Happy Cinco De Mayo!!!!

I hope you have a fiesta-of-a-day!!!!
I just hope to sneak in a siesta sometime today!!!!
Soooo corny, I know.
Too bad, so sad for me that I won't be celebrating with any Mexicans today. Awwhhhhhh.

Another Monday gone by...

I feel like I've been all over the world today. I had to go back to Jefferson City and get another criminal background check on Donnie in order to complete the liquor license application. To do it by mail would've taken three weeks, so I decided to make the drive and be done with it. I already did this a couple of months ago, but by now it wasn't current enough. And once again....his record is clean. Thank goodness he's not a serial killer...you just never know! Hahaha.
In this licensing process they require everything short of your firstborn.
If anyone out there ever decides they need a liquor license, let me know, because after jumping through all these hoops I'm now a professional.
Got 'er done though!
And the drive was beautiful, which helped, especially now that every thing has greened up.
During my driving time, I called and talked to Ma. She seemed like she's doing tremendously well, and she was as nice as she could be. I enjoyed visiting with her. I understood that Courtney is still not feeling well, and I sure hate that. She's had a rough time.
I also talked to Sage. I sure miss my babies.
I took Bridgette to get her eyebrows waxed and her nails done so she'll be ready for prom on Saturday. We purposefully made the appointments early as to avoid the pandemonium of the prom-zillas.
We've got a busy week ahead, as Don and I will be going ninety to nothing in different directions. He has to lay petro-mat every day the weather is good, and my calendar is booked with trying to get everything coordinated to open June 1.
And of course there's prom on Saturday.
The pollen count here is astronomical, which sucks for our allergies. In fact, my front porch is covered in green pollen.
On a different subject, I saw something today that I would like to have at some point. A kindle. Matt got Kandi one for mother's day and he's keeping it at the office til Sunday. He'd already downloaded a few books, so I was able to play around on it. Pretty cool. I think I will wait until the price drops, as $350 is pretty steep. Plus I'm old-fashioned in the sense that I like the feel and even the smell of an actual book in my hands. I have a hard time keeping up with all these gadgets. It was pretty nifty though.
Donnie's still not back from laying petro-mat in the city today. I always worry about them when they do work in St. Louis. He did call and let me know that they'd be home around 6:30pm.
I better go scrounge up something for supper.
Enjoy your evening.

Recap of Sunday

Early yesterday morning, Donnie shot another turkey. This time it was really at tom.
Elated, he and the boys headed home around mid morning. I now have three wild turkeys in my freezer that eventually have to be cooked and eaten. Oh, joy.
Meanwhile, I was on my way to church for the first time since moving here in August. Bridgette's friend had spent the night, so the girls didn't attend with me. I was pleased to find a Baptist Church that is along the same lines as those in Texas. Bridgette's biology teacher is the preacher's wife and they are originally from Arkansas.
Since next Sunday is Mother's Day, Bridgette is obligated to go to church with me, and once I get her there, she'll enjoy it I'm sure.
Immediately following church, I came home to find Donnie packing-up to go fishing...and he was ready to go. I was on the phone to my mom and still in my dress and heels running around trying to get ready. My parents both sounded great and Bridgette was there to unzip my dress, so all was well.
Donnie and I went trout fishing in the rain.
Rain or shine...it's always fun.
Afterwards, we went to Rolla to a friend's house to check out his beer brewing skills. Don has the connections to help him with a micro brewery, and we wanted to see what the process was all about. It's extremely interesting. We were at a house full of twenty-somethings with all of their little ones. It really brought back some memories. These parents seemed so young...perhaps because they are....and perhaps because I'm getting old.
Anyway, the food was great and it was nice to play with the babies and then leave them there.
We made it home in time to watch Celebrity Apprentice.
So all in all....it was a terrific Sunday.

