Ghosts of Weekends Past, #1

Like sands through the hour glass...so are the weekends of my past....

Well, at least the past month (or so). :-)

Yes, it's true...here I am....yet again, telling you that I'm sorry I've been absent as of late. Apologizing for my lack of posting.

It's true, I've a a blog slacker.

(hanging head in shame)

:-) :-) :-)

But, dear reader, here I am.....in front of my computer.....getting ready to fill your reader with a plethora of posts, a bushel of bloggy goodness, an abundance of....of......well, you get the idea.
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05/01/10

When we moved into our house, we knew that there were a couple of things that it lacked...#1 a second bathroom (plans are in the works to fix this)...and a big ole' master bedroom closet.

Granted, the house is nearly 90 years old, so I'm willing to cut it some slack. :-)

Initially, I gave Mot the closet in the bedroom, and I took the closet in the hallway outside the bathroom and the master bedroom. Because our schedules can clash with each other at times, the arrangement actually worked fairly well.

Although, with the laundry facilities being in the basement, my closet slowly migrated down there. Actually, it didn't migrate so much as the clothes just never made it back upstairs after being washed. I lived out of laundry baskets for a while.

Eventually I hung some closet rods on a wall near the washer and dryer.

Finally, this particular weekend, I'd had enough. It started with getting a rug for the floor that can get a tad chilly - even for me - in the winter. Then I thought I may as well paint the walls.

And...well...the project grew and grew and grew.

So big, in fact, that my co-worker and friend Tracy stopped by to help.

I moved and piled everything from the area....and off we went!!!!

Before....


After...


Before....


After....


Before....


After....


Before...


After...


I think it turned out quiet well actually. Now I have an official closet AND I don't have to carry my laundry upstairs after it's done!!!! Win/win if you ask me. :-)

Post-it note therapy: To everything, turn, turn, turn......

...there is a season, turn, turn, turn.

Hey folks...it's me....Nej! You remember me, right? I used to post multiple times a week.....and now, apparently, I haven't posted for almost an entire month!!!!

I think I had hit a blog posting wall.

Kinda like the runners wall at mile 20....except energy drinks and gels don't help. :-)

Speaking of, I've started running, but I may have already told you that. But.....now I'm running outside! Yep, was finally cleared by my physical therapist to give it a try.....and now I can't stop!!!

It might be more difficult to run off of the treadmill....but it's a ton more enjoyable to leave the gym and run in the great outdoors.

I can check out the houses in the neighborhood, talk to and get all the neighborhood dogs barking, wave at people on the curb getting their mail.....etc, etc. I have a point that I'm running to....and if I stop before I get there....well, I'd be sleeping on the curb about a mile away from home. :-)

On top of this new found hobby......it's summer.

Well, maybe not officially for a couple of weeks, but once the A/C comes on, it's summer in my book.

And, I've been pretty busy here at work. Me, busy, at work.....go figure!!!

So...my blog reading and posting has suffered.

And, dear reader, for this I apologize! Please don't forget about me. I have a month's work of weekend pictures to upload from my cameras. And I'm going to get to it.....next week.

Tonight we have dance lessons (oh yeah, Mot and I started taking ballroom dance lessons, if I hadn't mentioned that already).....and then a movie with a friend of ours. Tomorrow night I'm hanging out at the Relay for Life grounds, lending support.....Saturday is a camping trip with Mel and Sheila....Sunday I'll come home from camping, maybe hit the driving range with Steve (oh yeah, I actually got my clubs out for the first time in 7 years last weekend!), and then a show downtown with Natalie for her birthday.**

(whew) I'm tired just thinking about it all.



** (shhhh...don't tell anyone, no one is supposed to know it's her birthday...but I know I can trust you)

Bet this guy is fun at parties.....

Mostly Wordless Wednesday: She's not spoiled....not one little bit!!

Mot and Sam are heading off across Nebraska to visit Mot's (and Sam's) family.

During the trip out, Mot sent me many a picture from the road.





Mot used to say that I could sleep anywhere. I've got nothing on Sam. :-)


Happy Wednesday folks!!!!!

