If yall are headed to the pool or just lying around on the couch in the A/C and want a hootie summer read, pick up "Jeneration X" by Jen Lancaster. The subtitle is "One reluctant adult's attempt to unarrest her arrested development, or why it's never to late for her dumb ass to learn why Froot Loops are not for dinner." Can you tell already that it's FUNNY??!! I was reading about her trip to the Banana Derby at the county fair yesterday while I was doing plasma, and I nearly jostled the needle out of my arm I was laughing so hard. This Banana Derby has actual monkeys in jockey costumes riding on saddled dogs chasing a banana around the track!! I would love to have seen that sight. I am a monkey lover anyway, then you throw in jockey outfits and dogs and I am in high heaven. And yes, she checked it out first and the entire thing was done totally humanely. She said the monkeys had huge smiles on their faces from having so much fun riding! And Jen and her posse's exploits at sampling food from every fair booth -- and the not-so-fun after effects -- had me rolling. I waited forever to get my copy from the library, but it was well worth the wait and I'm not even finished with it yet. So give it a read and have yourself some hearty laughs!
Would love to hear what yall are reading these days. I'll need another good book to tear into in no time, so give a comment and tell me something else fun to read. Have a crrr-azy hot hootie day everyone!!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Got Zumba??
If you haven't tried it, you sure as heck should! I was sweating a ton just from boogieing to the music while watching a demonstration. With the Latin funk music and groovy, swavey moves, you have fun and get a great workout without even trying. The demo was done by the Cox Meyer Center Zumba teachers and students (of all ages!) at Qdoba on Battlefield to raise money for the Cox Foundation (they do scholarships). My cousin Glenn was leading the Zumba group, and watching him is like watching pure energy gyrating to the beat! The man can DANCE and he makes every little step like a party. The demo is over, but the fun continues at Qdoba until 10 with cheap margaritas and Mother's beer, bouncy rides and other fun stuff for the kiddos, and of course fantastic food. Go on out and enjoy the festivities now that the sun is finally cooling down. And get yourself over to the Meyer Center and sign up for a Zumba class if your body is aching to move and groove and have a crrr-azy hootie time!
Kindness is free
When I was working at the library today, one of our patrons was found slumped over in a chair passed out. She finally came to but still wasn't making good sense when our staff tried to talk to her. The paramedics were there in no time (great job, Guys!), checked her over, and she refused to go with them for medical treatment. Never did hear what was wrong with her, but it reminded me that summer is tough on a lot of folks with this blazing heat we've been having. Even prescription medication can make normally healthy people pretty ill when they get overheated. So let's all show some kindness and keep an eye on those around us, especially older folks and pets and kids. Kindness doesn't cost you anything, and someday it may be you needing a little if you've passed out in a library chair.
Yall take good care of yourselves and those around you and have a crrr-azy good weekend!
Yall take good care of yourselves and those around you and have a crrr-azy good weekend!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Bustin the mold
What's up with the stroller revolution going on around Springfield these days? I swear, I've seen more mommies walking and jogging with strollers these days than I've ever seen in my life, with several shoving around two- and three-seaters. A friend of mine and I were walking around Phelps Grove Park the other day and there was a horde of these baby pushers in short shorts and bobbing ponytails, probably doing some kind of mommy-robics. Now I'm not big on babies, so I never actually looked inside the strollers. Either we had a 2011 of very fruitful nookie or they were all pushing around a buttload of bricks and the stroller is just a handy tool to super-size their workouts. Anyway, I've been feeling overrun by the stroller revolution every where I go.
Then today, I'm driving home from grocery shopping, not in the best of moods anyway from dropping so much cash on something that's going to end up in the toilet anyway (I'm sort of kidding, but not totally), and I see another dayum stroller headed toward me and this one is a blinged-out doozie. Just as I'm about to say something not so nice, I notice this isn't one of those jogging pony-tailed moms. This is a youngish dude sporting a groovy faux-hawk, wearing knee-hugging surfer shorts, a concert t-shirt, and funky Chuck Taylors. He's smoking a cigarette and jamming out to something good coming through his earbuds while saunteringly pushing the stroller. Now that's more like it. I'm not advocating smoking around a kid, but he was out in the wide open air, not some smoky bar (outside of Springfield, of course). I really dug that he was bustin the mold, rocking Daddy-hood (or maybe just Big Brother-hood) totally his own way.
