Road Trip 3003

So last night we bowled....today we're bouncing at a jumper place and hanging at the park. Tomorrow it's another day on the road, sigh....my goal is to make it home in time to soak in the tub and crash before dark.

So I'm working on travel options here, we could go one way and it's 13 plus hours (according to google) or another way is 11 hours but I know I can shave a little time around Dallas cause I figured out a short cut.

But the best part.....Princess' best friend from Oootah is in Texas visiting her daddy and I really thought I'd have stop in Dallas for a couple hours so these girls could meet up. Honestly, this is a great kid and one I was very pleased to let my kid hang out with. But turns out they actually live an hour/half from us so I'm just gonna wait till Tuesday and go pick her up for a playdate with us. Less travel drama for me and Princess will get her playtime. Gotta remember to get lots of pics!!!!

But otherwise, we're cleaning his rv and packing up so we can head out when the rooster crows in the morning. I'm ready for my tub and my bed. Cause it's freaking hot up here in the panhandle of Texas, I miss the coastal breezes. And Murphy misses his king sized bed.

On the road all day tomorrow, travel mercies for us please.

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I Miss My Bed

My back is killing me but I'm ignoring it cause I do so love to snuggle up next to my guy at night. Even though Murphy and me took all the blanket and left him freezing under the "H4G fixed ac". While I don't miss living in this rv, it's so nice to be with him. Now I can't wait for him to be home for awhile. He hasn't actually been in the house since I finished putting everything away. It's going to be a treat for him, for sure. Plus there is the matter of a "honey-do" list I have put together since he refuses to let me get some tools out of his toolbox to take home. Dang, thought I'd slip that by him but no such luck.

Wish me luck, we're bowling tonight and then old fashioned skating at a local link. I'm a little paranoid that I'm gonna break something. Pray for me please.

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BFE

So we took off for a few days to see my dearest hubby who is currently working in BFE northern Texas. When I say BFE I do mean it, I drove for like an hour past a town into what appears to be the middle of nowhere in a shanty town kind of place. If this were the wild west this place would have tumbleweeds blowing through it and a few dead looking guys asleep up against a saloon. Mr. GPS and I didn't agree on the drive so I managed to cut 3 hours off the trip going my way via an atlas. Really, the use of an atlas is a lost art. I love an atlas. And when I forget any of the 3 I own????? I love my mom sitting in front of hers, guiding me through, as she totally speaks my travel language... which includes sentences like: look past "town" and find this tiny little farm road, yeah no not that one, another one....starts with a 5 I think...yeah that one, it'll route me around traffic.

So we make it here and we got to see him for 30 minutes last night before I fell into a coma. Poor guy is a little flustered having us and Murphy with him though because between digging through all this crap we travel with trying to get ready for work and taking Murphy outside before he leaves, he managed to leave his sandwich in the fridge, he'll be starving tonight.

So we're resting today and then tomorrow we're driving a ways into a real town to watch a movie and do some tourist stuff. Fun!

However, it's worth it cause we get to hang with our guy. Who hopefully in a few weeks will have a couple weeks off before traveling to the next jobsite. Luckily these are quick turn around jobs so he'll have some time down. What a blessing.

I got to sleep a little and then it happened... we woke up in this little town with an average temperature of 100 and Satan and the rv ac seized up. I suffered for about an hour before I used a fork to disassemble the ac unit and got a hairdryer out. I can't deal with sweating to death inside, it's different out of doors.

So I'm gonna go work on my explanation to Dave about why there are metal boxes and cords hanging from hole in the ceiling. Opps....

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Really...Someone should step in

So today I was a productive little bugger. I got up early and took my baby boy off to the groomers cause he was a nasty little hairy thing. Seriously starting to look like the wolf boy! So since I was up, I went on down to the local courthouse to renew our tags and lo-behold turned out that half of the better citizens of the area was there too. After driving around and around for half an hour, I finally squeezed into a far parking spot and then after a very brisk walk with my kiddos and one stuffed bear (Mr. Teddy) we approached the security setup. Duchess was so impressed to go through a metal detector while Mr. Teddy road through the xray machine. Considering how utterly packed the parking lot was and with people coming and going with a bunch of papers, I thought it'd have a line at the security but nope....turns out it was arraignment day for all alleged criminal matters both small and large. The place was packed but strangely vehicle registration was empty for once. Yeah me.... the only good thing about not being able to take a licensed gun into a courthouse in this instance was the knowledge that all the other people couldn't possibly bring theirs in too....relief!

