Monday

Yikes!

It's Monday!

A Tale of Two Tires

I got up at oh dark early with the birds and hit the road for Longmont.

I was passing through the Wildcat Hills by 4:15 a.m.

One might think I was anxious to see Jamal's football game.

I swear it had nothing to do with getting my new camera!

Jamal had a 9:00 game, but had to be at the field by 8:00.

The game was in Erie at the Conroe Field
 so we had to leave Longmont by 7:30.

Jamal was really excited about his game
and trash-talked all the way to Erie.

Not really, but that sounded better
than he acted like a goon.

We dropped Jamal off at the field and

Momma gave him the standard pep talk:

"Go out there and kill someone, but stay hydrated!"

We had to leave so early poor Marissa didn't

even time to fix her hair but she managed!

We were going to hang out at the field until game time,

but instead met up with Tara, Mary's friend 

 

and went off in search of Starbucks!

But unfortunately, before we got there

Mary's front tire had a minor mishap.

It's no wonder .... they were completely bald.

Grrrrr!  I hate changing tires!

In a matter of 7 minutes (Tara timed me), I had the tire

 changed and the wonder donut put on.

Mary didn't want to drive around on her donut so we went back to the field and got Tara's CR-V and once again went off in search of happy juice at Starbucks.

I think it sucks that they closed our Starbucks.

I miss it.  Almost as much as Pioneer Woman misses Starbucks.

I decided to be adventurous and try something different.

I ordered a green tea lemonade.

However, I got a green tea latte.

Kinda looks like a sea weed shake, but

I have to admit that I really liked it.

Everyone else ordered pumpkin scones and hot drinks.

Not me, though.  I showed incredible will power.

Just like the night before when I limited myself to two orders of fries!

The game was enjoyable.

Jamal is very small for his age, so he didn't

play much in the first part of the game.

Sister Two, I want you to know this photo was taken

from ACROSS the football field! 

My new camera rocks!
I wore out a battery during the game.

This mohawk was about thirty feet away.

Beagles are great dogs.  This guy looked about as interested as I was.
He was sitting about 35 feet away.

This Pyrenesse was at the opposite end of the field.

I think I'll get a tattoo like this.

Zoomed in from 25 feet away.

Aren't football games fun?

Marissa thought so.  She said it beat studying anatomy terms.

I guess that all depends on how you're studying them!

Here is Jamal's coach. 

I think his name is Dick.

Jamal finally got in to play at the end of the game.

He runs so fast, he is just a blur.

(Can't possibly have anything to do with my hands shaking!)

Here he is on the line.

I added the arrow so you wouldn't miss him!

The guys he plays against are huge!

The other team had two female players.

That would have been a hell of a lot of fun!

I'm still pissed that I was forced to take home ec instead of shop.

The only thing domestic about me is that I live in a house.  At least if I had taken shop, I could have built the house!

Mary, Tara, and one of the other parents strolled down to the opposite end of the football field so that I could play with the zoom on my new camera. 

Finally the game was over and we were off for the real purpose of the trip:
The Colorado Quilt A-Fair!

Mary and Tara went with us.  Mary bought fabric

and she doesn't even quilt ..... yet.

It was a wonderful show with vendors

from all over the country.

Sister Three, if some strange woman shows up

on your doorstep and says hi, don't fret.

I sent her.

Quilts weren't the only interesting things ....

 I definitely want some boots like these.

I would be sure to tuck my jeans in like the chick wearing them!

This is the raffle quilt that I'm going to win.

I won't bore you with more quilt photos, since I did that not long ago.

After we were done there, we went to Johnny Carino's to eat.

That is going to be a post all it's own later this week! Let me just tease you with this overheard conversation in the bathroom:

"Grandma, are you out there? Great-Grandma? I need help with my wedding dress."

After that we went to pick up Mary's car.  She had dropped it off before the quilt show to get two new front tires.  She wasn't very happy, but we told her that shit happens.

While we waited for her, I played with my new camera.

Do you think that perhaps I need to clean my windshield?

The tire place was on the corner.  These two people were on their porch (across the street and halfway down the block) minding their own business.

That's kind of scary, isn't it?

Anyone could be snapping your photo at any time.

She got her new tires though and is now very happy!

Our day was a lot of fun, but we were glad to get home last night.

Especially so I could download the 673 pictures that I had taken yesterday!

I'm Sure Glad I Have Nieces!

Our Shameless Hussy finally broke.

She only broke into three pieces this time.  Fortunately

(or maybe unfortunately) she didn't eat the babies.

Does Krista want Bino or Dumbo?  Dani will get the other one.

It's only fair that the first born gets to choose first.

Of course, there is also this cute little piglet.

He is half the size of the other two. 

I wonder if he'd survive the plane trip to California?

We had a bit of in-breeding going on here ..... dad is Fuzzleworth, who is Chyrsanthemum's (a.k.a. Shameless Hussy) son.  I don't think we'll explain this part to the students!

Flashback Friday

Sister Two, today we are going to revisit your past.

Of course, since all of the film was used on the first-born, 

charming photogenic child and there are so few pictures 

of you as the middle-child, this may be pretty short!

You were an adorable baby.

 

I still say you had a square head.

Although I must admit, I was much more excited 

about your arrival than I was about Jen's. When she

showed up, I wanted a rabbit instead.  By the time you came along,

I realized what an asset a sibling could be.  With careful

planning and extra cunning, I never got into trouble for the things that I did!

Even so, you were an incredibly happy child.

Fortunately that hasn't changed and you are an incredibly happy adult.

Or you would be if you'd learn how to say no to committees!

Even with a broken arm, you were a happy child.

Playing with Evel Knievel on Christmas morning

seemed to make you happy.

Whatever you opened here delighted you!

You were such an inquisitive child and you grew up

to recognize the importance of taking the time

to stop and smell the flowers!

And if you weren't smelling the flowers, you were wearing them.

 

Mom insists this is Jen, our DDS (dear departed sister)

but I am positive it is Sister Two.  She always had a flair

 for fashion ... see how her purse matches her outfit.

  

Her fashion flair is evidenced in the next photo as well.

I am just sorry to report that I had an identical dress. 
Mom went through a phase of dressing us in matching
dresses that were as ugly as sin.  This was at Christmas. 
 Who wants to play on Christmas day wearing an ugly long dress??!!  
Or a short ugly dress for that matter?!!!

 

See, another Christmas and another dress. 

With hot red knee-length boots no less.

You look like you either just woke up or else

 you weren't feeling very good in this picture.

Here you just looked mad.  Probably because

Jen wouldn't let you hammer.  Or maybe

because Sister Three had on a halter top and

you only had a red t-shirt.

We had lots of fun outside the treehouse though.

I think this was when Epp came back from Florida

and we went to Denver to get her.  It is the fountain

in front of Casa Bonita if I'm not mistaken. 

This was at Flinstone Village.  We had just

finished eating brontosaurus burgers.

If we weren't going places, we were living

vicariously through all of Dad's travels

in his eighteen-wheeler.

Yet, Christmas seems to be the time for all good pictures to be taken.

I just love DDS' hair in this picture.  She could probably have gone

to Texas with Sister Three and skated.  I think this is one

of the best pictures of Granny that there is.  She

never smiled much for pictures.  She kind of took after

all those scary folks on the steps to her attic!

Another Christmas picture ... this time with all of the cousins.

Let's see if we can name them .....

From left to right:  Stinky, Casey, Gus, Cowboy, Pete, Pee Wee, Re-Pete and Sam in front. 

.

We can't possibly conclude this flashback without a dreaded middle school photo.  You would have been so disappointed had I forgotten it!