Renewed intentions, if I can find the energy to implement them

Hello, Friends! 

It has been a good long while since we've visited.  All of you, my followers, are my friends on Facebook, and lately, I've only had the energy to post about 20 words at a time, so a blog seemed unnecessary.  I will apologize up front for a rambling, unorganized blog post. 

I have entered my third trimester and have officially begun nesting.  Colton's room got it first.  The big boy bed we ordered for him is gracing someone else's home after UPS lost it, so it is not quite finished yet.  I waited until he was gone for the day to redistribute the baby toys to the baby's room and have a huge box of toys to give to Goodwill and another one of books to go to Half Price Books.  The baby's room is now officially a disaster due to all the things that got "reassigned" from Colton's room.  BUT, it's a step in the right direction.  The cleaning thing is a snowball waiting to roll out of control.  I have to clean out Colton's room for the bed because we need the crib for the baby.  I have to clean the baby's room (my office currently) to accept all his castoffs.  First, though, I have to clean our room to accept the stuff from my office.  I need a nap just thinking about it. 

The problem lies in the fact that I am stuck not prepping for the baby until the absolute last minute because I plan to work right up until I go into labor.  I can't move my office until I'm on maternity leave.  I guess the people who come visit for the birth will be moving my work equipment and furniture while I'm in the hospital.  :) 

Colton has started to use the toilet more frequently, but needs more direction.  Potty training is hard work for Mama.  I am so not interested in running to the toilet every hour or two, only to argue with a toddler who doesn't want to sit on it, even though he says he does.  Ugh. 

I have been better about my schedule and getting to bed on time, balancing naps and awake time.  Then the time change hit and screwed everything up.  Colton is having a hard time with it too.  He was a walking zombie this past week.  We don't have the luxury of gradually adjusting his schedule to accommodate the change because we have to work and take him to daycare. This week seems to be better, though, so we'll hope for continued improvement.  Although, I walked into his room this morning, and he said, "Mama, turn light off.  I want sleeps."  Poor kiddo! 

All this has added up to a very intimidating schedule, so much that I have a hard time just thinking about it.  There are days I am so overwhelmed that I have trouble getting out of bed-even though the stress keeps me from sleeping well.  I have done my best to keep up, but I have not done well managing my stress about it all.  I sincerely hope you have not been a victim of my stress and failure to manage it effectively.  If you have, please accept the humble apology of a hormonal, sleep-deprived, hugely pregnant woman with a full time job and a toddler. 

My intentions, as mentioned in the title, are to stress out less, and enjoy my time with my small family before we add our second blessing.  Colton is a joy to watch and interact with, and I love every second with him-even when he's pushed every one of my buttons that day.  If the house is not completely clean or ready for the baby and potty training is not finished by the time Heidi arrives, at least I know my son will know I love him and my husband and I will have happy memories of the time when it was just the 3 of us.  I'm keeping my eyes on the prize and living for today!  Everything else can wait.  Except a nap.  Nighty nite!

Chicago: Take 2

Recently, we returned from our second jaunt to Chicago.  I was unable to get off of work on Tuesday, and Clint's class started Wednesday.  For this reason, Clint drove to Chicago alone, and I flew up to meet him on Wednesday.  For any other normal person, this is simply a matter of logistics.  However, for me, it was a major, stress-inducing event.  I have not flown since April of 2001.  Needless to say, I was so nervous.  I booked my ticket without incident and proceeded to spend the next 2 hours on the TSA website researching requirements and restrictions.  Not only was my flight not direct (I had to change planes in Memphis), I was landing at O'Hare-only one of the largest air traffic hubs in North America.  I have not been so nervous since the day I gave birth to our son, and then I had pain to distract me.  Anyway, after arriving at the airport (generously conveyed by my friend Kristin), I had already checked in online, had no baggage to check and proceeded directly to the security line.  I waited only about 15 minutes till I was called to the conveyor.  I removed my shoes from my feet and laptop from my bag and followed them through the line.  Nothing could have been easier.  After redressing, I made my way to Book People and bought a couple of paperbacks to get me through the flight and the week.  Then I purchased a cup of coffee and a muffin from Austin Java and found my gate.  The plane was early, so I was glad I had plenty of time.  There were 2 empty seats on the plane, and I managed to procure a seat next to one of them. Score!  Once I arrived in Memphis, I ate a very good burger for lunch in the Sun City Cafe and boarded my plane with no drama.  I sat next to a very nice young man from Lubbock (he boarded in Memphis?!) who was visiting his girlfriend in Chicago.  I landed at O'Hare on time and called Clint to come get me.  He was very brave to fight rush hour Chicago traffic and then try to navigate O'Hare after that.  I was very impressed! (My HERO!)  I waited about an hour before Clinton arrived.  We ate mediocre sushi for dinner, found worse than mediocre ice cream for dessert and called it a night.

We spent the second night in the Westin Book Cadillac in downtown Detroit.  It was a BEAUTIFUL hotel and the staff was super friendly.  We passed the day driving up and down Woodward looking at all the cars participating in the Woodward Dream Cruise.  There were muscle cars, classic cars, kit cars, cars you wouldn't expect people would bother to save-much less restore, and so much more to enjoy.  It was a lot like South Congress during the Lone Star Round Up, but many more miles of cars. We did the same thing on Saturday.  Sunday, we headed for home as fast as possible.  We arrived home on Monday about 3pm, and at 6pm, it was back to work for me.  It was a great trip overall, but boy am I glad to be HOME!

