Hooray, Hooray, it's on it's way!!!

I am a poet and don't know it. Actually, I do write poems. Mushy ones for Dean usually. I have written a poem or 2 for my sister too.

Well, yesterday was my last day of work until the 3rd of January. We had a great office party and I got wonderful gifts from my bosses and co workers as I do every year. 2 shopping bags full of stuff to bring home! We also had great food. Party Kielbasa, macaroni salad, chicken, veggies and dip, buffalo chicken dip and chips. Yum-O. After we all ate, we all took turns and opened one gift at a time. I got a new Mikasa crystal Christmas candy dish, a camper ornament with our name on it, a lightup gingerbread house and the candles to go with it, body lotion, foot lotion, and a christmas candleholder that is reindeer that hold votive cups. Even the dogs got gifts!

The shopping is all finally done. Everything that was ordered has come in. Even the last item I was waiting for for my sister. "Santa" sent it earlier in the week and it arrived today. It is wrapped already too! I just have a couple of things to wrap for Dean and all is done.

Once he is done baking cookies, I can put the table cloth on the table and put out the Christmas dinnerware and stuff. Then the house will be done. So, tomorrow sometime, I will be definitely ready.

We have our bowling Christmas party tonight, so I have to dash now and get ready. But I wanted to give you the update or low down or the skinny-whatever lingo the kids are using. Who can keep up? Any way, I didn't want there to be a lapse in my blogging. Some people get so testy about that............

Gingerbread houses; Shopping update; The Countdown; Stormy Weather

At Dean's work, they wanted him to make a gingerbread house. He suggested a "village". Here are some shots of his creation.....


Front view of houses


Back view


Close up front view of one house


Close up of back

He tried to use gelatin sheets for windows, but his boss wouldn't let him use glue, just icing, so, the sheets curled up when they got wet and wouldn't work. I don't know why he wasn't allowed to use the glue gun. It's not like anyone is eating these houses. They are for display purposes only. And it would have looked so much better.... More candy and snow too!!!
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Well, Dave's gift came in and so did Diane's. The first one I ordered for Dave is still out there floating around somewhere. That leaves Tea's gift and getting Kenny's. Our office party is on the 21st-Friday-which is also my last day of work until next year! I don't go back until the 3rd of January, which is the day my sister goes home. I couldn't get the Mater chair for Jordan, so maybe it will come in in time for his birthday on Jan 5. Lesson learned this year? Buy the damn things you want when you see them! Don't wait cause they're gone when you try to get them. Like the original idea I had on what to get Dave. Waited and they were GONE! Not one to be found anywhere! So, I ha to go with plan B for him. Sorry Dave. Then we have cash we will give Dean's nephews in their cards. They are "22" and 13. The oldest, Ricky, is at Penn State Main. He went their his freshman year, which only a handful of kids get to do apparently. You have to be a pretty smart cookie to be accepted at "Main" your freshman year. And he is. His birthday is the day after Christmas. That's why the quotes around the 22. Then all I have to do is get ready for my sister to get here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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So, it's 8 days till Christmas and more importantly, it's 10 days till my sister gets here! God, I can't wait!! I am going to take lots of pictures while she's here. I'll be sure to share. We will be going to see my Uncle Jim while she's here too. All my cousins will be there. Jimmy will be in from California and Larry and Scott will be in from Stoneboro. Larry owns a bar up there, and when Scott lost is job at Federated Investors a few years back, He went up there to find work. He's been up there ever since. Jimmy and my sister are close in age, and my brother and Larry are pretty close in age, and Scott and I are about 18 mos. apart. (He's older than me) So, we all grew up "together" but we all havent been together at one time in a very long time so that will be great! My Uncle has a cottage in Sandy Lake, which isn't far from Stoneboro. Daddy used to take me up there when I was a kid. We had some fun. Nothing around but farms and cornfields. We would go to the lake and swim and fish (not at the same time)and My cousins' one friend, Flea, they called him, had a boat and we water skied too. I could go on and on about those memories....But... It's the Great Countdown, Charlie Brown!!!



I am too psyched!!!
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Don't why there's no sun up in the sky..Stormy Weather.....That's an old hit originally by Billie Holiday then by Lena Horn. That's what we have in Pittsburgh this weekend. Snow, sleet, rain, more rain then snow and thunder. Yep. Thunder while it's snowing. Very interesting. Oh, and lots of wind. I don't want to live in a snow globe any more..........Yes, I'm whining.

Christmas Shopping Update: Why Don't Men Understand?

