Sunday, December 27, 2009

All done and moving on


Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

We were all snugged up in our warm house during the storm
and enjoyed a quiet Christmas.
Our son's girlfriends family didn't end up coming over,
so it wasn't a huge scurry all over to straighten up the place.
Instead I took 3 - yep count em - 3 naps!
I have been fighting some bug or another and really
needed the rest apparently.

My hubby cooked apple wood smoked prime rib
and it was really very good.
Add all the trimmings, including 2 pumpkin pies
that I didn't drop and a feast was enjoyed by all.

Caden had to show off his new football uniform!
This was the best present by far for him.
In fact he was worn it 24/7 since Christmas morning.

And if you'll notice he got his 2 front teeth too!

What a lucky kid..

Lot's of snowmachine riding today as
it was a beautiful day with mild temps and
an abundance of sun!


I love Christmas, but am glad it's in my rear view mirror.
We only have one gift to return for another size and
I don't plan on doing that until some of the Christmas
return rush is over.
Krissy gave us a bop-it game and the challenge is on
with Chyann and I. Currently I have the high score of
100, but she is determined to knock me off my pedestal
and soon!!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Getting closer

It's been an incredibly busy week for us.
I'm glad it is over.

I'm not going anywhere today
and will probably take myself a nap.
Two nights last week were kid Christmas programs
that didn't get us home till 8p.
One during the day also.
Managed to figure out how to transfer the video I taped
to the DVD recorder and make copies for the Grandparents.
That was a huge feat, I shit you not.

Got packages in the mail for the Grandparents, also
Christmas cards done too.
Finally got started on Christmas shopping
Thursday after work.
Got the majority of it done
and the rest yesterday.

All that's left is the wrapping.
AND
Cleaning house because the HUBBY
invited our son's girlfriends family over for Christmas
dinner. Krissy is abandoning me in this time of need for
relatives in MO.
(how's that for guilt! HA)

The snowmaching or sno-go or snow-mobile
(add your regional term)
is out and the kids have been riding it all over.
Pic to be posted one of these days.
I enjoy riding also, but can only manage to drive
for about 30min before my bum shoulder starts acting up.
That'd be bursitis - it's a bitch to get old and start breaking down!

Anywho..
Our three-footed cat Trip has somehow managed to
scrape up his stump. It's been bleeding on and off for a few
days now, but doesn't look like it's getting infected - yet.
The kids tried to bandage up his stump, but as you can imagine
that didn't work. Picture three-footed cat freaking out trying to
scurry away on two feet while keeping stump in the air.
Not a pretty sight.

Purchased myself an el-cheap-o mp3 player about a
month ago and it quit working last week.
Took it back and they gave me a new one, no questions
asked (wow, that almost never happens).
Tried to put music on it and our windows media player
is corrupted. When did that happen? and how?
Don't know.
Tried all sorts of things to fix it and now the internet
is not working properly. Great..
Gonna get on the phone to Dell - through whom
I have a software warranty. Hopefully I can get this
resolved, because being without tunes at work makes
for a very long day.

That's all for now..

Hope you are stress free these last few days before Christmas.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Pull over!

Yep, you heard it.
I got pulled over by the POLICE today!

Having NEVER had any sort of driving violation
I was a bit scared.

I was coming off the highway off ramp
and down at the bottom of the hill there
is a traffic light.
When I was about 15 feet from it,
it turned yellow.
No one was coming so I went through it.

About 100 yards down the road I see lights in
my rear view mirror.

CRAP-OLA!
He must mean me!!

So, I pulled over and got out my license.
The officer ambles over and asks
me if I know why he pulled me over.
I said maybe because I went through a stale
yellow light?
He said, I was right behind you and it looked like
a red light and I didn't have a hard time stopping.

Well hell, I'm sure it was yellow when I went through.

He took my license and went back to his unmarked
chevy blazer to run me through his computer.

After about 5 minutes he comes back and says
he is going to give me a verbal warning.
And makes a comment about my being from Alaska
and knowing how to drive on ice/snow covered streets
since I've had my license for 22 years and
never had any kind of violation.

Nice of him to give me a warning don't you think.


Sigh..
I'll really be driving like a granny now..

Friday, December 11, 2009

The Brain is gone and more...

