Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Perigee and apogee... do those words sound familiar at all? Aren't they some of the words that are used in Bedknobs and Broomsticks for the magic school spells? (I love that movie, by the way!)

Well, apparently they refer to points in the lunar orbit. Perigee is when the moon is closest to earth and apogee is when it is farthest away.

Fascinating.

Okay, you may now resume your regular daily activities. Thank you for stopping by to "learn something new every day!"

Socks for Sale!

So I cleaned out my sock drawer this morning... I was looking for a particular pair of socks and couldn't find it. My drawer has been overstuffed and annoying for awhile now (plus it won't close all the way because socks are lost in the back) and I decided that today was the day. Seize the moment! Darby, of course, was wondering why on earth I decided to do this now. After all, couldn't I see that he was positively wasting away? He had been waiting patiently while I showered (which took longer than usual since I was cleaning it a bit as well) and while I got dressed, but really... this was just too much for a dog to survive.

So it's done. A handful of socks to the trash, another large handful to the donation bin, a divider box to hopefully keep those crazy socks organized, and I even pulled the drawer out and rescued the lost socks who had fallen overboard. Oh and I did find the socks I was looking for - on the very bottom in the way back corner of the drawer. So, really, I couldn't have found them any other way!

(Oh and I did finally feed my poor, starving dog...)

On the agenda for today... a menu plan (?), a trip to the grocery store, more laundry (seriously - didn't I just do the laundry?! Where is it all coming from?), and more sorting and packing of photos and other stuff from the pantry room/black hole. Did you know we have a floor in that room? I know! Amazing!!!

Happy Spring Forward everyone!

A little of this, a little of that

For a split second, I thought Darby had snatched 1/2 of a raw chicken breast from the counter and eaten it while I wasn't looking. I wasn't sure how he had done it without creating some sort of commotion and if he had indeed done it, I wasn't sure why he stopped at one when there were 4 available. Luckily for both of us, two of the halves were double-stacked. Whew!

An actual instruction given to the kids yesterday morning... Be careful! Don't get run over by a snowplow!

A new nephew! Mark was born last Wednesday. Can't wait to visit and get my baby fix. Not sure if I'll make it out there before summer though at which point he may be sitting up already and getting ready to crawl away.

Cub Scouts is almost over! A den meeting this week then bridging rehearsal in two weeks and bridging in three weeks. Whatever will I do with all my extra time? Oh yeah - drive Ryan to his weekly Boy Scout meetings. Oh well. At least I'm hanging up the uniform and "retiring" from a uniformed leader position.

It's official - we're moving to California in July. We've lived in this house for 10 years. So far I have cleaned out one drawer. At this rate I should be ready for the movers by 2015!

Nothing else of interest to post... Just thought the world might like to know that I'm still alive.

Quote

I don't have issues - I have entire subscriptions!

(stolen from a friend's Facebook wall)

Thanks for the laugh Stephanie! :)

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Things are going downhill around here. I'm thinking of posting a sign on the door, "Beware of Germs".

But not to be too negative... let's play Good News, Bad News.

The Bad News- Ryan and Felisa are both sick now as well.
The Good News- well, I'm not sure if there is good news to this one. Family bonding perhaps? Oh wait, there is some good news. Bella is less sick than she was yesterday.

The Bad News- Ryan threw up all over the bedroom floor.
The Good News- Ron's side of the room has now been steam-cleaned. Now there are even fewer dog allergens hiding to attack him upon his return.

The Bad News- Bella has had multiple bloody noses today.
The Good News- I put clean sheets on the bed. Of course, I'll need to do it again before Ron comes back what will all the germs hanging around here. So maybe this one doesn't have such good news either.

The Bad News- I can't find my humidifier. Wanted to set it up, thinking it might help Bella's nose.
The Good News- The carpet is damp from the steam-cleaning. As it dries, it will act as a humidifier for the room.

The Bad News- There is ice on the front porch.
The Good News- most of the 1/2 inch of snow that fell today already melted and I didn't have to shovel a thing.

The Bad News- I'm exhausted.
The Good News- I still have one more day to lie about and rest. I hope. Can someone please tell the kids to behave so I can rest? Thanks!

