Day 203

This picture didn't turn out quite like it looks in real life. Maybe, if you look closely at the top of the tree, you can see the leaves are changing!! After 5 days of 60-70 degree weather, I think the trees are confused! One of the local weathermen has gone out on a limb to say that he thinks summer is done. He doesn't think we'll hit 90 again for the year. That would be odd!! I hope he's right. If he is, I've wasted the $$$ paid for the pool this year but it's worth it to me!!

Day 181

More Kitty Pics! Jack crawled under the blankets we keep in a basket in the living room. He was too cute, just a little of him peeking out. But, he's not allowed in the blankets so, out he came. Where did he go to sleep after that?? His bed, the extra pillow in his "secret" closet? The stairs where he's been sleeping lately? No, on top of my BIG Crop In Style bag in my scrap closet. Crazy Cat!

Day 180

I was sitting upstairs today, watching TV while folding laundry. For some reason, the tree & the leaves & the sunshine coming thru the window caught my eye. I wanted to see if a pic of the window would turn out (especially from across the room!) It's not exactly how my eye saw it but, it turned out pretty good. Not enough leave definition but, still what I wanted

Day 179

Becca was messing w/my camera trying to take an extreme closeup (I won't even TELL you what she was trying to take pics of and how gross it was!!!). I showed her how to change to Macro & how to turn off the flash. She got her icky pic & the camera was still there so I took this pic: pizza dough. I think it looks cool.

Day 178

A couple weeks ago, I started painting my nails again. I like to have painted toes in the summer since I'm up at the pool so much & my feet look SOOO awful but a tiny bit better w/polish. Every trip to Target, I look at new nail colors. But, I have so many colors at home & am never sure which colors might be pretty close to what I have that I never seem to actually MAKE a purchase. This is this week's color.

Day 177

LOOK!!! You may never see this again. In case you don't recognize it, it's a MAN, reading the INSTRUCTIONS!!!! My brother came over to fix my ceiling fan. He wasn't 100% sure if he was supposed to take the switch apart or not so he, wait for it, Read the instructions!! (No, you weren't supposed to take it apart) Took about 10 minutes to put the switch in and I really think I could have done it myself. But THANKS, Steve for helping me out!!!

Day 176

No, I'm not about to dump this entire trashcan over while you sit at the computer. I'm a good kitty & would NEVER do anything like that. Just go ahead, turn around, play Farm Town. I'll be real good. Yeah, right!

Day 175

Isn't he oh, so cool??

Day 174

To the pool today. OH SO HOT!!! OH SO BURNED!!! Becca took her friend Crystal with us. You'd think I could have gotten a nice shot of the girls together or of Nick trying to avoid the girls but having no one else to play with or, in retrospect, me putting on MORE sunscreen so I wouldn't be quite so crispy.

But, no. I got a shot of the ladder. With bubbles. I was trying to get some underwater shots of the girls but pretty much just ended up w/Crystal's tush! But, it is kinda cool so, there you go, pic of the day!

Day 173

Mom & Dad went home today. They stayed to go to lunch with Judy & then met w/my uncle afterwards (Uncle Bill had a stroke a couple of years ago. His health waxes and wanes. Every time they come up, they want to make sure the make time to visit with him!)

Since they were gone & not using the downstairs tub, we decided it was time to bathe the cat! We did bathe Mandy about once year. Jack seems to need it more often! He doesn't seem to be as fastidious (boy cat issue??) He was not pleased but he feels so much softer & cleaner now!!! Plus, I'm sure it helped get rid of some of that HOT HOT fur!!

Day 172

Happy Father's Day!!!

We went to Pasta House where they were giving free Spaghetti for all dads! That's Scott's favorite anyway! Wayne & Judy joined us with Mom & Dad. Toasted Ravs, YUM!!!

When we came out from the restaurant, THIS is what the temp was showing!! I HATE SUMMER!!!