Well, we are getting down to it. 12 shopping days left. Last night I went on a VERY succcessful fact finding tour to get Dean's "big" gift. So, I can get that tomorrow night since payday was today. Then he's done. We have Tyler's gift card, so he's done. I renewed Vinnie's Dirt Late Model suscription, he's done. Got Mark and Angela's gift card, they're done. Stll have to pick up Tea's gift, but that's no biggie and have to get Kenny's gift card and that's no biggie either. I am still waiting for Dave's and Diane's gifts to come in. Dave's? Well, that's a story. I ordered his gift on line. Gave the bill to info to match the credit card I was using, then put in the ship to. I like to have everything come to my office because the UPS, Fed EX, and mailmen all leave the items on the deck if I have them come here. If it rains, whatever I bought would get soaking wet till Dean or I got home from work. Well, when I put the shipping address in, I put my HOME zip code instead of the WORk zip code. So, I keep checking order status on line, but it hasn't arrived. The company I ordered from used UPS Mail Innovations, where UPS picks the item up from the company, then takes to to the post office and it is mailed to me. So, I guess it's wandering all over Pittsburgh, trying to find the correct post office to be delivered out of. Since I am running out of time to get the Arkansas gifts into UPS, I called the company last night and I must say the Customer Service person was not very Customer service oriented. He told me "you have the tracking number. Just track with UPS and the Post Office." Well, the tracking number listed for my package was not a UPS or USPS tracking number so they had no clue. I printed all the information out that I could possibly print and took it to work today. I called the company again. I got a very nice young lady who definitely was Customer Service, WAS service oriented and went into their system and changed the zip code on the package and sent a message to the post office of the correction! She also suggested ordering another one and have it sent next day service and if the other one arrived as well, I could refuse it, it would come back to them and they would then credit my account for the item. I said that that would work for me because I was all stressed out over this not getting here in time and better safe than sorry. Now, I must tell you that I put alot of pressure on myself to get everything done for the holidays. So, in the midst of this pressure, I didn't want to have to worry about Dave's gift getting here and then there in time. So, after talking to the CSR today, as per normal, the company sent an email to show the order was submitted, another to confirm my order, then another to tell me it shipped. Well, Dean opened the emails after work today, and when I got home he questioned me about the shipping cost on the re-order. This upset me very much. I tried to explain the problem to him and how the other one would be returned and the account would be credited but he couldn't understand the need for the overnight shipping charge and the need to order another item. I got upset and got choked up and couldn't even talk. I waved him off and he got upset about that. Why can't he just understand it was what I needed to do at the time to keep my fast going sanity and it was the best solution to the problem. I look at the shipping cost as a mistake that I made that I had to pay for. So, all's well that ends well and according to the status on the new order, it will be here tomorrow. Now I can breathe......We can wrap the Arkansas presents tomorrow night and I can send their box on Friday!!!
Now, back to my update. We still have to get the chair for Jordan. We have to get cards to put money in for Dean's nephews. Yes, I know they are my nephews too, but I was using that reference for clarity purposes. A couple of last minute odds and ends---stocking stuffers and the like and I am done!

Saturday morning ritual, Chores; Racers for Tots Party; Cell phone Ringtones

Yesterday, Dean and I did our usual breakfast gig. Then we stopped at the dollar store to Dink around a bit and see if they had some cheap Christmas cards for him to give to co workers. They did. And I picked up a couple of picture frames for some gifts I want to give. Then, it was off to Walmart to get the toy for the party. It's the ticket price at the door for the Racers for Tots Party. That or $10 p/p. More on that later. So, we decided (Dean decided) we were getting a bike again this year. Cool. Found a pretty cool one for $35. That's do-able. Then he grabbed a bag of Swedish Fish and we got Christmas cards for us to actually mail to family and friends.



Checked out, and backed home before 11 a.m.!! Excellent. We watched his gold mining show (Gold Fever) and then he was off to put up the outside lights and I worked on the Christmas Village Display. Got ready for the Party and was out the door at 3:05. Traffic was incredible! All these people on the road. You'd think Christmas was in 2 weeks or something! LOL. Anyway, On the way to the party, my phone starts singing Redneck Woman. It's Lisa. She and Tom were at the party and were saving our seats. She wanted to let me know they just got there and that not too many other people had arrived yet. The party started at 4 p.m. and it was only 20 till. Okay, we'll be there soon, we're in Bethel. (the Party was at South Fayette Firehall in Cuddy-which is just outside of Bridgeville) Phone sings Redneck Woman again. Lisa voice says" Bad News" (what?) "Staggy just told us the Gunslingers aren't coming cause Dave and Scott are sick" (Why would he tell you that?) "Cause Tom wore his Gunlsinger shirt" (Well, that's why. He's just yankin' your chain cause he wore a Gunslinger shirt to a Christmas Racing party) "Yeah, probably. See you in a few" (yepSo, Dean and I get to the party and needless to say, Lisa was right. Not too many party goers have arrived yet. We find them and try to settle in our seats. We do our gift exchange (it is Tom's birthday and mine is Monday) And I had gotten Lisa a racing shirt just between us girls. Tom got Big Ben's BBQ Sauce in a gift pack of a bottle of Mild and a bottle of Hot.They Gave me a multi layered multi scented jar candle and a Jeff Gordon ornament. Tom and Lisa (her middle name IS Marie)


