Fly By The Seat of Your Pants

Let's do some catching up. I have been busy in the evenings and haven't taken the time to post anything. I would apologize, but it will probably happen again.

Saturday evening, Tim and I went fishing for a little while on the White River at Elnora. We didn't have much luck (which means very few bites), but just as we were getting ready to pack it up, I caught a nice sized Channel Catfish. It's always a good night when you don't go home empty-handed.

Not a clear picture, but we left the camera in the truck, so I had to use my phone

On our way back to the boat ramp, one of those jumping Asian Carp came flying out of the water! They jump as a defensive mechanism against the sound and vibration of the boat motor. That thing just about took my head off! It landed in the back of the boat, so we cut it up for bait. It's never been easier to catch a fish. I didn't even have to cast a line. We came home from the river and Tim fried up some catfish (not the one we caught earlier -- we put him back so he could grow), then we hit the sack. Saturdays just don't get much better than that.

It knocked itself stupid on Tim's Rod Holders then died in the back of the boat

 Tim and the Jumping Carp -- Sounds like the title of a good fishing book

Sunday, Tim and I had a slow start (meaning we slept in), but we went out on the river again to try to catch a couple more fish. No such luck. We spent about 3 hours out there on the water, but the only thing we got were some nice sunburns, and I took some more pictures. It was still fun though. I will take a day of fishing over just about anything else. After we made it back home, we went to Mom's to pick up Dixie (Thanks for babysitting Momma) then came home for showers and a power nap. Tim and I went to Grandma Ruth's and Grandpa Marvin's for some supper with Mom and Dad and my cousin Paul, who was down visiting for the day. We stayed to chat for quite some time, but eventually, Tim and I made it home. We spent the rest of the evening watching a movie (No Strings Attached -- Very good!) then went to bed. I had a very good weekend with Tim, to say the least.

 The dragonfly on the back of the boat was very pretty

Tim's Rod Rack and Holders -- He made them himself! 

Master of The Water -- The turkey feather I found at the boat ramp is a nice touch 

Our view heading upriver 

Why is it that I always look terrible when I have been fishing? I can seriously never get a decent picture -- I find it very depressing

Monday was a very typical Monday. The most exciting thing that happened was that we had our water softener installed Monday morning. WE DON'T HAVE RUSTY WATER ANYMORE!! I couldn't be happier! I love being able to do laundry at OUR house. It's such a hassel to do laundry at Mom's, but "Thank You Momma" for letting us do our laundry at your house for the last year and a half. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Monday night, I went to volleyball open gym, but I did more coaching and less playing, which is fine, but not much of a workout. Once I made it home finally and got a shower, I washed the first ever "successful" load of laundry at our house. I guess that it wasn't totally successful, because the dryer and the air conditioner are evidently on the same electric circuit and I kept blowing the breaker without realizing it. My clothes didn't get dry until Tuesday. So, we just have to turn the AC off when we dry clothes -- No biggie. That's perfectly manageable. I was pretty tired Monday night and it was already after 10:00 when I finally sat down to relax, and I didn't want to start blogging that late at night. I told myself that I would write the next night (that didn't happen, obviously) and went to bed.

Tuesday and Wednesday were perfectly ordinary days at the office. I worked the front desk in the morning then did massages in the afternoons. I am still running a fully booked schedule, which keeps me busy, but I love being busy. Tim was working Tuesday evening, so I made a trip to Wal-Mart to get stocked up on groceries. We were running pretty low, so I wound up spending about an hour and a half there, but I think we have plenty to eat now. I took Tim a bite of supper, then headed home. I made guacamole (according to Jessica's recipe -- It was very good) for supper, then headed to bed. I was just too tired to blog about anything, so I hit the hay instead.

Wednesday night was also a good night. I had volleyball open gym, and we played six on six for most of the two hours. The girls were laughing at me because I was huffing and puffing so much, but I think I did pretty dang good for being ten years older than most of them. I am finally starting to get back in shape. I had a great time, and the rest of the evening wasn't too bad either. Tim had burgers ready by the time I made it home from volleyball, so I ran through the shower then we sat down for dinner. They were delicious (as usual -- he is such a good griller). We watched a little TV (Criminal Minds and NCIS if I remember correctly), then headed to bed. We thought about going fishing Wednesday night on the river, but decided against it for two reasons: #1 -- We were miserably full from the burgers and #2 -- The river was up pretty high, so fishing after dark was a little too dangerous. Crawling into a warm, cozy bed sounded like a much better idea.

