The first butchering of Netter's hair...posted per Mom's request. .

Ok, this is what I looked like prior to the first haircut. No bangs to speak of. (happy)

This is what I looked like when my Mother did her special voodoo haircutting prep work. Chop, chop. (strange but still happy)

This is what I looked like after my Mother cut my hair and I got a look at it. Bangs. (very unhappy) Well, it was my first haircut and didn't think it would grow back...is it any wonder. Not to mention that my Mother cut my hair. That is enough to scar anyone for life.

Froogle.

I completely forgot about my Froogle list. I was goofing around on gmail and suddenly I realized I still have a wish list on Froogle. Awwww, just in time for the build up to my birthday. Everyone always askes me what I want for my birthday, you see. I never know what to tell them. Now I can say, go to my Blogger profile and click on Wishlist...ta da! Works for me. I'll be adding to it as the months tick away....but May is just around the corner. So, Mom, you can't pester me this year. Hehe!

Nap time....again....and AGAIN.

I don't know what my problem is today. I woke up at my normal time but Sam was still sleeping so I grabbed a blanket and curled up on the sofa, watching some old sailing movie in black and white. I saw the beginning, a bit of the middle and the last 5 minutes of the end. I was snoozing through the rest of it. I just couldn't stay awake and the movie was good, I wanted to see it. I had tried to crochet but I wasn't with it enough to focus on what I was trying to do. I tried to read and I had the same issue, so I vegged out in front of the tube, snoring. I finally got up and Sam had just come downstairs to have breakfast. We both got ready and I took Sam to an early piano lesson. While he was inside learning something, I napped in the van. I KNOW! I had tried to crochet again but I was so tired, my eyes were crossing. I was only able to get one round done before I decided to just close my eyes. I woke up when Sam grabbed the van door handle. I think I am just fighting something off. My ears are draining as well as my nose. I can tell that today is not going to be one of those days where I don't get a lot done. Heck, I'm thinking I should have stayed in bed, but then the laundry would pile up and the nobody would put the dishes in the dishwasher, just let them pile up and get smelly in the sink. Yeah, so I've had to force myself to get a move on. I still have not made it out of first gear....and I am seriously thinking about shifting into neutral and taking another nap. On top of all everything, I have felt like I needed to sneeze for the last half hour and it hasn't happened. Well, I'm going to flip the laundry and then see what Sam has planned for the afternoon. If he is going to be relaxing on the sofa or doing homework, I'm headed for a little nap....if he wants to do something, I'll have to see if I have to take him somewhere or even carpool if his buddies are coming over.

OMG...What did I just do!

For the love of all things hooded! You will not believe what I just did. I was about ready to cry. It is just so gross.

I love hooded sweatshirts with the kanga pockets on the front. They are super comfy and I am all about comfort when I am around the house. Anyway, here is what I did....

I was in my bathroom. I dropped a hair clip and it bounced across the tile, toward the toilet. I walked over, bent over to pick it up, not thinking much about it. That is when I noticed the ties of my hood, were dipping in the toilet bowl water. OMG! I totally freaked out. Sure I just cleaned my toilet bowl yesterday but that sucker could never be clean enough for me. Gag, gag, gag and now my hoodie ties are tainted with toilet water. I took it off as quickly as possible and put it in the washing machine but I'm not sure I will ever be able to look at that sweatshirt with the same love as before. Yes, I have toilet issues. I've dropped many things in the toilet over years, like my brush, which I threw out, and my Mom's toothbrush, which I put back where it belonged in the first place.....lol, kidding Mom, just kidding. I even dropped an earring in the toilet. I fished it out and the earring was disinfected, however I was never able to wear it again without thinking about it in the bottom of the toilet. Hey! It was an expensive earring! It just bugged me out. My hoodie may have a sad fate in front of it...sad indeed.

My First Granny Square...a work in progress.

