A Day in the life of........

I feel like I've been very busy, but truth is, it's all the same. Here's the run down of my day. (Hey, give me a break, Got to update my blog, and can't think of anything else to blog about. LOL)

A NORMAL day (Times are approximate, but VERY close to actual)

7:30 am- Alarm goes off.

7:31- Text Lois (or she texts me) to make sure we're getting up.

7:32-7:35- Sit up in bed and consider killing Lois for making me get up this early.

7:36- Make it out of bed, stumble into the kitchen and pour myself a bowl of Special K (YUMMY.)

7:40 Brush teeth, brush hair, put on workout clothes.

7:55 Text Lois to let her know I'm on the way.

8:15(ish)- arrive at the gym. Lois is always there waiting on me.

8:16- Mosey into the Gym, swipe our cards, and walk down the Looooooooong hallway (Always feel like a prisoner walking down the long hallway to get my lethal injection).

8:17-8:20 hang keys on the key rack, and just stand staring at the equipment wondering where to start.

8:21 Lois decides what to do, and I follow. (9 times out of 10 weight presses)Act really dumb, make fun of each other, and make people wonder what we were drinking or what drugs we were taking before coming in. (Surprising how slap happy you get that early in the morning.)

9:30 Drag ourselves back down that looooooooong hallway to the juice bar.

9:31 I order a Banana Bonita smoothie (Pineapple juice with coconut, Bananas, and a cup of protein.)

9:31.5 Get teased by Lois for ordering the same thing EVERY DAY.
9:34 Lois FINALLY decides on what she wants either an "Invisible Man" (Banana and Strawberry smoothie) or "Through the Lips off the Hips" (Peanut butter and chocolate smoothie)

9:36 head out to our vehicles.

9:37 decide what time to text each other. (usually 1)

10:15 pull into my driveway.

10:20 crash

12:30 wake up

12:33 take a shower

1- Text Lois to make sure she's up.

1:00.3 Get a text from Lois making sure I'm up.

1:05 Throw laundry in the dryer, which was washed the night before or before I headed to the gym. (according what day it is.)

1:10-2 Sometime in there eat....

1:45 get ready for work

2 Text Lois to let her know I'm on my way to work.

2:02 Ask her if she wants anything from Starbucks (SOMETIMES)

2:20 Run by Starbucks

2:30(ish) park close to Lois

2:32 Trade a Mochalite Frap for her K Tribune

2:33-2:40 walk into work together. Talk to people on the way.

2:41 Stop at our separation point and throw in some last min comments.

2:42 Yell, we'll chat as we walk in opposite directions.

2:45-2:50 change shoes and glasses. Grab marker, ear plugs, and gloves out of my toolbox. (Got pictures of Brennan and Jared on my toolbox. SO I see them EVERYDAY) Make a last min bathroom break and grab a bottle of water.

3-5 work while reading the paper and texting occasionally.

5-5:15 break (Work on School stuff or read)

5:15-7 work while texting occasionally

7-7:20 dinner (you can ALWAYS find someone going out for lunch and willing to bring you back food.)

7:20-9 work with occasional texting

9-9:15 last break (Work on School stuff or read)

9:15-10:30/40 work with occasional texting

10:40-10:50 clean up work area, write down my count, bathroom break, and change back into street shoes/glasses. Lock up toolbox

10:50-55 walk outside to the gates. Talk to people on the way

11 clock out.

11-11:04 make starbuck run (If Lois is pulling 12 hours) or make Walmart run, Ihop run, or a gym run (If she's not working 12)

11:40-3am get home.

2:30-3:30 ZZZZZZZZZ

Depression stinks..

I do believe that the best line in any movie ever made is from Bambi.... "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."
Lois, Marlo (another coworker) and I went out to eat Friday night. Well, we usually take only one vehicle and ride together. Well, Lois, for some reason, drove herself. I decided to ride with Marlo....
After we left the resteraunt,Marlo and I sat in her car and talked for a while... Then right before I left she told me something that totally BLEW my mind. I was actually speechless on how to answer. She said.. I'm summarizing here.....
"You are too uptight, too high strung, and way too religious. Don't expect any man to fall madly in love with you. And if by some miracle you do find someone, he'll probably cheat on you because he won't want to wait till you're married."