The Chicago Incident 2011-a blog about our recent vacation

The Chicago Incident July 2011

Day 1 – 08 July 2011 

Today was spent packing and planning.  My mom and Carl arrived around noon to pick up Colton and the dogs and take them back to Fredericksburg.  Colton insisted on pizza for lunch, so I took everyone out to Mangia’s-might as well start everybody out on the right foot!  Colton was excited about going to Gooma’s and happily settled into his carseat when it was time to leave.  I stood on the porch waving as they drove out of sight.  I don’t know why; I couldn’t see them for the tears in my eyes.  I’d spent the previous two days counting the hours until I could have a break from his two-year-old attitude, but when the time finally came, it hurt to watch him go, knowing I wouldn’t see him for a whole week. 

The rest of the day was spent packing my own stuff and getting it ready to load in the car.  Clinton arrived home around six.  We loaded the car and were on the road by 6:15.  We had planned to make it to Chandler, OK to spend the night.  At 9pm, we stopped in Denton and ate dinner at DQ-second dinner for me because I ate before we left, but who’s counting?  Around midnight, we decided to call it a night and stopped just north of Ardmore, OK in Paul’s Valley.  The hotel we chose was Relax Inn.  It was $65/night, so we agreed.  However, I would have felt very guilty if we said no because we obviously woke up the owner when we rang the bell. The bed and shower were clean, and the A/C was cold, so we we passed out till morning. 

Day 2 – 09 July 2011

The next morning, we ate breakfast in a little diner across the street from the hotel.  It was decorated in the traditional ‘50’s style.  The food was plentiful as well as tasty.  After a good breakfast, we set out early on the road to Springfield, MO.  We drove all day following Route 66. 

We stopped along the way at little roadside attractions and marveled at the decaying beauty of eras past.  We drove past many roadside attractions, including the Blue Whale.  We failed to get a picture of this monstrosity, but suffice it to say, it was memorable.  We ate lunch in Claremore, OK at the NutHouse.  It was a cute little gift shop with a deli which served local cheeses and other local products.  I would like to re-visit it on our return trip.  It was that good. 

In Afton, OK, we stopped in a Route 66 museum.  The proprietors had purchased an old service station on Route 66 and turned it into a display of all things nostalgic.  We spent a considerable amount of time looking at the ‘artifacts’ and discussing their significance with the owners.  As it turns out, the owner of the male persuasion was a “car guy.”  He and Clinton got along famously, of course.  He took us into his personal museum of Packards.  One of which had travelled the entire 2400 miles of the Mother Road.  Also in his collection, a 1917 motorcoach, complete with beds, bathroom and kitchen with cooktop and ice box.  I was amazed-I didn’t know they made such things that early.  Once we had re-hydrated (there was limited air conditioning in the station), we were on the road again.  About a mile away from the museum, there is one of the oldest stretches of the original mother-road still in existence.  This particular stretch, called Ribbon Road, was unique because, due to monetary limitations at the time it was built, only 9’ of the center of the highway was paved.  The rest was gravel and dirt ‘shoulder’.  This old road crossed the interstate twice, and I was a little nervous about the bridges.  They held, and we now have an interesting adventure under our belt. 

Ribbon Road

neat railroad bridge over Rte 66

caption for metal bridge pic

see plaque for caption

Largest Rocker in MO

 It was time to move on to Carthage, Mo. 

After a slight, unintended detour along the way where we lost track of the signs denoting the historic highway, we arrived at our destination of Carthage, MO around 5:30pm.  Clinton had heard of a drive-in movie theater there and wanted to attend a movie. 

We’d been to one in Texas, and after a less than impressive experience I wasn’t too keen on repeating it, but Clinton was insistent so I relented.  We found ourselves with several hours till showtime, so we made our way into town to find some dinner.  A place called “Pancake Hut” stood out and we stopped there to eat.  Mostly, it was because they advertised free wi-fi and we needed to search for a hotel room for the night.  Turns out, that was about the only good part about it.  The food was pretty bad and the service wasn’t much better.  I guess that’s the price you pay for choosing local restaurants without knowing their reputations.  After asking for the internet password 3 times, the waitress finally brought it over.  I logged on and we booked a room at a hotel the couple in Afton recommended-The Best Western Rail Haven in Springfield, MO.  We had planned to sit for a little while and drink our tea and coffee and surf the web.  However, after we’d been there about 30 minutes, the waitress informed us they were closing in 10 minutes.  We finished up on the net and skedaddled.  It was 7pm on a Saturday night.  With nothing to do and nowhere to go, we decided to explore Carthage.  We drove around the tiny town for an hour before showtime.  At 8 pm, the drive-in box office opened, and we decided it was time to make our way to the theater. 