So before 10 am, I had accomplished so much of my daily goals that I treated myself to a yummy (Princess is mastering GF baking so I'm eatting like a queen around here). Except I ran into a little problem....

My dang big arse yard is growing too fast thanks to all the rain around here. Well crap. Since I don't have a shed to park a lawnmower in, I haven't bought a lawnmower (did you know that you have to put those things together?????? they come in a box....geez, lazy manufacturers). And since I couldn't get any lawn guys out to give me a quote, I finally got desperate and borrowed my sweet neighbor lady's mower. I was gonna do it myself.

So she pushed it over to me and I walked out the back door....and had to really put on my "good Sunday southern girl" face because oh my gawd, I'm pretty sure the mower in question was used by Moses on the deck of the Ark. The back wheels are three times the size of the front wheels, it apparently was of the "push" variety that must have been way before propelled mowers because all the rage and to turn it off I had to use my shoe to disconnect the spark plug (learned that the hard way after the bastard shocked me).

I have an acre of a yard people. I haven't sweated that much since giving birth to a kid who was determined to stay where it was warm and dark. Good grief. This is where I point out that I'm not afraid of hard work....I grew up mowing our yard, picking veggies in the garden, and generally helping my mother keep things standing (helluva woman, my mother)....but Dave has always taken care of the man stuff. This probably explains why he locked all the tools up in his toolbox and took them with him on the road. He left me a freaking RUBBER MALLET instead of an actual hammer and no drill. But I got this...... I can do anything I put my mind to, so here I went.

I mowed the damn yard and with help from Princess thankfully didn't kill myself but I really tried. Nope, not kidding. I started this with high hopes, my ipod and some comfy shoes. But the shoes started rubbing a blister, and this was after a rock popped back and cut the back of my heel. So I had Princess do a few laps while I switched into flip flops. That worked while I mowed the deep arse ditches but it went badly for me when I hit a huge patch of fireant hills. They ate my self up. And when I went running, screaming across the damn yard heading for the hose to wash my feet off....that dang mower kept running, cause you know...spark plug. So then I got smart and pulled on some knee high rubber boots. I started mowing again just to have three cars stop in the middle of the street in front of my house just to stare at how utterly ridiculous I looked out there....one old lady actually got her glasses out to get a better look. But I got a good stride and although I thought I was losing feeling in my legs at one point I managed to work through the pain. Princess and I got done and sat on the steps, dazed stupid and too tired to lift our arms to actually open the door.

And turns out it wasn't sweat pooling up in my right rubber boot, it was blood from my heel. Frankly it was gross and I thew up a little in my mouth. But all in all, I did good. I got the yard looking fabo amazing and Princess/I got our exercise.

And as soon as Dave called, we began the delicate process of demanding a riding freaking lawnmower.

Cause frankly, I'm too damn delicate for this kind of work.

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Here I go......

So last night I saw 3 a.m. and still didn't get finished with all the schoolwork for this week. I'm finishing up today and I must say that I will never ever do 4 classes evah again...Amen.

It's to the point now where my butt has a hard chair indention from sitting at this dining room table. Good God, I must tell you how sick I am about sitting here working on this dang stuff.

I'm slowly going insane.

What fun, and I'm slowly but surely burning out on this stupid decisions class. I personally can't wait to get that end of course review!!!!!

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The New House....part 2

So see, I can totally follow through. I charged my battery and here you go, the rest of the pics. Minus things like the laundry room, the big ole long hall, the attic, and the empty front hall because I have nothing to put in there. Fun times. So here you go, a peek into what has taken me forever to accomplish....

So this is the master bathroom, it's a long corridor thingy with two closets and an alcove at one end, and since the other two look similar, well I'm too lazy to go take pics.

So the look for the new house is "minimal clutter", and since before we put everything into storage last winter, we gifted alot of our stuff to others I'm running a little short on some things. Like surfaces to put things........Dave must have seen this as his one chance to whittle down some of my tables, cause I had a ton and it wasn't until this week that I finally noticed they were all gone. Hmmm, obviously I'm a sharp tack. And since it was evening when these were taken, please notice Murphy and Princess laying like broccoli after having a long day of work.

And another note: Jeromes' furniture of California is STILL my favorite furniture store evah because I bought these couches when I was pregnant with Duchess who is now 7.5 years old peeps. These are some seriously rocking quality couches. I seriously hope I still have them when I retire. Love them.

Pretty empty corner which needs a table, reading lamp and something....but for now will have what we call the baby rocker, our first brand new piece of furniture after we found out we were gonna be parents. And the entry wall into the front hall holds my lovely little armoire that is FULL of other pottery and such cause I have no where to put it. Hi Duchess, hiding in the hall.

