It's official!!!

He proposed Christmas morning.
She said yes! Well, she said Shut Up first, then she said yes.
Of course, everyone has already gotten the pictures of the ring closeup. Let me know if you haven't and I will email them to you. I was quite impressed with my son's taste in rings. But then, she had been schooling him carefully for over a year.
And she has sworn off horizontal stripes.

Snow in North Oklahoma

At this point I was stoked. Love snow! It was later after dark that we did the do-see-do on the highway in Tulsa.
Another post will follow soon.

Holiday Spirit

Everyone should go to this site and sign the petition:
keepsantafat.com
Tell your friends. The company sponsoring it is going to donate a pound of food for every signature. And no, this is not a "Snopes-teria".

Over the River and....oops!

So we are up in Okieland and having a wonderful time. Future DIL and I having a blast with the pre Christmas sales. Ripping of presents ensues in the morning, but got to tell you how we got here. Or, almost didn't get here.
First leg of the journey the dog and I made to Granbury. Hubs figured he wasn't getting lucky that night because I busted the most brilliant move of slamming the top of my head into an Ibeam. He convinced me to go to the ER, but checked out without treatment when the nurse triaging me said it looked like the skin was coming together real well and they would probably only put a couple of staples in. They were busy as all get out there so I didn't relish sitting in the waiting room for hours. No concussion and it scabbed over quickly....about a 2 inch gash. Was going to get my hair highlighted next week, but guess that is on hold for a while.
Cubedog: DOH!
Then we get on the road the next morning. I will have to post pictures of the Christmasy white out we got into. Wasn't so bad until driving down the highway in Tulsa after the sun was setting and tried to change lanes. Well, we changed lanes alright and almost changed pants afterword. Hub's training in the Rockies came in handy when we fishtailed, then slid towards the barrier between us and oncoming traffic.....which oncoming traffic became a different thing when we did a circle in the middle of the highway and came to a stop facing back the way we came. I don't know how...except angels guarding us....that we didn't get hit by cars behind us that became cars in front of us. Yeah, I remember all too well what that looks like. Something you never forget.
Ott: Don't think I will ever forget that for sure.
Real bummer was the whole time our world was slinging about and spinning around, I was going "shit.......shit......shit....." After we got on our way, hubs said "Thank you Jesus". I felt like a heel cuz I should have been the first one to say that instead of "shit". Cubedog: I am soooo glad to hear that you are still human. I swear, if you become one of those "I hammered my thumb=Praise the Lord" types....I may just have to stop blogging. And I'll just stop talking to you if you decide to become a preacher when you're 70.
Otter: Huh? You come up with some weird ideas sometimes
At least a half hour later we finally quit shaking. Just in time to do a 20mph crawl for the next hour.
well...they want me off the puter. Merry Christmas! Luv ya! Cubedog: Love you ,too.

The Heart of Darkness

AKA: The Sit N Knit Holiday Gift Exchange
The rules were simple enough. Rummage ones stash. Find yarn that needed a new home. Enclose an appropriate pattern for said yarn. Simple, right?
Well, I shoulda sat this one out. Really. 18 bags on the table, 18 chances to get something just lovely, odds; 18:1 for disaster. Thursday was my lucky night. Shoulda bought a lotto ticket on the way home.
Eighteen hopeful faces sitting around clutching their little numbers that indicated the draw order. Everyone noisely harrassing the current recipient in a malenge of good-will and comradery.
Seventeen sock knitters.....
Yes, I, the lone non-sock knitter stood to make my choice, smilingly enduring (and enjoying) the ribbing of others. Which to choose, which shiney bag would be enhancing my stash-ahhhh, that one, no that one, no.....ok, just close your eyes and grab, good....now return to seat tightly clutching the slippery, glossy homage to the pionsetta.
Return to good-natured ribbing of others. 16,17,18....Yeah!
Madness ensues with everyone digging and squealing at once. What do I got, what do I got.....
That's right.....sock yarn. It is a lovely variegated called "Strawberry Patch". And a sock pattern. O crap.....be gracious, make a joke, do something quick...that must be the giver staring intently at you. Of all things I coulda said, "Wow, stands to reason-since I'm the only person here who doesn't knit socks!" was probably the most powerfully stupid thing I've said in at least a couple of weeks. I could have laid odds on what happened next. There was the sock knitter's chorus of , "Oh, its easy.""Oh, you can do it.""You'll love it."
Yes, these are exactly the same phrases used by crack-heads to get others to do crack....
I've never told anyone, but secretly I didn't WANT to knit socks. With all those wonderful sweaters, etc. out there waiting to be created in my limited 'stick' time, I just didn't WANT all that time to be eaten by socks.....
I cast on my first sock this morning.......