To say I was taken by surprise would be the major understatement of the year.
I met Lois at Ihop Sat morning, and told her what Marlo said. She was speechless as well. She told me, "When you said 'you won't believe what Marlo said to me last night', I thought she was talking about me behind my back. I never would have dreamed she would say something that rude and inconsiderate to your face."

When your with friends, you're SUPPOSED to walk away feeling better than you did when you arrived. NOT the other way around. I've been so depressed since Friday night, and the rain doesn't help.

What was she thinking????????

A long post of random things.....

I know it's been a while since I last posted, but boy have I been busy...
I've had my Jeep for a month now, (Doesn't seem that long.) and I still don't have any good pictures. It's either I'm busy, it's raining, or it's too dirty to get a picture of. So, just hang on I promise you'll get a picture.....

Three weeks ago, Lois and I started "gyming it." Yes, you've heard me correctly, yours truly has joined a gym. Since Lois has to get Philip to school by 8, we meet at the gym at 8:15. She usually texts me every morning about 8 asking if I'm on my way. You should've seen me JUMP out of bed the other morning when my alarm didn't go off. I still made it to the gym by 8:30. Only took me 10 mins to get out the door.
We "gym" till about 9:30. We split it up. Cardio (treadmill, stairsteppers, stationary bikes, and the cross country thingy) 3 days a week (mostly Mon, Wed, and Fris) and the upper body/lower body presses Tues and Thurs. Sometimes we throw in some upper body work a day or two in with the cardio. We leave our weekends free.

After our workouts, (Which I do see a change) we grab a fat burner milkshake or a fruit smoothie before leaving the gym. The cool thing is it's all natural and no sugar added. They are AWESOME. We rather get these than Starbucks. They're also supposed to be starting to sell "Starbucks" type drinks, but found out that they are going to build a drive thru Starbucks right across the street. They don't want to compete with them.
After our smoothies/milkshakes we drag ourselves to our Jeeps. We usually park in the back of the lot, so we're forced to walk. we set a time to text each other to make sure we're getting up for work. Usually bout noon.
Then we go to our separate homes and CRASH before work. Then at our pre-set time either she texts me or I text her. whoever is awake first texts. Then we get ready for another wonderfully HOT and HUMID day at work..... I work 8 hrs she works 12, then we do it all over again the next day. ;)

And yet I still manage to find time to do my school work. Almost done with my Introduction to Business, next will be Business Communications 1. YUCK.

I did get a very odd text mess. Thursday... Lois textd me and said "Text me back Please." So, I did and asked her what's up. She said she had a very bad dream that I was kidnapped. She said that she was FRANTICALLY searching for me, and quit her job so she could devote her time to searching for me. She said after a few months of searching, she was somewhere and saw me walk in. She ran to me, and held me. She asked "Where have you been? What happened to you?" I supposedly said "I'm not allowed to talk about it, and I have to go." Then she walked out to her jeep and noticed that I was parked next to her. She sat there waiting for me to come out, but never did. That's when she woke up crying.


She said she woke up so terrified, that she had to text me and know that I was still around. She said she had never been so relieved to get a text message in her life. That was just weird.

A Sad Goodbye but a nice Hello.......

This will probably be long, so if you don't have time, you might want to come back later....
Background story....
On July 20th I had spent most the day loading and unloading stuff for a yard sale. It was close to 11PM, and I was still in F when I got a call from Ashley telling me they were taking my dad to the hospital. (appendicitis)

I just got a block away from my mom's rental when I heard a HORRIBLE banging coming from the back of my Jeep. It sounded like something came loose and was hitting underneath. It worried me enough to make me pull into a gas station and actually get on my hands and knees to check. When I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, I texted Lois and told her to start praying.
I made it to the hospital all right, but I refused to drive it back to F the following two days.
I met Lois at Walmart that Friday night, and let her listen to it. She said that normally her husband has to point out sounds in their vehicles, and she still never hears them. She got in my jeep, and heard it right away.
Her husband offered to take a look, so Sunday afternoon I took it over, and he jacked it up. There was something wrong with back axles. One back tire rotates before the other. He said that his Jeep did that, and it cost close to $2000 to fix.
I had planned on getting a new Jeep after the contract in September anyway, so I didn't see the point of fixing a jeep that I was going to get rid of in a couple months. However I just wasn't sure how I could swing a big bill at this time. The ones I looked at ran close to 40,000. I didn't want to go that much.

