I Spent The Day Outside

Yep.  Because the past week was so terrible, windy and cold, I decided to spend most of my time outside today.  It was a great decision.  The temperature hovered around 70 degrees and it was sunny with hardly any wind.  I took a romance book, a glass of raspberry iced tea set out on my deck and let the afternoon drift away. 

What a great day.  I loved it, the birds loved it, the squirrels loved it, and my dogs loved it because they could bark at the birds and squirrels.  A great day was had by all.  So because of my laziness my blog is short.  So until next time - read a book, make love and eat chocolate.

The Wind Ate My Shed!

When you have lived in South Dakota for as many years (50 + and counting) as I have, you come to expect many strange and wonderful things to occur when Ma Nature is going through PMS.  Why the weather seems to be her major focus is a mystery all its own. 

On a clear winter day with nary a cloud in the sky, it has started to snow.  We don't know where the snow comes from, but my hubby has a theory that it is snow that is falling in Wyoming and the wind blows it here to South Dakota.  We usually have great weather.  Warm and sunny in the summer, cool and sunny in the fall, some snow and a few cold days in the winter and usually a sunny and sometimes slightly rainy spring. All in all usually nice sunny days.  But that only occurs when Ma Nature is calm, cool and collected.

We like to remember the good weather not the weather when she is having a hissy fit.  This statement brings me to this week.  The wind has been blowing for 3 days straight.  Not just a slight, I love to feel the wind in my hair breeze or maybe I should put a coat on it is a little chilly breeze, but a full - out hang on to the door, tie a rope around the kids and dogs, and put weights on your feet to keep you on the ground type of wind.  The howling and moaning is horrible, not just the noise from my complaining, but the actual sound of the wind.

I read a book one time that was about the era of the "Dirty Thirty's".  The woman being written about complained about the constant blowing wind.  She said that the moaning and unrelenting wind noise about drove her crazy.  I understand.  It has only been 3 days and this wind is getting on my nerves in  the worst way. The wind makes it hard to walk outside and keep my gate shut.  The wind noise is causing me to wake up at night.  I just want it to STOP!!!  Yes, I'm having a spaz attack, and if I could get my hands around Ma Natures neck about now, I might try and shake some sense into her before I strangle her. 

The wind has made a terrible mess in my yard.  But the biggest mess in the yard is the smaller metal shed that used to sit beside my house.  You notice that I said used to.  The wind has pushed it off its foundation, and has crumpled it into bite size pieces, which are butting up against my large wooden storage shed.  What a big ugly mess.  I know when my hubby gets home we will have a big laugh about the crumpled shed but right now it is a big NOISY, UGLY, crumpled shed.  Every time the wind gusts (which is every 5 seconds) the old shed rubs against the large shed, the ground and my poor lilac bush, making a grinding, whining  and squawking noise.  It is really getting on my last nerve.  (The wind has done away with all the rest of my nerves, and I was saving this last one for my birthday.)

Yes, when the wind blows here in South Dakota, it really blows.  But when Ma Nature decides to interfere in the weather, we usually have more "weather" than we want or can handle.  Thankfully, the weatherman informed us that this wind is supposed to be gone by later tonight.  I am holding him to his promise.  I can find out where he lives if he is wrong, and would love to give him a lesson in weather reporting!!!

So until tomorrow (which I hope is wind free) read a book, make love and eat chocolate.

I did not break your gun!!!

Yesterday, Sunday, was one of those beautiful fall days that poets write about.  It was cool, sunny, no wind and absolutely wonderful. 

My daughter got married  a year and a half ago to a very caring, handsome, hard working and personable young man.  I couldn't have been happier for her choice.  He would be someone I would have picked  out for her, except he, like my husband, his best friend and a dear friend who is no longer with us is a Gun Nut.  Now I mean that in a nice way because I grew up hunting and fishing.  My whole family was really into guns and hunting.  But my son-in-laws family is really into hunting and target shooting. 