OK, I searched for the easiest directions that I could find and I still struggled reading the stupid thing. I managed to do five rounds in an insane amount of time. Yea, it took me fore ever. I have never crocheted anything beyond a simple straight stitch. I kid you not! Anyway, I wanted to attempt being part of "The Divine Stitches of the Yarnie Sisterhood." They are making some granny squares, putting them all together in one afghan, then they will draw a name out of a hat and who ever gets pick, gets to keep the blanket. Nice huh! I'm actually kind of happy with myself. I managed to get this much done on my own. I did have some major problems but I managed to fix everything and now I just have to find out if it passes inspection. The other ladies are sooooo talented when it comes to this stuff. Mine may look like doggie poo next to theirs. I can't have that. That is why I think that I have to send it to one of them to see if it will pass quality control. I may just keep practicing and make one a blanket for my niece, Bunny Rue Rue. It would probably be done by the time she graduates from high school.

I was a red head, I was! NO, REALLY I WAS!

Once long, long ago...I was a natural red head. My color changed with the weather. Humidity made it brighter. My Mom once told me that the ladies she carpooled to work with would ask her what color my hair was that morning. If it was bright red, it was going to rain. I was a walking weather bulletin. Sadly, as the years have passed, my hair had darkened. It went from strawberry blonde, to red, to its current brownish red color. Some days it looks more red than others but that is when the light hits it just right. It's so sad...so sad indeed. Oh well, I still have pictures to remind me of what it once was. Sigh. Look at my little Sister, Tisha....she was a cute little thing. She was riding her little scooter in this picture. You know, I swear, Bunny Rue Rue is going to look just like this when she is that age. She already reminds me of her Momma but only time will tell.

Guess what I just found on TV!

Remember years ago when we were kids...there were not cartoons on Sunday mornings and afternoons. It sucked. In the evening you could catch The Wonderful World of Disney...but until then you were screwed unless you gave in and watched Davey and Goliath. It was a Church sponsored show (The Lutheran Church of America) so of course it wasn't on my list of must watch TV. It was, however, a half hours show that could not be classified as a western. WE watched a lot of westerns in those days and I must admit, at one time I knew the words to The Lone Ranger....Hi Ho Silver AWAY! I also knew some of those songs from the Roy Roger and Hop-a-long Cassidy stuff...oh and the Wagon Train theme song.
Anyway, back to Davey and Goliath. I watched it out of desperation and it wasn't such a bad show to watch...the message was good. You know, kindness, respect for others...blah, blah, blah. Somewhere along the way I really started to like it. It was that darn dog. Goliath was the bomb. The way he spoke and when he got hit on the head, his eyes spun in circles. He was the best dog ever. In today's episode, Goliath and another boy worked together to pull Davey out of the frigid water after the ice broke and he fell in. His mother had told him the ice was not thick enough and that he was not to go skating because it was to dangerous. Davey did it anyway because he wanted to try out his new skates. He ended up losing one in the water but he was alive. See, we should always listen to our parents...they know best. Whatever....lol.
I have to check next week to see if the show will be on again. I may have to tape them. I see they have put the series out on DVD...which I may have to purchase somewhere down the road. I may have to torture Bunny Rue Rue with it, plus I will watch it. I love it when Goliath...the talking dog says, "OH DAVEY!" lol....its so cute! Cousin Cindy knows what I mean...don't you?!

Breaking NEWS

Kelsie...aka Skeeter, is out of the hospital and doing much better.

Family News

Today is Zach's (my Godson/ Cousin) birthday so I called to wish him a Happy Day and I found out that his little Sister Kelsie "Skeeter" is in the hospital. She went in last night with a 104 temp and he said she was having trouble breathing. She has asthma so they really have to watch her in that department. Influenza is going around Nebraska and a lot of kids have been hospitalize because of it. Hopefully now that she is in the hospital, Skeeter will bounce back quickly. Her Uncle Andrew's fiance, Mandy is in the hospital in Omaha. She was induced today and they think she will give birth to their baby sometime tomorrow. Stay tuned for late breaking news.