So,fast forward to July 22.....
I did a lot of praying about it, and figured it doesn't hurt to look around. I discovered that you can google dealerships and check out their inventory and their prices. Not only that but you can arrange test drives online. Pretty cool.
Anyway after living with and loving a Jeep Wrangler for 8 years, I wanted to stick with the Jeeps. I noticed a HUGE Jeep dealership in N, so my dad and I planned on going up that Tuesday morning to check it out.....

July 24....
I left home driving my Wrangler, and I felt really sad knowing it was going to be for the last time. I kept thinking of all the bad weather it got me through, and all the fun I had in it. It was the last vehicle Aunt Ida drove. It was the summer before she died and before she found out she had cancer. I had the top off (which I only did that one summer), and had her laughing when I kept saying "If that's too much air let me know." She drove it when I first got it, which also made me sad. I tried to keep from getting too teary eyed as I drove it to N. Isn't it strange how sentimental you can get to vehicles?

I also prayed that if I was supposed to get a new Jeep then have the price reasonable enough that I don't have to work overtime to pay for it. If not then have it so expensive I can't swing it on a 40 hour check.

I got to the dealership around 10 AM, and of course was greeted by a nice old man. My dad's side was hurting so he went inside leaving me with the salesman. My first thought was "Oh, no. He's going to treat me like a bratty 3 year old, and show me the pretty vanity mirrors." Okay, so maybe that's the stereotype I have about salesmen, and thankfully this salesman proved my thinking wrong. He didn't talk down to me, or make me feel like I didn't know what I wanted. Then again, maybe that was because I had in mind what I wanted.
When I asked to see their selection on Liberties, he took me straight there and showed them to me. He didn't try to persuade me to look at any other vehicles.

When I saw it, I was in love.... A 2007 Midnight blue Jeep Liberty Sport.. Of course it has the standard 4 wheel drive (For me that's a MUST) a 3.7 V6 engine, 4 speed automatic transmission (Which my dad's job was tearing those down and rebuilding them from scratch. That could become very handy YEARS from now), 69 cubic foot storage space in the back with a standard easyfold 65/35 rear bench folding seat, room for 3 in the backseat (instead of 2 like my Wrangler), cd player, power windows, power locks, (No more leaning over to lock/unlock doors or roll windows. Whoo hoo) keyless entry, 2 count them 2 12 volt auxiliary power outlets (aka cigarette lighters) one is in the front instrument panel and the other is in the rear cargo area, 4 cup holders 2 in front, two in the back doors, which also means I now have 4 DOORS, (no more adjusting front seats to get people in and out. Another reason I wanted a Liberty.) and several safety features that I find pretty cool.

When I asked to take it on a test drive, the salesman offered to let my dad go instead of him. Had to get used to not flooring it to take off like my old jeep. It's a MILLION times smoother and quieter than my old one. I don't have to feel like I'm yelling to talk now. Only had 35 miles on when we got back to the dealership.

When I got back to the dealership instead of pulling into a place I backed in just to see how difficult it is..(Which is a crucial thing, and a main reason I hate neons.) It wasn't as easy to back up as my Wrangler, but I had no difficulties with it.

So, I then asked about the price... $25,000. I was debating until I heard about the rebates and got my trade in price.....Yes, I used my Wrangler as a trade in. I was HOPING it would be worth at least 2,000. I cringed when their mechanic took it for a test drive. I saw that 2,000 quickly fading away. But figured if it's meant to be, then the Lord will work everything out..I was SHOCKED and OVER THRILLED that they offered $5,500 for it, and that's not including the rebates. I won't go into the final price of it, but I'll just say the final price was cheaper than my mom's Neon. Yeah, remember what I said about praying that the payments would be reasonable? The price was so reasonable I thought it was a misprint. I still shake my head in disbelief when I think about it.


Then we started the paperwork. YEAH. took 1 1/2 -2 hours to see if I was approved. Then had to sign all the paperwork. I decided to be brave enough to have my payments payroll deducted, which is a lot easier knowing it comes out each week instead of having to do it yourself. By noon we were STILL in the dealership, so I went ahead and called in tardy for 4 hours.

At 1:30 I was driving home in a brand new Liberty, and to celebrate took my parents out to eat. I am one happy girl.

Getting in shape mind and body.....

Lois and I have been talking for close to a year now about getting "in shape." Well.....

