It's Been a Year

Because we aren't party animals, I got time so close to the ringing of the New Year to jump on here and post a little something.

Christmas was good as always. We visited The Edge I for a week. Saw our kids believe in magic once again. Was reminded of how bright the season can be when Santa stands up in a crowd of people and says, "Who's been naughty?" ....and your son raises his hand. The Boy is honest.

I can't get into the subject of driving home. About how our normally 4.5 hour drive turned into 7 freaking hours because of congestion and idiot drivers. We were smooth, Paige and I, because she had the thingy that would play the IP*D through the van radio. Sweet. Fred wasn't so lucky travelling behind me with Mak and the twins (who are spending their normal week with us while Mama and Daddy are on a cruise). He had to listen to a few movies that he would have preferred to watch.

I won't piss and moan about the weather being so wishy washy and making me have this nasty sinus crap. You know...the "Exploding Head" deal? Yeah...don't ask me to bend over right now. My eyeballs might pop clean out of my head. I just wish it would make up its dang mind. Cold or hot. I don't care. Just pick one already!!! Dang.

I could tell you about taking the kids down to my Grandma's house to ride the 4-wheelers on Friday. The niece and nephew got mini gas powered deals that are perfect for two kids to ride on. Little Brother took his massive one and when everyone took a break from riding...Miss Hope thought she might take it for a spin. After a quick lesson from The Man, I took off for the back field. Honestly? I didn't even know that field was back there in the middle of the woods. So, there I was riding along the edge of it in previously made tracks when I get to a corner that seemed on closer inspection...a tad bit more muddy than I liked. After I did a little Tokyo Drift around it, I realized that: a. I had the only machine able to get back there. b. I had no way of letting someone know if I didn't make it through the drift. c. I needed to ease it on back to the house. Big fun.

So, here we are, back in Georgia. Glad to be home with our stuff and back in our own beds (Dear Lord. Thank you for 800tc sheets. Amen. P.S. Thank you for the 450tc mattress pad underneath those sheets, too. Amen.) Life is good as my husband is enjoying Auburn and Clemson at a bowl game. GO TIGERS! (that was for Em and Carla's benefits)

Happy New Year to you, Internets. I wish you peace, happiness, and money in 2008. Hey...I know those three things would work splendidly for Miss Hope.

Green Love

I'm sure I've told you how Vitt loves the color green. He is obsessed with all shades of the lovely green goodness.

Fred and I worked fiendishly (is that a word?) to get all pictures off of the old cell phones so I would able to preserve precious moment forever.

I came across one more from the "Cell Phone That Took Awesome Pictures" and thought I'd share it with all of you.

This is what happens when you decide to decorate a tree at your South Carolina home because you know you'll be there for the holiday and you decide on a simple ball theme and the hubby goes to the local dollar store to purchase some and Nana donates some to the cause. Your son puts his whole self into the decorating mindset.

But, only with green balls.

I wouldn't let anyone touch them when he was done. This was his vision and to mess with it would have told him it wasn't any good. And it's just perfect for me.

Oh...and here's one of Makenna. Best guess I got is that she was playing with the phone and was feeling the need to do self portraits. I worry about her sometimes.

All I know ....

All I know is that I will not ever take my son with me to finish Christmas shopping again. EVAH. By the time The Man and I headed home all exhausted, I wanted to find a place to hide the body more than I wanted to shop. You know it's bad when you drop The Boy off with his Sissy so you can make a quick final run to Wa*mar* and while standing in line to check out, you lean over and put your head on a box in the cart. Then, your husband bumps the cart and you jump because you were literally dozing. Standing up. That wasn't funny.

Miss Hope has a new phone on the way! It almost took an act of Congress to get it. I've been on the V-name carrier website for a couple of weeks window shopping at night. I narrowed it down to two choices, which The Man and I took a gander at while at Best B*y this past Saturday. I cared not which model we decided on, as I was pleased with both. Last night I settled down at the trusty old laptop to finally make a decision. I let the hubby sit down and look so he could make the final choice. After going back forth a few dozen times, he found he could put both on the same page and compare. Therefore, it required another period of time to do some serious studying. (This is where I roll my eyes and say to other sub wives..."He is such a NUKE." And get sympathy looks thrown back my way.)

We found, to our delight, that one of the phones ended up being free due to a promotion. Merry Merry Christmas to us!!

Now I anxiously await my silver EnV, while Fred awaits his EnV in green. Hey, C? Paige said I couldn't have the orange one because she thinks it's all "ninja" and wants it for herself when her upgrade becomes available. Since you have an orange one...I guess that makes you extra cool already.

One more day of school until 2008. Four more days til we head home. One week until good stuff happens!


p.s. Pardon me while I make Paige's nerves bad. Hey, Paige? You are going to have an AWESOME Christmas! heh heh heh

The Christmas Party

Last night found my husband and I going to his command Christmas party. (This is the office party for you civilians out there) I adore any reason to get all dressed up and wear my expensive makeup that makes me look decent. While I was getting dressed, Makenna told me I looked twenty five. Hmmmm.....makes you wonder if she was sincere or angling for more presents. I'm gonna go with sincere because she told me she liked my shirt because it matched my bra. Both were black.

We headed out to a local country club to enjoy the festivities. The turn out was really great and I saw a few here and there that I knew. I spoke to some and pretended not to see some that just rub me the wrong way. (I have a talent at doing that...learned at my mother's knee.)

I am a people watcher of the highest order. I was fortunate enough to sit with a fellow watcher of stupidity and we proceeded to have a ball looking at the fashion choices made for the evening.

Take for instance:

Girlfriend in the tight tube dress that only came 3 inches below your butt? No amount of tugging will make it longer and that totally means you can not do the white girl dance of waving your arms in the air. Not unless you want to give a really good show.

Captain, sir? I know this is your party and you can do what you want. I also know you drove your spiffy golf cart over because you live there and have to be cool like that. But, really? You couldn't iron that button down shirt and maybe tuck it in? You know....look put together somewhat?

To the girl in the short turquoise dress with black lace trim along the bottom? That sure is an unusual color you got going on.....but I think I saw that same dress at my prom back in 1989. I'm just saying.

To the girl who wore the beautiful formal gown. First, why didn't you ask what the dress code was? We save those dresses for Balls and such...whatever will you wear come April? And if you were going to bump convention and wear the dang thing anyways...why didn't you go ahead and get the hair fixed? I'm really curious about that.

