News about the Poot

A couple of weeks ago, I got a phone call telling me the Poot is trying to dress herself. Today, I got a phone call telling me the Poot has learned to take her diaper off by herself. Ahh, payback!!!

When Ravon was about the same age, 12-15 months, if we were planning to go somewhere we would get her dressed first then go dress ourselves. After dressing ourselves, we would follow the trail of cute little baby clothes and diaper and usually find a naked baby at the end. We would then have to rewash and redress the baby. It caused us to be late a couple of times.

Ravon, a word of advice. Start getting ready early. Give yourself about 15-20 minutes extra time. If you have to redress the baby you will have time to. If not, you'll arrive early. Don't go back to leaving just in time to get there. The Poot might learn how to undress herself in her car seat.

Storms

We had storms blow through here last night, the worst between midnight and 12:30. I saw hail the size of golf balls, experienced winds of about 30-40 miles per hour and then the storm spawned a tornado east of town. The storm and the tornado traveled due east at about 30 mph. 12-15 miles west of here 4-5 inch hail and 70 mph winds were reported. I hope everyone else is ok.

I stayed up until almost 3:00 watching the storms and my butt is dragging today.

update -noon- The trucking company my brother works for had a truck blown off the road this morning about 1:30 or 2:00 about 40 miles east of here. The wind picked a 65 - 70,000 pound tractor trailer up and threw it into the ditch. There were no tracks leading to where the rig ended up. It was PICKED UP OFF THE GROUND AND THROWN ONTO IT'S SIDE BY THE WIND. The driver is ok. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated. No accident report. No tickets were issued. It was deemed an act of nature.

Memorial Day

Some people treat Memorial Day as just another day off, or as a holiday that marks the start of summer. I was raised to view Memorial Day as a day set aside to remember the loss of those who "stood in the gap" as it were, ultimately sacrificing their lives so we may live the lives we live today. A poem by Kelly Strong illustrates my thoughts today.

Freedom Is Not Free
- Kelly Strong

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That TAPS had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

Sweeeet!!!

Farmgirl over at Tractortracks just posted about my favorite food group, chocolate! Chocolate is one of the four food groups, right? Chocolate, coffee and iced tea, beer, and pork. I got them all, right???

Anyway, she is posting about some chocolate goodies she is going to make. If you have any stroke over there, I really, really would like to try the white chocolate tiramisu.

Life Changes...AGAIN

A few days ago, my mother told me she wanted to hire a live in companion/nurse/housekeeper and said she needed me to find someone. Right now in western Oklahoma fast food joints are paying $8.00 + per hour for someone to ask "Do you want fries with that?" and the quality and/or work ethic of people available at the rate my mother could afford to pay would be questionable.

SO, I offered to move in. Now, I'm in the process of packing up when I can. You know I just went through all my stuff a few months ago but now I'm doing it again making three piles (trash, garage sale, keep) again.

I need to get this done in the next week and then grab some help to move the garage sale and keep over to my mothers house. I need to be out before June 1 so I don't have to pay another months rent.

So, about that help moving. Anyone?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

BBQ tips

I stole this from TedH over at leverguns.com.

We are about to enter the summer and BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity.

When a man volunteers to do the BBQ, the following chain of events are put into motion:

Routine...

(1) The woman buys the food.

(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.

(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand.

Here comes the important part:

(4) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.

More routine...

(5) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.

(6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with the situation.

Important again

(7) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.

More routine....

(8 The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.

(9) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.

Most important of all:

(10) Everyone praises and thanks him for his cooking efforts. He then announces that we should do it again soon!

(11) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed 'her night off.' And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women....