Yes, I guess it is true...

The other night at dinner, Sam's friend Eric said to me,"Annette, you have a lot of friends." I must have given him a strange look because Sam quickly piped in, "Yes, that is true, you really do have a lot of friends." I never really thought about it...but they are right. I have a lot of friends but the most exciting part is that I have a fairly large inner circle of friends. You know, the kind of circle that only the chosen few are privy to. They are the people that you feel completely at ease with. They are the people that you would trust with your life. They are the people that really know what kind of person you are, deep down, and they still love you dispite your faults. In that respect, I am extremely blessed.

Ewww! Don't try this at home. I do not recommend licking squirrels, but then again, you all know how I feel about squirrels.

I now have proof...

Yes, My Mother is an evil woman. I can totally prove it now. She sent me an email to let me know that she mailed me a package. That isn't the evil part, the evil part is that it contains my birthday present and I can't open it yet. MY FRIGGIN BIRTHDAY IS MAY 7th! How the hell am I supposed to wait that long to open the present?! She's nuts! Two weeks, perhaps I could handle....two months, that is just insane!

In honor...

This one is for that certain Canadian that has one of the dirtiest minds I have ever had the honor of being subjected to. The bad thing is that he puts thoughts in your head....naughty, naughty thoughts. LOL, as for the ride, I guess I will have to take his word for it.

American Idol....my take on Mens night.

Why do I watch this crap? Cause I friggin love music, man! Sad but true. So, I completely forgot about last nights show with the ladies singing so I can't comment on that. I did however watch tonight's show. Here is my top three list of the guys. I love Taylor Hicks....just love him. I have from the very first time I heard him sing. Then I really enjoyed Elliot Yamin....another one that I liked from the beginning. Then I like Chris Daughtry...another one that I have enjoyed from the beginning. Sure Ace is friggin hot....and he did a good job tonight...but I didn't like all his other performances. So there you go. That is my opinion....and if you don't agree, who cares. Toodles!

Are those stripes?

Sam has a bad case of jet lag. He fell asleep on the sofa and when he flipped directions he was left with a lovely striped face due to the pillow he snuggled up to. He was so out of it that I doubt he even knew I was taking pictures of his poor little face. There is nothing worse than waking up with a pattern on your face....I take that back, I can think of a few things. 

How I spent my day off.

Yes, I could have goofed off. I could have gone into the City. I could have read a book all day. Nope, not in the stars...I painted and organized the foyer closet instead. I couldn't stand it anymore. It was painted dark grey...DARK GREY, ceiling and all. It was terrible. As a result, it was so dark in there that you couldn't see anything. Now it glows....FINALLY! For the last four years I have been complaining about that closet. The white and blue matches the bathroom on the opposite side of the foyer. Hey, I had lots of leftover paint, so why not use a little of it up instead of letting it sit around. My next project will be the computer/weight room. I would have done it this time but I decided I need help moving the furniture.

Redneck Wednesday

A Redneck cat carrier.

Strange stuff is in the air....

My site isn't loading all the way. All that shows up is one and a half posts. So strange. Everything is still listed in my edit section of my posting page so I know it didn't get deleted. This is starting to piss me off.

Visits from friends...