To the guy who wore his suspenders and orange tennis shoes? Because you are a big guy and can move like nobody's business, you are totally forgiven. You were the best dancer there. You proved that some white boys can dance.

To the dorky 40-something guy. You can't dance. You will never be able to. You weren't entertaining us like you thought. We were laughing at you in a not so nice way. But, hey, you put it out there. Oh, and by the way? You're still a jerk. Beer does not make you any nicer and I don't get paid to be nice to you.

After watching the usual line dancing and other interesting dances, I turned to my husband with my hand over my eyes and declared, "There are people out there who are truly embarrassing my ethnicity."

All in all, it was a really nice party. The door prizes were really good, even though we didn't win anything. It's always fun to see if you will walk away with a good gift card or flat screen television. The food was amazing. Well, it was after we sent that raw piece of steak back for a little more cooking. I have no shame in asking for done meat. Everyone at the table minus my husband saw those steaks coming with horror in their eyes. Make that four steaks well done, please! They were worth the wait.

I scored a couple of slow dances with my handsome hubby. He wore a red dress shirt with a Christmas tie and, by golly, he looked good. We weren't able to dance at last year's party because of his knee injury, so this year we were determined to get at least one in. We requested our song (which is also my ringer for him on my cell phone) and hit the floor when the music operator complied. Another slow song followed and we circled a few more times before heading home.

Today finds us cleaning and heading out to finish shopping. We are determined to "wrap" it all up and enjoy this last week before the big day. Can you believe it's one week away?

Tomorrow is Jaime's (of the airport moving sidewalk story) birthday. Carla and I are hosting a small cook out here at the Edge in her honor. It's not everyday you turn 20. I tell everyone that Jaime is my extra daughter, but HER daughter is NOT my grandchild as I am way too young to be a grandma. I am "Auntie Hope" and like it that way.

Have a good weekend, Internets. School lets out Tuesday here, so I'm sure there will be a few more stories to share before too long.

A Few Thoughts

Just sharing a few thoughts with my nearest and dearest out there....

Don't volunteer to provide something for one child's Christmas party at school. Because next thing you know? You're fixing stuff for all three. Sunday and Monday will find me with some flour on my nose. Ha ha. Not really. The Man is cooking the cupcakes since he's the baker in the family and I'm slicing and baking some frozen cookie goodness for the rest. Hey, don't judge. I got sprinkles, people!

Realize that if you forgot a Christmas card for someone, pray they understand. I get one shot to do all the family letter printing, addressing, and actually getting in the van and driving to the post office to send them off. If you don't get one? It's nothing personal. My house is full of supervisors with no laborers. That's how it goes.

When your son hollers that he is done pooping and he needs you to come wipe his butt.....don't put it off. If you take an extra minute to finish whatever you're doing....it'll give him time to figure out he can finger paint himself and the commode with his poop. Yes. It was nasty.

Get a kick out your son loving the color green to the point of obsession. You can put a pile of rocks in a green gift bag and he will declare that he "LOVES IT!" He doesn't care what's inside. I can deal with that.

Also, a big thanks for all the input on a new cell phone. I still haven't decided what the final choice will be, but I'm looking forward to having a phone that will work for longer than three hours.

For those of you who have kids, more so boys, under the age of...oh, around 8 years old? You have GOT to go by your local Hess gas station and get this years truck. It rocks! We get three each year for my nephews and Vitt. Hess even provides the batteries when you purchase one. The other night Fred and I were up wrapping gifts and he was in charge of the trucks. I believe in making sure it works before wrapping and giving. Fred likes to take it up a notch and give each truck a good five minute play. I do have to warn you....they're loud. I almost jumped out of my skin when he found the right button to crank it up. Good times.

After midterm grades came out, Paige had to pull the fat out of the fire again. We allow a B in math since it's hard gifted stuff, but everything else has to be an A. Oh, hush...the kid is capable. So, she usually ends up with restriction until she brings them up. I am proud to say she's out of jail early with freedoms and fun returned. She is a happy baby.

Last thought before I go.........

Remember how I've talked about surprise vehicle inspections coming onto base? Yeah. My advice to those who have to enter the base gates is this: Just because you're in your pajamas and Carla is in her pajamas because you made a Secret Santa gift drop off and you had no plans on getting out of the van because Paige is dressed and she's gonna run in to get you some milk does not mean the guards will understand. They will still make you get out and stand there whilst they search for weapons or contraband. Carla was sporting her pink jammies with polka spots while I was in nappy jogging pants and a toe up shirt. I thought Paige would die of embarrassment.

Kind of made it all worthwhile.

Calling out for some help....

Miss Hope needs some help from all her Internet friends.

It is time for me to upgrade/update my cell phone. And not a minute too soon, if you ask me. She's been a good companion, but her time is about up. Her battery has lost the ability to recharge and her outside is beaten and scarred. You know how much I love my cell phone. Her picture taking abilities just can't be beat. I also believe I got a magic cell phone in that I have been able to take more pictures than I'm sure her memory can hold, yet she continues to let me snap away when needed. I shall miss her but the good memories will live on.

I am with that V-named carrier. The choices available on the website are just overwhelming once you start really looking. Let me tell you what I would like to have and if you have a phone I can get with V, then I shall look closer at that particular model.

I need the following:

• picture taking abilities. I don't like Paige's razor because it has a delay before taking the picture. Too many moments will be lost. When I press the "ok" button, I need for the picture to be taken right then.
• that said pictures will turn out decently because The Edge is where I usually display my picture taking talents and I know you don't want to see blurry messed up images. Neither do I.
• I'm digging the text message pad thingy. I text alot because of having a teenager, but now that I go to meetings, the ability to do so is a major plus when I need to tell Fred I'm bored or to pick up milk.
• music is not something I have to have. I know there are those mp3 deals or whatnot now available, but I feel that would be wasted on me. I mean, if I had it, I'd probably put some kid's tunes on to entertain the boy in tight spots, but it's not that important.
• it has to be on the affordable side. I am a Mom with a small kid who will sometimes get his hands on the device and see how far he can throw it.
• oh, and that touch screen thingy? Might could learn to live with it, but a friend has that chocolate one and it drives me crazy when I try to help her do something on it. At least, I think it's a chocolate.

I'm so excited to get a new toy to play with. I'm one of those anal people who will sit with the book and try and learn all the tricks a new gadget can do. Paige, on the other hand, will sit with the device itself for 30 minutes and have it all figured out on her own. Some people are just talented that way, I guess.

A friend has the EnV, which I played around with the other day to see how I liked the feel of it. I liked it, but am still open to suggestions from all you other cell phone users out there.