Tim and I had planned on going fishing Thursday morning because I didn't have to be at work until 2:00 that afternoon. Sammie and I swapped shifts so that she could go out of town for a weekend trip with her boy. She would have done the same thing for me, and that's what friends are for. It worked out very well for both of us though, because even though we didn't go fishing, Tim and I had a great morning. We slept in a little bit, then he made eggs and toast for breakfast. We watched a little TV, but there wasn't much on. Thursday was a Netflix delivery day so we walked to the mailbox to see what was there. Turns out Knight and Day isn't a bad movie. Tom Cruise is not my favorite actor by any means (I liked Top Gun, of course, but he made two too many Mission Impossible movies). I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually a good movie. There were funny bits (who knew Tom Cruise had a sense of humor?) and several good action scenes. Not too shabby. Before I knew it, I had to get headed through the shower and ready to go to work. 

While I was at work, Dr. Bowling told me that he had mailed a reimbursment check to one of our patients who we had referred out for an MRI (his insurance had overpaid us). He was so happy with how we had treated him that he tried to bring the check back to us. We couldn't take the check back, so Jim told Dr. Bowling to "give it to the soldiers." I tell you what, there are some really great people out there! Their generosity never ceases to amaze me. I called Jim on my way home to thank him, and he told me that he was proud to make a difference and to make sure to tell Dwain "thank you" for what he was doing. The world needs more people like Jim.

Once I made it home from work (I only did four hours of massage), Tim and I made a quick run to Odon to the Jay C store to pick up a couple things. I wanted to make tacos for supper, but I needed lettuce and taco shells -- They are pretty essential for tacos, ya know. The tacos were INCREDIBLY delicious! Exactly what I was craving. We once again ate so many that we were miserable, but it was worth it. We are going to have to incorporate more tacos into our diet. A couple of Criminal Minds episodes later and we were both falling asleep on the couch. It was time for bed.

Today (Friday) was a little out of the ordinary as far as my schedule went, but it has been a great day. As usual, I did massages this morning -- Today I had four of them -- But instead of going home afterwards like I usually do, I took a lunch break then came back to run the front desk in the afternoon for Samantha. I went to Wal-Mart over lunch to get a couple of the things that I had forgotten to pick up earlier in the week. I also wound up buying some adorable clothes for Jessica's little girl Sofia. Her first birthday is next month, and those cute little dresses were just too pretty to pass up. I can't wait to see her in them! I had time to read just a little bit over lunch before heading back to the office for the last shift of the week. Everything went very smoothly and the time seemed to pass quickly. The end of the day was here before I knew it. I helped Dr. Bowling close up the office, then I was headed home. It stinks that I didn't get to see Tim today, but the office will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, so I get a little mini-vacation! Heck Yes! You gotta love those. Unfortunately, Tim is working part of the weekend, but I'm sure that we will have lots of fun regardless. I will try to keep you posted. No promises though. I never know what we're going to be doing. We live a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of life. I wouldn't have it any other way. Now, I have GOT to go mow the green stuff that is growing in our yard. It's getting pretty out of control, and I'm running out of daylight. I'll write again tomorrow. Have a wonderful night everyone!  :^)
Operation Saheeb -- Two Months, Two Weeks, Six Days

Also, everyone should check out the post titled "Gone Away for a While" -- It's a song that my cousin wrote about Dwain's deployment. I made a slideshow to go with it because I couldn't figure out how to post an audio file by itself. I guess I'm starting to get this technology stuff figured out. Anyway, it's an incredibly beautiful song and it really touched my heart. I have to admit that I was crying like a lunatic at the front desk today when I listened to it on my lunch break. The flood gates were wide open. I love my little brother, and I can't tell you how much I miss him. I love that song -- I was speechless, which doesn't happen very often. Thank you Paul! And most of all, thank you Dwain for doing what you do! We love you!

"Gone Away for a While"

This song was written, played, and recorded by my extremely talented cousin Paul Erdman. He wrote this song the night that Dwain deployed to Afghanistan. It is a very beautiful song -- Completely describes the feelings we all felt that night. I hope it touches your heart as much as it touched mine. I love you Dwain! and Paul! Two of my favorite fellas! Stay safe Dwain! We are so proud of you!

That's a LOT of Sand!

I TALKED TO DWAIN TODAY!!! What a perfect Saturday! Tim and I have been laying around most of the day, but I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday. I got a call from an "Unavailable" number this morning, which I didn't answer because I didn't know who would be calling me. Turns out, it was Dwain! Dangit! I wish I could go back in time and answer that call. Oh well, I chatted with him on Facebook, and I know that he talked to Mom and Dad for quite a while. There is nothing better! He is back at the main base over there, which has internet access. Haven't heard much, but I would expect that he is doing fine. He says that he has gotten all 51 Care Packages now, minus a few who have gotten lost along the way. He thinks that they will find him eventually. Let's keep them coming! He says "THANK YOU" for all the packages. I bet it must be like Christmas to get a Care Package from home. He also posted a bunch of pictures on Facebook of his travels so far -- Let me tell you what, that's a LOT of sand. It is so good to hear from him -- Totally makes your day, that's for sure.