I totally remember this Christmas

I have very vivid memories from a very young age. I figure it was because I was always looking for things to get into and ways to start trouble. Dennis the Menace has nothing on me. OK, well, my babysitters didn't cringe at the mention of my name. Anyway, the reason I posted these pictures is because I have a story to tell about that big doll and the dish set. Oh and hey, before I begin...my parents can NOT complain about my love for the phone. Just look at that...they bought me a play phone when I was three. Fools! They totally started my phone call obsession. Yeah, I like talking on the phone, just to people I know, not salesman.

Anyway, here is my story. When I was maybe 5 years old, my big doll and dish set were upstairs at my Grandma and Grandpa Slater's house. They had an older house, with wooden stairs that were really steep and the runners were not wide at all. Going up seemed OK, but going down was a tad bit scary. I used to sit on my butt and scoot down. However when you are 5 and not a little kid anymore, you don't want to do such a baby thing. Plus I had a whole box of dishes and a huge doll to get down the stairs without smacking her legs against the walls and stairs. I took maybe two steps with precision and grace before that went out the door. I ended up turning somersaults down the stairs, doll in tow, dish set going every which way. When I finally hit the bottom of the steps, I landed on top of the doll with great force. The tiny saucers were spinning like coins around me. I'm so shocked, that for an instant, I can't cry. Oh, it hurt like hell but nothing was coming out of my mouth. I turn and see my Grandma and my Mom sitting at the table and my Mom said, "What did you do that for?" That is when I lost it. The pain hit me....and my Mother thought I fell on purpose?! OMG. Well, as it turns out, they though I threw the dishes down the stairs and jumped down from a few steps up, landing on the doll. I must have fell down the stairs pretty fast for them to think that but it felt like a life time to me. I don't know why they thought I would do something like that, I can only imagine the stupid stuff I did on a daily basis to make them think it was a possibility.
I think that event will never leave my memory. I can still see the tea cups and saucers bouncing around me as I flip flopped down the stairs....stairs, ceiling, stairs, ceiling...in slow motion, each bounce hurting more than the one before.
Somethings never change. I'm still a total klutz.

I survived the 70's!

All this talk of yesteryear has had me thinking. How many of you had one of these in the 70's?! Yeah, its a state of the art baby play pen. Man, I bet if we still had that sucker it would be worth a mint. That sucker is an antique now. Wait until I post the pictures of me playing with empty wine bottles at my Grandparents house. Man, back then, parents were not afraid to let their kids play with large glass bottles....shoot,I'm surprised they never gave me a fork and encouraged me to stick it in a light socket.

Nobody noticed!

I changed my user icon. I got sick of the bubbles. Don't worry, it will be back but for now, I'm going old school Yep, I put one of my baby pictures on there. The sad part is I think my boobs were bigger then than the are now. LOL, no, no, I'm just kidding. Aww, the days of cloth diapers and those plastic pants they stuck over them. Just get a good look at that death trap of a walker that I was in. That sucker was state of the art in 1970. LOL, I just crack up every time I look at this picture. I think I need to change my site background now.

WHAT! No it doesn't!

So one of my few single friends called me and totally bummed me out. She hates Valentine's Day when she isn't with someone. She spent 10 minutes moaning and bitching about how its a terrible holiday and that it makes her depressed because all of her married or taken friends got to do fun/ romantic stuff with their significant others. Well, I hated to do it, but someone had to tell her to snap out of it. Valentine's Day is not just a day for lovers...I told her....its a day for love, a day for you to do what we don't always do. It's a day to wish everyone we care about a wonderful day and to tell people that we love them. Some people don't do that enough. I said, its not a day for you to sit around feeling sorry for yourself. Its a day where you get to tell your parents, your siblings, your nieces or nephews, your best friends, your children, your pets.....that they are special and that you care about them. I mean really! She is one of those people that would have called me to gloat if she was with someone for Valentine's Day. She's done it before. This year she is alone and she is ragging about it to me, of all people. I think she thought I would join in on her glum fest...but I embrace a different train of thought than she does. I said, I love you kiddo but you need to get a grip. A boyfriend doesn't make you complete, they don't make the world a perfect place. You have to stop getting angry over holidays you spend alone and over weddings that aren't yours. Find the beauty in the world and it will be a happier place for you to experience.