My husband, who does around 10-20 texts a month, thinks he has to have a keypad also. (rolls eyes) I think he's just afraid I'll get a cooler phone than him and he just can't let that happen since he's a certified gadget freak. He tries to tell me he enjoys us having the same phone. ~snort~ Ok, man. That's why I had to put a sticker on mine so as not to get the two confused. He's not fooling me....he just wants to be cool like me.

Thanks in advance, my friends, for helping a sister out.

p.s. For all of you who are not with the V-named carrier? No matter how fast you turn around, that guy with the glasses and his posse will not be standing there. What a rip off. So, don't worry, you're not missing out on anything.

Mr. and Miss Smooth

You've all been so good to me, I thought I'd give you two posts in one day. Please don't forget to read the next one with the Santa pictures.

Let me tell you about Mr. and Miss Smooth.

Mr. Smooth would be my son. He is just adorable and I see lots of girls calling my house in the future. When we were at the base last week standing in line for the inflatable obstacle course, he absently wrapped his arm around the thigh of the woman standing in front of us. I think he believed he was loving on some Miss Carla...but it wasn't her. The lady was a good sport and when he realized it wasn't anyone he knew, he moved away. Only to go back and rub her thigh again. Lord help me.

Miss Smooth would be the daughter of Dulcie and Brandon. Look to the right of your screen and you'll see a link to her blog "House of Hayes". Miss Smooth's name is ErinLee and she has got to be one of the cutest little girls you'll ever lay eyes on. She and Vitt attend school together and are in the same class. She is as sweet as Vitt is wild.

I talked Dulcie into bringing ErinLee to eat breakfast with Santa and was glad to see them walk in. ErinLee immediately came and sat with us and left Mom and Dad standing.

She proceeded to enjoy her breakfast with the boys while waiting on Santa to arrive.

After some of the excitement died down, I ask if she would take a picture with Vitt. She popped up in the seat with him.

Vitt then, like it was the most normal thing in the world to do, put his arm around her shoulders. Then, ErinLee, like it was the most normal thing in the world to do, put her little hand on top of his, and there it remained.

I started taking pictures. I never got one with both of them looking at the same time, but you gotta admit they're just adorable.

Vitt is sporting a black eye he got from a head on collision on the play ground at school. But, girls love that bad boy look. Even if he does have a dorky face going on.

p.s. Dulcie, I apologize if I wasn't supposed to capitalize the "L" in Miss Smooth's name. Let me know if I need to fix it!

Santa Magic

We got some Santa Magic going on around The Edge. Last Saturday, we went to eat breakfast with Santa! Well, we ate breakfast and then the kids got to visit with Santa and tell him all about their wishes. I love the fact that the military does special things for families. They sponsored this breakfast at our base exchange (sort of like a department store) and the turn out was amazing. They had 100 tickets to sell and I believe they had to be sold out.

We arrived and seated ourselves with the U gang (that would be Carla, John and kids). Excitement was in the air as little kids waited on the Big Guy to make an appearance. How smart they were to serve breakfast first and try to get pancakes in little stomachs. Then he showed up.

After settling himself into the big red chair (no relation to the blue dog on t.v.), the line formed. Our kids got in line immediately. It was so cute to watch some of them earnestly tell Santa what they desired to have.

Vitt has finally realized there might be something to this bearded guy. He now has no fear of him and will gladly approach to speak. When you ask what he wants, he will promptly tell you that he wants a sleeping bag and "that's it!". How easy is that?

Makenna, on the other hand, is proving to be a little difficult. When asked what she desires, all we get is, "Oh, all I want is artsy crafty stuff. Santa will know." Well, I hate to tell her, but Santa is NOT a mind reader. I just hope he comes through with some cool stuff and that it will make a decent mess for her.

Then you have Paige. I honestly think she believes most of all. My baby girl has always adored Christmas to the fullest extent. I believe she got that from her Papa and Uncle Brian. My Daddy and brother live for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day all year long. I get the biggest kick out of watching them every year. Paige has no shame in giving her list out. It's long and expensive. Would you expect any less from a teenager? There are IP*D docking stations, flat irons, digital camera, etc etc. See what I mean? All Paige is being told is that she is going to have an awesome Christmas. She's to the point that she tells us to HUSH because to her it's still so far away and her nerves can't take the excitement anymore. Of course, we continue to torture her on a daily basis because we have an "in" with the Big Guy and have a good idea what's coming her way. She is the best sport and partakes in anything. Plus, she wanted a pic to put on that space thingy of hers for all her peeps to see. Whatever, girl. I'm just glad you played along.

I took the picture of Paige and walked up to Santa to thank him for his time. He took a shine to Miss Thang and told me he had her list and it looked good to him. I said....but, it's an expensive one! He said it wasn't a problem. I'm glad HE'S got a good wallet.

We had a wonderful day full of good stuff. We went later that day to the tree lighting ceremony on base. They had all kinds of jumping inflatable thingys the kids all took a turn on. There was free hot chocolate and cookies. Every time I turned around, Makenna was jacking another cookie and cup of chocolate goodness. Thanks, Navy, for giving our family an awesome day we'll always remember!

Tell Me....

Tell me something, if you can.

Why on earth would glue stick makers make colored glue? It's all pink or purple or blue. Cool in some small mind somewhere.

Yeah.

Cool enough for a three year old who has a love for chapstick.

Don't even guess again. You got it right the first time.

How Old am I?

I do believe I can officially call myself an older woman. I can't say I'm all too happy about it, but you get the idea when you stop getting carded for anything. That's okay, I'll take the high road and call myself "seasoned with life experience", thank you very much.

I received a call a few weeks ago from a friend back home. Michelle ( I have a few friends with this popular name) called to tell me that her daughter had just been proposed to. Then she cried. Then I got choked up. Because this baby girl was, well, still a baby in my eyes. We reminisced about how I was there at the house when she brought her home from the hospital and I literally held that baby all afternoon. I was fifteen at the time and Michelle was the wife of my friend's brother. She was a young mother, but very much in love with her husband and new baby. We used to sit and play cards for hours while she waited for the birth of this baby.

Stacey is the name of this sweet baby that I held so close that chilly January day in 1986. Now the poot head is 21 years old and making me feel on the old side. I saw this sweet young lady grow from a baby to a toddler with the curliest hair and enormous big brown eyes. I've seen her struggle through being a teenager and trying to find her way in this world. She's always always always had the most beautiful smile. Even when she did her time with braces. The first time she stood up in church to sing, I just wanted to bawl because she was so brave and I felt like saying "That's my girl up there!" Sure, Michelle and Davie (Dad) can take full credit for creating and raising a woman who is beautiful inside and out. But, I changed a diaper or two and have always had a soft spot in my heart for Stacey.

