LONG NIGHT, longer day

My brain feels like mush.  My eyelids feel like sandpaper against my eyes.  My whole body feels like a spring that was wound way too tight and suddenly just burst.

Art didn't come home last night.  I didn't know where he was.  I waited up until 1:30, then went to bed.  At 2:30 I thought I heard him come in.  I was too tired to get up, but I figured it was him because I didn't hear Zack pushing his bike through the foyer and out the back door to the patio.  Half an hour later I heard Zack come in, I heard him fussing with his bike, and then I heard him turn on the computer.  I think I tried to sleep.  When I got up I went down to chew Art out.  His bed was empty.  Zack, who was still up, admitted that he had come home, went back out for a little while and then came back in.  It was him that I had heard... both times.  Art had never come home.

I found the note he left with a friend's address and phone number on.  I called the number and got a recording.  I called an hour later, this time Art heard me on the answering machine and called back.

He had permission from Dickidoo to spend the night, but neither of the two knuckle heads bothered to tell me!  Aghhhhhhhh!  Those pooh-heads!  They owe me royal!  Today is National Milk Chocolate Day.  I think forgiveness might be negotiable if delivered covered in some fine milk chocolate.

Gabe called this morning.  I was expecting his call.  I was expecting his news.  I was already reading hints of it.  He will not be returning to the states next week as planned.  He couldn't tell me how long he has been delayed, or where he will be, but he sounded good about the mission.  I think it bothered me more than it bothered him.  That's good I suppose.  And maybe now I will be able to arrange to greet him at the airport!  (Thanks Kas for your impulsive, but oh so sweet offer to meet Gabe in our absence).

Well, time to try and wake up  for work.  Its going to be along night, that's for sure.  Must have more coffee!

HAPPY FOOT!

My foot is happy.  If it had lips it would be smiling.  I've been walking around with a sliver of glass in my heel for the past day, and I was finally able to get it out.  Ahhhhh, instant relief.  Why did it take so long for me to get the glass out you ask?  Well, I'm not exactly a contortionist and my fluffiness got in the way.  I eventually got my foot up high enough for me to dig the glass out, and it was just an itty bitty little thing, but boy did it have me hobbling around like a gimpy old lady.

We caught Gabe online again this morning.  He's still not giving us an exact date other than to say 'soon'.  I wish I could be there when he lands but I will have to wait until he visits here after things settle back at the unit.  Its going to be such a relief to have him back in the states.

I've been dying to make a real video with my baby Nikon now that AOL can accommodate videos, but the camera has been missing for 2 weeks.  Dickidoo found it at one point in his truck and called me to tell me he found it safe and sound... but I never saw it after that.  He swears he brought it in the house that night but I think he's got Old-Timers, I've torn the house apart AGAIN and that camera is nowhere in sight.  I think he left it at work, that's what I think.  But who knows, this house is in such a wreck it could be right in front of me and I wouldn't be able to see it.

A co-worker died on Friday.  She'd had a heart attack a couple weeks earlier and we were all worried for her because of that, but in the end it was lung cancer that ended her life, just as quick as that.  She never even knew she had it until the doctors examined her after her heart attack.  I guess she knew the end was near and she tried to make it back home to be around her family out in the North East, but she only got as far as Kansas.  How truly sad.  At least she passed with hope.  She wasn't lying in a bed waiting for her last breath, she was on a mission.  And she is home now.  I just wish she could have seen her family one last time, it was obviously very important to her.

Okay, enough sadness.  Friday is National Milk Chocolate Day!  I have never observed this particular holiday before and there fore feel obligated to make up for my past neglect.  45 years of celebrating milk chocolate, how ever will I manage?

Ha!  With a gallon of milk and maybe a Corona or two, thats how.  (Hey, beer and chocolate really do go surprisingly well together... don't knock it until you've tried it!)