Last Thursday we checked out a gym in K, and we were both impressed.
They not only have 10 of every machine (treadmills, step machines, etc.) They also have a weight room, personal trainers, classes, karate, and private rooms (mostly for school teams), and they have a 500 yard track. That's not including TVs around the room. These TVs are HUGE, and the sound is off. Each TV has the FM station under it, so you can bring your own FM radio with headphones and listen. It also has a daycare center, free massages, tanning beds, and a women's only workout room (for those who's insecure with men in the room.) Oh, and a restaurant in the front that sells food and smoothies. YUMMY.

Oh, and the best part? It's open 24/7. We can go right after work and work out if we want....
We both signed up for the 14 day free trial, however Lois has already said she's going to go ahead and get a membership and pay the whole year at once. Since I won't get a check for a couple weeks, she's offered to pay mine as well. I hate the thought of her doing that, but I told her that I would pay her back ASAP.

I also signed up for my Assoc. degree in Early childhood education. I was going to go with Penn Foster, however.... You have to put in a 300 hour internship in a 4? month time span. I simply can't do it that quickly. So, I checked out Ashworth College, and chose that. My first course has been sent to me already. I'm really excited to start....

Now to get my high school transcripts sent and find 2 people to nominate for my semester exams..... Hmmm...

Something to pray about.....

When I first started researching international adoptions my main thought was "WOW, not a lot of countries accept single applicants." Most countries let single women adopt ONLY special needs and/or older children over the age of 5. I understand they need homes, but I wasn't sure how comfortable I am in taking in a seriously ill child or an older child as my first.

My second thought was "They require too much time off work."
Some countries you have to be in their country for more than 2 weeks. One country you have to be there for 45 days.

Then I found out that Guatemala adoptions only take 2-4 days. SO.... I was thinking seriously on adopting from there UNTIL..... The government has stopped all adoptions from there. There's been cases of people "pretending" to be parents and giving kidnapped children for adoptions.

When I read that I thought, okay, so maybe I'm not supposed to adopt... UNTIL......
I was researching again and Haiti has opened up an international adoption service. The requirements for single women is that they are a MINIMUM of 30 years old and they show proof of faith. And the travel time is only 3-5 days. Another awesome part? The cost is only $7,000, which is cheaper than other countries that wants double that and more.

I know I decided YEARS ago that if I was ever blessed with a child her/his name would be either Taylor Rose or Taylor Brent.

I just think how symbolic it would be to adopt Taylor from Haiti. I have A LOT of praying to do.

HUGE MISTAKE

My mom was asked to take WKFM (I still have trouble not calling it YMWB). Well, she agreed and she drafted me to help. No problem, I didn't mind since it's only the first Sunday of each month. Last Sunday was a special service so our WKFM service was today.

Well, before the service, the kids go upstairs and take soup cans around and take money. The money goes to different missions.

We have 4 boys that come every Sunday. Jake is the oldest, and he's 10. Then there's Noah, Caleb, and Isaiah. They are all under the age of 5.

This was Noah's first time taking up the offering, but once he figured it out he was fine...... UNTIL.....

After giving the money to Kita, we went back downstairs. First thing Noah said was "When do I get my money?"

My mom thinking maybe he left some money somewhere asked "What money are you talking about?" He said "The money up there?"

My mom told him that the money upstairs was going to the Indians (Which it is) for school supplies. Poor Noah got really quiet.

After singing some songs, my mom started telling about the Indians. Everytime mom mentioned Indians poor Noah puckered a little more each time. Finally he started crying. We tried everything to get him to stop, but he wouldn't. I even took him to the back and tried to read to him, but he wouldn't stop for anything.

The only thing we could think of is he really thought he was going to keep that money. Poor little guy.

For some strange reason I'm not able to put a title to this post. So, it will have to go titleless.....

Before everything changed at work, I worked with 6 wonderful ladies... Tammie, Michelle, Crystal, Shelia, Christie, and Lois. For Birthdays our "group" would have a pitch in dinner and gifts for the birthday girl.
Well, everyone was moved around the summer of 2005, by Jan. 2006 Michelle, Shelia, Christie and Tammie all got laid off (Now they all took the buyout, and none of them work there anymore) Crystal is on day shift, and Lois and I are the only remaining ones left.
Lois's birthday was the first, everyone else's was in Oct and Dec. So, with everyone gone, our little "parties" stopped.
So, Lois and I celebrate each other's birthdays by treating each other out for lunch.

