Hello...

Sometimes....what am I saying.....always, when I start getting on the computer to check my emails I get a visitor that likes to sit on a perch beside me. Here is one of my regular visitors....

Meet Mongo....he's got horrible breath, likes to lick himself and will beg for treats relentlessly until you give him one! Thankfully, he's also a good leg warm, paw rester and he makes for a really cool hat. 

So all in all a super fantastic, hanging out together, day!

 

Hitchhikers

A few weeks ago, I got asked if I could be a professional chauffer for this really cute old man. My first stop was at my sister's house so one of her kids could use my phone to take a picture....

After that was done, I grabbed that old man and headed out on a red eye so we could see my childhood home in NC....he didn't remember it at all....

The old man attempted to get a little shut eye, but who can sleep when you have me around....

Or a Chuck that is need of either a good spanking or a thumbs up....

Probably depends on the day! After a small rest and giving as many thumbs as possible, we headed up to mom's childhood home....he remembered that one!

Somehow I forgot to give Jean the thumbs up she deserved....next time, I guess!

After thumbs ups all around, we headed to dad's childhood home in Price, KY to see his childhood area (all his homes are long gone), but we started off strong with his cousin Judy...

I hadn't met her before, but she deserves all the thumbs up....my guess is she was a mischief maker in her day, and I loved it! We headed out to go discover more of my dad's old stomping grounds, we visited his parents (after a long bramble through the bushes to find them), and then we stomped around a forbidden shortcut from school he used to take....through a train tunnel....

It's all blocked off now, but I'm pretty certain the old man was tempted to climb through that hole and relive some memories...

I mean, look at that hole, it's just begging for someone to go in it! Next stop, to hang out with Buford and Eva...

and then to Caney...

Dad took me up the sketchy side of a hill to see where his dorm used to be....

and to the Founders Shack ...

Where dad was reunited with mom....

via picture....although if she had appeared as an apparition that would have been cool! I have a few people on my list I could ask for a good haunting! The Alumni director was amazing and dad was treated like gold at his old stomping grounds....although the grounds are the same, but the buildings weren't! That's okay, I saw my mommy and that is good enough for me!  Next up we went to go see one of dad's brother's....

and I got to hug my cousin that I haven't hugged since I was 19....which was just last year, so why am I even posting that? 

We stayed the night in a cabin that had a bonus cat! 10/10 stars for the cat experience! He climbed up on my back and took a nap...my cats could take a few lessons in cuddliness!!!

Then we headed off to go see my aunt Sue, who I also hadn't seen since I was 19.....I'll be honest, I probably should have introduced myself, I think I might look a bit different since then.

Our last stop was picking up dad's "Irish twin" and breaking her out of her nursing home for a fancy meal (think Sizzler quality). The hearing loss or dementia is strong with this family....at one point every single person was having a conversation....with themselves because they had no idea what the other person was saying!

In the morning we started heading to Cincinnati for our flight home, thankfully we had a few hours to kill so I could attempt to relive my childhood dream of my dad buying me a bunch of balloons and a ridiculously large lollipop. Sadly, I could find neither, so a ride on the carousel,

and petting a tortoise,

had to do! 

We hopped on our flight and I was relieved of my chauffeuring duties...I figured the pilot was probably a better pick to get us back safely! So now I'm at home, Buddy was kind enough to share the cooties he picked up in Seattle so I've been down and out for a few days....but the sharer that I am, I think I spread the cootie love to Shane.....time will tell!

So all in all, a super fantastic, I'm a good driver, day!

 

Are donkeys made of metal?

Buddy and his friend got metal detectors at a garage sale...Buddy has found large WWII bullets in some land near our house (remember our island was/is used a lot by the military for military maneuvers)...So the boys put two and two together and thought they should go try out their detectors to see if they could get lucky again...Turns out, lava rock has lots of metal so the detectors were going bananas the entire time, but I totally lucked out and found a drove of donkeys....

Sadly, the donkeys didn't understand my donkey language and kept running away.....I just wanted a hug, is that so wrong???

So all in all a super fantastic, next time I'll get my donkey hug, day! 

 

Easter Bunny!

I'm not sure about you all, but the Easter Bunny looks like he needed a shave this year....

Must've been a hard year with all those eggs he was laying!

Anyway, I decided to create something my mom used to make for us kids when we were little that I just absolutely loved!!!!

Sugar eggs! I made some for some of my nieces and nephews, Buddy and his special friend. I haven't heard from anyone else, but the ants absolutely loved ours! 10/10, would recommend and I'm planning on upping the game next year! Sugar eggs for everyone with ridiculous inside themes.....sounds fantastic, maybe even the cockroaches will be in on it! 