When we arrived at the drive-in, there was a line of cars long enough, we couldn’t see the entrance to the theater.  We waited about 30 minutes to get in, inching along the shoulder of the highway until we got the box office.  After finding a place to park and obtaining a soda, we explored a little bit of the theater.  The people there were seasoned drive-in goers.  They brought pillows, blankets, sleeping bags for the kids, camp chairs, everything you could possibly need to enjoy a movie outside or in your car.  There were older couples, families, high school friends and everybody in between.  The group of high schoolers behind us found themselves with nothing to do before the start of the movie, so they brought out their guitars and bongo and had a jam session while another group of teens bumped a volleyball around.  Still more people gathered on the grass where fathers played Frisbee and football with their children.  The playground at the front of the theater was also packed with squealing children and watchful parents.  I would like to mention: I did not see one child with a cell phone, Nintendo, iPod or DVD player to entertain them, and there were only a couple of adults on the phone.  It was beautiful to watch people interact with each other, instead of zone out with their personal electronic devices.  We watched Mr.Popper’s Penguins with undeserved attention and decided not to stay and watch Green Lantern.  It was 11pm and we still had an hour drive to Springfield to spend the night.  As we started the car, the “headlight out” warning light came on in the car.  We decided to try to find a replacement bulb ASAP as it was VERY dark and we had a long way to go.  When we entered the town less than 5 minutes later, in true Strosser style, we were introduced to the nicest young policeman who informed us our headlamp was out.  It would not be a Strosser vacation without meeting at least one police officer along the way via flashing-lights introduction. He issued us a warning and sent us on our way.  (Funny aside: after the other drive-in movie in Texas, we also got pulled over within 5 minutes of leaving the theater.  I don’t remember why anymore-I think we were speeding by accident-but we got a warning then too.  The officer took one look at the 3 month old baby in the back of our bright red SRT-4 with a large wing and apologized for shining his lights in the car and asked us if we needed directions to get home.)  After we got our warning this time, we drove across the street to find a bulb at the gas station.  Of course, there was none to be found there.  A random teenager in the station asked us what we got pulled over for.  Clint held up the bulb he’d since removed and told him.  The teen said, “You’re lucky.  The last time I got pulled over for a brake light, I got a $75 ticket.”  He and the clerk gave us directions to Wal-Mart where we could purchase our bulb, and we left.  The teen got into his black, 90’s model mustang with a modified (read: LOUD) exhaust, marveling at our “good luck” of getting a warning, instead of a ticket and drove away.  We replaced our bulb and finished the drive to Springfield without incident. 

The hotel we stayed in is on the list of registered historic places, and the man who took my reservation was extremely friendly and helpful.  The man who checked us in at 12:30 am was not friendly and looked old enough to be on the above-mentioned list himself.  The room was hot, the shower was not cleaned after the last guest, and the water temperature fluctuated wildly.  However, the sheets were clean, I had a pair of flip flops with me (TTU dorm showers were worse than this) and we were dead tired-too tired to complain, move, or ask that it be cleaned for us.  I had a dream about rattlesnakes coming out of the a/c intake, the cover of which wasn’t secured to the wall in a way that covered the entire hole, and woke up less than refreshed.  The breakfast and coffee they provided were tasty, and the morning staff was friendly.  We were on the road again around 8:30am.

Day 3 – 10 July 2011

We followed Route 66 out of Springfield and headed Northeast, into the rising sun.  We found ourselves mostly following the interstate on the access road.  However, it was still neat to think about the history of the road we were travelling.  Route 66 was designed to connect the Main Streets of the towns it went through, so it’s pretty winding sometimes.  The trajectory didn’t always make sense to us, but we managed to stay on it by following the signs.  We stopped for lunch at a scary-looking place in Waynesville, MO, called Country Café-although the outside sign only said “RESTAURANT”.  The paint was peeling on the outside and the tobacco was thick on the walls inside.  It was recommended in our guidebook so, although dubious, we thought we’d take a chance.  The burger was, in Clinton’s words, “a 9 on a scale of 1-10.”  That’s a compliment when coming from Clinton.  It was a very good burger in my opinion as well. 

We continued on Route 66, taking in the scenery and the sights of bygone opulence.  All in all, it was a very interesting drive.  Around St. Louis, MO, we hopped on the interstate and decided to book it into Chicago.  By this time, it was almost dark so visibility was going to be very limited anyway.  We were both tired and ready to find a bed.  We did stop for dinner at a place in Bloomington, IL, called Lucca’s, also recommended in the guide book.  We had the best thin pizza I think I’ve ever had.  We arrived at our final destination, The Wyndham Garden Hotel in Buffalo Grove, IL, without any detours or other incident about 11:30 pm.  The room was huge, well-appointed, clean and already cooled.  Both of us slept extremely well. 

I would like to apologize, but from this point forward, there are almost no pics because we didn't do any sight-seeing while we were in the 'burbs of Chicago and not much on the way home since we were pressed for time. 

Day 4 – 11 July 2011

We woke this morning to a thunderstorm of epic proportions.  The power in the hotel flickered on and off several times, and the rain was blowing at the window sideways.  It’s been so long since I’ve seen any measurable amount of rain, I was simply amazed.  After we got up and ready, we ate breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant.  They gave us coupons for one of us for breakfast, so I paid for mine.  I had an omlette made to order at the buffet line, fresh fruit, orange juice and coffee.  Clinton had a waffle, coffee and scrambled eggs-also made to order (not pre-made and left to turn green in a warming tray on the buffet line).  In the end, it was less than $10 for the two of us for breakfast, and it was the best breakfast I’ve had since leaving Austin.  Very nice.  Clinton left for school about 20 minutes till 9am.   I spent the day trolling on Facebook and watching TV.  Around 4:30pm, Clinton arrived back at the hotel.  We had planned to eat dinner at a local place, but traffic was really bad.  The thunderstorm had knocked out a good portion of the traffic signals, and there were police directing traffic at the major intersections, but it was a freeforall at the smaller ones.  Instead, we chose Fridays which was close to the hotel.  Afterward, traffic had let up, so we drove to a newly-renovated open air mall in Northbrook and saw Super 8 at the theater there.  It was a really good movie, but very emotionally charged.  I always seem to see emotionally charged movies when I’m pregnant and hormonal, so I ended up bawling during parts of the movie-embarrassing! 