Is it just me or is Valentine's Day not a selfish holiday, its a holiday to be shared. Who cares if your neighbor got a diamond heart necklace and you didn't. Who cares if your roommate got more cards than you did. Who cares if it seems like everyone you know is having a romantic dinner tonight. You have to make the most of your Valentine's Day. Life is to short to sit around eating sour grapes by yourself when their are sweet grapes to be shared...so to speak.

We've got ICE, People....anyone want to trade?

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

I need a treat.

I can't have any popcorn until my birthday so I think I should get a little treat. I'm going to get a manicure in a couple of weeks. Then every week after that, if I keep my HBP in check and stick to my plan, I can get my nails done. That is my plan. I just love getting manicures and pedicures. It's so relaxing and I like it when my nails are all shiny and pretty. Maybe I should treat myself to a pedicure for every 5 pounds that I drop. Hmmmm. This might be a good incentive for me.

I told him I have the same issue.

I can never find the end of the yarn. When I do find it easily it always foreshadows a problem. Yeah, knotting. For some reason, the yarn gets all knotted and I end up with a friggin' mess.

You know, that buck is a hunters dream. Nice rack and easy to spot, thanks to the purple disaster on his head. The poor guy must take a lot of teasing over that disaster. On the up side, the top of his head will stay warm and he is shaded from the UV rays.

Sigh.....

I'm hungry.
I want some microwave popcorn.
I can't have any.
It's salty.

Sigh

Maybe I should knit.
Maybe it will take my mind off of my popcorn craving.
Yeah, I don't think its going to work.

Sigh

Maybe I should read one of the books I have piled in my bedroom.
I have not read a book since Christmas.
Heck, I didn't even finish that book.
It's sitting by my bed with a bookmark in it.

Sigh

I should go out and get a little fresh air.
It's cold outside.
Forget it.

Sigh

I'm bored.
Maybe I should go write out my Valentine's.
Yeah, you can't eat popcorn why you write out Valentine's.
You would get the paper all buttery and stuff.

I'll be back later.
Sigh....that won't last all day.

I always heard that Motherhood would drive you bonkers, but isn't it a little early for that? LOL...what an attractive picture. Hehe, it really captures my Sisters looney side. I love it and will probably catch hell for posting it. It's SOOOO worth it. Oh, so worth it! Rue was so tiny in this picture. Was it really taken a month and a half ago?!

Nothin' But Nett

ME: My life is a situational comedy.

FRIEND: No it isn't.

ME: Sure it is

FRIEND: Dork, your life is not on TV or Radio.

ME: Dork! DORK! Listen Dip-shit, my life is so a situational comedy!

FRIEND: (laughing) Oh right, and exactly how did you come to that conclusion?

ME: WORD NET defines Situational Comedy as such...a humorous drama based on situations that might arise in day-to-day life.

FRIEND: Your life is not a drama.

ME: I beg to differ!

FRIEND: OK, sometimes there is a lot of drama in your life. You must have swallowed a drama magnet as a kid. However, I would like to point out that your issues are not on Television or Radio.

ME: Nope, I'm just cursed, no magnet....and sure I may not be on TV or the radio, but I BLOG.
Ah ha! Point made.

FRIEND: OK FINE, but you're still a Dork!

ME: (laughing) People keep telling me that but I just don't see it...

Wait a minute! Where did I put those segments?

Yeah, its scary but I loose stuff all the time. Stuff I just had. I JUST HAD IT! I have not left the room. How in the hell could I have lost something when I wasn't out of a three foot by three foot area since I last had it? Will someone please explain that to me.

