Chubbie Hubbie decided to go into business.

Well its been awhile. I do mean awhile. My sweet Chubbie Hubbie has opened his very own law firm. He and his friend are as they say "living together but not ready to commit" into a partnership. Really they are just having one big frat party. I on the other hand have to be the house mother and clap my hands to keep them on task. You think I'm kidding. Well the new firm where we happily live off others mistakes and general misery is up and running. Mary Hannah is home this summer running taxi for her brother. Sweet baby boy is going to acting school. He loves it! The ham he is. Mary Hannah aka sparklie will be starting her Senior year at Texas A & M. Still kinda ticks me I have an Aggie. An Aggie with good grades though. What in heck is an Aggie anyway. Who knows but we have one and about 100,000 t shirts to prove it. Jack made it out of 1st grade and we only had to go to the school and scare them 2 times. I am learning lots. I told one Mr. Max that Dresden High did not prepare me to run a law firm and since he really has no place to be he can just help me. So far so good. Check out the Chubbie Hubbie at www.thecowtownlawyer.com. He's all cute and laid back in his pictures but don't let that fool you. He's mean as a snake. Not to me of course he's scared of me. The misery crowd though .. not so much. I have learned many things as I said. I learned that sometimes no matter how big your check is .. you have no where to put it and can't beg anyone to take it and you have to beg and call your brother in law to help you. Cause you are to dumb to figure it out. Thanks EARL. I learned all about trust accounts and operating accounts. I also learned if you need a mani/pedi and you forgot the debit card that belongs to your own self. ( cause you gave it to sparklie to go to College Station and she's holding it hostage) You can sure whip out that business card to pay. *wink wink* I would never ever do that though. The best think I learned through this is .... if I take my pay check to the bank, some bored teller says DL please and pretty much ignores me. I roll in with the trust check and they get me a chair and offer me a drink and throw cards at me. I kind like that. I have a new appreciation for the janitorial staff. DO you have any idea how hard it is to pick up 4000 staples? HARD AS HELL! Don't swipe those off in the floor or you will be crawling places you can't fit to pick the darn things up. I learned that middle aged men just loveeeeeeeee to act like little boys and they are hard to keep on task. I learned that advertising is expensive and is a pain to "go live". Still not sure about that "go live" thing but its up. Its working and I guess its alive. I have heard that chubbie hubbie and his fellow frat lawyers love to lunch! Geez louise bring a sandwich will you. They can't though because I made them move the drink fridge out of the conference room cause it was ugly. My house is missing furniture because chubbie hubbie needed it in the office. This is a learning curve for sure. He's so happy with his new digs. I think I did pretty well. Seems Chubbie Hubbie has worked really really hard to get his new home away from home up and going. Me .... I got him moved, filled my antique booth, painted some furniture, and did a wedding. Talented I know ...hear me roar! Well for now I'm pooped but I had to blog as I have not in so long they were going to shut me down and well we could not let that happen. I'll try to do better for my fans. I was not ignoring you when you ask for a new blog entry... well actually I was ... I just didn't have time.

Knee Surgery and Various Asundry moments from a visit home!

Well first of all I'm writing my blog today on a blue background.  They say Blue is a calming color.

You know my funniest stuff comes from the parentals.  Well here we go.  My mama decided she needed to have surgery to replace her knee.  So the phone rings and I hear " Denna, I'm going to do it.  My knee is killing me.  I'm going to have knee replacement surgery.  

Now folks, my first thought was "oh s*%#".  I quickly recovered from my thoughts and said " OK mom when are you going to do this?"  Big K assured me it would not be for a month or so.  That worked out well for me.   I again needed to rearrange my work schedule and get my kiddo and husband ready for my absence.

The best part of this story would be the next statement.  "Now you don't need to come".  RIGHT! Uh HUH! I tell her "no mom I'll be there just give me a month to get ready.  I'll take a week off 'and come and stay with you and daddy." Her next famous words were " oh no , we don't need any help we will be fine."  Again, uhhhh huhhhh. 

So I go home from work and inform the worlds best Chubbie Hubbie.  I will be going to my mama and em's for at least a week. I will leave sometime next month depending on when she schedules the surgery.  Big K has assured me that it will be at least a month.

Ring ringggggggggg the phone.  Its Big K.  "Guess what I scheduled my surgery".  I said "oh OK mom what day."  Big K says "well next week".   NEXT WEEK! I can't do next week.  I have work, kids in school, Sparklie is coming home.  Bill has a crap load of court. Oh OH GOD OH GOD! What am I gonna do.
I'm thinking all this and trying to breath and Big K says.  "Now don't worry I'll be fine".  FAMOUS LAST WORDS!

So when the breath returns to my body. Large body as it is.  I say "no I'll get everything taken care of here and I'll be there."  Chubby hubbie is looking at me like a big eyed puppy.  Jack is running circles around him and Sparklie is calling on my cell phone.  OK, to reassure them one at the time is going to take hours.

Chubbie hubbie gets right on the phone and gets me a flight out.  Here we go plans are on.  So I have my flight and I of course have to work all week and get to the Wal-Marts.  I have no idea why but anytime I go on a trip I have to go to "the Wal-Marts".
That's just the way it is.  