So there you have it... the good, the bad, and the ugly. Oh wait, I forgot the ugly. Or did I? Haven't you been paying attention? This whole situation is ugly and stinky! Well, not so much stinky. I'm still so congested I can't smell a thing!

Until next time...

Hat Trick

Or possibly a home run... depending on whether or not I believe the doctor!

I've had a cough so long I can't remember when it started exactly. I didn't really feel bad, per se. It was mostly just a nuisance. But I decided that I would try to really rest and relax over Christmas break so that I could maybe finally get rid of it.

Well, needless to say, that plan didn't work AT ALL! Bella came down with a cold a day or two after Christmas. A week later, I had it. So now, two days before school starts again, I'm feeling worse than when the break started. Fine then. I'll try to actively fight it off now by resting even more (when I can) and taking lots of vitamins and drinking OJ and water and... Still didn't work. Still feel bad.

So... now it's just a few days before Ron returns from his latest business trip and I'd really like to not feel like crap so I call the doctor to make an appointment. Maybe I need antibiotics... it's time for a second opinion anyway.

So that was yesterday afternoon that I finally threw in the towel and called the doctor. Yesterday after school Bella said she had been coughing all day. So I decide to keep an eye on her - maybe her cold is acting up, getting worse. We went to our Brownie meeting but by the end of the meeting, both of us were going downhill fast. Home to put on our jammies and take temperatures. We're both at 99. I call my boss to tell her I won't be at school tomorrow. Bella's breathing a little shallow so I give her a breathing treatment. If the cold has gone to her lungs, this should help. The kids all watch Winter Wipeout then before bed (they've been waiting for this episode for weeks now!) After the show, I check Bella again. She's up to 100. Something tells me this might not just be her cold. Good thing I already called in sick.

Off to bed with all of us. Sleep is my prescription for all! At about 11:30 last night, I woke up with my bad ear just aching like crazy. That is NOT good! I took a sudafed and some advil and put in some homeopathic earache drops and try to go back to sleep. Since it's not even midnight yet, I could be in for a long night.

Bella tossed and turned and moaned all night. I woke up at 4 a.m. with my other ear hurting. More sudafed, more water.

Up for the day at 7:15. Bella's temp is up to 102. I get the other two ready for school and dropped off then I call the doctor to see if I can bump my appointment up to an earlier time. My ears are hurting and I'd hate to have my eardrum rupture AGAIN. I score a 1015 appointment.

So the doctor says... double ear infection but even though there is a little blood in the bad ear he doesn't think it's ruptured (I'm not sure if I agree since my hearing is off even now). He even said, "wow -that must really hurt!" when he was looking in my ears. Also, I have a sinus infection. And wheezing in my lungs so probably a bit of mild bronchitis. Joy! 3 for the price of one! He gave me a prescription for antibiotics and I came home and we went back to bed for the rest of the day.

Bella's fever got pretty high this evening - hope she's feeling better in the morning.

I hope I'm feeling better in the morning too!

My strength

I did an online test at a Positive Psychology site... these are my top 5 strengths. Your Top Strength

Kindness and generosity You are kind and generous to others, and you are never too busy to do a favor. You enjoy doing good deeds for others, even if you do not know them well.

Your Second Strength

Humor and playfulness You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

Your Third Strength

Capacity to love and be loved You value close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. The people to whom you feel most close are the same people who feel most close to you.

Your Fourth Strength

Citizenship, teamwork, and loyalty You excel as a member of a group. You are a loyal and dedicated teammate, you always do your share, and you work hard for the success of your group.

Your Fifth Strength

Forgiveness and mercy You forgive those who have done you wrong. You always give people a second chance. Your guiding principle is mercy and not revenge.

The Great Grasshopper Uprising

It's November... time for the annual Cub Scout Bake Off. Ryan's entry - Grasshopper Pie (the under-21 version!)

It's time to go to the meeting... the kids are headed out the door and I'm gathering my keys and purse... I hear Ryan say, with some seriousness, "Uh oh!"

Uh-oh what?

