2008 August « No Whining Allowed

Return of the “Fitchermen”

August 14, 2008 at 3:32 AM (Honey, Our Boy, Trips)

I believe I may have mentioned that our Guy’s were “fitching” last week. For the whole week. It is their annual male bonding experience. Arr Arr Arr (ala Tim Allen). They said they had a blast. Here are some pictures and thoughts from their trip.

Three fish for The Boy. I don’t know what kind they are and he is at work. Sorry.

They ate some meals at the lodge. Honey told me I wouldn’t BELIEVE what The Boy ate there!

This is what he ate. He would make me pick out the broccoli and peppers at home! Who am I kidding, he would never eat this at home! Anyone who knows him even a little could tell you how he eats the three green beans we MAKE him eat at dinner. He swallows them like pills, with milk. Oh, yes sir, things are gonna change around here!

This is my favorite! It’s Honey’s fish. They used it as bait. The Boy said he didn’t even know how he hooked it!

There’s my Fitcherman!! With big Fitch!

You know, I can’t even begin to know what was going on here. Personally, I’m just glad the boxers were on, cause he his known to show the full moon, alot.

I asked Honey yesterday if he was shrinking, cause I can’t believe our little Buddy Bear has turned into that big ole thang.

These Guy’s can’t go anywhere without the Billy-Bob teeth. A source of never ending amusement for them.

I don’t know who any of these folk are, but see the dog in the front? The Guys said he belonged to the owners of the lodge. They said he was so pretty and the first time they saw him they were petting it and loving it. And then they both said after that it was the STINKIEST dog they had ever, EVER had the misfortune to smell. And they never went near it again.

I am laughing now just thinking about what they said it smelled like. I can’t say here, but if you want to know, send me a comment and I will e-mail it to you, privately. All I can say is I’m glad I didn’t smell it. They said I would have died.

It sure was a purty place.

Another year of fitching under his belt. Next year: back to Alaska!!!

3 Comments

Rainbow

August 12, 2008 at 6:23 AM (Around Our House, Muggins Q. Mouse, Pretty Things)

Mousey had her camera handy. The Ab-Cat was sad to discover that her battery was dead.

It was actually a double rainbow, you can only see it a bit.

A promise from the real Rose of Sharon.

3 Comments

The Olympics

August 11, 2008 at 8:28 PM (Around Our House, Family Life, Honey, Muggins Q. Mouse, Our Boy, Television)

Our Guy’s are home from their annual Fishing Fiesta in upper Canada. They said they had a blast!

The Boy called while they were on their way home. He said he missed me. That just melted my heart. Cause I asked him before he left if he was going to miss me, and he said no.

Whew, I thought maybe he had outgrown his self proclaimed title of “A # 1 Mama’s Boy”.

We are becoming a little obsessed around here. It happens every couple of years when the Olympics are on.

Some people at our house watch more than others. Honey was watching badminton this morning on a Canadian station. I’m sure it was fascinating, but I can’t jump on that bandwagon at 7:30 in the morning.

But the swimming, diving, gymnastics, track, beach volleyball, ect…. that I can get behind. Just not at 7:30 in the morning.

Mousey and I painted her bedroom this weekend. And watched the Olympics, before, during and after.

You never heard such a ruckus, as when Michael Phelps and his team WON the relay over the French!!!!

Don’t be talking trash French men swimmers. Bad karma, dudes!!!

We are heavily invested in the swimming this year. Cause I may have mentioned that Mousey swims. And although we barely understand the ins and outs of things, we are good fans!

And, Michael Phelps swims out of Club Wolverine in Ann Arbor, and I may have also mentioned that our second home is at U of M Hospital, in ANN ARBOR, so we are almost totally neighbors!!!!

So ROCK ON U.S.A. We are rooting for you!

2 Comments

Potent Quotable

August 10, 2008 at 6:05 AM (Potent Quotable)

A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.
- William Arthur Ward

The Shopping Excursion

August 9, 2008 at 6:51 AM (Muggins Q. Mouse, The Ab-Cat)

The Girl’s and I hit the road to do some shopping yesterday. We went to a shopping area a few towns over. With The Ab-Cat driving. I don’t think she had ever driven that far from home. She did FANTASTIC!

Of course, she had no idea where she was at any time during the day. She needs a GPS for Christmas. Or else she had better get herself a hefty supply of breadcrumbs to get herself back home!

The whole trip was to look for comforters-quilts-bedding in general, for their soon to be painted bedrooms. Ab was looking for a down alternative type thing. She had one on her bed in the condo we had rented in Florida this spring and she loved it. The comforter she has now is a Tommy Hilfiger denim behemoth. It looks darling, but she said it is smothering-ly heavy. So she is all about the lightweight comfort. Plus, she is going from a full bed to a twin to free up some space in her room.

Muggins Q. Mouse has found a quilt she thinks is the one. It is black and white. She says it is fine, but I am not quite sold on it. It has a lot of white. White is not my personal preference for my children. Just my opinion.

So I am teaching her how to continue looking, leaving no stone unturned, in her quest. We found one at Kohl’s that I could have been sold on, but they didn’t have her size. And this morning in the paper, I saw another that invites a look.

After our first stop, to T.J. Maxx, we were starving. And Ab and I decided that The Olive Garden sounded yummy. Mousey said she wasn’t that hungry. Hmm, she did pretty good for just being peckish.

Our second store was Homegoods. Where I told the girls to go look at the bedding and I would be over shortly. I was not expecting them to be in my face 3 minutes later, saying there was nothing. I was still in the first section. The dishes! I’m not kidding.