Swingline 747

So....if you've had something happen at work...something big.....something that makes you want to repeatedly hit yourself over the head with your Swingline 747 stapler, and then jump through the nearest window....and, let's say your boss comes over to get your "take" on the event....and you throw your hands up in the air while saying...no, while yelling..... "that's it! I've had it, I can't take it any more. I'm leaving, I'll see you all tomorrow"......and you look over at him, and he's smiling....

Does that mean "Yes, it's ok to go home" ?

I think it should.




"The squirrels were married." Classic!!!!

Weekend Update: Getting behind again

I'm two weekends behind. I'll get it all caught up this week, I promise!!!!

But, as I look at my window right now....it's pitch black and raining cats and dogs....I think I'll post a picture from this Saturday. I found the perfect spot to sit and read for a while.



The weather was absolutely gorgeous this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dog for sale.....

They spend Sunday morning buying plants. He buys veggies (tomatoes, peppers, herbs, etc)...she buys flowers.

He's in charge of planting the garden, she's in charge of filing the pots on the back deck.

One afternoon after work, she comes home and does just that.....fills all the pots. Ponders over what to put where.....and then digs in, literally.

The finished product is happy, fun, and colorful. Bright pots of colorful Gerber daisies and other things she doesn't know the names of.

Names aren't important though. It looks nice. She can't WAIT to get more pots and make the big bare back deck into an oasis of color.
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He wakes her up on his way out the door this morning. "Uh...honey?"

"Hmmmm?" (still clinging to the last minutes of sleep)

"I'm sorry. I tried to pick up all the pieces."
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She's instantly awake. She puts on her robe and walks to the kitchen.

Through the window she can see the aftermath.....the debris.....the horror.

The back deck is covered.....COVERED.....in mud, muck, greenery....and bright little bits of plant life here and there.

C.O.V.E.R.E.D.

She could tell he'd tried to pick up the pieces before he woke her. You could tell where he tried to put the plants (or what was left of them) in the pots they came from.

She loves him for it more than anything.
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As for the dog.......

.....she's priced to sell.

(Badass - you get first dibs if you want her.)

:-) :-)

Mostly Wordless Wednesday: Put your right foot in, put your right foot out.....

Last weekend, I spent a couple hours Sunday am (04/25/10) taking pics of Inny (little sis) and Doug (bro-in-law) competing in a small interschool dance competition. They signed up to take ballroom dance lessons a number of months ago (how long HAS it been, Inny?)....and every so often the school puts on a competition so the students can be judged on their progress.

It's also a fun excuse to buy fancy dresses and strut their stuff. :-)




I love this picture. You can see the concentration on their faces as they are waiting for the music to start.






Aren't they cute??

Weekend Update: Which way to the Ark?

I grew up camping at Wilson Island State Park. Some summers I spent more time there, than at home. My parents are still that way. We love it there!

In April, the Missouri river went over it's banks, and the park flooded. It's happened before, and I'm sure it will happen again....but it's never a happy thing.

The Friends of Wilson Island have been doing what they can to help park staff get the place open for business.

I was able to go out last Saturday and help.


There was still quite a bit of standing water....but nothing compared to what it was. The place was completely UNDER water when the river was at it's highest.






Mom and I took the ranger out for a drive along the river. We spent the first part of the morning rescuing the new seedling trees they planted last year. (this pic isn't one of the new trees, as if you couldn't tell - those were completely covered my muck, mud, and gunk - muddy job)


Then we moved back into the park to start picking up debris.


After a while, I moved over to dad's team to work on the bigger debris.







One of the fatalities of the flood were the outhouses.



Don't worry though, they have new ones coming. :-)





Dad let me drive the truck for a while. Do you see the boggy mess where we were dumping the downed trees and limbs? (look closely behind the trailer in that last pic)

Oh yeah, I got the truck stuck.

Yessiirreee I did. :-) :-)

Happy Friggin' Friday everybody!!!

I don't know about all of you, but this Friday could not have come too fast.

It's nothing personal against Friday, it's not Friday's fault. I mean, it's not like Friday was dragging it's heels, not wanting to arrive.

No, the blame should rest on the shoulders of the rest of the week. Particularly Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday and Thursday have it out for me. I've, evidently, done something to tick them off. Because, whew doggie!, were they a b*tch.