I think some items just need to be lost for a little while. It's just something in their make-up that calls for a game of hide and seek. For example.... scissors. Of course, I'm usually sitting on them or they are tucked under the edge of the sofa or in the cushions or under a magazine. I have a cute little pair of scissors that I have thought about putting ribbon through and hanging them around my neck but with my luck I will forget I have them on and trip down the stairs and be stabbed with my new adornment. Next on the list is the pair of socks I took out of the drawer to wear with my outfit. For some reason I never put them on right away, probably because I like my feet to really dry out after a shower. Even after towel drying them, they still feel moist and moist feet remind me of hot feet and I don't do hot feet. Anyway, I will carry them around with me for a little bit, getting my ducks in a row for the day and suddenly its time to put on the socks....but where the hell are they?! I retrace my steps 3 times before I finally find them. Then we have cell phones. First you about kill yourself trying to find it as it is ringing in your purse. It's never where you put it and you just know it will be one of your freak friends calling, the ones that never leave messages. Why is that! The voice mail already picked up...leave a message for goodness sake! I think they do it to drive me nuts. Anyway, I had had several calls on my cell before I left the house last Sunday. I remember picking up the phone to put in my purse so I wouldn't for get it. I know I was side tracked by other things but it really wasn't such a big deal. Anyway, later I am at the Movies with a friend. The previews come on and the theater darkens and I suddenly realize I need to shut off the cell phone. I start digging in my purse in the dark but I'm sure its not in there. I figure I left it at home. I made it through the whole movie and as I am putting my coat on I feel something in the front pocket of my sweat shirt. You know the hoodie kind with the kangaroo pocket on the front where you put your hands in the two side slits and you can hold your own hands....well anyway, there was my cell phone, STILL turned on. Now if that sucker had gone off in the theatre during the movie...#1 it would have scared the crap out of me. I have it set on music (very loud) and vibrate and it would have been quite a shock. #2 I would have been so embarrassed and pissed at myself because I hate it when other people don't turn off their phones. So Annoying!

Sure part of the time my problem is I am multi tasking and have 10 things going through my head at one time. What about the other times when I am a task master and I'm not distracted?! Huh, Huh...what about then?! Brain fart perhaps? I think sometimes its just like Men's fridge blindness. You know, where they stand there for 10 minutes asking if you have certain things in the fridge because they are blinding by the cold air and bright light from the fridge light bulb. You tell them, over and over, that what they are looking for is in there and still they can't see it. So you stop what you are doing, walk in there and pull it out of the front row, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of his hat. I swear if you taped a Hundred Dollar bill in there, they would find it in .oo1 seconds flat.

Anyway, I have to go search for a lost sock in the laundry. I know I put it in the washer and in the dryer...but now that I have folded everything I am short one of them. Who knows, maybe it had static build up and its on my butt. I better double check before I go the dry cleaners and the grocery store.

I'd rather be a Sea Cow

I told you it was cold. Well, its warming up now but the temp will still be under freezing today...but just barely. I was out back yesterday because I remembered how much I enjoyed the ice rings around the pilings the last time the bay started to freeze up. Only that time I could easily step on the ice and walk around with great caution. It's a salt water bay, after all and the water moves up and down with the tides. Yeah, well that means that the ice cracks so its not completely secure.
I'm not a total idiot. I wouldn't even think about stepping on this ice but a few years ago it was really super thick so at LOW tide I stepped off the dock to see if the ice would hold me. At that time the water under the ice was less than a foot deep and I didn't venture more than a few feet from the dock. I wasn't keen on the idea of standing in ice water I could never be a polar bear. Maybe a gentle Manatee of Florida....they like warm water in the winter and like to swim in to a river in North West Florida. Yep, I have been watching Animal shows again.

It could have been worse....

I thought I would try something new. It took me several times followed by several frogging moments to get the first section to turn out . I was annoyed but I didn't give up. I was like The Little Engine That Could knit. I think I can, I think I can.
Then I kept going. There were times I really had to think about what I was doing and because you have to count and I don't like counting...lol. No, actually it was just because it was the first time I did a pattern like this and I had to keep in mind where I was.
So I was zooming right along and it started to get easier. I was really enjoying it. I stopped to admire what I had done and then I saw it.
The normal sections are supposed to look like this.
Yep and this is what I ended up with. I don't wanna frog again. Shoot! But I will...AGAIN. Hopefully I can get it on the needles after I get past the goof. I'm just glad I saw it now and not 12 inches later.