I had a lovely weekend. Raine and Christopher came out for a visit on Friday night. We had supper at the Cheesecake factory...yummy...then went home and played a cut throat round of CLUE. Raine won, I was heading for that room and she went back into it before I could move 4 more spaces. Christopher says he was headed to the room to solve it also but when he showed us his card after the fact, it showed that he had the wrong room marked...lol, and he tried to say he just did that incase one of us saw his card. Uh huh...rrrrightttt! We hit the sack late and we were up by 7:30. Raine heard the neighbors dog, Lola and she ran outside to spoil her with love. The other dog came to visit...but Marley is insane. After the pet fest Raine and Chris went out on the dock to feed some geese, ducks and seagulls. I cooked a breakfast of "the worlds best waffles", Nebraska bacon, and freshly squeezed orange juice while Chris watched TV and Raine snuck off and made the bed. She is a great house guest. It was yummy but we were stuffed. Chris watched a little more TV, Raine took a little cat nap and I did some stuff around the house before we all went to our assigned showers before heading out to BJ's and the mall and then they left me for a ride back into NYC with another friend. We really had a great time. We only lost Christopher once but the finger pointing stopped once I said to blame me. lol.
I love it when I see those two. They are so much fun and wonderful friends. I know how much they hate riding the LIRR out to Long Island, but I paid my friendship dues for the next two years so they have to make the trip once in a great while...its in the contract. They have done it twice so far this year....not a bad start, huh. It's my turn next. More on that Tues night or Wed morning.

Sad news....

I received some sad news today. I think the email contained one of the sweetest eulogies for a pet I have ever read. I decided to share it with you. I will miss him too.:Elvis Russell
1997-2006

Elvis left us last night, 2/18/2006. Our lives were richer for having known him, and now seem smaller in his absence.

Elvis was born in August, 1997 and joined our family in October, 1997. He was the runt of the litter, but absolutely the sweetest little puppy you could imagine. Tami and I fell in love with him at first sight...there were several of his litter-mates to choose from, but there was never any real question who we would be adopting. On the ride home, cradling her new baby, Tami gave him the name Elvis. I, of course, thought the name was perfect.

While Tami and I were elated with the newest addition to our family, Elvis' older brothers (Fuzzball, Spot, and Moo Kitty) were less than thrilled. Over the first few weeks at his new home Elvis was made aware of the pecking order among the "kids". As time went on he was begrudgingly accepted by the cats and eventually considered a friend, playmate, and brother to them. On numerous occasions over the years the cats (especially Fuzzball) would try to get Elvis in trouble by running, as if terrorized, through the house with Elvis making chase. It was only when they thought nobody was paying attention that the cats would reverse course and chase Elvis through the house. I can't even begin to count the times I'd see a huge pile of cat and dog sleeping together in a corner somewhere.

With his sweet and gentle nature Elvis never met a person he didn't like. There was, however, one incident when his feelings of joyful delight were not returned by his new playmate. Tami and I had ordered a pizza for delivery and when the driver showed up at our door Elvis naturally accompanied me to say hello. With his big goofy grin (and his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth) Elvis looked up at his new friend and gave a short howl of welcome. The delivery driver, obviously not in the mood to play with an 80 pound dog, turned tail and ran as fast as he could. Elvis took this as a sign that he was supposed to chase the poor driver and proceeded to literally knock me over as he bounded out the door after his new friend. With my encouraging yell of, "Don't run, stupid!" to the driver they were off. Across the street the driver ran with Elvis in hot pursuit. Through the neighbor's yard he fled as Elvis gained ground. Over the neighbor's bushes the driver jumped as Elvis stopped to ponder just what this new playmate was up to. CRASH! Right into the neighbor's glass door ran the driver as Elvis (and my neighbors who were sitting on their front porch at the time) looked at him like he just might be crazy. Fortunately for Elvis no charges were filed and this incident never appeared on his record.

I would be remiss if I claimed that Elvis' record was spotless. As a puppy Elvis decided one day that, as fascinating as his yard was, there might be something interesting to see on the other side of the fence. He left his chain, collar, and identification tags by the tree in the yard and absconded through a small opening in the fence to seek his fortune. Unaccustomed to life on the streets Elvis turned to a life of petty crime and small confidence scams. His trustworthy nature, however, would be his undoing. As he approached a friendly looking man on a street corner he unwittingly fell into an SPCA sting operation. He was arrested, pawprinted, and charged with several offences. I was forced to bail him out of jail but I was able to convince the officials to drop the charges as he was a minor and had never been in trouble with the law before. OK, to be honest he got out, made it to the street, jumped in a stranger's car, and was immediately driven to the animal shelter. I think my version of events is more interesting, though.