WEIRD KIND OF DAY

Have you ever had one of those days where you find yourself sitting and waiting in anticipation for someone or something, and yet you don't know the who, what, where, when or why?  Thats me, right now.  I feel like I need something, that there is something out there, somewhere, that will fit perfectly in the dark, elusive hole in my thoughts and make everything clear again.  I hesitate to move on because I'm afraid I might be moving further away from this 'thing', and yet I don't want to stand still for fear of missing it.  Is it my ship, waiting to come in?  Is it a windfall that might blow past me without so much as a fleeting wisp of breeze?  Is it a chance of a lifetime that I might miss in the blink of an eye?  Is it a second away, now a second too late?

I feel suspended in the wind, twisting and turning aimlessly.  I hear the monotone ticking of a clock, counting time as it passes me by. 

I think I think too much. 

I think I need some more coffee.  Is it bedtime yet?

JUST MESSING AROUND

The Journals Tech Team is working on adding videos to journals, and while its still in the Beta testing, we can DO IT!  Yipee!  So, if I did this right, I am adding my very first public YouTube video.  Its actually a slide show of pictures I took of Art last summer.  As with most pictures I get of Art, this series cost me $1.  I suppose I should count myself fortunate that my model only costs $1 per session, but give me a break, a mother should not have to pay her son $1 to humiliate him on the World Wide Web!  (I must remember to send links of this to ALL of his friends).

Please excuse the choppiness of the transitions, as I mentioned this was my first attempt.  No Oompas were harmed by the photographer during the shooting of this video, nope, that was his own falult!

QUIZ FOR GROWN-UPS

I've noticed that most internet quizzes seem to be more geared towards the teen population, so here's one that is a little more age appropriate for the older generation:

 1.  Assisted living or nursing home?

I think I will wait until I go full circle and need to wear diapers before moving in and spending a little time with each of my 5 children.  After that I probably wouldn't care where they sent me, my life will be complete.

 2.  What is your least favorite clinic to go to?

That would be the women's clinic for my annual (?) pap smear.  It wouldn't be so bad if they heated those stirrups and didn't wear those lights similar to the ones miners use when going into deep, dark caves.

 3.  If you won the lottery, which loan would you pay off first?

I would like to be able to say that we actually 'own' our house.

 4.  What do you want to be when your kids grow up?

I really just want to be a grandmother to many grandchildren.  I wouldn't mind being rich either so I can afford to spoil my grandkids.

 5.  Do you still remember who your first grade teacher was?

I'm not even sure that the first grade had been invented back then.  I remember my first school, does that count?

 6.  How many years has it been since you graduated?

Obviously too many... I'm thinking maybe 28?

 7.  How many hours of sleep (including naps) do you need each day?

I spend about 8 hours in bed, but most of that time is spent mapping the insides of my eyelids.

 8.   Sex:  weekly, monthly, or annually?

Do what?

 9.  X-lax or Metamucil?

More like spinach or ice cream, I like natural alternatives.

10.  Happiness is ______________________.

Happiness is coffee in the morning, and tequila to pick up the slack at night.

GABE'S CALL, and cold turkey

Gabe called yesterday.... YAY!  He's still on schedule for his return date,  DOUBLE YAY!  He sounded so good on the phone, like he was right next door.  I wish he was.

Little Zachary is a big brother now.  No, I'm not a grandmother for the second time, although I wouldn't mind it one bit.  Little Summer Breeze is the delight of another set of grandmothers, but she's still my grand baby's little baby sister, and that makes her special to me.  Welcome to the world Little Summer. We love you!

Today is probably the coolest day of the week, its only 77 degrees.  However it is 79 degrees in the house.  I actually have to go outside to cool off, how goofy is that?  We have a swamp cooler but the only indication I have that it is even on is the rattling noise coming from the motor.  The only air blowing through it is hot air.   In the meantime I'm hoping that I am actually benefiting from all this sweating, a certain percentage of weight loss would be nice. 

