JoJoDreamer

Love.

2011-08-29T17:39:00.001-07:00

That's what JJ called it the day after and I must say that when I read that I thought "yeah, love." Love of a band so obscure that whenever I repeat their name I get blank stares. Yet love so enduring that it could bring ten thousand fans back together after eight years for an almost spiritual reunion.

All those years ago I somehow knew what a special thing these guys had going. I know that it broke my heart when things went the way they did. I like a lot of bands. I love a lot of artists. I'm sad when they break up or disappear. But this was different. Seeing all those fans out Friday night and sharing memories ~ it wasn't just different for me. These boys had done something special. I know they must have known it, felt it, thought about it over the years, but was an awesome validation that it must have been for them. Standing there on that stage looking out at all of those adoring fans who still knew, loved and could sing literally every word of every song back to them. What a special thing for everyone.

The evening was made more special by the acknowledgement of the love in that moment. Their smiles were contageous. They seemed almost giddy. Heck we all did!

A lot of personal drama was going on for me the night of that last show all those years ago. As I stood there Friday it struck me just what a powerful and full circle event this was for me. I'm thankful to the boys for giving me that chance. I'm delighted to have seen the result of them letting bygones be bygones ~ what a great example they set! Easy to say but harder to do, yet Friday I could feel the love! And so could everyone in that venue.

I've been lucky to have seen a few shows in my day where the energy in air is what you remember most. This was one! Maybe the best one!

GIDDY

2011-06-20T08:35:00.001-07:00

For me it all started with two cassette tapes that I only listened too because this stupd boy I liked was pushing them on me like a crack dealer... that's the right analogy for me because. My reaction was no less than addiction.

It didn't come right away, I liked the tapes but wouldn't profess love for the band until id seen them live a couple of times. A couple of shows quickly turned into more shows than I could count. Soon I was seeing them almost weekly. ANd eventually id even book them 4 my own show.

THE GREAT DIVIDE changed my musical direction 180 degrees. My love of all things texas and all things texas music related all started with this band from oklahoma!

To me jason boland and cross canadian were bands I had to listen to in order to hear my band as almost every show was opened by 1 or the other. I grew to love these guys too over time. The same can be said for stoney. I came to love susan gibson (of wide open spaces fame) long b4 WOS because the Groobees opened for TGD. I saw Gary P Nunn at a GD show before I knew he was the reason "you could go home with the armadillo" or even what the armadillo world headquarters was or meant. I saw Robert Earl Keen for the first time at a GD show and the only song I knew was the one TGD covered at every other show (road goes on forever).

I remember standing at their final show in stillwater completely in that moment. The breakup had been building and the vibe around it wasn't good. I was in denial about the whole thing and would shun the two bands that rose from the ashes for the next couple of years. Eventually id go back to mike as it was always his voice and soul in my favorite songs, but I would always miss that vibe that existed between those guys when it was really good.

To hear now that the guys have mended fences is great, but to hear them talk about reunion dates is awesome. I can't wait to stroll down memory lane with these guys....

My experimental garden

2011-06-01T20:02:00.001-07:00

Not experimental in that I'm like. growing foriegn plants... just things I've never tackled before. I've got tomaters goin which I've had some sucess with as well as sqashes. But branchin out we got spinich and lettuce which had been a crazy sucess with stuff to eat and to give away. We also got peppers which I'm including a picture of the 1st couple as well as broccoli and cabbages ~ which we learned we did mot plant nearly enough of..... (thinkin fall garden do over) We also have spagetti sqash coming on strong and green beans which are not soo much.
Let's see we also got melons? Watermelons and cantelope as well as onions and garlic.

We made raised beds and I've also got pots goin everwhere. In the experimental vein some of these cooler weather plants r goin inside to see how they do...

We will see.
Till then, carry on!

Rocklahoma

2011-05-28T08:55:00.001-07:00

A festival that for all its fun and all its potential never seems the same from one year to the next. Let's just say that that part will keep me on my toes. Focusing on the positive and not complaining about what I can't change..... its good to see old friends and make new. Our comic relief (Caleb) keeps lorrie and I in stitches. The switch to budweiser for all its complications has been a positive move when you consider the service those guys provide and the crowd delight at having a new choice. The security boys are great as ever if not at their job at least to look at... guess I'm sucking up the soreness and headin back in.
Carry on!

Look who is ready to ROCK!

2011-05-26T13:59:00.001-07:00

IM BACK!!!Well maybe lol

2011-05-26T13:54:00.001-07:00

So a couple of my friends have been blogging again and it has got me thinkin... perhaps I should dust off the old blog. No offense to facebook but it never feels like home and it sure doesn't reflect my character!

I wonder if ill really have time for meaningful blogging. It does rock that there is a blogger app which allows me to post right from my phone... but will I be able to tolerate this tiny keyboard for posts longer than ur average tweet? I'm not sure, but I think the app button staring at me from my home screen might get me going a few times. Since I downloaded it this morning its been whispering... "here I am, u gonna blog or what?"

Well we shall see how it goes. I am over the hump of the first and surely with all the drama that is rocklahoma I should be able to find somethng to say in next day or two.

So for now I say: carry on!

Welcome to our Crazy Family - John Thomas

2010-05-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

2010-05-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

a friend sent me the following quote today. Amidst the turmoil that is my life right now and certain stressors in particular I thought it was a good though to meditate on for today!!

'May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are.. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.'

Thanks Porche.......

GRADUATION DAY!!!!

2010-05-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

Graduation Day!!!

2010-05-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Couple

Pssssst.... my mom graduated!

Oh crap... my crazy cousin found me..

Class 2010

Good bye Mazie Prairie.... Hello "On The Rocks"

2010-04-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Last evening was a milestone and the end of an era I have spent on the Mazie Prairie. Five years ago last January I somewhat reluctantly moved to the Mazie Prairie with a couple of friends and our respective pooches - and ponies!

My relcutance stemmed from my indecision. I usually know instinctively whether something is a good idea or not - But at that time i'd just gone through a nasty break up and for a few minutes I'd lost my bearings... As to moving to Mazie I was drawing a blank. In the end I told myself that even a wrong move was at least a move and i'd figure it out as I went along.

In retrospect that is exactly what happened. Good friends/Roomates came and went - and yet I, the only who wasn't sure I wanted to be in Mazie - stayed... The horses and Colt and I were on the margin very Happy there.

Mazie for me represented a time of healing, growing up and exploring who I was and who I wanted to be. I contemplated happiness and simplicity. I embrassed my orange nature and my inner Texan!

Too many good memories to list - many if not most captured right here in this blog!! From Memorial Day parties with ceremonial burying of radios playing rock music, or staying up all night with good friends fighting a wild 'possum in the garage, or raising and learning to love a baby coon (Cancoon), and a new baby horse(Tex), to cursing the amish (lol), batteling wild fires, tornadoes and hail storms, to the last three blissful years with my prescious Colt.

As I stood in the empty house last night I thanked her for her protection, shelter and for being open to our good times and good spirits. I wished her well and hoped for her a long history with new spirits. There was never a dull moment on the Mazie Prairie and I hope that the new occupants of 302 S. Coal will enjoy that fact as much as I did!

So, with slight sadness but mostly awesome memories - I bid the Mazie Prairie, and the era of my life that it represents - adieu! farewell! and so long!

With an open heart and and an open mind - I turn now to facing my mid-thirties and the challenges and suprises that they will hold. I will have much time to contemplate such things as we begin to make improvements on Horse Heaven.... Otherwise known as ON THE ROCKS!!!

Texas Independence

2010-03-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

Funny how we still celebrate our independence.... Even though we decided to join forces with the wonderful US of A.... Further proof....We texans know how to have our cake & eat it too!!!

Okay... Carry on

which for the record ...the usage of that term is Texan in origin...

Can Fowler Harness the Power of Disney???

2010-02-17T11:00:00.001-08:00

When Brandon Rhyder popped off a comment last Saturday night at Texas Mardi Gras about Kevin Fowler signing with Disney, I had a couple of thoughts …. Like: IS THAT TRUE??? WTF??? A record deal?? And the most important – HOW can that be true and me not know???? I mean, Hello!

But in fact, once it was actually time for Kevin Fowler to come out, he was announced as "Lyric Street Recording Artist Kevin Fowler." Okay, so no denying it…. Now I needed to get my mind around it.

When I hear the words "Lyric Street" my mind automatically goes to one place…. Rascal Flatts. Now whether you love or hate Rascal Flatts, you would still have to agree with me on a couple of things… First, that Rascal Flatts and Kevin Fowlers are different enough to find themselves pictured together under the term "polar opposites" in the dictionary… and secondly that RF is musically a far cry from the sounds of Texas.

I asked myself what on earth could have been the motivation behind this Union? For Kevin it had to be the attraction of attaining that next level of success. Every artist has that dream of hearing themselves on the radio, and while you may hear Kevin in Texas and randomly on occasion in Oklahoma, there has been no true national radio success. One has to look no further than then official Lyric Street press releases to confirm these thoughts. Lyric Street says they stand poised to bring Kevin's unique brand of Country Music to the mainstream radio audience. (I'm paraphrasing of course) It's appealing for the artist, it has to be.

I am hopeful for Kevin's sake that he can pull it off. That he can maintain the essence of what makes him awesome in the face of the Nashville Machine. But the reality is that few do. We all know, I'm a huge fan of Pat Green, who has been chasing mainstream success for some years now and has achieved some measure of it. Pat was and is super popular in Texas, and he's pretty articulate and gets pretty defensive when accused of being a "sellout" – and I have listened intently to every argument in favor of signing with the big label, and they make good sense in theory – but even Pat and RCA have had a recent parting of the ways. (in my mind, I like to think of it as Pat telling them to take their label and shove it…).

I'm not suggesting it can't be done. If the right "fit" is made. I sooo wished, right from the beginning that Pat had signed w/ almost anyone other than RCA (and now I'm going to throw Lyric Street) and with any luck I'll get to see how he does with the next folks to come along. Jack Ingram has found a good fit with Big Machine Records. What about Cross Canadian and Universal South? Well, I think cross has managed to maintain their sound, but I think if you listen to Cody at all you'd hear him saying it's not been a perfect fit either.

So… it will be an interesting ride. Can Lyric Street propel Kevin to the top of the mainstreet charts? I actually think they can, they certainly have the money & the clout. I just don't know that they will. Will Kevin remain "Kevin"?

The more Texas Country Artists that emerge with all their talents, the more likely they are to slowly take over the Nashville machine. Pat has said that change can be most efficiently effected only from the inside….

Interesting times my friend… interesting times…

Until then…. Carry on…

The Soul is Full

2010-02-08T14:22:00.001-08:00

You can capture neither lightening nor AWESOMENESS in a bottle. The best that you can do is to be as present as possible during the awesomeness – then make some kind of record of the awesomeness so that you can remind yourself later just how awesome it was! And so, I blog. I took a few pics & a few videos – and when the glow of Texas begins to fade I can come back here and relive some tiny portion to refill my soul.

Every year Ashley & I try to attend Pat's private show for his fans in Texas, followed that night by his big Sold Out show at Billybobs. This weekend was our fourth such journey. We waivered about going to this event, mostly because we'd done it so many times and just thought maybe we should do something new but still get to spend our quality time together, (the real reason for our commitment to an annual trip) but in the end neither of us could discount our love of all things Pat Green… We did decide that this year we would do things a little different and skip the nights big show in favor of attending a show in Dallas – Texas Mardi Gras!

We began our trip early Saturday morning, and by early I mean pre-sun. We were excited though since we were headed for Texas and GOOD TIMES!!! We made record time to Ft. Worth and were among the very firsts attendees present, which is the secret for perfect seats… Not that there are bad seats – only about 150 people attend the private event – so – your gonna get some up close time with Pat. But we were up even closer than we normally are (which is usually 3-4 seats back from pat's boots – vs this time – 1 seat back from the boots). I had told Ash I was most curious about what Pat would say about his departure from his record label… and that was the first thing he addressed. I'm paraphrasing here, and actually I think erring on the side of gracious interpretation – but essentially he said he fired them because their input was more of a hindrance than a promotion. He appreciated that if they were going to put millions of dollars into a record that they would have a lot of "say so" - but their final product was a little too…. I think he said "plastic" – polished – whatever…. I couldn't agree more and I had cheered when I heard that he and RCA had parted ways. In a mirror of that – when he said "So… I fired my record label" the crowd Saturday hooped and hollered!!

While listening to Pat joke around with DJ and address the intimate gathering we were reminded yet again why we adore Pat… he's just freaking hilarious – you just can't be in his presence without your face hurting from laughing! The "show" part of the afternoon was short – but it was good. We soaked up the Green Glow with reckless abandon, breathing deep and taking it all in, again confirming that it's just one of my happy places… and happy places should be noted and visited frequently…. The show ended, and we were already realizing that there would be no Joe T. Garcia's and it was still going to be iffy if we were able to make the first act we wanted to see at Mardi Gras! So when Pat said "that's all folks" - we hit the ground literally running….

A slow trip thanks to the traffic back to Dallas, checked into the hotel (HYATT PLACE TOTALLY ROCKS! BTW) dropped our bags and ran out the door headed for Fair Park. One red bull and some ridiculously great food from Popeyes (OMG w/ the Red Beans and Rice) and we were arriving at Fair Park. Texas Mardi Gras is getting to be a bigger deal than I had imagined. I went the first year several years ago and it was well attended and lots of fun – but it was not TOTALLY F**KING NUTS… as the case was 2010. It took us a while to get parked and get in the building… But once we were in it was apparent that out timing was PERFECT. The line up included 20 bands, most of which Ash had never had an opportunity to see and even a couple of new comers to me… We had hoped to see Johnny Cooper at 4:30 – but there was just no way to make it happen… We had ended up parking in the "crew" area that they had opened up as an overflow and the walk to the venue from our car took us through the bus area. As we walked Ashley looked up and said, Nanna – this is Pat's bus. I initially shrugged it off saying I'm sure it wasn't, but she insisted and even claimed to see Pat through the window on the bus. Looking in, I couldn't say for sure one way or another…

We went on in. Ashley was most excited to see Cory Morrow and he was coming on stage just as we arrived…. We wormed our way in close enough to be properly sweated upon and settled in for the best Cory Morrow show that I have EVER seen… and I've seen him LOTS.. And playing fiddle for Cory was Brennen – Pat Green's fiddle player (who we had just left at Billybobs) so… apparently that WAS Pat's bus. At anyrate we were not graced with a "guest" appearance by Pat – but none was needed… The show was beyond words… There is just something that defies my ability to articulate, something about the energy that was present… These bands are only relatively known here in Oklahoma, but just a few hours south in Dallas Texas we might as well have been attending a Garth Brooks star studded event – the crowd was unbelievably large and they were packed into this stage area like literal sardines… but when thousands of people are all packed in together singing and experiencing the "moment" together it becomes something one has to live through to understand. Don't get me wrong – I'm not suggesting that the experience is limited to Texas Country Artists… I've been lucky enough to experience it lots in my life in lots of different situations – but there is something special about it every time!!

Cory was crazy good and he worked the crowd into a frenzy. He was jumping up and down and demanding that the crowd raise the roof on the place, and raise the roof they did. At one point he was seen donning a Wrestling hood mask thing and singing Ozzy's Crazy Train and doing it justice! I do not see how it could be possible for him to have been any better… He was "all in!" so to speak. The show was their mardi gras show and of course with the 6 point liquor flowing it was all an artist could do to keep the guys attention away from the "shows" ( * )( * ) going on in the crowd… and that was early.. you can just imagine how out of hand that got before it was all over and done with… After Cory Ashley thought it couldn't get any better but it would before the night ended.