Hoping yall find a way to bust out of whatever mold you may be stuck in and have a crrr-azy day!
Then today, I'm driving home from grocery shopping, not in the best of moods anyway from dropping so much cash on something that's going to end up in the toilet anyway (I'm sort of kidding, but not totally), and I see another dayum stroller headed toward me and this one is a blinged-out doozie. Just as I'm about to say something not so nice, I notice this isn't one of those jogging pony-tailed moms. This is a youngish dude sporting a groovy faux-hawk, wearing knee-hugging surfer shorts, a concert t-shirt, and funky Chuck Taylors. He's smoking a cigarette and jamming out to something good coming through his earbuds while saunteringly pushing the stroller. Now that's more like it. I'm not advocating smoking around a kid, but he was out in the wide open air, not some smoky bar (outside of Springfield, of course). I really dug that he was bustin the mold, rocking Daddy-hood (or maybe just Big Brother-hood) totally his own way.
Hoping yall find a way to bust out of whatever mold you may be stuck in and have a crrr-azy day!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Need a roadtrip??
We sure did, so yesterday DMan and I skedaddled to Golden Rock Winery in Camdenton. This was our virgin voyage to this winery, but the experience was well worth the hour and a half drive from Springfield! Golden Rock features an elegant but comfy restaurant, with several seating areas and plenty of room for a rocking party, plus a classy tasting bar. They even have a cozy lounging area in front of the fireplace and big screen TV, which will be heavenly come fall and football season.
Beyond the amenities and super helpful staff, the wines are wonderful! Golden Rock has only been in business as a winery for ten months, but we sure couldn't tell it. They bring in grapes from all over the world and do some wine-o magic to make some of the best local wines we've ever tasted. And the variety of what they do is crrr-azy!! Their list of reds is the longest, which was great for us since we prefer red wine. Our fave of what we tasted was the Latin Grande, a Cabernet, Carmenere and Malbec blend from Chilean grapes. We had a glass and then brought two bottles home -- DELISH!! We also dug the Cab/Syrah/Zin blend and the Duo, a Cab/Merlot blend. They have several nice whites to choose from and a tasty sounding menu of fruit wines for those who have sweeter tastes. Wish we could have stayed all day and sampled them all, but that would have required a nap and it was too dang hot to nap in the car.
We had their "make your own pasta" for an early supper, where you choose from two pastas, three sauces, three meats (DMan loved the shrimp!), and veggies and they put it all together for a yummy meal. I had the marinara sauce on my penne and it had a surprising pop of heat from red pepper flakes. We ate every last bite of both our meals!
Another cool thing is Golden Rock will add a custom label to their wine for only a buck or two more. We got a lovely personalized bottle of wine as a wedding gift for some friends and had them do a custom label to commemorate our roadtrip for one of our bottles of Latin Grande. After we drink it, which will probably be tonight (YAY!), we'll stick a taper candle in the bottle and use it for ambiance on the patio. Double bonus!
We are hoping someone in Springfield gets on the Golden Rock Winery bandwagon and starts selling some of their wines, but even if they do, we'll definitely be roadtripping back to Camdenton real soon. We had too much fun not to do it again!
Wishing yall a happy first day of summer and a crrr-azy fun roadtrip sometime in your near future!!
(If you want to check it out, Golden Rock Winery is at 955 N Business 5 (about a mile north of the main Camdenton intersection). Or give them a call at 573-317-WINE (9463) or give their website a look at www.goldenrockwinery.com.)
Beyond the amenities and super helpful staff, the wines are wonderful! Golden Rock has only been in business as a winery for ten months, but we sure couldn't tell it. They bring in grapes from all over the world and do some wine-o magic to make some of the best local wines we've ever tasted. And the variety of what they do is crrr-azy!! Their list of reds is the longest, which was great for us since we prefer red wine. Our fave of what we tasted was the Latin Grande, a Cabernet, Carmenere and Malbec blend from Chilean grapes. We had a glass and then brought two bottles home -- DELISH!! We also dug the Cab/Syrah/Zin blend and the Duo, a Cab/Merlot blend. They have several nice whites to choose from and a tasty sounding menu of fruit wines for those who have sweeter tastes. Wish we could have stayed all day and sampled them all, but that would have required a nap and it was too dang hot to nap in the car.