I come to the front door to see Ryan and the front porch covered in minty green grasshopper creme. Greeeaaaaatttt. It's a Grasshopper Mutiny! I take the pie to the kitchen to see if it could be salvaged (luckily it could). Ryan washed his hands and wiped off his clothes then I sent him out to the porch with a big cup of water to try to wash the creme away. It wasn't going away easily so I decided to just leave it as it was and deal with it when we got back. I could let Darby, the very hungry dog, lick it up but think it could give him a tummy ache.

Fast forward an hour or so... we're back from the bake - off with a certificate for the Most Flavorsome. The porch is still a mess. I try again to rinse it off but think I need a broom to scrub or a hose to spray. I think the broom is probably locked in the shed. I check the hose but it has been disconnected for the winter already. And did I mention that it is dark now and most definitely time for bed after another long day? I again consider the option of Darby, the very hungry dog, but I think he would probably lick his tongue raw on the cement and then we'd have to add a vet bill to the disaster cleanup tally!

Also, the weird worms are back. Not as many as the other night. Maybe they like Grasshopper Pie?

I can only hope that they eat it all up before I wake up tomorrow and have to face the mess of the Great Grasshopper Uprising in the light of day...

Life just isn't fair. It's Pajama Day in Mrs. Pant's class. That part is good. The part that isn't so good is the part where I woke up at 0545 to go work out then walk the dog then take a shower so that I could put my pajamas back on to go to work. When the kids went to pajama day, they always got to sleep in then go to school in the pj's they already had on. Not fair!

In other news... there was apparently a Rubber Duckie Convention in the shower last night. This morning they were all still there. Uncle Sam with his 3 Secret Service Ducks wearing sunglasses. A random duck. And Party Duck. Who apparently had a GREAT time at the convention last night because he was head down in the shower bucket. Ha! For whatever reason, I find that very funny. Maybe that's why I love working in a preschool - it takes so little to entertain me!

So now I'm off to work in my PJ's followed by lunch at Sonic! Woo hoo!

Michael Jackson vs. Elvis

I was putting some music on Ryan's MP3 player earlier this afternoon. I was checking the James Taylor list of songs to see if there was anything I thought he'd like. Hound Dog was there. Perfect. Ryan was watching over my shoulder. He said, Oh it's his version of Michael Jackson's Hound Dog song. Uh, no. That would be Elvis' Hound Dog song. Oh. I get them confused. They're both dead. And famous! (and singers of course.)

That just cracked me up.

Edited to add:
Ryan's favorite songs, in order, on his MP3 player...
1. Beer for my Horses - Toby Keith
2. 12 Days of Christmas (an a capella version that is quite funny, plus it is his favorite Christmas song in any version)
3. A Boy Named Sue
4. Istanbul, Not Constantinople - They Might Be Giants
5. (aw shucks... I can't remember now what number 5 was)

Watermelon with a death wish

Why do my baby watermelons have a death wish? Why do they only want to grow ON the driveway and not in the garden boxes next to the driveway? I moved one baby's vine back to the box area the other day. Today I found two more babies growing in the vines still on the driveway. Argh! Oh and don't forget... anyone who grows out into the neighbor's grass on the other side of the garden boxes also has a death wish but seem to prefer death by lawnmower. My neighbor has been very kind and patient with my out-of-control, not hardly producing, vines.

The good news - the garden, it is producing again. Yay! I had chalked it all up as dead or dying already but was too lazy to pull it all out. It seems as though it was merely biding its time, waiting for the weather to drop out of the 90s and 100s. Now I have 3 zucchini growing, a second watermelon well-established (the first - and I thought only - watermelon is waiting to be harvested), and potentially three more watermelon babies (will they survive?). Even the tomatoes (the few that I have) are ripening.

Now if I can just keep all the suicidal fruits and veggies from the Driveway of Doom, I'll have some home-grown produce in a couple weeks. Yay!

Stop the Ride!

Stop the ride - I want off!!!

Seriously? Neither school nor sports have begun yet and already I'm feeling overwhelmed and behind the curve. Ack! Today I spent several hours and way too much money stocking up on school supplies, new shoes, and new backpacks for the kids. A mid-day break for lunch at Red Robin was the best part of the day.