Will We? Won't We?

Should we invite public view after the first? Just anonymous readers who won't spill the beans to any fambly? Your thoughts?

I will try to post about the first road trip with the Jack when I get back.

Cubedog: I didn't know that we weren't being viewed by anyone lucky enough to stumble in here, so I guess that means that I'm cool with it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Y'ALL

I hope your Christmas is lively and full of fun. Yall be careful on the road, watch out for reindeer-especially the drunk ones and we'll see ya on the other side of the New Year.

Ditto here. Keep a prayer going my way as the short furry one and I do 5 hours on the road by ourselves. Said short furry got a bath today, then because he has an ear infection, I put him on the bathroom counter and took the blowdryer after him. He was a little afraid of it. He sure did enjoy being clean and the brushing afterword.
Hugs for Christmas. Also for the fur kids and the bald kid too.

Ode to a Winter Day

When it has been cold and no fun to go outside to play, no sunshine to nap in, and you do your business as quickly as possible outside in the morning.......when a warm sunny day comes....you pick your warm spots and enjoy!

CubeDog: how wonderful the sun stream

how warm the sofa

winter smells of sun baked fur.

Too true. I know one of them is getting a bath and blow dry before the trip up north friday. The other one.....well, there just aren't enough bandages and antibiotic cream in the house to do a foolish thing like that.

Wanna new drug

Huey would be soo proud. I found a new drug. Its called Creme Brulee. It tastes like heaven and has real staying power. It stay on your belly, it stays on your hips, it stays Under your chin.

Since I probably would never put in the effort to actually cook up this drug in my own kitchen, I thought I was safe ( i could just see me opening a "Brulee lab" ). Then, woe is me, at the grocery store I found that some evil dairy conglomerate has created a lactose-free coffee creamer...in Creme Brulee flavor. I am lost....utterly lost.

Sooooo.....I take it that I should never taste any?

CubeDog: In the immortal words of Monty Python: "Run away!!!!!!!!!!!"

New View

The view out my living room window improved drastically this weekend. The neighbor had a bulldozer come out, dig a big hole, push the crap in it, then push the dirt back over it. I am blown away at how normal it looks now.

Of course, it doesn't look all that spiffy with a cluster of satelite dishes and winter plants, but at least it isn't monster strips of plastic, old coolers, and misc crap.
Now the other half wants me to get to checking in about satelite internet. That means yet another dish attached to the pole. We may have already run out of pole space. We'll see.

Finally took the plunge

I ordered a Concho Pearl pendant today through Mom. She found a silver artist's pallet w/gem stone 'paint puddles', a tiger eye 'paint brush' w/Concho M.O.P. bristles. She suggested coming back later and adding a Concho pearl "paint droplet" from the bristles. Brilliant!
Merry Christmas to me!
Mom sent me this picture...a nice closeup. That is absolutely beautiful! I think a pearl hanging off the tip would be fantastic!

Garbage Dump is Gone!