Travel day is here and Stacey and Madelyn are awaiting me at Memphis airport.  We leave and head for Palmersville.  Stacey is still laughing at me.  I want to kill her .  Instead I tell her how its not funny.  So we start to make plans.  I will stay with daddy at home. ( so we can make sure he doesn't scarf all the the Twinkies and good stuff he can't have) Stacey will work make food runs.  Check on us and get daddy to dialysis.  Ohhhh the best laid plans.

So 5 am the next morning we are off.  I haven't seen 5 am in a long time.  Here we go.  Mom, dad and myself.  Stacey is coming after she gets Madelyn settled.  We get to the hospital and of course there is a delay.  Mom finally goes to surgery and we go for lunch.  

There it begins.... My mama BIG K.  Comes back from surgery screaming.  Now she knows this is going to be a hard surgery.  She is fully aware of the implications of knew replacement.  She's done a few in her time. 

She enters the room screaming "rub my leg"!!!!!!!!!!!. I have ruined myself.!!!!!!!!!!!!!! " Omg ...I'm trying to tell her to be calm and rest and she's screaming "rub my foot, rub my knee, hold my leg".  So here I stand rubbing her foot telling her I can't rub her leg because she's going to get a blood clot.  We she looks at me with eyes of the devil and says " I DON'T CARE RUB IT".
This is my point where my baby girl sister gets up.  I think OK, she's going to help me.  She did .. sure enough... she got me a chair so I could rub Big K's leg. My dad is worried to death and my mama is screaming.  Finally they knock her ass out! and I mean OUT!

So whew, bullet dodged.  OK so she's sleeping and I take daddy home because baby sister had to go get her wee one.  Little did I know that drive from Paris to Palmersville and back would be the most pleasant 2 hours of my week.

I get back mom is snoozing.  I have this we are good.  Just as that thought pops into my head, I hear... "Denna I have to pee".  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOOOOOOOOOooo oh god.  OK mom let me get a bed pan.  NOPE  I HAVE TO GET UP!  Oh lord, help me.  OK, so I finally get her to use a bedpan.  I dumped the bed pan, clean sheets all a round.  This is the way it will go all night because my mom TOOK HER LASIX before surgery! Really she's a nurse and she takes Lasix before surgery.  I want to kill her. 

Chipper PT person comes in and says its time to get up.  SHE DID.  I was amazed but Big K hopped right up outta that bed and proclaims "I'm a tough old bird".  Well yea, right then she was.  When the epidural wears off we will see.  

Mom was good all day.  Got up walked I was quite amazed!  That CPM machine was whipping up and down like a see saw gone nuts and she was not even complaining. Dang I thought she is tough! 

Well turns out 3rd day .... no epidural pain relief.  I mean NONE! She was hurting, it was awful.  So her doctor gave her some new meds.  Pain meds.  She does not take pain meds so it made her crazy as a Betsy bug.  Nuttier than a fruit cake.  Loony as a loony tune.  

My mama showed her "hoo Hoo" to everyone.  She was riding her motorcycle she could not get off it because her DAMN kids tear everything up and her motorcycle was shiny and red and she didn't want no scratches on the DAMN motor cycle.  Yes folks ... that's exact words right there.  My dad just looked at me.  I shrugged and said "OK mom keep going but don't fall off and hurt your knee".   

Well we made it pretty good until she decided to go to Sears to get a new dress.  "Denna help me up we are going to Sears".   I said, "no mom we are not going to Sears today." Mom said " oh yes we are".  I said, "oh no we are not".  She just kept on and on and finally I said "NO we are not Sears SUCKS!"  Big K said "OK hateful" and went to sleep.

So here we go again.  Nutty Big K.  She was off the wall nuts.  Her friends and co workers would call and she would start yelling "Why are they calling, Pam Edwards needs to call she's my friend.  Only one in this world who cares a thing about me".  I'd have to hang up real fast so her friends couldn't hear all the bad stuff she was saying about them.  

Every 5 minutes she would ask "Did Pam call".  I reply "yes mom".  Big K " I don't know why Pam won't call she's my friend", I'd say "mom she did call".  Then she would complain that Jack was too loud and to tell him to hush.  I did call Pam.  I'd been out in the hallway telling her how crazy as hell my mother was.

At this point I'm about to kill myself and get it over with and I see on T.V. that a tornado has hit my neighborhood.  You know I could have gone all day.  So Jack is at school on lock down, Bill is in Ft worth and I call grandma who is in the closet hunkered down and will call me back later.  DO YOU KNOW HOW HELPLESS FEELS! I sure did.  

Well Big K survived, I survived, I ended up in Tennessee for 3 weeks instead of 1 week.  I was an experience.  I guess the best part was the morning I woke up and couldn't move.  I was sleeping with my mother to help her get up and down.  Seems my dad got up in the night to go potty and got in his bed.  So here we are.  I'm like really mom!  She said we were bonding.  I say I don't want to bond anymore!  I wanna go home. 