On November 1, 1999 Elvis became a big brother to our new baby boy Hayden. Elvis loved him immediately, and over the course of the next 6 years and 2 more babies the most common phrase in our house was, "ELVIS! Don't lick the baby!". He never kept his tongue in his mouth for long. After a while I think we just said it because it seemed the right thing to do. It might have seemed icky to the babies, but at least we didn't have to wash them as often.

Elvis truly loved the children. He was a good and loyal friend and companion to them and to us. He is irreplaceable. As time goes on we will learn to love other puppies, other dogs. We will have other loyal companions, to be sure. But we will never have another Elvis. There is a hole in our hearts that will never be filled. In time they will heal but they will never be completely whole again. Those holes are where Elvis lived.

We miss our friend. We love you, Elvis.

John, Tami, Hayden, Meredith, and Stephanie

Keep it up, see where it gets you!

I will find out who you are. Oh, and you will pay. Mark my words, smart ass! 

Well, today really bites...and it just started

I slept like crap last night, probably due to being upset by something I heard that I have no control over and I don't even know if it is true....lovely. I got up early to take the trash out and could not find the recycling bin. I finally figured out that it was inside one of the garbage cans so I emptied out the bags, took out the bin only to discover that someone had had an iced moca drink from Dunken Donuts and put it in the bin half full...so when I pulled the bin out, the drink leaked all over my foot. NICE. Today better get better pretty darn fast or I'm going to end up nailing someones ass to the wall before its all said and done. I'm going to start with the person mailing me the clown feet. YEAH, YOU!

Think your funny, huh.

Ok, who is sending me the pictures of clown shoes?! Stop it, you are totally freaking me out. Control yourself for goodness sake, because when I prove its you....you're going to be added to my list. Trust me, you don't want to be on that list.

Redneck Wednesday....

Redneck Barbie...coming to a Wal-Mart near you.

Happy Birthday to my Godson, Zachary!

Wow

Things are a little crazy at the Bartels house today. Alek was in the hospital after being sick over the weekend. He was dehydrated, poor kid, so while Scott stayed with him at the hospital, Michelle was home with Brandon and his 104 temp. Plust today was Kelleys birthday. Yep, they have their hands full. Put them in your prayers.

Katies away message....I'm not suprised by it.

katies1sexymofo [5:52 PM]: Auto-reply: "Roses are red. Forests have trees. Your gyno just called. You have 12 STDs." - Dan Dalton... by far the best Valentine rhyme everrrr

To the Girl with the Valentine's Day Birthday!

Happy Birthday

to you,

Happy Birthday

to you,

Happy Sweet

Sixteenth Birthday

to KELLEY,

Happy Birthday,

to you!

...and a pinch to grow on!

S.W.A.K.

Happy
Valentine's
Day!!!

I got it, I GOT IT....

Don't worry honey, I'll put this out. No need to call the fire department. I've got it under control. Why don't you ever trust my judgement?! 

What ever you do...

DO NOT LET MY BROTHER-IN-LAW SEE THIS PICTURE! The bears are gone...we don't need him decided that tigers are a better idea. Heck, he already has the stock tank...he'd only need the big cats to fill it up. 

Goodbye Cityman!

Our dear adopted, Cousin Kip, has been forced to give up his blogging for a while. We are going to miss you dear friend. Best Wishes! Take Care!

You call that a Blizzard!

Pathetic, just pathetic....what a joke. I'm glad I didn't stay home last night. I would have been soooo pissed if I had stayed home because of the "blizzard" and it had turned out to be a pathetic dud. See, now I am happy. Life is good!

Will my plan work?