We found some beer and bathrooms and next up on the stage was Roger Creager. I only saw a few songs of his, but I am now jonesing to see him for real… I've always thought I wanted to, but now I'm sure. We decided to head back and beat the rush to the other end where Casey Donahue Band was coming up. I'd never seen them either and was excited to see what they were like. The crowd continued to swell and by the time CDB (casey not Charlie Daniels) hit the stage we were in a sea of college kids who began singing every song the band threw out… Turns out I knew almost all of them and they put on a good show… We could have done without the crowd fights (no security needed apparently in Texas – they figure let um fight it out) but apart from that we were impressed. We cut out a few songs early to head to the other end where Boland was playing…

We managed to worm into the side area on Boland and got right up front. I always forget how much I like Boland till I see him live and hear that Ghost of Waylon voice… It's not about the jumping and running with Boland… it's about those smoother than fine Kentucky Bourbon voice and those steel guitar licks reminiscent of the music that your dad cut his teeth on… But least you think you have an old "crooner" on your hands… his second song out of the box should grab your attention when he hits the lyric "My Baby Loves Me when I'm Stoned…." It may not be rock and roll folks… but it's good OUTLAW Country… and it's satisfying!

After about half of Boland we decided to make a break for it to get closer to Kevin Fowler… Lyric recording Artist (or so I would learn later that night - but more on that in a later blog...) Kevin F*ing Fowler… Whose fans stole that lovely line from Pat F*ing Green… But if any other artists deserves to have fans shouting that phrase – I think it might be Kevin. We had a great spot and were getting closer to the front every minute. I'd primed Ashley that this would be a show not to be missed and Kevin gave everything I'd promised AND MORE. Just before Kevin came out – the Wolf (and I could go on for pages here – but the short version is that the Wolf used to be the ONLY Radio station in Dallas as far as anyone was concerned… they played a proper mix of Texas Country and Nashville, then they got bought out or sold out or whatever – and now they are pretty generic) in a move of infinite UN-wisdom decided to surprise the drunk Texas College kids with not Kevin Fowler – but the much less exciting (at least last night) Brandon Rhyder – who was simply trying to plug a new album… but bless his heart this was not a good idea. He and his guitar took the stage to massive booing (I on the other hand thought it was cool cause I like three or four songs that I know of his) and repeated shouts of "We want Kevin F**king Fowler… they were pelting him with beads and the like and then about half way through his first song he got doused with something that looked like it might have been a gallon of water… enough a roadie comes running out with a towel. But he handled it well telling "whomever" to F*cking quit it and that Kevin F*ing Fowler would be out in a minute – then going right back to his song…. The crowd died down – and he was right… soon it was time.

Now Kevin didn't close the show – Eli Young Band held that position – but I can't imagine a crowd being any more enthusiastic for anyone at anytime… Kevin took the stage to roars of approval and he opened his arms wide and screamed WELCOME TO TITTY CITY!!!!! Which set the crowd off even more… Bring it On…!!!

Kevin always puts on a great show – and for that will always have my respect and my patronage… He rocks the house! He's funny, talented and he knows what his crowd wants and how to deliver with the most punch… Ashley was sold within just a few minutes and I'm pretty sure her appreciation continued to grow… she screamed and sang as loud or louder than anyone – paying for it the following day with the loss of her voice… To say we enjoyed the show does not capture the moment at all – but it will have to do…

When Kevin closed, despite the desperate cries for an encore – it was time for Eli Young Band on the other end. Since we were headed by the Merch tables – we decided to grab the new Johnny Cooper CD. I just adore him, and have really enjoyed watching him develop and evolve over the last few years…. I've been listing to the two cuts from his new album that have being played on the Ranch and just had to have the CD. So, we stop and the merch guy was too busy texting to help me… I say to Ashley, loudly enough for him to hear "Do you think he realizes I have money and want to spend it???" Which got his attention… He was very apologetic and went to processing my order. About that time a guy walked up that I was positive was Johnny Coopers little brother (he had on a toboggan and just seemed a little shorter than I had decided Johnny was from seeing him before. I pointed out the guy to Ashley and was In the process of telling her that this young man looked sooo much like his brother Johnny – and the Merch boy who heard me indicated that this was actually Johnny and if we were interested we could have him sign our CD. I passed the CD to Ashley (as she is younger and cuter and I figured he'd more welcome the interruption coming from her) he saw her with the CD and approached her sliding his hand around her waist and giving her a big ole hug. He was gracious and cute and sweet and signed the cd and we let him resume his chat with a very interested and long legged blonde… it was onto Eli Young Band for us… Sadly though we had spent so much time at Johnnys booth that the band was on and playing and getting anywhere near the front was not even an option. We made the decision to watch a few songs on the big screen and then blow the joint in favor of not being stuck in traffic for hours… We left about midnight thirty and headed back to our wonderful awesome room where we unceremoniously crashed….. dreaming of basking in the Texas sun…..

2010-02-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

Superbowl

2010-02-03T07:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, say what you will about his football abilities - but you have to admit that's a cute face!!!!

LOL... You know - that is honestly how I came to love my colts... and especially Peyton! I have probably told this story before - but as we race towards another superbowl, it seems worth repeating!!!

My brother - the worlds biggest cowboys fan was constantly appauled that I could care less about football. Since it was the ONLY thing he ever wanted to talk about it left a large communication gap. So I relented and decided to give it a shot... Millions of fans must be finding something fun right...???

Sooo, he said... which team do you like? Hmm...

I didn't even know where to begin. I was raised in a cowboys household... but it wouldn't be any fun to just pick the same team as everyone else... I decided to use a much more scientific and logical approach.

I love horses.... I love everything about them... So I decided to make that factor number one. So that narrowed it down to the Denver Broncos and the Colts....

The Broncos had a better emblem (symbol) than the colts... but the color scheme for the colts was better.... dang tied again.

Soooo it came down to the quarterback cuteness factor. That decision took only about three seconds - Peyton is just a cutie pie....

And so, I have been, since the early days of Peyton's era with the Colts - a fan. My brother ragged on me a bit... but it's hard to diss a winning team and no matter how I came to them - they are a winning team. My Team!!!!

Little Winter Nome... or Knome... or???

2010-02-01T05:59:00.000-08:00

Aint he cute......

Natural Forces… “Home is where my horse is”

2010-01-14T13:19:00.001-08:00

I rode across the great high plain
Under the scorchin' sun and thru the drivin' rain
An' when I set my sights on the mountains high
I bid my former life goodbye.

An' so thank you ma'am, I must decline
For it's on my steed I will rely
An' I've learned to need the open sky
I'm subject to the natural forces
Home is where my horse is.

We loaded up in Buffalo
Took 90s (?) out (?) down to Ohio
On any Western Frisco-bound
An' when I git there I'll turn back around

An' so thank you ma'am, I must decline
For it's on these eighteen wheels I ride
An' I've learned to need the western sky
I'm subject to the natural forces
Home is where my horse is.

And ev'ry year they come to town
An' then drag em on right in the round
And Mr Bradley calls the score
And the cowboy there who tried for more

So thank you ma'am, I must decline
For it's on my three-year-old I ride
An' I've spin an' run an' stopped an' slide
I'm subject to the natural forces
Home is where my horse is.

(Instrumental)

The Cherokee an' the Chickasaw
Creek Seminole an' the old Chocktaw
"We volunteered to move!" they say
"And we'll understand, come Judgement Day".

An' so thank you ma'am, I must decline
For it's on this trail of tears I ride
An' I've done the road, the homeless sky
Sometimes at night I hear their voices
Home is where my horse is.

Now as I sit here safe at home
With a cold Coors Lite an' the TV on
All the sacrifice and the death and woe
Lord I pray that I'm worth fighting for

An' so thank you ma'am, I must decline
For it's on my RPG I ride
Till Earth an' hell are satisfied
I'm subject to the natural forces
Sometimes at night I hear their voices
Home is where my horse is.
Home is where my horse is.

New Year

2010-01-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

Half way through the first month of a new year, nee a new Decade... I'd say we are well overdue for a little blogging...

So far the best description of 2010 would be the coldest year of my life... Granted we are only 14 days in, but of those 14 days we've only had like 3 above freezing (and those have all been this week!) This unreal cold stuff just doesn't work for me. If Global Warming means that we are going to begin to have regular winters like this one... I may be heading south to Texas sooner rather than later.... Being a bum in Luckenbach, TX might hold as much happiness for me as being a productive citizen in Oklahoma....

Speaking of Texas - I heard a new song today and was immediately taken by a certain line in it - "Home is where my Horse is" - Hello!! That sounds like me. It is a new song by Lyle Lovett - and after reading the lyrics I thought they made wonderful poetry - even w/out music... I may post them here later.

Speaking of the ponies (sayeth the segway queen LOL) I have managed to keep everyone alive and well through the unbearable cold... So far anyways. I won't say they were happy especially with all the barn time - but they tolerated it pretty well after I allowed them to choose how the arrangements would be... yes... them - or some ghost doing me a favor... still not sure.

You see, at Mazie we have an open faced barn with two stalls. One is about twice as large as the other. Now my horses like each other just fine unless you make them stand in close quarters. Since there were four horses I put two on one side and two on the other - and everything seemed fine. Fancy and Chase get along fine. Dolly and Strait get along fine. Everyone can see everyone - it's all good.

That is for about an hour. Then Fancy turns into the world biggest bitch and decides she will just kill chase and proceeds to try. Okay, that clearly isn't working - so I put Strait in with Fancy. Strait LOVES Fancy and she tolerates him very well. Dolly hates Chase, but they are in the big stall and Dolly is old and not as committed to Murder these days as Fancy. That seemed to go fine.

For about anothre hour. Then our psycho bitch decides that she must also kill Strait, who for the record is three inches taller and outweighs her by a good 150lbs. So, back out into the cold I go. I put the three innocent horses one side of the barn and left the psycho bitch alone in her stall. The boys - who rarely get along at all seemed to understand that their options were limited.... And once again, all seemed well.

An hour later - and all still seems well.... 2 hours - all well. So went the checking - and but for a few minor skirmishes - everything seemed fine. So I finally turn the light out about 1am and get some sleep. I set an alarm for 3:30 and a quick check (it's nice to have a barn w/ a light directly behind my bedroom window - I will miss that feature) and all still seems well. So, I go back to sleep till 5.

I awaken at five, turn on the barn light and even before i get my glasses on I think i see two horses on each end of the barn. This is NOT the arrangement we had sorted out before I went to sleep. With my glasses i'm able to see that not only are there two horses on each side - they have all swapped themselves around. Dolly and Strait in the small stall together and Fancy (who as you recall was in the small stall alone) and Chase are now occupying the large stall. I am guessing they have torn down the divider fence so I rush out to the barn. No fence down. No gates open. No possible way for horses to have changed stalls but for one of them to have opened the gate between the stalls... and (and this is the impressive part) when the changes were made SHUT THE GATE.

However, everyone seemed happy with this arrangement and this is how they remained for the next four days.... Tolerant if not happy.

So... either i under estimate the intelligence of my ponies - or I had a ghost wrangler helping me out.

Either way it works!

Okay enough rambles... Carry on...

My bosses idea of Funny.....

2009-12-31T08:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, it is kinda funny....

Running with the Herd

2009-12-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

I hate winter - don't let anything I'm about to say mislead you to thinking that I like it for one minute... the cold and the snow and the cold and the ice and the cold and the short days.... Don't like it - not one bit....

However, not liking something shouldn't rob you from being able to see the beauty in things that are right in front of your face... Last night I was doing my extended winter horse chores in the dark as usual. The horses were pretty restless as they have been stuck in the snow and ice for a week. While I was working I opened the gate and let them out into the yard. Even though the yard was just as snowy as their pasture it was new and therefore thrilling... They pranced around me in the yard... The moon was bright and reflective with the snow and white everwhere and then all at once we were all running together - the horses and I. I was overwhelmed with the beauty and the presence of the moment.

The actual moment lasted only a few seconds... but the warm and fuzzy lasted much longer....

Just thought i'd share... That's all

Carry on....

Beer Exchange....Merry Christmas to ME!!!

2009-12-21T12:26:00.001-08:00

This weekend I was invited to a party that intrigued me from the word go... When Tam asked if I thought i'd like to go my answer was a resounding - oh hell yes. This Christmas party came complete with a gift exchange - a perfect one in my opinion. It was a Beer Exchange.

The premise is a simple one and I can immediately see how you can do lots of variations on the theme. Essentially you bring a six pack of your favorite non-domestic (no bud, bud light, miller or coors please) beer, and you leave with something new.

Again, many variations could ensue - but the party we attended went like this: Arrive with your six pack (I with a six pack of the National Beer of Texas) and Tam w/ the similarly themed Shiner. Unpack your six pack and add the six beers to the growing stack of bottles on the kitchen table. By the time we arrived our beers were like beers number 24-36, and we arrived within 10-15 minutes of the start time. Then you drink the beer that your host/hostess have on tap. At the end of the night you take a 6 pack holder & you load up with six new and different beers.

I quickly found out if I wanted to ponder my selections I should have been doing it earlier in the night... as I would stare at a beer and think "should I?" someone else would grab it... So, I began to grab. I ened up with a lone star, a shiner, a mickey's, (gosh I hadn't had a mickeys since grade school) a Guinness stout, a Japanese beer called Asahi ("a beer for all seasons" it says) and a German beer i can not recall the hewtslkeien type name of.

Last night I sampled the Mickey's - which I have a distinct memory of my dad drinking a few times as a kid and letting me have sips of. Not a bad beer. I followed it with the shiner, which was wonderful of course.

At any rate - I can't believe that I'm just hearing about beer exchanges now... what a SWEET idea! I love it... As with anything - I am seeing my own variations in my head... A summer party for starters... Sampling some of the exchange beer at the party... stuff like that - But I most grateful for the idea and the opportunity to see it executed.

That's all for now...
Carry on...

Today I cry for me....

2009-12-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

I'd love to say my tears are for you CP, My comic relief, My Constant Companion.... But in truth they are for me. My tears fall to remind me of how much I miss you each and every day. How different and how void my life is without you in it. As the days have turned into a full year, at first I wondered how I would literally get through it.... then I waited for the pain to subside... It hasn't... but i've gotten better about burying it for a time... till I see or hear something that reminds me of you and then the smile comes... sometimes with tears. But the tears are selfish tears... I cry for my broken heart.. I know that you are fine hanging out with my loved ones on a big couch somewhere waiting for me.... but I long to have you kick the shit out of me just one more time in your sleep... or to rub that soft little special spot on your nose...

I know you know I miss you.... Today, even more than most... You will always and forever be the greatest dog that ever lived....

Sweet Dreams my Christmas Angel

I see your true colors shining through

2009-12-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

True Colors... Far and away for me the most useful thing that I came away from my Leadership course with. I was instantly both fascinated in the concept and consumed with the knew knowledge and trying it out everywhere I went.

I was lucky enough to have the test administered by someone who did it well. I don't know if she was certified, but she made quite an impression on me. Now, many years later the task of transferring this knowledge and concepts to a new class falls to me and my blue friend Tammie. Who would have ever guessed.

Rarely has anything that I have learned made such a drastic change in my life. I felt as if I had been provided with a pair of x-ray glasses like you used to see advertised next to sea monkeys in the back of comic books. When I put these glasses on... I could see clearly for the first time. I saw myself more clearly and I had a sudden insight into others behavior.

I found myself thinking about everyone I knew... colorizing them and then having that light bulb moment of ... AH HA... that's why they did this... or that...

