Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Proud Parent of an Honor Roll Student

That's right!!!! Yep!!! That's what I said!!!

We got a message while down here the Rush had some incredible news to tell us. It turns out that the school has just implemented the Honor Roll system and my Rush is on it!!! She is so excited and her dad and I are just so darn proud we are busting down here. There will be a big squishy hug coming her way (and a few dozen high fives) when we get back.

Love ya babe!!!! Way to go!!!

Last Day

I know; I know. It doesn't seem like it is that time all ready but tomorrow morning (way earlier than I would care to be on the road) we are beginning our journey home. Now, don't get me wrong, it will be GREAT to see our kids again. There have been a few tear episodes on both our parts from missing the kids. It will also be great to see our friends again...missing them lots too but, it is always a sad time leaving the kids here and our family and friends that we have made here.

Yesterday we got to spend most of the day with our dear friends Johnnie and Sue and it sounds like we will be making a quick trip here in the coming months for their wedding. Today we are spending the day with the kids and it sounds like they are taking us to a place called Mongolian Barbeque for lunch and then we are headed to an art museum and then we will be winging it from there.

It has been a lot of fun getting to spend time with Mike and Joyce too, nice quality time. Mike, Joyce, Nat and I played dominoes one night until we all had to drop out to go to bed. It is great to laugh with people especially when you can be all be laughing at some silly thing you did.

As I said earlier, we are leaving tomorrow; we will be staying in a hotel tomorrow night but we will be pushing (no leisurely driving this time). I will be able to update you one more time before you (most of you) see me.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

We Got Here Safe

We got here on Friday but my computer has been driving me absolutely nuts. I think we may have got it working.

Anyway, Nat and I went shopping yesterday and went to Atlanta Bread for coffees, smoothies and cookies. It is a really nice place; they have fresh baked breads, baking, pizzas, salads etc and a nice cozy atmosphere.

Today we went to church and we all went to JackStacks for the best BBQ I've ever eaten (since last time I ate there) and then off to Walmart to go shopping. I still haven't found the right battery for my video camera (ours only holds a charge for about 5 minutes).

Tomorrow Bill & I are going to go looking for a battery again, perhaps go to the music store and go to Independence Mall for some of our own deals. Nat and I were finding 75% off all ready reduced prices.

We are really missing the kids and it felt really weird not being with Jenn on her birthday; she is now 19 years old. Holy smokes. I can't believe it.

Gonna go for now as I am starting to have more computer issues and I hope this makes it onto the blog. Here's hoping!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Diner Lingo

After our visit to Kroll's Diner I was curious about diner lingo, as they had a couple of examples on the menu so, tonight I did my search. Please, let me enlighten a nation (or at least a group of us) to the way of the diner. I expect to hear you all ordering like this next time we go anywhere so pay attention!


Soup jockey
Waitress

Ladybug
Fountain Man

Bubble Dancer
Dishwasher

Eighty-six
"Do not sell to that customer" or "The kitchen is out of the item ordered. To remove an item from an order or from the menu."Article 86 of the New York State Liquor Codedefines the circumstances in which a bar patron should be refused alcohol or '86ed'.The Soup Kitchen Theoryduring the depression of the 1930s, soup kitchens would often make just enough soup for 85 people. If you were next in line after number 85, you were '86ed'. The Eight Feet By Six Feet TheoryA coffin is usually eight feet long and is buried six feet under. Once in your coffin you've been 'eight by sixed', which shortens to '86ed'.

Let it walk orGo for a walk orOn wheels
An order to go, a takeaway order.It’s to go

In the alley
Served as a side dish

Lumber
A toothpick

Sea dust
Salt

Mike and Ike orThe twins
Salt and pepper shakers

Hemorrhage
Ketchup

Paint it red
Put ketchup on an item

Lighthouse
Bottle of ketchup

Mississippi Mud orYellow paint
Mustard

Warts
Olives

Java orJoe
Coffee

Draw one, a cup of mud
A cup of coffee

Pair of drawers
Two cups of coffee

Draw one in the Dark orFlowing Mississippi
A black coffee

No cow
Without milk

A blonde with sand
Coffee with cream and sugar

Hot top
Hot chocolate

Boiled leaves
Tea

A spot with a twist
A cup of tea with lemon

Orange juice
Hug one orSqueeze one
A glass of orange juice

Moo juice orCow juice orBaby juice orSweet Alice
Milk

Canned cow
Evaporated milk

Billiard
Buttermilk

Throw it in the mud
Add chocolate syrup

Hail
Ice

Hold the hail
No ice

Windmill Cocktail or Adam's ale orCity juice orDog soup
Glass of water

Shoot from the south orAtlanta special
Coca Cola, probably a reference to the fact that the headquarters of Coca-Cola is in Atlanta, Georgia, and dragging anything is likely to get it muddy, ie, darker, which would be the same result as adding chocolate syrup.Carbonated drinks such as Coca-Cola were originally served by pouring concentrated syrup into a glass and adding soda water, so they could be made to whatever strength the customer preferred.

