So This is What it is to Be 56

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Well, it came and went.

I'm talking about my birthday.

Once you face the fact that you CAN'T stop the progression of years, and all the wrinkles, sags, and bags that they bring - - - you are left with two choices.

Maybe three.

You could give up and die. Not for me. Wrinkles beat death every time.

You could get cynical and bitter. Of course then you'd be friendless and alone, but you COULD go that route.

Or - - - you could look the wrinkles in the face, and other places, and laugh.

I choose laughing every time.

I'm a vintage thingie. Isn't an antique something that is 50 years old? Then I are one, because yesterday I slipped right into my 56th year. I choose to think of my wrinkles as my crackle finish.

:-)

I hope that like fine wine, cheese, and pickles - - - I'm getting better with age!

And here is how I celebrated this monumental event of my life:











At 8:45 AM I got my nails redone. This was not particularly a special birthday event - - - I do it every two weeks. HOWEVER, do you see that lovely little piece of bling that April, my wonderful nail tech, gave me for my special day????

Oh yah, and I took the first picture with my hand hovering over my leopard skin snuggie just so you'd know it is really MY hand. (As if the wrinkles wouldn't give me away!)

Can you guess what my hand is hovering over in the second photo???



In the afternoon we picked up our friends Mike and Diane and headed up to Fort Wayne to eat at Red Lobster.

Now, all you folk who live on the coast where FRESH sea food is available - - - please DON'T JUDGE us for LOVING Red Lobster. Red Lobster is the BEST we can get here in the frozen tundra of north central Indiana. Besides, the Red Lobster TV ads this holiday season have been making me DROOL, so I'm also a product of commercialism.



Our meal began with these scrumptious biscuits and salad.

Notice how I edited that salad right out of the photo! I mean, it was a GOOD salad, but who wants to focus on something that might be a bit HEALTHY when we can zero right in on these biscuits?

Red Lobster's biscuits are buttery, cheesy, and garlicy. They are soft. They are hot. They slide down with the greatest of ease. I ate two. DON'T JUDGE, it was my birthday! (Thanks Laura, I learned that phrase from you this morning!)



Then they brought me my dinner. It's called the Ultimate Feast. Just look at all that seafood goodness - - - and butter, don't forget the butter!

Again - - - remember - - - apply Laura's phrase!



Let's zero in and look closely at that shrimp scampi. YUM. Do you see how it is postively SWIMMING in garlic and BUTTER?

I ate it all. The shrimp, the lobster, the crab legs, and all the drawn butter. (Well, I did leave the exoskeletons - - -)

Remember, we aren't JUDGING here.

Besides, we went to the mall and walked for about an hour after we ate, so I'm sure that took care of all that butter, don't'cha think? DON'T ANSWER THAT!


We finished off our evening at DeBrand. I'm really sorry for all of you who don't live in or near Fort Wayne - - - you won't be able to experience DeBrand LIVE and in PERSON anywhere but Fort Wayne.

But just TRUST me - - - it is not only a CUTE place, the chocolate they serve there is the BEST ON THE PLANET. The best.

The others had fancy hot drinks.


I went straight for the GOOD STUFF - - - the chocolate. Some of this chocolate was for Fisherhubby, but DON'T JUDGE him either.

:-)

This blog is a no judging zone.

I ate- - - - no, strike that - - - I savoured my chocolates with the greatest of joy. Those of you who know me well will probably be able to pick out which belonged to me and which to Fisherhubby. Go ahead, guess.


It was a GREAT birthday.

After DeBrand we came home and I watched Nebraska SHUT OUT Arizona in the Holiday Bowl. GO HUSKERS!

Now, for all you young little things, those of you whose mother or GRANDMOTHER I could be - - - here's my word of advice about getting older:

Don't knock it - - - it sure beats the alternative!
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Hair Today, Hair Tomorrow

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This is our baby girl - - - Korie
KorieNae to those of us who love her well.