Princess got a bigger girl room. Looks better in person than pics but we gave up all our black IKEA furniture and spray painted her bed so that was the extent of my help. The rest of this room was all her. I kept my hands off. Although she gave me a list of things she needs: rug, artwork, different curtains.......OKay....

The other side of her room. Kid has her own walk in closet... it's almost as big as mine. I'm not sure that is a good thing.

Other than a new desk chair, Duchess is complete. Pink and purple paradise......frankly since she is at the very end of the house her room get SOOOO much sunlight that between the light and the bright colors, it hurts my eyes to go in there. Get a good look cause I doubt we'll see it this clean ever again.

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The New House...part 1

Part 1 cause my battery just died on my camera so opps..... meet my favorite area of the new house....big arse kitchen. I love the floor, the counters, the amazingly large prep space.

Still not sure where to put all my appliances so this is kitchen set up #1, I'm sure by the time I hit set up #75 I'll have it just perfect. As you can tell, I got the whole Louisiana decor going on in there....

And cause I keep it so real around here, here's my messy cluttered dining room. I'll get that cleaned up real soon.

Oh pumpkin, there's mommy's boy.........

Livingroom although I have yet to replace the tiles on the coffee table that broke in the move so it's not complete. Plus, Dave gave AWAY all my little tables so I have nowhere to put my drinks now, I'm on the look out...

So this is part 1 while I charge my camera battery so I can spit out the rest of the pics. Once took 2 weeks to get everything completely unpacked and put away. Whew, I'm exhausted!

So there are decorating gaps and such for now but I'm working on it all........just not in any hurry, lol.

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Gasp....

I love me some True Blood:

"I will not die because of your shitty girlfriend and a Mississippi pothole!"

which is even better than:

"She's a f-ing diaster, we could be twins."

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Warning, Warning

I'm getting bored.

This is usually the start of bad things to come. Seriously, it's not good when I get bored. And it's not like I don't have a million and one things to do, still bored.

This is my first summer not working since I was 16. Now granted I took some time off after each baby was born and whenever we were transferred it was always a month or so before I found the perfecto job so it's not like there haven't been times when I wasn't working. But this is different, the husband now makes it to where I don't have to work but I keep thinking about it. I really should just shut up at this point, cause honestly like I don't have enough to do with keeping apts and running the kids here and there.

I think if I could get a bead on this house it'd be different. I'm dragging my feet. Honestly I think it's because I done got spoilt and miss Dave. Another is that actually decorating a new place always makes me crazy cause this crap doesn't come natural to me.

So in an attempt to chase the boredom away, I started doing projects. I refinished a wood painting I found at an antique mall and changed it from a god awful rooster scene to a chalkboard for my kitchen with a really cool frame. I'm put my library up in my bedroom which really makes me happy, I love my friends (I mean my books, opps). I've sketched out two paintings I want to work on this week as soon as I find my paints (closet maybe? attic?).

But it's the other things that are bothering me...I need an outside shed and since I'm cheap and miserly I caught myself actually googling it, looking up directions online and even printing them. It was when I was attempting to do the math on the amount of wood needed that I realized how utterly outthere this is.

I am not a builder. I paint, canvases (that aren't that good) and my toenails....not buildings. I have a hammer and a small socket set because my husband locked all the major tools up in his toolbox and took them with him.....cause he needed them? NOPE, pretty sure he did it so I couldn't maim myself while he is gone. Yet, here I was seriously considering how I needed a small table saw to build this dang shed.

This is the part where me being bored = stupid.

So yeah, talking sense into self is really hard, especially when self is as gunho as I am when I get my head wrapped around an idea. And frankly, I hope Dave doesn't read this post cause he'll promptly order me a freaking shed off the internet and have it delievered and then I'll see the bill and pass out.

It's a cute idea that one of my bff's could totally do on her own (ohhh maybe she'll come help me....) but me... um no, I busted a fingernail with a hammer trying to build bookshelves from a stupid kit.

This is the same thinking that gets me into all sorts of trouble and then Dave has to a. rescue me, b. finish the project, c. red0 the entire project, or d. all the above.....so no shed for me.

Now that the shed thing is completely and honestly dealt with, could someone please talk me out of redoing my coffee table on my own.......cause the marble tiles broke in the move and it needs to be retiled and I sliced open my thumb today trying to get all the old ones off so I could prep the board for new tiles. Which I haven't bought yet.

I'm obviously a danger to myself, lol. Dave is probably hearing angels sing right now cause I have never admitted that outloud or in writing....lol

But seriously, how hard it is to redo a coffee table, right?

