Lacey and I went to Sterling and had a great day! The first thing we did was go to a new place to eat called Buffalo Hot Wings, it is a sports bar/restaurant, it was fun, and the food was good but a bit pricey for me. They had a special the day we stopped, 60 cent per each for bonless wings. Oh, and Lacey had me try fried pickles, not for me...... I want my pickles cold..... She loves them! Then we hit the mall and Lacey had to take a little fire engine ride, that was funny! We had a blast at the mall, we take pictures where ever we go, and laugh, I can't believe how great Lacey has turned out, she is so much fun to be around. When I got home I put Baxter's costume on him to see if it would fit, it is even cuter that I thought it would be, I love it..... (him not so much)
Isaac needed a ride to get back to Edwardsville, Il. and Lacey offered to drive him back since she has a good friend that moved there. Lacey asked me to ride along and we decided to make a road trip of it. We had a wonderful time and stayed over at a Holiday Express hotel that was close to where Lacey's friend Nikki worked as a hair dresser. We dropped Isaac off and took of to Bellville and withing 5 minutes were lost. We had a portable gps but for some reason we didn't listen to it, like we knew better. We called Nikki, (she wasn't sure where to go) so we went in a big circle and did what the gps told us to do, many many miles later we arrived at our destination. I think St Louis people talk a different time than I do, everything is like 15 minutes away but half an hour later we are still a few minutes away. I began to catch on to the time thing, 10 minutes is half an hour and 15 can be up to an hour. We were picked up by Nikki and taken to the Arch and had fun running around there, I was surprised they have a security check there, (I asked if I could get a picture of me with my arms up as I went through but they said no way) from the Arch we went to the Cheesecake Factory. mmmmm what can I say, best food I have had, mmmm. We had some calamari, (was really good!) nachos (super good!) and I had a rare cheesburger that was to die for. The girls had pasta dishes that smelled wonderful. I tasted theirs and both of them smelled really good before it even reached your mouth. It was all good, and we had lots left to take back to the room. The breakfast at the Holiday Inn was better than I expected too. They had scrambled eggs, sausages, warm cinnamon rolls, milk juices, and other odds and ends. It was worth it to stay in a hotel, we both slept good, and enjoyed our stay. We had an added surprise, we got to see a friend of Lacey's that I used to babysit for and she moved away when she was going into 4th grade. I had not seen her for a long time and it was so nice to see her all grown up. She told me that because I forced her to eat a ham salad sandwich once she has never eaten ham since, and she blames me for that. It was something she has never forgotten. I have never forgotten that either since she threw-up after she ate a few bites. Made me wonder what some of the kids I babysat for remember about the time with me. Did I warp any other kids? All in all, we had a wonderful time, and want to go again when we have more time to spend. I am going to start a little money jar for just that. I have a friend in St. Louis that goes to some of the haunted house weekends and I would love to do that. I will try to get Lacey and anyone else to go to something like that with me, sounds like a scary goooooood time.
This summer I have been working weekends at Poopy's in Savanna, Illinois. I have met a lot of people and enjoy talking to all the customers. I work in the restaurant, called Poopy's pub n Grub, and I am the hostess or cashier. The food there is very good and people drive for hours to come and eat there. I have been taking pictures of the motorcycles and customers, and some of the employees. I really like doing that, and the customers are usually excited about having their picture put on facebook on the Poopy's Pub n Grub site. I see Poopy's is starting to get a lot of comments about the photos, so people are looking and liking what they see.
Went shopping with a long time girlfriend today, celebrating my birthday, a little late but we finally were able to get together. Karen bought my lunch and we both had fun looking for bargains and checking out the perfume counters. We took my little convertible and enjoyed the cool weather and the sunshine. The sky was beautiful, full of white clouds.
Oh the horror, Joe just said the orange monster needs greased again! This time I said no, he has to find someone else to do it. I got the new tire back on after a bit of yelling at each other. I just can't understand his directions, to much information. 9 paragraphs later I have to repeat what I wanted to know to start the whole put it back together thing.... I don't even want to go there right now.... still have a bad bad taste in my mouth, stupid tractor.
I think this is day 4 with out pop. I sat here last night on the computer and kept reaching to my left for something.. felt very strange, but I was reaching for my glass that is never far from me. I don't know how many times I did it. When I would get busy on the computer I just automatically reached for my glass, I would have really liked a pop right then. Stupid water. I have been doing ok trying not to eat so much, most of my problem is I am never full. Half an hour after supper I am looking for something more to eat. I have been trying not to eat again after supper. Does anyone know if you drink a lot of water and your not use to doing that, can it give you heartburn? Since I stopped the pop and I am drinking a lot of water, I have had heartburn. I don't get it very often so this seems odd to me. I wake up in the night with it and it lingers for a while. Late afternoons it seems to hit me too. It isn't the kind that feels like a knife stabbing you, it milder, but last a long time. If anyone has an answer for me just put it in the comment box. Stupid water. Baxter found a rabbit nest today. There were no babies or any signs that there were some yet so that was good. When I saw him with his nose in the ground I kinda winced waiting for that terrible scream a rabbit can make. You never forget that sound once you have heard it.