She's a cosmetologist

Working in a very trendy,
Very upscale,
Tres riche,
Shoppe in Broad Ripple.

It's called Bobby Copper Salon.
They have just recently begun a blog
Where they share hair tips and secrets.
If you click on the above icon
You can hurry on over for some advice from the best.

And it's all free


I'm just sayin'

:-)
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"Today is Your Birthday"

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(Graphic from armchairgeneral.com)

It's my day.

It's Cousin Dar's day too.

I came first because I did - by one year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!!

We rejoice that though we are OLD,
Yet we breathe!






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Bucky Went Bowling in Orlando

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(photo from theticketking.com)

Bucky was barely ranked (25) when he went to Orlando looking for a fight.

He found the 15th ranked Miami Hurricanes who were just cruisin' for a bruisin!

(photo from iamabadgerfan.blogspot.com)

Bucky was more than happy to give them that bruising - - - and came away the 20 - 14 victor.

I am jumping!

I am floating!

I am over the moon!

What's the big deal you ask?

Well, my Badgers lost their previous two bowl games, and last year Florida State made them look just plain silly.

There's a grin on my face tonight that will be hard to wipe off!!!!

True, there was that BIG ONSIDE KICK SCARE in the last moments of the game - - - but the Badgers dug in their big ole defensive heels and came out of that burrow the VICTORS.

I guess it was just our year.
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"I'm Fine Mom!"

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Dear mom, (Leigh to most of you)

I know how you worry when I travel, so I'm just checking in to let you know I arrived safe and sound.


First thing when I got here, Miss Keetha undid my seat belt and got me out of my little deluxe nutcrackermobile.


Then she smothered my face with kisses. If you'd have warned me about that part, I never woulda come here! Is she a little weird or what?

Next it was off to meet and greet:



First I met the BIG CHEESE Nutcracker King. I felt a little small and intimidated next to him. He never even cracked (oh, that's a pun!) a smile!


But when I met these little princes I felt pretty big in my britches!!!


Miss Keetha has a whole Toyland here, mom! She says these are for the grans. I just have one question, what are "grans?"


Hey, is it bad luck to have a black cat sniff your head? This one's name is Gomer and I wasn't sure that I liked him much!


But this Christmas Cat was real sweet and quiet. She didn't make one sound.



I think maybe Miss Keetha's running a game preserve around here!!! Just look at all these black bears. One of them, who called herself Brunhilda, was pretty bossy!!


Do you have ANY IDEA how cold it is up here, mom???? I'm NOT in Alabama any more, Toto!!!


You did not PREPARE me for standing around in the snow! You think this little coat you gave me is warm enough for this????? Better think again!


Miss Keetha saw that I was freezing my Alabama blood to death out in the snow bank, so she brought me in and let me warm up wrapped in her leopard snuggie. She even let me have the remote and the "Turd Furgeson" pillow for my head.


Then it was time for me to take my place on guard duty in the front hall. Miss Keetha said, "Yo Bob! Break's over!" and she made me go to work.


And that's where I still am. Can you see me, mom??? Third up from the bottom. I'll try my hardest, in my new home, to make you proud!!!
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Let it Snow, Let it Snow, LET IT SNOW!!!

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"Oh, the weather outside is frightful,"

(Well, maybe not frightful, exactly - - - I love snow)

(And Fisherhubby loves to dress up in his polar express gear
And play with his big boy, gasoline powered toy)

"But the fire is so delightful!"
(Especially when the tree and village lights are on
And I'm wearing my comfy Badger Jammies
And funky stripey socks)

"And since we've no place to go - - -"
(And can stay by the fire
Wrapped warmly in a leopard skin snuggie
Watching football, NFL AND NCAA, on the big screen)

"Let it snow, let it snow, LET IT SNOW!!!"

(With apologies to Sammy Cahn for
eclectisizing his lyrics)
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When Losing is More Than Just Losing

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The fan in the center of this photo is NOT very happy tonight. Her Colts lost for the first time this season, making their record 14-1.