Well, Sat (yesterday) was Lois's birthday and we celebrated by going to Culivers. The rule is the birthday girl picks the place, and the nonbirthday girl pays. I was told that Philip wasn't too happy about eating there, but was perfectly fine with the idea when he found out that "Miss Angie" will be there.

Anyway, Culivers has a KILLER banana Sundae. It's called a Banana Foster Sundae. It's vanilla ice cream, bananas, pecans (have to ask for it, not automatically added), and a carmel/cinnamon topping. Oh, and the bananas and topping isn't just on top, but at the bottom as well. YUMMY!!!

Anyway, Lois has been kidding lately about getting a dog, since they're better than men. However, she and Philip are both HIGHLY allergic, so I gave her a stuffed dog, which she laughed extremely hard over. I also gave her a Strong's Concordence, which she found AMAZING and loved once I explained to her how to use it,(She told me she had no clue they made things like that) and Chondra Pierce's book "Laughing In the Dark".

After eating a hearty meal of butter burgers and deep fried cheese curds, getting Philip bouncing off the walls due to a MAJOR sugar rush (He had an M&M concrete mixer, which is like a blizzard), and trying to explain to an eight year old why I couldn't go to his house to play, we headed back to our normal lives.

Anyway, Hope you had a HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOIS!!!!!!!

CONGRATS Christie and Shawn!!!!!

Jackson Chap (the younger)
Born July 1, 2007 at 9:04 AM
5 lbs 13 oz
20 inches long

Joseph Lee Born July 1, 2007 at 8:50 AM
6 Lbs 4 oz
19 inches long

Christie used to work with me until she got laid off. Wonder how Jared enjoys being the BIG brother. They're beautiful Christie!!!!!

Same Old Same Old....

It seems like there's a million things going on, and yet nothing new to talk about.
The situation with my friend, Lois, is getting better. She has had a very emotional couple weeks, and thankfully she's been very openminded when I started sending scripture to her. Most (about 99%) of our talks are through text mess. You know how long it takes to type out complete scriptures? Yeah, my fingers get sore, but if it wins another soul, who am I to complain? ;) She texted asking me how to pray. My tears were FLOWING as I textd her back explaining how to get saved, and flowed even more when she told me that she's going to do it. I've noticed that she's bringing her Bible and reading it during breaks.
Please keep her in your prayers. She's got a LONG and difficult road ahead of her.

Ashley and I decided to have a yard sale July 20 & 21. If mom's rental isn't rented yet it's going to be there. Oh, and it will be an open house and mom will be there with applications. ;) If it's rented then Aunt Carol has so graciously told us we can have it over at her house. So far I Lois, Ashley, Mom? and I all have things to put in it. I'm offering my faithful readers a chance to get rid of stuff..... Just put a price and your initals on your items, and we'll sell it for you. So, you get the profits, and sis and I will do the dirty work. ;) In other words YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THERE!!!! Unless you want. Oh, and let us know what you want done with leftover stuff. For example I decided that whatever I don't sell will go to Goodwill. I sure don't want to drag everything home.

You Find Out Who Your Friends Are.......

If you haven't heard this song, here's the words........

Artist/Band: Tracy Lawrence
Run your car off the side of the road
Get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of nowhere
Get yourself in a bind lose the shirt off your back
Need a floor need a couch need a bus fare

This is where the rubber meets the road
This is where the cream is gonna rise
This is what you really didn't know
This is where the truth don't lie

{Chorus}
You find out who you're friends are
Somebody's gonna drop everything
Run out and crank up their car
Hit the gas get there fast
Never stop to think 'what's in it for me' or 'it's way too far'
They just show on up with their big old heart
You find out who you're friends are

Everybody wants to slap your back
wants to shake your hand
when you're up on top of that mountain
But let one of those rocks give way then you slide back down look up
and see who's around then

This ain't where the road comes to an end
This ain't where the bandwagon stops
This is just one of those times when
A lot of folks jump off

You find out who you're friends are
Somebody's gonna drop everything
Run out and crank up their car
Hit the gas get there fast
Never stop to think 'what's in it for me' or 'it's way too far'
They just show on up with their big old heart
You find out who you're friends are

When the water's high
When the weather's not so fair
When the well runs dry
Who's gonna be there

You find out who you're friends are
Somebody's gonna drop everything
Run out and crank up their car
Hit the gas get there fast
Never stop to think 'what's in it for me' or 'it's way too far'
They just show on up with their big old heart
You find out who you're friends are

Run your car off the side of the road
Get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of nowhere
Man I've been there

Get yourself in a bind lose the shirt off your back
Need a floor need a couch need a bus fare
Man, I've been there...
I've been there.

