That girls just wanna have fun............ at any age!

This is Aunt Patsis doing the "Bristol Palin Shimmy".

Mary Kate "wearing" her Christmas gifts from Annie -- homemade crayons and adorable hat!

Sliding through the whale at the Atlanta Aquarium.

Pretending to eat Maria's 21st birthday cake with her!

Help me, I am stuck in here!

Who only knows??

Doing a little twirl dance on the porch.

These last two are "singing" to "Stuck Like Glue", and they were...most of the time! With a little help from their female relatives, they sounded a LOT like this, I swear! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iDPw_qjhtM

Sister Wives!

Really, it does seem that for lots of things, one man is enough for more than one woman, or sister as the case may be.

This post is a shout out to my favorite bro-in-law. Yes, he would be the one who “walked through” fire with me. During that time, he quite patiently stayed on the phone with me and repeated things about pilot lights, high/low settings , remote position, igniter switch…. OVER and OVER, because I swear that stuff just makes no sense to me and will not stick in my brain! So as I repeatedly tried to “bleed the air out of the gas line”, he explained OVER and OVER how to attempt the same thing about fifty times. For this, I am grateful.

Once I had fire on, fire off again, I called my “sister wife” Patsis and thanked her profusely for not only getting, but staying married. Mike B is the same guy who helped me purchase a TV (that is totally wasted on me but impresses the occasional date), decide whether or not I should refinance my house, and most importantly introduced me to Trader Joes!

Thank God one of us has a husband!

That it is true, you get what you pay for!

We all know it is true! Think about it, it is like that for almost everything.

And a perfect example came today in the form of a hilarious (as all things Tracey are) phone call from my good friend! Said friend went to Super Cuts to get, no not just a super cut, but HIGHLIGHTS!! She said, and I quote "There are about four different colors going on around my scalp, and none of them are the carmel color I requested!" This comment was even funnier if you could hear her Chicaaago accent on the word scaaalp!

Helloooo, it is your hair!!!

Yep, you get what you pay for!

That Christmas just gets earlier and earlier every year!

It seems every year Christmas just sneaks up on me. Maybe it is my age, but I swear it seems a little early this year! Of course it may have something to do with the fact we are celebrating a tad early with our favorite Texans!! Spending today preparing for a Happy/Merry /Thanksgiving/Christmas!!

Lake Murray, past and present!

Fourth of July, 2010 and today!

That white blob in the present day shot is the Isla Paradisia. How sad is that!

OK, I don't miss the eight hundred consecutive days of 100 + weather, but I do miss summer fun!

Guatemala

So while Ellie was busy having loose stools all over Ian's house, Maria's dorm room AND even Ian and Maria's girl/guy friends places as well (not to make anyone feel left out I suppose), I was in Guatemala.

Guatemala is a beautiful country with friendly people, a vibrant culture and lots of scary chicken buses. These are old American school buses painted all crazy and then used to haul people and chickens all around the country, hence the name chicken bus! The buses are crazy enough, but considering the roads are always semi-complete thanks to the never ending mud slides, it makes for very exhilarating rides. Although I will say there are certain family members who scare me more!

Showers are scary too, some electrical wiring contraption that you can't touch, lest you get shocked. It doesn't even work most of the time so cold showers and sorta clean hair are common.

The kids at the Catholic school did a little show for us on the last day. The little guy to the far left was not having fun though, he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but standing in front of us! Second group wore "western" clothes and sang "We are the World" MTV style! Very Cute!!

When I went in January several of us got up at 4:00 AM to hike to the top of the largest volcano with one of the nuns (pictured above). She hiked three miles up and down a narrow, rocky trail in FULL HABIT!! I was sweating profusely, couldn't walk down stairs without pain for two weeks after the hike, and she strolled down in THAT; I don't even think she broke a sweat. No wonder when she described it to us I had visions of strolling myself, as in the Sound of Music! No similarities I can assure you!! But I was singing.... The hills are alive, with the sound of music!

And yes, that is me with a little girl and a big beer. Michelle and Gallo; my scarf lady friend's daughter and the local beer.

I miss Guatemala!!

That it is NOT a hundred degrees today.

Don't know about the rest of you, and I never thought I would be saying this but.........

Thank God for the end of summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Much as I love it, I am happy it is gone (Gone like a freight train, gone like yesterday..........who knows that song??)

Have I mentioned I think in songs??

This dog is just cute!

Ellie's hair cut -- after and before (yes as opposed to before and after:sorry I don't know how to change the picture order, I am very annoying, er new at this- ask Jeff and Kristen). She may not be the brightest bulb on the tree, afraid of any/every thing that moves, but you gotta admit, she is cute! I love you Ms. Belle!!