I just got back from an emergency milk run. How did we get from 2 cartons down to zero cartons in the blink of an eye? I decided to skip the library and postpone the dry cleaners/milk shopping that would normally be done on Wednesday so that I would have time to spend hanging out with Allie and her family as well as time to work on my many administrative to-dos. And looking back at yesterday - I'm not sure how many to-dos I actually to-did. Today was the best day for shopping so that took priority. And then surprise! No milk!

So here's the question - will things get better once school starts or worse? Better would be nice but I'm fearing the latter.

(I told Ron that it was all his fault. He's out of town, therefore I am unable to function properly. Doesn't bode well for next week does it?!?)

My Bucket

My goals... my values... my bucket of time...

Spending some time today working through this. It's a new year (the fall always seems like a second New Year to me, a chance to start over AGAIN and hopefully get it right this time) and time to think about how I'd like it to go.

My values...
*Home and Family, Love and Friends... these are a source of encouragement, joy, laughter, and support as well as a refuge from the wild and crazy world. I tend to be a home-body. I want to be at home, in my home, surrounded by the people (family AND friends) who love me. Home is comfortable. Home can be relaxing and quiet or it can be filled with laughter and good company. Home is where my heart is. It is where I start from and where I come back to.

*Responsibility... I have a responsibility to fulfill my obligations. I have a responsibility to care for my world and those that are in it. We have a responsibility to each other as human beings to help each other out. We're in this together.

*Flexibility, Patience, Politeness, Helpfulness, and a Sense of Humor... all key ingredients to a successful, harmonious existence on this wild ride known as life.

*Nature... being outside (in non-humid, non-mosquito infested weather!) in the quiet and peace of nature brings peace to my soul. I'm trying my best to tread lightly and to help others to do the same.

My goals...
(compiled via a quick-n-dirty 60-second write-down-the-first-thing-that-comes-to-mind session)

*Lose 10-15 pounds (always a goal of mine, especially at the end of each summer when I have gained lots of road trip vacation weight and haven't been exercising regularly!). Related goals: Training for the Turkey Trot 5k in November. I can't remember the last time I actually went out jogging...

*Create and maintain a clean, workable scrapbook workspace so that I can use it whenever I feel so inspired, rather than dreading it or avoiding it altogether. This one feels particularly daunting and impossible. Very Mount Everest-ish.

*Spend more time on various personal scrapbook projects. There are so many things on my list that I'd love to scrap but never seem to have the time. When I do have the time (or the inspiration), I am thwarted by the Scrapbooking Pit of Despair (see prior goal).

*Create and maintain a more orderly home environment. (Talk about shooting for the moon! This is also a very Mount Everest-ish task in my mind. I'm not the best housekeeper and the clutter has been building up for 10 years now.)

*Spend quality time with myself and with my family without constantly thinking about what else I need to be or should be doing, those undone tasks on my to-do list looming over me. Essentially I think I am looking for BALANCE. I don't wish to give up my activities outside the home (at least not all of them) because they satisfy my need to contribute, to help out, to be involved, and to be with people. But I also need to be at home and be mentally engaged with my family. I think finding a balance that works for me and works for my family will be a tough one.

I need to be more aware of each moment and how I am spending my time. Try to keep in mind where I'm at and where I'm trying to go and whether or not my choices will get me there. Specifically I need to better manage my time alone, my time not spent on household chores and other calendar commitments. I often have difficulty in just getting started as well as difficulty in maintaining forward progress continuously over time. I am an object at rest, that if given a choice, would prefer to stay at rest. Somehow I need to apply force regularly to overcome that inherent inertia. Deadlines help me ultimately finish a job but more specifically, deadlines set by others (rather than by me). Accountability to others. A sense of "we're in this together" and positive encouragement also help.

I want to be able to do it all. But I can't. It's impossible. All I can hope for is the ability to do it better. And so I am hoping by being more conscious of my time and how I am spending it, I will better balance what I have going at the moment without having to give too much up.

Is it hopeless?