Day 5 – 12 July 2011

Clinton had to be at school earlier than yesterday, so we ate breakfast at 7:30 am.  I came back and read for about an hour and took a 2 hour nap, until housekeeping showed up.  I ate PB&J in the hotel room for lunch and didn’t do much else all day until Clinton came back.  It’s so nice to relax and catch up on my sleep.  Travelling like we did on the first two days of the trip (stay one night and leave early) is hard for a pregnant woman.  I’m still exhausted and we’ve been here for two days now.  We ate at a local pizza place with some guys from Clint’s class.  The food and the company was awesome!    

Day 6 – 13 July 2011

Today, we ate breakfast at about 7:30 again.  The waiter seems VERY friendly to us.  It’s nice, but also kind of creepy.  I caught up on some promises I made to friends today and sent out birthday invitation emails for Colton’s party on Sunday.  After Clinton returned from school, we made a trip to the post office to mail the water bill and then drove to a local shopping center.  We visited Barnes & Noble’s and then ate dinner at the Cheesecake factory.  I have to say I was disappointed.  We paid $7 for a piece of cheesecake that was surpassed in quality by TGI Friday’s a couple of nights ago.  We turned in early since we knew we were in for a long day on Thursday. 

Day 7 – 14 July 2011 

Clint’s instructor started class early to facilitate an early release, so we ate breakfast around 7 am.  I returned to the room and packed our stuff.  Then I took a nap for about two hours.  I hauled it all downstairs so I could check out on time and proceeded to complete two crossword puzzles while I waited for Clinton to return.  He arrived at 3:30pm, and we were on the road at 3:45pm.  We made it to Cuba, MO to spend the night around 11:30pm.  We really wanted to spend the night in the oldest continuously operating motor court on Route 66.  However, after 3 unanswered and un-returned phone calls and 20 minutes spent waiting in the driveway, we were not able to reach anyone to help us.  What motel doesn’t take walk-ins?!  Anyway, we ended up at the Best Western Cuba.  It was clean and already cooled, and the proprietor was SUPER friendly, even at that time of night.  Too bad the air conditioner sounded like a DC-10.  It wasn’t all that bad, though.  Once you were able not to concentrate on it, it was easy to tune it out and treat it like white noise.  Maybe that just results from my background in teaching middle school band. 

Day 8 – 15 July 2011

Amazingly, there were cars in the parking lot the next morning that were not there when we checked in, and the SAME woman greeted us to check us out at 7am, just as friendly as the night before.  I’m sure she probably cooked the hot breakfast provided as well.  We chose to eat at a truck stop diner further down the interstate instead, though, because neither one of us was hungry right away.  The food was good and the waitress was wonderful.  The most drama we had in the day was that the guy in the booth behind us at breakfast skipped out on the check.  We offered to pick up his ticket and the waitress declined.  Drive, drive, drive is all we did today.  We made it through Kansas on Route 66, which our previous unexpected detour on day 2 kept us from completing.   

pretty overlook on Rte 66 in Kansas



'Mater in Kansas at a cute little gift shop

Otherwise we took the interstate and ate at standard restaurants.  We arrived home around 11:30pm and spent the night in our own bed.  A thunderstorm at 5:30am was the perfect topper.  We desperately needed the rain!

Day 9 – 16 July 2011

Up at 6:30am and on the road by 7:30 to Fredericksburg.  I ordered the cake and shopped for other party supplies before heading to my mom and Carl’s house to begin the party prep.  Clinton made it to Fbg around 10:30am to spend time at his parents’ house with his siblings.  Garrett and Charla came from Utah, and Betsy came in from Houston.  It was nice to have everyone in one place.  Colton and I met them that evening to Celebrate Garrett’s birthday with cake and ice cream.  Everybody had a great time! 

Day 10 – 17 July 2011

Today was Colton’s second birthday.  (Has it really been two years?!)  We celebrated in style at my mom and Carl’s house with Thomas the train décor and, of course, more cake and ice cream.  All of our family came to help us celebrate.  Colton got lots of awesome gifts and had a wonderful time.  He was asleep in the car on the way home before we were in Stonewall.  It was a great day for all! 

To summarize, we had a great trip to Chicago and back and made lots of good memories together.  It will be nice to return to some semblance of normalcy and get reacquainted with our son—and our bed-I’m exhausted!

NEWS RELEASE: New draft pick for Team Strosser

Austin, TX - Team Strosser has drafted its newest player, slated to join the team on January 30, 2012.  As of right now, with only 11 weeks of history to draw on, the player has no stats to speak of but has shown the potential to be MVP in the first game.  The player's gender and name are yet to be determined, likely on September 20, 2011 during the ultrasound scheduled for that day.  This addition will make a total of 4 players on Team Strosser.  More information on our newest team member will be reported as it comes available.

Observations from this past week

I am the master of lists, and this post is no exception, but I would like to share a few things that were brought home for me within the last week.

1.  I'll start with a touching story.  One of my friends posted on FB this week about being nice to people because you never know what battles they are fighting.  This was true for me at the grocery store.  I was speaking with the cashier at HEB on Tuesday about my son and working and life.  She mentioned she had been looking for an at home job so that she could be closer to care for her daughter who had an autoimmune disease and was unable to leave the house.  She then went on to say she took the job at HEB after her daughter passed away at 9 months old.  I sat in the car and cried for her after I left. 