It is currently snowing. They said on the radio that we are in blizzard conditions. I don't know, I just got home and seriously, its not that bad out. Maybe if the wind picks up a little more and the snow gets a little heavier....then maybe. The prediction is for 10 to 15 inches of snow. I have been going around declaring that we are only getting 3 inches in the hope that my ploy backfires and we really do get a sizable amount. It should work, in the past when I get excited about getting a lot of snow we get diddle squat. Ok, I know everyone that heard me bitch about snow last year thinks I have lost my mind. Well, it is the first substantial snow of the season, so yeah, ofcourse I an excited. One or two more snow storms and I will be back to cursing the flakes.

It's that time of year....

It's snowing at home. Yep, good old Southeast Nebraska is getting a little of the white stuff. Rumor has it they have closed some of the interstate because snow. We are supposed to get some snow, here on Long Island, tonight. I read the weather bulletin and it said that we are supposed have blizzard conditions. Hmmm, I guess we will see. Every once and a while it actually happens but usually we get a piddle, atleast by Nebraska standards. All I have to say is that I am not scooping the driveway this time. Nope, I'm staying inside and relaxing with a cup of hot chocolate and a new book. Everyone else can freeze their buns off out there. I did most of it the last four years. I'm boycotting this weather front! Maybe I will go sledding. I have ski pants, I should really use them.

I want it and I want it NOW!

Feast your eyes on this Magnificent heart shaped diamond set in platinum with micro-paved diamonds...shown at $24,995. I know, that is a sick amount to spend on anything so frivolous. I wouldn't....well, if I won the mega million lottery I would. How depressing. I'm just a sucker for a heart shaped anything...but a heart shaped ring....well, it makes my heart pitter-patter.

If I were a mouse....

OK, OK, its true, I can't sleep. I think I actually slept for about 3 1/2 hours before I had a bad dream about a friggin clown and I could not go back to sleep. I've been dreaming a lot lately. Luckily they are not all scary dreams, most of them are just strange. The clown dream was just freakin' scary. That's it! I don't want to talk about it...its just wigging me out again. Stupid damn clowns!

What the!

Ok, honestly I have these stupid candy hearts but not because I think they are ugly, but because the taste like Pepto-Bismol. Oh yeah, they are a nasty waste of sugar. But what is with the sayings on them? Is it just me or have they gotten more pathetic as they years have progressed. NECCO makes the hearts and many of the sayings have been in circulation since 1902. The classics consist of KISS ME, SWEET TALK, BE MINE and sometimes a motto is discontinued for a while and later re-introduced, but others are gone for good, like the funk, DIG ME or the jolly, ARE YOU GAY. I'm not kidding about that last one, they really had one that said that, you know, back when it just meant happy or jolly.
This is kind of interesting though, they have to produce 100,000 candy hearts a day to meet the Valentine season demand, when about 8 billion are sold in about six weeks.
The list of new sayings for 2006 are : TO, AND, ILU, HOME SOON,SWEET HOME, HOUSE PARTY,GO HOME, HOME SICK, CALL HOME, HOME RUN.

If these don't do it for you you can order your own sayings but you have to pay for a full production run of 1.7 million hearts per saying. They say they should stay fresh for 5 years so you would have plenty of time to eat them up. I think its cheaper to use the candy heart maker link I have posted above. Click on the pink subject header to see your own sayings on the hearts.

Yummy, Bacon! Ok, I'll admit it. I love bacon. I do. I don't eat it very often because all that fat can't be good for a person but its so good. The smell alone could drive me crazy if I wasn't allowed to eat any. I'll take bacon with my eggs and toast over sausage any day. I don't like it cooked as well done as my Mom does though. She likes hers super duper crunchy. I like mine with a little crunch but a little flopsy, not stiff as a board. Yes, I agree that Bacon is Nature's other Candy. Yummy!

Poor Cindy, had to have a wisdom tooth removed. She's in a little discomfort right now and her face is a bit swollen because the dentist had to dig the roots our to the bone. I had all my wisdom teeth pulled years ago. Two at a time. The right side was a piece of cake but if I had had the left side done first I'm not sure I would have gone back so easily, to have the other side done. My left side widom teeth had corkscrew roots. I had earphones on and was listening to music but I could still hear the tooth cracking from the twisting the doc had to do. There was a lot of pressure but no pain. I didn't feel so well later though. Poor, poor Cindy. Blame your Dad for passing on those big old elephant teeth of his. Genetics are a bitch sometimes.