After dinner, we went back home & relaxed. Mom & Dad went to Applebees with Wayne & Judy for soup & dessert; Scott & I had popcorn! When Mom & Dad got back, we played more games. It was a fun, relaxing holiday.

Day 171

Since my parents are here, we moved the cat upstairs (he'd curl up in bed with them, given the chance, and I don't think my allergic mom would appreciate that!) So, his nice comfy bed is right there and where does he sleep??? Doesn't it look like he'd KILL me given half a chance???

Day 170

Today was the day we went back to StL. I HATE the day that vacation ends! At least I will get to sleep in my own bed tonite!! Mom & dad had planned to come up to Stl this weekend too. We didn't drive together (dad drives too slow & Scott too fast) but we kept in touch on the way home.

We stopped at Taco Bell (ick!) and they stopped at Subway. We stopped for gas in Sullivan, they didn't stop until Florissant (we called to tell them gas was nearly $.20 a gallon cheaper in MO). We got home and I decided I was NOT going to cook!! We ordered pizza from Dominos. Dad, Becca & I went to pick it up . As soon as we got in the car, a HUGE rainstorm started!!! Buckets for rain, lightening, hail, the whole ball of wax!! Scary. Can you believe it ended before we got back home with the pizza???

After dinner, we played Oh Pooh Pooh (the original name is NOT family friendly) and Uno with the parents. Fun!

Day 169

Today was the most vacation-y day of the week. Becca spent the night in Bolivar w/Marissa. Nick and I were at the hotel alone most of the day. We walked to Subway for lunch & then to the pool.

Before we went down the pool, Nick said there was lots of "stuff" in the pool. I told him to call down to the front desk & ask if the pool was open (at the time I was not where I could look at the pool & determine what kind of "stuff" he was talking about.) He called & they said it was open. I looked out the window a few minutes later & there was a man in a sport coat & tie skimming the pool!! It had to be in the mid 90s at the time! I guess that Nick's call had gotten management to go look and determine the pool needed to be cleaned. When we got down there, I determined that the pool needed to be SHOCKED. Blucky cloudy water. Nick had fun. I tried to only get into the water when I was too hot to stay OUT of the water.

Later in the afternoon, mom, dad & Becs came back up from Bolivar and we had the BEST dinner at Outback. My steak was perfect (no easy feat given how particular I am about my steak!!), the potato was awesome, the bread & the soda were refilled w/o us having to ask! Mom & dad left after dinner & Scott took the kids & I to Best Buy. He figured they needed a Christmas in June present. Becca got the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy on BluRay & Nick got GH Smash Hits. Scott also bought 2 movies on BD for us; The Siege & Groundhog Day.

Day 168

Today, we drove for a full day in Bolivar. Scott had a full day of audits so we stayed all day at mom's. We went to the Scrapbook store, I mailed swaps off from their PO and we went out to visit my SIL & the kids at their still new house. Can you believe, even tho I had my camera the whole time, I didn't take one pic of the kids??? I did however take pics of the rock out croppings on the road. They looked very cool to me. We have them all the way from StL to Springfield and Bolivar. I'd hate to have been the one that had to break those up for the highway to go thru!!! This is also the reason that there are very few basements in Bolivar. These rocks are under EVERYTHING. Hmmm, tornadoes & no basements. NOT a good thing!

Day 167

Woke up this morning to a phone call from my mother. There were tornado warnings and sirens all around Bolivar & it was heading to Springfield. We got up & put the TV on. Really looked like it might miss us based on the weather maps. We got some HEAVY RAINS but never lost power & never had anything like a tornado or straight line wind. This is the pool & dining room of the hotel as taken from our balcony in the middle of the storm.

Day 166

The drive to Bolivar/Spfld is approximately 4 hours plus potty/gas breaks and food stops. This is the kids in the backseat. I don't know if you can tell from this pic but they both have "iPod ears" which is how we refer to having ear buds in. Nick for his PSP and Becca for her music. If someone asks a kid a question & they don't answer, we'll say "they can't hear you; they've got iPod ears".

