Inquisition

My son, Tdawg, is very inquisitive. I had to look up and explain how night vision goggles worked last week. This week he had two questions. Do penguins have legs? Why, yes, they do!

And what about woodchucks...do they chuck wood? No, it is another name for a groundhog. They are also called a whistlepig. Just thought you would like to know what happens when I get home from work. I get asked bizarre questions!

Shopping

(These pictures are so funny. I look like a "before picture"...I shrunk!) Much thanks go to my neighbors, Pat and Larry, who own and operate a local big and tall shop. Finally, pants that cover Buddy's ankles! They are 38 (!) inseam jeans for Buddy! Notice they go up to my armpits!! WOW! I am hoping that Buddy does not get any taller.

Mom Forever Young

Mom would have been 82 on Friday January 23rd. I still miss her every day!!

More Ado

It has definitely been a faith testing week. Poor hubby has been sick. You know the care-giver has it the roughest. Ok, maybe not. He did go to the doc, so he should be feeling better soon! But in the meantime, he sounds awful and is miserable.

Additionally, the company I work for had a lay-off. 6o-some people, which is 25% of the workforce. I'm still employed. But the mood at work is definitely somber and everyone is nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. My prayer is that better things will happen for those affected.

Country Living

This is one thing that they will never tell you about in Country Living magazine. If you do not have a sewer system available in your area...you have a septic tank. But for your washer...you should just have a drain line. Basically, they dig a trench in your yard, line it with gravel and lay PVC pipe with drainage holes in it, hook it to the washer and then cover it back up with dirt.
Having that in mind, we thought that after the unbelievable amount of rain we got, our yard was just saturated. Well, it was like walking on a sponge. About that same time our washer quit draining well...it would back up and flood the laundry room.

So poor me, with my arachnophobia and claustrophobia went under the house. In some places under the house, there is plenty of room and it is well lit. However, where I needed to be was in the far back dark, damp, dreary, dismal, creepy corner. To get there, I had to shimmy on my stomach under the air duct. But I did it...and lived! Happy to report that since it was 15 degrees, no critters were spotted. The washer does not drain into the septic system (that's good). But it does drain into the front, not the backyard. Not so good. We have maple trees in the front yard. Maple tree roots are infamous for going everywhere and causing havoc.

So our thought is that the drain has either collapsed (from age) or that the roots are blocking the drainage holes. So, everytime we do laundry...and we do A LOT of laundry, we have to babysit the washer. The washer has to be monitored and stopped at least twice during each of the two spins. Wait. And start it back. If you get easily distracted (like me!) the you end up mopping the laundry room.

So, we need to figure out a solution. Would using a liquid drain cleaner help? Or have it rotorooted? We really don't want another trench dug and the sidewalk jackhammered!

The only good thing is that the laundry room is next to the living room. So while I babysit the washer, I can watch Pirates on the HD tv. Ahhh! it is so nice to see Orlando Bloom in high definition...it is like he is in the living room!! Thus my getting distracted and subsequent mopping!!

Much Ado about Nothing

Well, I have not blogged in awhile...and someone actually noticed! (thanks Mrs. Goofy). I don't blog when I am feeling fussy nor when I don't feel I have anything to say. I guess I have the winter doldrums. I am so ready for spring. But basically not much has been going on.

1. Tdawg is finishing up his basketball season. I am proud to announce that I have not been kicked out of the Rec Gym. Although I, along with two Butler bad girls, were warned when we boo-ed the refs week before last. Hey, the refs decided to "let the boys play" and not call any fouls at all! It was brutal and kids were getting hurt. Fortunately, that was not the case on Saturday. Saturday's tournament game had good refs and the game was called fairly! Two boys (on the other team) were ejected. One for kicking Tdawg's buddy in the face! No kidding! Can't tell me that rec basketball is not a full contact, extremely competitive sport! They play again tomorrow night.

2. Buddy is starting his basketball season. It is through Miracle League and is a lot of fun!! Those kids get so excited!! I'll try to remember my camera next time.

