I have tried to learn to crochet several times but I just can't get it. I'd love to crochet soft, little baby blankets or warm, fuzzy lap afgans for my friends and family, but that will never happen. I just can't get it.

MWH has been sitting her for an hour and, by George, I just know she's gonna figure it out!!

B.I.T.C.H.

Don't bug me today. Don't look at me. Don't talk to me. Dont even breathe near me. I just don't want to be left alone. All alone. Completely, utterly, absolutely alone. I'm in a very bitchy mood today.

I'm sore from yesterday's fall on the ice, my left forearm and neck are bruised. My head still hurts and I didn't sleep well at all.

I didn't make it to work early like I'd wanted to this morning (on time, as always, but not early) and that just chaps my ass. I had a big project to do for one of the attorneys and wanted to get it done first thing before anyone else got here simply because it would distract me from my desk and I didn't want to put anyone else out while I was "working". LOL But since I didn't get in early I didn't get it done before everyone got here and, well, it just set me back in my bitchy mood more.

My big project got finished first thing and it turned out beautifully, thank you very much. The attorney was pleased, the judge was impressed and I felt good to get to do it. You'd think that would be enough to make me less bitchy but it didn't.

Maybe tomorrow will be better......... I highly doubt it. LOL

Good News or Bad News???? You make the call

It's now Wednesday and we've had wicked winter weather since Friday. Ice. Thick. Cold. Hard. Solid. Ice. The weather started coming Friday, we closed the office early. The ice and snow caused school to be closed Monday, Tuesday and again Wednesday. Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and we had made appointments so we planned on working but due to the 4 to 6 inches of ice we didn't.

Monday evening into Tuesday morning there was an overnight low of 4 degrees. That's cold people. Nipple hardening cold. Make me gotta peeeeeeeeeee cold. It hasn't been above freezing for, well, I just don't remember anymore.

I just found out that school has officially been cancelled for the remainder of the week.

And, if that weren't enough news, they're calling for 12 inches of snow Sunday. It's been snowing here this afternoon, big, white, fluffy, magical, sleepy, drifty, beautiful flakes.

I'm not entirely sure if I'm happy with the weather right now. Miss Whineyhiney is driving me insane. This is why I only had one child. If I had more than one I'd probably be locked up in a looney bin by now because of the incessant chants of "Mom, I'm bored....." or "Mom, what time are we leaving" or, oh, hell, just plain old "Mom...". God help us all. LOL

I'd also be poor(er). Do you realize how much a day of daycare is? It's fucking incredible!!!!!!! And, a lot of daycare centers charge you even if you don't bring your kid!! Some close when the schools close so you have no choice but to miss work and stay home with your kids and even if they're closed they expect to be paid anyway! It's a racket I tell ya, a racket! LOL

Believe it or not I did a good thing today. A co-worker lives in Grove and is out of power at her house. She's been living at a Red Cross shelter for a few days and when she heard we had a generator she wanted to borrow it. Well I was going home with her and her hubby to get it and I slid on the ice and knocked myself nearly unconscious. My entire left side is sore, my head and neck are hurting and my pride is seriously bruised. There were three people who were right there when it happened and everyone saw it plain as day. Sooooooooo embarassing! I swear I blacked out for a sec..... I'm still sore but ok and even if I weren't it's not like I'd do anything about it! LOL

So, if you see me in the next few days and I have a wild look in my eyes or I'm bawling like a baby, think nothing of it, just know that things will settle down as soon as the ice is melted away and my kid is back in school....... I hope.

Interpretation

Due to the 4 to 6 inches of ice blanketing my lovely little Mayberry town, I'm home from work again today. Bob is not happy. Bob had to work today.

I, on the other hand, stayed home, watched movies that I pvr'd on DISH and did laundry and dishes. I did laundry all weekend and then did more today. I did mountains of laundry. So much laundry it made me wonder where the hell we got all the clothes from. Lemme tell ya, my kid is so spoiled, she has way too many clothes.

Luckily I go back to work tomorrow, luckily...... Too bad our computers are still down. UGH!

On a good note, my sister sent me a lovely package Friday. It's so nice to come home to mail during the noon hour!! Especially when you have gifts, that rawks!!!!! She got me the sweetest pewter Sister bracelet and a pair of sterling silver hoop earrings. She also sent MWH her Christmas gift too. I, on the other hand, suck. I haven't mailed out Christmas pictures or sent their gifts. My nephews are younger than MWH and Christmas is for the kids, why do I procrastinate so? I haven't even mailed out Joey's birthday gifts and I bought them in AUGUST!!!!!!! I don't know what's wrong with me......