Note to self.  Crawl before you have knee surgery! There will be more references to these 3 weeks of my life in future blogs. There was just too much good stuff to cover. "rolls eyes"

Mama and Daddy were here...

Well its been a week, that's about all I can say about last week.  My Mama and Daddy came for a visit.  Now, I know you all don't realize the implication of this.  So I'll fill you in. 

A few weeks ago my Mama called and said "your daddy wants to come out there".   I think I remember saying "what did you say again?  I don't think I heard you right.  You coming here?!" 

Mama said " Yes, your daddy wants to come out and see you, where Sparklie goes to school and some wild horses."  Wild horses?  Yes, she said "wild horses".  OKKKKKKK well when are you coming?  I ask.  She said ... OK folks are you ready for this...

"sometime near the end of the month of September.  It could be the last weekend or the weekend before or maybe during the week before that.  I'm thinking to myself OMG i have to keep my house clean for 2 damn weeks just in case they happen to show up? ( sighsssss and cusses and sighsss some more.)

Well I rearrange my schedule at work.  Which was a pain for my work but we did it. I have now taken off the last weekend in September.  I took of Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  I make Bill clear his schedule for the same days.  I don't give a big yahoo, who is getting a divorce this week.  They have been married this long he can get a continuance and they can wait one more!  So I call Big Kay (mama) and tell her.  She said " oh well I think your daddy wants go to Sparklie's first."  That will not work I tell her as that is Sparklie's birthday and she is coming home.  I have cleared my schedule a couple of divorces and a mediation for people who hate each other and needed Bill to take care of it. So I say to her like a suggestion that is all her idea. Big K ask Big D ( daddy) if this will work.  I hear some yelling and cussin in the background.  He's yelling he will go where he wants. When he wants and all that guff.  (kinda hard since he can't drive and is dependant on mom) So I tell her, "tell him to just hush" I also tell her be better put on his happy pants cause I'm not listening to his bullcrap".  She must have told him cause he hushed up. OOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo I've never had this kinda power with daddy.  I know he has just hushed up cause he's sulkin. 

It's decided they will be here on Thursday.  OK, I worked Monday, cleaned on Tuesday.  Mom called and said we are staying at your house.  I'm surprised as they never stay here.  No, they don't stay with me (thanks be to god) because I have dogs.  I tell her , "mom that's great and we would love to have you, BUT our dogs live here 365, you are visiting and I'm not boarding them."  She says "umm ok". 

So Thursday arrives, I have a few errands to run and I know they left on Wednesday.  I'm in a hurry to get to Ft. Worth and back home.  I call mom and say "where are you".  Are you ready for this folks?  Big Kay says ... somewhere in Oklahoma.  OKLAHOMA! What the hell?  She said, "yes, we wanted to see Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Its so pretty up there, we loved it."  I said, "OK then how did you get to OKLAHOMA!"  She said "umm wrong turn and we just kept driving."  I ask mom, "OK where are you now."  She said "somewhere called Hugo, Oklahoma".  Now, I have no freakin idea where Hugo, Oklahoma is.  I tell her "I'll check in later". 

So I go home to clean some more because with Big Kay you can never be clean enough.  I go home and start some laundry.  I had washed all the sheets yesterday because they were supposed to be here YESTERDAY! Dear Hubby and I slept in our bed anyway that night and of course the dogs too.  Well i notice this big spot of some dog hair.  Don't think I didn't get out the lint roller and get that right out of my bed and make it right up pretty for my mama. 

Its been about 2 hours so I call my mom and say ..."where are you at" she said ... ARE YOU READY FOR THIS ONE... Paris, Texas!  I said "OMG from Oklahoma?"  She said, "don't worry we will get there."  At this point I'm not so sure. In 6 hours they might call from Canada!

So now they have turned right at Arkadelphia, Arkansas and driven to Hot Springs ( where its pretty ), then they hit the wrong highway (even with gps) and went to Hugo, Oklahoma, now they have gone south to Paris, Texas.  So they are basically traveling in a zig zag pattern. I tell her OK and to be careful.

Fast forward two more hours.  I call.  Daddy answers the phone and hell he can't hear me.  He passed the phone to my mom who is driving and dropping the phone it sounds like,  while beating it on the dash.  I hear Hey ... hello?  denna?  hello?  ( rolling my eyes) I say hey!  where are you.  Ya'll ready for this!?  Sherman, Texas.  SHERMAN! , I say how the hell did you get to Sherman.  My mama ,I kid you not says.. "umm we drove".  Now folks I know she drove ... she drove in a straight pattern west to Sherman after zig zaggin through Arkansas and Oklahoma.  She should have driven southwest to FORT FREAKIN WORTH, I take a deep breath!  OK mom, so south hit 35 and come straight to Ft. Worth.  ( i sound like the parent of joy riding children).  I call my sister and while laughing through her tears she says " I have no idea what they are doing, you have fun, glad its you bye!"

FINALLY, 3 and a half hours later I get the call.  Hey we are in Ft. Worth.  I ask mom "can you get to my house from there".  She said ( are you ready this is classic) Oh, sure Denna we have the GPS!" I was thinking well your GPS is all screwed up for sure then. 