So all in all a super fantastic, trying to be creative like my mom with zero talent involved, taking on one project at a time, day!

 

Daddy-o!

 My favorite dad came to visit me!!!!

I took him to go do all kinds of things, like hide in boxes....

Put hats on statues....

and stare lovingly at his favorite daughter (I may get busted on that one by my siblings....but I'm sure it's true)....

I mean, I'm sure I said, "give me a thumbs up if I'm your favorite"....

Heehee!!!!  

So all in all a super fantastic, should've gotten more pictures for evidence of my favorite child status, day!

 

Shane's getting old!

 Shane had a birthday....weird how he keeps having one around the same time every year! This year we went with a Simpson's themed party, one of Shane's favorite families! We had pink donut cakes...

a life size model of Shane's favorite father figure (which may explain a few things, including his propensity for tighty whities)....

and an appearance from spider pig!

(seriously, I had to take multiple pictures of spider pig because he was a work of art)!

Spider pig was a bit messy...

But then again, spider pig is always a bit messy.....

Too bad I'm not the most super savvy with a computer, because we have video evidence of spider pig's demise that includes a Budster, a sword and a cheering crowd! Spider pig was delicious!

So all in all a super fantastic, Shane is one year older....not sure about wiser, day!

What happens now?

 So I've been a bit neglectful of my blog....turns out I've got a couple of great nieces (and nephew), that are really great nieces(and nephew) that have access to reading my blog and I've been encouraged to keep up the entertainment. So here goes a tiny little recap of this year so far for Gwen, Ellie and Lyman

To start things off strong, or at least strongly smelling, seriously, the bike is a generator of fumes that can rival Pepe Le Pew! 

 Buddy and his dad finally fixed his motorcycle, got it registered and the Budster got his motorcycle permit...

Would it be weird if I told you I spent a fortune in clothes that are supposed to inflate on impact for Buddy to wear, in case he gets into an accident? Too bad the booger won't wear them, I guess I'll have to save the outfits for my old age and just wear them around the house in case I take a tumble and save myself a broken hip! Here is a sampling of what Buddy's clothes can do....

I mean, how could he not want to wear that and fall on purpose....it looks like fun! If you need me, I'll be tumbling down the hallway with my inflatable pants!

So all in all a super fantastic, puffy pants, day!

The yearly rewind

Apparently, I fell off the blogging truck again....I do have a few excuses, not sure if I would call them good excuses, but excuses nonetheless! Since my birthday stunk sooo bad last year, I decided to take matters into my own hands and threw myself the Golden Girls Birthday Party of my dreams! There were costumes, prizes, cheesecake and a rousing game of sardines....what could be better!

The Sophia Petrillo in me was VERY, VERY HAPPY!! Plus, I still have leftover cheesecake in the freezer, what could be better than that! The day before my birthday I started a new job...jury is still out on my thoughts on that. The weekend of my 51st birthday, I ran in my first half marathon, just to prove I could....

I could and I did! Of course, my personal motto of "if you can't run fast, run funny" was alive and well! Apparently,  I didn't think it was so bad since I signed myself up for a full marathon in March.....not sure if I'll be thinking the same thoughts in March!

Buddy and I flew out to Utah the week after my birthday to hang out with my dad for his last few bachelor days....

Then my dad got remarried...

I got to help set up the wedding/reception on Saturday and then send the newlyweds off on their honeymoon and hurry back home in time to work on Monday!

I guess I was still on a runners high, because I signed Shane and myself up for a Christmas themed beer run in our town.....

I figured someone had to run with me to drink the beer at the begin, middle and end of the race....I'm not sure what weirdo created a beer run, but, let's just say Shane came home very happy!

Then Buddy and I took off to Utah again to celebrate one of my niece's weddings....

Not only did I get the thumbs up from my dad during my visit....

I also got to have my first daddy-daughter dance AND take him for a few spins!

Now we are home again! We've had visitors with us this past week, which usually includes hanging out with them to do some touristy trap things....enjoy my touristy trap things pictures...

I'm a sucker for getting to cuddle with animals!!!! Maybe that's why I like Buddy so much! Anyway, we are about to have a ton of visitors again for the next month, but we are also getting free labor for a new bathroom in exchange for the stay (cue back to me starting a new job to pay for the new bathroom)! At least some of the visitors are providing free labor, some are just freeloaders, but it starts with free...so it's basically the same! So all in all a super fantastic, finished the year with quite the bang, day!