We had their "make your own pasta" for an early supper, where you choose from two pastas, three sauces, three meats (DMan loved the shrimp!), and veggies and they put it all together for a yummy meal. I had the marinara sauce on my penne and it had a surprising pop of heat from red pepper flakes. We ate every last bite of both our meals!
Another cool thing is Golden Rock will add a custom label to their wine for only a buck or two more. We got a lovely personalized bottle of wine as a wedding gift for some friends and had them do a custom label to commemorate our roadtrip for one of our bottles of Latin Grande. After we drink it, which will probably be tonight (YAY!), we'll stick a taper candle in the bottle and use it for ambiance on the patio. Double bonus!
We are hoping someone in Springfield gets on the Golden Rock Winery bandwagon and starts selling some of their wines, but even if they do, we'll definitely be roadtripping back to Camdenton real soon. We had too much fun not to do it again!
Wishing yall a happy first day of summer and a crrr-azy fun roadtrip sometime in your near future!!
(If you want to check it out, Golden Rock Winery is at 955 N Business 5 (about a mile north of the main Camdenton intersection). Or give them a call at 573-317-WINE (9463) or give their website a look at www.goldenrockwinery.com.)
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Do you have a dream?
Do you have a dream? Then chase it!
Let me tell you why. I was so inspired tonight by going to see Techs and the Roadies. First, I was inspired from watching these fine musicians, playing their instruments and singing in such absolute harmony, humming with energy in letting their inspired lights shine. If you have a gift, like playing an instrument or being able to sing, sharing that gift allows your special light to shine out to the world. The bass player Bill, who had been away down South for a family tragedy, told me how grateful we was to be back in the Ozarks and playing his music again, how his life felt right again. Watching their faces while they play and totally get in the groove is like watching the sun shine, like seeing something magical but yet natural happen and for those few moments their faces are lit up by sheer happiness.
Second, the husband of one of the band members is trying to get a buzz going for a new type of kayaking paddle he's invented. He absolutely lit up with excitement and energy when he was talking about kayaking and how his paddles can make the sport more fun and effective. I don't know squat about kayaking or paddles, but I felt inspired just from talking to him and realized that it doesn't matter what your dream is, as long as you are making it happen, giving your total effort to making it real.
I chased a dream. I left my life behind last fall, moved to Myrtle Beach to live at the beach like I always wanted to, and I became the writer I always knew I could be but was afraid to try. Chasing that dream changed my life for the better, and even though I still have doubts about whether I have any talent or will ever make anything of my writing, I will never be the same because I did it. I took a chance. I believed in my dream and went for it, just like these folks who've inspired me have done.
I'm hoping that something inspires each and every one of you and kicks your butt to chase your dream. Be crrr-azy yall and don't let your dreams be only in your sleep!
Let me tell you why. I was so inspired tonight by going to see Techs and the Roadies. First, I was inspired from watching these fine musicians, playing their instruments and singing in such absolute harmony, humming with energy in letting their inspired lights shine. If you have a gift, like playing an instrument or being able to sing, sharing that gift allows your special light to shine out to the world. The bass player Bill, who had been away down South for a family tragedy, told me how grateful we was to be back in the Ozarks and playing his music again, how his life felt right again. Watching their faces while they play and totally get in the groove is like watching the sun shine, like seeing something magical but yet natural happen and for those few moments their faces are lit up by sheer happiness.
Second, the husband of one of the band members is trying to get a buzz going for a new type of kayaking paddle he's invented. He absolutely lit up with excitement and energy when he was talking about kayaking and how his paddles can make the sport more fun and effective. I don't know squat about kayaking or paddles, but I felt inspired just from talking to him and realized that it doesn't matter what your dream is, as long as you are making it happen, giving your total effort to making it real.
I chased a dream. I left my life behind last fall, moved to Myrtle Beach to live at the beach like I always wanted to, and I became the writer I always knew I could be but was afraid to try. Chasing that dream changed my life for the better, and even though I still have doubts about whether I have any talent or will ever make anything of my writing, I will never be the same because I did it. I took a chance. I believed in my dream and went for it, just like these folks who've inspired me have done.