Ever since they got married, they have been after my husband and I to go down to Custer State Park, to his Grandfathers land, and go shooting at someplace called the "Range".

I imagined  a place out in the prairie where they would sit up tin cans and bottles and take pot shots at everything until it was all destroyed. That's what my family used to do.  BOY was I wrong. We followed the kids from home, down through Custer and down to Pringle. This wasn't the parie, we were going up into the Black Hills.  We started driving on gravel back roads through some of the most beautiful timbered country I have ever seen. After driving for awhile, we turned into a long driveway, went past a bunch of horsed and corrals, and WOW!!!!!  What a site. 

I couldn't believe my eyes.  We drove up to a very professional target shooting place.  There were outhouses, campers, a cooking area, and rows upon rows of metal professional targets laid out just waiting for a shooting contest.  The contestant area was covered with benches and shooting rests.   I was very impressed.  But the coolest thing I saw was a hugh pistol barbecue.   It was about 10 feet long and 5 feet high and looked just like a pistol.  One of the shooting club members had made it and it was very realistic. All this was sitting in some of the most beautiful land God had ever made. 

It was wonderful just to be there.  Quiet, peaceful, relaxing.  I got out the book I brought and hunkered down in my seat in the pickup and started to read.  Then......Bang, Pow, Ker bang.....Oh yeah, the real reason we were here.  The guys were going to go target shooting.  OK, I can live with that.  I was far enough away to not get my ear drums exploded, but still close enough to be included in what was going on.  I read for awhile, but that got boring when I saw all the fun everyone was having.  So I decided to walk down to the shooting area. 

 I meandered down to the shooting area and my daughter gave me a pair of ear plugs.  I was very glad to have them, because up close those Pows and bangs can really hurt your ears.  They got me a chair and I sat down to watch.  But you know me I can't sit still and not do anything, so I got the big idea that I would like to try shooting. It has been many years since I shot a gun or pistol.  Since having fibromyalgia, my arm strength isn't what it should be and I have trouble holding things up.  But not to worry.

My son-in-law being the ever helpful person he is, gave me a 22 rifle to shoot.  Great, it was light and easy. After a few misses at a metal squirrel, I started hitting it.  Cool!  I wanted to try something else.  Well he thought I could possibly handle his 22 pistol.  Here is when my trouble started.  I popped off a bunch of rounds, actually hitting the target I was aiming at, then I pulled the trigger and nothing. Oops, he said "bad ammo", (right) I tried some more rounds.  Nothing.  My daughter took the pistol and tried.  Nothing.  He took the pistol and looked at it, "Oh here is the problem the Firing Pin is Broke".   My daughter and hubby started laughing, "Mom broke the gun".  My son-in-law being the nice person he is said "no it could happen to anyone it wasn't her fault."  Bless him.  But the rest of them kept on giving me a bad time about it, and I even thought I glimpsed Mr. nice son-in-law trying to hide a smile. 

That ended my shooting.  I wasn't going to take the chance of something else going wrong.  So I sat back relaxed and watched the clouds go by.  Which was what I really wanted to do anyway.

The moral of this story is next time we go to the "Range".  I am going to take earplugs, a good book, ice tea, a reclining chair and some chocolate.  Let them shoot their brains out.  I am going to take advantage of the beautiful scenery and relax.  So yes, I probably did "injure" his gun....I'm not admitting to anything....but if I ever do go shooting again, I am going to have my own gun, and if I break it, then  "oh well", it's nobodies fault but my own.

Until later, read a book, make love and eat chocolate.  ( and keep me away from guns)

Time is slipping away!

I can't believe that it is already the end of October. Time has been getting away from me lately, so I have decided that I'm going to write on this blog, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  If I get any time in between I will write any and all ideas that pop into my head.   

Tomorrow I will write a full blog.  I also want to start including a recipe with my blog.  So if any readers out there have any ideas ( you know who you are) let me know, leave  your ideas in the comment section.

So until tomorrow read a book, make love and eat chocolate.

Thank God My Hubby is a Computer Geek!