I shared that song with Lois (Captain) about a week or so ago, and she thought it was awesome. I never thought I would actually live those words..

She's going through a VERY difficult time right now. I'm not at liberty to go into details here, but let's just say, she called me up at 1:30 Monday morning needing a shoulder to cry on, and I drove up (in my pajamas even) just to be there for her. She's been cutting herself, and she has even talked to me about suicide. She has cried on my shoulder almost every night this week, and I am constantly telling her that I'll always be here for her. I've told her that I'm available 24/7 if she needs me. She says that she's lost everything, but I am quick to assure her that she can't lose me.
I am gradually leading her to the Lord, and I invited her to church tomorrow, and she said she might take me up on it. Please just keep her in your prayers, and pray that the Lord will give me the wisdom to help her through this.

Good news, Depressing Topic, and a Twist of Humor

Went to the Post office today to get my mail, and there was a letter from my bank. I knew it wasn't time for my bank statement to arrive, and my only thought was.... "I sure hope I didn't miscalculate my checkbook". So, I VERY slooooooowly opened it, and it was a check for 1,410. I overpaid a bill 2 YEARS ago. It was a very pleasant surprise....
Then....

I've been thinking about buying a funeral plot, tombstone, etc. for a while now. Then found out that the cemetery here in the town I live in, sells their plots for $200 a piece, and I believe you have to buy 2. The payment plan is whatever you can afford a month. They told my parents that one lady is paying $5 a month.


With the price so cheap people are buying them up like hotcakes, so my parents bought 4 of them thinking you never know.. Well, I told my parents that I would like to buy 1 of them, and they agreed.

I texted Lois and told her about them, and she texts back... "Yeah, people are dying to get in there." So, I text back, mostly deadbeats." Her answer? "No, just dead weights." Made me laugh.

What a bummer

Yesterday morning I woke up with a "strange" sore throat. It didn't hurt just felt really dry. Late afternoon/early evening a cough started. Last night I was coughing so hard I thought my lungs were going to explode.
I was SUPPOSED to have had lunch with Aunt Carol and Carrie, but I didn't want to pass on whatever I have. So, I first called the Dr and made an appointment for this afternoon, and then called Carol to let her know...

Went to the Dr...Discovered several things... Had a fever, lost some weight, and I have walking pneumonia.. Yep, so I am SOOOO glad I didn't go today. I would've felt HORRIBLE if I passed this on.

So, prayers for a SPEEDY recovery would be very appreciative. Now, I'll be living in bed for a few days. Good thing I have a portable dvd player I can hook up and watch while laying in bed.

Metamora and dulcimers

Today was our GDO (Girl's Day Out) trip to Metamora. We really missed the presence of several female relatives. It's such a shame that Chris, Beth, Carrie, and Ashley wasn't there. However my mom, Aunt Carol, and I did have fun. Oh, and those of you that missed, well.... You didn't miss too much. I would say only a 1/3 of the stores were open.

We ate lunch at a restaurant/ice cream parlor/candy store. The lady acted more like a mom than a stranger. It was really ODD. She told us "I can make you....." Then she quoted her menu. We settled on BBQ sandwiches and a hot dog. She then said "I have chips if you'd like them. What would you like to drink? We have water, coke...." It felt exactly like being at someone's kitchen table. It was WEIRD. Then when we got up to pay, she said "Thank you, come back again." I guess she had forgotten that we hadn't PAID. It was an odd experience.

We arrived around 11, and even with a lot of sitting, we were heading home by 2. I'm not going to say it was a waste of time, because spending time with family is NEVER a waste of time. Oh, and I did manage to find the strangest picture ever. Aunt Carol told me that it looked like something Carrie would LOVE. Since there wasn't anyone around, I took a picture of it. I will post it soon. PROMISE...