I'm hoping that something inspires each and every one of you and kicks your butt to chase your dream. Be crrr-azy yall and don't let your dreams be only in your sleep!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Don't make yourself crrr-azy, get some help
I've been writing a lot lately about DMan and I moving, and WAB (what a blessing!) that we are finally all unpacked and settled in. But we still had two things we wanted to do to make this house our home (even though we are only renting). First, the mailbox was a square metal thing that was set in a bucket and held in place with rocks. It only had a tiny "in" slot, and we had to open the back with a key to get our mail. We couldn't receive anything bigger than an envelope and we couldn't mail anything out. Our landlord said he would put in the new mailbox when it rained some and the ground softened up so he could dig out the broken post and install a new one. With the kind of hot, dry summer we are having, we figured that could be fall or winter. This was really driving DMan crazy, trying to figure out how to get us a regulation mailbox installed.
Second, we had two partially dead cedar trees and three big old ugly shrubs out front that made the house look yucky and caused the siding to mold. We didn't have the tools to tackle this kind of job, plus we couldn't fit all this stuff in my little Cavalier or DMan's Trailblazer to tote it off. These unsightly blemishes on the front of our new place had been driving me crazy.
So, we decided to pony up the cash, get some help and quit making ourselves crazy. It was sooo worth it! David Murphy, who runs Hoffman Pest Control (in Springfield) and sprayed the house for bugs before we moved in, has two teenage sons who do yard work and odd jobs. Those are some beefy, hard-working boys! They took out the bushes and trees, even whittled the stumps down to the ground, cleaned up the mess, dug out the old broken post (out of concrete, no less), and put the new mailbox in place for $125!! I'm telling you, they were dirty and sweaty and had a trailer load of brush to haul off when they were finished. We felt like we got a heck of a bargain for the fantastic job they did. If yall need any yard work or odd jobs done, give David a call. They'll do you right.
Well, I'm headed out to Creekside Bistro & Bar in Galloway to hear Techs and the Roadies. I've made it through my marathon week and deserve some wine, relaxation and good music. Yall have a relaxing Saturday night and leave the crrr-azy for another day!
Second, we had two partially dead cedar trees and three big old ugly shrubs out front that made the house look yucky and caused the siding to mold. We didn't have the tools to tackle this kind of job, plus we couldn't fit all this stuff in my little Cavalier or DMan's Trailblazer to tote it off. These unsightly blemishes on the front of our new place had been driving me crazy.
So, we decided to pony up the cash, get some help and quit making ourselves crazy. It was sooo worth it! David Murphy, who runs Hoffman Pest Control (in Springfield) and sprayed the house for bugs before we moved in, has two teenage sons who do yard work and odd jobs. Those are some beefy, hard-working boys! They took out the bushes and trees, even whittled the stumps down to the ground, cleaned up the mess, dug out the old broken post (out of concrete, no less), and put the new mailbox in place for $125!! I'm telling you, they were dirty and sweaty and had a trailer load of brush to haul off when they were finished. We felt like we got a heck of a bargain for the fantastic job they did. If yall need any yard work or odd jobs done, give David a call. They'll do you right.
Well, I'm headed out to Creekside Bistro & Bar in Galloway to hear Techs and the Roadies. I've made it through my marathon week and deserve some wine, relaxation and good music. Yall have a relaxing Saturday night and leave the crrr-azy for another day!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
What a difference a massage makes!
I feel like I've got a whole new body right now, no aches or pains, and the crunchy knots in my shoulders are pebbles instead of baseballs. What a difference a massage makes! And that hour on a cushy massage table, listening to flowy flutes and cascading water, with nothing on my mind but relaxation was sheer heaven. It's right up there with strolling next to the ocean with my feet in the soft warm sand. If you live around Springfield and your body is in need of TLC like mine was, be good to yourself and call Jeremy Shipley Bodyworks to schedule a massage. He was one of my teachers in massage therapy school and is one of the finest massage therapists around. Thank you DMan and Jeremy for making my body feel like my friend again and not my enemy!