2.  On a lighter note, I will not forget a towel when leaving the house ever again.  Black leather seats and summertime attire (i.e. shorts!) do not mix well.  OUCH!

3. Today, I was shopping for our cousin's high school graduation gift.  As I was checking out, I was conversing with the cashier.  She noticed what I was buying and commented on having a graduate in the family.  I confirmed and mentioned I hope I remember what was appropriate as I graduated ten years ago.   As I reached the car, I realized I did not graduate high school ten years ago.  I graduated from college ten years ago.  Sheesh I feel old now.  and forgetful.

4. Apparently, I engage random people in conversation everywhere I go. 

Well, that's all I have for now.  Maybe I wasn't as observant as I thought I was.  I just wanted to share a little bit of my life since it'd been a while since I've posted anything.  I hope you enjoyed it! 

Chapter 2 of the untitled work

CH 2

“Hey Rache!”

“She survived!  How’d it go?” Rache squealed.

“It went fine.”

“Fine?!  Fine?!  Are you deliberately underplaying or are you just so out of it you couldn’t see how hot he is?”

“He is very attractive,” Ramey hedged.  “But, Rache, how much do you know about James, really?”

“Oh Ramey, stop being so –Ramey! And relax and enjoy the view!”

“No, really, at the end of the night, he helped me get a cab.  I don’t remember telling him where I lived and somehow we ended up in front of my building.”

“I’m sure you just were distracted or forgot.  Just relax.”

Defeated, Ramey said, “You’re right.  I must’ve been distracted by his hotness.”  She wasn’t going to learn anything useful from Rache about James.

Rache giggled, and they spent the rest of the conversation discussing James’ various attractive attributes.  

*****

Later that evening, as she sat in her car outside her mark’s favorite worksite, she revisited the night before in her mind.  As she went through the timeline again, her subconscious kept thinking while she snapped pictures of the same immaculate man and the same woman, only this time in a pair of designer jeans and a tank top.  As she appraised the amorous antics of the couple, Ramey couldn’t help but wonder if they were as bored as she was.  For the second time in two days, her alarm bells were ringing in her head.  They were faint, but they were definitely there.  She chalked it up to remembering last night and wrote it off.  She emailed her pics, packed up her stuff and left.  It was late, and she had a meeting with her client in the morning to deliver what she had learned.  It would be unpleasant, to be sure, but getting paid has it’s own uplifting energy.

*****

The next morning, Rotti woke her up with slobbery kisses and whining.  It was so late when she got in last night, she forgot to take him out for his business.  She glanced at the clock.  If she left now, she still had time to make up the run she missed last night while taking pictures of the immaculately dressed cheater.  Ramey dragged herself out of bed, threw on her running clothes and shoes, grabbed the leash and headed for the sunrise.  She went over her material for her meeting with her client while she jogged.  As she rounded the last corner before her building, she collided with another runner coming out of the parking lot of the apartment building next to hers.  Thanks to years of self-defense and hand-to-hand combat, it took her less than two seconds to get back on her feet, poised and ready for action.  Rotti beat her to it.  In those two seconds, Rotti had pinned the runner to the ground, pressed his growling muzzle into his neck and held it there, awaiting instruction from his owner.  Before calling off the dog, Ramey walked over to the pinned pedestrian to determine if they were friend or foe.  As she looked over the dog’s powerful shoulders, she looked directly into the face of her blind date from two nights ago.

“Rotti! Heel!”  Ramey commanded.  The dog immediately stood down but kept his body squarely between Ramey and the stranger.  Ramey stepped around Rotti and extended her hand to help him up.  He was sweaty and dressed in running shorts and a nicely-filled out white UnderArmor shirt.  His long, tanned legs ended in ankle socks which disappeared into well-worn trainers.  In his extended arm, he held a white paper bag and next to him in the grass, there was a perfectly-landed cup holder with two cups of coffee, sloshed but still intact. 

“James!  What a surprise!  I’m sorry about Rotti.  He takes his job very seriously.”  She shrugged with a smile.

“I have a confession.  I convinced Rachel tell me your usual time and route for your run so I could hatch a plot.  I was hoping to take a similar route and run into you, but not exactly literally.”  He smiled apologetically.  “I brought breakfast.” He said, holding up a bag of fruit, some coffee and a couple of kolaches from the local bakery.  Now that he knew James was a friend, Rotti was trying to test the bonds by begging unsuccessfully for what was in the bag.  He settled for sniffing it instead.

“I would love to eat breakfast with you, but it’ll have to be fast.  I have a meeting with a client soon.”

“That’s fine.  I have some business to attend soon as well.” James agreed.

They sat on the curb as the sun rose higher and at the breakfast.  As they talked,  Ramey could feel herself letting her guard down and decided to just let it go.  Briefly, she leaned to the side and rested her head on his shoulder.  It was exhausting being so damn paranoid all the time.  It was 8 o’clcok in the morning.  What could happen with the sun high in the sky in a public place?  James shot her a funny look as she straightened up and shrugged to herself.  She smiled at him over her cup as she sipped her coffee and tried to play it off.  She couldn’t have someone she just met thinking she talked to herself-even if it was true. 