So I sent them next door to Michael’s. They can putter there for quite awhile, looking at the pictures to frame.

When I finally made it to the bedding, it was quite clear that they didn’t look very well. We didn’t end up buying anything there except for a set of sheets for Mousey, but we had much discussion on what they liked and didn’t like, and we noted the prices on the down alternative things that you could put a duvet cover on. Cause that is always an option.

Third stop was Marshall’s. No bedding, but lots of clearance clothes that Mousey wanted to paw through.

Ab was so done shopping already. She does not have the “looking” gene. She’s an in and out gal. We hadn’t even gotten to the mall yet, and she started making noises, like she didn’t want to paint her room anymore. She will just use some old comforter we already have. Can we go home now??? Please???

The first stop in the mall she found one that she liked. WOO HOO !!!!!!! She was ever so happy! And because we needed to go meet Barbara Payne and her daughter, Princess Di, for a Girl’s Night, we left.

I saw another set that Mousey might like at a store near us. Plus we need to get the paint. And Mousey would like to paw more clearance racks. I may have to twist Ab’s tail right off to get her to shop two days in a row.

3 Comments

Special Delivery

August 7, 2008 at 6:15 AM (Family Life, Friends)

We had a fabulous time during our Girls Night with our good buddies, the Hostler’s. Otherwise known as Licensed Autumn, Fountain Walker Lauren, and their Mom, Don’t Take Offense Rachel.

We dined at TGI Friday’s, and then came back here to “The Girl’s Dorm” to hang out. I was under the impression we were playing some games.

The Girl’s spent quite a bit of time showing each other funny things they had seen on the internet. I am not really sure what, but it sounded funny.

Rachel and I just loafed on the couches, and had our own laughing spells.

They were SO surprised that we had already skated through the first AND second season of ”Project Runway” that they had loaned us. They evidently seriously underestimated our ability to loll on the couch for two complete days straight.

So this afternoon, the doorbell rang. I just assumed it was our close personal friend, the mailman, delivering something ordered on e-bay by The Brother-in-law, Krazy Kenny. Because that man really needs a 12 step program for his little addiction.

It was Rachel.

With Season three.

WOO HOO!!! That solves what we are doing tonight!

Thanks Rachel

2 Comments

Pictures By Mousey

August 6, 2008 at 5:30 PM (Muggins Q. Mouse)

2 Comments

Immersed

August 5, 2008 at 7:59 AM (Family Life, From the Heart, Television)

The Girls and I have been immersed in the first two seasons of “Project Runway”. Absolutely immersed.

We have only stopped to eat, go to church and sleep. I was still up at midnight! Cause we had to squeeze in one more episode.

Every season has it’s distinct personalities, fabulous garments, hideous concoctions, tears, laughter, cat fights, backstabbing, difficult perfectionists, lunatics, inspiration and DRAMA. Oh, the DRAMA.

Like how did Wendy Pepper make it into the top three ???

And Austin Scarlett? Need I say more?

Poor Daniel Franco, booted off season one the first week and brought back for the second season. Only to stress us out every single week by wondering if Mr. Persnickity Pants wouldn’t finish on time and get the boot again!

Santino was a big bag of crazy.

And poor impeccable Emmet, was your heart not aching for him when they made him wear the hot pink ice skating shirt on national TV?

And HOW can they ask them to make clothes out of plants and flowers? But they DID! And we LOVED it!!!

Mousey said it makes her want to learn how to sew. Living that kind of high drama looks exhausting. Beauty school was enough for me.

I did have a thought as we watched the finale show last night though. The designers were talking about how much time it took to make their collections, how every waking hour has been devoted to creating these garments, and how tired and drained they were. And my thought was “it’s all going to burn”.

As much fun as it has been watching, and as talented as some are, they are spending an inordinate amount of time on things that moth and rust will destroy (Matt. 6:19). And some of those clothes deserve to be destroyed by something.

We have now spent two days of our lives, devoted to finding out who wins. So what does that say about us and what we value ? I remember thinking this same thing when we had a “24″ marathon.

Just a thought, and a little perspective. It’s good to be aware.

We will be tuning in again today to check out the “where are they now” updates. Because we want to know what happened to some of those whack jobs artistic people.

The only answer that I have for you about what we value, is we value doing things together. We have had fun watching this on our Girl’s Week. And we are aware that is has no eternal value.

But it is something worth pondering.

4 Comments

Visiting the GrandFolk

August 4, 2008 at 6:59 PM (Family Life, Muggins Q. Mouse, Our Boy, Pretty Things)

When my Folks were in town to get their grandchildren fix last Tuesday, they offered to take Mousey home with them for a couple of days. So off they went.

We then made plans for the other two kids and I to pick her up on Thursday. Here are some pictures of the things around their home.

This is not a good picture and I appologize. My Mom always gets “volunteers” in her garden. Flowers and vegetables. I guess she makes them all feel so welcome, they just “ya’ll come back now, ya hear”. This was a particularly unusual case. This tomato is growing upside down out of a crack in the bottom of her hanging basket. They have named her Oopsy Daisey, and her nickname is Topsy Turvey. She has baby ‘maters growing on her!

This hydrangea was gorgeous. I think I want one.

Another one of their volunteers. A cucumber vine in a flower bed in the front yard. I don’t think they have ever gown cucumbers.

The Hosts and their Guest-Mouse.

We were talking about this Supertunia and The Boy said he liked that name and was going to name his band that. He plays no instrument. He can’t sing. He has no band.

Thanks to the GrandFolk for having a Mouse at their house!

5 Comments