I did something really stupid today, which doesn't mean that I am stupid, but that I unknowingly accessed a Web site that wasn't safe.  To make a long story short.

 DON'T WEB SURF WHERE YOU DON'T KNOW OR YOU WILL WIPE OUT LIKE I DID. 

It took my hubby 5 hours to unlock and fix my mess up.  Well I'm done on the computer till tomorrow....I'm almost afraid to touch it in fear of breaking it again.

Until tomorrow....Read a book, make love and eat chocolate (or in my case tonight LOTS of chocolate!!!!)

I am not ADDICTED to coffee!

It is Monday morning, and I am on my third, Yes Third!!!!, cup of coffee.  I just can't seem to get going today.  It just maybe the Monday blahs, the I was up to late last Sunday night blahs or just the plain blahs.  I choose all of the above.  But no matter what the cause of my blahs, I just can't seem to get motivated today.

I got up at 5:30 AM with my hubby, made him breakfast and had cup of coffee number 1 with a couple of waffles.  My hubby left for work at 6:10 and I messed around until 6:30, reading the paper, sipping my coffee and greeting my father-in-law as he dropped off his dog Peggy for the day.  I couldn't seem to stay awake so I finished my coffee, poured another one and turned on the computer.  I checked my daily reviews, authors blogs I follow, my two (yes two) facebook accounts and checked my email.  Cup of coffee number two was gone and it was good to the last drop.

 I need to clarify to everyone, the actual size of my coffee cup.  It is not a standard coffee cup, but a large white cup you would get at a coffee shop.  So it is probably equal to 2 regular coffee cups. 

Now back to my morning.  Since I was yawning and struggling to keep my eyes open, I decided to try and go back to bed for awhile.  To anyone else out there this would probably seem like a good idea.  But to me the problem lies not in my ability to go to bed and sleep, but the ability of my bed partners to allow me to sleep.  Bed partners you query,  "I thought your husband went to work this morning...Kandis what are you into?!?!?!?!?"  Not to worry.  My bed partners are of the four legged kind, Smokey, Buddy, Luna and Peggy.  Four rambunctious, furry hounds that would rather turn bedtime into playtime.  After alot of loud barking and howling (most of it from me trying to get them all to settle down) I gave up.

I returned to the kitchen poured another cup of coffee, which by this time needed to be heated up in the microwave, and proceeded to make a list of daily chores.  Not exactly the thing I wanted to do, but instead of just sitting and doing nothing I decided to get something done. 

My blahs, having a hold of me by the neck, weren't going to have anything to do with me getting active.  I ran water in the sink, but instead of doing dishes quickly and getting them out of the way,  my blahs said "Ah, it's better to let them soak for awhile, I'll just watch a little TV."  A half hour later and my coffee was done but my dishes weren't.  I got up and finally washed my dishes.  Then I got a spurt of energy, (must be the coffee finally working) and swept the floor, cleaned off the counter, wiped the table and picked up the living room.  Whew.  Time for another cup of coffee.

Which brings me to this point in time, to not my third (as I finally realized) but fourth cup of coffee that sadly is now also gone.  I will now make a determined point to stop drinking coffee or else I will end up either going to the bathroom all day or have a bad case of jitters and excess energy.  The excess energy doesn't sound bad, but I don't want to be shaky all day, and I certainly can think of better things to do than run to the Pot every few minutes.

Do I think I have a coffee addiction, probably.  But I think it mostly occurs on Mondays and Sundays.  Mondays because of the blahs, and Sundays because that is just what you do when you sit around Sunday morning, reading the paper and drinking hot yummy coffee.  I'm not the only person that has this problem.  My hubby, my best friends E & C (you know who you are) and lots of others are just as bad, if not worse.

At my age, the Doctors have taken away many of the guilty pleasures I loved, fattening desserts, alcohol and greasy foods, that coffee is really the only guilty pleasure that I can safely indulge in.  So to this end I say, Coffee Lovers of the World Unite. Indulge in one more cup of your favorite cup of JOE. Inhale that steamy aroma and savor the rich, mellow taste of that third cup of coffee.  Who knows coffee may even be good for you, in fact I think I read somewhere where coffee can cure what ails you or maybe that is just wishful thinking.