I will get a good picture tomorrow, but today there was much bulldozing going on. A big pit was dug....garbage pushed in.....then mountain of dirt pushed on top. There will be no more embarrassment over the scene out my living room window. I might possibly be dancing with joy.
Cube Dog: Darn, gone also is endless source of good-natured teasing and friendly jabs. Things like, "Hey, my view may be bad...but at least its not of a garbage dump!"

News of the weird

Good Morning.
I was all prepared to write a post about our local news stretching for relevance, but then, my day began to unfold.
Remember the hell-hole I used to work in? In the "unsavory" side of town? Remember when I left? They released me because I had a "bad attitude"?
Heh,heh.....
I get a call this morning. I don't recognize the voice, but the caller ID says "J_________".
Then the voice tells me, "Remember me? I've been trying to track you down. I worked in ____ dept. I got promoted and needed a _____ and I immediately thought of you."
ME :"oh, really"
HIM:"Yeah, I talked to T_____ , he's the dept.head now, and told him we would probably have to "pay" for you because of your skill and experience."
ME:"oh, really" By this time I'm biting my lip to keep from openly laughing in his "face".
HIM:"Oh yeah, he said 'fine, we can probably get her whatever she needs'."
ME: "oh REAL-LY. Have you checked with HR to see if I'm even eligible for re-hire?"
HIM:"No....but would you be interested?"
I politely turned him down, of course. It would, afterall, be a step backwards careerwise. But I left him with the parting thought: "Now if D____'s job comes available-give me a call."
I am soooo certain they would not "get me what I need" to walk back in there. They couldn't afford my therapy bills! Woulda been nice if I had thought to give him a $$number before I turned him down.
Ahhhh-I can't tell you how long I've fantasized about that call and then it finally came and all I could do was.....laugh, hard.
O......M......G!!!!!!! I am so floored. Are you sure you weren't having a nice fantasy dream on some pain meds? I mean......THAT just doesn't happen. But there is one question.......does your head still fit through the door?
I repeat......O....M....G!

Why?

Why are cats no respector of how hard you are working to finish a project?
Because the attention is off them.
Why do hubbies get angry when you wake them up to stop their snoring so you can get some sleep? Are you telling me that is why hubs keeps waking me up in the middle of the night?

Why do I commit myself to impossible tasks?
Your turn to pay for a therapist. Then let me know.
Why do I even bother asking these questions?
It's a sign of the sickness......talking to yourself, asking yourself foolish questions, arguing with yourself.
OK, that's my existential moment for the month.

Get a look at this though:



Its my first Celtic knot cable. Yeah, there are "glitches", but after ripping it completely out 4 times...I can live with glitches.












I'm sending you an email w/pic attached. I wore the crocheted sweater yesterday and loved it. Thanks.
Got the pic....thanks! I still think you look better in it than I did.
You are doing a really great job on the scarf. I have a few labor intensive gifts to finish if I will get my butt in gear.
Yeah, why do we commit ourselves to this crap. Dufusheads

another day

I really didn't believe that it was possible, but appearance is worse today. I am now, officially, a woman of "color". The swelling is all the way to my eyebrow and I can't put my glasses on. Needless to say...I'm NOT out in public. Sure my boss may be inconvenienced, but not glasses?no driving, no driving? no commuting.

Now, if I could kick Bigdog and Fuzzdog out of bed, I could actually get some rest.

Oh, the Christmas cactus was Bigdog's attempt to make me feel better....then he said I looked like a Cabbage Patch Kid.

Otter: Or a balloon from the Macy's Thankgiving Parade? Or the dog balloon on the Sci Fi Channel commercial? Or.....maybe I should just leave it alone? Seriously, did the doc say it was supposed to do that? And have you tried cold packs to reduce swelling? Poor kid.

Cubedog: I have had an ice pack on my face so long, I first had to check that the color wasn't frostbite! It is Tues. I am at the office...o-joy.

second verse/same as the first-with gusto

Well, I'm back. I thought yesterday would be the worst of it, but no. I wake up this morning to full-blown, paper bag worthy, "I am the Elephant Man" swelling. What is really wonderful? The paperwork says, "Sometimes it takes 72 hours for the swelling and bruising to be fully realized."