I have hit my b-spot today.

FACT: There is nothing to do around this house except things that I don't want to do. I don't want to empty the dishwasher and reload it. I don't wanna do any laundry. I don't wanna get the mail, its cold out there. I don't want to figure out what we are having for dinner. I don't want to bleach every surface of the house because Nancy was home with a tummy bug again yesterday. (but I really need to... its my only chance to avoid thier germs) I don't wanna blog about anything fun because I can't think of anything worth writting about. I don't wanna go out and bring the garbage can and recycling bin back into the garage...HEY, its cold outside. I don't wanna get my tax stuff in order. I don't wanna put my sewing machine away, I'll just need it in a month or so. I don't wanna spend any time in the basement...its cold down there too. I don't wanna put on a third pair of socks but my feet are reallly cold. I don't want to fold up the blankets that are laying all over the living room, basically because I didn't use them and even if I do straighten up, they will make a mess again tonight. I don't wanna go to the grocery store for rice cakes and juice....its cold out there and its not like we really can't live a day without that stuff. On the other hand, I don't wanna sit around watching TV, afterall, there is only so much Dr Phil you can watch before you lose it. I guess I will go knit or shave my legs or something.

I think the cold air is getting to me.

I've been in a very strange mood all day. I must be feeling good. I can't really explain it but I have had prior experience with this. Yep, I'm in one of those "lets cause some trouble and make people talk" moods. I know, I seem so sweet and innocent. Well, I'm not all the time. I have my hidden ornery streaks. Just ask my relatives about it. After all, they are often the easiest targets.

I don't know what I'm going to do yet. I'm to far away to play a decent practical joke but I can plan ahead. Hehe.

Oh so many options...
Oh so many possible victims...
Oh so much time to plan...

Life is good people, life is good!

Brrrrrrr!

It's pretty chilly out tonight. I have not been outside but I can still tell. How? Because its freezing in the basement. I turned up the heat but you can still feel the difference when you walk down the stairs. The heat is on, the baseboards are really hot, it just isn't making much of a difference yet. I have two pairs of socks on. Yeah! I usually have hot feet and I'm always taking socks off, not putting more on. Well, I guess winter has finally arrived. Now I can start looking forward to Spring. Ahhh, warmer weather, flowers coming up, trees budding out....oh crap, that means my nose will be running and my eyes will be watering. Oh well, at least it will be warmer.

Tami's Bunny Rue Rue picture.

Awww, Tami sent me the pictures of my Bunny and they are cute. I swear, she looks more like her Mommy everyday. I see a lot of Tisha in that little face. Her hair is getting lighter too. I might have to go home for Easter but I was planning on a longer trip this summer. I just don't know if I can keep away from that baby.

As I type...

My friend Tami, is visiting my Sister and my Niece, Bunny Rue Rue.

The torture!

I expect photos.

Sheesh!

I admit it!

Fine, Fine, I admit that I am one of those nutty adults that like the Harry Potter Series. I can't help it. Years ago, Katie told me that I HAD to read the Harry Potter book. Yeah the first one, The Sourcers Stone. I picked it up several times but couldn't get past the first couple of chapters. I guess the third book was out when I finally broke down and pushed through the third chapter and suddenly I was hooked. The last few books I bought ASAP and burned through them in no time flat. I'm not ashamed to admit that I plan on doing the same thing for ook number seven. So, you know where I will be on July 21. Yep, I'll be reading that book. I have to do it before people start spilling the ending.

Bunny Rue Rue Smiles

The torture I put up with. I have to beg for new pictures of ny niece. Is that fair? I mean really?! Anyway, little Rue has been putting on a smile for all the goofballs at home. She reminds me of my Sister a little more each day.