Ever heard the old saying 'You snooze, you miss out on the last of the Hazelnut creamer?'  Me either, until this morning.  Dickidoo let me sleep in.  I awoke bathed in the warm rays of the morning sun.  Actually in 80 minutes it would have been the afternoon sun.  I could barely believe that the clock was telling the right time.... 10:40!  At first I was grateful and I bounced out of bed full of vigor... until I reached the hall and realized that there was no fragrance of fresh brewed coffee to greet me.  A peek around the corner revealed that the Bunn-Omatic Brew-Omatic was empty.  No biggie, I know how to make coffee and was in fact in the process of doing so when I noticed the bottle of creamer partially concealed in the garbage bag.  Maybe it was an old container... I opened the fridge and I was greeted by the sound of screeching as my eyes were greeted by an empty spot where the creamer should be.  Dickidoo tried to comfort me by reminding me that I like sugar sweetened coffee... but that only served to remind me that I probably live in the only house in the country that has no sugar in it.

Its 5:49pm and I haven't had any coffee in over 30 hours.  Nobody has died or been severely injured by my hands... yet.

JULY BIRTHDAYS and whale sightings

Yesterday was Zack's birthday.  (Happy Birthday Zack!) This is his last year as a teenager.  I guess you could say he's a pre-twenty-somethinger.  We didn't really celebrate other than sharing a sinfully fudgy chocolate cake diluted slightly by chocolate chip ice cream.  We're going to celebrate his birthday at the Renaissance Festival on the 30th, arrrrrrrrr!

And today is my sister Redbird's birthday.  She's one year closer to senior citizenship than I am.  Happy Birthday Val!  (don't hate me cos I'm younger!  Hehehehehe.)

Well, Rocky is waiting for me to join her in the pool so I need to get off this contraption.  Don't believe any of those beluga whale sightings in Colorado, its just me working on my tan.

"Bah-loooooooooo-gah!"

GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES!

One second past 9am the neighbor cranked up his chain saw, and 5 minutes after that his chipper was going.  Now, correct me if I'm wrong, as I have been known to be wrong from time to time, but last I heard chain saws and tree chippers don't fall into the category of soothing 'white noise' and therefore are not conducive to sleep.  Couldn't they have waited until one second past 10?  Some of us have to work late, and some of us really can use all the beauty sleep we can get.  Grrrrrrr!

And guess what else?  Dickidoo made coffee this morning.  Yay Dickidoo!  Of course he made it at 6am and I didn't get up till 9am so it was a little on the strong side, but hey, that's okay.  That's what hazelnut coffee creamer is for, right?

WRONG!  Apparently Dickidoo used the last of the hazelnut creamer when he filled up his 'keg-o-coffee' on his way out to work.  Grrrrrrr again. 

Oh well, there's nothing like sugar sweetened concentrated java to really get your motor running in the morning.  Actually, I'd forgotten how good just plain caffeine tastes.  One more cup of this and I should be set for the rest of the day.

SO MUCH FOR SLEEPING IN, grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Dickidoo woke me up at about 6:50 this morning.  He stood at the foot of the bed with a goofy look on his face.

"Today is Monday, right?  Or is it Sunday?"

"You're lucky its Sunday, otherwise you'd be late" I told him.  I don't think he fully believed me but he climbed back into bed.  "I should have let you go to work and figure it out for yourself for waking me up so fricken early!"

Its not like I was really sleeping anyhow.  Most of the time I lay there dreaming about being awake but unable to open my eyes.  Now that has got to be the biggest waste of sleep I've ever heard of.  What ever happened to magical fantasy dreams?  I'd settle for a couple of those.  But no, I get stuck with the dreams of me laying in bed with my eyes stuck shut.  Aww... who needs sleep anyhow.

Well, its almost 10am.  The girls should be running home shortly so I'll take this opportunity to enjoy the peace and quiet with a nice hot cup of coffee while I can.  Something tells me I'm going to need all the caffeine I can get in my system today.

I repeat:  I need someone to fix the world so I can get some sleep.