Drag one through Georgia
Cola with chocolate syrup

An M.D.
A Dr. Pepper

Fifty-five
A glass of root beer

Black and white
Chocolate soda with vanilla ice cream

White Cow
Vanilla milkshake

Shake one in the hay
Strawberry milkshake

Break it and shake it
Add egg to a drink

Life preservers
Doughnuts

Bailed hay
Shredded Wheat

Burn the British
Toasted English muffin

Cow paste orSkid Grease orAxle grease
Butter

Smear
Margarine

C.J. Boston
Cream Cheese and jelly

Raft
Toast

Dough well done with cow to cover
Buttered toast

Shingle with a shimmy and a shake
Buttered toast with jam or jelly, hence the reference to 'shake'.

Wreck ‘em
Scrambled eggs

Fry two, let the sun shine
2 fried eggs with unbroken yolks

sunny side up
The eggs are fried without flipping them, so the yolk looks just like a sun on white background.

Flop two
Two fried eggs over easy
(Flop two) over easy

Deadeye
Poached egg

Adam & Eve on a raft
Two poached eggs on toast

Noah's boy
A slice of ham (Ham was Noah's second son)

Noah’ boy on bread
A ham sandwich

Pigs in a blanket
A ham (sometimes a sausage) sandwich

Radio
Tuna salad sandwich on toast (a pun on "tuna down," which sounds like "turn it down," as one would the radio knob)

High and dry
A plain sandwich without butter, mayonnaise, or lettuce

Rabbit food
Lettuce

Keep off the grass
No lettuce

Breath
Onion

Pin a rose on it
Add onion to an order

Burn one
Put a hamburger on the grill

Hockey puck
A hamburger, well done

Chewed with Fine Breath
Hamburger with onions

Two cows, make them cry
Two hamburgers with onions

Burn one; take it through the garden and pin a rose on it
Hamburger with lettuce, tomato and onion

On the hoof
Any kind of meat cooked rare

Bow-wow orBun pup orTube steak orGroundhog
a hot dog

Coney Island chicken orConey Island
a hot dog, so called because hot dogs were popularly associated with the stands on Coney Island.

Bloodhounds in the Hay
Hot dogs and Sauerkraut

Hounds on an Island
Franks and beans

Frenchman's delight
Pea soup

Frog sticks
French fries

Wax
American cheese

Put out the lights and cry
An order of liver and onions ''Lights" is a term sometimes used for the edible, mainly internal organs of an animal

Splash of red noise
A bowl of tomato soup

Paint a bow-wow red
Gimme a hot dog with ketchup

All hot
Baked potato

Wreath
Cabbage

Nervous pudding
Jello

Shivering Hay
Strawberry Jello

Bucket of cold mud
A bowl of chocolate ice cream

Houseboat or Dagwood Special
A banana split made with ice cream and sliced bananas

Dusty Miller
Chocolate Pudding, sprinkled with powdered malt

Fish eyes or Cat's eyes
Tapioca pudding

So, next time you are out, give this lingo a try and see if anyone knows what the heck you are talking about! Enjoy!

Sioux Falls Rocks!

We left Rugby, ND at about 9am after a nice continental breakfast. Travel today seemed long and tedious. The fog was on again off again and dropped like a heavy blanket instead of slowly creeping in. There were several stops to "Travel Centers", truck stops to us. Lunch was a chicken finger and fry meal picked up at one such center and we drove through to Brookings,SD and did a bit of shopping at the SuperWalmart there. It is a neccessary stop each and every trip. We did pick up a few odds and ends but the best part was picking up Bug a 4-in-1 jacket for $17. It took us $33 to fill up our tank from pretty well empty on our way too.

At present, we are in Sioux Falls sitting in a Ramada Hotel. It comes with a pirate theme...no joking! The restaurant is called Castaways and there Bill and I had a great spinach and artichoke dip with baked pita chips and we both had steaks, grilled veggies, fresh bread and fruit. We took a walk around the main floor after supper and saw the Tiki Lounge where they were having goldfish races. That is what I said. They had 2 long glass containers set up; each contestant got a long straw and when they heard the word "go" they needed to blow the fish to the end in order to win. Before it began Bill and I thought that they would be using some sort of fake fish but, no! It was a real, living goldfish.

The pool area had waterslides, a pirate ship with little slides for the kids, water basketball and straw hut looking umbrellas on the tables. It is definitely a place we would love to come to when we have the kids with us; in fact, as much as we were missing them before doesn't begin to compare to how we are missing them now after imagining how much fun they would be having poolside.

As far as my health, the headache is still gone but the back is still stiff just at the needle stick area. Beginning to walk around or first sitting down is a bit pained but it quickly subsides.

I think that I am going to finish this day with a nice long bath and then jump in that comfy looking King size bed...wondering if there is any way to sneak that out of the room without them noticing.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Heh there! Hear that crash! My Advil just hit the trash!!!

Oh yeah! That's right, baby!!! I am so pumped right now! As Bill and I were driving through North Dakota and the tears started to stream down my face. I felt something I haven't felt in 2 years...my head without a headache. It feels bizzarre to be honest with you and I keep expecting to wake up and have it be a dream.