So they roll in and I hear them.  OMG they knocked on the door! Really.... I know your coming and you are my parents just open the door.  ( they might have been thinking of making a run for the border or something)  So mom and dad are here.  The gave new meaning to the scenic route but they are here.  Safe sound in one piece.  Daddy heads to the recliner and falls asleep.  My mom says see that's all he does! and then precedes to go to every room in the house and inspect for dirt ( even closets) and offers to wash the one load of laundry I have left.   She did say, "now is that bed clean cause I can't sleep where the dogs have been." I said ummmm YEP fresh and clean." mumbling with a little help from the lint roller.!"

So, here we are, Daddy asleep in the recliner and mom wandering around looking for dirt and I'm thinking omg what day are you all going home?

More on this adventure later!

One I felt I needed to write and share to make myself feel better.

I write this blog with saddness.  I like to write funny blogs full of witty (or not) things that I think you all will enjoy reading.  Today, that is not the case. 

I had a good friend once, like we all do in High school.  We had way too much fun together.  More than my mama and her grandma would have liked.  We were from different town's.  I'm not real sure how we met.  I was dating someone Gleason Tennessee and thats where she lived and Gleason wasn't really very far up the road.  We became fast friends one summer.  I always thought she was so pretty.  She had the "good hair".  Everyone knows someone with the "good hair".   Not a stran out of place.  She was kind and sweet. 

We went to Florida one summer with her grandparents.  We had a great trip and it was so much fun.  It was the first time that I had ever been that far away from my parents.  We were in Florida for 2 weeks.  Man, did we have a ball.  The biggest memory of that trip was that her grandfather had a heart attack while we were there and was unable to drive us home.  Well I had my brand spanking new paper license.  That's what they used to give you back then.  It was all folded up and ready to use.  Her Grandpa had  big ol Poniac Bonniville before they were small.  Green in Color and drove like a boat.  You see my friend didn't have her license yet.  Her big 16 had not arrived. 

So her Grandma informed me I would be driving home.  Now, I called my mama and I'm sure she about crapped.  She didn't say anything other than "be careful".  So we set out on our way home.  My mom and her Grandma said to stop.  She and I "not stopping".  Two teenage girls drove all night from St. Augustine, Florida to Gleason, Tennessee.  We stopped maybe twice.  We went through a road block in Valdosta, Georgia and the policeman ask to see my license.  You know, I pulled that big sheet of paper out.  Proud as can be.  He looked in the back seat and saw her Grandparents asleep.  He said " how far do you girls have to go".  I was really serious when I said "Sir I'm not sure but I'm supposed to pull into a truckstop when I get to the Georgia/Tennessee state line and my daddy is going to tell me where to go from there".  He said "be careful girls and don't stop for anyone".  Now, don't you know he thought "what the hell kinda parents do they have".  We trudged happily on.

We made it home in one piece and her Grandfather was much better.  Like all or some high school friendships we grew apart.  I talked to her several years later and when I ask about her Grandmother she informed me that she had died of a massive heart attack.  She took this very hard.  She was raised by her grandparents and if she had parents I never met them and she didn't talk about them.  Her Grandfather died later and it seemed she was all alone.  She married the guy she was goo goo over in high school after that.  I didn't like him much then and now I don't really remember why.  I didn't talk to her for several more years.  She Divorced and worked and lived just like we all do.

I would talk to her every few years or run into her at the grocery story when we were home to visit.  I used to tease her that she still that that "good hair".  She would laugh and ask about my kids and what was going on and I'd do the same.  She would ask when I was returning home and I'd tell her and she would say " well come see me before you go".  I'd say ok, but I never did.

Fast forward to last Saturday,  I was working but wasn't really busy so I logged up my email.  With that popped out a chat box from Yahoo.  I don't ever really chat.  I saw the box pop up and it was her.  She was checking her email when I came online.  We chatted briefly.  She was telling me how school had started and she liked her job at the school in Mckenzie where she was a teachers aide.  We talked about the weather and she ask about my parents.  We even joked about that long ago trip we took.  We talked about her grandma and how I missed living in a small town and she said "well I have to run, next time your home COME AND SEE ME".  Again I said "I'll try but you know its just hard to get around to everyone. I usually fly in and out quick."  She laughed and said " I wish I could fly out". 

We said goodbye and I went back to work.

On Tuesday I was reading my local paper from home online.  One headline caught my eye.  Gleason Couple Killed in Apparent Murder Sucide.  I of course went to the page to click as I know lots of people from there.  I was shocked to learn that sometime on Sunday the police were called to Devnee Reene Reeder's house.  Her boyfriends brother had found her and her boyfriend dead from  gunshot wounds. 