But, that's all behind us now...Friday has come to the rescue!

The picture I'm posting today has nothing to do with Friday...or Wednesday, or Thursday for that matter. Nope, it's just a little snapshot I took while shopping with Inny Saturday afternoon/evening.

We hit every mall in the area I think.

No...wait....I think we missed one. Drat!

Anyway!

As we were walking around one of our outdoor malls, we walked past a store that was getting ready to open it's doors..but wasn't quite ready yet.

We literally walked by, looked inside....and then about 40 or so feet away, we both looked at each other...turned around and went back.

Take notice, the rest of the store is stocked and ready for the grand opening. But, I think they missed one important step!



Even the dog was naked.

What? :-)

Weekend Update: You Scream, I Scream, We all Scream for ICE CREAM!!!!

Friday night, we met downtown for tacos, and then back to our place to play cards.


I took some tulips from our yard. It was a gorgeous day, and I thought I'd bring some spring with me. :-)

Before we left, Nat brought out some ice cream for us to try.

Mmmmm...ice cream!!


This chocolate is rea.......

Whoah! Wait a second! What's the other flavor?


Tom seems to like it.


My reaction was a bit different.


Habanero chocolate ice cream. Not for the faint of heart. :-)

(look at Danny in the background of that last pic - giggle)

Mostly Wordless Wednesday: April showers bring.....

We have these tulips that come up in the strangest of places at our house. I'm still, after three years, trying to figure out the landscaping "plan" the crazy lady that lived at our house before us was using. But....some of the flowers that spring up here and there (there are new ones every year!!) can't help but make me stop and look. Such awesome beauty in some of the weirdest places. :-)

How can you resist.....

...this face???



Isaac is still sporting his winter "do".

Just when we think we'll give him a haircut, the weather dips down, and we hold off.

He doesn't seem to mind either way. :-)

Weekend Update: A bird in the hand is worth......

Last Saturday (April 17th to be exact) the "boys" and I spent the day eating, shopping and climbing trees.

Yep, you heard me, climbing trees.

Why?

Because, after we met for lunch, we did some shopping, then we all ended up back at casa de Mot and Nej.


We cleaned "spring" off the deck table, gathered up the playing cards, and headed outside. No WAY that "70 degree, almost no wind, even fewer bugs day" was going to pass by with us hanging out inside!!!!!

Nuh uh!

After a number of hands of canasta....Mot got up and walked into our side lot.

The boys followed.

I ran inside to get the camera. :-)

Why?

Because when I looked up, this is what I saw.


What are they looking at?


Look! It's right there, whatever it is!!!


Yup, there it is. One of Sam's retrieving dummy's. Apparently Mot had thrown it up in the tree earlier that day...and his OCD just couldn't let it stay.


"My OCD?? What ever do you mean?"

Now, do you think we all decided to wait until the thing came down on it's own?

Heck NO!!!

"Mot, there's a volleyball in the garage, that shouldn't get stuck."


"Oh sweet...I'll try that."


"Hmmmmm......now what?"

"I know! The crazy lady that lived in your house before you has pieces of rebar stuck in the ground EVERYWHERE. I'll throw up one of those!! It's plenty heavy to knock stuff out and not get stuck."


"Here we go!!!"


"I can't believe that stuck!!!!"

"There's a t-post stuck in your garden. It's twice as heavy as that rebar. No WAY it will get stuck, and it's heavy enough to knock the rebar down."




"Hmmmm...now what?"

Well......






"Mot!!!!!!! Your turn!!!"



"Thank goodness THAT didn't stick! But.....what about the other stuff still up there?"


"I'm getting more rebar!!!"


Success!!!!!

Do you see it there laying in the yard behind him?? The "dummy" that started it all!!!!

But...in case you've lost count....there is still a volleyball, a t-post, and 3 pieces of rebar in our neighbors tree.

Oh yeah....the tree is on the edge of property...it's not even ours. (giggle)


Apparently, all the excitement was too much for poor Sam. :-)

At last check, the volleyball has disappeared from the tree....but isn't in the yard. I think the neighbor lady (who I GUARANTEE was watching from a window somewhere in her house) saw that it fell and confiscated it. :-)