Ok, so to the title: Interpretation. I've been thinking (ok, nothing good can come from that) and it amazes me how different people interpret the same thing so radically different. I can't give specific details here, I don't want to offend anyone and the guts of my epiphany is from a conversation with fellow blogger, but it just freakin' amazes me.

Please, the next time though you think that something sucks, step back and look at it from someone else's perspective. Think about it from the other side. What if you didn't have your memories, your history, but theirs instead.

I pity some people, feel so sorry for them because of what they do to themselves and to their kids. Granted, I'm no saint, but I don't feed my family chewing gum for dinner either. LOL

I know there is more that I need to do and say but I've got to pee, too much tea today. The dinner dishes are crying out for attention and Bob is ready for bed.

Ice, ice, baby, come on!!

Lemme tell ya, the weather has hit us again today! We've got at least 2 or 3 inches of ice this evening already. It's not supposed to let up until Sunday! There are all kinds of cancellations on the news crawls already too. The mall in Joplin closed at noon today, the mall! Imagine that!!!

Our office closed early today too. The First Bitch left around 11:00 am, she lives in Grove so I can't blame her. Another lady left for lunch and didn't come back, her ride didn't have to go back to work because of weather so she stayed home, I can't blame her either. LOL Then, after my lunch, we found out the Courthouse was closing early so one of the Wise Men closed our office too so me and the "girl in the middle" headed out too. WOO HOO! I love my job, really I do.

Actually, our computers have been down since noon Thursday so the actual "work" being done at work is limited. I heard an electrical type sizzle walking by one of the offices and just knew we were in trouble. Sadly I was right. The repair man came and checked out our server and thought it was the router, but that wasn't it so now he's thinking it's electrical or something. He's supposed to come fix it Sunday but I'm not holding my breath. Really though, with the weather and the computer situation, we had no reason to be there. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

*****************************

Thursday I went home for lunch and as I was leaving my Jeep wouldn't start. It would turn over, but wouldn't idle. Now I'm not a mechanic, but if I can't put it in gear, that's bad. I had to call the First Bitch for a ride back to work. I spent the majority of my afternoon moping around, fretting that it would cost me a kidney or other vital organ to get it back on the road. With my luck lately it wouldn't surprise me! I tried to call Bob at break to warn him but I didn't get him, luckily he didn't have to work over so he could work on it after work and sure enough he did fix it! We could smell gas and there was a puddle of fluid underneath...... I was stressing. A fuel filter is about $150.00 and I was really not in the mood to spend that kind of money. Luckily, he realized the PCV valve was messed up and that was it! He called one of the parts houses and they actually had one in stock! Bob fixed my Jeep for $5.00!!!!!!! I'm so lucky to be married to a guy who has the skills and abilities to fix stuff like that! WOO HOO!!!!!!

Stupid me though, I get to work and everyone asks me what was wrong with my Jeep. I suck at repeating names and all and then my mind is faster than my mouth and I called the PCV valve a PVC pipe and then a PCP pipe! Yep, Bob replaced the PCP pipe in my Jeep for a mere $5.00! LOL

Empowered

Yes, I feel empowered. Yes, it feels good, damn good.

I've had one of those self inking XStamper date stamps here since I started, and it's needed inking... Sadly though, inking has never been one of my strong suits. For years I have been plagued with the mystifying inability to re-ink. I break out in a sweat just thinking of the messy task. I fear ink. I'm just not good at stuff like that. I mean, I even have found it challenging to put the dishwasher gel in the dishwasher tray at times. Ok, granted, I may have been drunk and maybe it wasn't dishwasher gel, but I thought it was and that's all that matters.

I often fantasize about my inker being involved in some sort of fatal accident where we'd have to buy a new one rather than just re-ink it. I'm on the 6th floor of a building, you'd think that it might fall out of a window or something, luckily (for the XStamper) our windows don't open up here....

But I digress. I'm sure you're asking yourself how long I can milk this. Did I manage to fill it full of ink without covering myself, the desk, the office and all of downtown Miami in ink????

I have a dear friend who changes all of her ink using machinery wearing gloves, an apron and a baseball cap. I have to admit, the thought of that makes me giggle like a school girl, but damn, deep down I know she's smart and I envy her ability. Mrs. Coach got skills!!!!!!

