As most of you know, I recently wrote a blog about an exciting visitor in our home that we affectionately refer to as Rocky. Rocky had made his way not only into the walls and attic of our comfortable abode, and eventually found an entrance inside the house. After thoroughly scaring the shit out of me and Kate, we impressed upon our leader (my very capable husband and Kate's father) to GET HIM OUT OF HERE!
I thought you all should know, we have now declared war on Rocky the Squirrel. Or he has declared war on us.
Whatever the case, it has become an obsession with my husband, Minor.
One week ago: Minor walked out to the mailbox to get the mail and happened to look up and notice Rocky peeping his head out of a spot under the roof ledge. But when walking closer for a better look, Rocky pulled his head back in. Of course, since Minor is the wiser of the two, he goes and sits in his truck and waits for Rocky to exit the building, making sure to remain perfectly still inside his truck. Ah ha! Rocky jumps down and trips across the yard happily looking for nuts and Minor jumps out of his truck and covers the hole with wood. Minor comes inside and gleefully exclaims that he outsmarted cute little old Rocky!
4 days ago: Rocky is still making sounds in the attic. After another inspection, Minor finds a vent on the roof that has been covered with a wire sheathing has now been torn away to make an entrance, just the right size for Rocky to slip in through. So he replaces the sheathing and proudly announces to the family that Rocky can't get in now!
Two days ago: More sounds from the attic. How can this be? Armed with a ladder and a broom, Minor again climbs on the roof and makes another inspection. Sure enough, Rocky has made another entrance way into the attic via the gutter pipe hole to the roof. He is now making a little home for himself and his family. I think he has moved in. Minor reconnects the gutter and is quite happy with his assessment of the situation. No way is he coming in now!
Yesterday: He's back. Minor has not given up, although he may be losing his mind in the process. He is now mumbling to himself and I think I overheard something about purchasing a gun or maybe dynamite.
Anyway, you just gotta watch this short video clip. It's what's going on at my house.
I just finished reading, "You Belong To Me", by Ann Rule.
It is the story of a poster-perfect "all-American" Florida Highway State Trooper who hid bizarre and fatal fantasies behind his badge. The crime took place back in 1990 on a Florida stretch of I-95, outside of Jacksonville.
So anyway, while I was reading this book, I periodically stopped and gave Kate updates of what was happening in the lives of these people I was reading about. It went something like this...
"Kate, you won't believe this guy! He is the biggest womanizer. He pulls women over on the Interstate and takes their license, so that they have to come to the station to see him to get their license back. What a jerk! He is really good looking and although he is married, he has affairs all the time. He is only after favors from women who don't have the money to pay their tickets. He even brought one of his girlfriends to his and his wife's bed while his wife was in the hospital having their baby! He is such a big ...
I paused here, and didn't finish my sentence yet. Although, Ryan, who was at the table coloring and obvious listening to me give Kate this update, popped up and finished my sentence for me.
"a big old meany?"
I said, "Yep, that's what he is! A big ole meany!
Tee Hee! I love that innocence. Can I get that bottled?
I don't know whether I should list these things as things I love... or things I'm addicted to. So I'll just list them as "Things I Love To Be Addicted To".
Number one. I'm a Diet Cokeaholic. It's true. I drink 4 to 5 a day.
Number two. I'm a True Crime fanatic. I'm reading two Ann Rule books a week. What will I ever do when I've read all her books? The local book store thinks I'm a crazed idiot.
Number three. I keep a supply of Silly Putty on hand. It has to be the original in the red egg. No off brands or colors. I wear out one Silly Putty a week. I'm not kidding.
Number four. I take sinus meds on a regular basis. Been to allergists and have taken shots for three years. I also take Zyrtec. Nothing helps. Give me my Sinutab.
Number five. Myspace and blogging. I can't get enough of you guys. Your comments keep me coming back for more.
Number six. I need to laugh. Everyday. I laugh a lot.
Number seven. Chocolate. I have eaten a whole bag of Hershey's Kisses by myself. I'm sorry.
Number eight. My hubby. I shot him with my arrow. And now he's mine forever.
Number nine. This music video tells it all.
btw, if you read this far, consider yourself tagged.
I met one of my favorite MS buds today! Deb-or-ahand her grandson, Adam! (Thanks, Savannah, for letting Adam come with his Nanny! He is adorable!)
Kate, Ryan, and I met Deb and Adam for lunch at Spanky's and as you can imagine, we all couldn't stop talking. Even the kids were yaking! Deb is exactly what I imagined her to be, only better! She is a true Sweet Potato Gal and I love her to pieces! I feel like we have always been friends.
