Ohhhhhh, love the new theme page …. didn’t take me long to select it this time…wasn’t like a I usually do and almost make it a new vocation….

Brett says butter, butter, butter in yesterday’s recipe…speaking of butter..holy Iowa State Fair butter cow, batman,

I gained 5 pounds over the holidays…I knew I had gained something because my neck is no longer holding up my head..it appears my head totally sits on my shoulders.  I’m just thankful we are this close to New Years otherwise I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it for a year for my new years resolution.

To help matters, I don’t even have to get my *## off the couch now to vacuum.  We went to Des Moines last night and bought a roomba… I’m freakishly excited…for the cleaning issue and also for the six 4-legged critters reaction.

I’m working tonight and so is “he”… I may take a picture of Hugh Jackman for midnight….

I’m drinking a cup of coffee in my cobalt blue coffee mug that has a Toledo Lighthouse on it…I love it, Tracy….

Well, I’m off to the couch to read my roomba directions and patiently wait.

Happy New Year everyone if I don’t get back here….don’t forget to designate a driver!!!!

Sooo…you start out with two piece of foil per person…you have fileted trout, bacon,sliced raw potatoes, carrots, onions and any other veg your heart desires…at the stream, we also used turnips….potatoes, carrots, onions on the bottom, you wrap a strip of bacon around each of the filets and put them on top…a few pats of butter and throw in some cut up oranges – probably about 2 wedges a piece…wrap it up and bake or grill it for an hour plus.  We used to call these hobo dinners when we used hamburger.  Fixed with trout especially good…ahh.

Brett made these for all of us last night – he is perfecting the recipe…the oranges added a wonderful flavor.

Katy is going shopping with her friend, Becky today..He and I are going to Des Moines to meet her and do a little shopping…I’m feeling really weak…I want an Iroomba really bad ….will probably break and get one.  Aaron from work got one for Christmas and is especially impressed…Kim only wants one if it will also fetch a cool beverage for her from the kitchen 🙂

iroomba 

Until next time….

My Mother, Helen 90 years old

Her Sister, my aunt 92 year old Aunt Frances

His mother, Avis 82 years old

The Table

Jenny before everyone arrived – learning wii fit

Playing wii games

Christmas officially over at our house.  Today he took down the tree and put all of the boxes back in the storage cubby…I found the tart burner that I put away and couldn’t find so everything is back to normal…well, with the exception of Kate’s room but it looks normal or like it did when she was in high school 🙂

Marc was ahead of me 13 games from the regular season of football.  I, now, owe him a 12 pack of Diet Coke.  Now the playoffs begin and we just made our picks for this weekend….He’s goin’ down, I’m tellin’ ya.  Marc is msmandylee’s husband….

Brett and Chris are coming tonight (Monday) for a trout dinner.  They are bringing the fixins…not quite as good as frying fish in the campground but I won’t complain!!

No precip…weather is reasonable winter temp…life is good.

Until next time….

50-27 retired as of this morning at 0200.  27 and I started 3 months apart back in 84.  As he has always reminded me, he is a couple of years my junior.  His final 10-42 or ending tour of duty, affected me like a stab in the heart…it’s not that we haven’t had our issues…we had several disagreements over the years and a few were actually with him yelling at me and pointing his finger…and I always retaliated by pointing “a finger” at him as he was exiting the room. 20 years ago, we stood up with our friends when they got married.  She is my BFF, Kim and her husband is the sheriff.  They had a small get together in a hotel here after the ceremony.  50-27 and I got there first in to make sure things were in order…we were in the motel room together…I went to the bathroom to change into comfortable clothes and I was truly uncomfortable with the situation.  Things have obviously changed over the last 20 years…not that I would strip down in front of him now…but over the years I have been cured  of my modesty…we have had some great conversations, some sordid conversation, some honest conversations about our relationships and our lives…our oldest daughters went all the way thru school together…and we have had some great political arguments.  We are both dems…he – a lot more conservative and I’ve always thought he was a dem in Rep clothing…He has never been afraid to insult my liberal hippy ways.  But down deep inside, seems we have always connected.  He leaves the sheriff’s office as a LT…and from here he goes to a seat on the Board of Supervisors…he was elected in November. So, perhaps, our relationship just moves to a different level.  He will still be at my beck and call as a volunteer for the Kellogg fire and ambulance…where I”m known as the midnight voice from hell.  I will miss 50-27 and as he reminded me tonight, his number will eventually be reassigned…I hope not until I’m retired because there will be only one 50-27.

Until next time…..

Ice storm….I worked the last two…so it is a good thing that I’m home…usually the power goes out for several days…I’m trying to stay optimistic but it is very hard.  I’m trying to get sleepy…Tonight is my first night back…I took a nap early overnight and forced myself to get up…only wish I was that tired now…of course I watched 3 episodes of Dog the Bounty Hunter that I had recorded…he’s bound to get anyone stirred up…

Haven’t taken the tree down yet and have one more tote to put last minute things in like my red santa shirt that the girls made fun of Christmas eve.  I only hope I live long enough to see them doing the same things I’m doing at 52 🙂

Until next time….

Kitchen clean – Christmas dishes put away…tablecloths washed and packed away, watched Y & R and caught an episode of As the World Turns and Guiding Light…put together my new cordless phone…1 piece of pumpkin pie down the tube – 2 pieces of chocolate and damn…that ham is good.

Had a spoonful of oyster dressing and a sliver of ham…better than yesterday….

I can’t quit eating pumpkin bread……

Mom was on her best behavior…I actually had compassion for her. 

Aunt Frances was a holy terror….she didn’t shut up from the minute she was wheeled in the door until the minute she was wheeled out.  I don’t know if she knows that she was the sole owner of every opinion she spouted…I began cringing everytime she opened her mouth.  I’m thankful that I have an understanding husband and extended family…the girls don’t really count..they are in the same miserable place I am…we all have the same blood…..

Next year, I’m going to try to dedicate my Christmas thoughts to the reason for the season.

The holiday is over, I will begin the process of removing decorations tomorrow.  I would do it tonight but am totally unable to function.

Until next time……