Now, we gotta share her with Jay. I don't know about all of this. I've gotten nothing but good reviews about this fellow, but I might need to spend some quality time with the young man before I let go. He's only met me recently and I probably didn't make the greatest first impression when I informed him that Fred has connections with Navy Seals and, you know.......

Regardless, I gotta hand it to the guy. He did the beach proposal and is building my girl a house. He is adorable and the potential for beautiful babies for me and Michelle to spoil is a plus, too. He treats our girl so good and I appreciate that more than he knows. All I ask is that he keeps up the good work or there'll be Navy Seals involved. I'm just saying.

This is one wedding next August I will do everything in my power to attend. I want to be near the front with a good seat. I want to remember tissues as I know I will cry. I want to see Davie give Stacey away and know she will be taken care of.

It is with great pleasure and happiness that I announce the engagement of Stacey and Jay for all the Internets to see. This is my girl and I love her. I look forward to loving that Jay, too!

This is engagement night. Trust me, the ring is gorgeous!

This is at the USC game. Bite your tongue, it's UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. We are in no way related to that other team who try to use our letters on a regular basis.

CONGRATULATIONS, STACEY AND JAY!

What to Do

When pulling up to the gate of a military installation, make sure you move nice and slow. Because if you leave your I.D. in your wallet and start to scramble to get it out of your purse? It makes the guards nervous.


And if you haven't had a chance to clean out the vehicle after a road trip, you definitely don't want a surprise vehicle inspection. It could be embarrassing.

What Not to Do

Do not write the family Christmas letter you put in your cards when you are pms'ing. It's just not a good idea. Wait it out a few days. Your outlook is bound to improve.

Hush Already!

I hear ya out there jacking my jaws about not posting anything. I did warn you I would be back at the original Edge last week. I tried, Internets. I truly did. I tried one time to get on that dial-up-hand-crank-holler-at-Mabel-to-open-a-line computer and I had to give up. Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely dissing dial-up internet service. It's how I started out (and I might just finish-ya never know). When I first started the Edge, I would sit late at night waiting for a good connection so I could tell you all about my life. I'd wait til late at night because if someone called, then I would get knocked offline and have to start all over again. You all have heard of the road rage incidents? Internet rage beats that hands down.

We did enjoy our holiday. A lot of work was done at Edge #1 and I am so glad we took the extra days to get that taken care of. It's not finished by a long shot but a vast improvement has been made. We were even able to get a Christmas tree up and decorated before we headed back to Edge #2. All is well and waiting for us to enjoy Christmas.

It was a busy week overall. I saw so many people I haven't seen much of since we moved last year. It was like we haven't been gone, ease of friendships fell right back into place. We had some excitement in that Makenna decided to play hide and seek with Vitt while we were working and hid in her bedroom closet. The door knob is missing on the inside and she was stuck in there for about 15 minutes before Fred found her. I'm thinking the child might need therapy now. The girls also declined their father's invitation to spend the holiday with him. They've gone to his house for turkey day since the divorce and they just had in their heads they didn't want to go this year. It got ugly early Thanksgiving morning, but they ended up with us. Also, the leaves were falling with each puff of wind that blew. All Thanksgiving afternoon, Paige would rake up a pile of leaves and the younger ones would have a ball playing in them. My Daddy said he was going to invest in a leaf pit instead of a sand pit. I also got to see a couple of cousins that I don't see on a regular basis. It's kind of weird now. I remember them being older and worldly when I was young (I can hear them laughing over that statement now). We had a wonderful time connecting on a grown up level and I'm so glad they came.

We took a day trip to Myrtle Beach to do some shopping Wednesday. I had to text my friend Mellie in Hawaii to let her know where I was. She called me back and told me I needed to repent because it was just wrong of me to rub it in. We took a side trip down to the water for an hour. The girls ( Paige, Makenna, and Trinity were with us) took off their shoes, rolled up their pants and promptly got wet. That's what it's all about.

Friday morning found us up and gone around 3 a.m. Des, Fred, and myself headed to Flo-town to see what we could get into. We met up with Lu, Tripp(my cousin), and Jeff (Lu's son) and did some shopping. Fred and I weren't in sync, so we didn't get our game plan in motion. There was one thing in particular I wanted, but it eluded us. That caused some disappointment because I'm competitive, so the letdown threw me off of my game. We weren't as successful as last year, but we did get some stuff accomplished.

One more thing. We've started a tradition of stopping at a Steak & Shake on our way to South Carolina for Thanksgiving break. I whipped out the camera phone as I am prone to do and took a few to remember the occasion. I had to, Vitt decided he was going to be a male model and I HAD to record it.

Of course, I'm going to leave you with a couple of photos from our holiday. I'm shopping around for a new camera phone that takes good pictures like the one I have now. If you have any suggestions, let me know!

p.s. uh....Stacey? I'm still waiting on that picture, girlfriend.

Introducing the new male model for Steak & Shake!

Note the leg up on the ledge as he poses. (We believe in comfort when travelling) (I wore pajama pants for the drive home Saturday.)

Every little girl needs a Dad/Uncle to carry them through the loose sand so their feet don't get nasty.

Give Ya Thanks

My year has flown by. I have no idea where it has gone. Each day that passes, I get more comfortable in this life I now live. It has it's ups and downs dealing with the military on a daily basis, but I have found that old dogs like me CAN adjust and make the best of a situation.

Last week found The Boy with a case of strep throat. I took him to be seen because he had a cold and quite a few very bad nose bleeds. I was more concerned over the nose bleeds than anything. Apparently, he has vessels close to the surface of his nasal passages and if it gets worse, then they can do some sort of laser surgery to hopefully rectify the situation. Back when I was growing up, it was called cauterizing. I think laser sounds so much better and modern. So, he missed the whole week of school. It was not a walk in the park for Mama to cooped up in the house with this active boy. I was so happy to have the initial 48 hours up so I could take him out in the fresh air.

Fred, Vitt, and I went to Mak's school Friday to see her class do a small Thanksgiving play. It was only about twenty minutes long, but very cute. They rehearsed for a couple of weeks before hand and I want to share with you a little bit about Makenna's thought process.