Its late, or early.  Depends on how you look at it.  At any rate, its almost 2am.  Art and Dickidoo are listening to the news, we still aren't sure what exactly is unfolding but there is no doubt that it is not good.  I don't know how it will affect Gabe, I only know that it will.  And I don't know how it will affect Art, but I know it already has.  He listens to the news from Israel and Lebanon with the intensity of someone who has something to gain from the knowledge, someone who knows that this is the start of something they will have to deal with later.  There is a knot in my throat the size of a boulder.  I want to dissuade him, but I can't because it is not my future that is at stake, its that of his own children, and their children... its their future and he has the right to defend that.  I am proud that he is already thinking of that.  I am saddened that he should have to think of that.  He is only 16.

The girls are at their friend's house for the night.  That means I can sleep in without being interrupted by their bickering.  Nope, their friend's parents get the privilege of that.  They may never invite my girls to spend the night again, but hey, at least I get one quiet morning out of it.

My zero-scaping has finally paid off.  After 2 weeks of rain, I discovered grass growing in my front yard.  I don't know where it came from, probably from some bird's butt, but who cares, I have grass in my yard.  By the way, that's 'grass' as in singular, not 'grass' as in plural.  Needless to say I've become very protective of my grass and am constantly screaming for the kids not to step on it.  And I swear to goodness golly that if one of those stupid neighborhood cats who thinks that my yard is their litter box decides to 'mark' my blade of grass I'll hang that feline over the fireplace in between the two bull elk mounts!

ITS NATIONAL NEKED DAY!

Are you celebrating National Nude Day?  I am!  And yes, I have to work, but is that stopping me?  Not at all!

I'm completely neked underneath my clothes!

DARK BLUES, and holiday d'jour

I had a nice chat with Gabe the other day.  My blues should have dissolved right then and there but if anything they've turned darker. His short note yesterday didn't help.  Its funny how weeks could go by without any contact from him when he lived in Kentucky and I never worried.  Now when I don't hear from him in a day I get nervous. 

My insomnia is back.  I can't sleep. I've tried staying up until I can barely keep my eyes open, and I fall into the bed in total exhaustion, but then I lay for hours staring at the insides of my eyelids.  Its not depression, and I'm not worried about anything.  Mostly I think its just sadness.  I think... I think I need to stop watching the news, I need to stop checking certain websites first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  I think I just need to have my son back in the states, safe and sound.  I'm so tired of the ugly reality of the world right outside of this little rose colored happy-bubble that surrounds me.  I'm tired of covering my eyes so I don't see what I don't want to accept. 

I need someone to fix the world so I can get some sleep.

Check my list a few entries back.  Today is National Fools Paradise Day.  Ha!  That's probably why I was given the day off.  I've about had it with stupid people.  I keep getting stuck at the customer service desk at work.  In my current frame of mind that is the worst place to put me.  Still, it would have been fun to wear a 'Have You Hugged A Fool Today?' tee-shirt and pass out balloons to all the 'fools' that cross my path. 

Tomorrow is National Nude Day.  I am taking donations from people who DON'T want me to celebrate this particular holiday.  And for those of you who are sitting there trying to imagine what I might look like in the nude, consider the Michelin Man with a farmer's tan, and that would be me.  Not something you'd want to see on a full stomach eh? (or even an empty one for that matter, although Dickidoo has said I'm sexy after a few shots of tequila). 

Donations can be sent to me care of this blog.

NEWS FROM GABE, and age released hair.

I got to talk with Gabe last night... woo hoo! The news was all good.  YES!  I wish I could elaborate for those who have been so supportive of Gabe and his buddies in Iraq, but this is all I can say for now.

I guess Dickidoo over slept again because all I heard from him this morning was a 'swoosh' as he tore out of the room, the slam of the front door and the rev of the Hemi as he drove down the street.  As for me... heck, I just rolled over and went back to sleep.  No doubt he'll come home and ask me if I heard the alarm go off.  (No), and then he'll accuse me of turning it off (I've actually caught him turning the alarm off just minutes before it was set to ring, and then he'll promptly go right back to sleep) followed by his declaration that he needs a new, louder alarm clock (There is absolutely nothing wrong with our alarm clock!  I'm going to get him a set of headphones for the alarm clock so he can crank it up as loud as he needs it but I won't have to hear it!).

