Busy busy busy

I don't know why I do this every year. Right after Christmas and New Year's we kick into the Gridiron rehearsal schedule. It's grueling. With basketball, our fav reality shows and football play-offs all luring us to the tube, which we really don't have time for -- 'cept Saturday mornings, which have unofficially become our "watch everything on Tivo mornings", work and everything else, January has been a blur.

Which is probably good, because it's a long month and like most people we are so broke, we wouldn't have time to do anything else if we did have the money.

Sylvia wants me to go to Odessa this weekend, but it's just not happening. Money, time etc. We have rehearsals on Sunday. We're shooting a commercial on Saturday, and I have five articles due in the next week plus the Lawton Clean Air campaign needs my full-time attention right now. AND, I have to get a whole lot done for the week I'm gone. Craziness, but I love it.

NOW, if I could just hire a maid.

January or is it March

Either way, I hope it at least rains in March. No rain, despite the weatherman's promises for at least three days of it this week. None. Nada. Nil. Ziltch.

So your dad is watering the grass this morning. I have to get control of him though because he seems to think he can till the ground and ready the flower beds. Heck, if it doesn't start raining, I'm thinking xero-scaping. You know, change the grass in our yard for rocks like they do in Arizona, plant a cactus or two, preferably where the neighbors cats like to come lie in our yard. A cutout of a howling coyote and it's Arizona!

Yes, I know some of you are sick of the rain. We pray for it every day. Weird world. Or God has a sick sense of humor.

Snow maybe

Yeah. Snow is in the forecast. Rain maybe. We'll take either. It's so dry here that we've had to water our grass regularly because we're worried some person who never listens to the radio or television or newspaper news might throw a cigarette ash -- if not the whole cigarette -- out of a car window and on to our lawn. I don't know why people think it's ok to throw trash out in the yards of houses on the corner. That was a problem when we lived in Canyon too, and in Columbia. Geez, do we have a thing for "houses on the corner?"

Feeling better today. Maybe because we just had a stress-free day yesterday. No work. No thinking. We joined NetFlix -- at least we're trying it free for a month. I think it's going to be worth it in the long run. So today we're watching movies. Yesterday, I watched all the shows I recorded during the week. I don't have time to watch television during the week at all anymore due to Gridiron.

Found out Integris, which is only a few blocks from us has a health center complete with pool and Tai Chi classes. We're calling them to find out just how "affordable" "affordable is -- that according to their ad.

Hug the kids for us...

The week in review

It's been a long week. Probably because we've had two four-day weeks in a row. Of course, Ray has another four-day week next week due to the MLK holiday.

I've been getting a lot of press for one of my clients, good news and bad news. More work for me!

I'm headed to Lawton on Monday. The Clean Air campaign kicks off in March and I have tons of stuff to do. In the middle of it all, I was too much of a wimp to say no when the editor of one of the publications I had been freelancing called. I wrote a story for them. Too much work, and not enough time. I'll be sitting here this weekend finishing up more projects.

My cousin Lydia emailed me and said she's retiring from Texas Tech. Dang. I feel old.

I'm late on birthday cards and calls, so I'm sure my name is mud in some circles. Oh well, nothing new there.

I got more photos put on disk, so that's a good thing. I've still been having the intense chest pains this week (been ongoing since the first week in January) so I guess I'll break down and go to the doctor. I almost drove myself to the E.R. today, but I decided it was just stress. I start Tai Chi next week, so I'm hoping that will help relieve some of the stress.
Gridiron is not much fun this year. I'm thinking it might be my last year. We'll see. -- I think I say that every year. My friend, John G. from the Capitol isn't in Gridiron this year. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer and just had surgery. He'll be out for a while, so they sent someone else to sub for him at the press room. Ryan -- the ass -- got promoted this week so he's no longer at the Capitol. They brought out the young girl who had just graduated the year before (I call her the editor's "cha cha" girl, so you get my drift) She's the one they had wanted to replace me with, until I threw a hissy and they sent McNutt out there. Oh well, some people work their way up, others sleep their way up.