This is one of the pictures he uploaded to Facebook -- So serious

Yesterday was also a pretty great day. Fridays are always my favorite day of the week because they are a half day at the office for me, I get to wear jeans to work, and obviously, they are the last day of the work week. I had another full day of massages, but I was done at the office and headed home by about 2:00. I always have to stick around a little while to visit with Sammie, and I had Pete give me an adjustment before I left. One of the best things about working in a chiropractic office is that I can get adjusted anytime I feel like I need it, which has been pretty often here lately because I've been so busy.

I went home through Cannelburg so that I could stop at the processing plant to pick up our beef. Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Marvin gave us a quarter of beef, so we only had to pay the processing fee and we got all the beef that Tim and I will use in a year. It's so great to be a farm girl, and to have beef farmers for grandparents. I hurried home because Mike from Hamilton's Water was coming to the house. We are getting a water softener put in on Monday! YAY! No more rusty, orange water! I will be able to do laundry. I will be able to take a shower without worrying about my hair turning orange. I will save a ton of money because I won't have to use a bottle a week of The Works to keep everything clean. I can't wait! We are basically renting to own, so it won't break our bank account to get a really nice one, but it will be ours to take with us if we move or buy a house of our own in the future. I am really happy about this, to say the least. After Mike from Hamilton's left (we chatted for a bit while he was here -- He really liked Dixie), I cleaned out the freezer and put the new beef in there. It's good to have a full freezer again. We should be set for a while, and you can't believe how much it helps out on groceries.

Tim and I decided to go fishing for some Bluegill again last night. We wound up talking to Grandma Teddi for quite a while, but we still caught about 30 or so fish before it got dark. That was plenty to get our bait tank all stocked up. We took the boat out to get to the other side of the pond, but it also kept us out of the chiggers, which I really appreciated. I am just now getting over the last set of chigger bites that I got when we went fishing at Grandma's. I made spaghetti and breadsticks for dinner -- The spaghetti was really delicious, but I burned the breadsticks in the oven. I got distracted and forgot to take them out of the oven. Oh well, the spaghetti was good. I fell asleep while watching The Dilemma, but Tim said it wasn't worth watching so I'm not too torn up about it. Finally crawling into bed was a great ending to a great day.

Now, we haven't done much of anything at all today -- Besides talk to Dwain (YAY!) and I gave Tim a massage (He said he was sore, and I can fix that). Our original plan was to go to Tim's Uncle Randy's tonight for the Poverty Ranch First Annual Mudbug and Gumbo Getaway, which is a seafood cookout and music fest, but it's a long drive and it looks like rain (70% chance of precipitation). Not a good recipe for an outdoor cookout. I think we are going to wait on the rain to pass, then go fishing for a little bit, but I'm not totally sure on that. Tim is napping right now, so I'll know more when he wakes up. I think I'll sick Dixie on him here in a minute. She likes waking Daddy up with wet, slobbery, puppy kisses. And Daddy can't get mad and grumpy when she wakes him up -- Totally different story if Mommy tries to wake Daddy up.

I feel so blessed to have such a great life. I have wonderful friends, the best family, and a man who loves me even when I burn supper in the oven (which happens often, but I'm getting better). I have excellent pets (I love Dixie and Chuck) and a great job. I can't imagine a better life! I have never been so happy. Once I get Dwain home, there is not a thing in the world that I would change. Now, I am going to enjoy the NCIS marathon that is on TV, then wake Tim up so we can go fishing. I hope you all have a great weekend!    :^)

Operation Saheeb -- Two Months, Two Weeks

For those of you who don't have Facebook, here are some of the pictures of Dwain's Afghanistan Adventure -- or as he calls it, ASScrackistan. He still has his sense of humor, that's for sure.

CAMELS! -- I love camels!

Sweet Helmet Head Little Brother! 

 Those are some nice tan lines too -- Or are you just dirty??

 A sandstorm -- Can you even imagine what that would be like?

Dwain said his name was "Sonic" -- God, I love my brother!

No -- I Did NOT Grab A Gun

I hit the snooze button this morning, but it didn't really help me much. I felt like a zombie when I finally made it to work. That's what happens when you stay up until almost midnight the night before to write on your blog -- Self Inflicted Sleep Deprivation, that's what that is. Not the smartest thing I have ever done, but I really do love blogging. Even though I was tired as all get out, my morning at the office was great! Dr. Pete and I saw a pretty steady stream of patients -- We call it the "Pete and Glenna Show." I managed to get quite a lot accomplished even though we were busy. I worked on the filing project for most of the morning, which I'm really behind on. I also got a lot of paperwork done and watered the ferns. I went to the park to eat my lunch today because the weather was beautiful. It was nice and cool with a good breeze. Perfect park weather. With my sandwich and my Kindle, I was in heaven. I spent a very enjoyable hour at the park, but then I had to head back to the office to start on my massages for the afternoon. I had a full schedule again today, but they were all my favorite clients, so time went really quickly. Today was also Randi's first day back, but I was so busy that I didn't really get to visit with her very much. It will be good to have her back though -- I was starting to get worried about burning myself out. Don't get me wrong, I love working and I love my job, but there is such a thing as over-doing it. I'll be glad to just focus on my regulars again.