[Why I enjoy scrapbooking...
(thought I should expand on this since it is mentioned twice in my goals above)

I enjoy the beauty and asthetics of it - putting together all the pretty papers and colors and accents. I also really enjoy the relationship aspect of it. When I'm working in my scrapbooks, I am also spending time with family and friends and loved ones, via the memories in my mind. It is a form of time together, or at least so it seems to me. An extension of the pleasure I get from spending time hanging out with people and being together with people. Capturing the stories and the memories then being able to share them again each time the books are reviewed. Why I enjoy doing books for others? I want them to have the same opportunity to open a book and share the memories.]

The Age of the Telephone

Apparently 10 is the age when you start talking on the phone to your friends...

So Ryan was talking to Owen earlier today. He hasn't seen or spoken to him since before we left on our trip.

The beginning of the conversation...

Ryan: "Hi Owen, how are you?"
-very brief pause-
Ryan: "Banana"

That just cracks me up with how random it is!

The last 3 days of Big Trip 5

Day 29 – Monday – July 19, 2010

0730 Get up. Felisa is up already but Ryan and Bella are sleeping in.

Lana and Mike go to a doctor’s appointment while the kids and I hang out and be lazy. The kids watch TV and I work on blog updates.

Lana is done at the doctor so we head out for errands and lunch at Jack in the Box.

After lunch back home. I remember that I need to pay some bills.

Dinner tonight is chicken and yummy homemade noodles!



Day 30 – Tuesday – July 20, 2010

Wake up. Eat breakfast. Then get ready for our field trip to the South Carolina State Museum.

Our favorite parts:
Felisa – pushing buttons on the displays
Bella – the pirate exhibit
Ryan – the optical illusions
Lana – getting lost and the variety of displays
Sheila – the variety of displays

After the museum, lunch at McD’s.

Back home I work on my scrapbook while the kids watch tv.

Dinner tonight is macaroni and cheese and hot dogs. Yum!


Day 31 –Wednesday – July 21, 2010

0650 Wake up. Get loaded and ready to go.

0737 Leaving.

0750 Gas, $2.39/gallon

0756 Sonic for a breakfast burrito

0813 North Carolina

1024 Virginia

1127 Gas, $2.49/gallon

1134 McD’s drive-thru for lunch and iced coffee

1158 Cows. Mountains. No traffic. Coming back via Highway 29 is pretty good so far.

1127 Waltons Mountain Museum. I wonder if it is any relation to the tv show?

12:30 p.m. Albemarle, VA established in 1744. Wow – that was a long time ago!

2:25 p.m. I-66 from Warrenton. Slow as expected. 

2:46 p.m. Home sweet home! Our total mileage for the trip is 6,972. Wow – if I had realized we were that close to being over 7,000 miles I would’ve gone the long way around just to make it over 7,000! Drat!

Day 28

Day 28 - Sunday - July 18, 2010

0630 Time to get up. Shower, pack, load. Take pictures with Vacation Mouse.

0810 Leaving Kim's house. Jo is taking a long time to wake up this morning. Come on Jo - I don't know which way I'm going!

0826 See the statue of liberty.

0840 Leeds, AL. Stop at Hardees for one last pork chop biscuit with gravy before the end of the trip. Attempt to go to McD's for an iced coffee but the drive thru line is NOT moving so I give up and leave. Stop for gas, $2.45/gallon then back on the highway.

0915 McD's - let's try this coffee thing again!

0936 Listening to the country Top 40 countdown on the radio. There is an interview with the guy who sings "Pray for You". It helps to have the singer/songwriter's perspective and reasoning but not sure I still won't have to change the station.

0948 Finally - a cop has pulled someone over. The speed limit has been 55 forever with lots of signs about how it is strictly enforced. I'm going more than 55 but people are blowing by me like I'm sitting still. It sure doesn't seem too strictly enforced to me!

1003 - Georgia and Eastern time zone (which makes it 1103 now)

1144 Chattahoochee River

1154 Atlanta. We see the capitol dome and the olympic stadium.

12:09 p.m. Driving in and out of little stripes of rain.

12:31 p.m. Stop at Wendy's for lunch. It is our first Wendy's stop of the trip.