Til later, read a book, make love and eat chocolate.  (I wonder if they have it in coffee flavor.)

What Did You Make For Supper?

I am in a terrible rut.  I can never figure out what to make for supper.  You think it would be an easy task.  I've watched hundreds, if not thousands of cooking shows over the years.  I also have a few cookbooks (10 or 20) and I also have access to the Internet where there are millions of recipes just bouncing out in la-la land, waiting for my magic fingers to bring them to my computer screen.

You would think that with all this information it would be a snap to figure out what I want to make  for tonight's supper.  Not So.  I just get more confused, more unsure and more irritated with the more shows I watch, the more cookbooks I look at, and the more info I download.  It is a real pain in the behinder.

When I had my daycare meals were a snap.  I had menus and lots of ideas on what I wanted to cook.  Maybe it was easier because I had more people to cook for, husband, daughter, nieces and their friends.  We usually had a houseful.  It didn't matter if we had leftovers, someone would always eat them within a few days. It also might have been that I was a lot younger then and more willing to try new things.  I didn't mind all the mess that came with cooking and cleaning up after a big meal.

 But now with just the hubby and me,  I don't want leftovers because I'm the only one who is around to eat them.  Who wants to eat spaghetti three days in a row?!?!?!?  Well, I guess the only thing to do is go to meal plan M..........M as in McDonalds.  Yep, it is a good night for two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun and if you know what that is you are just as old as I am and I probably will be seeing you at McDonald's tonight too.

Until later, read a book, make love and eat chocolate ( they have chocolate shakes at McDonald's too!)

Why Do Dogs Climb Trees?

What a concept.  A dog that climbs a tree.  If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed.  But I'm getting ahead of the story.

I have a beautiful backyard, trees, grass, lilac bushes and lots of space to run around.  It is a very enjoyable place for human and furry friends to relax in. 

Last May, on Mothers Day, my family gave me a gorgeous big birdhouse that I put on a pole in my backyard.  All summer I waited for some bird family to move in and stake their claim on my birdhouse.  No such luck. Then I figured out what I was doing wrong.  You have to provide an incentive for the birds to come into your yard and eventually move into a new birdhouse. 

This idea sounded great.  I got a small bird feeder and filled it with a wild bird seed mix.  I waited and waited.  Finally yesterday I saw some cute little finches up on the birdhouse. Then they flew down to eat the bird seed from the feeder.  I was ECSTATIC.  But unbeknownest to me the trouble was just beginning.

It started out softly yesterday afternoon, with a small yip and yap.  "Darn squirrels,"  I thought, "getting the dogs all riled up again."  I ignored them.  The barking kept getting louder and more frantic, and I noticed that it wasn't coming from the fence but right next to the house down by my hugh lilac bush.  I went out to see what the commotion was all about.  Here were two of my crazy dogs frantically barking at the lilac bush.  I thought I would have to call the vet....they were barking at nothing.  But wait, the branch moved, and out popped a little cute grey finch.  Oh, how sweet I thought.  A dear little finch.  I told the dogs to shut up...but they kept barking.  I told them the finch was gone.  But they kept barking and circling the tree.....here is where the story takes on a whole new slant. 

Smokey, our female corgy mix, decided that enough was enough, went to the bottom of the lilac bush and launched herself up and started to climb up the tree.  I was AGHAST and ran over and pulled her out of the bush.  At that point in time, the bush exploded and millions (well it seemed like millions, but probably was only 50 or 60) tiny, frantic finches burst out and flew to the surrounding trees.  This caused mass confusion.  The dogs (all  four of them) ran from tree, to tree, to fence, to bush, yapping, howling and barking at the top of their lungs.  I don't know what the neighbors thought, but I turned around, walked quickly up my ramp onto my deck and hustled into my house, closing the door behind me.  I don't know about you.  But if anyone asks what was going on.....I am going to say that I was taking a nap and didn't hear a thing.