It was the smell of coffee that woke me up.  (Thank you Art!)  Dickidoo doesn't think the kids should drink coffee, but I don't mind, especially if it means that there is a fresh pot on the Bunn-Omatic Brew-Omatic when I get up.

I've noticed lately that I've been scratching at the inside of my ears lately.  I'd haul out the Q-Tips and  gently wiped the outside of my ear, careful not to insert the swab into the ear canal as per the warning on the box (hahaha, yeah, right!).  But this morning I started to examine the irritation.  Could it be bugs?  No, because the tickle was always in the same place.  So what was it?  Thats when a thought dawned on me... a thought so dark that I can't even type it without shuddering....

I think I have....

Ear Hair!

Not those fine little hairs that keeps junk from getting into your ear drum, everyone has that stuff... No, I'm talking about those bushes of errant hairs that stick straight out of old men's ears, accounting for a good percent of their hearing loss.

And it doesn't stop there.  My eyebrows are getting way out of control as well.  I always seem to have one or two hairs that just seem to grow straight out of my brow.  And they aren't short ones either.  No, these guys are fricken LONG!   I have a theory about these growth enhanced, time released follicles. I think my pre-menopausal eye brow hairs mate with my hormonal nose hairs, and then multiply at a barely controllable rate.  I used to be able to maintain my errant hair once monthly but now its become a daily routine.  I fear that if I were to indulge in the luxury of sleeping in I may wake up looking like Chewbaca.  That in itself is enough to inspire me to get up on time.  But for those days when I'm in too much of a rush to do my morning mowing, Dickidoo has a little comb that came with his mustache trimmer.   A little hair gel, a little comb-over and tuck-under and I'm set for success!  I may look like I have a family of chinchillas living in my ears, nose and eyes, but hey, they're well groomed chinchillas! 

DUST BUNNY MASCOT

Check it out, its a Dust Bunny.  And its not just any old Dust Bunny, its a 'Dornbrau' Dust Bunny.  How cool is that?  It sure is nice to have such talented Oompas living in the house.  Thanks a million Becca, I love it!

Its just after noon and its not raining... yet.  That's a first for the past two weeks.  In fact its rained every day since we picked up the swimming pool.  Don't get me wrong, we needed the rain and I'm glad we got what we did.  In fact it wouldn't hurt to get more.  Sadly its come about 2 years too late for my lawn.  While all of the other yards in the neighborhood are springing up thick, green and lush, our only claim to fame is for having the biggest mud puddle in town.

I've got the blues.  I haven't heard from Gabe in over a week.  No news is good news, isn't that how the saying goes?  News from the region has been sparse, but rumor has it that good things are in the works and I should be happy, but I sure could use a little first hand reassurance. 

Today is National Clerihew Day.

clerihew (KLER-uh-hyoo) noun:  A humorous, pseudo-biographical verse of four lines of uneven length, with the rhyming scheme AABB, and the first line containing the name of the subject.

example:

Dornbrau the Dust Bunny President
Has many a wee dusty resident
With the Oompas and Dickidoo her spouse
They live happily in their big dusty house.

Yeah, okay, maybe clerihews are not my specialty.  I'll just wait for National Milk Chocolate Day!

CHOCOLATE HOLIDAYS!

Yesterday was Chocolate Day, according to my AOL Calendar's Wacky Holidays.  Unfortunately my family, knowing how important this celebration is to me... chose not to celebrate it.  I was somewhat pacified by a viewing of Dead Man's Chest with Johnny Depp (who is actually 'eye candy'), and a satisfying lunch at Albertaco's (best Mexican food this side of the border), Rocky did share her Kit Kat bar she bought with money she borrowed from me, and Becca bought me a Mounds bar the day before, but I still felt disappointed in not truly observing the most delectable holiday on the calendar.

Until I pulled up a link of Bizarre Holidays and found that every month has a Chocolate holiday of some sort, and National Milk Chocolate Day is actually just a couple of weeks away!  Woo hoo!  There are also many other wonderful holidays coming up.  For instance today is National Video Game, and tomorrow is National Sugar Cookie Day.  Here is a list of what is still in store for the rest of the month.