After breakfast was eaten and all the trash had been disposed of, they started their goodbyes.  As Ramey came back from the bin, James looked suddenly serious.  He moved closer to her, making her acutely self-conscious of the fact that she had just finished her run and followed it with coffee.  She looked down at her feet and smiled apologetically.  He reached out and pulled up her chin with his finger.  As they stood, nose to nose, she could see how intensely his green eyes burned.  He lowered his lips to hers and, for a second, let them linger.  She closed her eyes and melted.  A second later, he stepped back, releasing her from his spell.  As he walked away, Ramey swore her lips were still tingling.  Oh well, there was no time to think about that.  She had half an hour to shower, commute and tell her client her soon-to-be-ex-husband was a cheating liar.  As she raced through her shower, Ramey mused, “Why do people fall in love at all?” She was pretty sure her tingling lips could clearly answer her question. 

the Phoenix

I had the scariest experience of my 32 years of life today.  Every year, Roger Beasley gives its employees a turkey.  Most of the time, it's precooked or smoked, and such was the case today.  I have thawed this past Christmas' turkey and got it out to cook today.  My first mistake was to try to prep the turkey during my break at work.  I have no roaster, but I have a rotisserie.  I LOVE my rotisserie.  I have used it for everything from kabobs to vegetables to chicken thigh pieces that are occasionally on sale at HEB for $1/lb.  I am well-versed in its form and function.  I stabbed the turkey, placed it in the rotisserie, turned it on and went back to work 5 minutes late.  I smelled a funny smell about 10 minutes later that I couldn't really identify.  I put myself on personal to stop my calls, finished my current call and went into the kitchen to check it out.  As I came down the hall, I saw a lot of smoke coming from the counter.  As I entered the kitchen, I saw the flames coming out the front of the machine!  The legs of the bird had worked themselves loose and fallen against the element.  The juices had caught fire!  I turned it off and threw flour into the machine and all over the bird.  My dinner had officially gone down in flames.  After the smoke cleared, I took the bird out of the rotisserie and tried to figure out something else for dinner.  First, I had to finish work.  For the next hour, I agonized over what to do.  I got the idea to figure out if I could save ANY of the turkey.  After work, I peeled off the blackened skin and found, to my surprise, the meat was still usable!  Hallelujah!  I dismembered the bird so that it would fit in 2 9x13 pans in my oven.  My turkey went down in flames and rose again as an edible dinner!  YEA!

Trash or treasure? You decide....

I haven't posted anything recently because I've been in one of my funks about life.  Remember the first entry where I stated, "some things are better off not said"?  That has applied over these last couple of weeks.  However, after the bills are paid, septic is fixed (mostly) and the house is less cluttered and the migraine is over (for now), my head is a little clearer and I'm ready to re-enter the world.  I'm still working on cleaning, and I have a few work things hanging over my head, but I've finished the month of February better off than last month, and I'm looking forward to March.  Soon our lives will be crazy again, but I'm ready to enjoy this brief period of low stress. 

I can't believe I'm about to do this, but....I'm dying to know if my project is any good, or if it's only good to me.  I'd like to know what you think.  It's ok if it hurts, but message me with the hard stuff, mmmk?

I've been working on something for a while, and I would like to post it for you.  I would like some feedback. However, please be nice as this is my pet project that I only have time for once in a great while, and I am really hanging out on a limb by publishing an unfinished, and as of now, untitled, work.  I am doubly nervous about publishing it since I have several of you on my facebook friends who have read and graded my submissions in school-some of you specifically my 4th grade language arts creative writing submissions. :)  We'll call this a teaser.  If you like it, I will consider an installment program and try to present chapters on a regular basis.  I'll tell you right now, it's a fiction work, so if you're not a fiction reader, you've been warned.  :) 

Should I write more, or throw it in the bin?  You tell me.
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CH 1

Sweat dripped down her back, and her legs were stuck to the vinyl seat of the car as she sat outside a run-down motel that rents by the hour, waiting for her mark to appear.  She’d gotten a tip that the man she’d been tracking would be ‘working late’ and this motel was one of his favorite sites for this type of work.  As she sat there, she thought about the coming evening and her blind date.  She’d allowed her best friend, Rachel, to set her up with a friend of a friend.  For the life of her, she couldn’t fathom why she’d said yes.  Her stomach twisted with nerves just thinking about it.  Dating wasn’t her thing.  In her line of work, love and lust only caused trouble.  She certainly didn’t need any drama in her life right now.  The last time she’d gotten involved with someone, it’d been a disaster.  He couldn’t handle her line of work.  He said private investigation was too dangerous and she should be at home barefoot and pregnant while he brought home the bacon.  She rolled her eyes, remembering the argument.  She struggled to put aside the past and vowed not to judge this blind date sight unseen.  She was kind of tired of being alone at night, and some company in the bed might not be bad either.  She smiled and let herself hope it would work out well, if not long-term, then maybe just for tonight. 

Right on time, a blue sedan pulled up and a man with Gucci shoes and impeccable suit got out and walked into the motel office.  Less than a minute later, he reappeared with a key dangling from his hand and he got back in the car.  He drove his car around the back of the motel and parked in front of his assigned room.  Ramey trained her camera on the car and made sure to include the doorway in her frame.  She frantically snapped pictures as the man and his companion, a bleached-blond woman in a trendy but casual tracksuit and too much makeup, got out of the car.  He pulled the woman close and kissed her open-mouthed while he inserted the key in the lock and opened the door to their room.  As they closed the door and the curtains, Ramey scrolled thru the pics in her camera and emailed them to a secure account she’d set up.  One could never be too careful, and nothing should be left to chance.    After deciding she had enough evidence, she packed up her gear and drove away from the seedy motel back toward the nicer side of town. 