Sip 'n Savor St. James

I had a great time at Sip 'n Savor St. James. There was a total of 18 wineries that participated, as well as food tents, art shows, and music.Pictured above are Matt and Kandi Woessner with their daughter Haylee. The fat girl in the purple dress is me.
Matt is the hotel project manager and a great guy. I think I like him so well because he could pass for a Texas boy. He's one of the few that wears Wranglers around here.
As we were walking downtown, a lady from the local newspaper stopped and asked Matt about the hotel and the possibility of her coming next week to do another story. She then took our picture for the paper depicting today's event. I asked her to take a picture with my camera as well. When we walked off Matt was chuckling. He thought it was so funny that no one knows who I am. I prefer it that way, although it took me awhile to really 'get it'.
It used to drive me crazy that Don dressed like a road crew worker and came across as a lot less intelligent than what he really is. He sets it up that way purposefully and it is brilliant. I see that now. He says that when he's under the radar like that, no one can yank his chain, plus it gives him an advantage because he is severely underestimated. Pa Watson had a similar philosophy.
It was interesting as numerous people would stop Matt and say something about the hotel. They would ask questions about the progress or make positive comments. He did all the talking and I didn't have to say a word.
I just smiled, feeling pleased to be incognito.

Transvestite Turkey

Good morning, good morning, good morning!
Following a good night's sleep, my mood has improved drastically. Whew! I don't want a repeat of yesterday.
Donnie called a little bit ago to let me know he'd shot a turkey....and not just any turkey, but a bearded hen.
What????
He said it's legal to shoot anything with a beard. This turkey had a six inch beard, but was female. Interesting.
Way to go, Donnie!!!!

In a funk...

My evening is not going well.
Don and the boys went to the farm for the weekend. I had to stay here to attend Sip n Savor, a wine tasting event held tomorrow in St. James , where I will be rubbing elbows with some of the wineries that we will be representing at the hotel. Although I typically don't mind attending events alone...this time I wish my husband would go with me. But, again....he prefers anonymity and likes to operate behind the scenes. Lucky him.
Anyway...
Tonight was supposed to be a quiet and relaxing evening at home.
I needed to cook the two 12 0z steaks I've had seasoned in the fridge for several days.
Within a few minutes after putting them on the grill I see an enormous amount of smoke rolling out of the ole Webber. I run outside to see the precious steaks engulfed in flames. In the process of trying in vain to save them, I burned my finger. Ouch. I feel a blister coming on.
BB might have eaten these pieces of charred meat, but Skeeter wouldn't. Once they had cooled and I realized they were totally uneatable, I tried to cut up some pieces to feed to my dear Skeeter. He started gagging and coughing so bad that I thought I was going to have to perform the Heimlich maneuver and I was trying to figure out how in the hell I was going to do that to this little dog. Finally he was able to swallow and regain control of himself. Thank God.
I headed to the fridge to get a Dr. Pepper...the quintessential cure to all of life's problems...only to have can after can roll onto the floor because whoever opened the box and put it in the fridge did so incorrectly.
Enough already!
Bridgette's on a date...I now have a glass of wine in hand....and I am determined to curl up on the couch and find a good movie to watch, and thus enjoy the remainder of the evening.
Tomorrow will be a new and exciting day.

MA-isms

I don't know if it's because I'm getting older.....or maybe it's in my genes....or perhaps I'm just becoming aware of humanity's over-consumption...
But whatever it is...
I've turned into a modern day version of Ma.
Case in point....when it rains, I run and place buckets outside to catch the water so I can use it to water my indoor plants.
I'm more frugal than I've ever been.
And something tells me our personalities must be similar, because I have the feeling I'm nicknamed De-manda for a reason.
And the most recent Ma-ism...
I made my own laundry detergent.
Yes, shocking, I know. And it's not lye soap either.
I got the recipe from the Detergent Diva....followed the directions, and now I have a five gallon bucket of concentrated detergent. And it's fabulous. And cheap. I reuse my Tide bottle to dispense it.
Pretty amazing, huh?