Adam and Ryan played constantly and barely had time to eat. We sat next to a huge fish tank with really cool fish that kept the boys intriqued while the three of us talked and laughed. We enjoyed a wonderful meal of shrimp and scallops while the boys ate their hot dog. Thank goodness for hot dogs and ketchup!
After a couple of hours, we made our way to our cars, although we hated to leave. After getting Adam all buckled in to watch his Blues Clues DVD, we all exchanged a couple of "love" gifts. Deb gave Kate and me a box of delicious German chocolates and 2 bottles of German wine! Ryan got a puzzle and some kinder eggs! He loves them! I sampled the chocolate on the way home and it is yummy! The wine is chilling as we speak!
Deb and I are making plans to see each other again this summer for a week end, here on the island.
I can't wait.
Oh yes, one more tid bit of happening while we were getting into our car. Now ya'll, it is Sunday, OK? Do alcoholics ever give it a rest? This vagrant looking drunk guy is standing two cars over from us yelling and swearing all kinds of profanity into his cell phone.
As Kate and I turn to see where the commotion is coming from and what was going on, I was so stunned, that I didn't realize that I had the car keys and the doors were locked and we couldn't get in. Kate is yelling at me and Ryan to hurry and get in, get in, get in because the foul mouth drunk is heading towards us. Whew! I'm not accustomed to going out with Kate. She draws all sorts of excitement.
It was Sunday, January 23, 1977. There was still snow on the ground from a few days earlier. So much snow in fact, that we almost had to postpone everything. Roads finally cleared and the sun began to shine. It was a beautiful day for a wedding.
I slept in while the rest of my family left for church.
I remember pulling the covers up over my face and snuggling into my pillow, smiling to myself. This was the day I had waited for. This was it.
Realizing I was way too excited to sleep, I decided to grab my robe and take a little time strolling through our wedding gifts. My Mama, bless her heart, had all our wedding gifts beautifully displayed throughout the downstairs den atop white tablecloths.
Each gift was marked with a place card as to it's description and the giver's name. The room was completely full of wedding gifts. I remember thinking how loved I felt and how very thankful I was to all my friends and family.
After a light breakfast, I showered and hot curled my hair. The family was coming in from having eaten out after church and the hustle and bustle of the day was beginning. My sister, Pam, and her family (Jim, and the girls) were there as well as my youngest brother, Micah. Pete, my other brother was in the military in North Dakota and was unable to be there, and I missed him terribly, but it couldn't be helped. And of course, Mama and Daddy were there.
So things were beginning to get a little busy in the Roberts' household.
Mama had helped me pack my wedding trousseau, days before. She and my grandmother had given me an ivory lace and pearl gown and pinwah with matching slippers and panties.
I did my make up and dressed at home before we all headed for the church. We were to be at the church exactly two hours before the service was to begin in order to have pictures. All the plans were finally coming together.
Everything was ready.
What if Minor changed his mind? What if he didn't really want to get married yet? What if I was left at the altar? I've heard of that happening. So I was relieved to get the news that he did show up and was at the church. Whew!
It was to be a candlelight wedding at 6 PM in the evening. All the bridesmaids and groomsmen had arrived and were busy preparing themselves as well as the florist finishing the last minute touches.
The candles were all lit by the groomsmen and the lights were dimmed as the organist played and the soloist sang. When she was finished, the wedding march began and each bridesmaid, escorted by a groomsman, walked down the aisle to their respective place, followed by the flower girl and ring bearer.
I held tight to my Daddy's strong arm. He looked down at me and told me he loved me. He smiled really big and said, "You can still change your mind."
"I know, Daddy. I don't want to change my mind. I love you, Daddy."
He said, "OK, let's go."
And we walked down the aisle to the altar where Minor was waiting.
*****
We were just kids, back then, with no idea of what was ahead.
We've been through good times and bad times. We've lived through children, grandchildren, dogs, cats, deaths, car payments, house payments, heart attacks, surgeries, career changes, and weird relatives. Through it all, we have loved each other and have always been totally commited to our relationship. There has never been another option. Whatever came our way, we tackled it together, in sickness, and in health. It has not been an easy road. But nothing good, ever is.
Thirty one years ago today.
We are true soulmates and we have surely been blessed.
I decided to take some of the advice from readers on my last blog regarding the pulling of Ryan's tooth. Thanks Laura, it worked like a charm!
Although Kate reported in her blog that I YANKED the tooth out, the truth is that I merely tugged on it and it came out. He cried a minute and after he drank a little water to rinse his mouth, everything was great! He couldn't wait to get to bed so the toothfairy could visit him again!
