HELLO, MY NAME IS NINA AND I AM AN ADDICT.

Actually, I have started buying the HyVee store brand in order to save money – and since I found silk milk, I’ve decided I think I have a problem.  He and I went to Hyvee the other night and I bought 3 boxes of mini wheats and 2 cartons of silk milk.  I’m uncomfortable with the fact that I might run out…uh oh…one box left in the cupboard, someone needs to go to the store.  Years ago, this would have described my Marlboro addiction.  The absolute minimum requirement is one bowl when I get out of bed and another sometime between supper and bedtime the next morning.  I have boxes stashed at work…in fact, I just ate a bowl before logging on to xanga.  When this first started, I didn’t think it would get out of hand due to the fiber content…I quite frankly figured that the fiber would take of itself…6 grams…I”m figuring 2 bowls will be about 12 grams-plus because I frequently fudge and eat more than 1 cup…I know this because I don’t think I get the recommended servings per package….and silk milk…I have not had it as a glass by itself but Kate says this is all she drinks, so decided to try it…I actually like it better than moo milk on my cereal…plus I feel that I”m benefitting from the soy during this time of my life.  So…now you all know my little secret.  Has anyone ever tried a bite of swiss cheese with some cachews or baby carrots in marzetti dill dip and a handful of cashews….mmmmmm

I can’t decide.  Batman’s Robin….or the Lone Ranger’s Tonto????

This weather is just nuts…I don’t really think it is that much different than years past…but I think because winter was such a fright that we long to be sunny and hot…that is the way it usually is in Iowa.  This year we are having a spring…it is chilly and rainy this weekend … and talking about severe weather tomorrow and Monday…

My rant tonight centers on the media blast of Hillary for her WHAT…. the fact that she referred to Bobby Kennedy’s death in June of 1968 while talking about her campaign reign.  WTF…who cares…Is Bobby Kennedy not dead or is there someone who doesn’t know Bobby Kennedy died…is it a buried American secret..maybe Osama doesn’t know he was assasinated…that is the only thing I can reason that the media is frantic and passed it down to the American public…holy crap, people… who cares if she said that.  She was refering to the fact that her husband didn’t win the nomination until June and for that matter – the nominee hadn’t been determined by the time Bobby Kennedy was killed in 1968.  I do not believe for a second that Hillary was hinting that Obama could be shot by a palistinian while running thru a kitchen after a campaign speech…I do not believe that Hillary had any ulterior motive for mentioning the 1968 tragedy that changed American other than to remind folks that Bobby Kennedy had not earned the democratic nomination by the time he was murdered in June of 1968 and she is not going to quit because it isn’t too late.  But then, why do we even put ourselves thru this political frenzy every four years…why not let one of the news organizations predict the winner early in the season and we will just be done with these political nightmare years….

Until next time….

The fog may be lifting a bit…I spent a little while outside tonight picking up sticks…I ended up down at the bottom of the property admiring the weeping willow trees…he and I were trying to remember when we planted them … they are huge…maybe 10 years???  He thinks one of them has a willow branch drop diameter of 20 feet…they are gorgeous.  I always believe you can’t really appreciate a weeping willow unless you are standing under it and “feel” it surrounding you.  You other tree huggers out there will understand…everyone else…just take my word for it.

Brett and Chris are camping at Walnut Woods south and west of Des Moines this weekend.  I talked to both of them on the phone tonight (first time perhaps since New Years Day night???)  I didn’t know it until I talked to them but that may be all I needed.  They are like my family…we usually go to Bennett Spring with them but since it is so wet and the stream is so high this year, we may just be hanging out closer to home….I think “he” and I are going to go up Saturday after he gets up and just hang out around the campfire until he has to go to work.  The four of us are never at a loss for conversation.

Kate is flying home the 2nd week of June…just a few days late for her 21st birthday…she will only be staying a few days but I’ll take a few days over nothing.  She got a really good price for tickets flying into Des Moines.  Normally we all fly in and out of Moline because we actually save enough to drive the 2 hours…I get so irritated when they are spending money advertising that “we should be using the Des Moines airport” yet who can afford it…so much cheaper to fly out of Kansas City, Omaha and even Moline, Illinois.

Need to finish up some chores before I “get to” head off to work so until next time…..

I’m having an out-of-sorts kinda week..my work week should be over tomorrow night but I volunteered to do some overtime so working until 7am Thursday morning..back 3-11 on Thursday then 7-11p on Friday.  Now that it is close, I’m kind of sorry I signed up but actually need the extra cash so I”m trying hard not to whine.

Have a little camping trip planned for the last weekend of the month – actually the 31st/1/2 but it seems so far away…there I go again – whine – it will be the first time we’ve taken the boat out so I’m sure it will be fun.

Reading “The Other Boleyn Girl”..I may have butchered the spelling on that…and watching the first season of Brothers & Sisters.  That pretty much is my world this week.

Until next time…..

I filled in at work for a couple of hours this morning – the only good thing about it was getting my lazy butt out of bed early so I didn’t miss this beautiful day…I went to the banks for our deposit and mom’s deposit…went to 3 different stores in town looking for those picture hangers made of heavy wire that you push into the sheetrock and turn,…they are anchored inside the wall and have a hook for the outside.  They only leave a pin size hole in the wall yet can hold lots of weight…no where to be found…they are probably an As Seen ON TV item but Katy bought some for me last year and I’m pretty sure she got them at a big box store???

I dropped by Earl May to pick up a gift certificate for our old Quest repairman who is retiring.  Jim aka Willie Nelson has been a fixture in the radio room for many, many years and always gives us fast service and knows his stuff…we even made up a name plate with his name for an empty computer desk to show our affection.  Jim is retiring so we took up a collection for the gift certificate.  He says he is going to have a big garden and when he is not camping, will be sitting out along the road selling his produce.  While I was at  Earl May, I purchased 8 bags of brown mulch and a few annuals.  Not sure how I feel about the brown mulch – it is pretty dark.  I took these few pics when it was starting to get dark – but you’ll probably get the idea…may snap some more under the sun tomorrow and after I get the back flower pots filled.

Check out Billie in the window above…this is his assigned spot

Some of the trees are still looking a little rough after the 2006 ice storm…they look better this year than last year

I’m becoming terribly frustrated with the presidential race.

I feel so sad for all of the people around the world dealing with natural disasters.

The media, in general, makes me feel like my head is going to blow off…

Until next time….