She was a Pilgrim in the play. (The teacher shared with us) She asked the teacher if the Pilgrims had accents. Well, the teacher was at a loss. She didn't know if they did or not. Makenna's reply was that they were from England, so shouldn't they have English accents? The teacher replied that she had never thought about it, but she would have to say that they most likely did. What did Makenna do? She read her part in an English accent. She was the only child able to do so because the other Pilgrims couldn't read and focus on doing an accent. I had to laugh. The teacher said she's done this particular play for 15 years and not once had she had a child who thought of this and went so far as to do the English accent. I guess the other parent's must've thought she was a foreign exchange student or something after she finished reading.

I thought about doing a post about all that I was thankful for. I might even still do it, but time is not on my side today. We are heading to the original Edge in S.C. for the holiday week. Our kids have the whole week off from school due to it being mostly military and that's when most of us are able to travel. Fred's taken a whole week of leave so he can enjoy not dealing with ignorant butts who haven't learned they don't need to drink and drive. We have intentions of doing some major straightening and cleaning at our home there because it's just driving me nuts. All our visits have been rushed, packed to the brim with things and places we have to go. Therefore, basic maintenance has been neglected. It's my ambition to rectify that.

I could promise that I will post if something happens that I need to share with my Internets....but I won't do that. My mother is unfortunate in that she has dial up internet connection. Not her fault, it's the luck of the draw and she got the wrong end on where the line ends for Internet connection goodness. But, I do know that I will go through withdrawals and my need for outside contact may give me the patience to fight a slow connection. We shall see.

We are getting our game plan together for Friday. You know....the bestest shopping day of the entire year? I think I'm looking more forward to that than Thanksgiving itself. Nothing better than getting up early, sipping on coffee while driving in the dark, freezing your butt off, fighting a mad rush, and having a long leisurely breakfast when all is said and done with your family and friends. That defines good living to me.

Take care, Internets. Have a wonderful week if you can. Travel safely where ever thou goest. Enjoy good food until you are stupidly full (have packed elastic waist knit pants for this!). Look twice at those around you and be grateful to have another moment with them in this life.

I'm off to have a wonderfully busy week!

Random Messages....

In this day and age of technology, there are bound to be times when user malfunctions combined with said technology can make for some fun times.

We've all read stories on the Net and in magazines where someone has left voice mail messages on the wrong phone or sent a text with someone in particular in mind, but it ended up on the wrong phone. Lives have been changed when things like this happen, I'm sure. Jobs have been lost over texts, voice mails, and emails.

On November 6 of this year at 5:51 p.m., I received a text on my phone from a number I did not recognize. And that's okay, but the message caused me to pause a minute before bursting out into laughter.

I did not even recognize the area code. The area code on my phone is from South Carolina. I've kept that number so that family and friends would have a local number to keep in contact with me. A mental note was made to look up the area code and see from whence this message came.

This morning I remembered this mental note and decided to look it up. Then I just KNEW I had to share with my Internets my findings.

Are you ready for this?

My random text came from area code 905. Apparently, that's not even in the United States. My research shows the following:


905
ON
-5
Canada: S Cent. Ontario: Greater Toronto Area -- Durham, Halton, Hamilton-Wentworth, Niagara, Peel, York, and southern Simcoe County (excluding Toronto -- see overlay 289 [eff 6/9/01], splits 416, 647)

Are you serious? Canada?? I know I got friends up Canada way, but I can't seem to recall giving any of them my cell phone number. I'm just stumped.

Now I feel bad. Because, you see, I responded to this random text in random style. Paige was so tickled at my response. She couldn't believe I even had the nerve to do so.

To whoever texted me from Canada? Dude, I'm sorry. I lied to you. But, I promise it was in fun. I hope you didn't wait too long....


Text from 905-xxx-xxxx:

We need u at the barn.

Reply from 843-xxx-xxxx:

I'm on my way.

Remember still.....

I want to share a little something with you. Our active duty military has been busy these past few years. While some are out there protesting our president and this war we're involved in....others have heard it so much they tend to become immune and no longer hear any details about what's going on or who is involved. That's understandable given how much our media has saturated our airwaves with it all.

The Navy is a little different in that they deploy for 6-9 months or go on patrols from 2-4 months. It is a cycle that is broken by ships and boats that come in for repairs or get put off course by things they need to check on out there in the ocean. Surface ships are luckier in that technology has given the aboard sailor the ability to send and receive emails and mail on a more regular basis. Submarines are better than ten years ago in that every once in a while they, too, can send and receive emails. I'm a little more familiar with the submarines and know that there are "black out" periods of time where there is no communication whatsoever. Even the Red Cross has a hard time getting through when things are tough.

Any way you put it, the sailors/submariners are gone for periods of time. And they are missed. Missed by wives, family, friends, and especially the kids. They are needed at home to get the oil changed in the car, or to help soothe the fevered brow of a sick baby. They miss so much serving our country and keeping our water boundaries safe. It is a way of life where I live.

Then there's today. A normal average Friday. Kids are gone to school and some husbands are playing golf. You go to run an errand with a friend and on the way back, you see something that just makes your heart smile. It may not be you experiencing the joy and excitement of seeing a face you've missed for so long, but you sure know how it feels. It's something, once felt, you never forget. For me, it never gets old. Every time I see this....I want to cry. Happy tears, mind you.

Please remember our men and women working for our safety this Holiday Season, would you? Not just those across the sea...but those who work day in and day out to secure our borders from those who wish us harm. Because while we may sit down to family dinners, open gifts, and enjoy the company of those we love? There are those who will be freezing out in the middle of nowhere watching a non-moving horizon. There will be those who will make sure your day is as safe as can be while missing their own families.

I'd like to say "Thank You" to the neighbor whose name I do not know. I know not if you are a Sailor, a Submariner or Marine, but I sure am glad you're doing your job.

Special thanks to Carla for tolerating me making her stop to take a picture of something we've seen so many times......

Needs and Things

Miss Hope got her van back today. I am relieved to say that it wasn't a major thing like a whole engine replacement. Apparently, the van is a 6 cylinder running machine. One of said cylinders had a messed up coil so it wasn't firing correctly. Are you kidding me? That one tore up cylinder made everyone who rode in or heard this van think that the engine was going to literally fall out on the road or blow up. We were already shopping around for another vehicle because I'm not about having engines blow up or fall out. I got an issue with the whole thing, though. Six cylinders. I mean, come on here. If there's six, wouldn't it stand to reason that if one kicks out...the other five left can keep up the work? You buy a dozen eggs and normally don't use all twelve at once. Right? Just goes to show that man-made things aren't reliable after all. So, the oil is changed, I assumed tires rotated, two recalls fixed, and all SIX cylinders are working in harmony. I feel much safer thinking about driving four hours one way this weekend.