Once I finished up my day, I made a quick trip to Wendy's to grab Tim a bite of supper. He almost took the last of Sammie's Strawberry Cheesecake with him, but he didn't want to share it, so it came home with me. He can eat it tomorrow when he gets home from work and CPR class. I would feel really bad if he didn't get a piece because it was SO GOOD! Thank you again Sammie for my birthday cheesecake. I have really, really enjoyed it. I am babysitting Mom's dog Annie tonight while Mom and Dad are at a tractor pull somewhere in Kentucky (I think they are in Kentucky). I spent entirely too much time messing with Mom's nubby tailed kittens tonight while I was feeding the dogs and rabbits, but I got some really cute pictures and videos of them to share at the end of tonight's post. Now, I have eaten my supper, and I'm almost done blogging for the night. I have GOT to go to bed earlier than I did last night. I have a busy day tomorrow. I start my day at 8:00 with five massages back-to-back, then I have to go home through Cannelburg to pick up the quarter of beef that Grandma and Grandpa gave us. That will fill our freezer back up! I also have Hamilton's Water coming to the house tomorrow afternoon to test our water. We are going to see about renting a water softener to clean up our rusty water. Let's hope that they can help us out. Who knows what Tim and I might get into for the rest of the weekend. We are going to Poverty Ranch (Tim's Uncle Randy's farm in Tennyson) for a cookout and some great music on Saturday night. It should be a really great time! Other than that, I think we will be winging it as far as weekend plans go. You never know what we will come up with. Anyway, I hope you all have a great Friday! Good night!  :^)
Operation Saheeb -- Two Months, One Week, Five Days

P.S. -- I love Chuck! He just killed the mouse that has been running around my kitchen and crapping on my counter. I have had mouse traps out all week trying to get him (actually, it turned out the mouse was female). As I was sitting here blogging, I heard a sudden crash in the kitchen and a VERY high pitched shrieking sound. I ran into the kitchen to find Chuck with the mouse in his mouth, but it was still alive. The idiot turned it loose in the middle of the kitchen floor! I did what any farm girl would do (No -- I did NOT grab a gun). I grabbed one of Tim's cowboy boots, put my hand inside it, and went mouse hunting. I had to chase the mouse (and Chuck) around the kitchen a little bit -- he even went behind the tan couch in the living room -- but I was finally able to kill it. Nothing like a good whack with the heel of a cowboy boot to knock a mouse unconscious. I threw the mouse outside -- Chuck went out too, of course -- Then called Tim to tell him what had happened. I bet he is laughing at me with everyone at work right now, but those stories are too good not to tell. That cat is worth his weight in gold! Anyone need a mouse caught? I'll rent him to you for cheap lol!

Let the pictures (and videos) begin! These first ones are from last week. They are a little late, but I just found them on my camera

The I-69 overpass is almost finished just south of North Daviess High School 

Dixie riding "shotgun" with me Friday night for our Care Package Adventure

She got tired on the way to the office 

I LOVE this dog!

Now it's time for the pictures from tonight -- Bring on the pictures of nubby-tailed kitties!

Rufus -- I caught him off guard as he was running to attack his sisters

The little tabby kitten's name is Millie -- She's attacking the bag of wood chips 

Rufus again -- With Grippo in the background

 Millie -- She's the friendliest one of the three -- and ADORABLE!

Marley is attacking Mom's scissors 

All three kittens were chasing Marley's tail tonight -- Only one tail for three kittens to chase = Hilarious!

Millie is serious about getting that bag of wood chips

Let's do some videos -- Sorry, I always sound like an idiot; especially if I'm talking to a dog

Video #1 -- Kitties playing in the barn

 Video #2 -- Maggy being bothered by Dixie

Ok, More Pictures of Kitties!

  

Marley was ricocheting all over the front of the barn

Millie being a turd! 

Rufus stalking Marley -- Sibling love! 

Marley attacking Millie -- There was lots of attacking going on this evening 

Momma Kitty (Skink) just chilling -- Watching her babies be goofy!

Millie, being Millie

Why Do Bugs Like to Eat Me?

Well, what do ya know? I'm behind on blogging again -- Ugh, why do I have to be so dang busy all the time. My last post was Thursday, so let's try to get caught up a little bit, shall we?