Ellie spent 11 days w/o her mama while I was in Guatemala. Thanks to Ian and Maria for taking care of her while I was off galavanting around third world countries. Sorry about all the "loose stools"; I think all that time in a house with five guys and a girls college dorm was too traumatic for this Mama's pup. Thanks guys!!

And the song for this post.....You and me Ellie we're stuck like glue....

That sometimes you just need a man.! Part 3

Fire, cars and electronics! OH MY!!

ELECTRONICS!!!

I own an iPOD thanks to my kiddos. Same kiddos loaded tunes (thanks Mo) and bought me a stereo. I am still hoping for playlists (hint hint) but in the meantime, I decided to update my iPod with some new music. I stopped by Best Buy and bought a couple new CDs. Of course I quickly realized I didn’t have a clue how to actually get the music into/onto my iPod! I take that back, I had a clue: I knew the computer was an integral part of the process. I even had some vague recollection of Ian parking me beside my computer with my CDs and providing simple instructions on how to load them. Then he took over, did some sync trick, and voila, my iPod had more tunes! But that was long ago and I have no idea.........

So, I did whatever I do when I have electronic issues, I called Jeff. Lest you think I have favorites, I do not!! All my children receive calls depending on my needs, but Jeff is definitely the exceedingly patient go-to electronic wiz who oft assists me all the way from Texas. In fact, he has admin rights for this very blog. He decided it was easier to do some things himself than try and explain them to me over the phone. Suits me just fine! It is baffling how he does this! Television, cable (far better than the TWC, er technicians), computer, camera, dvd player, you name it.

Uploading/downloading (is there a difference?) songs was no exception and while he drove home from work too many states away, he patiently instructed me on how to get songs off CDs into/onto iPod via computer. I know I am old, but seriously this stuff still amazes the heck out of me!! Taylor Swift is in my iPod now! Sorry Jeff, you may not have helped had you known!

That sometime you just need a man! Part 2

Fire, cars and electronics! OH MY!!

CARS!!!

So, I am sitting at a red light downtown and a very nice man rolled down his window, and motioned for me to do the same. I immediately assumed he was single, somehow knew I must be single, wanted to ask me out, probably take me on a cruise….wait , this stuff happens in the movies right? OK, he just wanted to tell me I had a brake light out. Since cars are another OH MY for me, I replied “so what should I do?” He yelled “AdvanceAuto Parts” and drove off. Well, THAT I can do! I drove to Advance Auto; the first sign I saw read “we replace wiper blades free”. Free installation, really? Awesome! The oil change people have been telling me I need to replace my wiper blades for. like. ever! And somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind, I knew you could replace wipers on your own way cheaper. Of course I can’t really do it, but I didn’t want to pay the oil changers either. Here was my opportunity! So, I proceed to the counter, provide the nice young man with the make and model of my car (I DO know you have to do that) and then as sweetly as possible “could you replace my wiper blades, and I would like one right brake light to go with that, please!”. It worked!! Thank you Eric! If you ever go to Advance Auto in Irmo tell Eric he “rocks”. That is what I told him, and I know my kids are rolling their eyes right now, and yes I seriously said that!! In fact I told Eric he rocks and is the bomb!

That sometimes you just need a man.

Sorry girls, I hate to admit it, especially since I don’t even have one to call my own, but there are some things that just require the man factor!

Fire, Cars and Electronics OH MY!!!

FIRE!!!

When I moved into my house, one of my favorite things was the lovely stone fireplace. Right next to the fireplace was a little switch that controlled the fire. Perfect! I want a cozy fire, flip on. Done with fire (or having hot flash), flip off! Year two when it got cold, I flipped the little switch…. and nothing! I called my trusty next door neighbor and over he came, tool box in hand. He spent a good deal of time doing who knows what; I was in the kitchen baking cookies and keeping my distance from scary fire. Thirty minutes later, all was well and I could flip my switch for fire. I have no idea what he did, didn’t ask, didn’t care! I sent my borrowed man on his way with some freshly baked cookies.

This year, not so easy! First call for help went to the same household, different owner (oh why did they move????). New dude had no luck, but in all fairness I think all my “please be careful, do you KNOW what you are doing” scared him off. Second call, different household, another borrowed man. In all fairness to him, he spent a LOT of time at my place while I was at work, not even home baking cookies. Still no fire! As a last resort ($$$) I called the propane company and for a mere $90 (WHAT??) they could set up a service call. Or, they could first “walk me through a few things”. I may hate fire, but I do like money. So I opted to first “walk through some things”, but I sure as hell wasn’t walking alone! The third and final distress call went to my brother-in-law. He is family, what could he say? After assuring me he would take care of me in the burn unit if necessary, he VERY patiently walked “through some things” with me (from the safety of another state). GLORY BE, it worked!

And now, fire on, fire off; love it. I’m a big girl now! (isn’t that a song for something…)