OMG! Something to look forward to! And if you are reading this and saying to yourself , "Oh dental work-yeah you're gonna have a little swelling." Let me tell you....until you have had your cheek pulled over you ear and hung there for 2 hours, you can't even imagine. The closest thing I can think of is plastic surgery without the cutting.


I kid you not, the fluid is all the way up in my eye socket. The great part of all this is that the actual work site doesn't hurt-well, everything is relative... What? No pictures? You could do a really groody up close and personal.....or not. I am waffling on the fence about whether I want to see that or not.
Cubedog: Hmmmm, let me think about it.....uh,no.

I DID have a post all ready to go Friday..then I got may face remodeled. So back to the fun stuff!


Since I have been in this "World-class city" I have seen just about every motor vehicle imaginable-at least the ones legal to drive on US streets, but Friday morning took the prize.


I have seen Lamboghinis, Mazerattis, Rolls Royces, Lotus', super stretch limos, stretch Hummers, and even Target's parking lot security use Segways, but this...I mean.....

Its called a T-Rex. It is a 3 wheeled motorcycle, with 2 seats, a roll cage, a windshield, and a steering wheel. No, it is not a trike. The single wheel is in back. The price STARTS at 49k. They are hand-made in Canada, can go up to 150 mph and get motocycle gas mileage.

Otter: OMGosh....a bike I could actually ride! Do you think the other half would let me ride along with him on the Harley in that thing? Somehow I don't think so.

Cubedog: I think it is the only way I could keep up with any Bike big enough for BigDog AND I could carry a fuzzdog.

When this thing pulled out in traffic, I just had to get a closer look. I actually took photos of it with my phone, but sadly I can't get them to my computer.

Pulled into traffic? You mean there is one loose out there already? Well, ought to smack my forehead....of course your city already has one in it...probably two.

Cubedog: Yep there's a couple in town, Heck, there's a DEALER in town.

I have seen some pretty bazaar things on that interstate, headed your way. I will have to keep my eye out for this one. Surely somebody is going to get in that thing and think "road trip"!

Proof positive that just about anything can happen here.

Momentary Pause

Cubedog had prepared an entry yesterday, but instead of posting, she spent the day paying a dentist to excavate the basement for a skyscraper in her mouth. She is a wee bit under the weather at the moment but will be back as soon as she can sit up in a chair for any length of time.

Get well soon Cubedog!

Well I thought it was quiet...

Got the weekly paper in the mail today. Yeah, I said weekly. Anywho, just had to fill you in on the exciting week the police had.

Out of 24 calls, only 6 were to unlock a vehicle. I can't tell you how unusual that is. Most weeks the police roster lists unlocks and dogs loose. No wonder the city police have time to follow new drivers to give them tickets.

So this week was full of action....goats on highway...two suspicious persons CubeDog: and we left on Saturday...tree on highway...two thefts...gas drive off (actually unusual that there is only one at Thanksgiving)...two minor traffic accidents....reckless drivers (kids had the long holiday) (or 2 suspicious drivers from the East)...vehicles blocking roadway (see previous post of traffic jam)...and a hit and run. And not one loose dog!

The rest of the paper is hunting pictures and details about the upcoming Christmas main street lighting....complete with singing and a play. Y'all come now, y'hear.

I think I need a haircut

Its been all of 8 weeks since my last cut. What started out as a cute, modern, youthful cut based loosely on Ashlee Simpson












has somehow morphed into:

About 25 yrs too late.......

Otter: You know you wouldn't mind the hair if you could have the body she once had. OH, oh, and Ashley has the cut I always wanted! Just spike it up a bit on top and it looks like a "Rod Stewart" cut. Hmmmmm......

Otter again: Ugh.....posted this, reread it, and realized I have dated myself. Woe!