So, dogs can climb trees.....believe it or not.
  
Until next time read a book, make love and eat lots of chocolate.

It's a short post today

Today has been a very painful day, so all I am going to say is that Fibromyligia sucks. Period. End of Discussion.

I Love Wally World

Yes, I am in love with Walmart. Where else can you go and buy everything including a kitchen sink, be entertained for nothing, and have dinner at a  - 4 star restaurant.   I don't know about anyone else's Wally World, but ours here in Rapid City is probably one of the busiest in the world.  How do I know....They have said so.  No I don't believe everything their PR guys put out, but I have gone to shop at midnight and it is still as busy as it was earlier in the day

I love and hate shopping there.  I love the bargains I can get, and love the money I save.  I hate the empty shelves, long checkout lines and what I hate most of all are the bratty kids that try to run you down. 

Maybe its a game...."Let's get the old fart in the handicap cart."  I know the rules by heart. 

1.  No manners.  You (the bratty kid) are allowed to run in front of said cart, causing the driver to slam on the brakes.....but wait they don't have brakes.  This is where they get their first big score ( probably worth 20 points) and their first laugh.  The old fart (me) frantically lets off of the gas and with no brake is slamming their feet on the floor trying to get the cart to stop before they careen into something or someone and have a huge wreck (10 bonus points for a semi-messy crash). 

2.  Screaming at your friend while you are beside an old fart, rendering them deaf or deafer, whichever the case may be.  This is worth 15 points.

 3.  Ramming your cart into the back of a handicap cart.  This is a high scorer of 25 points.  It takes a certain talent to run down a cart that is only going 3 miles an hour at its max speed.  I don't know how they do it, they come out of nowhere, swerving, and sliding until they SMACK right into the back of the cart.  You (the old fart) are thrown forward and sideways, while trying to stay on the seat of the cart.  You valiantly hang on with one hand while shaking your fist vigorously in the air, and yelling at the young punk " Watch where you are going Stupid!!!"  But do you think this witty remark is sinking into those puny brains?  No!!!  All they can think of is the 25 points they just got for ramming into you. 

I am sure that there are more ways to score....but just thinking of those brats at Walmart has got my blood pressure pumping.  I wonder if I could mount a shotgun full of birdseed on one of those handicap carts.  I bet that would stop their little game fast...  "Hey Stupid come here and meet my little friend, Pepe....I've been waiting to run into you tonight....BWAHAHAHA!"

No, I wouldn't really do that, but a large ice water filled squirt gun would be really nice to have at my side when one of those kids starts to play the game.    Pow - Kerr - Splash!!!!....."What do you think of me now.....The old grey haired lady ain't such an easy target."

I bet we could start our own game....."Drown the Rude and Sassy Punks"   I bet we would have lots of joiners, we could branch out, go nationwide, no wait world wide.  I can see it now shirts with a  large squirt gun on them, hats with squirt guns on them, decals for your trucks and trailers.  Yeah, I know I am not being politically correct, and someone will label this as child abuse....but darn it....what about my abuse.

I think it's about time we old farts stand up for our rights.  And as soon as I can get a handicap cart (I've been waiting for one for 20 minutes, sitting calmly here on this bench in the entrance of Walmart),  I'm going to drive on in to Walmart, at 3 miles an hour, pedal to the metal and full speed ahead. The first kid that tries to take me out had better watch out cause I'm bringing in my butterfly cane.  I'm primed for beer - no I mean bear....ready for action.  I can and will cry......Whiplash.....Let's see how soon Walmart puts a stop to the old fart game, once they have had to pay for an ambulance ride, hospital bill and a hefty lawsuit.  Until tomorrow....read a book, make love and eat chocolate.

Why Do I Like My Yard?!?!?!?!