Maybe I should just start on that flower bed.....

Or I could just go ahead and quit stalling and deal with hanging all my house decor myself, lol.

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There is No Excuse...

For my behavior....I'm a former military wife...this house should have been ship shape a week ago. I am digusted with myself.

So what do I do.......go buy bookshelves I have to put together (hello Target $26 book shelves on sale, yes) and then watch Girls Just Want To Have Fun instead of putting them together.

At least I hung one shower curtain today, once I get hangers for the other it'll be up too.

I'm exhausting myself just thinking about my to-do list here.

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Dear Satan:

Just because I finally got my kitchen unpacked and all my recipes out and ready does not mean I was ready to bake blueberry cobbler, cookies, and ribs tonight.

I blame you

Be gone devil and take any potential weight gain with you

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No Way

Unpacking pictures I came across our engagement photo. Taken a long freaking time ago before Dave headed off to bootcamp. My kids freaked out, lol. I kinda did too..........

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Hello Texas

So I wanted to move back home closer to seasons, real weather, and trees...oh the beautiful trees. But man oh man, I totally forgot about the rain.

You see in Utah and California rain was more of a large sneeze.

And then I get here and it's real rain. Good lord, rain!

Interestingly enough, since I noted that it's rained for about 3 days straight. I need a canoe for my yard and now I totally remember why you have 3 foot ditches along your property.

I finally broke down and bought an umbrella.

I love Texas.

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It Really Gets Interesting Around Here....

So we found our great house in Texas. We picked out the perfect school for the kiddos. And I got all our stuff moved here to the little South East Texas town we love and it happened.

The company Dave went to work for showed their true colors.

And frankly that is a problem that had to be dealth with immediately; see Dave has a moral code that he won't budge on and when push came to shove....he resigned.

And I've never been prouder. And God truly listens to the prayers of his children because the morning before he resigned, the phone rang.

He was offered a job with his old company in the Cadellac division. Before he worked for the Ford division apparently, but this company was something he was to proud of. He enjoyed the heck out of the work and frankly he had respect for the people who run it.

So he's on the road working again, except this time it's shorter more intense projects and he just a few hours away instead of states.

I'm so excited because he's happy and he's in a good place.

And even though it is amazing to me that we have done a 180 turn here, it feels right.

So here we are, in a similiar but very different situation. Except now, we will go for long weekend visits and he'll be home for weeks or a month at a time. This works well for me considering that while he's working, he's really working....I absolutely love how my guy goes out there and gets the bacon...he busts his butt for us constantly with his eye on the prize.

Frankly, it feels good. So I'm working on setting this house up and getting things moving along here. Getting the kids' settled here and ready for school. And as usual, I'm plugging away at my degree, which will hopefully finally be finished in Jan/Feb timeframe.

Which considering I've applied to school for my masters it's a good thing.

I think I'm addicted.

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Road Trip 3002

So I flew last week into SLC to go about the process of moving my household goodies. Dave was absolutely tied up with his new company so it was up to me. Since the babies were already scheduled for church camp with their grandparents it was time for me to move and move quick.

So I flew into SLC (I think I said that already didn't I?) But stupid me booked myself on the 6ish am flight and driving from the lake is a several hour trip so I didn't get myself any sleep at all. But the real drama came when my frugal nature had an argument with my packing choices.

You see, you have to pay for luggage checked now. Are you kidding me? Like these people aren't ripping the crap out of us already....I digress, sorry. So I realized that I couldn't check both my gun and my clothing considering my carryon was my laptop bag containing all the homework I needed to accomplish during the move.

So what would any good southern girl do?

I went with the gun.

And flew to SLC with my checked gun and no clothes.

Because honestly, I wouldn't be caught dead without my gun during a cross country move. There is no way on earth I was willing to do that.

So I was going naked.

I had the clothes on my back and that's it.

(Thank you mother for loaning me clothes and taking me for shorts/shirts!)

So I was sleeping walking at the point Dave dropped me off at the airport at 4 am. And since noone was working yet, I carried my gun safe upstairs to ask someone in security how to check it since the regulations constantly change.

The sleepy TSA guy smiled so sweet at the security checkpoint and asked what I was carrying, when I said handgun, he freaked. OMGawd did he freak. He yelled at me that I wasn't allowed to bring a gun upstairs and all the TSA people at the checkpoint got a nice little wakeup as I screamed back at him that I didn't know and how the hell was I to ask when nobody was downstairs but the guy cleaning the floors who didn't speak English.....it was entertaining to say the least.