So, I've been here at this job for over 6 months, 6 months of needing to be re-inked. I break down and tell the First Bitch to order me some ink, I am out. So she does and I'll be damned if Quill doesn't get it here the very. next. fucking. day.

Free overnight shipping is a re-inkers night mare!!!!!!!!

The ink is here. It sits on my desk for weeks because I'm chicken. I'm so scared that I'll make a mess and still be ink less.

Then I have a brain fart and decide to make it my New Years resolution to master re-inking. I mean, come on, it's plastic, I'm 34. I graduated high school. I have 29 hours of junior college. Hell, I was even on the Dean's Honor Roll. It can be done. Trained monkeys could do it. Dammit, I could do it!!

So I look at the unit and it has screws but no place to insert the ink tube things..... I'm deflated. How can I ever do this? I go online to research how to reink it and viola!, like magic, I find the .pdf instructions and print it out but after reading all the fine print I realize that it doesn't discuss MY stamper!

Again with the deflation...... To make a long story short (ok, sorry, too late), I sat here this morning and read. the. fucking. ink. refill. package. and it oddly enough it worked just fine.

I got no ink on meeeeeeeeeeee, no ink on me desk, no ink on my clothes, not even a drop on my fingers!!!! I'm sooooooo excited.

I have met my first New Year's resolution and I lived to tell the world about it.

T.I.R.E.D.

I am flat out exhausted. Last night I just couldn't go to sleep. I tossed and turned all night. I don't know why, it was just one of those nights, but I knew that something bad was going to happen. Something wicked this way comes, I just knew it!! No matter I guess, it was Monday and I had to put on my big girl panties and face the day. I got up and got dressed and started my day with plenty of room to spare. At 6:40ish though, my cell phone rang. Nothing good can come from a cell phone call before 7:00 am. Nothing. Never. Period.

It was a co-worker telling me she and her kid were sick. She and her kid were staying home in bed. Her and her kid were not coming in to work today.

Okay...... It's not a normal day for her kid to come to the office, but I just had one of those gut feelings that something would be off today, something amiss and by crikey I think this did it! LOL

Since I was dressed and good to go, I took MWH to school early and got to the office early to open files and get ahead before all hell broke loose. It was a good plan, but damn, it didn't work. I was three steps behind all day. By noon I was exhausted and broken. My stride and spirit were so broken and beat.

I don't think it was just me either, the First Bitch was a little off kilter today too. I'm guessing it was just a normal Monday really, but damn, some Mondays just kick your ass!!

Thank GOD there is only 1 Monday in each week! I don't think I could handle two in the same week!

Loser, times two

Busy, that has been my weekend. Hell, that's been my whole year so far. I had Monday and Tuesday off for New Year's Day and for President Ford's funeral so Wednesday was my first day back to reality work.

The week went by fast, lightning fast. Bob went back to work Tuesday and had to work over so he was beat. He had about 2 weeks off so it was difficult for him to say the least. Poor thing was so tired...... Bless his heart....... Poor thing had to work over again Wednesday and Thursday too.

Friday night I took MWH to the Coleman to see MHS's perfomance of Footloose. The play was really good, but the guy who played Ren just didn't own it. He was good, I mean it was only a small town, high school play, but he was not believable as Ren. He seemed stiff and uncomfortable, akward and too soft. Now, Willard, that is a whole other story. He was awesome. He freakin' rocked. Rusty and Urleen were amazing too. I dont know most of the kids in high school, I know who some of them are, but not really. The one girl I do know, who I went to see, did GREAT as a shadow dancer. She's so talented.....

Saturday morning I was supposed to go take an ATV safety course but the class was cancelled due to a death in the instructor's family. Lovely, I even read the manual for it. LOL See what happens when I prepare? LOL

Saturday afternoon we just sat around and vegged. We watched movies and snuggled on the couch. Funnnnn. I watched A Lot Like Love and I really like that movie. I watched a few other shows I had PVR'd in the past week and it was so nice to sit here and do nothing. We also went to the local furniture store that is supposedly going out of business but they are still too high if you ask me. They're not even knocking much off the prices yet. If you do buy anything it's still 4 to 6 weeks before your stuff will be in, they're not selling the floor merchandise yet.... That's not a sale if you ask me.