So, Tuesday night just as the big storm was beginning
my hubby and the kids loaded up the Brain to
haul him to the butcher.
Who is the Brain you ask?
Well he is one of our pigs.
We name all our animals and this pair of pigs'
names are Pinky and the Brain
after those cartoon mice from the 90's.
Apparently the Brain was very reluctant to get into
the trailer and it took forever to get him loaded up.
I sent Chyann out with the camera and none of
the pig pictures came out good, but she did get an
alright one of the Turkeys..
Aren't they getting big?



Yes, I this is my eldest son.
He doesn't care for his pic to be taken so
he usually makes himself scarce when the camera
comes out.
I cannot stand the long hair on boys that is
popular these days, but you have to pick your battles
when your kid is 17, so he can have his hair as long as
he wants if it's kept clean.
He really has the best hair in the house thick and curly.
He detests it tho, longing for pin straight hair like Caden.


Sunday even though it was colder than crap
Chyann was out working with the horses.
Jenny has lost even more of her tail.


We made Christmas tree ornaments too.
Check out Caden's toothless smile.
He lost his other front tooth and looks adorable.
Earlier in the day he found a cow tooth and decided to
put it under his pillow for the Tooth fairy too.
Much to his surprise the Tooth Fairy didn't take it.


Back to Wednesday.
My hubby took that big green truck you seen in this pic
and busted the drifts up the drive way just to make sure we
could get out in the van.
As we were getting ready to leave he says,
you think we should take the truck? I said yes.
He said, I think we can make it in the van.
So off we went at 455am, the temp was 18*
with a North wind gusting to 40.. .

We were busting through drifts with no problem
until so much snow built up under the hood that the
alternator belt was blown off.
Not a good thing when the van dies right in the middle
of a drift and you are about 5 miles from home.
Good thing my hubby can fix anything.
He got out and managed to get the belt back on
without the belt tool. See how handy he is?
Now we just have to get out of the drift.
And do you think we had any shovels?
Nope, just a few snow brushes.
An hour or so later we are back on the road
soaking wet.
I was 45 min late for work and he was an hour late.

The kids had a snow day and were out shoveling when
we got home from work.
Colton had cleared off the porch and had made a good dent
in removing the drift from around the car and garage.

And where was I when all this shoveling and snow blowing
was going on?
In my nice warm house watching from the window!



Saturday, December 5, 2009

Pet Peeves

I have to vent about ONE of my biggest
Pet Peeves!!

These last few days we've gotten a little snow.
And that's fine, being that it is December and all.

BUT

I absolutely get my nickers in a twist
when people don't clean the snow off their vehicles!!

They clear off a portion of the windshield and leave
the rest on, to blow off and obscure other drives visibility!!

How lazy and inconsiderate some people are!!

Last night when I left work it had already stopped snowing,
was dark and I had about an inch
of snow on my van. The wind was blowing some too, but
I got out my handy snow brush and cleaned my entire van off.
(bumper to bumper and the roof too)

Other folks that were leaving just jumped in their rigs and sped off
snow trailing them.

When I got out on the highway heading home (rush hr traffic)
the visibility was soo bad
from snow blowing off vehicles that speed was
reduced to about 30mph - for 10 stinking miles!

It amazes me that people don't realize how dangerous
not removing snow from their vehicle can be.

Do you have an opinion on this?


P.S.
Only 20 more days till Christmas
and I haven't even started yet!



Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Christmas tree, Hair cuts and other stuff

I thoroughly enjoyed my four day weekend.

Got caught up on a lot of stuff around the house.
Like cleaning out closets, the entry way and
other odds and ends.

The tree went up on Saturday night too.
We were going to get a real one again this year, but
the kids wanted to do it right then, so we broke out the
old fake tree that we've had for about 19 years.
It may be old, but still looks good.

We've hung up all the Christmas decorations the kids
have made throughout the years.
Some of them are looking pretty rough, but
how can you throw out the first reindeer your kid made?

I also cut Chyann and Caden's hair.
Chyann got about 8" cut and she says she feels naked.
Her hair is still long about shoulder length instead of butt length
so I guess I under stand that.
Caden just got a cute "cowboy" cut.
He actually wanted a flat top, but I don't know how to do that.

The big push is on at work and I've been doing 10hr days and
planning on getting at least 6 in on Saturday (maybe 8).

Colton went to CVTC - Chippewa Valley Tech Collage
on a field trip yesterday and met with a bunch of
professors to learn about their programs.
He still is not decided on what he wants to do, but
he KNOWS he doesn't want to dig ditches or something like
that, so an education is a must.


Only 23 more shopping days till Christmas
Are you ready?

I'm not...