Random photo's

There is no particular order to these, just some photo's of random stuff I've shot the last few weeks around the farm. Oh and family members...I'll let you figure out who's who :).

Fluid check by a blonde

Poor Katie, she gets so much ribbing for my family's entertainment, but this is a classic example of why...

Katie's left turn signal bulb burnt out awhile back, and so when she went to use it, the light on the dash was going really fast. Since Daniel and I were gone she asked Gary about it (which was her 1st mistake), to which she got this answer...

"Well shit, I betcha your blinker fluid is low, and we're all out"

"Aw man, well today while I'm in town, I'll have K help me with it, he's got every known vehicle fluid there is"

"Ok well make sure you don't forget, k Katie"

"Ok"

7 hrs later, Katie comes in the door....

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Daniel and I look at one another going "WTH? What's going on now?"

"I'm gonna strangle him, UGH!" and off goes the 16 yr old blonde cheerleader in search of her 28 yr old stepbrother.

Ty is laughing his ass off as he comes in the door....

"Katie's mad...."

"Ya we noticed, why this time?"

"Blinker fluid"

Daniel and I looked at each other and at the same time "WTH is blinker fluid"

Katie came stomping up the stairs "I HATE Gary right now"

Me "Katie...What's blinker fluid"

Katie "ARGH, well apparently it's something that's NOT under the hood of MY car"

Daniel, laughing his ass off and me and Ty following suit....

Katie "You all are mean, and mean people suck, you shouldn't make fun of me just cos I'm dumb you know"

Me "Katie, we're laughing WITH you, not at you and we're not making fun of you for being dumb"

Katie "Shaddup" and stomps to her room

Apparently what happened was Katie was trying to be all "damsel in distress, help me help me" with her boyfried at the time and asked him to check her blinker fluid while all the teenyboppers were hanging out at the park. Everyone else knew that there was no such thing as blinker fluid BUT Katie. So she's digging in the back of her boyfriends truck toolbox looking for blinker fluid while they are dying of laughter at her.

Poor kid...I almost feel bad for her....ALMOST

Of MRSA and Men...and the rest of my "weekend"

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, ok thanks, had to get that outta my system. This has been the week of illness and pain around our lovely little farm. This is the part I HATE about the kids going back to school. They not only bring home homework, and the occasional progress report or cute project, but also every conceiveable known illness going around.

First of all, last week our oldest step child (long story, I'll explain later when I'm back to work and have a higher speed connection as well as more time K), got what appeared to be a nasty spider bite. Well the bite didn't look so bad, but it morphed into this HUGE pimple looking thing. I swear it was every bit of 2 inches in diameter, and all red and poofy. Well I've had spider bites do that and when I squished them, they popped like a zit, I slathered some Bactroban on them and covered with gauze and all was good. So I shared my "cure" with Gary, and he promptly did so...only to make it worse. By a week later on Monday, it was EWWWW. The good part was that the swelling and redness had gone down. The bad part is/was it had morphed into a 3 inch in diameter raw oozing sore. What's even worse? Gary is 28, and no health coverage and we are so broke that financially embarrassed doesn't even BEGIN to cover it. Well I called the health department and thank goodness I did. In Mtn View (the one in Missouri, not in Arkansas), on Monday nights from 7-9pm they have a FREE health clinic for the uninsured. WOOT I was estatic because I was fearful that Gary had staph infection in that wound. Long story short, he got home at 10:30 that night telling me, "They said it was something called Marsa, and to do blah blah blah blah, and gave me some kind of antibiotics or some shit.". "Uh Gary, do you mean MRSA?" "YEAH, THAT'S what they said. Guess you've heard of it huh?" "Um ya, now and I mean RIGHT NOW, go get all your laundry and put it in front of the washer...I mean EVERYTHING from socks to towels you've used in the last 10 days." "Oooook, why? Oh ya they said it was highly infectious." "Yeah, it is and if left unchecked I could have people with limbs falling off, clothes, in front of washer NOW!" "Right after I take my meds ok?" "Ya ok fine, I'll get the water going just dump the laundry in" So that's been a battle we've been fighting all week thus far. Good news is, Gary's leg is looking a whole lot better, though he's crabbing that he's tired all the time and since he's roofing this week, it's irratating. Oh well, better than having your leg fall off isn't it?