As,  I sit here and write this I'm tearful.  I remember that beautiful girl who had the "good hair" in high school.  The friend that I spent so much time with and had so much fun with.  This person whom I had known so well but failed to keep in touch with.  She was now no longer with us.
There is no moral or happy ending to this story.  I sit here and think how Blessed I am to have healthy children.  A good marriage, a nice house, a job, and my life has turned out really well.  I have the same worries that everyone else does.  The bills pile up, Mary Hannah is in college making her own decisions.  So far she's doing well. Rennee will never have anymore worries.  Her life was cut very short by a selfish person.  I just simply can not wrap my head around this.

Renee had her own issues ... gosh don't we all.  She alawys was ready to strike up a converstation and go right back to when we were 16 again.  I'm so sorry that her life is over and I'm so sorry I never took her up on her offer to come over sometime and see her home.  I'm so sorry she did not reach out to me.  Not sure what I would have done but I'd have tried.  I'm so sorry that I didn't pay more attention when I would see her out and about during my visits. Most of all I'm sorry I am unable to attend her funeral.  I posted some pictures I had of her.  These pictures were taken in Florida on that "great" trip.  One was taken in my parents front yard under her favorite big tree.


R.I.P
Devnee "Reene" Reeder

 Floriday Trip 1986
Renee Reeder and Denna Branson

 This one in front of the big tree.  This is how I remember her.

my old friend

Well its BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!

Well its back to school time for my kiddo's, actually its first day of Kindergarten for Jack Branson.  It's 1st day of classes for sweet sparklie at college.  We drove out to Amarillo last week get Sparklie all ready for her second year of college.  Now I say we.  What I mean is , I followed Sparklie to college 7 hours on the road.  During this 7 hours, I had to call her several times to tell her to slow down!  This was the conversation.  Sparklie : Hello MOM!
Mom:       Sparklie slow down, I'm not paying another ticket!
Sparklie:  MOmmmmmmmmm I'm only going 74. I have my cruise set.
Mom:        Really there must be something wrong with my car, because my cruise is set on 75 and  I can't even see you there up ahead of me.
Sparklie:  wow must be something wrong then. 
Mom:  I'm tellin you IF YOU GET A TICKET YOU WILL PAY  IT!
Sparklie: CLick!
Mom:   ( some ugly words I should not type) did she hang up on me?

Must have worked because in about oh 5 minutes I'd catch up with her and after about 10 min of driving normal she'd be gone again.... sighs!

Now I realize all you are wondering why 2 cars?  Common sense would say "ride with Sparklie and fly home".  Yes, that would be more efficient.  If you know Sparklie, you realize why I had to drive.  No, I'm not afraid to ride with her.  ( well much)  Yes, I know the way to Borger, Texas.  The problem was none of that.  The issue is Sparklie had too much CRAP!  This being her Sophmore year and all you'd think she had learned to pair it down a bit.  NOPE! We had the things she had to have, the stuff she couldn't live without and the crap she should have left at home!

She did post a picture of all her crap! It stretched down the hall from her bedroom, into the den and stopped just at the front door.  My freinds thats about a huge stretch of house.  TO quote her "mom it looks like a pink zebra threw up".  Yes, friends it did.  We had boxes (packing boxes) of shoes, purses, jewlery, and her trunk and back seat were full of clothes.  We had containers of makeup and other essential stuff.

Packed and ready here we go.  So we get to the red light in Burleson, Texas and my phone rings.  It's Sparklie, she says .... "mom I wish we had walkie talkies then we could talk to each other"?  Really, really, Sparklie i say, "we have cell phones".  To this she replies " oh yeah, never mind"!

Sparklie's pile!

This was going to be a long day.

Fast forward 7 hours.  Here we are Borger, Texas.  Hotel checked into and off to the campus.  All the handy dandy dorm forms filled out.  Thank goodness Sparklie is on the livestock judging team.  Thanks be to gawd there were boys around who liked Sparklie.  I only had to carry a lamp.  THANKS JAKE, JW and whoever that othern was.  So we get the boxes in and begin to unload.  Its not going to fit I say.  Sparklie insist it WILL FIT.  She did it. I have no idea how but she did.  I counted 4 pairs of Sperry's, 4 boot bags, about 100 flip flops, some sandals, some stiletto's and one pair of running shoes.  GEEZ I put up 3 count them 3 bags of jewlery.  Now 3 bags of jewlery does not sound like an excessive amout if you are talking sandwich baggies.  NOOOOOOOOOOOOooo! 3 bags of jewlery ... 3 bags that fold out and contain 12 more bags! That would be 36 containers of Jewlery!~  REally?  Now do you see why I call her sparklie?

So we get this room all set up and I'm pooped.  Sparklie no way is she pooped.  Sparklie is having a rip roarin fit cause her best bud Miss Bailee aka Sparlie Bestie is not on campus yet.  I said well Sparklie it is a long way from UTAH.  Sparklie was under the impression that they should arrive at the same time.  I think she wanted  Bailee's mom to skip Colorado altogether.  She did inform me that they would need help unloading the Trailer!  Seems Baillee brougth all her things in her Horse trailer along with her horses.  ( Bailee is also on the rodeo team and former Miss Rodeo Utah contestant)  I just roll my eyes and say ... Really?