Anyway to let you in on what happened today; I got a needle to my spine just like a reverse epidural like I thought however, it took Dr T. 4 times to get it in properly and effectively. This hurt a lot and I was curled up on the bed in a tight fetal position. After the second attempt I felt the tears creep out of my eyes but that was the extent of it. Now, my back is tender in that area but that is all...sitting in the van definitely left those back muscles stiff.

Bill & I drove through to Minot today and stopped at Kroll's Diner for a great burger and shake...one of the expected highlights of this trip and it didn't disappoint. We had then planned to just find a hotel room in Minot (flying by the seat of our pants in a sense) but they had an AgExpo on and there was not an available room in town. The fog was terrible and you could barely see 3 feet in front of you so we weren't keen on driving another 45 to the next town with hotels but what choice did we have.

I began to pray for the fog to part before us so we could see where we were going and IT DID!!! You could see the fog all around us except for the stretch in front of us. I thought that was incredibly cool.

We made it to Rugby, where I sit typing this post out. WE headed straight for the pool and hot tub in order to relax a bit. For those that know me well, you know that I can't swim...so I usually just muck around and float a bit while pinching my nose shut. Today I was gliding a bit and floating on my stomach without plugging my nose and I only got water up my nose ONCE!!!
It has been a terrific day and a terrific start to our vacation.

So I am in the process of heading off to bed after all that exercise this evening and all the excitement I am feeling beat. Thank you all for your prayers regarding my headaches and this procedure; you have no idea how much it has meant to me to feel no headache even if it is just for a while (I will have to go on medication according to Dr.T). We love you, miss you and will see you when we get home.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Holy McStomachache.

Oy! Not wanting to do that again. It has been about a month and a half to two months since I went to McDonalds. I've been trying to avoid junkfood as much as possible. Well, Bug and I had so much running around to do that I caved into the "Time Monster" and went to that evil place of calories. Not only did I leave there $10 poorer and granted, not feeling hungry but, I also left there with this McGutache that just doesn't want to go away...

Next time a quick sandwich at home.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Boy, that was quick

Tomorrow Bill & I are leaving to spend the night at my mom's as I got my appointment to "drain" this fluid build up and it is at 8:30 in the morning onWednesday. That would mean being on the road by 6:15 in order to get there just in time if we were to stay at home tomorrow night. I am not THAT much of a morning person, if at all.

I have to admit that I am experiencing conflicting feelings about this "procedure". I can't wait to not have headaches everyday but...I am so darn nerved up about that needle and the act of draining fluid. I am envisioning it to be similar to a reverse epidural but I guess I will see Wednesday if I am correct.

Depending on how I feel after this procedure we will be leaving to visit Billy and Natalie for a few days and all our friends down there. I am excited about this part of the week for sure. We'll be stopping at the music store and checking out ride and splash cymbals. Apparently Bill is also wanting to see if he can find me hot pink drum sticks...ah, okay....

So, I have a request, if you happen to be thinking of it at 8:30 or so (procedure starts at 9:00) maybe send up a quick prayer that all goes well oh, and that I don't embarass myself by passing out when I see the needle...

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Good News, Bad News

The good news is, I went to see a Neurologist today about my headaches. The bad news is I went to say goodbye to my oldest and dearest friend as she and her family are moving to Edmonton.

The good news, I now know what is causing my headaches for sure. The bad news, worse case scenario, I could go blind.

The good news, the doc is scheduling me an appointment to hopefully remedy this illness this week or next week. The bad news, it requires a needle in the back and the sucking out of fluid.

The good news, I won't have to stay in the hospital for more than 2-3 hours. The bad news, it is so urgent to get done that he won't wait until we get back from our trip to Missouri. It needs to be done BEFORE.

The good news, I hopefully won't have headaches in a few days. The bad news, he never really said if this was a long time cure or if this is something I will have to do every so often to relieve the pressure.



The good news, I only worry about this occassionally. The bad news, when I do worry, I start to panic as this covers 2 of my biggest fears...needles and going blind.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Oh Swirling Vortex of Blizzard

Highway workers were ordered off strike due to an impending blizzard that hit us last night. It is crazy here but, I find it invigorating in an 'am I ever glad I don't live in 1925 kind of way'. I love the feeling of being safe and warm in my house watching the snow swirling in front of our windows.

The girls got home from school at 3:30 approximately and we got home from work at 4:45; in that hour their footprints were completely gone and we were snowed out of our house.

Rush and I visited BigB one time when we were just dating; it was October 31 and we decided to walk to the store to get the fixings to make pizza. In order to do that we had to shovel our way OUT of the house but it was a fun trek to the store and a fond memory.

So if you live in the vicinity of this blizzard grab a good book, a fuzzy blanket, a hot cup of cocoa, a loved one to snuggle with and enjoy the warmth within your home.

Update:
Randall wrote a phenomenal post on this blizzard complete with some very interesting news links. This is incredible

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Does anyone else find it un-nerving that it is January and it is MELTING!!!!!?? This is just not natural!