What a fabulous day this has been. After my massage and our kitchen carpet got cleaned, DMan and I had a long nap together and then ran errands. We haven't had a lot of time to hang together in a while, and I've been missing him. We tried out a new wine shop (new to us anyway) called Wine Styles and found Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon!! We went crrr-azy for this wine at a tasting in Myrtle Beach last December and haven't found it since. DMan just cracked open the bottle and we shared a taste . . . and it is just as awesome as we remembered. If you love Cabs, this one has everything: deep fruit, bold taste, a kick of tannins, that velvety burn going down your throat, but still smooth enough to sip all night. Try it, you'll love it.
DMan is back to work tomorrow night after two weeks of vacation time for moving and combining, so I'm going to take my big glass of Cab and cuddle up on the couch next to him to enjoy our last evening together. Yall cuddle up next to someone you love tonight, or at least next to a nice glass of wine! Stay crrr-azy.
What a fabulous day this has been. After my massage and our kitchen carpet got cleaned, DMan and I had a long nap together and then ran errands. We haven't had a lot of time to hang together in a while, and I've been missing him. We tried out a new wine shop (new to us anyway) called Wine Styles and found Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon!! We went crrr-azy for this wine at a tasting in Myrtle Beach last December and haven't found it since. DMan just cracked open the bottle and we shared a taste . . . and it is just as awesome as we remembered. If you love Cabs, this one has everything: deep fruit, bold taste, a kick of tannins, that velvety burn going down your throat, but still smooth enough to sip all night. Try it, you'll love it.
DMan is back to work tomorrow night after two weeks of vacation time for moving and combining, so I'm going to take my big glass of Cab and cuddle up on the couch next to him to enjoy our last evening together. Yall cuddle up next to someone you love tonight, or at least next to a nice glass of wine! Stay crrr-azy.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Like a snowball rolling into hell
I wouldn't believe having a part-time job could make me so crrr-azy, but it has. My life feels like a snowball rolling downhill and speeding straight into hell. Well, I may be exaggerating, but just a bit. Trying to fit everything on my plate this week -- from getting the kitchen carpet cleaned to changing my will to donating plasma to DMan's family coming for a visit -- around my new work hours makes my calendar look like I'll be running a marathon. Thank God (and DMan!) I have a massage to look forward to tomorrow morning. That was my present from DMan for our two-year anniversary of being an "us" back on May 29. I'm just now getting a chance to get my massage and my body needs it bad!!
My first day of working at the library yesterday was nuts. We'd had some bad storms roll through in the morning, which knocked out power to some of the library branches and the main computer server, so me and the other new page/shelver were trying to learn our jobs when nothing was "normal." I've got to applaud the Springfield-Greene County Library staff, though, they were so sweet and understanding with all our questions even in the midst of power/computer-outage chaos. And today was equally nutso, playing catch-up from all we couldn't get done yesterday. But these folks are troopers and such hard workers, they are the best people in the world to work with! If you ever want a great place to work, try the SGCL library system.
My precious DMan had a glass of Cono Sur Pinot Noir waiting for me when I got home, such a nice treat to chill me out. Then we met some of my Republic High School classmates at Ruby Tuesday for a get-together since Suzie, now living in Florida, was in for a visit. There wasn't a big crowd of us (and you all that didn't make it missed out!), but we had a blast and lots of crrr-azy laughs. DMan and I had two super-size glasses of Copa Cabana Cabernet with our appetizer, and I forgot all about work and schedules for a while. I just read on the Vino Cellars newsletter that even thinking about drinking wine can relax you, but I can attest that actually drinking it can make you positively jellified!
Wishing yall a jellified relaxing Tuesday evening, especially if your life feels like a snowball rolling straight into hell.
My first day of working at the library yesterday was nuts. We'd had some bad storms roll through in the morning, which knocked out power to some of the library branches and the main computer server, so me and the other new page/shelver were trying to learn our jobs when nothing was "normal." I've got to applaud the Springfield-Greene County Library staff, though, they were so sweet and understanding with all our questions even in the midst of power/computer-outage chaos. And today was equally nutso, playing catch-up from all we couldn't get done yesterday. But these folks are troopers and such hard workers, they are the best people in the world to work with! If you ever want a great place to work, try the SGCL library system.