I had taken personality tests before and i've taken them sense, but none spoke to me as much as true colors. It gave me understanding into my own quirkiness and even improved my self esteem. I was orange. I am orange. It fit. It explained alot about my life from my strained relationship with my poor Gold mother to my desk which is always in a state of disarray.

It is something that has stayed with me. To this day if I meet someone who instantly irks me I stop and analyze their color... Is it a simple case of opposite color traits? Is the person gold and simply not able to either alter their behavior or understand mine? If it is I can simply let it go.

I hope that I have the ability to impart this same wisdom to the new leadership class. I hope that years from now someone will be blogging about a Leadership Course they did and how JoJo & Tam's presentation on True Colors really changed their lives....

Tis my hope for tomorrow...

Now my Orange self is off to bed...

Carry On..

Catch up....

2009-11-28T21:15:00.000-08:00

It occurs to me that the blog does not reflect the current events going on in my life... I need to play some catch up because very soon all references to the Mazie Prairie where I have lived and blogged from for the last 5 years or so will virtually vanish from these pages being replaced with blogs that are being lived and then posted from our new ranch.... "On the Rocks"

We refers to my Aunt Kathy and myself... We have thrown in lots together to try and make a go of a mini ranch that we have been cutely referring to as "on the rocks" since it's on a rocky hill and the neighbor to our south has named his place "rocky top"

The new place is a horse lovers dream, complete with all the horsey type stuff that anyone could ever dream of... OK, maybe not all that - but alot of really cool horse stuffs... barns and stalls and arenas with sand and round pens and other pens and pipe fence and shop buildings and and and... well you get that generally idea.

On the rocks there is a brick house that is currenly under remodel... It will be aunt kathy's castle when we are done... until then however the blog is libel to be filled with ridiculous and silly stories about the construction lessons that I am learning... or at least stumbling thru. The most important lesson that I have learned so far is this... Wallpaper and Border should be outlawed in this nation!! NO SERIOUSLY... It's ugly anyway and it's evil and it's horrid and it's impossible to get off freakin walls!!! Another related lesson is that fabric softener eats border... as well as softening cloths... scary huh???

As for me, I'm getting a small house built a stone's throw away. With the blessing of the help of a friend my new house should begin to take shape over the next few months. A simple 2 bed 1 bath place for me to run naked and scream obscenities will suit me FINE... a cozy little place for me to watch tv and cook dinner on the rare occassion when I'm not horsing around or doing any of the 219,000,000 little projects that we have identified as needing to be done to turn ON THE ROCKS into our little slice of paradise.

Well, it's 11:45 and I should think about going to bed... Now that you have had a slight update look forward to pictures and antics capturing all the goings on - On the Rocks...

We hope to be there by the new year - making the new year a true true NEW YEAR. Life is an adventure and I can't wait to embark upon the next phase of mine... Won't you come along reader for the ride????

Very good...
Carry On.....

Black Friday

2009-11-25T10:08:00.000-08:00

I swore that I would never join the frantic crazy black friday craze.....

It seems i MAY BE EATING MY WORDS....

PRAY FOR ME!!!!

Playing dress up

2009-11-17T07:12:00.000-08:00

It's in the very nature of little girls, and so occassionally big girls. There are those for whom playing dress up is a way of life, something to be done often and without special reason. Then there are those of us who play dress up sooo rarely that the entire world can be felt to shift upon it's axes just a hair from the mis-alignment of the universe.....

The cosmic disturbance you no doubt experienced Saturday night was just such an occassion.... When initally presented with the option of going to the Marine Corp Ball, I'll admit I sort of dismissed the notion without a second thought... Just the phrase "ball" following Marine Corps was enough to clue me in that it wasn't my cup of tea.... It sounded like something that A. You needed to be a Marine for. OR B. have a Marine date for - and more importantly C... Something for which only a dress would do, never mind that that dress would have to be a formal.

You can see where I didn't quickly succum to the charm of the ball. I'm not even really sure when I went from "no thanks" to shopping for a dress - but all of a sudden there I was dieting (cause hello - formal...) and then shortly thereafter shopping for a "ball gown" - yes, me, seriously.

We had been notified about the ball back in August, actually even before the New Orleans trip and for reasons I can not explain, the thought of slipping into a formal gown was enough of a shock to my system to actually get me headed down the loose some pounds road. By the time we went to new orleans I'd lost 10-15 and considered myself having just gotten good started.

In a rare success story (for me and dieting) I did end up with a total loss of 33lbs before the big nite. And during that time, found and purchased the perfect dress, which is only step one by the way there is still finding the shoes, jewelry, and undergarmets that are associated with said dress and don't forget getting your hair colored and paying for 30 days of tanning (NOT TO TAN... NO, NOT ME - TO DE-TAN... yes you read that right... One screwed up tan line across the shoulders from a late summer day of being outside in a weird shirt and I'm laying in a tanning bed with 50 SPF blocking rays to everywhere except one little strip....) I don't see how woman do this sort of thing very often, but I have to admit when it was all over and done - it was kinda fun.

It was a fun reason to play dress up with Chanda and Greg (joined later by Dessie & Eddie from the office and of Course Darrell & Donna) We were at least as lovely as the other women there and even though I did end up in an ankle brace with my heels, (which combined w/ my hair elevated me to slightly above the heighth of Darrell) nobody fell or tripped or otherwise made any embarassing gaffs. On top of that it was a neat experience to witness and of course the room was filled with Marines... HOOO YA!

We also corrected a whoops from New Orleans when we had our picture made with Darrell to show that we were all actually there. And then we (okay some of we including myself) had a shiner bock and sat back to watch the kiddos (and some not so kiddos) dance.

It was a fun night and I would hope everyone takes the opportunity to play dress up every now and again!

Semper Fi
& Carry On.....

2009-11-17T07:11:00.000-08:00

Saturday

2009-10-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

Was a good day, even though it started for me at 3:40 am - YES I said AM and I am sooo not kidding. Anyone who knows me even a little knows just how much of a morning person I really am and how excited I must have been to be trying to wake up at that hour. But when duty calls, duty calls. I somehow got suckered into being on the seminar committee (my way of trying to weasel out of running for office in an organization I recently joined was to volunteer to help on a committee level.... little did I know I would soon be the "committee chair" and would be the one responsible for putting on all of our continuing legal education seminars) and Saturday was the first seminar I was involved in putting together - you have heard of trial by fire? Well, then you have a clue.

Regardless of the odds and the early hour the Seminar turned out better than I had dared to hope. My office sponsored goodies. My Bestest Aunt Kathy prepared lots of goodies. And the speakers who I did not secure and whom I admittedly was concerned about were above average by far. The day didn't seem to drag on nearly as long as I'd feared and following our board meeting I was flying back towards home with a success under my belt.

The other thing on my agenda for Saturday evening was the community halloween party in Pryor that I had been to last year and thought would be fun... However I put off and put off getting a costume until it was literally time to go. I ended throwing on all Black, A huge thick and long black wig and my fedora. I then put on white base, fake eylashes that were ridiculous and a sparkly tattoo on my face. For some reason everyone thought I looked like Michael Jackson... I hope that is the only time I battle that image issue. LOL

The turnout to the party was good and it was an excuse to cheat on the low carb diet and have a beer or two (ok, I think it was 4 at final count) and have some fun. I wore my heels and learned a valuable lesson.... that my calves need me to wear them more often if I plan on them not KILLING ME... and since I have to wear them with my formal to the ball, then I better get on the "ball" so to speak. Ergo I have them on today. =)

Appart from the fact that I'm still behind the sleep curveball or eightball or whatever kind of ball it is you are behind when your not caught up.... it was a good Saturday!

Poor poor

2009-10-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Blog on the mazie prairie - where has thou owner gone? and why pray tell has she left you all alone??? Bad bloggie mommy - bad!

maybe this will work

2009-10-09T21:15:00.001-07:00

last night a friend insisted that i go with her to okc to see some guy
tell jokes... Of course it seems a long way to go especially in a
monsoon... but she twisted my arm indicating she thought id enjoy
it... so i took off early and we headed out of town, sad that we
didnt have a speed boat.. we made it regardless. turns out my
friend was right ~ this joke teller guy was pretty funny... id even
suggest that he was the funniest person i ever saw.... Hell...this
guy... Robin williams i think his name was might be the funniest
person on the planet..

New Orleans Change of Command

2009-09-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Warning.... This blog is long... NO SERIOUSLY, it is!

I posted a few weeks ago about our invitation to my boss' Change of Command ceremony in New Orleans and about our eventual acceptance of the invitation and search for the perfect hotel…. On that end of the trip I was excited about going to New Orleans for all the reasons that I have always been excited to go to NOLA. I love the city… it’s colors, it’s smells, it’s tastes (especially it’s tastes) and it’s quirkiness and it’s spirit. I don’t care for city living – but I’ve now visited NOLA for several different reasons and each time with different people and I still love it the same. So I was excited for any excuse to head down NOLA way. I wasn’t particularly excited about the change of command ceremony. Darrell hadn’t made that big a deal about it and so while I was glad to be going… It wasn’t the center attraction for me.

We had a great drive down on Friday. It seemed to go quickly and of course Aunt Kathy had packed tons of goodies to keep us satisfied and happy. We got to the city about 7:30 and after 30 minutes or so of driving around lost (well not sooo lost as not being able to find the exact right road) in the pouring rain, we finally arrived at our room. From the outside it was not anything special. I got us checked in and then we decided to grab something to eat. My thinking was we’d head to Cooter Browns and have dinner and a ball. We jump in a cab cause I’m thinking it’s a 3 minute drive and $21.00 and two life times later we were ½ way across the city standing in a really scary dive! The bar that I remembered (from both previous trips) had been replaced by a dive that had a few drunk college kids and no fun, and no wonderful menu. One minute later we were exiting… I was a little concerned until I noted O’Henry’s within walking distance. Once there we had a good meal (well chanda and I did, AK is not all about the Cajun food) and got the skinny on riding the trolley car back towards our hotel. That ride turned out to be both strange and cool. We got to take in the sites and we were highly entertained by the college kids all singing bohemian rhapsody in 4 part harmony…. You really had to be there!

So after more walking than AK was hoping for we arrived back at our room which luckily was very nice. We got up the next AM and although it was raining we found a great little coffee shop and then headed to the quarter for some shopping. We spent most of the day in the quarter perusing the silly shops and buying souvenirs and hanging out at Margaretville. We went back to the room and got ready for the Marine Dinner.

We had coordinated w/ Sir earlier in the day and he had his military driver bring he and Donna by so that we could follow them to the base. We arrived at the gate of the base and waited for our turn. A very serious looking female soldier bent over and approached their vehicle, within seconds she popped back up and snapped to attention complete with salute. We saw her hold up 2 fingers and nod. It was impressive. We pulled up next and she waived us on telling us to have a good time.

The dinner on base was mostly non-eventful. It was held in a tiny little “officers club” (I’m thinking it was anyway) where they served shrimp boil and Abita beer. (yummie on both counts) It was a little room over filled with mens. Lots and lots of mens, to the point of being a little intimidating. The highlight of the dinner was getting to meet Franz. I have worked for Darrell for 15+ years. For most of those years there has been a soldier that has called regularly and who always has a story and a line. Most of the soldiers who call (especially as the rank has increased) ask for General Moore and while they will identify themselves as “military title – last name” I rarely get more information out of them. With Franz however… there is always more information, jokes and good wishes. Franz gave Chanda and I our first sushi lesson and I have heard countless stories about him and his antics. Franz is now the commanding General in Kansas City and he came to see Darrell’s change of command. Franz is just as hilarious and personable in person as he has been on the phone all these years.

That nite after the event we headed back to the room, which coincidently was three blocks off bourbon street, so we were obligated you see to go and spend some time on bourbon street. The excitement was pretty muted but I enjoyed seeing the strange people and the strange shops and the vibe. We walked up and down and got a bite to eat and I had another Abita (yummie) and then we headed back to the room.

The next morning we were up early. A trip to the coffee shop for some yummo expresso (right on Rampart Street just down from the Hotel) we began packing up our room and getting all gussied up for the big event. Right on time we headed over the river and arrived at the base. Our trip through the base gate was slightly more bumpy than the night before. This time we were expected to produce license and registration and a good reason for being there… We got through though and headed to the gym. Just inside the door we were met by the two Generals. Darrell and his soon to be replacement Tracey Garrett. We were greeted and sent towards our seats. We had a marine escort to the 2nd row – right behind the 4 Generals present. Our names were placed on our seats complete with the Marine Corp seal. We took our place and began to wait. After about 15 minutes the band started to play. I thought it all sounded fine, but Chanda (high school band) informed me it was not fine… it was really good and they were playing notoriously hard pieces.

The ceremony finally began with the recognition of all the (forgive my less than correct military lingo) different components of the 4th MLG. Then the Marine with the exceptional radio voice read a message from the Commandant of the Marine Corp thanking Darrell for his service and bringing into focus just some of what he had been responsible for over the last two years. I have to admit I had no idea… I mean I had some idea but you just don’t think about everything that comes w/ being the guy in charge. Men fighting and living or dying…winning or loosing on your watch. Those same men having the materials and the support that they require in all the dozens of different places that they happen to be. I have to say as I sat there listening to the list of things the Commandant was thanking Sir for I was mostly thinking… wow. Next the 3 star General Bergman said a few words, more of the same… wow.

Finally it was time for my long winded boss. I give him a little hell about being the longest speaker, but the truth was that it was really what we had driven all that way for. Sir seemed pretty emotional during his speech. He made us (Me, Chanda and Aunt Kathy) as well as the other couple from Pryor feel very special even though we were there to see his special moment and not vice versa. He talked about how Chanda and I empower him to do the job he does in the Marine Corp and how much that meant to him. I’ve been present at both of his most recent pinning ceremonies and so I’ve heard that line before, and I’ve always thought that I understood it… But honestly, until I heard it following all those comments about the life and death decisions that were being made – well Frankly I just don’t think I got it. I have to say that it made me want to do my job, the small supporting role that it is, better. It became a little clearer to me how all the pieces fit into the giant puzzle. Even my little piece and how if one of the pieces is missing – the whole puzzle doesn’t work.

Most of the time though he spent talking about what being a Marine meant to him. Important and moving words to hear. The ceremony lasted only a short time, and the purpose of the whole affair was to end his command at that post, but I have to say that it was a very enlightening time and way more important than any of my other reasons for wanting to see the City. I felt honored just to have been present, which was not what I was expecting. Afterwards Sir thanked us again for coming and told us how much it meant to him and although I did attempt I’m not sure I was able to articulate to him what the experience meant to me.

I regret only that we didn't take any pictures during... and more importantly didn't get any of us and the General after... Oh well, there is always the ball!

Twitter

2009-09-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

Maybe I should just sign up for twitter - but.... I'm tooo selfish. I love my blog and want to keep the blog and if that means turning it into a substitute for twitter then so be it.... Facebook, which I like fine for twittering does not support my cellular carrier... i find it highly annoying that I can only post blog mobile texts in the length of 160 characters... but for now that seems to be the case. I did find however that i can post mobile pics... so that is cool. I aim for long and rambling and funny and meaty blogs.... but alas - I am so seldom presented with that time.... and a puter at the ready....

hell i don't why I care... no one actually stops by here regularly like anyway... but that's never stopped me before LOL...

alright... Carry on....

2009-09-16T15:11:00.001-07:00

Thank you for using Picture and Video Messaging by U.S. Cellular. See www.uscellular.com for info.

Roadtrip

2009-09-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

No time for further post - but here are some pics for your enjoyment!!!

So Sad....

