A Text Message, A Ringtone and a Beloved T-Shirt

I got this text message from my oldest granddaughter the other day. How sweet is this kid? I told Randey we've got to work on scheduling us a trip to Florida soon to visit with her. I've kept her message just so I can look at it throughout the day. It makes me smile everytime I see it.
Here's something that falls under the "Almost Twilight Zone" umbrella...my sister got a Vu phone just like mine, but was having trouble assigning certain ringtones to certain contacts in her address book after she'd downloaded them. I hadn't downloaded any ringtones myself (because I'd been too lazy to sit through the process!), but decided I'd try to do one just to see if I could figure out how and let her know. As it turns out, my youngest son Jacob figured out how to do it, not me. But whatever...once he taught me what to do, I immediately started downloading ringtones for those few people who actually call me (it's a small number...most everyone knows how much I hate talking on the phone. Or maybe nobody really wants to call me. LOL). When I called my sister to coach her through the process, I asked her what ringtone had she picked for my number. She said she'd chosen this little song called "Shoop". I busted out laughing. I had chosen the exact same song for HER number on my phone. And I'd never even heard it before yesterday. Randey and the boys told me that my sister and I were just freaky, bizarre and more than a little disturbing. Even Sherri and I had to marvel at the coincidence, though...both of us - living 750 miles apart from one another - picking the same song for each other's ringtones. Crazy.
Finally, I just had to post this. I was thinking about my old Johnny Bench worshipping days and finally went and dug out my beloved JB t-shirt that I got back in 1975. Check it out! The darn thing fits me (kind of)! I mean, yeah, it's a little wonky and all because I wore it probably 3 times a week for months on end when I was in the 7th and 8th grade (notice how the neck and arm trim has faded to pink - it started out RED!), but theoretically speaking, I could wear it again if I so chose to. And, of course, if I didn't want to be seen in public with Randey because he informed me that it was no longer a viable fashion statement and would be best worn within the privacy of our home and he most certainly would not be seen in public with me wearing it. Hmphf! Spoilsport. It's Johnny Bench, though. Who wouldn't want to be seen in public standing next to such a fabulous shirt! lolOkay, that's all I've got for now. My thoughts have been scattered all over the place these past couple of weeks. My very best friend in the whole wide world has moved here from Florida and I've just been so excited about it that I can't seem to sit down and form any coherent posts. It's like my insides are operating on hyperdrive! I know I'll chill out sooner or later and will be able to make some sense one of these days soon. Hope so anyway!

Tropic Thunder, My Baby's Movin' on Up, More Art, Maddy's Masterpiece and a Plea for Recipes!

It's been a hectic weekend. I'm on another one of my "gotta get organized" kicks so naturally, everything in the house is a total mess. lol What I wouldn't give for more storage in this house!! Geez. Seems like I'm constantly shifting stuff from one pile to another and not making any progress whatsoever. But that's a whole other story. I'd just as soon not think about it right now so I'll move along, okay? :)
Randey and I saw Tropic Thunder Friday evening. It was offensive on so many levels, it was stupid, it was gross, it was sometimes over-the-top bizarre...and man, did we love it! I haven't laughed so hard in a theater since we saw Blades of Glory. Robert Downey, Jr. is pure genius. I'm normally not too impressed with anyone who makes their living in Hollywood, but this guy is an exception. I loved him in Ironman, I loved him in Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang and I totally and completely adored him in this movie. Nobody plays a character better and nobody pokes fun at himself better, either. Genius, I tell you, genius. Another stand out performance in this movie was that of Tom Cruise. Yeah, I know. I stopped diggin' Tom Cruise right about the time he kicked Nicole to the curb and started couch jumping over Katie. But his performance in this movie almost made me like him again. Almost. (He played a great role, but afterwards, well - he's still Tom Cruise - couch-pounding maniac.) If you can enjoy a whole lot of un-politically correct humor, this movie is for you. If you're easily offended, skip it. And there you have it. Another movie review from me. Woo-hoo! lol
Check out Jacob, my baby. He was headed to a job interview so he broke down and dressed in something other than a t-shirt and plaid shorts. It worked for him, too. He got the job and has gone from working fast food to working in retail sales. He's already planning on how to spend the big bucks he'll be making. lol
Remember our fetish for cheap art? Well, check this out:
It's a watercolor painting of an actual windmill. It's the Berney Arms Mill in Norfolk, U.K. It actually has a sticker on the back with the name of the artist and the artist's contact information. I googled the name of the mill and found several webpages with information regarding the origin and the current use of the mill. I think it's a beautiful little watercolor and, at $3 (sorry, Kat, I can't help myself - I have to tell how little we paid! lol), an absolute steal.