My precious DMan had a glass of Cono Sur Pinot Noir waiting for me when I got home, such a nice treat to chill me out. Then we met some of my Republic High School classmates at Ruby Tuesday for a get-together since Suzie, now living in Florida, was in for a visit. There wasn't a big crowd of us (and you all that didn't make it missed out!), but we had a blast and lots of crrr-azy laughs. DMan and I had two super-size glasses of Copa Cabana Cabernet with our appetizer, and I forgot all about work and schedules for a while. I just read on the Vino Cellars newsletter that even thinking about drinking wine can relax you, but I can attest that actually drinking it can make you positively jellified!
Wishing yall a jellified relaxing Tuesday evening, especially if your life feels like a snowball rolling straight into hell.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Thank God I'm not a country girl!
Riding in a combine does not make a body feel good. Not even for an hour. At least not my body.
Let me explain. DMan was raised on a farm in the tiny town of Purdy and every year he takes a week of vacation to combine fescue seed to get his farm boy fix. Since I'm not working a real job right now (but I do write every day, so I'm no slacker!), I drove down to Purdy yesterday to go out with him in the combine for a bit and see what it was like. As the title says, thank God I'm not a country girl. I'm not cut out for farming. At all.
First, paving was underway on the main highway around Purdy, so we had to drive pot-holey, single-lane back roads for what seemed like 20 miles to get to the fescue fields. The combine cab is really made for one person, and DMan is a big one at 6' 5" anyway. So I'm "sitting" on the arm of his chair for the entire ride over because DMan said it would cushion the ride, and I have one heinie cheek hanging completely off the side of the arm and I'm banging into the metal and glass door with every bump. There were LOTS OF BUMPS. I'm holding on to anything I can grip so I'm not jostled onto the dirty floor. The ride goes on forever, and unfortunately I had to pee. Not a comfy feeling when I am eternally bouncing on a chair arm.
But we made it to the fescue field finally. Whew! Then I scrunch myself onto a wooden stool in the floorboard so DMan can better maneuver the steering wheel. This was better than riding on the arm because at least I could brace my feet against the front of the cab so I didn't fall off the stool, but worse because my jeans were so tight they were cutting off my thigh circulation and there was no way to stand up and adjust myself. I tried not to think about that. Or having to pee. We were the third combine going around the field and the dust started kicking up almost immediately. DMan had warned me to bring a microfiber towel to breathe through because he knows my allergies go crazy when it's dusty. Even breathing through the towel, they did go crazy. And coughing and sneezing while squatting on a wooden stool is uncomfortable enough without also having to pee. Plus there was a metal bracket sticking out from his chair that gouged into my side every time I moved (or coughed or sneezed).
After several times around the field, DMan had to empty the fescue seed into the seed truck. The seed gets propelled up a large tube by means of an auger. Now I'm not totally sure what an auger is, but from my squatting position it felt exactly like I was riding an industrial-size vibrator. This was the most pleasant part of the entire adventure, besides getting to hang out with my Sweetie and understand what he's talking about when he's combining. I even forgot about having to pee for a while.
That is until the seed truck was full, and I got to ride back on those same bumpy country roads in a shock-less truck with DMan's dad to get back to my car. Then I ended up sitting in road construction traffic for 15 minutes before I could head back to Monett and find the first bathroom in sight. Ahhhh! When it finally came my turn to use the bathroom at the Kum-N-Go, I was one happy gal!!
That's my adventure tale for today. Yall have a swell Thursday night and stay crrr-azy! It's so much more fun.
Let me explain. DMan was raised on a farm in the tiny town of Purdy and every year he takes a week of vacation to combine fescue seed to get his farm boy fix. Since I'm not working a real job right now (but I do write every day, so I'm no slacker!), I drove down to Purdy yesterday to go out with him in the combine for a bit and see what it was like. As the title says, thank God I'm not a country girl. I'm not cut out for farming. At all.