2009-09-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

I can't remember a time when I knew who a movie star was - and didn't know who Patrick Swayze was. I remember my brother and I watching Red Dawn countless numbers of times. That was in like 84, so I would have been about 10 year old... Just becoming aware of the relationship that would develop between movies and myself. I've always been a fan and continue to love movies to this day. I remember watching the Outsiders actually in elementiary school, in class. Next I remember Dirty Dancing and how I (along with how many others) JUST LOVED that movie - Like Pretty Woman or Bull Durham...I could not even begin to count the number of times that I have seen that movie. I can also vividly recall being in a group of girls secretly plotting a sleepover so that one of my friends could watch this movie, because her parents had strickley forbidden it and we felt that we just couldn't allow such injustice. I had already seen the movie and found nothing subversive about it - but that was my first awareness of such a pop culture controversy. I can't even remember if we pulled off her getting to see the movie - only that we were sure going to try.

I remember the miniseries North and South based on the John Jakes books which was the first film that made me pick up a book to compare and as a way to keep the story going.

I remember loving Roadhouse, another film I've seen countless times. Then just as I entered high school there was Ghost - the MEGA hit!! That every teenage high school girl loved. And these are just a short few of the many many movies of Patrick Swayze's that I adored.

I watched the Barbara Walters interview last winter through tears as the reality of the situation became clear to everyone. Even having such knowledge certainly didn't make the pang of sadness I felt this morning any less severe.

Oh, and did I mention he loved horses..... He loved Dogs too. Told you he was special.

exhausted =)

2009-09-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

I am exhausted, even after coming in late. But what a great trip. I was really very cool and I will elaborate on that soon. We left new orleans about 1 yesterday and after MORE RAIN THAN I'VE EVER SEEN.... and lots of pits stops made it in about 3 am this morning.

2009-09-12T09:48:00.001-07:00

Drunk before noon. I freakin love new orleans!

2009-09-11T16:35:00.001-07:00

Oh no... Traffic jam before baton rouge. Aunt kathy has pulled out the road trip signs. ROAD TRIP. SMILE. NEW ORLEANS OR BUST

2009-09-11T13:48:00.001-07:00

Thankfully we are through the heaviest pain ever. lafayette here we come. butt is sore but spirits are high

2009-09-11T11:46:00.001-07:00

Hour seven and everyone is still excited. Headed into Alexandria in 100 miles or so. Mo is super ready for the Big Easy!

Labor Day

2009-09-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

Who takes 4 kids to Frontier City on Labor Day Weekend????? Oh, that would be me & their mom. A fun time was had by all.. See...

Maybe later i'll upload video of my grandson riding the meanest roller coaster in the park.... alone... he took on the silver bullet and survived to tell the tale!

Have Reservations - WILL TRAVEL!

2009-09-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

About 2 weeks ago I, along with all the other folks in the office, received an invitation from my boss to a Change of Command ceremony in New Orleans coming up at the end of next week. Initially, I blew it off as a formallity - or simple nice guesture. About a week later while visiting with my bosses wife (Donna) Chanda and I were asked about the invitation. We acknowledged having received it, but didn't offer any further response. However, she was really going on about how cool it would really be for us to attend and then she made mention of the fact that with his current rank, this could be one of the last few such ceremonies he would be presiding over. That fact really had never occurred to me. But with a little more talk of what a neat experience it would be, and of course my recollection of how much I simply LOVE New Orleans, both Chanda and I agreed to talk it over with Aunt Kathy and consider making arragements to go.

While attending a womens conference that Donna had invited us to, Aunt Kathy got to witness the enthusiasm with wich Donna was talking about the ceremony and our considering it turned to looking for a hotel....

After a week of agonizing over different hotel deals and options and OMG PARKING prices and locations and whether or not that would be close to bourbon street and the french quarter and the place of the ceremony and and and... I was about ready to call off the trip just on the basis of that frustration alone... But alas - today - today I finally got the reservation made.

Chanda found a deal on the price of a room at a Best Western 3 small blocks off Bourbon Street right in the french quarter. The room is nothing fancy, but looks very nice and should be acceptable - we don't plan of spending much time there anyway!!

Soooooooooooo..... Now I'm starting to get excited. I adore this city and can't wait to see it's sites and eat it's food one more time!!!

Twisted Sister

2009-09-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, not that flattering a picture - BUT PROOF nonetheless that I AINT SKEERT OF TWISTED SISTER NO MORE.....

The funny thing about this picture is that my face is saying... Look, i'm not skeert - but Lorri is saying why am I having to share my ONLY EVER MEET AND GREET w/ her!!!"....

2009-09-01T15:16:00.001-07:00

Where or where - where have I been.... (good question) When oh when - will I ever be back... (good question)

All is well, if busy. I miss blogging and sharing and reading blogs.... Mayhap soon... mayhap

What up Dawg!!!

2009-08-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Well, well well it's been a while since I made a real blog post. Tru Dat, Tru Dat!! The Mazie Crib has been Rock Rock Rockin with Excitement. You all done be missin OUT!!! Dat Rite! We dunn got THE Aunt Kat up in Crib and she be keepin it kewl kewl... Dat Rite. U is Jealous - U know U iz.

okay, that's all the "hood" speak I got on this Friday morning... LOL Heck that prolly aint even hood speak, it's like Armpitian/Mazeian/Okie cop out for hood speak. Oh well, you know - THAT IS JUST HOW I ROLL!!!

Laci came down last weekend from Missouri and the ponies got abused like they have not been abused in some time. Fancy and Chase got flashes back to the greatest summer ever when I would race home from work everyday and Laci would see me go by - jump on her pony and race on over to my house and wait impatiently for me to change, catch, saddle (sometimes there was no time for the saddle) and head off on one of our daily adventures!!! Saturday evening down by the lake - we rode our butts & the horses butts off!!! And we have been paying for it ever since. I managed to severely sprain (cause i refuse to admit it might be broke or that I might have anything really damaged) my ankle and have been hobbling around in a brace ever since.

2009-08-06T19:43:00.001-07:00

Appaerently i can make mobile posts to the the blog as a text..but i can not actually log in and blog right on the site.. I wonder if that will make me blog

can i?

2009-08-06T19:30:00.001-07:00

Can i really mobile blog now?

Wedding Album

2009-07-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

On my birthday I spent the day with my boss…. Not the mean scary boss (seriously kidding) – the other boss.

Anyway, we had Court in our favorite place (It’s no Luckenbach, but favorite place at least to have Court) – Stillwater and since it was my birthday, well actually since she had some errands to run we decided to make a “day” of it.

SOOO she began to tell me about this friend that she has who got married in 1969 at the Courthouse in Tulsa, and how recently she had discovered that there were no real wedding photos. They simply had a cake at a small reception from which there are like 3 photos.

So she got this idea – which I think is GREAT for their upcoming wedding anniversary to “create” a wedding album for them…. On our trip to Stillwater we detoured thru Tulsa, stopped by the Courthouse and got some pics of a Courtroom, the outside, the marriage license counter (and a really old clerk holding their marriage license which she will say is the clerk that issued the license) and stuff like that. Then we hunted down their first duplex and got some pictures there. That was the end of our adventure that day – but then when we got back from the holiday she started talking about all the different things she could do with this idea. Yesterday we got online and started finding pics that she could use to “create” a wedding, and a honeymoon.

Here are how the first Couple of shots turned out....

Happy Couple on Wedding day........

First Stop - Mexico

Now imagine similiar photos of them at the wedding, in the hot tub, at the resort, at golden gate bridge, in london, in Rome, in Paris at the Eiffle Tower, in Egypt, in New York.... You get the idea...

Again tooo long

2009-07-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

So I recently got a new phone and have been thinking that since it is one of those smart phones with real internet that i WOULD be able to mobile blog (which is still my hope) and would be hitting the ole blog daily - and yet - nothing since 7/14.

My life has bounced from so boring that I had nothing to blog about to filled with such drama that I don't where to begin....

So, I won't - at least for now.... but know i'm well and there is interesting info to come.

Rock on Mo!

2009-07-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the much anticipated (by some I assume) ROCKLAHOMA! The (if you believe the literature) World Famous festival held right here in Pryor, Oklahoma - a mere stone's through from the Mazie Prairie.

As ususal I assign workers in the VIP / Corporate Tent. And as ususal the volunteer roster came up a few volunteers short. I thought about who I knew that was available to work and who would mesh well with the crowd... What did I come up with???

Mo! I decided to ask Mo to help out. Lucky for me he agreed. I could not believe how popular he was. I mean, I know I love Mo for his unique personality - but holy cow - he was like a ROCKSTAR at center stage.

He worked the information table in the tent most of the festival. Day two he disappeared from his post long enough to get a nose ring. I was mortified - but it didn't look all that bad. He sold a lot of suvineers, but more importanly he was full of information and entertainment. Scores of attendees got their picture made with him - Rockstar style.

Then late on Friday nite, while Ratt was onstage, Lorri - My co-super who was down at the stage looked to her side and saw Mo, the Giant Orange Monkey rockin out and head banging right in front of the stage. Lorri completely freaked out because she knew I was slinging beer and she was afraid that the crowd would be too much for him... She turns and screams to security - "SAVE THAT MONKEY" - for which she got a "wth" look... knowing that time was limited - she ran back up to the tent opening and screamed at Bucky "Bucky, Save the monkey!" - when he gave her the same odd looks she followed up with "It's JO's monkey and she will kill us if he escapes!!!" Bucky flew into action and headed for the stage - and being that when Bucky runs - all the security boys know something is up, they all began to run for the stage all in the effort of SAVING THE MONKEY!

Luckily Bucky did retrieve Mo and escort him safely out of the crowd and back to the tent. He learned his lesson pretty quickly and while he did hang out with Bucky and the other security boys on Saturday he decided not to venture back into the head banging crowd until Sunday when I had my re-match with Twisted Sister.

Sundays Re-match was fun, I got to go to the TS meet and greet which was pretty lame by M&G standards but between Gone Country and the M&G I learned I had zilch to fear. No burning in hell, no running scared - Just rocking out to some pretty good music.

The festival ended with a golf cart joy ride - which resulted in the loss of my phone. The good news is - my contract was up, so now i'm all fixed up with a new one!!!

Stay tuned for the Rematch

2009-07-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

Sunday night - the only two poeple that matter will be me & Dee Snyder.

The first time you came to Pryor you kicked my ass and sent me screaming back to my tent like a little girl.

Then I saw your caffine deprived ass on Gone Country and realized that you are not the devil... you are just a man....

and now you are coming back to Rocklahoma....

and THE REMATCH IS ON!!!!

Summer Blogging

2009-07-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

I need an extra 5 minutes a day... In a week that would add up to over a half hour - more than enough time to get a couple of blogs down. Of course you and I both know that I would squander an extra 5 minutes - just as I squander the actual time the good lord gave me. (PS unrelated to anything - does anyone else thing the burger king guy is CREEPY???) But I can dream about having that time and using it for good and not evil.

Summer is flying by and there is apparently nothing to do about it. My birthday was last week and it came and went with minimal fan far, luckily. I did have to wear the proverbial sombrero twice in one week (once the sombrero was literal) which was a first. Country fever has come and gone (bye bye red dirt) and so has the fourth of july. Now I stare down Rocklahoma event and the whole thing will be over before you know it....

Where is summer going??? STOP! SLOW DOWN! WHOA SUMMER, EASY GIRL!

Blondes have more fun!!!

2009-06-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

I think it is official. I had a hair appointment this evening. After my second sit through the 20 minute dye routine in an effort to cover up the line that showed up where my roots were - the unveiling occurred. I was blonde. No I mean really blonde! LOL. I've always been varying levels of blonde, and getting blonder all the time - so this is not a departure on a massive magnatude - but I don't think i've actually hit the Platinum level previously - but after another glance in the mirror and quick google of the term "Platinum Blonde" - I think i'm officially there!!

Therefore there is only 1 thing to do. Get out there and show it off - play it up and have some summer fun. You know what they say.... Blonde's do have more fun **wink**

All MJ all the time!

2009-06-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

I've tried to avoid the coverage of all Michael Jackson all the time! which seems to be on ever single networks and in fact I've done a good job. I was a child of the 80s and so I was a fan of beat it and thriller when I was a kid. But tonite I got caught (accidently but like a train wreck I can't turn off) watching a 2003 NBC interview and it confirmed my previous thoughts. I hate that anyone is dead - but seriously, was that man not a freak? come on, just a little bit? yeah, I'm afraid that he was. Weird. Very weird.

Where to begin

2009-06-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

My cracked out rambling catch up blog.....

Should I begin with all the fun I had with family over Memorial day? I should as there was shopping and riding and kareoke and fun fun fun....

Now doesn't that look like some REAL fun???!!!! Sadly that seems so long ago now and summer is full swing upon us - it's HOT HOT HOT but please note that I am not complaining - I am simply stating facts. I will take HOT HOT HOT over even chilly any day of the week!!! I love the heat - turn it up. My garden is faring okay in the heat - but the grass in my yard is already starting to suffer. Poor horses. At least they not standing on concrete - that would suck, speaking of concrete Country Fever sure was hot - at least in a temperature sort of way!! Musically it was HOT too - but I think only me and three other people thought so! I absolutely love the music they had this year and enjoyed seeing them. I especially enjoyed the fact that they were private shows just for me and no body else, well i guess techincally they were for everyone else - who cared to buy a ticket, but i'm guessing there weren't that many who did. I could go on and on about the way I think it should have been done - but it's not my deal. I did however very much enjoy Robert Earl Keen, Mike McClure, Reckless Kelly, Jack Ingram, and Jerry Jeff Walker. I only saw tidbits of the other acts - though Cross and Stoney seem to be puttin on a good show and having a great time. I certainly loved that the music i was hearing was stuff I knew and loved. Ohhhh and the bestest part about the whole weekend was that I got my book signed... You know the one - the Dancehalls and Dreamers book that Pat did - well ive already had Pat sign it but I really really wanted each artist to sign it in their spot (it features different texas acts at different texas dancehalls) SO!!! I totally got the hook up to get it signed. Sadly I didnt get to see them sign it - but heard all about how impressed they were that the book was there. I got Robert Earl (who signed twice, once with an arrow to his picture - like i don't know who REK is!!!) and Wade Bowen and JACK INGRAM who put "Johnanna :heart:" ---sigh--- anyway I got Ray Wyle Hubbard!! and Cross Canadian and Randy Rogers Band and all I really lack is Kevin Fowler and Cory Morrow - both who will be easy enough! (that will Willie unsigned, but if i didn't get it last year I just don't know how i can ever get it)... Isn't that awesome - okay, well it's awesome to me. REK and JJW they really are like the Willie/Waylon/Cash of the Texas Red Dirt Movement and I loved seeing both of them again! I enjoyed everyone I saw - plus it was good to hang with friends old and new - as one of my Fav Volunteers said to me - this is getting to be like a Reunion - where you see faces you don't see any other time! There are attendees who have never missed a year - and who I only see those 4 days a year. Plus, we all know my affinity for the Blue Shirts (security boys) I love getting to know them and having fun during the event....

See i've already forgotten the sore feet and sore legs and sore knees and I've almost caught up on my sleep too.

Well, I really really need to be working - the reason i haven't been blogging is because i've been trying to play catch up - and i still aint caught up... but I did need to get this down before people started thinking I was dead! Country fever has my sweat and my blood - but they can't have my tears or my life LOL...

Okay, that's all that got time for right now

Carry on.....

"Knock Knock" - Can Colt Come out & Play??

2009-06-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

Answered the door about 7:00 pm last night to two young girls who had been fans of colt puppy since about 2 years ago when they came by peddling cookies or other school supporting treats. It was not the treats they remembered - it was the big black dog named colt who did all the cool tricks. After that first encounter they would occassionally knock on the door and no matter who would answer the door - they would say "can colt come out and play?"