When Maddy Moose (our oldest granddaughter) was visiting earlier this month, she and I went to Granbury and painted ceramics together. As you can see, Maddy's granny (moi) has not found her calling when it comes to painting these things. Who knew the brush strokes would show up so much??? Here's the front of my piece:
And here's the back:
Now here's Maddy's. This kid is so creative and so free-spirited, it was a given that I would love her piece. Here's the front of hers:
And here's the back:
I am kicking my own butt for not having her do two pieces so that I could keep one. What was I thinking??? Well, now I know better. Next time around, Moose will be painting something for herself and something for her granny. lol

One more thing. I haven't received many recipes yet for the "Finding a Weigh Out of Fat" post coming up this Wednesday. You only have a day or two to get those to me!! If you have one, please e-mail me with it ASAP (or type it into a comment). Come on, guys! Share what you've got and help the rest of us out! If we're going to lose weight together, we need to do it all together. Including helping each other out in the kitchen (metaphorically, anyway. You'll have to find your own helpers to do the dishes. lol).

Dad's Birthday Gift, Wendy's "Poof" Fairy and a Surprise for Maddy Moose (but don't tell her, Jodie! lol)

I finally finished the little scrapbook I was working on for my dad's birthday. I had done myself a "book of Dad" not too long ago, but I decided I would do one for him for his birthday, which is next week. Dad's not a sentimental kind of guy so I don't know what he'll think of this. I hope he likes it, though. He's so hard to choose gifts for. I think that's true of most dads, huh? Anyway, here's the cover (this book is only 6" x 6"): The next picture tells, on the left side, of 12 things my father taught me. The right side tells of twelve things my father never taught me. I used the same photo, but used a program that makes it look like a water-color painting. Then for the picture on the right, I reversed the image and changed it to black and white.These next pages show my dad's parents (on the left) and on the right is a picture of Dad with his brothers, individual pictures of his sisters and a single picture of me.

This next one shows, on the left, an action shot of Dad sliding into 3rd base. He used to play on a softball league out at Tinker Air Force Base. Those games were a lot of fun to watch. The right side shows Dad demonstrating his perfect bowling form! My parents were always in a bowling league when we were growing up. In fact, that bowling alley is where I got my first real job. First I was a waitress in the snack bar, but kept forgetting to give people silverware. Then they switched me to short order cook. I still can't believe they didn't just fire me and be done with it. lol I think it's because the owners liked my parents so much, they didn't have the heart to tell them their daughter was a dork!

The next page I did (below on the left) tells my dad about some of the things I feel certain I inherited from him. (most of which I'm sure he'll agree with!) The page on the right is a picture of Dad and his lovely wife, Wendy.

These next pages show Dad's kids on the left and Wendy's kids on the right. His and Hers.

And then "theirs" (below) - the left page is all the grandchildren that Dad and Wendy have, combined. I whited out the names because I don't know if their parents would want their names all over my blog. The page on the right is a note to Dad from me. I blocked out some of it because that part is particularly personal.

And here's the back cover, featuring my brand-spanking new stamp that I so love. I know you guys are wondering why I've started showing so much scrapbooking stuff lately, aren't you? Well, aren't you? You're interested enough to wonder, right? (Say yes. You know I need the validation. lol) Anyway, the answer is simple. It's the easiest way I know to show this stuff to my daughter-in-law, Jodie. Loading these pictures onto e-mail takes forever and a day. Unfortunately, it means I'm now boring you guys to tears, I'm sure, but bear with me. I at least tried to make the background of the pictures bright and happy so they'd look halfway interesting. :)

Moving on...has anybody else seen these "Poof" fairies? I love 'em. I found them at our local Hallmark store and they just crack me up. Wendy's birthday is a few days after Dad's so I got her a "Poof" fairy to celebrate. It says "Poof! You're 29!". LOL They have ones that say "Poof! The dishes are done!" and "Poof! The house is clean!" (I could really use one of those...). Here's what they look like, although the different phrases come in different colors. They're so ugly, they're cute.

This next picture is NOT FOR MADDY'S EYES, JODIE! Do NOT let Maddy see this! This is the new Build-a-Bear they came out with today. It's a Topaz bear. I had to get it for the Moose because Topaz is her birthstone (she's a November baby). This is the cutest little thing! I named her Daisy May. Shut up, you guys! I happen to like that name! Although I kind of wish now that I had named her Buttercup, 'cause that's what I think of when I look at her. Not that I've been playing with her or anything. ha! The trick will be for us to hold off giving this to Maddy before her birthday. It's hard to hang onto something that long. It's the reason I can't shop for Christmas gifts throughout the year...I always end up giving the gifts waaaaay before Christmas and then I have to buy more.

Okay - that's enough goofiness for now. It's almost midnight (Yikes!). Time for all little bear buying, fairy poofing, scrapbook making chicks to be in bed. Goodnight, ya'll!