Thursday night was pretty uneventful. I got home from work and helped Tim get his boat ready to go out on the river with Scott. They spent the entire night out there, but they did catch a couple nice fish, so it was a good night. I cooked myself a pizza, then spent the evening absorbed in my book. It was a good night!

Friday was a sad day. My dear friend Samantha lost her grandmother on Friday. She had been fighting a battle against Alzheimer's for quite some time, and it's never an easy thing to say goodbye to someone you love so very much. My thoughts and prayers have been with Sammie and her family this past weekend. I love Sammie with all my heart and it makes me sad to watch someone I care so much about go through such a loss. There is nothing in the world like a grandma -- It makes me infinitely thankful that I still have both of my own grandmothers. I love them both so much!

Friday at the office was a good day. I had five massages in the morning, but they didn't start until 9:00 so I got to sleep in an hour. Sleeping in is the perfect way to start a day -- especially a Friday! One of my massages got her time mixed up, but it all worked out in the end. I was able to work on Mary Sue for a little while in the open hour slot. It's always a good thing when we can work on each other at the office. It keeps us sane. After work, I headed home to spend a little time with Tim before he had to go to work. I always try to take advantage of any time that we get to spend together.

After Tim went to work for the evening, I headed back to the office. We had a lot of people who brought in items to send to Dwain and his unit last week, but I didn't have time to get them all ready to ship. I wound up spending the entire evening packaging and printing labels, but I was able to get a dozen more Care Packages ready to ship out the next day. Dixie came with me to the office. She had to explore everything and check out all the new smells, but then she stood guard over the door and barked at everyone who walked by. Heaven help anyone who had tried to come in and get me. Friday was also Dwain's birthday, so I made up a special "Birthday" Care Package just for him. I had a blast buying bouncy balls and other fun kid stuff to send him. I wanted to send him things that would entertain bored Marines -- I think that I did pretty good. I think that all those Care Packages will go over really well once he finally gets them. I am still just blown away by how great our community is. Once I finally made it home, I crashed! It was a long day!

Shopping for Dwain's Birthday in the Kid's Aisle  

Dixie and the Care Packages I got ready on Friday night -- She's such a good girl!

Saturday morning, Tim and I watched Unstoppable, which was a pretty good movie. I took Dwain's Care Packages to the Post Office -- We are up to 51 total now!!! Isn't that AWESOME! I sure think so. Mom and I had a Mother-Daughter day on Saturday. We went to Classy Nails in Vincennes for manicures and pedicures. You just gotta love spending time with Momma! There is nothing better! We made a trip to Wal-Mart before heading home, and I picked up Subway for Tim's dinner while I was there. I spent the rest of the evening reading on my Kindle -- Tim, thank you again for my Kindle; I LOVE it! -- My book is almost too good to put down. I didn't want to go to bed because I would have had to stop reading. But my body was telling me that I really needed sleep, so I listened to it and went to bed like a good girl.

Sunday was another lazy day. I gave Tim his Father's Day gift when he got home from work that morning -- It was from Dixie and Chuck; not a hint that he is going to be a Daddy anytime soon -- Don't panic! They got him Season One and Two of River Monsters, which was a home run as far as I could tell. They must know their Daddy pretty well. About the only other thing that I did besides read and be lazy was do some laundry. I just couldn't get motivated to do anything productive. I had one heck of a busy week though, so I think that I deserved a lazy day. Tim was working again Sunday night, so I went up to Mom and Dad's to celebrate Father's Day. I love my Daddy! He is the best! Without him, I wouldn't have turned out to be the way I am. He and Mom taught me how to be a good person, and I will be forever grateful that they taught me those valuable lessons. They made several sacrifices to be able to raise Dwain and me the way they did. I love you, Mom and Dad, with all my heart. Sunday night, I took Dad his Father's Day cards (one from me; one from Dwain) and we watched True Grit, which was Dad's gift for Father's Day. It was a great evening!

Monday was my BIRTHDAY -- And it was a FABULOUS day! I only worked from 1:00 to 6:00, so I had a lazy-ish morning laying around the house with Tim. I volunteered to help get the Bowling Chiropractic booth set up at the Daviess County Fair Monday morning, but that only took about a half hour. I got ready to go to work, but work on Monday was great too! I had a full schedule of massages, and I got lots of "Happy Birthday" wishes. My phone never stopped buzzing at me to let me know that someone had written on my Facebook wall. I love my friends and family -- What would we do without our loved ones? My fantastic co-workers got me a really nice card, and one of my regular massage clients even got me a birthday card and a really pretty bracelet for my birthday. Thanks Jennifer! After work, I headed home so that Tim could take me fishing for my birthday. Does that man know me or what? I had so much fun! The Bluegill were biting like crazy, which is great for me because I have ADD when it comes to fishing. If they ain't biting, I'll be bored to tears. But that wasn't the case Monday! Tim and I usually keep track of who catches the most fish -- It's a game of ours -- But he didn't stand a chance of catching up with me. I bet I caught at least thirty fish in just an hour or so. Like I said, it was the best birthday! After we got home, Tim grilled T-Bone Steaks for dinner, while I made Mom's Potatoes (which are cubed potatoes, olive oil, and onion soup mix that is baked in a pan in the oven -- Yummy). It was delicious and the perfect ending to the perfect birthday!