Tami aka Mrs Texas, had a post about the moon a few weeks ago. It made me think about how much I love the moon. I really do, I should marry it...HA, smart ass, I beat you to that one. Seriously, when I was a little girl, many moons ago....sorry, I had to....I used to think that the moon followed me around at night. No, I wasn't stupid. Don't you remember how the moon used to appear to follow you as your parents drove the car at night. It just kind of stuck with you. Sure, if you turned it would switch the side of the car it was on but it would still be there and it appeared to ride along with you. Mr Moon was kind of like an uninvited guest that just decided to tag along. OK, fine! The secret is out...I was always a strange child...and just by looking at the crap I post on this site you can tell two things: 1) I'm still a big kid at heart, only with a slightly dirtier mind. 2) I'm still strange and yet I'm not so strange that people want to lock me up for the good of the community. I'm a harmless strange. Yeah, that's OK, you just sit back and laugh at me....its OK, because during the next full moon, I'm going to have a nice laugh with Mister Moon about your goofy ass. I know stuff...oh yeah I do...so there! I think I need to go to bed. I'm getting a little loopy.

Tamora Sue!
How the hell is Elvis doing?

I need to know...you never answer me on you site.

If the income isn't legal, it doesn't count,right?

lol..Wait, I've heard that before...

What a strange dream

I dreamt that I was at some shop and I was getting my nipples pierced. Yes, that is strange, because I have never, never ever, thought of getting one nipple pierced, let alone both of them. There were several piecers in the room. I guess they were discussing which needles and clamps to use. There was great debate. The goofy looking guy asked me what I was going to hang on the rings? I said I had not thought about it and asked what my options were. He said, "Well, my wife uses hers to hang up the bananas so they don't rot as fast." I said, I liked rotten bananas because they made the best banana bread. Then the girl asked me if I wanted them vertical or horizontal. I looked through books and the guys showed me their piercings and I decided that the horizontal ones would suit me better. Then they used some kind of blue alcohol to clean my nipple and a rather sizable area around them. Then they clipped these huge clamps on me and said that they had to leave them on for 15 minutes before they could pierce me. OK, fine. Then they pointed to a two-way mirror and said that it was required by the state for members of the better business bureau and the heath department to view the procedure and I had to sign a paper saying that I understood that. After I signed it, They took out a device that looked like a mini-jackhammer and put a huge needle in the end and they told me to sit up straight and not to move, that it wouldn't hurt much. After a long, loud noise, they said, "There you go...all done. Uh, we will give you $5.00 off because the right one is a little crooked." That is when I woke up. Soooo strange. For the record, I'm never getting my nipples pierced. Atleast not by those goofballs. Strange, strange, strange.

Polly wanna Kitty?

Yes, oh yes, bite my nose little birdie. I've got your scent now and when you least expect it, it will be Mr Whiskers doing the biting. MeHahahhahahow! So enjoy your birdseed tonight, my little feathered friend, for tomorrow you will be my dinner! 

Please! It's so sad, it makes me sick...