I need to find another day in the week somewhere. Preferably a day that is half weekday and half weekend. Why? Because that way everyone can go to school and work while Mama does her thing. I'm not such an ogre that I don't want the rest of the family to have something to enjoy, so make the latter half a weekend day. I think that sounds perfectly fair.

I also need to have a talk with clothes designers. They seem to think all women are at least 5'10" tall that wear pants. I am 5'6" and consider myself a woman of average height. I come from a family of shorties. Pretty much all the women are shorter than I am and have to buy petites. I am not petite in stature. Yet, all my pants seem to be 2-4 inches too long (forgive me for not converting to that metric system, my Canadian friends!) Designer Dudes? I am not buying a gazillion pair of chunky heels just to wear pants. That's just not right. Not when those cute ballerina flats are in style. And I love me some ballerina flats. They take me back to high school where we wore them with youthful abandon. I just wish I had hung on to them. My instincts told me those rockin' 80's styles would come back around. They were too cool not to. Anyway, I'm having issues with lengths of pants and thought I would use my personal forum to vent about them.

Now it's time to wake up the little sleeping bear who never takes a nap but decided to today because it's the one day of the week Mama has to go pick up the older kids from school because Dad has a stupid dipwad coming in that doesn't know how to hold his alcohol and walk in public.

And so it begins.....

And so begins another holiday season. I'm enjoying it already because thus far I haven't been stressed over the gift buying. I'm finding what I need as I go. I admit to finding some pineapple themed stuff at Cracker Barrel for 50% off that just thrilled me to pieces and I HAD to just get it because the deal was too good to pass up. Miss Hope loves collecting pineapple stuff.

We're also officially seeing a light at the end of the military life tunnel. My husband had his 18 year anniversary on November 1. I'm sad I haven't been with him for the whole ride, but maybe that's for the best. I have too many issues with authority to live this way for a long period of time. I am very proud of that man of mine for sticking with it and doing his best to make sure we got some extra medical insurance for our golden years. I know official retirement is two years away, but I've been warned to go ahead and start planning the ceremony. Good thing I know people that can help or he would be stuck with a handshake and a "See ya!" Nah, he knows I'll look out for him when the times comes.

I thought we were going to have to hurt us a teenager this past weekend when she went to a corn maze for a big birthday party. She was three hours late getting home and the farm was so far out, there was no cell phone reception. Fred and I were beyond anxious wondering where she was. I fear our ability to make it through ages 14-18. It ended well with a parent apologizing (they had a flat tire). Let's just say Paige understands now that if she ends up somewhere there's no reception? She's got no business being there and she better find a way to contact us to come get her. My nightmarish visions that I had do NOT need to ever re-visit me again. ~shudder~

Our weather has been cooler which makes me very suspicious. I refuse to pack up the summer clothes because I can recall in vivid detail how warm it was last Christmas vacation here with kids playing outside in shorts and flip flops. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the heck out of it....but I still look around all squinty eyed, waiting for the heat wave to come out of nowhere and blast us good. Hey now, I'm all for wearing long pants and slacking off on shaving the legs. What person in their right mind wouldn't be???

I'm getting ready to launch myself into another busy week. It's different this time, because I firmly stand on the thought that it will be a productive one. I am taking my van to the dealership tomorrow to have the oil changed and see why that durn check engine light is shining so brightly. I am so ready for a new reliable vehicle that seats a lot of people in semi-comfort. How about send some good engine vibes my way. Mama can't afford to do some of that high cost maintenance that only seems to come around during the holiday season.

The laptop has been my friend today. As a result, I don't have access to my Halloween pictures. I'll try to get one out to you before week's end. I had the cutest Spider Boy in the South.

Happy Halloween!

Well, it's that time of year again. I love me some Halloween. Not because of all evil spirits and stuff like that. Do you know what tomorrow is? That's right! November first!! And Miss Hope especially loves the upcoming season. All the decorations and rot like that. It makes me do a little wiggle in my chair just thinking about it.

Last night the SeaBees put on a haunted house for all to enjoy here on base. For those who don't know what the SeaBees are...they are by my defination the Construction Crew of the Navy. And they rock. Due to the nature of their professions, they have access to some seriously fun toys that can be utilized in a haunted house. We went early because they had things toned down for the little people. My son went through with no fear, staying up to four feet in front of us. His only hesitation was walking the path through the woods to get back to the paved path. A guy was sitting there with a mask on. Upon spotting him, Vitt stopped and held up both hands. The guy asked for a high five and Vitt thought it might not be a wise thing to do. A couple more guys came out of the woods to speak in a non-scary way. I told Vitt they were just guys. Masked Man took his mask off and grinned. Vitt then held both palms up, grinned, and said, "You just a guy." High fives were exchanged then.

The Edge wishes everyone out there a fun and safe time tonight if you do that kind of thing. We're dishing out Airhead candies. What's your candy of choice this evening?

Oh, and this is Roscoe, my first carved pumpkin. The smaller one in front is courtesy of Vitt. A cute project from school. I'm glad I took a picture last week. Roscoe has barely made it this far and I've kept him in the house! This is my effort to be all creative and artsy. I can see my mother cringing now.....

Twitches

I am out to do a study of human behavior. I know it's been a long time since my college days, but I'm sure my psych classes will come back to me when I get in the right frame of mind.

You see, Internets, I want to do a study of parents. A particular group of parents. Those who are raising teenagers. At the moment, I'm leaning towards those who are raising female teenagers. Of course, this is because Fred and I have the distinct joy of raising one at the present time.

Independence. During the teenage phase of life, I believe we all crave it with our very next breath. It is something we can almost taste, touch, even smell. Yet, we are contained by the parental units. These so called parental units seem to make it their full time job to hold us back. To repress us. This is, of course, my own personal take on the subject. I remember all too clearly feeling this when bumping my bruised butt through the teenage years. I remember in my Junior year (11th grade) looking up the word nonconformist. Oh man, was that not the coolest word ever? I wanted to be a nonconformist. I wanted to be my own person, not adhering to the rules society thrust upon us.

See? I was a loon in my own right. And Paige doesn't think I can relate.

How my parents survived me, then my brother five years later, I'll never know. I know now my mother has health issues. High blood pressure and bad nerves to name a couple. I'm wondering if maybe she got those gems of life from raising me. Because I can totally understand if she did.