Saturday night Bob and I went out to High Winds Casino to see if we could win a Mustang. The revvvvvv up the engine kind, not the hop on into the saddle kind. The casino was packed, I mean fucking packed. I can honestly say that if the fire marshall had come out there he would have shut the place down. It took me 30 minutes to get on a machine. It was insane. They did do the drawing and I didn't win, some woman named Derwin did. Derwin, that was her first name too, weird.

Sunday afternoon was a second car drawing. The big Miami Spend to Win extravaganza.... Whatever. Last year they gave away a recliner and other good prizes, this year the nicest thing was a 20 inch tv. Wen (MWH and I) had over 400 tickets (thanks in part to Mrs. Coach) and we only got close once. We were 1 number off. Sucked. LOL The car winner was Shelly Martin, her daughter goes to school with MWH and I'm so happy for her!!!!!!!

Well, I desperately need to bathe. I need a long, hot, steamy bath. The cold wind has chilled me to me ol' bones.

Four days off

These four and five day weekends are starting to grow on me. Especially when I get to lay in bed all day watching movies on Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network. LOL

We really haven't done much this New Year's Eve weekend. Bob got another window put in Friday. I did nothing to help him, I was at work so there wasn't much I could do from 7 blocks away and 6 stories up. I can't think of a single thing we did Saturday. I think it rained all day and we just spent the day being lazy, lazy, lazy. LOL On Sunday, my mom came over to spend the evening with Miss Whineyhiney while Bob and I went out for New Year's Eve.

That's a story, New Year's Eve. A co-worker/friend of mine invited us to a somewhat private party in Grove at a club/bar. Now, keep in mind that this club/bar is literally half a block from where our house was when we lived in Grove and we lived there for 6 years and never went there. We're not into the "party" scene. Having said that though, I wanted to party for the new year so I convinced Bob to take me out, OUT, OUT!!!!!!!!!! We got there around 7:30ish and paid our cover charge. Cover charge, that's a new one for me. LOL We never go places that charge you just to walk in. LOL As luck would have it, our friends are already there so we're off to a great start. Bob orders a Jack & Coke and I just sit and relax. Bob and the boys are shooting pool and telling lies to each other while us girls are giggling and talking about boobs and penis sizes. Life is gooooooooood. There really are some nice people out there, I'm so lucky to have such good friends! I ordered a Bailey's & Cream and the party (for me) started! Yumm, I love Bailey's!! We moved from the karaoke room back to the ballroom and the band started in and so did the dancing!! Not that Bob and I will ever dance, but others did and it was fun to watch. We were there for about 2 hours, just getting to where Bob had a slight buzz, and some fucker came over to us and told Bob he couldn't wear his ball cap in the ballroom. Lovely. Cowboy hats were ok, but not ball caps. Well, fuck. That did it. Bob doesn't wear a cowboy hat and if he did, it's 45 minutes away in MIAMI!!!!!!! So, he takes off his hat and the hurt feelings fly. I could tell just by looking at him he was embarrassed and kind of pissed off. They took our money at the door and he had on the same hat, why didn't anyone say anything then? He'd have taken it off and put it in the Jeep, no, they had to wait until he was having fun and then ruin our evening. Wonderful. I could tell Bob was hurt so I told him if he wanted to leave it was fine, he tried and that was all I needed. About 20 minutes after we left, my friend called me to apologize for the fucker's behavior, which was completely unnecessary, and to let me know that she got our cover charge back. That was so nice, so sweet. I have such good friends.

After that, we left decided to hit a casino a little closer to home. We went to High Winds and decided to try our luck at the machines. With a measley $40 in our pockets, we were destined to come home broke and beaten. In actuality though, $40 was enough for us, we even had drinks, hard drinks, not just beer! I played a Bootlegger machine on $5 for well over an hour. Bob was drinking and watching me play and the guy next to me just couldn't lose his last buck so at 72 cents he got up and asked Bob if he wanted to play it out. Bob sat down and played that 72 cents for a good half hour, maybe longer! We really had a good time. Finally, both out machines crapped out on us and we headed over to the tumbler machines (like Money Bags, Crazy Bill, Red Hot Ruby and Crazy Cherry) 'cause it was nearly midnight and I knew that once it was midnight we'd be outta there like lightning. As midnight approached and we donned our festive hats, I turned my measley $5 into $70 and felt that I was doing good. Midnight came and balloons fell upon us, we blew our little paper horns and drank our horse-piss champagne, Bob even leaned over to kiss me happy new year. Yeah, life is good.