They calmed down when I flipped it upside down and shook it to show them it was all safely locked up and promised them it was unloaded then directed me to where I needed to go and get it checked.

So finally I got my gun checked and loaded onto the plane. I refused to give up my aisle seat to a grumpy arse lady and then got a look that promptly told me she hoped I fried in hell....I smiled and gave her a thumbs up cause I believe in sharing the love.

Laying over in Denver was fun, especially when I realized that they had a smoking lounge. Hello, then after a couple smokes and a coke I realize I have 10 minutes to make it 10 gates or the plane would leave without me.

Turns out, I should really wear my glasses in situations like this. Turns out I got in at gate 31 and flew out of 91.....why did I read that as gate 41? Interesting. So yeah, I ran and I ran like a bad guy in the movies, taking out little old ladies with my laptop bag, hopped over several carry ons left in the aisle while their owners ordered lattes (really could have used a latte at this point) and finally because I can not lie, I rounded a corner and ran smack into a pilot who was apparently running late too cause we went down like two freight trains meeting in a tunnel. OMGawd....this wouldn't be quite so bad except he was like old and little and I totally was horrible and jumped off taking off leaving him in the middle of the corridor, cause I suck. Sorry little pilot man, I was late...........really really late and I suck.

I made it to the plane and boarded last. Figures. Then realized my seat was the last row, aisle seat on a small plane.

Like small as in "pack of gum with wings".

Seat didn't recline and my seat mate was apparently a BYU football player. Huge young guy.

So I get settled and then promptly turn to mr. football man and told him in my best stern mother voice that he was in my seat and frankly I paid for my WHOLE seat so he needed to hug the window and put the armrest down.

He balked. So I gave him the look and then before I could speak a very sweet adorable flight attendent totally put him in his place, quoting the FAA regulations for the armrest. So I got my seat and football man went to sleep, only drooling a little. I really envy people who can totally put themselves to sleep asap like that.

Anywho, so we get settled and then the little adorable flight attentant guy totally put the seat down and snuggled up to me. Cause you see, the flight attentent seat was a fold down from the back of the bathroom door making the last row actually 5 seats wide. And after I caught him reading the new Janet Evanovich over my shoulder, he introduced himself and announced that he was my new gay. I was thrilled, we shared my book, ate M&M's, talked shoes and promptly had us a great time the whole flight. It was a fab time and got my mind off the wildly small plane.

I landed in SLC and there was my amazingly great bestest friend in the world to welcome me back to hell. Looking like a million bucks since we both left our old company, I was so excited to have some girl time.

We had a great lunch, we totally acted up and talked about everything under the sun. We looked at shoes. We went to the gun range and blew the other girls away cause we some serious pistol packing mommas. Then we went shopping somewhere that I swore I won't put on my blog....but it was her idea and I didn't buy a thing, thank you very much. Almost, but didn't. And when she dropped me off to my momma and daddy, I was so glad to catch up.

Then at 7 pm I shut down and literally fell asleep in a blink which is so not me. I slept for 12 straight hours too, which is also not me.

The next day was all packing.

My daddy picked up our truck. My momma and I loaded all my house from that storage unit into that Penske truck in 4 hours. The three pieces we couldn't move wound up being the easiest when their friend showed up with a truck that had a hydrolic lift. OMGawd, I gotta buy one of them things. Awesome!

So when it was all said and done, Daddy and I pulled out of SLC less than 48 hours after I arrived driving the Penske truck to Texas.

Step 1 was complete.

And you might have wondered why I didn't make time to blog....cause we all know I blog just about everything. lol

Step 2 tomorrow, my fingers are tired.

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Oh Boy...

Where to start? Um we camped out in our new Texas house. I sent my Princess to church camp, got her home. 4th of July at the lake, ate a 10 lb catfish that my girl caught all by herself. Left kids at lake to go to another church camp with Grandma and Pappy while I flew to SLC. Mom and I packed up my Penske truck in 4 hours....took 2 weeks to put it into storage and 4 hours of some cajun sweat to move it to a truck, we rock. Daddy and I drove it to Texas. Daddy flew home. Unloaded truck. Working on setting up new house. Dave changed companies. In Ok heading to pick up girls and bring them home.

I'm exhausted.

More to come, with pics.........

Hang in there with me.

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Hang In There With Me

Heading to lake for weekend...family time, drop kids off for week of church camp time...then I'm flying to Ooootah to get my poop and drive it back with my fabulous-o daddy who is coming to help me drive a big arse uhaul truck. I'll be out of hand for about a week. Then I'll have pics, news and gossip. Hugs.

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