She knows how to take a loss when the loss is an honest, hard fought, REAL loss. She's not happy about any loss, but an honest loss - - - well, then she can rally behind her team and their coaches and look to the future.

But when the team owners, coaches, and powers-that-be decide to PULL the starters OUT of the game at the beginning of the third quarter, and put the LEPRECHAUN in, (don't know who I mean? Well, just LOOK at #7 in his helmet and tell me if he ISN'T a leprechaun!) same leprechaun who could NEVER lead his college team to a victory in the clutch, when those team owners, coaches, and powers-that-be do that - - - - it is NOT an honest loss.

It is surrender.

And for what? To "protect" the starters - - - to keep them "healthy" for the playoffs!

How HEALTHY is a player who's drive to win has been crushed and broken by a loss that happened in the board room and not on the playing field?

I thought perhaps the Colt's powers-that-be had learned their lesson from the Super Bowl win three years ago. There were no board room orchestrated losses that year. No pulling out starters to "rest" them. No - - - there were hard fought games right up to and into the playoffs because our record wasn't good enough for us to get INTO the playoffs without the hard work.

And what happened that year? Did WORKING our players up to and through the playoffs cause us to LOSE? Mais non mez amis! It fired up our defense who then protected Peyton and cleared out holes for the running backs and we ran and passed our way right into a Super Bowl win.

Think that will happen now? This year? Now that the board room brains decided we NEEDED to LOSE to "save" our players?

Take one look at Peyton's face in the aftermath of today's loss and see what you think.

I hope I'm wrong.

I hope the board room brains are right.

I'd love to win another Super Bowl.

But everything in my competitive nature says THIS ISN'T THE WAY TO DO IT!!!! Everything in me says, "Those boys are getting paid to PLAY FOOTBALL, not sit on the bench! PUT THEM IN THE GAME and let them fire up their will to win by WINNING!!!!"

And for pity sake - - - get that LEPRECHAUN off the field!!!!

If you wonder how I REALLY feel about this, just ask - - - I'll be glad to tell ya!

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Sunday Reruns - Bikers

Thanks so much to Chari over at Happy to Design for hosting Sunday Favorites.

Not Your Ordinary Trike
(First posted on 6/25/07)

Go figure - - - - Kelly has a trike!!! It's reminiscent of a big wheel and he found it in his neighbor's trash. All it needed was a little air in the front tire and voila - - -


Greg decides to give it a try. "Watch me, Macky, I'll show you how it's done!"

Kelly cheers dad on

The old man's still got "it."

"Hey - - - let ME try this thing too!"

"Now if I could only make it go - - - "

Trick Rider

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It's All Quiet Now - - -

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There was a flurry of activity.

Kids.

Grand kids.

Presents.

Food.

Noise.

Commotion.

But all is quiet now. It's just us in our own little house with nary a Christmas Mouse in sight.

Fisherhubby went out to the garage to sit and work in his fishing boat for a while - - - he said that made him happy. Whatever floats your BOAT. (Oh, I do crack myself up!)


So I'm indulging in what brings me joy - - - that would be blogging. (notice that joy is with a lower case j, for those of you who are getting worried about my spiritual priorities.)

Today is a good day for some Eclectic Bits.

EB 1

This is one of my "kings" which isn't a king at all, but a fly fisherman. Just guess to whom THIS belongs!?!

EB 2

For this entire week, here's what I've been seeing through my kitchen window:

A winter wonderland!

Not the blizzard that some of you have been experiencing,
But enough snow to give us a white Christmas Eve!

Today we got up, and it was all gone.
Now we have gray and rain.


EB 3

By the time school got out on Friday, one of my students had ADDED to my holiday date decor to make it look like this.

EB 4

One of my students gave me this Christmas gift!!! I think he knows me well.

No, I have NOT eaten it yet. Not saying I WON'T eat it, but it's just too cute to consume right away, don't you think??

And now that Christmas has come and gone, we can indulge in earnest in College Bowl Games!!!!
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