It's a little blurry, but here is my Birthday Dinner -- Tim is the BEST cook!

Yesterday (Hooray! -- We are on Tuesday now) was an exceptionally great day. The only dark spot on my day was that I woke up with about a dozen chigger bites from the fishing trip the night before. They are evil, disgusting little things. I don't know why bugs like me so stinking much, but I really wish that I tasted worse to them or something. It's really annoying that Tim and I were fishing side by side and I got bit and he didn't. So not fair! They itch SO bad! I put some medicine on them though (and clear fingernail polish to suffocate the little demons) so I felt much better before too long. I had to be at work by 8:00, but my morning went really well. I was able to get a lot of work done, and I even had time to run several errands on my lunch break. I had planned on going to the park after getting my errands done to do a little reading, but it was entirely too hot and muggy to sit in my car, so I went back to the office and gave Mary Sue a massage. I might as well make some money if I can, right? The rest of my afternoon was filled up too, so I had a busy day, but it went very quickly and before I knew it I was headed home. 

Birthday card from one of my regulars -- His little butt moves! How cute is that?!

Tim and I decided to catch a movie last night, but we didn't leave the house in time to make it to the 7:30 show (we were coming into town at 7:35, and that's just cutting it too close), so we decided to get something to eat and kill some time then just watch the late showing at 10:30. First, we went to Rural King to get a bait fish tank so that our bait doesn't die before we use it to catch a big ol' catfish. We could have probably spent more time at Rural King, but that usually means that we spend more money, so we left. After Rural King, we went all the way across town to Wal-Mart so that we could get more bait tank supplies (water filter, which we forgot, and an aerator, etc). We had to have an employee come unlock the air supply tubing in the fish section so that we could get it off the shelf. I guess it is used to make meth, so they lock it to keep people from stealing it. That was inconvenient, because I had to pay for it separately and that's a total waste of my time. Do I really look like I cook meth? Really? Anyway, once we finally made it out of Wal-Mart, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. I really like B-Dub's, and we even had a gift card left over from Christmas, so our entire meal actually cost us $3.54. Not that I'm a cheap date, but -- I'm a cheap date. I love saving money! I was really upset on Monday when I got my first edition of the Evansville Courier Sunday Edition (I took out a subscription last week). I ordered it so that I could clip the coupons out of it, but there weren't any dang coupons in it! Not cool Evansville Courier, not cool. I better get coupons next week, or I'm gonna be calling someone to speak my mind. Ok, well, I went off on a tangent there -- Let's get back to last night. Where did I leave off? Oh yeah, B-Dubs. Dinner was delicious (and dirt cheap), and we were ready to watch our movie. The Hangover: Part II was not quite as good as the original, but it was still one heck of a good movie. We were cracking up the entire time. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a good laugh. The movie ended, and we were headed home. I don't even remember getting out of Vincennes before I fell asleep. We made a detour up to Mom and Dad's to pick up our four-legged daughter (Dixie) then hit the hay. I'm getting too old to stay up all night like that.

I was pretty upset with my alarm clock this morning. Five hours is just not enough sleep for me to function properly, so I was dragging butt for most of the day today. The morning schedule was really busy. There were patients coming in and out in a very steady stream. I like being busy at the front desk though, because it makes time fly by. I couldn't believe how quickly my lunch break came around. I took my lunch to the park to eat (and I read on my book a bit). It was a little warm, but not too bad in the shade with a breeze blowing. I took a quick power nap as well, and felt good as new for the afternoon. My chigger bites are still really itchy and swollen, but I'm hoping that they are better by tomorrow. My massage schedule this afternoon fell apart on me, but honestly, it was kinda nice to have a slow day. It gave me more time to enjoy the DELICIOUS Strawberry Cheesecake that Samantha made me for my birthday. What a great friend -- And her cooking skills aren't too shabby either. The afternoon passed pretty quickly. I was really looking forward to volleyball open gym tonight because I skipped it on Monday -- My birthday, remember? We worked on hitting quite a lot. I broke down the footwork for the girls to work on. It is better to work on the basics, I think. Most of the girls are younger -- We can't get the older girls to give up a couple hours of their summer vacation to play volleyball. Oh well, their loss. I had a lot of fun, once again, but I was really glad to get home and take a nice, hot shower. I have been watching the History Channel and blogging ever since. I made a quick supper, which means that my belly is full and I'm just about ready for bed. I am glad that the weekend is just a couple days away. I have had one heck of a busy week, and it's only Wednesday! Thank goodness, Randi is coming back to work tomorrow so I won't have to do ALL the massages anymore. I like what it does for my paycheck, but I have been running on "Empty" for a while now. I'll be ready for it to slow down a little bit. We haven't heard from Dwain in several days, but I'm sure that he is very busy and my philosophy is "No news is good news." I wouldn't mind an email though. I just like to stay up to date on how he is doing. I can't tell you how much I miss that boy! I am BEYOND ready to have him home again! Alright, I think it's time for bed now. I have a busy day again tomorrow, and I have already stayed up later than I wanted to. Blogging is just so darn addictive. Have a good Thursday everyone! Good night!   :^)

