Hunting, Hockey and T-Shirts

Am I a redneck and don't know it?

I know, that's a pretty strong, and loaded, question, isn't it??? But the name of this post really worries me.

I grew up in a small town of maybe 1 or 2 hundred people. After the second week of second grade, we moved to the big city (population 3000 on a good day). And now some {redacted} odd years later, I'm living in the actual big city (population 1 million, when you include the immediate suburbs).

I grew up a tomboy...merely because when you live in a small town, there's nothing to do but 'boy stuff.' Ride bikes, climb trees, catch frogs, or play with trucks in the sandbox (which always smells like a little box - you ever notice that?).

I once got in trouble, because my best buddy was caught playing barbies with our other friend - who just happened to be a boy. I hated playing barbies, but did it, because it was another thing to do when you couldn't be outside. I think I must have been jealous that she asked him, and not me. So..what does all of this have to do with me getting in trouble, you ask? Well, I threw a brick at her.

Yes, a brick. Don't ask. I have no idea.

Luckily she escaped the attack with a fat lip. Hell, she even went on to play with me on the swing sets later that day.....kids!!! :-)

Anyway, back to my Saturday of hockey and hunting.

We were up at 5:00, out the door, in Mo.Valley, and through the Mickey D's drive through by 5:45.



The place we were hunting is gorgeous. Mr. Warren Christy owns the land. His daughter and I were 2 of 3 girls in my grade before I moved the big city (pop 3000). It's amazing how moving 10 minutes away can completely destroy a friendship. I haven't seen her but a few times since moving in 2nd grade. It really stinks actually.

One day, when we were still living in Mo. Valley, Mot comes home all excited. He had been looking for Iowa hunting land, and was happy to tell me he met a guy at the gas station that would let him hunt on his land...in payment for helping him out on his farm. The more Mot told me about the guy, the more I smiled. When he told me the guys' name, I knew I had been thinking of the same person.

Small world, eh???



I love going out to Warren's land. I remember doing it all the time as I was growing up. Riding my first horse (and falling off), climbing in grain bins (and discovering my allergies to corn pollen), roller skating in their huge basement (the basement is huge, but you should see the rest of the house....it's always been my dream house actually)!!

Warren farms organic materials (besides the normal corn and beans) on his property...and sells it to florists, etc, etc. Mot never comes home from the place, without a handful of dried plant life of some sort or another. Mr. Christy and his wife as such awesome people!

Anyway, back to the hunting. I'm really rambling today, sorry!!!

The first time I went duck hunting on his property, I took this picture.....it pretty much says what an early morning out there looks like.

Yesterday morning, it looked quite different, but still just as gorgeous!!!!




We really saw nothing flying. It was amazing how clear the sky was when we arrived in the dark...but about 8:00, a pretty fair weather system moved. With it, clouds and cooler weather. I love it!!!!!!




Can you see Tom in the duck blind below. The man will do anything to stay out of a picture. But, it speaks volumes for the greatness of the new blind they put in this year. (don't mind the black plastic at the bottom of the picture, it's a new wetland, still under maintenance and such)



We were hunting a new spot on his land. We really saw very few birds. The one time a group of 4 of them flew over us, I was watching a duck that had snuck onto the pond in front of us, without us noticing.

I was about to say something, when Mot put his hand on my head (I was sitting, he was standing) so that I wouldn't stand up. Then he proceeded to shoot as those 3 or 4 ducks right over me. Hello!! If I wasn't awake, I was after that. :-) One bird went down...but that was pretty much all we saw the whole morning. My new 12 gauge shotgun has yet to draw blood. PETA celebrate now!!!

Warren's land is very, very close to the Missouri River...and we usually can hear people shooting near the wildlife refuge close by. Yesterday, even they weren't shooting much. The ducks and geese just weren't flying through the area.

Oh well....it was still fun, as always, to hunt with Warren.

After hunting, we drove into the town I grew up in for breakfast. The town has one bank, one gas station, a couple churches, post office, library (attached to the volunteer fire department building) and this little dinner. Breakfast was pretty good.

We drove back home, showered, and got ready to head out We had a few errands to run before our first hockey game of the season.

On our way out the door to the garage...we notice the dogs are still in their kennels. OH MY GOD!!!! What kind of parents are we.....it's like 12:00, and they still haven't been taken outside. OH MY GOD!!!! Humane society....here we are, come get us! The worst dog owners ever! :-(

After we took the dogs out (watched them pee 17 times all while looking at us with 'those looks'), we headed out.

First stop, my camera shop so they can tell me what the f*ck is wrong with my DLSR. Error 99.

They told me the same thing I found online.....it's a misc error code, that could mean 1 of a million things. Unless I can figure out exactly when it's doing it (there is no rhyme or reason!), I just have to deal with it....or spend huge money to send it in to Canon to have them run a diagnostic on it. :-(

From there, we went to Bass Pro Shops to get a gun case. We're flying to Portland, OR in a few weeks to hunt with his brother and new wife. Should be fun...but I found out that 5 of our 7 days there are going to spent hunting. I love them, don't get me wrong, and hunting up there sounds like fun, don't get me wrong....but please understand.....I want to see things!!! We're going to Portland, OR for crying out loud!!!!!!! :-) Vacations with family...ugh!