Already I've been told I have borderline high blood pressure. Cutting out the salt has brought it down to safety levels once again. Okay, that's taken care of. Now that I have a two parent home where I don't have to fear the hubby going out to sea, I was absolutely sure the nerves would settle down and be just fine.

Then, she goes and misses the bus.

(insert loud sigh right about here)

A minor infraction, you're thinking? Well, it would be except every single morning I holler out the time to the child every few minutes. I tell her to get a move on and get her butt out to the bus. She screams back that she's not stupid, she can tell time, and "OMG, MAMA! WILL YOU JUST BACK OFF?!?!" This morning I decided to try a different approach. I needed to take a shower and get dressed before dressing The Boy for his trip to school. (I love school) She headed out the door and I didn't even check the time. I continued to dry my hair and next thing I know....she's back inside. Yeah, she missed the bus.

(insert another loud sigh right about here)

What is it going to take? Of course, it's not her fault. The bus came two minutes early. How stupid is that? How dare the bus driver deviate from Paige's tight schedule and cause such a disruption?

I called Big Daddy, who was already at work serving our country. I then decided that maybe it would be better to call that Carla Girl to see if she could help a sister out. She was kind and gracious enough to do so. The immediate problem was solved.

After she left, though, I found myself with almost a nervous twitch located in the head area. I know it's from the stress caused by a young woman with high anxiety and me with no nerve pills.

If you see me out and about, and you are fortunate (?) enough to be raising a teenage daughter? Don't mind me. I'm studying your behaviour to see if I'm the only parent going crazy, or if it is time to form some type of support group. That is all.

Notes to Self

Dear Self,



- Do NOT go to any more function thingys on base anymore. Because if you do? You'll get roped in to volunteering for something else. You are working with three different things now. That's enough. No more.



- Stop arguing with the thirteen year old about eyeliner. She's only practising to be a lawyer and your final word IS law. She'll realize it sooner or later. You really don't care if she thinks it's fair or not. She's not wearing it now and a thousand buckets of tears is not going to change that.



- Please don't make faces when the eight year old proclaims that she is almost a woman because she is wearing deodorant. And please refrain from passing out when she announces she has "armpit hair". Yes, she believes that, but the rest of us know that after inspecting, she's feeling blind.



- Make sure, Self, that when you are PMS'ing, you get all the month's built up frustrations out in that one day. It seems the family is able to immune itself to one day's worth of lunatic rantings and ravings. Use it to your advantage.



- Don't put off blogging all the cute or funny things being said around the Edge. You are old now and can not rely on the memory to be as sharp as it once was.



- Also remember to make the computer "broken" when oldest has weird symptoms. You will find your go*gle search history will be filled with many symptoms that will make you want to rush her to the E.R. straight into emergency surgery. Hope and pray that she will use her go*gle knowledge to become a doctor and make loads of money so that she can take care of her Mama in her old age.



-Tolerate the World Series with a smile. It is only once a year and the man DOES let you enjoy your most important shows before turning it there to settle in and watch. (I bout crapped when I saw that man using the chain saw on his foot on Grey's last night. I literally covered my eyes!)



- Listen to the man throw out stats on teams like an encyclopedia. It gives him pleasure. He knows deep down you don't give a flip. But, he likes reciting them. Let him, it won't hurt you.



- Admit to the Internets that when you went to the craft thingy yesterday on base, you carved your very first pumpkin. And did a right nice job of it. Don't admit to the Internets that you upset a few new wives with the fact that leaving the pumpkin outdoors all carved up might not be a good idea as we live in the South and the overly warm weather will rot it within days. Let them live in a dream and have pumpkin mush on their front steps next weekend. Some don't believe it until they experience it anyways.



Now, Self, go drink a few more cups of coffee. You got a long day ahead of you. There's the Fall Festival at Mak's school tonight. You then get to rush home so you can rush on over to your meeting where there will be no hubbies, no kids, and lots of good foods. Now THAT's what I'm talking about.

Busy Weekends Tend to Happen

Pardon the silence from the Edge the past few days. Fred's Dad came for a weekend visit and we've been busy since he got here around midnight Thursday night.

It had been exactly three years since we had seen Mr. C., and we were all excited about his arrival. Friday morning my son saw his "Poppies" for the first time in his memory. It wasn't love at first sight for my baby. Sure, he talked to Mr. C. on the phone all the time, but the real deal was sitting at his dining room table before he was even awake. The girls were a different story. Mak has always loved her Poppies and she's not afraid to let it be known. Paige gives her love a little more freely with her Pops, too. We sent the girls on to school and the boys went to bond over a round of golf. They came home mid-afternoon with my husband the day's champion.

We met that Carla and family out Friday evening to get some eating goodness. John was blown away when Mr. C. mentioned that his nephew was being scouted by Auburn. John is a HUGE Auburn fan and remembered seeing the name on the website as a potential. Cody (who is going to be our claim to the NFL one day) is being scouted by Vanderbilt, Harvard, Princeton.....and probably a few other names I can't remember right now. More on him at a later date.

Saturday found us heading to Saint Simon's Island to look around and eat some she-crab soup. The weather was beyond perfect and I took advantage by taking a lot of pictures. We hung out there for a long time before trekking back home to eat at Carla and John's. See, our lives on Saturday consist of this question: Which house will we be at? Hope and Fred's? Or Carla and John's? Our kids look forward to it and so do the adults. It's just our thing to do. Supper was amazing, as usual. Carla always comes through with her amazing cooking.

We relaxed for a while yesterday before Mr. C headed back home. Vitt showed off his bike riding skills and was tickled when Poppies borrowed Paige's bike. They raced around and laughed while I snapped pictures. Mr. C. said it had been around 15 years since he had last rode. Looked like he hasn't forgotten how to me.

Time came to head to the airport too quickly. Paige and I stayed behind while the younger ones tagged along. As Vitt watched Mr. C. through the plastic partition walk away, he told his Dad, "Awe. I miss Poppies."

I'm glad Fred got to see his Dad and spend some really good quality time with him. We had a good time and really enjoyed a weekend that went by entirely too fast. Hopefully, we'll see him sooner than three years!

P.S. I'm kinda braggy about the fact that I have a three year old who has been riding his bike without training wheels for a few months now. It blows me away when I see him whiz by on that tiny bike. He's not too good on stopping, but my neighbor has taught him how to "tuck and roll". He's a professional at that now.

Military Moment

Please pardon The Edge for a moment while we interrupt our regular programming to bring you a military moment.