First, paving was underway on the main highway around Purdy, so we had to drive pot-holey, single-lane back roads for what seemed like 20 miles to get to the fescue fields. The combine cab is really made for one person, and DMan is a big one at 6' 5" anyway. So I'm "sitting" on the arm of his chair for the entire ride over because DMan said it would cushion the ride, and I have one heinie cheek hanging completely off the side of the arm and I'm banging into the metal and glass door with every bump. There were LOTS OF BUMPS. I'm holding on to anything I can grip so I'm not jostled onto the dirty floor. The ride goes on forever, and unfortunately I had to pee. Not a comfy feeling when I am eternally bouncing on a chair arm.
But we made it to the fescue field finally. Whew! Then I scrunch myself onto a wooden stool in the floorboard so DMan can better maneuver the steering wheel. This was better than riding on the arm because at least I could brace my feet against the front of the cab so I didn't fall off the stool, but worse because my jeans were so tight they were cutting off my thigh circulation and there was no way to stand up and adjust myself. I tried not to think about that. Or having to pee. We were the third combine going around the field and the dust started kicking up almost immediately. DMan had warned me to bring a microfiber towel to breathe through because he knows my allergies go crazy when it's dusty. Even breathing through the towel, they did go crazy. And coughing and sneezing while squatting on a wooden stool is uncomfortable enough without also having to pee. Plus there was a metal bracket sticking out from his chair that gouged into my side every time I moved (or coughed or sneezed).
After several times around the field, DMan had to empty the fescue seed into the seed truck. The seed gets propelled up a large tube by means of an auger. Now I'm not totally sure what an auger is, but from my squatting position it felt exactly like I was riding an industrial-size vibrator. This was the most pleasant part of the entire adventure, besides getting to hang out with my Sweetie and understand what he's talking about when he's combining. I even forgot about having to pee for a while.
That is until the seed truck was full, and I got to ride back on those same bumpy country roads in a shock-less truck with DMan's dad to get back to my car. Then I ended up sitting in road construction traffic for 15 minutes before I could head back to Monett and find the first bathroom in sight. Ahhhh! When it finally came my turn to use the bathroom at the Kum-N-Go, I was one happy gal!!
That's my adventure tale for today. Yall have a swell Thursday night and stay crrr-azy! It's so much more fun.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
And the sweat was running . . .
Haven't had any agents clamoring to rep my memoir Life Gone South (when I ran away to live at the beach and be a writer) and get me a book deal for big bucks YET, so it's time to get a real job and get some cash rolling in. Had an interview yesterday for a book shelver position at the library. Being my usual Ms. Overachiever self, I showed up early, used the computer to print out some work stuff, familiarized myself with the branch I'd be working in, then sauntered up to the reference desk about ten minutes before interview time to check in.
The nice lady looked puzzled, checked with the other staff, then said, "We don't do interviews here, they are done through human resources at The Library Center."
Holy crap on a cracker I'm saying in my head as I smile at her and ask sweetly if she can call so I can tell them I'll be late. I explained the situation (aka my stupidity) to the human resources lady and she said I could go ahead and come for the interview.
So I flew. If you're not familiar with Springfield, I went from Glenstone, north of Battlefield Mall, to Campbell, south of James River Freeway -- approximately 6 miles through two of the worst areas in town for traffic congestion and long stop lights -- in 13 minutes!! My little Cavalier topped 75 mph at times, so lucky for me there were no cops around.
The interview went smooth. Somehow I composed myself enough to answer all the questions without resorting to "um" or "duh" or cussing (which I tend to do A LOT when I'm stressed). It wasn't until the end of interview that I realized my heart was still pounding and sweat was running from my armpits down my sides. Whether it was a power surge (aka hot flash) or stress, I don't know. But my saving grace was the only clothes I could find to wear to the interview that wasn't shorts or wrinkled from the move was a baggy sleeveless African print dress, so the sweat didn't show any stains at all. It just ran down inside my dress and got soaked up by my underwear.
I made it through the pencil/paper and the putting-books-in-order tests and was done with the entire process in 30 minutes. Of course I had an ice cold Breckenridge Vanilla Porter to de-stress a bit when I got home. And WHAT A BLESSING, I got a call today that I got the job!! So maybe I'll see yall around the library someday soon. Look for me. I'll be the one with the big old sweaty armpit stains shelving books.
Yall have a crrr-azy fantastic Wednesday night!
The nice lady looked puzzled, checked with the other staff, then said, "We don't do interviews here, they are done through human resources at The Library Center."