We did stop by Dairy Queen on the way home. Carrie, remember the dripping ice cream from last year? Well, it happened again. Only this time there was a plastic "holder" so it didn't actually drip on me. :)

I went to Metamora thinking MAYBE I could find a dulcimer, but as I said most of the shops were closed. There wasn't a dulcimer in sight... HOWEVER, Sept 1, they are having a dulcimer workshop.

Anyway, I come home got on ebay, and found a reliable seller (100% feedback) who MAKES dulcimers. Since I'm a beginner, I didn't want to buy anything expensive,(saw one for over $500) and this was VERY reasonable. I liked the fact that I get to choose whether I want a teardrop or hourglass shaped dulcimer. Most importantly, the thing I like most is this person has an "upgrade" program. The one I bought I believe is a student dulcimer. It's very plain and not fancy at all. Which starting out, that's just fine with me. Then with your receipt, you can upgrade whenever you want a better one. I think that's amazing.

Now I'll be camping out at the post office. LOL. :)

Changes... and complaints..

As you probably heard, our factory has been sold to a private company. Found out that this company is also the owner of Burger King. Which makes me wonder if they will put Burger Kings in our factories. That would be awesome.

I would say there are a lot of worried and concerned employees. Everyone is wondering what's going to happen. There are so many rumors, and with contracts coming up in September, rumors are flying more than normal. I for one am not worried. I know that God will take care of me regardless what happens.

I for one am very upset on how the "OLD" company treated us. They took us over, took our money, fired our design teams, took the patent? copyright? for our best selling item, and just dumped us when we started to do badly. Yeah, they really did us dirty.
I know this is wrong, but I hope that someday they kick themselves for giving us up so quickly. I hope what happened to us, happens to them. In other words... "What goes around, comes around."

I've told people at work that since the three top companies are doing so poorly, we need to join forces, and build each other up back to our "glory days". Well, it looks like it's happening. This new company has the former big shots of all three top companies working together to bail each other out.

One good thing is... We are as of now an AMERICAN company again!!!!!!!

I am a Copycat, and proud of it.

I saw this on my cousin's blog, and thought.... Hmmm... If she's not afraid to put this out for the whole world to see, then why should I? So here's my answers..

Accent: Hoosier twang, realllly bad English accent (working on it) and pirate AARRR there matey.
Bible book I love: Proverbs. Can really pull me out of a bad mood.
Chore I don't care for: cleaning the litter box
Dog or Cat:cat. Don't have time to take care of a dog.
Essential Electronics: cell phone and Internet.
Gold or Silver: gold
Handbag I carry most: pink and gray one strap backpack with wallet, book(s), notebook, Bible,gum, and headache meds that I carry to work.
Insomnia: Uh.. YEAH... The joys of working 3-11PM. Usually up till AT LEAST 3. Sometimes 4 or 5AM.
Job Title: 2nd shift factory worker and Sunday school teacher.
Kids: UM..... NOT MARRIED DUH!!!!! ok, one cat, Tabby, and oodles of dust bunnies.
Living arrangements:3 bedroom, 1 bath, dining room, living room, kitchen, and a partial basement. I would KILL for a laundry room and sun room. I am so wanting to add on.
Most memorable moments: When I got the news of a new sister then brother. My Sr trip. Sure there are others.
Naughtiest childhood behavior: ONCE when I was babysitting Ashley and Austin, and they wouldn't stop arguing. I got annoyed with them, so I locked them outside. How was I supposed to know that it was lightning outside? They were traumatized...To this day I still hear about it.
Phobias: heights, mice and snakes (outside a cage), birds loose in the house, and enclosed areas.
Religion: Christian.
Siblings: 2 brothers, Aaron and Austin, 1 sister, Ashley, and 1 unofficially adopted big sister Lois.
Time I wake up: 11-11:30 work days (unless I have something I have to do), noon Sats (again, if I don't have anything to do), and 8:30 Sundays (can you see why I have a hard time staying awake during church?)
Unusual talent: Very good at quoting movies.... Oh, and I can look at a cover of a movie and tell you if I've seen it or not.
Vegetable I refuse to eat: plain raw tomatoes... Must be on something (taco/cheeseburger)
Worst habit: procrastinating
X-Rays: dental and had my finger X-rayed. Aaron broke it when he got mad when he was losing at baseball. Yes, he intentionally broke my finger. Oh, and he remembers it.
Yummy stuff I cook: Cabbage soup... Yum. Spicy.
Zoo animals I like the Most: Lions and dolphins.