So Much Absurdity, So Little Time

It has recently come to my attention that I am surrounded by the absurd. Although I guess absurdity is actually a matter of perspective. Something I may think is totally ridiculous may be something perfectly mundane to you. Let me show you what I'm talking about....See this little guy? He's what I got to stare at for about 2 days in a row. For some reason, this grasshopper attached himself to the screen on the window right behind the computer monitor. Every time I looked up, there he was. Through blazing sunshine and through a wicked little rainstorm...he never wavered. Two whole days. He never even moved an inch either way. I wondered what made that spot so attractive to him. And I hope whatever it was doesn't re-occur because I have no desire to stare at his funky self again.
See this watermelon? I think it's absurd. Why, you ask? Because, A) it actually grew in our backyard and, B) it split open about a day after this picture was taken, and C) out of the 4 watermelon plants we planted, this is the only one that grew. And it was gone before we ever got to love it. Therefore, I can't help but feel that this sweet little melon was nothing but absurd.
This is my granddaughter, Maddy. You gotta love this picture. She looks like she's fixin' to belly up to the bar and demand a whiskey with a beer chaser. Maddy was forever grabbing her daddy's hat and putting it on (usually backwards). This was a look for her that my son almost cultivated. He thought it was funny. I did not. Until I saw this picture. It's absurd.
Does this picture really need any explanation as to why it's absurd? Bless his little pea-pickin' heart. He looks like Spike from the Gremlins. So ugly, he's cute. Elwood has a face that, truly, only a mother could love, you know? Speaking of loving mothers, let me ask ya'll this; Have you ever heard a mother say to her child, "Honey, you're not that ugly". Of course not. So why do some mothers think it's okay to say to their child "Honey, you're not that big". Isn't that just as bad? Speaking from experience, I'm gonna go with yeah, it's just as bad. And absurd.

Sydney the Wonder Dog taking a nap. In the chair. Under the blanket. Absurd. (But oh so cute).
Sydney the Wonder Dog taking another nap (he takes a lot of naps...he's a growing boy). Notice his little tongue sticking out? He's so darn cute it's absurd.
Sydney the Wonder Dog showing us his whole tongue. Who knew there was so much of it? Absurdly long, I must say.
This is a picture Jacob took of Kaleb on a road trip to Oklahoma. He wanted to dog his brother for sleeping with his mouth open. Mean, tacky and absurd.
This is a picture of Jacob taken by me to show him how fun it's not to have somebody make fun of how you look when you're sleeping in a car. Everyone, even Jacob, tends to look absurd sleeping in a car. Does this make me mean and tacky, too? Nah. I'm the mom. This was a lesson for him. Nothing mean, tacky or absurd about that. Right?

Kaleb, Randey and Jacob (and Sydney the Wonder Dog). Randey was showing off his Nascar ticket order form for the November race at Texas Motor Speedway and his new t-shirt that the boys bought him for his birthday. The t-shirt says "Hangin with my Gnomies". Yeah. Absurd.

These are our stairs. I think there's only something like 15 steps in total. Feels more like about 300. I'm constantly running up and down, up and down, up and down...about a million times a day. As much exercise as I get going up and down these stupid stairs, I oughta have a butt like a Playboy Playmate. Instead, my rear end is more like the Playboy Mansion. Roomy and slightly obscene. Oh and yeah, the stairs do need vacuuming. But the thought of me doing them? Absurd. Really absurd.

This sign is for sale at Ross's. It's been for sale for about 2 months. Gee whiz, I wonder why? I'm thinking that this is what happens when you contract with factories in foreign, non-English speaking countries to do your signs. They might just accidentally misspell something. Which thing is more absurd? The misspelled words or the fact that Ross's is convinced they can sell it?
These flippin' Dayturas are totally absurd. I think they're indestructible, no? I can't even count the number of times I've cut them back this year alone. And yet they just keep growing more and more. Absurd.
Check out all the purple ornaments at Garden Ridge this year. I started doing a purple themed tree about 6 years ago when we lived in Florida. My dining room and kitchen were done in a "grape" motif so, naturally, the tree for the dining room had to be all purple and white and sparkly. Do you know how hard it was to find purple ornaments 6 years ago? I haven't done my purple tree for the past 2 years. And now they come out with a selection like this. Absurd.
I think these Christmas trees (also at Garden Ridge) speak for themselves. They're saying "We're absurd. Not our colors! Those are...interesting. Vibrant even. But our prices. Wow! Now they're absurd".
A big honkin' giant lives in my backyard. These are plaster casts of his footprints. Think I'm lying? Well duh. Come on. A giant in my tiny little backyard? What? You think he sleeps in the shed? That'd just be totally absurd, don't 'cha think?

And speaking of absurd (which we have been doing , if you'd have been paying attention!!), I just came back from (blog) visiting my very special British friend, Sophie Honeysuckle. You must click on this if you want to see something absolutely absurd and hysterically funny to boot. Do it. I insist. If you don't laugh out loud at what you see, you may qualify for a disability check every month because you most assuredly have suffered from a severe loss of your sense of humor (and if that doesn't qualify as a disability, I don't know what does)!