In my mind, religion is supposed to fuel the good in man. It is supposed to help us live our lives as more tolerant beings, more loving, more forgiving. Isn't the point of religion to make us better people? How many times have you met people that assume that people are good kind people because they are in Church every Sunday, without fail? But if you seriously think about it, just showing up doesn't earn you a one of God's golden tickets. He grades you on your conduct, not only in church but outside of its walls the other 6 days of the week. Plus, I think God is far more forgiving of our sins than we are of each others.
I was raised believing its not our place to judge other people, that is God's job. All we can do is live our lives in the best possible way we know how. That means taking those morals and values that were instilled in us and putting them to work. In this great country it also means being tolerant of others beliefs because after all, this country was founded on religious freedom for ALL. Perhaps that is why I get so upset when I hear about people of faith, causing pain to others. There is to much hate in this world, to much misunderstanding, to much intolerance. Instead of reaching out in kindness and trying to make a difference in the world, people show up at funerals of veterans and protest (read the Header link to see what I am talking about) at a time of great sadness for the soldiers family and friends. It makes me sick.
You know, its kind of like this whole mess with the Muslims, burning the Danish Embassy over the comic book showing an image of Mohammad. I can understand their reasons for being upset. I just don't understand how that leads to setting buildings on fire and killing people. You can't tell me that all the Danish people had a roll in publishing that book. It's generalizing. You know, the Amish do not believe in pictures of God, and that is also the reason they do not allow pictures of themselves to be taken, because man is in the image of God. You don't see them kicking some tourists ass every time they snap a picture of them or setting fire to their cars.
I can only hope that when my life comes to an end, I'm standing in line and this is what I hear from the man in front of us, telling us where to go:
"Let's see, I see you burnt down the Danish Embassy and took part in the planning of a suicide bombing that killed 7 people.....please step to the down elevator. NEXT....OK, you protested at funerals and hated people in the name of the all mighty, step to the down elevator.....NEXT,....you rarely attended church services but have shown great faith and I see you befriended all of Gods children.....we've been waiting for you, step right through the pearly gates, you will find your loved ones waiting for you. NEXT!...."

I mean really!

Michelle has us pegged, no doubt about it!

Michelle sent me this card...she likes to send me cards where "we" are spunky old ladies. It works for me because that is what we are going to be. Let's face it, we are young at heart and when we are together we have fun, even if we never leave the house, we just sit and giggle the night away like school girls. lol, ofcourse she knew that I would be the one saying, "Don't say it if you don't mean it!" Even though I can't picture Michelle flashing a car full of guys....more like she would want to be flashed by them. Right, Michelle?!

Thanks for the card Michelle, you always put a smile on my face and warm my heart with your chicken scratch. You always have such great timing too. Thank you for everything you do!

I'm a woman in need...

...in need of a good time. Not that kind of good time, jeesh...well, on second thought, that would be alright too. lol. I have a lot of restless energy right now. I need to play a prank or something. Maybe I just need a really good laugh. I don't know. I just want to hang out with some silly, dirty minded freaks for a few hours to get this out of my system so I can go back to my sweet normal self. Stop laughing! I am too...I am sweet and I fit my definition of normal, but you sure don't.

Gumball Machines.....

I have a small gumball machine collection. My Dad is now displaying them in his den...aka the dungeon. What is it about these stupid machines that will send kids in to convolutions if they are not allowed to put a nickel, dime or quarter into it, turn the dial and get a hand full of crappy candy? As a kid, you would run to the machines when you entered the Grocery store, or the gas station, you would eye it with anticipation. Could you really behave well enough during that visit to receive a coin for your farewell? MAN, that meant you couldn't beg for all those sugary treats and cereals, you couldn't touch every box, bottle and can in the store. You had to stay out of the way so the little old ladies didn't get annoyed that you were blocking their way down the aisle. That was a lot to ask.
I was a fan of the bouncy balls. Back when I was a kid they were ten cents. If you were lucky, you could get a bouncy ball...but you would still turn all the cranks on the candy machines, you would lift the flaps to see if you got lucky and someone had missed a gumball. Usually you would just find peanut....blah, who wanted that. If you were lucky you would have gotten the bouncy ball with the swirled colors or better yet the clear ball with the glitter inside it. MAN, that was the bomb!
The pathetic thing is that I still get excited when I walk into a store and see those machines. I have to scan them to see if there is anything worth wasting a quarter on. Usually there isn't.
You will be happy to know, that after 35 years, I have finally given up on getting the ring out of the machine. I always get something stupid instead, like tattoos.