1:11 p.m. We are back to the East Coast traffic volume and population density. I am not glad to be back.

1:51 p.m. South Carolina. Stop at the welcome center. I answered the trivia question correctly (Sassafrass Mountain is the highest point in SC) so the kids all got little beach balls.

2:12 p.m. Driving on the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway.

2:30 p.m. You can see mountains way off in the distance.

2:48 p.m. The girls are sleeping. And this is NOT a freeway as the lady at the welcome center indicated. Maybe I should've come up from Greenville to cut some of the less scenic western portion off. Or maybe not come this way at all...

2:53 p.m. Keowee River. Finally, something scenic.

3:13 p.m. Pumpkintown.

3:26 p.m. Corn cob mailbox on a cornstalk post.

3:37 p.m. Saw a turkey. Or some other big bird with a long neck.

3:50 p.m. Back to the interstate.

4:11 p.m. Sonic in Spartanburg for a snack. Ron called to report that there is nothing going on at home. Lana texted to find out what we want for dinner. 3 votes for spaghetti. 0 votes for chicken.

4:23 p.m. Gas, $2.36 p.m.

4:45 p.m. Saw the giant peach watertower.

4:47 p.m. Lightning ahead. Will we miss it or will we drive into it before we get off the interstate and head east.

4:54 p.m. Nope. Didn't miss it. Rain hits about 1/2 mile from our exit.

5:38 p.m. Arrive at Lana and Mike's.

Spaghetti for dinner. Disney channel on TV. We finally see the episode of Sonny With A Chance (Sonny with a secret) that has been advertised for the past few weeks. As I suspected, the Mackenzie Falls co-star did it. Jealousy will get you every time!

Early to bed tonight (especially if you figure in the time change today!). I was able to watch Shrek 3 until I got tired.

Day 27

Day 27 - Saturday - July 17, 2010

0830 Get up. Kim went to tennis so the kids and I hang out at the house. She left me in charge of Cozette. She won't come inside so I leave her out a bit longer. When I go back to get her, I'm able to pick her up (without getting bitten). I put her down inside the door. At which point she walks right over to the stairs and (again, unintentionally) goes down. (Did I mention that she is 16 years old and can't see very well anymore?) She didn't fall but she went rather quickly and against her will. She tops it all off by peeing on the carpet at the bottom of the stairs. Good grief! 16 years later and this is where we're at - cleaning up messes in the house just like when she was a puppy! Being an aunt is hard work sometimes!

12:52 p.m. Leaving for Dalton's birthday party at Oak Mountain State Park. On the way over, there was a Christmas song playing on the radio. It seemed a bit odd but I figured maybe someone had called in to request it. A little later I realize I'm hearing another Christmas song. What is going on?!? Turns out it is Christmas in July and the station is playing Christmas songs all weekend long.

After the party we stop at McD's for an iced coffee. And this McD's has brownie melts! So of course we get some then devour them as soon as we get back to the house. Mmmm.... brownie melts. Good thing they don't sell these in VA - I'd be eating way too many of them!

We let Cozette out when we get back. When it's time to bring her back in again, she has gotten spider webs all over her face from wandering under the chairs. I try to wipe them off with a towel which she does not like at all! I told her she better listen to her aunt if she wants to come back inside before her mom comes home!

5:00 p.m. Folding laundry and watching NCIS. It's a School's Out Marathon. Woo hoo! I love this show! If only they would show more of the episodes I haven't already seen a bajillion times!

5:45 p.m. Kim is back with Dalton and Lacy. Now that we are all together in the same house and no one else is around, the kids are finally playing together. Because it always rains when I come to Alabama, Kim has to grill our burgers in the rain. Heehee. After dinner the boys play one of Dalton's new Wii games and the girls are playing miscellaneous girl stuff.

9:10 p.m. Attempting to get the kids settled down and in bed. The boys are reading. Bella is asleep in no time in my bed. Lacy and Felisa, however, are having a hard time quieting down to sleep together in Lacy's bed. After a few warnings, I put Felisa in my bed to let her fall asleep then move her back after both girls are sleeping.