Ok, now this more for my journalling so one day, when I finally get around to scrapbooking again, I'll remember the joys of this particular drive down to the Ozarks. Read if you want but it might bore the heck out of you.

Scott didn't have any audits today meaning we didn't have to leave at any certain time. We decided we'd just leave when we were ready. We got up, packed the last minute stuff, loaded up the car. At 10, we were ready to go. Becca & I headed for the car while Scott shut down his computer. I decided I would take the first leg of the trip and I got in & reset the mileage (Scott's company would pay for the miles!) and got ready to go. No Scott & Nick. We waited & waited & waited. No boys. We honked; no boys. Finally they showed up wondering why we were in such a hurry.

We left. We got out of the neighborhood & Scott wondered aloud if we had our new insurance card in the van & started looking. He looked & looked & looked but couldn't find it. I turned around and headed back home. As soon as we got in front of the neighborhood, he found it. Onward!

We passed the Credit Union and Scott remembered we needed cash to pay the kids their allowance. I turned around and we drove thru and got some cash. And we were off. We get a few miles down the road & Nick doesn't have his wallet & Scott is wearing the wrong shoes (he's such a girl!) so, we turn around, go BACK home & get the shoes but can't find the wallet. Finally, we leave the house, for good this time, at 10:45!

We get across the river and onto the highway. It starts raining. And raining! AND RAINING!!! I can't see a THING in front of me! Half the cars don't have their lights on but I don't think it would matter anyway! I get into the far right lane and just try to stay there. We are driving at 35 mph, inching along, trying to keep from hitting other people.

It lets up a bit here & there but of course, by the time we get to our exit, it's coming down in sheets again. I am geographically challenged anyway so I have no idea if I'm going to Tulsa or Tampa (which I think would be neither) and I can't see the sign that Scott insists is there to tell me which was Springfield is. I can't see which lane I need to be in and there is a tractor trailer bearing down on me. I do make it thru the interchange but my stomach is tied in knots and I'm wishing I had let Scott drive.

We stop about 15 miles down the highway for lunch & Scott takes over the driving!! I do agree to drive a little bit later but I told him if ONE rain drop falls, I'm pulling over and letting him drive.

We did find the road to Bolivar is closed for bridge repair (1-888-Ask-MoDOT) so we drive straight to Spfld and check into our hotel. Then, we meet mom & dad at the BESTEST Golden Corral ever (they ALWAYS have Coconut Cream Pie!) and drive to Bolivar to play cards. It was a very long day!

Day 165

Tomorrow morning, we leave for Springfield and Bolivar Missouri. We'll be down there a week & I have to pack all the clothes for me & the kids plus snacks for the road and for the hotel (although, we could just as easily buy snacks when we get there but I digress).

Anyway, we are leaving in like 12 hours and I do have to sleep during some of that time but this is all I have packed. This is my stamps and crafty related stuff, Nick's game systems (yes, plural; he has a game cube w/a built in screen in case the hotel doesn't have adaptors for his Wii, he has his Wii in case there ARE adaptors, he has his PSP and GameBoy, assorted games and controllers for each system and a guitar so he can play Guitar Hero.) and blankets for the car ride 'cause Scott likes to BLAST the A/C. Clothes, toiletries and food apparently aren't that important; These things are!

Day 164

Today was stamp camp. That means I should have a pic of Elsah or the river but, I took a different (and a lot less fun route) to Sue's. But, I did pass by this kinda cool looking birdhouse. I had to stop in the middle of the road to take the pic. But, since it was out in rural Jersey county, it was not a problem.

Day 163

Kitty with a Death Wish!!

I bought a new fan today, took it out of the box, took the packaging off & set it on the kitchen counter. Mr. Nose into everything had already put his entire body into the bag before I could turn around. Big, dumb, goofy cat!!