3. Being MLK day, I had the day off and we road tripped. Through Topps (the sports trading card company), certain store locations give out free card packs for excellent report cards. Of course, the closest participating store is 80 miles away. So being the pushover that I am...we went to Gadsden. Tdawg got his special pack...three cards to be exact! Oh well, I was thrilled to see A's on Tdawg's high school report card. We had a good time and who knows how long the boys will want to spend the day with dear old Mom! We ate at Jefferson's...their slogan is "Peace, Love and Hot Wings". I really wanted one of their tye-dye shirts...but they don't sell them. Boo! They also have an odd way of decorating. People write their names, businesses and artwork and whatever else on dollar bills and pin them to the walls and ceiling!! Quite odd. Must be hundreds of brightly colored ones!

4. Every Wal-Mart is blue, right? But not the Hampton Cove Wally World...it is the only green one I have ever seen. Rumor has it that the residence thought that the blue was offensive and made them paint it green. (oddly a blue Lowes is right across the street) This Wally World was really nice, clean and carried items that I have never seen at the other four Wally Worlds in town! Sadly, the workers were as unfriendly and unhelpful as ever! What ever happened to Customer Service??

My birthday too.

The end of Buddy's birthday. After Tdawg's basketball game, we went out for dinner. Then came back for cake and presents. I made the cake using ice cream sandwiches, chocolate pudding, cool whip and oreos. It was scrumptious!!

Puzzles, movies and a Spidey card for Spidey.

In a lot of ways, Buddy's birthday is my birthday. After having Buddy 9lb 13oz (naturally! yes, I am a REAL woman), I nearly did not make it. I lost consciousness and ended up in emergency surgery. When I awoke, Cletus was in the recovery area with Buddy. At first, I did not remember being married, being pregnant nor having a baby. Well, it slowly all came back to me. So far, being a Mom has been a wild ride. But I would not trade it for anything!! And by the way, it is going by waaayyy too fast!

Buddy Turns Seventeen!

Ok...maybe I wasn't twelve when I had Buddy. Either I'm going to have to lie about his age or quit lying about mine? Ok, I'm 30 something. Ha ha ha.

2009 The New Year!

For me...this is what the end of 2008 looked like. Just laying in the mud. Tired and defeated.

But for 2009, I'm shaking it all off. Starting a new year. Shaking off the mud of condemnation, guilt, people-pleasing and all the rest of the junk that I have been carrying around. I am going to lighten my load in more ways than one! The winter funk is over. I'm starting Spring early!!

Flash Back Friday

Really old pictures! Yes, that is me.

Me and Mom (in front of a California police car)

Me, Mom and Sissy. Girls Gone Wild! California has not been the same since. Too bad there is not a picture of the yellow Camero we rented.

Havent changed a bit...well, maybe just a LITTLE bit.

So WHY didn't I think of this?

The son of a friend of mine is unhappy. He thinks that Santa did not bring him all that he is entitled to. So, he is writing a letter of appeal to Santa. Crap! Why didn't I think of this first? I wonder if there is a statute of limitations? Can I go back, um, 28 years (ok, 28 Laurie years)?? I just thought that it was so funny! This little boy is writing a novel to Santa detailing everything good he did throughout the whole year. Of course, his memory is a little bit faded and doesn't recall the rotten times that cancel out two good deeds. I'm eagerly awaiting Santa's response to the dilemma.

Wally World

I was at redneck Wally World today. It cracks me up everytime I go up there. Jeff Foxworthy could collect a year's worth of material there. You don't believe me? In the summer, they have a vending machine out front that sells bait! No kidding! I'll see if I can get a picture of it this spring. (how redneck would that be?!). Anyway, I was looking at the Christmas clearance items and discovered that all of my Nativity scenes are missing chickens! Yes, there really was a Nativity scene for sale with several light brown chickens! Wow!! Cletus wouldn't buy it for me because they weren't Chinese chickens. What a comedian!!!