CubeDog: Thanks for cleaning and clearing up this post. Oh hell honey, I'd take Farrah's body NOW. gotta be better than what I look at in the mirror!

All Quiet on the Western Prairie

Thank goodness for quiet days in the country. I am sore all over from a busy day yesterday. I helped set up and clean up after a Christmas party with my study group, then a couple of hours after that was kids church. I am really trying to learn all the kid's names but I am horrible with names and it has only been a couple of months.
Today the dogs and I piled into the SUV and headed into town for errands. Most important was dog food. We got up to the gate and had to wait on turkeys to get out of the road. It was a batch of hens with this spring's chicks who are almost as big as their mommas. Jack hung his head out the window with intensity as we drove past them. I thought he was going to jump out of the vehicle when we passed a squirrel in town. Then the same batch of turkey were close to the road when we came home, only they were intently scratching through some hay leftover from horse feeding at the neighbors. There was another flock (?) of them in my pasture when we got close to the house. I am trying to get the dogs not to chase them but it's difficult when they are such fun. The cats don't bother. I will have to dig up a picture of what happens when the birds spot a cat. Hmmm....maybe another time. Apparently that was so long ago that the cats were interested that the pictures are now on floppies. Don't want to dig out my player right now.
Just got through spilling Pepsi on my computer desk. Don't know why I can't just pick up a glass and drink it like other people. No, I have to fling it hither and yon and only drink half of it. It has been a clumsy week. Maybe I should just go lie down on the sofa and knit.
Cubedog: Interesting, I typically suffer that same malady, but with coffee and my office computer. Big Dog usually tags the home 'puter. And speaking of Big Dog tagging something; bet this pic would make him salivate. Kinda the Pavlovian/dog theme.
Oh, and the turkey pic is from a couple of years ago in my backyard. Quite a spectacle that I got lots of shots of. This one is labeled Tom Gentlemen.

Color me scared

This situation just popped up on my radar screen. Course this was reported on Nov 21st, but what can I say, I was preoccupied: (I've blocked out names and places to protect MY anonymity, but this was a true, local news report)

XXXXXX COUNTY, Texas --
Xxxxxxx police started testing unmanned aircraft and the event was shrouded in
secrecy, but it was captured on tape by Local # Investigates.
Neighbors in rural Xxxxxx County said they thought a top-secret military venture was under way among the farmland and ranches, some 70 miles northwest of Xxxxxxx. XXXX Local # Investigates had four hidden cameras aimed at a row of mysterious black trucks. Satellite dishes and a swirling radar added to the neighbors' suspense.
Then, cameras were rolling as an unmanned aircraft was launched into the sky
and operated by remote control.

You know the type-like the US Military is using in Iraq and Afganistan.

Xxxxxxx police cars were surrounding the land with a roadblock in place to check each of the dignitaries arriving for the invitation-only event. The invitation spelled out, "NO MEDIA ALLOWED." XXX Chief [H. H.] attended, along with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and dozens of officers from various police agencies in the Xxxxxxx area. Few of the guests would comment as they left the test site.

All a little "Conspiracy Theory" for ya? Well, there's more:

News Chopper # had a Local # Investigates team following the aircraft for more than one hour as it circled overhead. Its wings spanned 10 feet and it circled at an altitude of 1,500 feet. Operators from a private firm called Insitu, Inc. manned remote controls from inside the fleet of black trucks as the guests watched a live feed from the high-powered camera aboard the 40-pound aircraft.

Apparently this was all supposed to be 'hush-hush':

"I wasn't ready to publicize this," Executive Assistant Police Chief [M.M.]said. She and other department leaders hastily organized a news conference when they realized Local # Investigates had captured the entire event on camera.
"We still haven't even decided how we were going to go forward on this task, so it seemed premature to me to announce this to the media," [M] said. "But since, obviously, the media found out about it(read;o crap-we've been made), then I don't see any reason why just not go forward with what we have so far."