In the picture above I was blowing into a bottle to make noise and Baxter didn't like it. In the picture he looks like he is trying to blow too.
My husband is such a lucky guy! He should be thankful that I don't mind getting my hands dirty. One of the things he liked about me when we first started dating was that I liked to work outside. I really impressed him when I put this log on my shoulder to carry to our burn pile. I did look impressive, even if I do say so. The log was very dry and half rotten, but still I looked like superwoman. I think of that once in a while, wish I could still do that but I am slowing down. I have to remind myself not to try stuff like that now. I am pretty good at listening to my body, I do what I know I can handle. So far that is working for me. The only times I have pulled a muscle or had a bad back ache is when I don't listen to that little voice that says "Don't do it!!!" I got to take the tire off the lawn tractor the other day, and last year I got to grease it. I had to crawl under it with a grease gun and pump grease into little plug like places. There were several of these plugs that you had to grease and the last on I did, I kept saying "Boy, this is going to take the whole tube of grease, it doesn't seem right." Well it wasn't right, all the grease I was pumping in was coming out at the other end of the tractor and when I finally saw it it looked like a big glob of thick, yellow, nasty stuff that was ready to fall on me. Yuck! This tractor and Joe go way back, 3 years ago I bought him a new riding lawn mower from Sears. He got to pick it out and make sure it was one he could get his leg over to get on. He still goes back to that old, dying orange monster. The money he has spent to have it towed somewhere to be repaired and the cost of the repairs we could have had a new car. I was shocked at his attempts to keep it going, after I bought the new riding mower I figured we would junk the orange one, but no, it had to be towed and repaired again.. there is just something about the old orange monster that he can't let go of. Even now, he is tinkering with it trying to get it to go. The tire has sat flat all winter so I had to pull that off and we will have to get a new one. That flat tire fixer in a spray can can only do so much, and we have used it several times already. Joe always had this look of peace and contentment when he was out riding on the orange monster, I used to tell him he just zoned out and was some place far from me. Made me a little jealous of the beast, but it has done it's share of work around here and then some. I was amazed how Joe could maneuver the This tractor and Joe go way back, 3 years ago I bought him a new riding lawn mower from Sears. He got to pick it out and make sure it was one he could get his leg over to get on. He still goes back to that old, dying orange monster. The money he has spent to have it towed somewhere to be repaired and the cost of the repairs we could have had a new car. I was shocked at his attempts to keep it going, after I bought the new riding mower I figured we would junk the orange one, but no, it had to be towed and repaired again.. there is just something about the old orange monster that he can't let go of. Even now, he is tinkering with it trying to get it to go. The tire has sat flat all winter so I had to pull that off and we will have to get a new one. That flat tire fixer in a spray can can only do so much, and we have used it several times already. Joe always had this look of peace and contentment when he was out riding on the orange monster, I used to tell him he just zoned out and was some place far from me. Made me a little jealous of the beast, but it has done it's share of work around here and then some. I was amazed how Joe could maneuver the blade on the orange monster to move a log or stump into a burn pile and put it right where he wanted it. He will be very sad the day that it is hauled off for the last time. The Orange Monster will never be able to be replaced. Kinda like me I hope. (not being able to be replaced)
Still raking and burning brush. My back is starting to hurt, I am tired and I don't want to rake any more....burn yes, rake no... We had some friends stop by while they were just out driving around, and they said how nice the yard is starting to look. I felt a little pride swelling up when they said that. I said thank you, and I meant it. I guess hard work does pay off. (with sore legs, sore back, ect.) Last night when I came in I had the chills. I never get chills, I run the other way. Hot and Sweaty. I think I might have over done it a little. The chill had me worried. Very unusual for me. I think I heard it is supposed to rain Monday, I hope so, I told Joe I think Monday will be my day of rest. I need a break.. I tried to do some house work too today and I am just plain worn out. I am still going without pop, 3 days is like the longest I have ever gone without a drink of pop.. I am hoping to cut back or stop altogether. I caught myself standing in the kitchen staring at Joe's 7up. I hate 7up, but I almost opened that can. I walked away (this time). Good thing too, It was Joe's last can and he drank it a couple of hours after I was staring at it. I felt good that the moment had passed. I don't think he would have been to happy about me drinking his last can. He has stopped drinking alcohol, so I don't want to drink his last can of pop. Man, with me not working look what is happening to us... I can't buy a case of wine, can't afford pop for the 2 of us, What is going to happen to us! I know, we will adjust, Because we can. I have had to adjust many times in the past. I just hope the house sells sooner than later, I don't know how much longer we can take care of all of this. Joe tries to help, but with 2 torn rotator cuffs he his unable to do a lot of the yard work, and a lot of the house work that he always helped with. I even asked the doctor if Joe could vacuum and he said "NO, that is not a good movement with his arms in the condition they are in!" I tried, I figured the movement would be good for him, darn.