Holy crap on a cracker I'm saying in my head as I smile at her and ask sweetly if she can call so I can tell them I'll be late. I explained the situation (aka my stupidity) to the human resources lady and she said I could go ahead and come for the interview.
So I flew. If you're not familiar with Springfield, I went from Glenstone, north of Battlefield Mall, to Campbell, south of James River Freeway -- approximately 6 miles through two of the worst areas in town for traffic congestion and long stop lights -- in 13 minutes!! My little Cavalier topped 75 mph at times, so lucky for me there were no cops around.
The interview went smooth. Somehow I composed myself enough to answer all the questions without resorting to "um" or "duh" or cussing (which I tend to do A LOT when I'm stressed). It wasn't until the end of interview that I realized my heart was still pounding and sweat was running from my armpits down my sides. Whether it was a power surge (aka hot flash) or stress, I don't know. But my saving grace was the only clothes I could find to wear to the interview that wasn't shorts or wrinkled from the move was a baggy sleeveless African print dress, so the sweat didn't show any stains at all. It just ran down inside my dress and got soaked up by my underwear.
I made it through the pencil/paper and the putting-books-in-order tests and was done with the entire process in 30 minutes. Of course I had an ice cold Breckenridge Vanilla Porter to de-stress a bit when I got home. And WHAT A BLESSING, I got a call today that I got the job!! So maybe I'll see yall around the library someday soon. Look for me. I'll be the one with the big old sweaty armpit stains shelving books.
Yall have a crrr-azy fantastic Wednesday night!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Moving be crrr-azy!
Long time, no blog! DMan and I have been packing and cleaning and moving for the past week. UGH!! I'm never moving again. Ever. I've decided it would be cheaper (and a lot less back-breaking!) to just burn my stuff and start over rather than move, so if you ever see a huge cloud of bonfire smoke billowing up from the southeast side of Springfield, you'll know I put my no-move plan into action.
The great things about the move are:
We are so lucky to have a spare bedroom to pile the "I don't know what to do with this" boxes, and we so far have worked the piles down into manageable hills instead of about-to-topple-over mountains. We are mighty thankful for our new home and to have the worst of the moving crrr-aziness behind us.
The funniest thing that's happened so far is one night we met in the dark hallway, scared the crap out of each other and screamed like little girls. Lucky for us we had both just come from using the bathroom and didn't make a mess on the new carpet!
I am tickled right down to my toe rings to be back blogging and would love to see your comments, hear any funny moving stories you have to share.
Yall have a terrific "transit of Venus" day and stay crrr-azy. I know I will!
The great things about the move are:
- DMan and I didn't kill each other . . . yet;
- NO CONSTRUCTION NOISE!!;
- we have birds and squirrels and bunnies aplenty to watch in the yard and actual trees for shade;
- we love sipping wine in the evenings (so far we haven't started until after 5pm!) on the screened-in patio;
- I have a sitting room to escape to when DMan's baseball (and golf and Nascar) on TV are driving me crrr-azy;
- and I have my stuff in real drawers and cabinets instead of boxes and plastic tubs for the first time in months.
- we can't find things we know we packed;
- the stuff we do find, we have to find a place to put that suits both of us (which makes me wonder why we haven't killed each other yet!) and we can find room for;
- we have so much stuff we don't really need but can't seem to part with (although we have already made multiple donation runs to the Salvation Army and DAV, so there are some really good bargains to be had for you thrift store shoppers!);
- and combining two households into one is like trying to make oil and water mix during the day and sleep together at night!
We are so lucky to have a spare bedroom to pile the "I don't know what to do with this" boxes, and we so far have worked the piles down into manageable hills instead of about-to-topple-over mountains. We are mighty thankful for our new home and to have the worst of the moving crrr-aziness behind us.
The funniest thing that's happened so far is one night we met in the dark hallway, scared the crap out of each other and screamed like little girls. Lucky for us we had both just come from using the bathroom and didn't make a mess on the new carpet!
I am tickled right down to my toe rings to be back blogging and would love to see your comments, hear any funny moving stories you have to share.
Yall have a terrific "transit of Venus" day and stay crrr-azy. I know I will!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)