Sparklie AKA Mary Hannah at the "fancy Wal Mart

I was finally able to talk Sparklie into tearing away for some food.  This was a chore as she wanted pink glitter material made into a canopy over her bed.  ( don't even think i didn't do this, you know i did) 

So we get up the next morning and Sparklie needs her 2 hours to get ready.  I have no idea how she woke up so early as she did not come back to the hotel until well after 2.  She did it though and ts off to Amarillo.  We had to go to Amarillo,"its where the fancy walmart is".  ( i'm still laughing about a "fancy walmart")   To Wal Mart to spend the rest of my money.  A refrigerator, and 30 bottles of hairspray along with some pink towels and rug, we were ready.  To check out.  OMG~!  It should not cost so much to be so sparklie.

Well she's in, meal plan is paid.  I'm hoping she eats there at least once this semester.  I'd like to know I at least got one meal out of the $1300.00 meal plan.  It does
not look promising.  I tell ya folks not at all.

So she's at college and I haven't heard from her since.  I did call but she couldn't hear me for the noise.  Seems she was at the bar and you know you just can't talk to your mama from the bar.  To much loud noise from what I understood.

Sweet Darlin's first day of school!

Fast Forward Tuesday, Jack Branson's first day of Kindergarten.  Yes YEs I know I was the OLDEST parent there.  ( I did call my sister Stacey to let her know what to expect when baby Madelyn went to school as she will be old too )  Jack was not looking forward to this school business.  He informed me this morning as he was putting on his freshly ironed new school clothes " i don't need to go to school.  I know how to build lego's"  He's does have a point, I don't think there is a lego buildin class at his school.  I hope his teacher notices his sharply ironed shorts and polo in the uniform colors. I sure hope cause there will be no more ironing of the school cloths.  Gotta look good on the first day cause you can't go lookin all trashy on the first day.  My friend Terri Fulton had to fight he battle with her baby girl Bella.  Seems Bella wanted to wear her princes dress, click clack heels and some lipstick for her first day of school.  Her mama is not going to let her look trashy either.  I saw her picture in a pretty little sundress.  Who knows tomorrow it may be click clack heels.  2nd day ... meh who cares.  Teacher now knows we own an iron.  Dosen't mean I'm ever going to use it again. Heck, I didn't this time.  Dear Hubby did.  See all the military experience came in really handy!  He irons everything!

So we packed Mr. picky eater a lunch and then it hits me oh nooooooooooooo.  Dear hubby left the bran new Buzz Lightyear back pack at school in sweet darlins locker.  Now I say "dear hubby ( you big dummy) he has no back pack.  What is the most important thing to take to school the first day?  Dear hubby looks skeptically at me and says ummmmmm yourself?  NOOOOOOOOOOO NOOOOOOo its a brand new back pack.  Now, our sweet darlin is going to look like we couldn't afford a back pack.  He's stuck with only that ugly Yoda Star Wars lunch box.  Poor darlin is going to have a complex~!

These events seemed to bother me more than Dear hubby ( he don't care if the sun don't shine) and sweet darlin, I don't think he knew he needed a backpack.  So he had to carry his folder and his lunch in his hands.  No backpack!  sighs...

Today was not like when I took Sparklie to Kindergarten.   I got to walk Sparklie to class and see her goodies and meet her teacher.  Nooooooooooooo, we were corralled in this room ( small room) and all the kids had to sit in the floor while parents lined the walls and looked pitiful.  I was not looking pitiful.  NOPE I got a raise today, no more day care at $550 a month! woohooooo I'm lovin this kindergarten!  Now sweet Darlin, he planted his little feet and said ummmm NO.  I had to think quick, I told him its going to be fun and when you get all finished for the day Mommy will be right here to pick you up.  I don't think he believed me.  There was some pushing, prodding and begging but he finally went to sit down.  So Dear Hubby and i waited outside he door.  We waited until his cute little teacher left the room with all her little ones in a line.  As sweet Darlin came out he glared at me. YES GLARED! I told Dear Hubby, o man is he mad!  SO we left and we haven't had a call and its almost time to and pick him up and try to talk him into going back tomorrow.  I took the picture of the first day of school.  I only took 7 tries to talk him into smiling.  This is going to be a challenge I think.  Sparklie was ready to go and begging to go to school from the time she was 3.  Jack not so much!

Here we go! I think I may have to stand on my soap box a little today.

I think I may have to get out my "SOAP BOX" and stand on it a little today.

I have very strong opinions about some things.  There are things that make me mad, things that make me shake my head and laugh, and things that really don't matter.  The latter of these 3 fall under the category of "well hell you ask didn't you".

People I have found want my opinion sometimes and then they get really mad and decide I'm ignorant.  Usually this ignorance happens when I don't agree with their point of view.   Every knows I'm a facebook junkie.  I love the facebook.  Its where I get all my news and gossip.  I think with out facebook whewww weee.  My mama Sue and I would be in some serious trouble.  You see I read it and report it and she and I discuss it.  That's just the way it goes.