Kim and I watched the pilot episode of Covert Affairs. It was a pretty good show. I just might have to start watching that one. USA network always has great summer shows!

Bedtime! (Aren't you proud 0f us - we made it to bed before midnight!)

Day 26

Day 26 – Friday – July 26, 2010

0800 Get up. Shower.

Breakfast this morning is a feast of pancakes, bacon, and fruit. After breakfast the kids played a couple board games then headed upstairs to play video games. I finished packing then still had time to hang out. I can’t believe we’re leaving already – it seems like we just got here!

12:25 p.m. Time to load up.

Pictures with Vacation Mouse before we go…

1:15 p.m. Stop at Sonic. Felisa has decided that she likes the grilled cheese. (This is good since she has been my toughest Sonic customer, hard to please). I decided to give the Chicken Fried Steak sandwich a try (it was not bad).

1:28 p.m. Mississippi (That didn’t take long! The states are much smaller here in the east!)

1:55 p.m. There are clouds but they lack the depth and definition of those in the west. Maybe it’s because the atmosphere is thicker here at the lower elevation? That’s my latest theory.

2:00 p.m. Remember that none of my emails went out in Memphis so Kim never got my reply. Maybe I should give her a call to let her know our status.

2:02 p.m. That Praying for You song is on the radio again. I have to change the station every time it comes on. The guy singing is mad at his ex-girlfriend and so he is praying for bad things to happen to her. I just find it disturbing.

2:04 p.m. See a VW van (just the cab) with another VW van (full van) behind it. I can’t tell if the cab is towing the full van or if they are welded together to create some sort of larger vehicle. Definitely strange.

2:05 p.m. Rain clouds ahead... dark grey and not fluffy at all!

2:08 p.m. I really need to find out if gift cards can be recycled. That is the one downside to the gift card sales program at the elementary school - it encourages people to use more virgin gift cards. (Oh - I think I found one!)

2:17 p.m. Two motorcyclists have stopped under the overpass to put on their rain gear. It is starting to sprinkle.

2:20 p.m. A flash flood warning on the radio for the areas south of Memphis. "Turn around, don't drown!"

2:35 p.m. A new song on the radio about life in the trailerhood. (Oh look - it's a Toby Keith song. I love his music.)

2:40 p.m. Tupelo, MS

2:42 p.m. Natchez Trace Parkway. It has a brown sign so it must be something noteworthy. Maybe I'll have to look it up for a future trip.

2:44 p.m. I'm thinking I should try to give up caffeine and sugar when I get back. The question is, should I do it before camp or after? Or at camp? The sugar will definitely wait until after camp. The coffee though... I'm undecided. (And yes, I know I say this every year. I usually am good for a month or more but always fall off the wagon and end up back on the sugar.)

2:52 p.m. Fawn Grove Road/Dorsey is what the sign said. At first glance, I thought it said Disney, not Dorsey, which made me wonder if this is where Bambi is from.

3:09 p.m. Things I'd like to (or expect to) see while visiting the south - plantations and a Gone With the Wind museum of some sort. Might have to research that a bit more.

3:10 p.m. Alabama

3:24 p.m. Lana called with her work schedule. She's off Sunday at 3 and off Monday and Tuesday.

3:25 p.m. Hamilton, AL. Gas, $2.59/gallon. It has stopped raining for the moment but it looks like there is more ahead.

3:46 p.m. Scufflegrit Road.

3:54 p.m. Rain.

3:56 p.m. Lightning.

3:57 p.m. The deer crossing sign has been modified. The deer now has a red nose. Maybe this is Rudolph's summer home?

4:06 p.m. What is that on the side of the road? It looks like hail or snow or possibly white rocks.

4:30 p.m. Jo took us on a detour through Jasper. I found my way back onto 78 (future I-22) and now we are off of Jo's road and driving through nothing. This must be a new highway.

4:44 p.m. The radio is playing a song with the lyrics "always on my mind". Who is singing this? I think it sounds like Willie Nelson. It was in a creepy movie... what was it? I'm drawing a blank...

4:47 p.m. That's it - Practical Magic! Not a creepy movie, but that song is used in a creepy scene.