Since the toothfairy was working her second job this particular night, I agreed to help her out with her visit.
Several hours after Ryan fell asleep, I crawled in the bed myself and had just gotten settled in under the covers, when all of a sudden I sat straight up! I realized that I hadn't done the tooth fairy thing yet!
So I tip toed into Ryan's room to be met by a gazillon pillows and stuffed animals in the bed with him.
It was dark and I had no idea which pillow he put his tooth under.
*Sigh*
I felt around a little, but was afraid he would wake up with all the poking and proding and pulling of the pillows, so I had to think of a better way.
Hmmmm...a flashlight would be good if I knew where one was. Minor will know!
I tip toed back into my bedroom and walked around to the other side of the bed where Minor was sleeping.
(whispering) "Minor...Minor..." "WHAT????????? You just scared the shit out of me! What???", he yelled. "I'm sorry...I need a flashlight. I can't find which pillow Ryan put his tooth under . Do you know where a flashlight is?", I asked. "Yes, look right there on top of the dresser and try not to scare HIM like you did me."
OK. So I went back to Ryan's room and I've got the flashlight and I'm peeping under pillows and stuffed animals for a tooth wrapped in a kleenex, when all of a sudden, he opens his eyes and says,
"What are you doing, Nanny?"
Trying to gain my composure, "I'm just making sure the toothfairy can find your tooth. Where is it?", I asked. "It's right here.", he said, while pulling it out from under a pillow. "Yes, I think she can find it there. You go back to sleep, OK?", I said.
And then I made the switcheroo! None the wiser!
So now I could snuggle back under my covers and get some sleep.
Five minutes passed.
"NANNY, THE TOOTHFAIRY ALREADY CAME, AND SHE LEFT ME A DOLLAR!" he exclaimed while standing at my bedroom door.
It was 2 AM. He was way too excited to sleep after that and he had to tell me all the things that he wanted to buy with his dollar. We didn't get back to sleep until somewhere around 5 AM.
It began when the phone rang at 6:23 AM. It was Kate.
"Can you get Ryan up and going? I'm going to be a few minutes late getting there."
"Sure, no problem", I hung up.
Actually, Ryan had already been awake a few minutes and had crawled in the bed with us. He was busy telling me about a red headed woodpecker and a green frog that he heard one time. Interesting information at 6:23 AM.
And of course we have to check on his loose front tooth that is currently being nursed.
He is not letting go of it until it falls out. The tooth is currently hanging by a thread and of course, we are accepting all good tooth pulling suggestions.
So we get ourselves in gear and make sure Ryan is ready for his day.
This day being...Hat Day at school. Kids can wear any hat of their choice today only by donating $1.00 to some cause, of which has currently slipped my mind. This picture isn't his class, but you get the idea.
Ryan wanted to wear a Happy New Year hat that is silver papered card board and shaped like a cone. (He brought that home from Ohio.)
We suggested he wear his baseball cap from T-Ball.
Nope...he wasn't having any part of the baseball cap. He was dead set on the cone shaped party hat. We tried everything we could think of to change his mind, but nothing doing.
"OK, Ryan. I'll tell you what...I'll just put your baseball cap inside your bookbag and if you decide you want to change during the day, you can!", I said.
He exclaimed, "NO, Nanny! I told you I want to wear the Happy New Year hat!"
Well... you know me. I put the cap in his bag anyway. He could thank me later.
*******
Today was also an early release day from school. I picked Ryan up at 12:20 PM. He had the baseball cap on.
"Ryan, why did you decide to change to the baseball cap?", I questioned.
"I just felt like it."
"OK." (tee hee) I love it when a plan comes together.
*******
So I came home and decided to put on a pot of Chili.
I had all the fixins except I usually use canned black beans with my Chili and I only had dry black beans in a bag. So I read the directions to boil them for 2 minutes and then let them sit and soak for 1 hour.
I then added to them to my pot of Chili. Seven fricking hours later, my Chili is still simmering and the black beans are still crunchy. Sarah J, I'm not.
I happen to like my Chili crunchy.
******* OK. It has to be time for a nap. I am thinking I could lay down on the couch for a nap while Ryan is quietly playing at the coffee table.
**Ding dong**. It's Kenny, at the door. He informs me he can stay for two hours.
"Wonderful!" (Holding in my sarcasm.)
I can still doze on the couch while they are playing. No problem, except, I kid you not. Every five minutes, Kenny asked me how many more minutes before his 2 hours was up.
I didn't really want a nap.
Back to my book, "Kiss Me, Kill Me" by Ann Rule. Another good one. But they're all good.