Operation Saheeb -- Two Months, One Week, Four Days

Delicious! -- Thank you, beautiful Sammie, for the birthday Cheesecake!

Queen of the Court

I didn't get to post anything last night (not enough hours in my day), but I thought I would get a quick post in today on my lunch break. I really should be running to Wal-Mart to pick up a couple things, but blogging is much more fun.

Yesterday was another busy day at the office. Our morning schedule was pretty booked up with patients to see Dr. Pete, so I spent a lot of the morning checking patients in and out and chatting with them. I really miss getting to spend time interacting with our patients. Now that my massage schedule is so full, I have less time to spend at the front desk in the afternoons when we are busiest, so I don't get to visit with as many people. Those of you who know me know that I love to talk. Maybe I should have gone to school for something related to that -- Nah, who am I kidding; I couldn't have picked a better career! I still managed to get quite a lot done yesterday morning while I was working. We are going to have a booth at the Daviess County Fair next week, so I spent some time getting things organized for that. I also washed part of the laundry we have to do at the office -- We use a LOT of massage sheets and gowns. Laundry is one of those never-ending jobs that you can never seem to get ahead on.

Before I knew it, it was time for lunch. I didn't bring anything from home, so I went to Wendy's for lunch then went to the park to read my book. I finished Dragonfly in Amber Tuesday night so I'm reading Voyager, which is the third book in the Outlander series. I just can't tell you enough how much I am in love with this series. It will get you hook, line, and sinker, and you won't want to put it down. I spent my entire lunch break reading, but before too long it was time to head back to the office. I had a full afternoon of massages ahead of me, which was great, but doing five massages three days in a row will wear you out. Randi is still gone, and let me tell you what, I am B.U.S.Y! It's awesome for my paycheck though -- And man, do I love getting paid. I have nine more hours of massage to do this week, which will make it my busiest week ever for massages. I guess you could call that job security.

After work on Wednesdays, I hurry to North Daviess to help coach at the volleyball open gym. I love it so much and have a blast! I love coaching and I get to spend a lot of the time playing, which is even better. I have missed volleyball more than you can imagine. It was a huge part of my life for nine years, and quitting cold turkey was really hard. I am so thankful to be able to be a part of the game again. I hope that what I have learned over the years will help the younger girls become stronger players. We worked on hitting quite a bit last night, then worked in some scrimmage time and Queen of the Court (three on three). Queen of the Court is one of my favorite volleyball things. The three "old ladies" that are helping to coach (Becca, Audra, and I) were on the same team, and we weren't too shabby! We don't always move like we used to, but it's still fun. I even stayed after open gym for a little while to work with a couple of the girls one on one.

Once I made it home and got a quick shower (I was a little sweaty), Tim and I made a quick trip to Mom and Dad's. We didn't stay long, but it's always nice to visit with them. I seriously have the world's best parents! Tim and I made a quick dinner, which was delicious, then watched a little TV before heading to bed. It was a very good day! I love having Tim home for the evenings. It makes my day when he is off work.

I had a pretty crazy morning here at the office, but I survived. There was a constant flow of patients, and the phone never stopped ringing. I am looking forward to the afternoon. I have only got three and a half massages, which isn't a full schedule, but with the week (well, month, really) I've had, it will be nice to have a little slower day. I don't want to burn myself out. I am really looking forward to the weekend -- And Monday is my BIRTHDAY!!! I can't wait! Sammie said she is making me a Strawberry Cheesecake and that makes me start to drool. I LOVE that girl!!! Anyway, I'm going to sign off for now. I need to go eat my lunch, and I think I might read a little bit. I really wanted to get some more Care Packages sent off today, but I ran out of time. I will be sending a BUNCH of them tomorrow! Tomorrow is also Dwain's 22nd Birthday. If anyone would like to send him a "Happy Birthday" email, they can send it to jolliff55@gmail.com. I know he would love hearing from you all! Think about how bad it must be to spend your birthday in Afghanistan. Not cool, huh? Alright, until next time then. I hope you all have a great day!   :^)
Operation Saheeb -- Two Months, Five Days

18 and a Half Pounds of Soap!