Oh really? Do tell.....Ms. [M.M.] (Emphasis added)

[M] told reporters the unmanned aircraft would be used for "mobility" or traffic issues, evacuations during storms, homeland security, search and rescue, and also "tactical." She admitted that could include covert police actions and she said she was not ruling out someday using the drones for writing traffic tickets.
A large number of the officers at the test site were assigned to the department's ticket-writing Radar Task Force. Capt. [T.R.] insisted they were only there to provide "site security," even though XXXX cameras spotted those officers heavily participating in the test flight.

Y'know, I thought we had laws in this country about this sorta thing...you know the ones...the ones that are supposed to protect the citizens against a police state. Oh yeah, ITS CALLED THE CONSTITUTION!

Wait for it....

XXX leaders said they would address privacy and unlawful search questions later.

riiiiiggghhhhttt...apparently at some point AFTER they set themselves above the FEDERAL GOVT:

Xxxxxxx police contacted XXXX from the test site, claiming the entire airspace was restricted by the Federal Aviation Administration. Police even threatened action from the FAA if the Local # helicopter remained in the area. However, XXXX reported it had already checked with the FAA on numerous occasions and found no flight restrictions around the site, a point conceded by [M].

I really think OUR local yokels need a good swift kick in the arse.

Hello from Insanity

Ok, so we went out to the country for 4 days to shake the city stink off. I've been back for 2 days....24 hours. In that time we have had 2 elder-living high rise fires, one apartment complex fire, 2 business fires, 2 highway shutdowns, 2 evil people jailed, and one murder-suicide. Ahhhh-home sweet home.
Hello, this is the "eastern prairie-dog". I live in a large metropolis. Ok, so that is an understatement. My commute is typically 45 min to an hour....each way and I only have to go 27 miles. I work in a medium sized company and have a "line manager" position. The comic strip 'Dilbert' perfectly describes my work environment. I spend most of my life in a cubicle and popping up to look over a cubicle wall is called "prairie-dogging". A room of cubicles is called a 'prairie-dog town'. My constant companion is stress-which accounts for much of my outlook on life ('Happy Bunny' is my absolute favorite snarky character).
When western p-dog talks about different lifestyles, she ain't kidding. Hopefully this will become VERY clear as we go along. Thanks for stopping in for a visit.
Hey, western p-dog, I have absolutely no comeback for your traffic block. Kinda had the ole 'head-down, butt-up' thing going on today. I have two HUGE projects due to the city this week. Yeah, I just love the oh-so-reasonable expectations of some people. Did I tell you how much I loved hearing from your big kid today? Its been so long since I thought of myself as related to anyone in the next generation....hmmmm,weird.
I hope I get better at writing humor as we go along.

Welcome to Texas

Welcome to I-10. I am the western prairie dog. You will soon meet the eastern prairie dog. I live in a small Podunk town, the other poster lives in a huge metropolitan city. We are sisters who chose very different lifestyles and dreamed up this blog after laughing till we almost wet our pants at the vast chasm of differences between our living areas.
So, to start this off, we will explore traffic jams. Today we had a major one in Podunk. We are always getting huge equipment hauled through the middle of town. In this picture you can see in the distance, two large tubes. I am told they are demetholizers...or something like that...headed for Colorado. Apparently there is a large gas plant up there that needs to extract methanol.
Traffic was backed up and blocked off for a mile. Problem is.....that is about how wide the town is. The largest tube had a broken skid that lifts the electric lines over the top of the equipment. The local yokels decided they had to repair the skid right there....in the middle of town....just before the noon traffic hit. They didn't bother to send an officer down to the other intersection behind where the picture was taken, to redirect traffic. Oh no, can't do that when they could all stand around watching the equipment being repaired. So semi's kept backlogging. The ones that had been to town before knew they could turn the opposite direction and go around town on I-10.....if they figured it out before they got trapped in the jam.
Luckily, about 15 minutes after I took the picture, they got things rolling again.
So how was your special time in traffic today?