*****

As she walked into her apartment, Ramey was welcomed by two large paws on her shoulders and a lick in the face.  This was her Rotti’s favorite greeting.  She laughed and shrugged his paws off and grabbed the leash.  The pair exited the building and went for their usual evening run.  When they returned, she made her way down the hall to her bedroom, shrugging off her sweaty clothes as she went.  She had just enough time to get ready before she had to meet her blind date.  In the shower, she thought again about her upcoming date.  She hoped the evening would be fun.  She decided to shave her legs, just in case.  She toweled off and put on her makeup, with just a little extra mascara; it was evening, after all.  She even styled her hair.  Usually, she wore only sunscreen and pulled her hair back into a ponytail or under a cap.  She worked outside and alone most of the time, so she didn’t bother with makeup and hairspray.  While she was in the closet, her phone rang.  She picked up and heard her best friend’s voice on the other end. 

“Hey Rame, I wanted to see how the date prep was going.”

“It’s going good.  I’m just trying to figure out what to wear.” Ramey replied.

“Ooh, wear that cute little blue and yellow sundress.  It looks so good on you!  Should I call you tomorrow to see how it went, or should I wait for you to call?  On second thought, maybe I should wait.  I’d hate to interrupt breakfast!” Rache laughed.

“Shut up!  What kind of girl do you think I am?” Ramey played coy.

“The kind of girl who needs a date!  Good luck tonight!  Call me tomorrow, k?”

“Thanks!” Ramey laughed, “Talk to you tomorrow.” And she hung up.

Maybe she should wear that sundress.  She got it out, pulled it over her head and examined herself in the mirror.  It was a little shorter than she was used to, but it did look good.  It accentuated her best features, her legs, and the turquoise color brought out her blue eyes.  She looked at the clock.  She was going to be late, but not too late, just fashionably so, if she left right now.  She yanked on her heeled sandals, grabbed her handbag and rushed out the door, calling goodbye to Rotti. 

*****

She was still nervous as she walked through the heavy wooden doors with leaded glass windows of the restaurant.  The setting sun glinted off of her red hair and pierced her sundress, silhouetting her nicely proportioned body through the thin material.  She pressed her hands against her handbag and studied the patrons, looking for her blind date.  She saw him approach out of the corner of her eye. 

“Ramey?”  His voice was a velvety smooth baritone.  She turned to look at him and fixed him with her intensely blue eyes.  He was slightly taller than she was in her heels.  He was dressed in a high-end suit that flattered his toned physique, and his tie was loosened a little bit.  He carried his jacket over his arm.  He had dark hair that was cut stylishly, and his eyes were the most beautiful shade of green she had ever seen.  His smile was electric.  It sent shivers up her spine and made her feel warm and tingly all over. 

“Hi.  I’m James.  Would you like for me to get us a table?” 

She smiled.  “Sure.  That’d be great.  Thanks.” 

She wondered if she sounded as nervous as she actually was.   She could see him appraising her too and wondered how she measured up to his expectation.  The waiter came to take their drink order, and she started to relax.  They made small talk while they waited for their food.  He said he was an account executive for a major marketing firm.  He hailed from a small town where his parents still lived and he went home to every holiday.  To Ramey, it all sounded a little too perfect, too contrived.  Oh, how she wished she could turn off her investigative instincts and just get lost in the moment.  Here she was at dinner in a beautiful restaurant with a gorgeous man who truly seemed to be interested in her, and she was treating him like a suspect.  She sighed inwardly at herself and tried to take what he said at face value.  After her third glass of wine, that got a lot easier. 

After dinner, he took her to a trendy club uptown where they danced and drank some more.  He held her close to him while they danced, and she could smell the clean smell of his soap and cologne.  She realized she had let her guard down and tried to care, but she was really tipsy by now and couldn’t have cared less if he was a scoundrel or not.  All too soon, the bartender announced last call, and it was time to pack it in. 

They shared a cab on the way home.  He said his apartment was just a little ways away from hers.  Some distant alarm bell rang in her head.  She dismissed it as end-of-the-night jitters, related to whether this was actually goodnight.  As the cab pulled up in front of her building, she invited him in for a nightcap. She thought to herself that she really must be drunk if she’s inviting a complete stranger home with her.  He politely refused and kissed her goodnight in front of her building’s entry.  It was a warm, steamy kiss with just a hint of what they might be missing.  She melted against him.  When she looked up at him, his eyes mirrored her desire.  She had to pry herself away from him or she would drag him up the stairs herself.  He gave her one more, short kiss and got back into the cab.  She thought about that kiss as the taxi drove away.  Then she climbed the stairs, let herself into her apartment and went to bed. 

 *****

Ramey was still thinking about that kiss when she woke up the next morning.  Wow, what a night!  James was so sexy and smooth.  Why was he interested in a plain girl like her?  Her head hurt too bad to think about it right now.  She got out of bed and trudged into the bathroom.  While she was washing her face, Rotti whined at the door.  Her headache had eased some, so she decided to go for a run.  She finished dressing, laced her shoes and they were out the door.  About halfway through her run, her head cleared and she thought about last night.  James was incredible.  He’d seemed so debonair, while she felt nervous and awkward.  Maybe he was just better at faking it than she was.  That kiss was so delicious!  Thinking about that kiss in front of her building rang that alarm bell again.  She didn’t remember telling him or the cabby where she lived.  Then again, she did have a lot to drink last night.  Did she tell him and not remember?  She didn’t think so, but she didn’t know anything for certain.  Damn, she wished she hadn’t had so much wine!  She knew better than to let her guard down with a stranger.  Who was James, really?  Time to call Rache and find out. 