What a crazy day. Tuesdays are usually very good days, but today was just awesome. I didn't actually get much work done at the office this morning (Sorry Dr. Bowling) because the phone rang every 30 seconds and three different people walked in wanting to be seen by the doctors. The only problem is that I'm the only person at the office on Tuesday mornings -- So they had to come back later. I also got four more Care Packages ready to take to the Post Office for Dwain. Getting those Care Packages ready is like playing Tetris. You kind of cram whatever fits in each box the best so that they are packed tightly to keep them from moving around during the journey to Afghanistan. Today, one whole box was filled with nothing but hotel soap bars that someone donated. That was the easiest customs form I have ever filled out. What is in your shipment? 18 and a half pounds of soap! Haha, now that's pretty dang funny.

Typically, I only do four massages on Tuesdays, but we didn't have a staff meeting today so I was able to get someone off the waiting list and in the books. Sammie also came back to work this afternoon and I was so glad to see her face. I'm glad that she had a great time this past weekend, but I really missed that girl. We made a much-needed trip to Mi Pueblo after work today for some Mexican food and adult beverages -- DELICIOUS! I sure do love our dinner dates. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, better than spending time with good friends. I am so very blessed to have my girls in my life. Sometimes you just need to go make yourself sick eating too much Mexican and have a good time complaining about the sucky things in life.

After finishing up at Mi Pueblo, I took Tim my leftovers for his supper -- He was very grateful, and hungry -- then I headed to the Jay-C Store to get some groceries for the house. I didn't have to get much, but we needed milk and bread and a few other things. I wound up getting WAY more than I had originally planned, but they had a LOT of stuff on sale, so I stocked up a bit. Nothing too over the top, but we won't have to buy cokes anytime soon.

Now, I've got the groceries put away and I'm just about ready to call it a night. I want to finish this post then read the rest of my book. I've only got 3% left according to my Kindle, and I really, really want to get it finished. It's so good! The book is called Dragonfly in Amber. It's the second book in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon that I started reading earlier this year. I got out of the habit of reading earlier this Spring, but I picked it back up a few days ago -- And I'm totally hooked again! I have missed reading. It's such a great way to unwind, and that is something that I really need to work on. My mind just won't shut off most of the time, so it's really nice to lose myself in someone else's story. And Dragonfly in Amber is one heck of a story. One of my favorite books of all time! I can't wait to start Voyager, which is the third book in the series. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good love story.

Before I call it a night, I told you all that I would upload pictures of the kittens. I have a couple other pictures thrown in there too. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy taking them. Those kittens are way too cute to handle. They are just now figuring out how to play, and I could spend HOURS watching them.

Mommy Kitty -- Her name is Skink, because she has a nubby tail just like one of those blue tailed lizards

Peeking around the scale to see what that crazy girl with the camera is doing  

I'm gonna get it! 

Nubby-Tailed Mommy and little Tabby baby -- Well, baby feet lol 

The Tabby kitten doesn't have a name because she is going to a different owner when she gets older, but I call her "No Name" -- Because it's so original lol 

Is that not the cutest thing ever??

Little "No Name" finally looked at the camera 

This is Rufus -- He's the most shy of the three, so I had to put a sneak on him to get a picture. Crawling across the dirty barn floor was not my finest moment, but it's not like it was the first time -- Probably won't be the last either. 

The three heathens -- Only picture I could get with all three of them 

Rufus and Marley -- Marley has a tail, but Rufus doesn't 

My little lap kitty

Well, that's all of the kitten pictures. I couldn't decide which ones to upload, so I uploaded them all. It was too difficult to choose. Here are the other random pictures that I had taken over the last week or so.

Tim and Buck went fishing last week -- Buck must have missed the memo to hang on while Tim was driving, so he went for a little dip in the river 

The tiniest Praying Mantis we had ever seen -- It was so small the camera couldn't even focus on it to take a good picture 

 Maggy -- World's Laziest Dog

She was given to us because she "wasn't good with people" -- What a bunch of malarkey! 

The goat kids from this Spring -- I had to get them in there too

I think I am ready for bed now. Well, actually, I am going to go read for a little while then go to sleep. I have a busy day tomorrow. I hope to hear from Dwain tomorrow. It has been a couple days since I last talked to him, but I know that he is staying busy and that's good. We have shipped out a grand total of 39 Care Packages to him, so he should be getting some more of those soon. Time is flying by -- It's been TWO MONTHS! -- And the busier I am, the faster it goes. That's completely okay with me! I can't wait to have him home for good! I hope you all have a good night! Have a good Hump Day, which is Wednesday for those of you with your mind in the gutter.    :^D

Operation Saheeb -- Two Months, Three Days