July 8 is . . . . . Video Games Day

July 9 is . . . . . National Sugar Cookie Day

July 10 is . . . . Clerihew Day

July 11 is . . . . National Cheer Up The Lonely Day

July 12 is . . . . National Pecan Pie Day

July 13 is . . . . Fool's Paradise Day

July 14 is . . . . National Nude Day

July 15 is . . . . National Tapioca Pudding Day and Respect Canada Day

July 16 is . . . . International Juggling Day

July 17 is . . . . National Peach Ice Cream Day

July 18 is . . . . National Ice Cream Day and National Caviar Day

July 19 is . . . . Flitch Day

July 20 is . . . . Ugly Truck Contest Day

July 21 is . . . . National Tug-Of-War Tournament Day

July 22 is . . . . Ratcatcher's Day

July 23 is . . . . National Vanilla Ice Cream Day

July 24 is . . . . Amelia Earhart Day

July 25 is . . . . Threading The Needle Day

July 26 is . . . . All Or Nothing Day

July 27 is . . . . Take Your Pants For A Walk Day

July 28 is . . . . National Milk Chocolate Day (Woo Hoo!  Not gonna miss this one!)

July 29 is . . . . Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day

July 30 is . . . . National Cheesecake Day

July 31 is . . . . Parent's Day

Being as I'm not much of a video game player I think I'll skip today's holiday in favor of baking some sugar cookies for tomorrow's celebration. 

Bizarre American Holidays Home Page

4 THINGS ABOUT 3 SISTERS

Two of my older sisters sent me this little survey, almost simultaneously, and I was amused by the similarities of some of our answers... and the extreme differences in others.  I think its safe to say that we get along much better as adults... living in separate states, then we did growing up (hey, not my fault... I was the SWEET one!)  I'm sure there's something to the fact that they both chose screen names of beautiful animals, while I am named after a pint of really bad beer!  And how come I never got to see Ann of Green Gables?  Where was I when the family watched it, huh?

4 Things About Squirrellywoman:

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1) Pineapple packer                                   
2) Lab assistant
3) paraprofessional in school system
4) Lab technician

B) Four movies you would watch over and over:
1)  Anne of Green Gables
2)  Forest Gump 

3)  Fried Green Tomatoes
4)  Steel Magnolias

C) Four places you have lived:
1) Kirn, Scotland
2) Stockton, CA
3) Nuuanu, HI
4) Groton, CT

D) Four TV shows I watch
1) Grey's Anatomy
2) Anything forensics
3) America's Funniest Videos
4) I rarely watch television!

E) Four places you have been on vacation:
1) Wahiawa, HI
2) Apalachicola, FL 
3) Muskegon, MI
4) Washington D.C.

F) Websites you visit daily
1)  Dust Bunny Club of North America
2)  From the Eyes of the Beholder
3)  All of Valorie's sites
4)  My Family.com, occasionally

G) Four of my favorite foods:
1)  Beef broccoli
2)  coconut shrimp (red Lobster)
3)  Lasagna and chocolate lasagne at Olive Garden
4)  fruit salad

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1)  I like it here, but I'd like to visit California with Kenn
2)  I like it here, but I'd like to visit Colorado with kenn
3)  I like it here, but I'd like to help my brother out.
4)  I like it here, but I'd like to go any where with Kenn when he feels better.

I) Four friends (family) I think will respond:
1) All my sisters, I hope, and my brother

2) Mother and Dad
3) Arlene, Geneva, Dale, Walt 
4) Shannon, Ike

4 Things About Redbird:

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1) Office Clerk, PHNSY                                    
2) Photographer (Kahala Mall)
3) Ins Underwriter
4) Church Secretary

B) Four movies you would watch over and over:
1)  An Affair to Remember
2)  The Notebook

3)  Anne of Green Gables
4)  Steel Magnolias

C) Four places you have lived:
1) Kirn, Scotland
2) Virginia Beach, VA
3) Waipahu, HI
4) Killeen, TX

D) Four TV shows I watch
1) Mad About You
2) < Cooking Network >
3) I don't watch much television!
4) I don't watch much television!