I had been expecting that knock for about six months now and last night it finally came. Their little faces just looked crushed and one of them finally said - I just don't know what to say. The other admitted that she hadn't seen colt outside when they driven by or when she was in school (as the school is right next door - literally).

They soon busied themselves playing with the new kittens - all 100 of them, that are so full of life and all over the garage and now the porch as well.

Anyway, it was both painful but also sweet to know that it wasn't just in my eyes that he was such a cool dog!

From Lobster to Baked Chicken

2009-06-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

I'm soooo behind on my blogging - I have lots of pictures and good times to catch everyone up on. In the mean time I thought you'd appreciate this. Country fever quickly approaches, which will require among other things, me to wear shorts so that I don't die of a heat stroke. So if I gotta be in shorts - then we all know that brown fat is easier to look at than white fat!

Now normally I end up sometime in may getting enough sun exposure to have at least the beginnings of tan covering my otherwise "whiter than sourcream" (new phrase I learned recent like) self. Not this year - between busy life and lots of rain it just hasn't worked out. So, when I had a few hours to kill yesterday morning in the bright sunshine of home I decided it was time for action. I armed myself with the baby oil (cause we all know you can't fry chicken w/out oil) and my new 70's rockin lounge chairs and I hit the yard! I must say I only meant to be out there 20-30 minutes - that would have probably been the perfect amount of time. But w/ a good book and the hot sun beating down on me - I guess I did not fully appreciate the passage of time. An hour and a half later - I thought i'd spent a good 30 minutes in the sun and had better get back in.

Anyway, I'm sporting a bit of a sunburn today, that despite my best efforts at turning myself in a rotisserie manner - is not the least bit uniform. So not only will I have a little tan at fever - I can now be the walking comic relief!!! (actually not THAT bad, and not blistered thankfully)

Okay, that's all for now

Toodles & Carry On.....

More kitty pics.

2009-05-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all my inquiries. And thanks to my loyal followers (yes both of you LOL) for letting me turn the blog into an ad page for a few days LOL....

My first Craigs List Posting

2009-05-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

I've resorted to asking strangers for help. Help for me in finding homes for 1000 Cats! Okay, not 1000 i'm an exaggerator by nature - but lots & lots of cats. I posted this ad on Craigslist & I am adding a photo slide show here as well.......

Help the Cats!!!!

I am knee deep in Cats and I’m not even a Cat Person. I am begging someone – anyone to PLEASE help. Help ME & Help the Cats!!!

Let me tell you my cat story….

I’m a dog person and my cat story starts with a dog. Not just any dog – but the world’s coolest dog. As my great dane /lab mix wonderful dog hit his older years we moved to a house with a few acres. Not long after our arrival came this cat. This one stray cat. This one stray cat took a liking to my dog. I never really considered the cat ours – but none the less I started putting out food for her. (as I would any animal) She became more and more attached to my dog. She showed up more and more and would track my dog until he just gave up and let her lay on top of him. We thought it was funny. She had a litter of kittens – we gave them away. A year or so later she had another – again, same deal. I’m not sure what happened but last year we didn’t get the litter given away and suddenly I was feeding 3 cats. Then two more cats showed up out of no where. 5 cats. Still – NOT MY CATS. But still I put out feed and by now they were living 80% of the time in my garage.

My angel of a dog passed away right before Christmas and I decided to keep putting the money I was spending on his monthly upkeep towards other animals maybe I’d adopt a shelter, but I soon realized I was spending that money on cat food. One of the kittens had now had a kitten – again gave the kitten away.

No real concern until I began to notice through this spring that every cat on the place looked preggos… each day they were a little fatter and a little hungrier!!! Until one day I had a barn had 3 kittens in it. Then a month or 2 later I found a drawer w/ 5 kittens in my garage and this past weekend my company found an old barrel in my tack room with ANOTHER 5 kittens and then yesterday I came home and found at least three newbies in a box in the garage and then today the old original momma cat has given birth again to God knows how many.

I know that if I’m going to take responsibility enough to feed 1 I should get it fixed but I just never even thought of it as anything other than feeding a stray. Now I’m buying cat food in 40lb bags and my garage is a giant litter box!!!!

HELP! I'll be glad to answer questions or give details or meet you with a box of cats!!!

Dear Concerned Followers:

2009-05-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

All 2ish of you LOL...

It has been brought to my attn that I've not blogged in weeks. I would have sworn that it was more like 5-6 days - but that's just how my life is racing along I guess. Is something wrong you ask?

No, no, all is well I have just been crazy busy at work and then crazy busy at home. We have gotten new prison cases one of our big cases has really hit the document production phase and so all 8 hours that I am at work I have more to do than I can do - in fact this morning I'm sitting on my couch logged into the office server redacting DOC records that need to be produced tomorrow. NOTE THAT I AM NOT COMPLAINING! i like it when we are busy busy and would almost prefer that always be the case!

Additionally i've had company two weekends in a row that have kept me busy and I've been helping a dear friend in the evenings whose place flooded a couple of weeks ago.

I'm not only neglecting the blog - I had been neglecting the house (though i took off early friday and whipped it a little bit into shape for company sake) and thank goodness for my lawn boy or i'd be up to my eyeballs in weeds. I have some horse feet that need attention and some fencing and other outside chores that should outrank blogging on the priority list. But at least this weekend I did get horse back several times at 5am one morning so you know I was dedicated LOL - acutally Cade was dedicated but i'm tickled that we got to squeeze in some good rides.

Okay, back to my DOC records and i'll try to make a bigger post later with some photos of all the fun!

HOUSE!!!!

2009-05-12T06:26:00.000-07:00

I WAS GOING TO RANT AND RAVE about the House Season Finale, but sadly for me - but probably happily for you everything I was going to say has already been said, and at least marginally more eloquently by someone at the NY Times!

___________________________________________________
‘House’: Never Give a Sucker a Happy Ending
By GINIA BELLAFANTE
Published: May 11, 2009

At last count YouTube listed seven pages of fan videos under the subject heading Huddy, the Brangelina-ized coinage meant to designate the fractious love connection between Doctors Cuddy and House on the Fox series “House.” One of these videos abjures all the cheesy sentiment that the show, which ended its fifth season on Monday, has aggressively rejected. Alluding to the impediments presented by House’s painkiller addiction, the video is in French and titled: “Je Me Sens Si Seul (Sans Ma Vicodine),” or “I Feel So Alone (Without My Vicodin).”

Among the non-Euro entries, some toss reality out altogether, extrapolating from random House-Cuddy scenes to completely fabricate plotlines. I point you to “House/Cuddy — Kissing You,” by someone who calls herself Duchesscloverly, a video that imagines Cuddy pregnant with House’s baby and then enduring a miscarriage that we are meant to believe bonds them further.

It is not merely the unrelenting push-pull of the show’s writing, but the “His Girl Friday” chemistry between the actors Hugh Laurie (House) and Lisa Edelstein (Cuddy) that inspires otherwise reasonable women to bizarre, time-consuming digressions of fantasy. By “otherwise reasonable women” I am not referring to the cohort of Duchesscloverlys but to the person typing these words on my laptop.

Shamefully, I would have been overjoyed if the season finale had ended with House and Cuddy electing to spend the summer together in Corsica. This would have betrayed the show’s primary covenant — to keep House miserable — and entirely erased its integrity. And yet I would mostly have wondered if House and Cuddy were going to make time for a stop in Sardinia.

Of course the producers of “House” don’t care about our fantasies and instead poured a big bucket of Freon on our mushy sucker hearts. “House” treats the women who watch it the way House treats women generally: It mocks them for any genuine emotional investment.

The show’s maddening appeal is its insistence on dressing up like a soap opera as it willfully declines to behave like one. Toward the end of the season House was suffering from drug-induced hallucinations, which made manifest his guilt over the death of two colleagues, one of them a suicide for which there was no apparent explanation. (In real life there was one: Kal Penn, the actor who played Dr. Kutner, left the show to take a job as an associate director of the White House Office of Public Liaison.) In the season’s second to last episode House goes to Cuddy to seek help for his deteriorating state, and we are privy to a recovery that takes place not in 12 steps but in 12 efficient hours.

Cuddy takes House to his place to detox, and after a rough night of keeping him from getting at his pills, he wakes up hunky-dory, his cold sweats behind him, ready for a round of thank you sex. The move was a wily one, satisfying our base urge to see them together. But the finale undoes all the fun because it turns out that Cuddy didn’t take House home and didn’t sleep with him. It was just another House hallucination, resulting in his final breakdown. The next morning, House keeps twirling a lipstick he believes Cuddy left at his place but realizes later that it’s really a bottle of the Vicodin he hasn’t given up.

“House” refuses to buy into the myth that a good woman can save an ornery jerk, and the finale made it clear what a dope you were to even think the show would try. It doesn’t want to appease the woman who wants to appease her Harlequin Romance self. It wants to appease anyone who gets ticked off when a romantic comedy shows an accomplished woman in a skirt suit giving it all up for a jobless, slovenly idiot.

The House-Cuddy attraction isn’t an attraction of opposites. It’s an attraction between two highly intelligent workaholics, two people too interesting for anyone else but ultimately unfit for each other — no matter how pathetically we’d like it to be otherwise. (Original Article)

Kevin Costner sabatoged my MP3 player

2009-05-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

While I was at Walmart tonight I was craving a little Costner tunes, so I asked the MP3 player to serve some up. An hour or so later at home I thought i'd go back to the old shuffle. I pull it out of my pocket and hit the button for shuffle and got a padlock icon - one i've never seen before. I quickly understood what it meant though - LOCKED. On Kevin. No changing to shuffle. No turning off the power. No turning down the volume. NOTHING BUT COSTNER. Or maybe ALL COSTNER ALL THE TIME.

Luckily I like me some Kevin Costner.

Life could be worse!

That's Right

2009-05-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

So I'm listening to NPR at lunch today today and the guy says "like the old saying goes" and from the plethera of image results I got, I'm guessing it really is an old saying - but I confess to having never heard it before. I think though that it might become my new favorite.

A woman without a man is like
a fish, without a bicyle.

Just makes me smile!

Okay Carry On!

No Rain on MY Parade

2009-05-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Calf Fry 2009... How did I enjoy thee??? Let me count the ways!!!

I heard just today a neat phrase. “Happiness is something you decide ahead of time.” What a great analogy for my weekend. I could tell you about all the things this weekend that didn’t go as we had planned, how not everyone that got tickets could attend, how one of people I most wanted to see didn’t get to come at the last minute; how it began raining 3 days before the calf fry and rained steadily and how it smelled faintly of sewer, how I’ve never seen so much mud, how I bled 2 of the three nights, how we only got 1 shower in 4 days, how I spent one night sitting in the truck, how we were awakened on Friday to hearing that our home town was under water, how the swine flu (not really, but some captain tripps like illness) infected multiple attendees including yours truly. But the absolute truth is that I don’t remember a single second of the calf fry that I was not as happy as a clam. In truth, despite the weather and anything else, this was one of my FAVORITE calf fry’s of all time, and I believe that is a sentiment shared by all parties.

My vacation started Tuesday with the arrival of a high school buddy that I had not seen in like 17-18 years (OMG I just added that up) who drove up from beyond Amarillo to visit and attnd the calf fry. Then Wed am Karen called and said that her husband who had been in the hospital was doing well enough that he was insisting that she come! I had given up on her getting to attend so this was good news. She was going to take the RV to Stillwater Wed afternoon and set everything up. WHAT A NICE FRIEND, since she wasn’t coming until Thurs. So we started trying to pack RV essentials.

I had gathered a group of possible calf fry attendees some how who had never met each other and to be honest had a minor bit of trepidation about everyone getting along. Luckily my fears could not have been more unnecessary. Ashley and Tiff arrived mid day on Wed, as we were taking care of the last minute details before departure. They were as giddy as school girls getting ready for their first proms. The bathroom was filled with girls and sprays and puffs of makeup and giddy giggles as we prepared to head out.

We packed up my truck until it look like the Beverly hillbillies were headin to town and we were off – in the rain, to Stillwater. Wed nite was Pat Fucking Green (his words, not mine) and it was set to be indoors due to the rain. I knew it would be crazy and we would have to be careful to get our cherished spot at Pat’s boots. No worries however, after the girls met brett, and well before the time Pat hit the stage we were EXACTLY where we wanted to be. Tiffany had rejoined the group after getting to go backstage and meet the Man. She seemed super excited to get to do that and I’m tickled that she had a fun experience with it. The only issue we incurred Wed night was the heat. With all those bodies crammed in there it was SOO Hot! The band was literally dripping wet. Pat kept mouthing to us & to the band “It’s Hot” – or “It’s Fucking Hot” – We were right in front so we knew it was. In fact I felt a little guilty because Kathy ended up actually leaving the area before Pat came on cause it was just too stuffy for her. But I think she had a good night anyway – and I’m sure she had a good calf fry in general so hopefully she’ll forgive me for not taking off with her.

Pat put on the show of a lifetime, as he often does for a college crowd in that kind of setting. I was also sooo excited to when he went totally off set list and was doing great old stuff from album like “songs we wish we’d written” (Paradise & Hank) as well as old goodies like Standing in a Texas Sun and Billy the Kid. He played all my favorite stuff from the new album too (minus his current hit Country Star which was odd) including the title track “what I’m for” and my other fav “In this World” – All of which was just gravy on an already great nite! There must have been something in the air since Pat had to stop the show twice to put out fights. The first – the bass player noticed and walked over to try and fix, then here comes Pat. Shockingly it was girls fighting. He gave them the “lets all love one another and have a good time” speeel and tried to give them a chance – but when they wouldn’t calm down he motioned for security and told them “bye bye” - the crowd cheered and the show was right back on, with Pat adding in a few air punches for effect. Later the scene played itself out again on the other side of the stage.

At some point during Pat’s show his tour mates crashed onto the stage and this guy in boxers and chaps and not much else starts humping Pat. You could totally tell that this was a tour prank type of thing and Pat had no idea it was coming – he was shocked looking and then spew laughing. He was saying how if he’d known they would act this way he wouldn’t have brought them on tour. The rest of the people on stage just were just going nuts it was hilarious! I didn’t see Randy Houser play but he came back on with his band and all went crazy during Pat’s encore which was sooo freaking funny. The whole thing was Great!

We then went to “our” RV and crashed. I didn’t exactly crash since I had jacked myself up on Caffine – I literally just layed there all night… but some how the next day I wasn’t groggy or tired. We awoke to find we had no water. We didn’t know if that was an oversite or on purpose so we ran back to Tulsa and used the Kolker shower facilities and ended up renting Tiffany a pair of jeans – so that was great. Some how doing nothing we blew all day and then it was Thursday night and time to rock and roll again. Upon arrival we realized that none of us had been prepared for the mud that we were about to encounter. 10 minutes in and I was barefoot carrying my flip flops in a beer pitcher. The mud was literally calf deep and getting deeper. I’ve never seen anything like it. The entertainment included mud wrestling, mud skating, puddle jumping – etc you get the idea! Music wise, Thurs was Randy Rogers and Miranda Lambert. Both really good – I confess I didn’t see as much of Miranda as I meant too – circumstances, mud, balls and finding our RV host all conspired against me. But I had a ball and we saw enough to know we would love to see her again. I got to hear my favs including dry town and so I was happy. We had a ball, and I literally had some Oh My God-able balls! They are just the best! After the shows we partied for a while in the Tumbleweed since Karen and Amber had been late. Then it was back to the RV the 6 of us went – we stayed up till like 3-4 just all giggling and talking and telling stories like girls at a slumber party. We awoke the next morning – to start the giggling all over again over coffee. We were all awakened Friday to the news that Pryor had flooded. Luckily while we’d had rain we didn’t have all that.