The Laundry Fairy at Coinless Laundry

As I have previously discussed, our septic is on the fritz...still.  My impatience with this issue notwithstanding, I found myself forced to visit the laudromat.  Recalling laundromats from yesteryear (i.e. my college years), I was trying to psych myself up to endure a dark, dingy, tile-floored den, full of shady or questionable characters, broken machines and smelling faintly of burned clothes.  In order to minimize the awfulness, I went to the best resource I knew for locations and reviews, the internet.  After several hours of searching, I found one behind an apartment complex not far from the hospital where I delivered my son.  I knew I could find it easily, it looked clean in the pics online (their own website, mind you), and seemed fairly large-large enough to accommodate my very active 19 month old.  Best of all, the reviews online were positively glowing!  Free Wi-Fi, TV's, books/magazines, fully attended, and best of all, it was COINLESS!  One less stop I would have to make early in the morning to get change with a cranky toddler in tow.  Immediately, I started mentally preparing myself and prepped all the laundry so all I would have to do is load the machines and start them, just in case Colton's attitude went south very quickly.  I desperately tried to find a childcare solution so I didn't have to expect a toddler to sit while the laundry washed and dried.  I finally voiced my futility to my husband who calmly suggested, "Why don't you just call our normal daycare provider and ask her if she'll take him as a drop in for a few hours?"  Duh.  Why didn't I think of that?  Of course, she was willing to help out, and the laundromat was located less than 10 minutes from the daycare.  I congratulated myself on having cleared the most daunting hurdle of my task.  Thank God for husbands who are clear thinkers!  Friday morning dawned overcast and misting.  Colton awoke cranky and ready for a disagreement at the drop of a hat.  Thank goodness my sitter has the patience of a saint!  I dropped Colton off and made my way to the laundromat.  I walked in and approached the counter.  The attendant was smiling and uber helpful.  She gave me several options, and upon seeing my overwhelmed expression, she said, "OK.  Go get your clothes and I'll help you load the machines and start them.  Then we talk about cost."  10 minutes later, the machines were loaded, and she said, "Now, go get coffee.  You look like you need it."  Man, she must've been some kind of mind reader!  I walked to the gas station, brewed my own fresh pot and returned to the laundromat.  The wash cycle took 25 minutes.  The dry cycle took about 35 or 40.  Soon, I was at the counter, closing my tab, and loading the car with my laundered clothes.  7 double-size loads, washed and dried, took just short of 2 hours, and cost only $20.  The fact that I didn't have to get change and worry about the machine eating my money, making sure I bring enough, etc., was enough to make my experience a positive one.  As I was leaving, the attendant yelled, "Have a great day, Heather!"  She remembered my name.  Wow, talk about unexpected great customer service! I am still in awe about the incredibly positive experience I had today at the laundromat.  I must've had a guardian angel with me today, a laundry angel-or fairy, perhaps.  As of today, I no longer wonder about the existence of the laundry fairy.  Now, the easter bunny, however.....

Home

Recently, I've been a little upset about the state of our home and how it seems to be falling down around our ears.  After a wonderful night with my son, and after reading Julie's post about "how [she] does it" (makes it as a mom and professional woman), I decided to re-evalute the importance of different aspects of my life.  I wonder sometimes what "HOME" means.  I work at home, I play at home, and I spend 99% of my time at home. 

In order to gain some perspective, on such an overwhelming subject, I decided that I should eliminate some of the things that home is not. 

Home is NOT paying bills. 
Home is NOT a malfunctioning septic tank. 
Home is NOT an unbalanced a/c unit as a result of the malfunctioning septic tank. 
Home is NOT a filthy house with laundry piles in every room and a week's worth of dishes on the counter-also as a result of the malfunctioning septic tank. 
Home is NOT stress.

By process of elimination, I have determined the following:

Home IS the small smiles from Colton as he enjoys the dinner I microwaved (yes, Julie, me too) and the ketchup gleaned from Sonic meals because neither Clinton nor I eat the stuff on a regular basis. 
Home IS the dogs that beg for my attention, even without food as a bribe and trust me to take care of them and love them as much as they love me. 
Home IS welcoming my boys at the door after work.
Home IS the coffee I enjoy every morning in my favorite spot on the couch while using my laptop.
Home IS welcoming friends and sharing an evening or a weekend at our dining room table.
Home is the goodnight kisses we never miss, even if Colton's already asleep.

Therefore, I've come to the conclusion that "HOME" means love and happiness.  Welcome Home to Me!

We have arrived!

So, today marks a new beginning-a new blog of course!  What better day to start than Valentine's day?  It's as auspicious as any, I guess.  I have been thinking of starting a blog for a while, but I may not post all that often.  Sometimes, I have nothing witty to say, or if I do, it may not be appropriate for all to hear or read.  I'ts my firm opinion that some things are better left unsaid.  That said (or not, as the case may be), I'll share all that's worth sharing about my life.  Just for some background, I'll include my current life situation.  I have a toddler who keeps me VERY busy and entertained.  I have a husband who is usually busy doing something else-cars, mostly.  In fact, in honor of Valentine's Day, we have each chosen to work late and split the remaining household chores.  We have, however, made plans to go out for sushi later in the week instead.  My 2 bad dogs are currently outside heralding their missed supper time by barking and whining.  I'm sure the neighbors are thrilled.  Going forward, I won't promise to be as personable as the woman on Julie & Julia.  I do promise to entertain and inform, and sometimes, if we're lucky, both in one blog!  Here's to a brave new year!