E) Four places you have been on vacation:
1) Big Island, HI
2) Niagara Falls, Canada
3) Yellowstone National Park
4) New Mexico

F) Websites you visit daily
1)  VirtualTourist.com
2)  journals.aol.com
3)  myspace.com
4)  360.yahoo.com

G) Four of my favorite foods:
1)  Lasagna
2)  Spaghetti
3)  Taco Bell (chicken fiesta burito!)
4)  Chinese Buffet

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1)  On the Road again!
2)  Hawaii
3)  Anywhere my grandbaby is
4)  Helping my brother

I) Four friends (family) I think will respond:
1) Jessie (already did)
2) Liz  
3) Joyceeeeeeeeeeeeeee
4) SueTayyyyyyyyyyyyy

4 Things About Dornbrau:

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1) Pineapple packer (I followed Squirrellywoman there)
2) Office clerk (I followed Redbird there)
3) Typesetter, graphic artist (I followed my dreams there)
4) Burger flipper (I followed my stomach there)

B) Four movies you would watch over and over:
1)  The Cowboys (I love John Wayne)

2)  The Patriot (I love Mel Gibson too)

3)  LOTR (Squirrelly Woman's honey got me hooked on the books!)

4)  Pirates of the Carribean (gonna see Dead Man's Chest today! Arrrrrrrr!)

C) Four places you have lived:
1) Scotland

2) Connecticut

3) Hawaii

4) Germany

D) Four TV shows I watch
1) Fox News

2) Iron Chef America

3) Extreme Elimination (dubbed in English... hilarious!)

4) Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe

E) Four places you have been on vacation:
1) Kohala, Hawaii

2) Hopi, Grand Canyon
3) Disneyland

4) Iowa as a child

F) Websites you visit daily
1)  Gabe'sSpace

2)  Iraq Coalition

3)  Youtube

4)  MyBank, to see how poor I am today

G) Four of my favorite foods:
1)  Mama's cooking
2)  Poki (Hawaiian Raw Fish salad)

3)  Carnitas Burrito (Yum Albertaco's!)

4)  King Crab legs

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1)  In Ohio hugging my Grandbaby

2)  In the cashier's line to collect a jackpot at Bronco Billy's

3)  Eating breakfast at Mama's house

4)  In Hilo kicking my brother's wife's butt for breaking his heart the way she did.

I) Four friends (family) I think will respond:
(Isn't that like the goofiest thing to ask on a survey?  What does it matter?  Who cares?... But yeah, Squirrelly, I responded...  and Redbird... I noticed you didn't think I would, well check it out, I just did, so THERE!)

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Becca:  Ewwww..., I just got bug splat on my face!

Dickidoo:  Are you sure it wasn't bird poo?

Becca:  Does bird poo have 6 legs?  NO!

Boobidoo:  Yes, if it just ate a bug!

Becca:  Ewww!  phooey!  Yuck!

(hehehehe!  I love bursting bubbles!)

Rocky came home from camping this afternoon.  I missed her, but I didn't miss the conflict between her and Becca.  Apparently Becca missed her as well because they were best of buddies for the rest of the day and night.

We spent the night chasing fireworks.  While it has rained every day for the past week, there is still a fire ban in place and private fireworks were forbidden.  Normally we would go to the Pikes Peak International Raceway which always hosted a spectacular 4th of July fireworks display, but it closed down last year so we were at a loss for where to go.  We ended up at a schoolyard near the Broadmoor.  This year every firework represented a salute to my son and the other service members serving in harms way.

Dickidoo has a new, temporary name.  I call him "Cala-Man".  Silly man went for a little hike through the woods in sandals and now his ankles and calves are covered with poison ivy.  Now his hairy legs are tinted a pretty pink from Calamine lotion.  Hehehehe!  Hahahahah!  HOHOHOHO!