4:49 p.m. We are back on the map. Easy Money seems to be doing well in this economy. I have seen two brand new buildings (amidst many old rundown buildings) and a long line inside one of them. Anyone need a payday loan?

5:30 p.m. We have arrived at Kim's house and call for instructions on how to "break in". Cozette is staying for the weekend so I let her outside.

5:55 p.m. Cozy is walking in circles and won't settle down. She is going to be very dizzy before Kim gets home.

5:56 p.m. Cozy is now at the bottom of the stairs. There are no witnesses but we think she probably fell. I don't think she intended to go down there!

6:00 p.m. Kim is home. I go downstairs to greet her and notice the rabbit (Nibbles). The rabbit which I walked past several times already and didn't notice at all. Oops! In my defense, rabbits are small. And quiet.

Dinner was Mexican food. The kids must have been pretty hungry because they ate almost every last bite. Then home to hang out a bit before giving up because we're too old and tired.

Good night!

Day 25

Day 25 – Thursday – July 15, 2010

Breakfast.

Hanging out at the house today… the girls are playing Polly Pocket and Ryan is trying to find something to do (Logan is away at Tennis camp). Darcy and Fritz and I are talking.

Lunch

Swim time

Merryn has swim practice.

Dinner.

Logan comes home. Everyone is super happy to see each other.

Time for movies. The girls watch one movie (Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs) while the boys watch another (Pink Panther). The grown-ups hang out, looking at my scrapbooks and talking.

And then… another day done… bedtime.

Day 24

Day 24 – Wednesday – July 14, 2010

0640 Time to get up. Shower and get dressed then head over to the office to get some coffee and bring back breakfast for the kids. Not much there to choose from – end up with a blueberry bagel and some bread and butter.

0730 Wake up the kids.

0755 Leaving the hotel. Stop to take a picture of Buddy in front of the Buddy's Ranch House Café. The camera lens is fogging up in the hot humid air.

0808 Arrive at the Diamond Mine. Current temperatures is 76 degrees but I'm not sure what the heat index is. Ryan asks why it is so hot so early in the morning. Welcome to the South!

0920 Leaving the mine. We are hot, sweaty, dirty, and defeated. All we found were some orange and red rocks. Very nice orange and red rocks mind you. But no diamonds.

My question to the kids as we left (now that we have seen a gold mine and a diamond mine)… Would you like to have lived as a prospector during the gold and silver rush times?

Felisa – No!

Bella – Blech!

Ryan – Wouldn't be too happy

1028 Arkadelphia, AR. Gas, $2.58/gallon

1031 Sonic

1048 "Pigs!" says the sign in the corner of the field… We see what appear to be horses but no pigs. Do the pigs look different in Arkansas than they do everywhere else?

1050 Stop at McD's to get some food for Felisa (she doesn't care for Sonic too much) and to use the bathroom (Sonic didn't have one).

12:25 p.m. I'm tired today. I think it takes me about 3 weeks of road tripping to get to this point – tired and more ready to go home, less interested in stopping to see things along the way.

12:32 p.m. They are out mowing along the highway today. There is a lot of trash out here!

12:35 p.m. A lot of trucks on the road today.

12:47 p.m. Louisiana Purchase State Park. Sounds interesting. Maybe on a future visit…

12:48 p.m. Jo fell off the window. It's been a week since that last happened.

1:02 p.m. Trying to count the number of cars versus the number of trucks. This is actually very difficult to do without a sheet of paper to make tick marks or another person to split up the categories. As best as I can tell, there are about 60% semi-trucks and 40% passenger cars. It seems like there are more trucks than that per car but maybe that's just because they are so big and slow.

1:48 p.m. Mississippi River and Tennessee!

2:21 p.m. Arrive at the Ruthlings' house.

The kids are all very happy to be here. They get to play together a little before Merryn goes to her piano lesson. After piano, the kids all hit the pool for a couple hours. Then dinner, cookies for dessert, and TV time. Darcy and I watched the summer season premier of Psych and the kids played Mario 4.

10:00 p.m. Bedtime. I am so tired…