We lazed around the trailer and then decided to go eat, go buy mud boots and find a liquor store. We accomplished all our goals – although ours were not the only ideas about buying mud boots. Walmart had like 2 pairs – Payless had 3 pairs sizes 11.5, 11.5 and you guessed it 11.5 (they had only 1 pair when we got out of there). We then found a liq store and bought all the fixins for buttery nipples and chocolate cake. If you’ve never had them, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND them… yummie. (right girls??) Anyway we went back to the trailer with our mud boots and liquor and started out fun. We made each nite all about somebody and Friday was all about Kathy and Tiff – luckily they had bonded but I’ll get to that later. Friday night was Mike McClure my fave and CCRWD everyone elses fave (I love them, just slightly less than MMB) anyway, Friday night the rain moved in about the time we got there. We were all having a ball though till Ashley got what we first thought was a little too drunk. After a while in the bathroom insisting she puke and rally it became apparent something else was wrong. We took her out to the truck where I stayed with her but ordered everyone else inside for a good time. They obliged and as Ashley suffered from the flu, they rocked it out to Cross Canadian. Tiffany was glad that I took ally duty which was only right since I’ve seen cross a million times. I know Ashley didn’t enjoy the rest of her Friday night – but by the time we all got back to the rv she was at least able to laugh at all the funny stories that the girls were reporting for the night. We were again up until 3:30 just giggling (or in Ashley’s case laying in the kitchen booth wrapped in a blanket laughing and then moaning in pain) and enjoying each other’s company.

Sadly, Saturday we all had to come back. We made slow work of it since Ashley didn’t feel good and since quite frankly neither did I by that time. The girls went on home and Kathy stayed the night and hit the road early this am. I’m slightly jealous to report that her new CCRWD t-shirt earned her a compliment and then a 30 minute conversation with Jeremy Plato’s (Bass player) dad, in a totally random encounter at a convenient store on her way home. How amazing is that?!

We all had such a good time that we vowed to make calf fry a girls weekend from this year forward. I must say that for the last several years I’ve done girls only calf fry weekends and they have all been great, it’s definitely the way to go! I know this is long and yet I feel as if I have neglected to mention much of the amazing stuff. Girls, feel free to add comments about your favorite part of the weekend and supplement my tired illing, brain!

And to the rest of you, as Pat Green would say: – CARRY ON.

I must say....

2009-04-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

i just adore the new blogger topper!!! Aint my babies beautiful? of course they are, but I also just love the symetry of this picture and the special effects.

CALF FRY

2009-04-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

Anticipation is building for the biggest party of the year. Not my words, but they fit. For me, Calf fry is without exception the biggest party of my year. No matter who i'm with and no matter who is on stage - I'm geared up for a great time.

I've been attending the calf fry for 10 years or more (i vividly recall 1999, but dont recall if that was my 1st calf fry) missing only 1 that I can think of. The Calf Fry NEVER fails to give me what I need from it. Good time! Good Friends! Good Music!

Their are good calf fry years and then there are GREAT Calf Fry years. This year is building up to be a GREAT Calf Fry year!

Opening Night of Calf Fry this year is PAT GREEN. I have seen Pat in many many places - and Calf fry is one of my very favorite Pat Green shows. It's a college crowd which is my favorite type of his shows and the venue is set up well. Plus it could be one of the only times I see Pat this year - I haven't seen him since October... so I'm cravin me some Pat and let's face it - IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD NITE WHEN YOU ADD PAT GREEN... =)

Second - I get to party with people I don't get to see enough of at all. An old friend from high school that I have not seen since literally 1991 or something like that - is coming to visit specifically for Calf fry! That is awesome! And my kiddo and her BFF Tif are coming. I love my grandkids - but Ash and I have a history of spending alone time following Pat Green around one time each year. We didn't get to do that last year and we both missed it. This won't be that - but it'll be a good make up! Plus I've not gotten to spend much time with Tiff. And lastly my big sister Laci is coming for 1 night.

I'm thinking GIRLS GONE WILD!

So, as the Countdown clearly shows.... THE PARTY WILL SOON BE ON!!!!

Sometimes it rains for a reason

2009-04-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

I don't much care for household chores, I never have. I mean like since I was a little kid with the pretend vacuum and kitchen set which I never cared for or played with. I don't like doing dishes, running the vacuum, doing laundry, dusting, sweeping, mopping, you name it - I don't like doing it.

Anything I don't like doing I generally procrastinate in doing. I'm getting better about keeping my habitat livable but the truth is that it's still a chore for me and something I have to consciously work at.

Today I had plans to do a couple of differnt things with friends and if that didn't work out then I needed to do some chores outside. Outside chores I DO NOT mind doing. If the weather is nice I like mowing, shoveling shit in the barn, working in the garden, working on fences, cleaning water troughs, organizing tack, working on horse feet - you name, i'd rather be doing it!

Well my plans with friends fell through and so did the nice weather outside. So instead i got busy and got some stuff done. I'm pretty impressed with my accomplishing self. I created (half ass) and hung new curtains in the spare room, made up the new bed, and pulled a nasty old cabinet sewing machine down from the garage - cleaned it up nice and made a bed side table. I also spray painted another little shelf and put it on the other side. It's not perfect or finished by any means - but it's not just an empty junk room. I could put up guests there and not be too embarrassed LOL.

Next I was outside filling the water trough and listening to the ponies bitch because it was muddy but they wanted in the yard anyway, cause the grass is sooo much greener over here, and was looking at my poor little dumpster dive table. I yanked it out of the dumpster a few weeks ago thinking it would be a nice little porch table to set between some lawn chairs. But it was in pretty bad shape when i got it out and it's made of particle board - not a perfect match for my porch in the spring (wet, wet, wet). I had this inpired thought that I could cover it with a bright table cloth and it would make a nicer matching patio set with my canary yellow groovey 70s chase lounges! So, I dug around and came up with this cool crazy fish table cloth and then using my handy dandy staple gun - I made a new cover for it. Now it's weather proof and Groovey like my chairs. It's not quite trading spaces skill level, but it'll work for the Mazie Prairie. Don't you think???

okay, that's all

Carry On.....

April 15

2009-04-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

Brilliant

2009-04-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

Some people have an "ability" to know then to deliver the goods & apparently John Rich is one of those people. In the last few years John has been turning up absolutely everywhere and I'm always a little surprised at the gigs he's getting (in a good way - I love Big & Rich) - His songs are the absolute hottest ticket going and he is absolutely taking full advantage of it.

BUT to write and release "Shutting Detroit Down" right now - is like money in the hand, but to follow up with Kris Kristopherson and Mickey Rooney staring in this video: CLICK HERE

Well you watch the video and tell me if you don't think John Rich might be on to something.....

RIP Alysheba

2009-04-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

March 3, 1984 - March 27, 2009

Wasn't he a beautiful boy?

More on Gratitude

2009-04-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

It is easy to say - be more grateful, but it for me has been harder to habituate gratefulness into my every day every minute life. Even though I now make a conscious effort to be grateful for things - I feel like I'm this bouncy ball bouncing between being grateful and forgetting to be grateful then (bounce) remembering that I forgot to be grateful so being grateful and then bounce.... You get the idea.

I believe that we can draw things into our lives - and when things are working right you draw the things you need or desire into your life. So, I was tickled when this morning I stumbled across something that struck me as something I really needed to read.

It was from someone's blog and it was about being grateful - it was quite long, but it basically said if your not seeing results (positive changes in your life) from being grateful then your probably practicing "Gratitude Level 1" - which he went on to explain is the act of saying thank your or making yourself think or say how grateful you are for different things. The examples he used were: I'm so grateful for my job, the roof over my head, my relationship with, my health, my vehicle etc...He called it our default gratitude. He also pointed out that often times our thoughts about gratitude might start with the phrase "at least" - as in "i'm grateful at least to have my health, or ....."

So I'm thinking to myself that gosh - that sounds like alot of what i've been being grateful for - so what else is there.

As I read on he starts talking about Gratitude level 2. (being clear to say that there wasn't anything wrong with being grateful on a Gratitude Level 1 basis, but there just might be something deeper). He explained level two as Gratitude that is "independent of situations and circumstances." It manifests feeling of gratitude for life itself, for your very existence, and for anything and everything you experience in this life (good, bad, ugly). His specific list included: your life, time and space, your problems, challenges, and hardships, your foibles and mistakes, your consciousness, your ego, people who treat you unkindly or unfairly, your thoughts and emotions, and your freedom of choice. (emphasis added to things that jumped out at me this am)

I have to say that when I was reading this list I was thinking - OMG did I need this - this morning. I've had this situation (not going into it really) but I have not been grateful for it - what a way to turn my anger and emotion on it's ear!!!

He went on to say in this blog that you have to become grateful for the adventure that is life, including all of its twists and turns. What a great analagy is that. I know the basics of this is simply that we are given trials from which to learn lessons. OR that which don't kill us only makes us stronger - but I love when I hear or read something being presented in a new way that really speaks to me in that moment.

He talked about level 2 gratitude being synonymous with unconditional love because there is no attachment to circumstances or outcomes. Consequently, there is no fear of loss or change. What a great concept. Not just accepting the challenges God gives us and trying to determine what the lessons are that are contained in it - BUT actually being Grateful for them because they contribute to the ride. A roller coaster without any thrilling free falls wouldn't draw too much attention.

Anyway, that's my thought for the day.

If you want to read the full blog posting (and perhaps draw your own conclusions) it is found on StevePavlina.com and the link is here:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/01/gratitude

Okay, that's all for now.
Carry on...

disclaimer

2009-04-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

To all those concerned about my ignorance.....

While I'm certainly not sure that the crack kool aid water will do any of the miracle things it is being tauted to do - I did read up on the stuff. There are no chemicals in it - it's just water that has been filtered to make the ph balance more alkaline. Supposedly the alkaline water is more readily absorbed by the body and hydrates better. I also did google searches and didn't find any "harms" assoicated with the water. (though varying degrees of results) Also I know at least 4 women who have been drinking it for months now with no negative side effects.

Crack Kool-aid

2009-04-04T06:19:00.000-07:00

You know I like to try things out. I'm easily sucked into new adventures, well done infomercials, TV product demonstrations and cool sounding diets. I am orange so I only occassionally have the follow through with the things I try - but if I'm interested enough I do. I don't jump on EVERY fad wagon - I mean, I didn't get my ear stapled a couple of years ago when that was THE thing to do. But by the same token if someone I knew with an ear staple (and I knew more than 1) had lost 100 lbs, I may have been standing in line.

Thursday night I had a long overdue appointment with my hairdresser. I needed the whole work up before calf fry so I was going to be in her chair for quite a while. It didn't take long before I began hearing the buzz that was ALL over the beauty shop. It started out with references to "water deliveries" - (ie if my husband calls tell him I had to make a water delivery) - So I'm thinking one of the girls is moonlighting as a Cullingan man. Then I notice that there are milk jugs full of water stashed about, and that every hair dresser has a water bottle on there station.

Soon they are all talking about the "miracle water" - and finally my hair lady looks at me and says "Haven't you heard about Kagan Water?" - Well I had not, and so I said so. The next two and a half hours was my initial infomercial by testimonial introduction to Kagan water.

Now keep in mind that I've had the same hair dresser for approaching 15 years - and she has never tried to sell me so much as a bottle of hair spray. But the enthusiasm which she displayed for kagan water was almost catchy. All the girls had their personal story of what the water had done for them. I jokingly started saying it was apparent that they were "all drinking the kool aid."

Once it became apparent just how excited they were I then added that their koolaid must have crack added to it.... Hence the Crack Kool-aid.

You would not believe the things these women swore this water (which has a akaline PH and is hydrogenated or something) would cure - the list included: Cancer, joint disorders, arthritis, colon disorders, cholesterol and high blood pressure issues, fatigue, and depression. And that's just the couple of things I can recall off the top of my head.

SOOOO while I don't have any of those specific conditions (except maybe some colon ones) - I was told it was worth trying just for it's detoxification and energy boost. She also offered to provide my water for free. Just commit to drinking it for 30 days as directed (oh yes, as directed) Not only was I skeptical - but I was looking for the catch - What's the catch. Well the catch is that eventually you will want to buy your own water machine and the machines are pricy. But she said - "Johnanna, if you feel this water is doing you some good after 30 days, but you don't want a machine or don't think it's doing enough good to justify a machine - I will continue to give you water as long as you want."

Hmmm... so a catch - but a catch I can get around. Lord knows I don't have the money for a machine - and I'm not interested in their payment plan.... BUT I agreed to try the crack kool aid for two reasons.

1. I'm curious. Can this water really be that beneficial? Is it all in their heads?
2. I was thinking - if this really does work on just one or two of these issues - and it don't kill me LOL, I might talk my aunt kathy into trying it. She has many of the issues for which this water is suppose to the miracle cure - and if she could get relief from just 1 symptom - well, it would probably be worth it.

So this morning I had my first 4oz of the miracle water.

Yall stand back - the Crack Kool-aid is starting to kick in!

I'll keep you posted!!!

That's all - Carry on.....

Old Chinese Proverb

2009-03-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

There is an old Chinese Proverb which states "He who leaves his Abstract at his ex girlfriend's house is not terribly bright"

Dumber is the dumbass that gives his current psycho wife the ex-girlfriends phone number and allows her to call the ex in an effort to collect his abstact.

I wonder if that Abstract will ever be seen by anyone ever again....

LOL

Gold Cancers??

2009-03-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

I enjoy reading my horoscope. I don't put a lot of stock in them, I just read them for fun. In fact I look at two different ones each day... I figure if they are similiar - maybe I should pay attn that day LOL. (not really)...

Somedays though they are SO FAR OFF that im reminded just how silly and non impactful these things are. It doesn't help that while i'm a Cancer - I don't act or feel like any description of cancer that i've ever read.

I digress... My blogging point was that my horoscope for the day IS SOOO NOT ME AS TO BE LAUGHABLE...

Following a rigid schedule might seem like a good way to keep yourself on track now, but it could have the exact opposite effect. If one appointment runs late, then a cascading effect could cause the rest of your day to tumble out of control. Paradoxically, a little less worry and a lot more flexibility early in the day could put a proper spin on it all

I just have to say - following a rigid schedule ANYTIME sounds about as good an idea to me as having a pin shoved in my eye!!

Things to be grateful for!

2009-03-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Bad Mood

2009-03-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

I've been in a bad mood lately... Nothing in particular has been fueling my bad mood, I just wake up annoyed. I'm cognizant of the fact that my bad mood is random, and have been trying to combat it. It amazes me that my mood can be so persistent when I'm making actual efforts to recognize my negative energy and re-route it. Isn't it suppose to be easy to change your mood. Listen to some music you like. Think about positive things. That's what all the "advice givers" say. I do that, and it works for a short while but then I find myself distracted from my positive thoughts by life, work, etc and then shortly i'm annoyed again.

I guess it just takes more work some times than other times, and this is apparently one of those times.

One thing i'm trying to incorporate more into my life is Gratitude. I'm trying to take it past the list of things I rattle off at night during my prayers that I'm thankful for. I read a passage the other day from this book that suggested that you actually make lists of 5 things that you are grateful for every day. If you have a horrid day you can always be thankful for the old standbys like friends, family, pets, shelter, and your work. That's how I always tend to think of my list. But this book suggested really going through your day thinking about your list, looking for things to put on your list and for you to look at the everyday things in your day as potential list makers. Your list would then be more like that you were grateful for a certain song, or a kind word from a friend, or a flower you saw that was beautiful or a sunrise or that you made a big dent in your to do list today.