Every time we post we give an opinion!  I give opinions without being ask.  YOUR WELCOME.  It's just me.  If you don't like it, well then delete me.  I was getting along fine without you before facebook, I'm sure I can survive again without knowing, what your eating, when you are pottying and well who your dating sleeping with or who you just loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee to listen to their music.  Now don't get me wrong.  I like to read these things.  The real issue comes in when you want to pretend you are my Mama and you get on to me or put me down for being stupid and having ignorant opinions that no one else has. 

America has lost our ability to debate.  We have lost our sense of humor and we are all out to prove we know wayyyyyyyyyyyy more than anyone else in the world on any subject even if we know nothing about it.

Case in point, Yesterday on a web site that I frequent there was a post with a picture of a dog.  Now I'm sure someone out there thinks its a very lovely dog.  I made the comment that this dog ( yes it was a pit bull and yes i have 2 of them ) was very scary looking.  I guess what I should have done was gone all politically correct and said.... Wow! That dog with the big chain around his neck who is so muscular that he looks like he's on a "roid binge" Looks like he could possibly scare someone who is uneducated, scared of pit bulls, and thinks you need to walk them with a logging chain and call them HOMIE.  I'm so sorry they have portrayed a dog to look like this.  Now lets all hop on the band wagon and educate all the ignorant people who are not as smart as you and I.  OH yes and if you want one save your pennies, all you brave children cause they cost thousands and because you are so fricken ignorant and know nothing of what is scary ... well you can't afford it anyway.  Then at that time you will have to go to a rescue and just get a dog that is a good fit and might be pretty .. sorry you are stupid, poor, ignorant and can't afford the well bred, large, toothy animal who has to be walked with a logging chain.  I guess that is what I should have said.

What I actually said is ... WOW! that dog looks scary.  I did not say that the dog looks like he's a vicious killer and that's why some people are afraid of them.   No i said that dog looks scary.

When people think of the "pit bull" that is what they think of.  Case in point.. my friend Tracy he was worried that my sweet pitties would eat my children's faces off.  He got right on his band wagon and started fussing at me and giving his OPINION.  Now, did I say oh Tracy you ignorant uneducated human being?  No, I did not.  I tried to let him know what I knew and forwarded him some research.  I did not call him ignorant or stupid.  He's not . He's well educated.  What I did do was continue to send him pictures and laugh when he made comments about my dog eating my children.  I then went on vacation .. you guessed it! We went to his restaurant on a trip through Tennessee.  HE SURE ENOUGH DID KISS MY DOG RIGHT ON THE LIPS! Now, is he still afraid of "pit bulls"?  Not as much.  I don't kid myself that he is going to run right out and grab up a few from the pound and say wooooooooooohooooooooo got me a family dog here.  No he's not, he's not because he has see the HOMIES of the world with loggin chains around their neck and a big spike collar and he has reservations.  Just as we all would.

I am not an expert on Pit Bull Terriers.  I am an expert on my dogs.  I have 3 Judge, Sierra and Caleb.  Sierra and Caleb being Pit bull terriers or so I'm told.  They are the sweetest animals I have ever owned.  They snuggle and the give me kisses everyday.  They have not eaten my children.  They are good dogs and I am a good owner.  That is the key.

As for the "they cost thousands", Am I supposed to be impressed that someone would pay thousands for a dog. Ummmm

If you would like a dog any dog, please research and don't depend on the facebook experts with all the opinions to educate you.  Talk to rescues and read and read and if you want a pittie baby call Lisa Durden I can give you her email.  I have found that folks who spout all about their vast knowledge really really are just spouting.  If they aren't well we tend to shut our ears after the first 5 post when they are letting us know how ignorant we really are.

There are lots of things I don't agree with folks on.  That's why its so fun to debate these issues.  Sometimes we actually might change our opinions and sometimes we don't.  We do usually come away knowing something about the subject that we did not before.   So if you post something and don't want a comment of an opinion, that's your fault.  Don't post it and no one will comment.  What it comes right down to is everyone wants to weigh in and talk about it or we wouldn't be on this facebook thingy anyway.  So go ahead and post some stuff and I'll decide if I want to share my opinion.  If myself and 100 billion others do, please don't take it out of context.  If you don't agree and they get mean and hateful do what I do.  Hold your finger on the delete button and punch it real hard.  Always makes me feel better.  After all Ignorance is BLISS!

National Go Braless Day ... your kidding right

Walks up, takes out a soap box and stands on it ... Begins...

So I was looking at my facebook and oh, how I love my facebook.  Seems my friends seem to be celebrating Flip Flop day, Ronald McDonald House day etc... now I am all for these things but really I wear flip flops everyday.  I have that kinda job.  I throw my change in the "help support Ronald McDonald house thingy" and well quite frankly I'm lucking to know if its Monday, Tuesday or Friday.  I'm always asking someone "what day is this"?  So tonight I'm looking at m handy dandy facebook.  You all know that's where I get all my Tennessee and Texas gossip to share with Mama Sue.  Mama Sue and I  we sure do love some gossip.  I call her everyday and the very first thing I say is "whats the gossip lady"?  She will then share some juicy tidbit.  Now I know Sharon Tennessee and Weakley county are small but you know they have some GOOODDD i dee clare gossip!