I am pleased to announce that after months of nail biting and high anxiety and lots of instant message conversations (with a few phone calls thrown in) ...........


*drum roll, please*

The Domestic Diva and her divalicious family got orders to JAWJA! That means her handsome hubby will stationed on a boat out of my very own backyard!

Can I just say I'm excited beyond belief that I will get to spend time with this great family and see Sir Noah grow even cuter. (This might upset Mellie in Hawaii since she has always claimed dibs on him. You gotta share now, Mellie!)

I have already warned Em that she must allot herself at least ten pounds (or work out like crazy) since Carla cooks like a dream and is gracious enough to make a home made cheese cake at least once a month (give or take) that is guaranteed to knock your socks off. No lie. Her desserts give a person enough personal gratification (if you know what I mean), it ought to be illegal.

That being said, it may be a few months before Em and family get here, but we have so much to look forward to!

I can't wait.

Give Me a Spoon, Would Ya?

If you are blessed enough to have kids in your life, there are times when you would like to choke 'em....or beat 'em....or something like that. If you say you don't, then don't go telling people who do have kids because they will laugh in your face and call you a liar. ~shrugs~ I'm just saying.

But, there are moments when your child does something that just makes you want to hug 'em....kiss 'em...hold 'em close forever. You feel like you could literally eat them up.

My son wears me out more than he does anything. He's so busy and into every blessed thing he can find.

Today I needed a break and I let him take a bubble bath. Guaranteed to let me dry my hair and get one or two things done within a 10 ft. radius of the bathroom.

I heard him talking to himself and decided to listen in.

"Ho. Ho. Ho. I is Sant-ee Clause"

I peeked around the shower curtain to find this.

Give me a spoon, would ya?

To Adapt or Not to Adapt

My husband was in the military for 12 years when we first met. It was the pivotal point when an active duty member decides on making a career of the military, or getting out while the gettin' is good. We actually made the decision together as time progressed and we figured out we were gonna be together for the long haul. He wanted to do it and I supported his decision. Having a health plan for life seemed like a mighty fine idea at the time (and it still is!).

We've done a lot of talking about where he's been and the things he's seen. The things he has seen falls under places he's been....not any of that classified stuff. One thing he's always said is that no matter where you go, you need to adapt to the place where you are put. You are visiting, for the most part, on a long term basis (2-4 years). It's up to you to adapt to the part of the country you are in or the foreign place you've been assigned. I think this is good advice.

SO WHY DOESN'T EVERYONE ELSE DO THIS??

When he was stationed in Charleston, we would run into his students out in town. He would introduce me and they would have a small conversation. It almost never failed that whoever he was talking to would make the comment that they were ready to leave South Carolina. They hated South Carolina. South Carolina sucked.

Have you any idea how much that pissed me off? It took everything I had to NOT to tell these brats to go right then, pack their crap up and head on out. We don't want their yankee butts stinking up our beautiful state.

I would always smile sweetly and inform them in a "Scarlet O' Hara" sugared voice that I was born and raised in South Carolina and simply had no problem with it whatsoevah. Why, I just couldn't understand why on earth they would want to head up Nawth where people are just so rude and drive like loons. Anyone who knows me personally can vouch for the fact that when I get a pronounced accent going on...I'm usually pissed. It's not hard to tell. But, to the unknown, they get all confused looking at me trying to figure out why I'm smiling with my mouth and not my eyes. Then they get nervous a little bit. (This is my gift and I've honed it to perfection over the years.)

Now, this does not mean that I endorse the putting down of other parts of my great country. I know there are stereotypes and people have preconceived notions before they even arrive in a place. My point I was trying to make was this: It works both ways. If you put down my part of the country, I'm going to dig down a bit and find the stupidest thing to say about yours just so you realize how wrong you were to even open your mouth.

The wife of one of Fred's friends back in Charleston was the bane of my very existence. That girl drove me nuts. Her name was Kelly and I always referred to her as The Lovely Miss Kelly. Oh yeah, I was being very facetious because, 1. she wasn't lovely and 2. she thought very highly of herself. She proclaimed all the time how she hated the South. She needed skyscrapers! She needed hustle and bustle! And she simply HATED the word "ya'll". Her skin crawled every time she heard it. She was from Indiana. I finally looked at Fred one day and said..."Do not evah ask me to put my feet under her supper table. I will not do it. And does she not realize that had it not been for this town, that she hates, being one of the first cities in these United States, therefore establishing the start of this country that she lives in and her husband works for, then freaking Indiana would NOT be here today???"

*Clears throat and forces self to calm down*

I have been stewing for a couple of days over some of this. I called our base clinic the other day to make Makenna an appointment as she needed an immediate one due to her eye being irritated. We have all established that I am Southern by birth and the grace of the Lord above. I chose not to accompany my husband when he was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia because I was unsure of my abilities to adapt to a Northern like atmosphere. See? I knew I had limitations.

I was speaking with a nurse who was Lt. Somebody. She was okay. Not overly friendly, but I am used to that somewhat here as our base is a mixture of all races, places, and faces. She asked me something and I replied and somewhere in my reply I called her "honey". I don't even think about it. I AM SOUTHERN. We do stuff like that. It is not intended to degrade or insult. I do not approve of the word "babe". But Sugar? Honey? Sweetie? These words are staples of our language here.

She immediately said to me..."My name is not Honey. It is Lt. Somebody." And she kept right on going with whatever she was saying.

Oh, really. Is that right?

I promise on all that is Holy that if I hadn't needed to get my child in to see that doctor? I would have let loose on her.

So, I allowed the Inner Scarlet to emerge. I was cold, impersonal, and overly polite. With a pronounced Southern accent.

Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with Lt. Somebody having a problem with being called nice names. I really don't. But, realize where you are, Sugar. Realize that you are in These Southern United States. Realize that when you talk to someone on the phone and they have the Southern accent, that they have been raised differently from you. They are taught to say yes ma'am and might be inclined to call you a sweet name without thinking twice about it. They will talk to you as if they have known you for forevah. Realize they mean no harm or insult whatsoever. Go with the flow and ignore those things that irritate you because you understand that you are in a different land from your own.

It's like the fact that I do not expect sweet tea after I get past North Carolina. I know things are not as I am used to when venturing out of the Circle. And I've ventured out a few times. Why, I've even been as far as Chicago. Okay, I didn't leave O' Hare airport during the six hour layover, but I was there!!

I just had to put a thought or two out there because I'm sick and tired of stewing over it.

I guess I got some adapting to do my own self.