Anyway, that's my week in nutshell. We were supposed to go out with S&P tonight but we're curtailing any eating out, movies, etc. until after the trip to Washington. Still need to check about Mas going up with us. BTW -- we're already starting to plan the 2007 trip to Walt Disney World. Everyone will go. We're renting a huge house, along with Jerry and his family -- total three houses. We're paying for the stay and park tickets. Just plan to pay for transportation and some eats -- unless I win the powerball this weekend -- yes, Oklahoma finally has powerball. If I win everyone in the fam should expect a new car and a new house. ha ha. Cross your fingers.

Passing Gas

Not literally. Yesterday -- late yesterday -- we came home to find a note on our door that our gas had been shut off due to nonpayment. What?! We dug out the receipt -- my new filing system is paying off -- a file for each bill and I remembered to put the receipt in there. It was paid before Christmas! Anyway, I call the gas company, stay on hold for 40 minutes before finally speaking to someone.

Guess what? They say we're not shut off. Well, my house is cold and I have a note on my door. 30 minutes later ... they finally figured out someone screwed up after they call their dispatcher. Gee, we're sorry. Here's $50 on next month's bill (not turning that down) but we can't turn you back on until tomorrow because it's too late this evening.
So we traispe to Wal-Mart (ok, we tried everywhere else but Wal-Mart at first and finally had to go shop at the evil empire.) We buy two electric heaters, and some firewood.
We were warmer in our bedroom last night than we ever are. The house stayed at 68 degrees. AND there was actually still enough hot water for both Ray and I to shower this morning. So guess what. When they turn the heat back on, we're keeping the temp on 68 degrees or lower and continuing to use the electric heaters on really cold nights.
Maybe our next bill won't be $300+ like it was this last month.
So they actually did us a favor.

Gridiron time

Well, this is certainly going to make the time go faster -- we're already in rehearsals for Gridiron. Our last show is Feb. 18 -- so that means we have to leave the 19th, not the 18th as originally planned.

41 days. But who's counting?

That's how long it will be before we get to see our little Kayla and Chloe. We're are literally counting the days. A whole year is just too dang long.

I'm telling you -- you have to move closer. It about broke my heart the other day to hear Chloe -- and we love to hear their little chatter in the background when we're talking to Brian and Robin, especially since the little stinkers won't actually talk to us. But anyway, Chloe asked "Is my Mason there?" When B told her he was talking to us.

Ah...that was so sweet and it's great that she still remembers Mason. Those two used to hug like they hadn't seen each other in years when they lived here. We might not be able to pry them apart if they finally see each other this year. I wonder if Mikayla remembers Mason?

We're worried she doesn't remember us. It's been a while, and she was so little. The first time we had a long separation from Mason when he was little, it took him a while to let us hug him. He was mad at us. Kids don't understand "far away" and why people are so far away. Yep. I'm trying to make you feel guilty about moving. Is it working? I know you guys are trying, and we'll think positive thoughts for this year -- but Houston, or Denver -- you know there's clean up sites at both and both are far better than Maryland or Florida. But heck even those are drivable as compared to Washington state.

We hope Mason will get to go, but I highly suspect his school would say "no" anyway to him missing so many school days. So maybe you guys can plan a vacation this summer to come here if you're still up there.

We'll be in Fargo in June, but that's still 18 hours from Richland. That's a darn shame when Fargo, ND is closer to us than you guys are...

Coffee Time

Photos - finally

So it takes me a while to get photos developed. Here's a couple from last summer.

Papa's big fish

Craziness

It's great to go to Brian's blog and get a glimpse of the girls. What a happy family.

I'm glad that you and Robin do so many fun things with the girls. They are going to have some good memories when they grow up.

They've turned out to be quite the little snow bunnies, haven't they? We're planning still to go to Washington in February. We've already started picking up a few things -- the latest a Dora hopscotch puzzle mat -- to take with us. We have a whole year of spoiling to make up for in one week!

A whole year. That's too long. It's time to move closer (within one-day driving distance!)

Happy New Year

I resolve this year to:

1. Learn to design my own blogs

2. Post more regularly on this blog

3. Love you all even more.

I miss those I didn't get to see, but am looking forward to February 18!!! And, 2006 has to be a better year!

You all should: Resolve to go to church this year!!
Love you,
MOM