So here i was all facebookin and lookin at everyones pictures and tryin to be all nosy and scope out peoples page that i'm not a friend of and who are not as savy as me and don't lock their page.  I was getting gossip for Mama Sue tomorrow.  Low and behold there was July 6 invite "National Go Braless Day".  Now really do you really think i can go braless with these.  Once about 25 years ago maybe but then my mama would have said " oh no march yourself up those stairs and put on your underwear". 

I ask you "REALLY" do we need a National go Braless day.  NO WE DO NOT.  You all know as well as i do the only people going braless are the ones we don't wanna ever see braless.  The only exception is if you were in a tornado.  When you heard the freight train a comin you ran out to the basement or ditch or whatever you do to protect yourself in your mu mu and hair rollers and waited for the TV crew.  The only excuse is you did not have time and were loungin in said mu mu when the afore mentioned event occurred!  The only other exception is if you were in a wreck or got into a cardiac arrest situation and someone cut your bra off to perform CPR.  Then you are excused if you arrive at the ER braless.  Those two events being the only exception.

The above CPR mentioned issue will never happen to me.  I have told all my friends who are nurses, doctors, emts and such.  If you have to cut my bra off FERGETABOUT IT! I mean that. I'm not scared of a shock burn.  I'm more scared that when they cut my bra off my boobs will fall under my armpits and I'll never be able to gather them up in time to get to the ER.  If I die anyway what does it matter and I do not want the funeral home person to have to gather them up for me!  I realize this sounds asssine to you all but well that's the way it is.

It is instilled in me from my Mama and my Mama Sue.  I have to have a bra.  Now sometimes I have pretty ones but most often its plain white an serviceable.  For my mother, always clean.  I swear if not she's be mortified.  If I had a car wreck today and I died my mother would not ask if I suffered. Nooooo she would say ... was her bra clean?  Tell me the truth was it bleached purely white?  I have to know.  That is exactly what she would say.  If she had to go home to get me one to take to the funeral home person she would wash it first I'm just sayin.

My good friend Lisa Landry, she has a good southern mama.  She says her mama practically rips her bra off her the minute she walks in the door to wash it.  Her mama always has a washer waiting with just the right amount of "whites" to start a load as soon as she gets to her mama and em's house.

Now my mam will say Denna kay my god your bra is gray when is the last time you washed it with bleach.  Don't matter she's getting my dirty clothes out of the bathroom after a shower and it don' matter a darn bit if i break out.  Its getting bleached!  God love her. 

Now i have a story that just happened last week with a client of my hubby.  Said client was a skinny girl due to a wee little drug use.  Well she's a sweet girl and turning it all around.  She is the same age as my "sparklie".  So i took her and got her hair did a few months ago to get her all spiffy for court.  (worked to I might add ) Of course now that she has been clean and off the "stuff " she's gained a little.  Well kinda a lot.  SO she had no clothes, so my friends who is the mama of said girls ( we will call her ummmmmmm sweetie ) boyfriend said "go to my closet and find her something to wear.  SO Roxie ( the mama) was out of town and i  commenced to digging in the closet.  Black pants, blue top perfect! So Sweetie goes in the bathroom and comes out looking like a sausage stuffed in the pants.  I said oh this will not do.  You Sweetie need a girdle.  Well being of a skinny body before she had never heard of a girdle.  SO i called Roxie and said ummmspanx. 

So we give Sweetie the Lycra.  She's in the bathroom and we are yelling instructions thru the door.  We would be Angie and me.  I dearly love Angie and we just usually have a big ol time talking about people at work.  Well we are yelling thru the bathroom door for her to pull and tug.  Well Sweetie emerges with some humidification on her upper lip and she's huffing and puffing and says " i can't breath in this".  Angie and me just laugh and say, "stand up straighter and take shallow  breaths you'll be ok."  See WIN WIN.  She looked skeptical.

It worked though she looked real nice.  She managed to get it back on later that day with little humidifying and man her posture sure was good.  See all southern girls know what girdles, spanks and all in ones are and we know to use them.  Nothing uglier than muffin top.  If those poor girls were taught to wear the pantie girdle there would be an end to muffin top!  I told Sweetie see you just maneuver your fat around to where it fits and all is smooth and you look so much better!

Braless really.  No one on earth wants to see the folks at wal mart braless.  On "National go BRALESS Day " where do you think said folks will head.  WAL MARTS! Heck half the Wal Mart population do not wear bras on a good day.  Can we stand National Braless Day.  Its kinda like when they burned their bras for women's lib.  Those southern ladies might have been burning but i can bet you they had one on and an old one with bad elastic to burn.  They in no way burned the good bra's.  They burned the ones that their mama's couldn't bleach anymore.  I PROMISE YOU!

So girls you can say you are going to attend "National Braless Day" but I know if you are from below Kentucky you will have on your bra.  Now some of us who stay home on July 6th cause we are on vacation might not wear a bra.  We might lounge in pj's or mu mu's all day but you can bet your cross your heart there will be a clean bra at the ready in case we have to go to the Wal-Marts!