Tuesday, Destiny awoke me telling me her side and stomach hurt, and since it was 5:50am I told her to go back to bed. She stayed home from school, and by the next morning was none worse for wear. YAY

Wednesday, Daniel wakes me up at 6:30am telling me Katie's staying home, her stomach is bothering her. Grrrrr, I was SOOOO looking forward to having the house to myself for a couple of days while I was off. Then Destiny came in telling me Ty's stomach was acting up too. ARGH! Great, first MRSA, now the stomach flu...how great is this! Especially after my Dr put me on Verimyst (or however it's spelled) for my sinus/allergy issues and it is an immune system suppressant. The MRSA I could handle, a pair of gloves while handling the infected laundry, some bleach spray in the tub, and good handwashing, no problem. The stomach flu though, I can't hold my breath for hours on end (tried it once, I don't look good in those shades of red/blue/purple), so I've been trying to stay out of breathing distance of those with it, and trying to keep everyone else out of their immediate vicinity also. Especially Evie, she's been a mouthy lil hellion this week, last thing I need is her with a stomach ache/not able to keep anything down.

On an upside yesterday, I finally got my lilac bushes planted. I found some more grapes that we're going to have to put an arbor up for so I've decided to flank the arbor with lilacs on both sides. :D I hope it works out like I've planned, and the lilacs don't croak on me.

On a more depressing note, yesterday after Gary got home, he pulled the carpet in the girl's room and found, guess, I dare ya...Yup more *&@$! water damage. The entire east wall, the floor and floor joists (or whatever that is where the wall meets the wall is) rotted, BAD. Gary stuck his finger through the floor, not good. With the aid of the water hose, Daniel and he found the leak. The seam in the metal siding outside is all buggered up, so they are going to caulk it, then replace the floor and wall where it is water damaged/rotted. So looks like Friday at the earliest that will be done with those guys working all day.

On an upnote, I got my bathroom and closet all cleaned up, I just have to vacumn my bedroom carpet and I can say it's completely DONE. Oh wait, scratch that, I still have some paint removal on the trim. So after I get that done, it'll be DONE.

In fact that's where I'm heading off to now, as soon as I finish this entry. I'm also going to work on that disaster area that is my kitchen.

I hope all of you are having a wonderful week, and I'll catch up with ya in a couple of days as I go back to work tomorrow night.

ps. Ya know that day position I put in for? I got a letter yesterday saying that they've filled the position and good luck in my employment search. WTH? Is there something else they forgot to tell me in the letter?!?

Parental pressure

Today my monster's ALL surprised me, even the teenagers. The city that I work for is looking for a new desk girl over at city hall since the other one took the city clerk position. While I really like my job here at the PD, I'm UBER sick of working 6pm to 6am. So I took the leap and went over and applied for the 8am to 5pm position. I have no clue if I'll get it, but I can hope. So I got up a bit early today and told the kids I was gonna go to town and grabbed my finished application. Ty asked me what I was going for THIS time and I told him "Heh, your gonna love this....an 8am to 5pm job so I'm home in the evenings to aggravate you guys. Front desk girl over at City Hall basically." Evie wasn't home, but the response I got out of Ty and Des floored me. I was expecting a "Oh wow, ok" kinda thing but instead I got a pulled down fist from Ty going "Wooo Hoooo" and Des going "Kewllllllllnesssss, so you'll be home EVERY night?" I was like "Ya that's the point of changing my postion at work." At that point they started kinda jumping around and Wooo Hoooing. Now displays of enthusiasm is normal for my children but not over these kinds of things. So about half an hour later, Des and I were picking up Evie from daycare and Des told Evie all about it. Here lil blue eyes opened wide and she looked at me going "Momma, your gonna be home EVERY night?!?" I told her that I hoped so, but didn't know, I had to see if I got that position first. She sat next to me in the truck absorbing that, then looked up at me "Momma, you've got blond hair like me and blue eyes" "Yes baby, I do" "Mom....I want to be just like you when I grow up" with a huge grin on her face. "Oh you do eh? Thank you that's a wonderful complement but do me one favor would you? Tell your Daddy that k?" "Ok I will, he loves you so he'll be glad to hear it Mommy" At that point Des was giggling hysterically and Evie reached over and whapped her one and told her to shuddup. Then Evie turned to me and went "Momma isn't that what you woulda done?". *Sigh* I didn't answer but in my mind I answered her "Ya but I would have smacked her harder.". Man oh man, now if that doesn't put some pressure on me, nothing will. Here I have my 5 yr old daughter wanting to be just like me. I'd like to think she means just the good parts, and I'm sure she will get those, but sure enough, she'll pick up some of the bad too. She already has in all honesty. Her temper, her stubbornness, her boldness....all from me much to the bane of her siblings and Dad. Oooooo ya, I'm gonna get paid back in spades for every bit of what I put my parents through.