Things I'm already grateful for today.

1. Rain, we really needed it - and we got a little.
2. For hearing first hand about how certain others have soooo much more to deal with than I do.
3. For the gift of today, may I have the grace to unlock all of it's pleasant suprises.
4. For smiling horses that are happy to see you (okay yes I did have their breakfast)
5. For working in an evironment where my talents are appreciated

Mo has met someone

2009-03-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

short update

2009-03-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

I got hit with fever / bronchitis / pnuemonia - or as all king fans refer to it - Captain Tripps!!! It hit me like a mack truck on friday and I had to go home early and crash.... i've been down pretty well ever since.

I know i'm not special in that everyone has had captain tripps at some point recently or continue to battle it.... but i'm a mysery loves company, whiney kinda sick girl so there is no way that anyone can possibly be as miserable as me!!!!!

i had to venture outside for more drugs today, I've gone thru an entire bottle of tussin since Friday night (not the recommended dosage) and needed more if there is any possibility of sleeping tonight. What I found when I got outside was that it was a most glorious day. I'm sad I didn't feel like enjoying it more. Course if i'd been well i'd been in my office cave so it's just as well.

I felt like I was sleep walking around Walmart - you know the feeling where you are thinking you really shouldn't be out in public (and prolly not driving) cause you just feel bout 1/2 high... maybe it's just me.... anyway I manage to find some stuff and made it safely back home. Then I cooked dinner (in so much as opening a can of chili & bag of fritos is cooking) and after I ate I went and sat outside to watch the ponies.... the sun felt sooo good on my face i could almost have fallen asleep. Nick was mowing the front yard for the first time this season and it smelled so good.....

Okay, i must still be high if I think this would be entertaining to anyone... so i'll shut up and go back to my whooping cough!

(cough, snort, hack,)

one thing i like about my job is....

2009-03-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

I never know from day to day what "issue" might come up. For instance - it's not every day that your boss ask you if you can do some research about Studs!

Okay, maybe in your line of work - but it's a first for me.

Wanna know what I learned? Oklahoma still has laws on the books about what one can and can't do on Sunday. (though filled with enough caveats to allow people to do whatever they want now - for instance Horse racing is strictly prohibited, except as otherwise approved by the racing commission) Apparently until 1923 letting your horse have sex for the purpose of creating a foal was a crime against religion and morality.

Don't you feel more enriched having learned this tidbit???
Okay, back to work with me.
Carry on....

FWD:

2009-03-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

I feel compelled to say.....

2009-03-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

I don't know who these people are "shaping" the new Republican Party.... BUT they must Go. Over the last few weeks every time I turn on the TV I see someone in My Party making a complete ass of themselves in one way or another. Apparently they feel that the general public ranks near "moron" on the intelligence scale. I'll grant you some times that feels like the case - but there are those of us out here with a few working brain cells. It seems like the actual Republican platform has been lost in their hip make over. They grab the nearest republican with some color and throw them on camera as if to say "look we got that too." And watching five minutes of the CPAC made me want to slit my wrists or at least disassociate with those people. We are the minority party - DEAL WITH IT... It's not a death sentence Everyone has their turn at it.

Suddenly when asked my party affiliate I feel the need to hand a copy of the original republican platform to the inquirer - as a caveat to my reply.

I guess this is like being a football fan of a team that hasn't been to the superbowl in a quarter century.... Buckle down - stick to your guns and pray for a miracle.

(Tammie - no comments are required)

Okay, I'm trying to stay generally positive and to get any more specific or delve any further into this commentary will send me spiralling into negativity....

So... thank you for the indulgence... Carry On...

What's Mo been doing you ask?

2009-03-02T17:47:00.001-08:00

Well, I have had an opportunity to snap of few shots of Mo living his daily life. It's easy to see that Mo is a guy... In fact, He is a pretty typical guy......

Mo LOVES hanging out behind the bar - and he's catching on to the drink recipies pretty quickly.... Don't tell him I said this, but he's a lush....

That's when Mo's not hanging out with MY boyfriend "TiVo"....

And in this picture.... in this picture Mo tells me that he is scratching his foot... Really... he swears.

creating a better year

2009-03-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

and by extension, a better life.

It's Sunday morning (okay technically not anymore) and I'm not in Church, but a new ritual i've started is that I like to spend my Sunday mornings finding inspiration for my week - whether that be reading something inspirational from the Good Book or other sources or on the net or watching some john edward or other program. Not that it's the only time in the week I do anything like that - but I make a concerted effort to start my sundays off this way in an effort to keep me on track.

The second half of last year found me yearning for the year to simply be over. Come January, I began voicing my hopes for a better year. It certainly wouldn't take much to improve on 2008, but the more that have thought about it the more that I contemplated whether or not I wanted to sit by and allow 2009 to simply serve me up something or if I wanted to take some positive actions to try and create a better year - the answer became clear.

Having a clear answer did not provide me with clear "right actions" but it provided the fuel to send me down the path in search of the right actions. I've been doing a lot of reading and thinking about things which is a good first step. I've tried to focus on my attitude towards things. There will always be things that I may not have control over but one thing that I will always have control over is my reaction to those things. It's the one thing no one can influence more than me. And if you understand that principal that "perception is everything" you realize that there is real power in simply choosing to control how you react.

I am embrasing change. I am on the cusp of some very real change in my life and I have no firm grasp of where that change will take me. How exciting is that? Instead of worrying or fretting about how things will likely not work out - I have decided instead to wonder about what cool things are in store. How I will enjoy the new changes and what doors of opportunity they will open.

Does that mean that I have zero anxiety or worry about things. NO. I haven't yet become a master at this - but it means that when those negative and worrysome thoughts creep in I make an extra effort to be aware of it and change my thinking pattern.

I can already see the results in certain areas of my life which of course gives me more inspiration to double my efforts.

I am also trying to remember daily to be grateful for the miriad of stuff that is right in my life and for the stuff that I have been blessed with in the past, believing that no extra goodness comes to the ungrateful heart. Sometimes it's easy to forget to remember to be actively grateful so that's another area to which i'm trying to focus my attention.

So these are a few of the things I'm doing to make 2009 a better year..... What about you???

Okay, that's all for now - Carry On.....

Meet Mo

2009-02-26T20:12:00.000-08:00

Meet my friend Mo.... Here's Mo sitting on my couch:

I let mo drive my truck:

But I didn't know Mo had been drinking.... Here's Mo about to pass out

When Mo and I first met

General Rambles

2009-02-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Happy Happy Birthday to Ashley - My kiddo who has blossomed into a beautiful young woman both inside and out! Ah to be 26 again. I wouldn't care to be much younger - but the late 20's were good. May only good things come into your life this year.

Well the old (not old to me, but doc says....) fancy mare is finally doing better - she has not refused a meal in over 2 weeks and finally is drinking some water (not still quite enough) in addition to the water being served on her feed and on her alfalfa cubes. She is also acting like she feels okay. One stress lifted....

I have a line on a secondary job - nothing exciting to brag about, just some call center work - but for a short time until I see how life is gonna shake out - it will make making the rent sans my roomates possible. So another stress lifted...

Yesterday was fat tuesday and today is the first day of the lent season. A good 40 days to be contemplating the nature of things.

I saw the first daffodils of the season today.... I love love love the daffodils because they represent the first real sign of spring - they pop up through the brown ground in stark defiance of winter and warm the spirit of all who come across them.

Okay, I think that's all I got today..... Carry On!

Oscars 81

2009-02-23T20:29:00.000-08:00

I know I already said that I love the Oscars, but now I can say specifically what I loved about the oscars.....

I LOVED THE HUGH - THE HOST WITH THE MOST!!! Okay, taking nothing away from any previous oscar hosts - (almost all of whom i loved, each oscar has it's own feel) - But Hugh did SUCH a good job. He sings, he dances, he acts - and he is OMG handsome - and that's not even talkin about the accent or anytime we are lucky enough to see him McConaughey style....(ala australia)

(COMPLETELY GRATUITOUS SHOT)

Okay, undigressing.... Besides the host I almost lost conscienceless laughing at Ben Stiller

who was making fun of....

And I LOVED the Whistle....

and you homosexual commie sons of guns...

I loved lots of other stuff tooo.... but it's bed time now!

Momma Mia

2009-02-22T15:35:00.000-08:00

How very bizarre. Not bad, just very odd. Okay, I'm not much of a musical fan, just never have been. But I decided I needed to watch this one for a couple of reasons... first, I adore Pierce Brosnan and like to watch anything he's in. Secondly, the rest of the cast is great too. Thirdly, the cast is dancing tonight on the oscars and since I haven't seen so many of the films nominated tonite, and since I had access to this one right here - I just thought I would.

Not a bad film, I just have a hard time getting past the weirdness of the musical factor I guess. It's just sooo over the top - which is clearly on purpose, but still weird.

Did I use the word weird too many times?

Not much else going on here this weekend. I went to a Mardi Gras party last night, mostly it was just a get together with a couple of friends for gab and a few beers. It was a good time though.

Today, I finished a grisham book i've been reading (the appeal) which I have to confess I really didn't care for the ending of since he let the bad guys all win. Then a few chores and tonight the oscars. I love the oscars, even when I haven't seen the films.
That's all today.....Carry on.

Mardi Gras

2009-02-21T10:33:00.000-08:00

just thinking about getting in the spirit for the party tonight....

2 months and 2 days

2009-02-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

I was sitting here earlier thinking how long 2 months and 2 days can be. That's how long it's been since you had to go. I was thinking how much I think of you every day. On good days all my thoughts and memories are happy ones - on other days I can't help but cry when I come across your ball, food bowl, favorite spot etc.

As I was sitting here thinking about those things I noticed that a thunderstorm had managed to sneak up on me. You were always the first to alert me if a thunderstorm was on the way, especially in the last few years. I never had to wait till the rain had started to put the ponies in the barn, you always gave me plenty of notice. It also occurred to me that surely you aren't scared of such silly things anymore.

Yesterday your cat snuck in the house looking for you. She still sniffs the end of the couch where you always layed. I'm pretty sure she has no idea where you took off to. I let her hang out and lay on the couch for a while. I figured we could miss you together for a few minutes.

Anyway, just wanted you to know how much I miss your smiling face.

Love,

Your human

Presidents day

2009-02-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

What's better than a Monday that really isn't a Monday at all? Not much! I rolled my lazy butt out of bed at 9:30, a full hour and a half after I normally would have had to be at work. I fed, and am now sitting here blogging and enjoying my 2nd cup of joe as the sun shines in on me from the front window. If only every day could start off so perfectly!

Yesterday was cold and dreary looking, but today there is some Sun out there and it's suppose to even get semi warm! Speaking of sun, over the last week I have noticed several signs promising that Spring is on the way!! I hate winter, I hate every aspect of it from the lack of sunlight, the cold, the gross weather, the mud, and did I mention the lack of sunlight? BUT my yard is starting to sprout green shoots everywhere, if you look closely there is a green blanket developing under the dead brown grass of winter. Secondly, Strait the horsey teddy bear is starting to visibly shed. Thirdly, our trees have started budding. Fourthly, I have the first little yellow flowers poking up out of the ground, and lastly yesterday I witnessed a male and female cardinal doing the "mating" dance of spring!!! This all means I better get re-focused on my diet and exercise regimine if I want to reach my goals by spring!!!

Hope everyone has a pleasant work day....

and those on Holiday are grateful for their day off!

That's all,
Carry On.....

Costner blogging

2009-02-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

"This is as close to my personality as I ever get, playing live," Costner said."When I'm making a movie I'm playing whoever I'm playing. But my personality comes out on stage when I play live. That's when you see me the clearest." (Kevin Costner 2008)

I love that quote, which I just stumbled across. I like it mostly because I was impressed with the Kevin I saw on stage.... it's nice to hear him claim that this is the REAL Kevin.

Speaking of Kevin....Little did I know that Blogging about Kevin Costner could be almost as exciting as blogging about Garth Brooks, but luckily in a good way. For those that don't know, or don't remember, I made THE HUGE mistake of voicing a complaint about Garth Brooks on my blog. Just me, making my little comments known to the 5 other family members who read my blog right??? NOOO I was reminded the hard way that the blogging is a public forum and your words can and likely when it is the least convenient for you, they will be used against you. My comments were picked up and published by the Orlando Sentinel. My first clue was when my little "live space" got several hundred hits in one day from a referral site I didn't recognize. I clicked over there to see my words supporting a very negative article about Garth. Yes, I'd written it, and yes I'd meant it... but I had never intended for ANYONE to see it really, and I never ever meant to publicly diss Garth... I loved Garth.

So it was a little flash back the other day when i noticed my little blog hits had gone through the roof, and the referring sites were all Kevin Costner related. Upon checking I found my blog posted on a costner "scrapbook" site. Thankfully however, my comments about Mr. Costner had been nothing but glowing, and the comments that I've received from costner fan visitors have all been positive! It's given me a chance to check out their sites and for more people to all share in what for me was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

A much nicer experience. And a sweet way to hold on to my extraordinary night and keep reliving it over and over!!!

Maybe I'll move on to other topices this weekend, especially since I still have 2 days in this 3 day weekend!!!

News

2009-02-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

I'm an NPR junkie... I'm always just a little bit embarrassed to admit that since I don't consider myself the "type", but alas anyone who really knows me knows that it's true. It's on the radio in the truck and it's my morning alarm clock.

One of the perks of being an NPR junkie is that I rarely miss any major developments... In fact, I would almost say that I hear too much. But with a new pat green album loaded onto my mp3 player, not to mention my efforts at reliving my night with Costner, the few times I was in my vehicle this weekend NPR was silent.

I also watch enough TV to generally rot my brain and when i'm not watching TV, I'm on the Internet... but this weekend i had a sick horse to tend to which meant lots of outside time (and with the weather that was not a sacrifice) and when I was in the house I was checking out a new channel that plays all country music videos all the time. (what a foreign concept that is)

So this evening i'm feeling a little blindsided by the news. On the way home from the store earlier, feeling a little bit of withdraw for my npr programing I took off the earbuds and found out that Australia had caught on fire and was apparently burning down.... It sounded awful. Then after my Sunday TV favorites the news informed me that Tulsa had some sort of murder and crime spree over the weekend.

I'm almost wishing that I had just left my headphones on.... If you don't know about it and acknowledge it, then it doesn't exist.... Right Tam???

My night with Kevin (the Novel)

2009-02-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

Where to even begin….? I guess the beginning is as good a place as any. I'll apologize for the length of this story in advance... get a beer and some chips and get comfy - it's a once in a life time story and takes up a once in a life time amount of BLOG space. I did embed a slideshow of pics - but i purposefully put it way down - sooo keep reading LOL!!!

_________________________________________

As days go, Tuesday was one of those rare days where things you don’t even realize you need to fall into place somehow magically do. I had secured tickets some weeks ago to see Kevin Costner in concert in Oklahoma City on 2/3. That part was a no brainer – I love Kevin, have since I was about 14. I had made up my mind 5 seconds after getting an email back in October alerting me that Kevin Costner had a band, and was putting out his first Country Album, that this was my chance – I meet country music stars, it’s easy… So, if Kevin wanted to be a country music star – I was ALL ABOUT IT. Who cares if he can sing or not.

I got the album and after a few spins I was relieved to find out that this was not (by far) the worst country album that I had ever listened to. In fact, it was, dare I say – really good.