My boss had given me a $100 check from our company for the cause. So, Dean and I set off to find Staggy (Jimmy Stiegerwald who is the founder of Racers For Tots) to present him the check. As we got back up from the table, I noticed that the DJ was set up on the riser that Randy usually set the drums up on. That's weird. Lisa said maybe he would move when the guys come in to set up. No, can't see him doing that. Maybe the guys AREN'T coming......We go find Staggy.Dean asked him about the Gunslingers and he confirmed what Lisa had said on the phone. Scott and Dave were both sick and were hoping it would pass, or they would feel well enough to play at the party, but by 1:30 when they called Staggy, they didn't feel any better. By this time,The buffet was ready and we all got some great food to eat.

More and more people came and the hall and the toy room was getting full! This is our table.

This looking up toward the bar. (which is under the icicle lights)

This is the pile of toys and there were even more before the night was over!!

!

And rows and rows of bikes


Some one even brought a carton of red saucer sleds. A whole carton! That's like 10 or 12 of those suckers! I do have to say, the racers don't buy junkie toys.

But no one was dancing.


The DJ was playing good music, oldies, but good. Needless to say, our group was really bummed about the Gunslingers not being able to play. I decided I was going to make the best of it. Some things you can't control and people getting sick is one of them. So, I'm boppin' around in my chair to the music. NO ONE is on the dance floor. We sit and talk and wish people that stop at our table Merry Christmas and talk to lots of people, but it's just not the RFT party without the band and the girls. So, we come up with the grand idea of getting my CD's out of the truck and asking the DJ if he will play a few of the tunes off of them. He said he could do that so I give him the 12 bands of Christmas CD that Froggy Radio, Kings Restaurant, and 12 local country singers/bands have put out to raise money for charity and my Gunslingers CD. If they can't be here, might as well get there songs played. So, he plays the Gunlsingers "Santa's Got a Semi" off of the 12 Bands Cd! Lisa and I hit the dance floor and sing the song word for word while we dance! A few more people start to dance, too. That's what we needed. A Gunslinger song to break the ice! It was a very appropriate song because it alludes to there being too many good little girls and boys,the sleigh won't hold all those toys, so he has to get some tractor trailers to make this year's deliveries. I post the lyrics at the bottom of this post Here's Lisa, Brenda and Christie dancing'.



Then of course, Staggy has to sing. Karaoke style, but none the less...... He is wearing a Elvis mask complete with the TCB famous sunglasses....... He doesn't really have helmet hair.



The Marines show up to load up those toys in them big ol' trucks ........One of the guys (a racer I don't know) sang Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA while these guys stood at attention on the dance floor.



Traditionally, Scott, the lead singer of the Gunslingers sings it, acapella, I might add and is fantastic. So, it was sung Karaoke style as well.

Two of the Marines in the toy room.



Then, I guess in the DJ's infinite wisdom, he decides we were a dance crowd and started playing "dance' music. Cha Cha slide, Doin' the Butt, Funky Cold Madina, other songs I didn't know, but others did and were dancing. I am not into hip hop at all. So, I'll sit those out, thank you. The pounding bass of those songs was getting to Dean and giving him a headache. So he started making "I wanna go" noises. I put him off for a bit, then we left. We were so looking forward to Gunslingers playing and hearing "good" music. Hip Hop ain't it for us.
On the way home, Dean spots this house...................Talk about Griswald-ie!!!!



If you look closely at the roof, the man is still up there doing these lights..........Santa will definitely be able to see this house

So, I mentioned that my cell phone pays Redneck Woman when Lisa calls me. It also plays a Gunslinger tune when Dean calls me, Reba's My Sister when Dar calls me, and He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother when Bill calls me. It plays Santa Baby when it's an unknown caller (just for the holidays) some people it plays All My Friends Say, and others it plays Find Out Who Your Friends Are. Dean says I have too much time on my hands..............So, here's the Lyrics. It is a very fast, country rock song.