My yard is my escape.  I can sit on my covered deck and watch the world go by, read a book or just lay back and relax.  I like my yard. Most people going by don't even know that it is there hidden, behind that huge, tall, brown wooden fence.  I love the fact that only the front half of the yard, along the sidewalk and road, is concealed by my fence.  The rest of the yard is woven wire and my neighbors driveway runs along side of it. 

Hidden on my porch behind the fence I become a observer of life, a voyeur if you think about it. No, not like a dirty old man ( and no I am not a dirty old women).  I like to observe life, watch it unfold naturally around me. 

There are many things to observe from my porch.  They are building a hugh building across the street, and it has been really neat to see it go from a school being torn down, earth moved and pushed around, to the steel going up and taking the shape of the building it is now.  It has been fun watching all of the coming and goings of the different crews that have been working across the street.  Yes, there have been lots and I do mean lots of guys working over there.  So in that respect, the eye candy has been great most of the time.....though sometimes there were wider cracks over there than there are at the grand canyon. (Think of plumbers pants and you will get my drift.)

One of the best things about my yard, is watching my dogs playing, wrestling, and chasing each other.  The yard is big enough for all of them to wear themselves out.  There also are the sneak attacks that my dogs love to pull on unsuspecting passerbys.  The dogs can see out the fence cracks and will wait until a jogger, walker or someone with a dog walks by and gets really close to them.  Then they start attack barking, you would think that a pack of rabid dogs was coming over the fence after you.  It is hilarious,  people jump, scream or take off running.  I know my dogs are rolling on the ground laughing and high fiving each other, each and every time they do this.    I know I should feel bad and make them stop, but it is just to darn funny!!!!  Yes, I  do the token "You guys need to stop that", but I'm usually laughing to hard to be serious.

Yes, my yard is great.  It doesn't matter the season, time or day, I enjoy being outside.  Big shady trees, green grass and lots of entertainment.  What more could I ask for......well, maybe a box of chocolate now and then.  Until tomorrow, read a book, make love and eat lots of chocolate.

Don't Do Dishes In The Tub!!!!

Weird tittle  - Yep, well it has been a couple of weird days.  Last week was a wash.  I didn't write in the blog because I usually ran out of time during the day, and I was to sad to write anything.  But today is a new day and the second day of a new week.

I bet you are wondering what the heck my tittle is talking about.  Well, let me tell you.  It all started late Sunday afternoon.  Here I was minding my own business, trying to finish a load of laundry.  I was sitting at the kitchen table when, you know when you hear something thing that isn't quite right and it tickles the back of your brain. I couldn't place the weird noise I was hearing.  It sounded like a fountain.  I don't have a fountain in my house,  at least I thought I didn't have one.  I followed the noise and BEHOLD.....the fountain.   Coming out of the drain at the back of my washer was a stream of soapy water, bellowing and frothing up and out of the drain all over the floor, the washer and down the wall.  Well Heck!!!!

Keeping my calm, I did think to turn off the washer (barely) and headed down the hall (to grab towels to soak up the mess) bellering  and screeching at the top of my voice "David I need You!"  Well, he comes running from outside thinking that I'm dieing or I have caught the house on fire....It only happened once, and I wasn't entirely to blame - he skidded  to a stop, gasping for air, eyes bulging, looking around for what ever the emergency was.  Here is where men and women think and react differently to things.  To me, my house flooding is a problem....to him, it is a minor inconvenience.....I'm in panic mode and he just calmly looked over the situation. 

To make a long story short.  Plugged drain.  After he and a friend worked 4 hours trying to unplug it without success.  The snake (weird name for a unclogger) they tried to use was only 20 feet long and was to short to reach the plug.   I called a drain guy, actually he was a drain girl. She and her crew worked for only 15 minutes, used a 26 1/2 foot long snake and charged  $69.00. 

So the moral of this story is that I had to do my dishes in the bathroom tub, because men still try to say their "snake" is this long _________________________  when in reality it is only this long ___________.
(Just joking Honey) And that is why I had to do dishes in the bathtub. 

So until tomorrow, read a book, make love and eat chocolate.