Then while checking out one of my favorite venues to see who might be coming to town I see that Kevin & Modern West were schedule to play there. Kevin at The Wormy Dog? Re you kidding?? I mean that’s like one of my favorite venues ever… It was almost as fi Kevin were saying to me: “Johnanna, I’d sure like to meet you, AND I’m doing everything I can think of to make this easy for you! I'm going to start singing Country Music, and I've going to come play your favorite bar.” I mean, how could I turn down an invitation like that!
With the tickets purchased, I began to look at the schedule. The show was on a Tuesday. Hmm… Well nothing I could do about that. Chanda had made it clear that she had been dragged to enough Kevin movies that she had damned well better be dragged to see the man in person as a payoff for her 15+ years of service. We work together – but decided that it just couldn’t be avoided – I put it on the schedule.

Last week, out of the blue I was informed that I needed to pick a day when I could go to Oklahoma City and see a Judge about getting an Order signed. Really? How lucky is that? Okay, I’ll go to the city on Tuesday. Then, Monday when I called the Judge, she told me I need to be there at 1:30. Really? That’s early? What will I do after that? – Oh go get in line to meet Kevin Costner – yeah, that sounds good!

Literally everything worked out perfectly & we found ourselves at the very front of a long long line of middle aged and older women. We had no trouble passing the next few hours because the conversations all around us were highly entertaining. One group discussed their “ailments,” while I whispered jokes to Chanda about “now serving Geritol at the bar!” Another group listened intently as a woman repeatedly told how she’d met Costner earlier in the day at a album signing at Wal-Mart. Another group discussed which movies they loved and why. Many of them had brought DVD’s or Magazines for autographs. Some of the magazines were quite old, and people in the crowd were ooing and awing over them. I chuckled to myself, because I had each of the ones that I saw – but they were home in a box, with the rest of my craziness from my late teens & early 20’s. I soooo could have been like those women – but was making a conscious effort to “play it cool.”

It was readily apparent that no one was there to hear a band. Some of the people didn’t even know he had a record. Some had picked it up on the way to the show, and others were promising to pick it up on the way home – or the next day. One lady tried to gain early entrance into the club by knocking on the door and when a guard answered she flashed a wallet sized photo of Kevin and stated that she had gone to school with him and that she was sure he would want to see her. I'm not sure what the guard said, but the lady returned to the end of the line.
The doors of the Wormy Dog finally opened about 6:30 and since the 2 people in front of me had noooooo idea where they were going I had zero problems being the first person in the door and the first person at the stage. I’ve played this role a thousand times before and it’s like riding a bike. I know how the game works, I know how the venue is set up and I will roll your ass over like a steamroller if you get between me and my destination and slow your pace in the least. I arrived at the stage. Found the sweet spot, marked my territory, and then and only then did I turn around and wonder where the hell Chanda was. It took her several more seconds as she had gotten into a shoving match with someone trying to prevent her entry into the club. Once she had our spot I hit the bathroom and then the bar. I was planning on having a few shiner's to pass the time till the show started. I headed back to the stage and already had a little trouble getting back in. Ten minutes (and about 1/2 of my beer) later the woman who had been standing behind us made a bar run. When she finally got back she announced that she would not be trying that again. It dawned on me that I was done with that beer because there would be no potty runs before this show. Within a few minutes the entire bar was sooo full that movement (at least near the stage) was essentially cutoff completely. Chanda and I settled in for the 2 more hours of waiting.

My back, feet and knees were killing me but eventually it was time for the opening act, the Paula Nelson Band. I'm a little embarrassed to say that I didn't actually know who this was. I popped off to Chanda "I wonder if she's kin to Willie?" Well, turns out she's isn't just 'kin' - she's his daughter! And she's very talented. She had a great bluesy raspy voice and the sound system was such that I couldn’t hear every word, but it sounded like she was a pretty cool song writer too. I'll have to be checking her out a little more fully.

Finally after an entire afternoon of waiting with only slightly contained enthusiasm... it was time. They brought out the song lists and the beer and sat by the mic's and we knew our wait would soon be over.... and then with zero fan fair it happened - a laid back looking Kevin emerged from the back with a boyish grin and a little wave to the 750 women in the house who were screaming shrill-ly. He stood about 4 feet from me behind his microphone stand waiting for ruckus to die down. I simply could not believe that I was seeing this with my own eyes. It was sooo very cool. The screaming subsided but his smile did not. He said that he wanted to get something out right up front - he wanted to thank us all for coming to his movies for all these year. Again cheers erupted. He then said we'd talk as we went along and with that they were starting their first song. I looked over at Chanda and gave the "can you believe this?" grin. She could not. For the next two hours I barely moved. I kept reminding myself that this was possibly a once in a lifetime experience and I needed to be "aware" of it, savor it and commit as much of it to memory as possible.

I can't give you a blow by blow because I was literally having like an out of body experience where the whole thing, but I can give you my impressions. I was first struck by how OMG handsome he was. I was prepared to see an old man. An old man that I loved, but still an old man. This was no old man, this was a handsome man. He was also taller than I would have thought. He was just as skinny as he looks. In person he still has no butt. He has really big (soft) hands and long fingers. He has a nice smile and he employs it a lot. He was way more personable than I would have imagined. He told stories between almost every song, sometimes really long ones – and then jokingly compared the length of his stories to the length of his movies. He assured us he wasn’t done making long Westerns either.

I had heard going in that while Kevin had a few songwriting credits that John Coinman was the real talent in this area. But something that struck me was that Costner was the one who explained the origin and meaning of each song before they sang it. He expressed a deep understanding of the origin of the songs – telling us what the song meant, where it came from and what sort of images and emotions it might conjure up in us. In other words, he spoke like the songwriter. He also spoke like a storyteller. I guess that’s not a stretch from acting – just story telling in another form. I’ve heard Kevin say he was a story teller before, but I’ve not had a forum to hear him literally tell stories until now.

I almost hate to gush about how talented I think this band was musically, but they were really good. I loved all the songs, they had a old rocker feel to them and great beats that really jammed. I have listened to the album over and over and there simply isn’t a song on it that doesn’t hold up. Live, they were even better. Kevin showed a range of vocals not present on the record, and of course absolutely nothing can replace the energy of a live show. I wouldn’t have thought that we would have been so entertained beyond getting to stare at Kevin, but in fact we were. It was almost easy to forget that I was looking at a oscar winning actor whom I had been in love with since my teens, I could have just as easily been jamming at a Gary Alan concert. It’s not as if he swung from the rafters or anything, but he was entertaining and engaging. He made eye contact, he acknowledged countless people with winks, waves, blown kisses and the hand over the heart nod. (you know the “you get me right here, move.”) He sang, he danced (sorta - definate white man) he chatted us up and he made an impression….a good one.

Somewhere in the middle of the show he stopped, grinned and pointed to a woman and said “Hi Cathy.” He then explained that he went to school with that woman over there and she used to drive him crazy. Chanda and I exchanged glances – guess the woman outside wasn’t blowing smoke. Even so, I thought it was pretty great that he saw her, recognized her & pointed her out. In fact, as he wrapped up the show he told her he wanted to see her back stage.

The show was long but seemed like only a few minutes. He wrapped up by saying thank you to everyone a thousand times. He told us how special this night was to him and promised that he would not forget it. I know for a fact that every woman in that bar felt the same way.

We thought it was all over and were resigning ourselves to get going. Kevin was exiting the stage, but the women in the crowd were screaming themselves silly. Then all of a sudden there Kevin was coming back out – and off the stage out to where we were. He started on one side and began shaking hands and signing autographs. He was very kind and was smiling at everyone. He shook hands with tons of women and then went to the other end of the stage to repeat the process. He turned to leave like 5 times, but always turned back to the crowd when they began to scream. I found myself acting like a 15 year old teenie bopper stretching my hand out towards him and shaking it as if to say – PLEASE ME, TOUCH ME, JUST TOUCH ME! As he was turning to head backstage one more time he looked up and saw Chanda and I reaching for him. We had been front and center for the whole show and we had been 2 of very few who not only knew Kevin had a band, but who had been singing along to every word. He grinned and grabbed both of our hands. I could have literally fainted dead away. But then he looked up past us over our heads at another woman stretching out her hand. He stepped into us and reached right over the top of us to reach her. He was literally leaning against us and every fiber of my being was screaming GET HIM!!!! But be proud of me… I tried to just soak it in and refrain. I didn’t grab him, cause him to run away – look at me like I was one of “those women” or have security remove me from the bar. He simply grinned and turned.

I know this is like a twelve page blog and I apologize, but I can not even begin to describe how cool this was for me. I’ve always wanted to meet Kevin Costner and how this came down simply blows my mind…. My story from now on really will be…. “Kevin knew how much I loved him and he wanted to meet me. He knew how much I loved Country Music and how I had met all the stars that I admired, so he decided to become a Country Music Star to make it that much easier for me. To seal the deal, he even decided to play my favorite bar. Then he knew we’d finally be together…. The way we were always meant to be!!!

My Night With Kevin....

2009-02-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

Just a taste - much more to follow.

What now

2009-02-02T18:48:00.000-08:00

As a teenager I set a few goals for myself. They weren't goals about college or marriage - oh no, not me... my goals were more like meet Garth Brooks, Meet Reba, attend Fan Fair become a roadie!

You may scoff at my goals, but at the time that I set them I could think of nothing on the face of the planet that I would rather accomplish, and I set about trying to do just that, I mean my father did say that I could accomplish anything I set my mind too.

And accomplish them I did, I've met Garth and Reba and every other country music star that I have ever set my fancy upon meeting. I set goals to interview stars and accomplished that, I even went beyond all that to wanting to produce my own shows and book artists to play gigs for me, and while i've not booked any "Garth"gantuan shows, I have booked some of my favorites. And most of these "goals" turned out to be absolutely as wonderful as I imagined that they would be.

As a teenager and young woman, although my love of all things country music was strong, the real love of my life was actually a movie star. From the first time I saw Bull Durham, I was a gonner. But, one goal I never set for myself was to meet Kevin Costner... I always felt that Kevin was just beyond reach. I would be content to adore him on the big screen.

Over the years as Kevin and I both aged (one more than another!) my lust receeded (a little) and I began to move on. But of course, I knew I would always have a soft spot for kevin.

Recently however, Kevin has decided that he is a Country Music Singer. Seems he is treading in my waters. My musical waters. And what country music star exists that I have wanted to meet - which I have not... ???? It's a short short list....

So the moral of this story is that I have tickets to see Kevin Costner in concert at one of my favorite spots.... a really really small spot call the Wormy Dog. Even if I don't get to meet Kevin, chances are I will not be more than a few feet from him during his concert performance, in other words... Step One.

My question now is - what on earth will I do with my life after obtaining my goal that was so unobtainable that I didn't even dare it....

Guess I'll have to accomplish something even crazier....

more to come.....

That's all - Carry on.

What I'm For!

2009-01-30T09:03:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to post these Lyrics to the title song on Pat's new CD, What I'm for... I love that they spread "positive" thinking, (a theme w/ Pat) who cares what your against.... It's more improtant what your FOR!

I’m for wild flowers in the window
Mechanics you can trust
I’m for crackers in my chili
And leaving grudges in the dust

I’m for drive thru order takers
Who can muster up a smile
I’m for takin in that stray dog
Been hanging around awhile

I’m for turning off the TV
Getting off the internet
I’m for learning all the words
To the Gettysburg address

I’m for dusty pawn shop guitars
And Boxers past their prime
I’m for soakin up the wisdom
when an old man speaks his mind

I’m for layed off factory workers
When the Wolf is at the door
You don’t have to guess what I’m against
If you know what I’m For!

I’m for Texas margaritas
Getting out of debt
I’m for Having faith in something
That hasn’t happen yet

For the shy kid in the corner
Afraid to ask girl to dance
For the x-con out of prison
Who just wants a second chance

For the inner city teacher
With her heart stuck in her throat
Who can still see God in every child
And never gives up hope

I’m for dusty pawn shop guitars
And boxers past their prime
I’m for soakin up the wisdom
when my old man speaks his mind

I’m for layed off factory workers
When the wolf is at the door
You don’t have to guess what I’m against
If you know What I’m For!

I’m for counting all my blessings
when the wolf is at my door
You don’t have to ask what I’m against
No you don’t have to ask what I’m against
If you know what I’m for
What I’m For

a medical emergency

2009-01-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

Something is wrong... really, really wrong... Perhaps I have some sort of ice and snow induced amnesia. Yes, yes that must be it. I mean there must be some medical explanation for my illness. It has sudden onset, because I was fine monday. Monday I had a plan to take care of it first thing Tuesday morning. That was the plan. Then the weather started and by tuesday we were covered in ice. But I was still okay on Tuesday. I acknowledged that my issue would simply have to wait until I got out of the house - likely on Wed. It would be okay, not perfect - but I could make one day. I am strong. But there must have been fumes or something which i inhaled, either while outside, maybe while cleaning the barn or perhaps it was some regular household chemical I came in to contact with that caused my brain fog because there is no possible way that I woke up this morning, got ready for work, got my vehicle out of the garage, drove all the way to work, worked all day (and then some) drove home, spent 2 hours filing my taxes, watched a little tv and did not at any point during the entire day think about Pat Green, about the fact that sitting on a shelf in a store that I drove by not once, but twice today - sitting right there was an entire cd full of new music, some of which I have never heard. I feel sick - does brain fog cause that?

I will not crawl under a rock of shame... NO, I will not do it. There is a reasonable medical reason for this unbelievable slip of the mind. Maybe the horrible year that I had last year - maybe that swiss cheesed my brain. OR maybe the horrid year caused the neurons in my brain to only work off of negative engergy letting nothing positive - LIKE a new PAT album get through. Those all sound completely sane and rational to me - way more rational than that I spent the whole day not remembering that for the first time in OVER 2 YEARS there is a new album with the name Pat Green on it. Last time (2 years ago) I drove all the way to Oklahoma City in a tornado/thunderstorm to a radio station just to attend a pre-release party which included hearing SOME of the music and seeing a video of Pat talking about it. That was 1 album ago - there's no possible way, short of a medical anomoly that the next album would sit on a shelf for 2 days completely unnoticed by me.

I feel faint... I think I better get to bed so that I can get up early and hit the store... Surely I'll be cured tomorrow!

(could anyone tell I was also watching an episode of House LOL)

snow day

2009-01-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid growing up snow represented that rare winter holiday. Seeing those wonderful words scroll across the bottom of the tv, confirming that our school was in fact closed, gave us kids a reason to jump for joy. No school. Sleep late. And, if we were lucky there would be sleds (pulled behind a horse since we didn't really have any appropriate hills) and a snowman a snowball fight or two and maybe even a snow angel. That was the rare perfect snow day. Living in southern Oklahoma versus Colorado with it's pretty powder, we didn't get that many snow days where it actually snowed - most of the time it was simply icy muddy and generally yucky out of doors. But those days were okay too - I mean, come on...there was still no school. So we had to stay inside and play or watch tv... oh the heck well!

Back then, I may not have "loved" winter - but if it was gonna be winter, I was hoping for snow EVERYDAY!

What I don't remember from my childhood snow days is ice storms. Over the last few years there have been what seems like an ever increasing number of ice storms. No snow (certainly none of the snowman creating variety) just lots and lots of ice. Ice covering the trees, ice coving the roads, ice covering the power lines and bringing them falling to the ground, ice dripping from everything.

Of course whether it is ice or that rare (if not non-existent) actual snow day that prevents me from going to work these days I have to admit I don't wake up jumping for joy. I spend about the same amount of time outside, but instead of making snowmen, I am moving horses into or out of the barn, scooping poop, making warm horse snacks, spreading ice melt, filling and delivering hay bags and the like. Not unenjoyable activities as I love all aspects of having horses - but my poor old bones and fingers feel the cold now where as a kid, I just have no memory of the cold.

On the positive side, a girl could soooo get used to laying on the couch in her jammies with her computer in her lap and putting in her work hours.