Santa's Got a Semi

Santa called a meetin’ of the North Pole Elves. Said listen here, this year, we need a little help. There’s been so many good little girls and boys, the sleigh won’t hold all those toys. So heat up your hot chocolate Thermos mugs, there’s a Christmas toy convoy revvin’ up.

(Chorus)
Santa’s got a Semi flyin’ down the road. Southbound, North Pole overload. Got a wreath on the grill; Star on the hood. He’s checkin’ off his list, so you better be good. He’s got a speaker on the top playin’ Jingle Bells, red snow flaps underneath 2 wheels. Tell me, have you ever seen steel and chrome fly? Beep, beep and bye-bye. Santa’s got a semi.

Santa called up the state patrol; said if you see ‘em comin’ boys, let ‘em go. We got a long night ahead and a big job to do. They said 10-4, Santa, you can roll on through. But be real careful. Don’t forget to buckle up. There’s a whole lotta love in them big ol’ trucks.

Repeat Chorus

So, if you see a big truck with a star on the hood, better think twice, yeah, you better be good.

Repeat Chorus

HO HO HO

Beep, beep and bye-bye. Santa’s got a semi. Beep, beep and bye-bye. Santa’s got a semi.

Christmas shopping update; The funniest Christmas Decoration I've ever seen; A Christmas card that made me cry

Well, I have checked into two of the items I want to get for Dean. I think I am good to go there. Just need time to sneak away for a few minutes or be late from work one night or something. My boss, Diane, is a big Gone With the Wind fan. In fact, her daughter, who is one of my co workers in a loose sense of the term, is named Tara for Scarlett's beloved house. I started dinking around on ebay and found a great item out of the over 2,000 they have listed for GWTW memorabilia. So, I placed my bid and we will see what happens..........

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I saw the funniest Christmas decoration I have ever seen in my life this morning. I was almost to work and noticed this house right down from Cool Springs Driving Range/Mini Golf/Batting cages/SnoZone complex with some of those C-7 multi colored lights outlining the roof perimeter. And then I see this Santa kind of up in the air. Well, It seems his hand is tangled in the cord of the C-7 lights and he is supposed to look like he's fallen of the roof and gotten himself all wrapped up in the lights. It is hysterical!!!!

And just in case you can't see how much snow ther really is................

This is a couple of shots of the view out of my office window..................

The day it snowed (Wednesday)

And today. Welcome to winter! Yuck.

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Today, Dean and I got a Christmas card from my sister. It is a wonderful feeling that someone (other than your spouse) thinks that you are a special person. My sister, as do I and I am sure many others, write personal messages inside cards. So, when I get to the part about she can't wait to see us, I just lost it. While I am at the kitchen counter opening the mail, Dean is starting to cook dinner, so I am reading the cards aloud to him. So in the middle of reading this card's personal message from my sister, I just broke down. Then, to boot, she sends a card that is just for me. Needless to say, that I can't even READ this one to Dean because by now I am sobbing so badly, I can't even talk. Part of her handwritten message read: Thanks for being there when I needed you most. That isn't entirely true. She needed me the week after. And the week after that and the week after that and the week after that. She needed me when she had gotten home from that surgery she had. It kills me that I couldn't be there then.

My sister and I have had an extraordinary bond ever since I can remember. Since she's a few years older than me, I was still in diapers when she took me to a school dance. I can't remember if it was jr or high school. She took me on dates and sometimes, actually alot of times, it was her and I. Swimming at Piney Forks Pool where we both got sun poisoning cause we fell asleep on our towels after dowsing ourselves with baby oil. What were we thinking? As fair as we are?.........She took me roller skating and to drive in movies, and to South Park. She was and still is the best sister there is.

It finally came; 4 inches of snow; Getting older

Well, if you read my post from a little while back, you know that I have a Dell computer at work and that it crashed on me BIG time. Dave couldn't fix it. (at least not over the phone and considering he's in Arkansas...)I called Dell and they were supposed to send out a disc for me to reload Windows XP. Well, There was a mix up with the "company" that it was shipped to even though it had my personal name and work address on it. Clark County School District was the "company" it was sent to, so DHL wouldn't deliver it to me. When the disc didn't arrive, I called Dell, they had given me the tracking number and I found out it was returned. Dell sent another one with correct company name on it, which I got the next day. So, the computer has been back up and running since Nov. 15th. So, what does DHL deliver today? A plain brown shipping envelope with the disc inside in a DHL corrected address clear, yellow and red poly bag!!! Yeesh! It only took 4 weeks + to correct that error. Glad I din't have to wait that long to be able to reload Windows!!!