I may be surprised and get to spend some time with Mot (sans family), only time will tell. :-)

After Bass Pro, we went to our favorite Mexican place for dinner....then walked around the Old Market area for a while, wasting time until the first hockey game started. This weekend was the Mutual of Omaha Stampede. Which basically means, UNO asks 3 other teams in for the weekend of hockey. Friday night were the first two games. Saturday night was the consolation and championship games.

During our walk around the Old Market, we went into one of my favorite stores. I bought a tshirt that screamed at me as I walked by.



It pretty much says it all. That's Nej in a nutshell. I'm a living, breathing oxy moron. Introverted, but outspoken and opinionated. :-) I was brought up to stick up for myself, my values, and those around me. But, I shouldn't do it while making a scene. :-)

I absolutely LOVE the shirt!!!!! It goes with my shirt that says "Well-behaved women seldom make history."

We're hockey fans...but we stayed at the first game for exactly 20 minutes. It was a blow out, and we decided that once the score got to 5 to 0 we were leaving.

We left at 4 to 0......patience isn't a virtue for either of us.

The two "power hungry" door people weren't going to let us leave, and then come back in for the second game. So, Mot sweet talked the people at the customer services window to de-scan our tickets, so we could come back. He started the conversation with "this is the worst hockey I've ever seen in my life."

He holds no punches. Guess it worked, they let us leave and come back. hehe

We went to the nearest Barnes and Nobles to waste the 2 hours until the next game was to start. I thought I'd check out and see how bad the TAPS magazine is...but couldn't find an issue. (strike 1)

I also thought I'd check out the travel books on Tennessee....they really didn't have much. (strike 2)

Next on my mental list of books to find, a book about the real stories and experiences of long distance hikes. I really, really want to hike a long trail - Appalachian trial for example. Just me, my pack, and a friend/loved one....if I can talk someone into it....on the trail for a couple months. I'll probably have to end up doing it on my own. Which, as terrifying as it seems, might actually be good for me.

The championship game started at 7:05. We're always on time, if not really early...so we arrived at the arena just after 6:00. Problem is, we're horribly bad at waiting and wasting time. :-)



The players took the ice to warm-up, and I was thrilled to see 'my dude' was on the team again this year. Agusto, Agusta, something like that. Why is he 'my dude' if I don't really even know his name???

#11 a little shit. He's smaller than the other guys on the team, but he's quicker than hell. He knows how do things that should earn him a penalty, without getting caught. He's always right where he needs to be. He's just plain fun to watch!! He's got spunk, he's got pep.

He's a little shit. :-) :-)

Every year, they auction off jerseys of the players. I should have gotten his last year....as he's starting this year...and people are starting to pay more attention. Oh well!!!!

The company dad works for (Werner Entertrises) is sponsoring one of the Zambonis this year...it looked pretty nice driving around out on the ice!!!



Game went really well. 1st period....the other team (Union something or other) scored. Finally, near the end of the 3rd period, the Mavs scored to tie it up. The game went into overtime.

In between the 2nd and 3th periods they do this goofy thing on the score board big screen. Game officials randomly pick three people (usually students) from the crowd. Each person is assigned one computer generated horse. They run a video game like race on the screen....and whoever is representing the winning horse that night wins something. It's all really silly actually, and we usually arbitrarily pick a horse just because....well....when in Rome. But last night...one of the students representing one of the horses was wearing a tshirt that read "I (heart) hot moms." Classic!!!!

I'm trying not to bore all of you non hockey watchers, by spouting specifics of the game....just the highlights. :-)

I'm a people watcher, so most of the time, the highlights of these games are those around us...and last night was no exception. The lady sitting next to Mot, trying to pretend like she was a fan, was quite annoying. Yes, I say she was trying to be fan...because at one time she screams "ref, throw a flag."

Sorry crazy impostor lady - they don't do that in hockey.....go watch your Nebraska football game and shut up!!!! (side note, to those of you not from around here, Nebraska college football fans are freaks....crazy, strange, scary football freaks - everything around here is red, with a big white N for Nebraska...it's embarrassing really!!)

Later in the game, the boys were starting to look a little tired....skating very poorly, and passing even worse. Impostor lady screams "Help a brother out!" It was wrong on so many levels!!!!

Back to the game.....the team is in overtime...and wins!!! Yeah Mavs!!!!!!!!!



When we got home, and walked into the house, we could hear a meowing. Mot tracked it to the enclosed front porch. WTF!!!! Morgan must have gone out there when we were unloading our hunting gear...and has been out there all day long. WTF!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I'm really not kidding now, someone call the humane society. This is crazy! What kind of parents are we, really?????

It's 5:24 pm on Sunday, and Morgan has yet to leave my side. Seems she's worried we're going to lock her on the front porch again....or maybe she thinks we don't love her. Did we just give our cat a complex??

To everyone who knows us....this is another reason we don't have kids. I'd be the mom that went to work, and left poor little Mot Jr in the car, instead of taking him to the sitter's house. Ugh!!!!