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Today, the Burgh woke up to the first big snowfall of the year. It was coming down pretty good! By noon, we had 2.5 inches. By 3 we had 3.25 and probably 4 good inches by 4:30 or so and it was still snowing! I had my standing every other Wednesday nail appointment today and by the time I was done there, the snow had stopped. I thought they drove bad the other day. God, it was worse this morning. We live in Pittsburgh. Do the people forget how to drive in snow over the summer? No. That just never bothered to learn in the first place. All they have to do is respect the snow, use low gear downhill, and pump the breaks! Do they? NO! Since my birthday is in December, I had to learn how to drive in snow to get my license.......
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So, yes, my birthday is RIGHT around the corner. I will be older than I care to admit, look or feel. 47. But no one thinks I look my age. I certainly don't act my age. At least I don't think so. Dean and I have friend who is 6 years younger than me, but she looks older than me. I believe it's because she is a smoker and because she can party with the best of them. Me? Pittsburgher weekend was about it for me. Once a year. She parties like that probably twice a week during racing season and twice a month in the off season. And that's prolly being kind. I don't think I act my age. When my mom was my age, she seemed so old. Is that because I was only 14? Is it because all she did was work and sleep? I don't know. I just know that I don't ever want to be like THAT. Don't get me wrong. I know I'm no spring chicken. I feel aches and pains when I over exert myself. My back goes out of whack for sometimes what seems to be no apparent reason. My feet swell when I am on them too long. But all in all, I don't think I'm too bad for a broad my age!!!!

1/4" of snow........

WARNING!!!!




This what the snow looked like today when I went out to leave work. Ya know, here in the Burgh, that as soon as the snow flies, everyone has to drive 10 mph UNDER the speed limit! So needless to say, it was after 5 when I got home/ I am done work at 4:30, and I had to brush the snow off the windshield and let the truck warm up a few minutes, but damn, people, the roads aren't frozen. You don't slow down that much when they're wet from rain, do you? I don't want to wreck my truck any more than you want to wreck your vehicle, but people that break check for no reason should be shot! There should be a law! You cannot hit your breaks unless it's for a stop sign, red light, animal or person in the road. To hit your breaks when the weather is bad when there are people behind you just to see if the roads are icy is JUST PLAIN STUPID!!!!! This is what causes the accidents............ It was a 1/4" of snow and they all were driving like it was like this outside.................



It is supposed to get warm (er) again by the weekend. 50's I think I heard....................

Finally Done!!; Shopping update; Thanksgiving and Jordan pics

Well, after a week of demolition, shopping, painting, constructing, installing, hanging, and cleaning.........The bathroom's finally done!!!!


This was the old vanity-minus the sink and door. (I took more before pics, but the camera was obviously not cooperating.) Notice the ugly mirror and white walls, too.




New Paint, sink + vanity, mirror and towel ring. New light fixture on the ceiling too, but you can't see that.




Here's looking in the mirror at the opposite wall. New curtain for the window and


a new valance for the shower curtain. New towel bar too!

The problem is that the bathroom is soooooo pretty, now the rest of the house looks like crap. You know the scene in the Wizard of Oz after Dorothy gets knocked out by the window and in her dream she, Toto and the house land in Munchkin land and before she opens the door everything is in black and white, then she opens the door and reveals a marvelous, colorful land? Well my house and the hallway is the part before she opens the door and the bathroom is Munchkin land! We will have to paint the hall and living room and get new drapes between New Year's and spring. tha will be better....................
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An update on the Christmas shopping.......Ordered Dave's and Patty's gifts today. Should be here no later than early next week. So that leaves me with 2 gifts left to buy for Dean, 1 more for Jordan + some clothes, 3 office gifts, but I know two of them I am getting, just have to stop and get them one day after work. So really, it leaves 1 office gift, and it's for Diane, the big boss. I am really stumped on her this year. Then I have the gift cards to get for Tyler, Angela and Mark and renew Vince's subscription to Dirt Late Model Magazine.. The other kids get cards with money, so that's easy. Don't know what Dean wants to do for Sara yet.
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Well, since I haven't had time......Here's the Thanksgiving /Jordan pics.


Dean carves the turkey.







Everyone's ready to eat! From L to R: Jordan, Sara, Vince, Mark and Dean.


Jordan is a two handed eater! Fork in one hand; Spoon in the other!



Ouchie, Nani. I bumped my head!



If I can get these shoes on, I can go outside.........