Theory Disproved

I always thought that my sleepwalking/talking was always the cause of eating before bedtime.. Well, I proved myself wrong last night.

The dream I had was very comical, and of course I had to share it with Lois as we walked into work. I was VERY angry at Lois and was screaming at her in my dream. Which if you knew us, you'd know we never yell at each other. We don't even get mad. Might get annoyed or disappointed, but never angry. Which makes this dream even funnier.....

My dream started with Lois walking right into my house (How she had the key was beyond me.) She was standing in my living room yelling "Wake up poppet, let's watch Pirates of the Caribbean".
I sat up and yelled (I was VERY angry..) "Lois it's 4:30 AM GO HOME AND LET ME SLEEP." She said she was starting the movie. Now here's where my sleepwalking (or should I say sleep RUNNING comes in) I jumped out of bed and tried to run into the living room. I woke up when I fell down. I was also really dizzy. I do remember being really angry at Lois for coming into my house without calling first.

Lois and I had a good laugh over that stupid dream.

I love my boss....

Yes, you read that right. I am one of those people that love their bosses.

Stacy has been my boss since October, and she's fairly new at being a boss. She doesn't confront people (which I like) and she warns us about things. For example she told me recently... "The area manager is on the war path, he's looking to fire people talking/texting on cell phones and reading on their jobs. I thought I'd warn you since you're in direct view of his office." So of course I FRANTICALLY hide my newspapers and quickly finish the text message I was sending to Lois.

You see, all the offices are 20 feet above the floor. Bosses/ area managers can look out over their workers. Unfortunately MY job is directly by the area manager's office. I'm the first one he sees. So, I'm more likely to be noticed more than others. Also it doesn't help that I can look over my right shoulder and look up and see the area manager's bald head as he's on his computer. If he stands up, he would see me. Talk about direct view. The good thing is, I only have to be careful until 6 or 6:30... Sometimes 4 on Fridays, and usually not at all on Sat. That's when he leaves for the night.

Anyway back to Stacy. She sometimes (if we're chasing assembly, and about to drop them. Which means we're not running fast enough to keep the assembly departments in parts) sometimes she'll ask me if I would run another job during that person's breaks. There are times I want to refuse, but I never do. No, I'm not sucking up, I just think, there may be a time I need a favor. Sure enough I did.......

One time in Feb, my dad called me at work (on my cell) and told me that the roads were getting bad and to see if I could leave early. So, I found Stacy and asked if I could leave at 7. She told me, "I would, but everyone is asking to leave, and I can't let you and not anyone else." I told her that I understood, and went back to work. Around 8:30 this guy walks up to my job and said "Stacy told me to come over and run your job, so you can leave." I was surprised, and I didn't believe him. So, I found Stacy and asked her about it. She told me to go, that she found someone to cover my job, and to please don't tell anyone that she did that. Well, I grabbed my things and left after thanking her a million times over.
From then on whenever she asks me for a favor, I never hesistate to do whatever she needs. Oh, and it's paid off AGAIN....

I was hoping to work this Sat and next, so I get the 19th off. I'm wanting to go to my cousin's graduation. Well, I wasn't asked to work, so I asked Stacy if I could get a paid day that Sat. I explained why I needed it off, and that they live quite a ways away. She told me that she had to go check the book.

Two hours later I asked her if she checked it. I said, I'm just afraid it's going to be 100% (mandatory) that Sat. She said, "it is 100% next Sat AND the Sat you want off. Go ahead and take it off, and I'll take care of it." She laughed and waved me off when I told her that I owed her one.

So, I went from having one boss that played favorites, and those favorites were the ONLY ones that could get days off, to having a boss that treats us fairly. I really like Stacy, but I'm afraid she won't be there much longer. They're talking about getting rid of 1/3 of the management jobs. I sure hope they keep her. She plays fair.

Self Portraits

My cousin had this interesting idea about doing our own self portraits. Well, I do have a digital camera, but hadn't before now figured out how to actually upload pictures. However I played around with it, and I THINK I have it. So here goes, my self portraits.... I had FUN with these.

Chicago Trip

This morning started with a 7 AM wake up call. Not good when you went to bed 4 hours beforehand, but as my family will tell you.. "Don't worry, she'll get her sleep." It's our family joke to see how far we go before I fall asleep.

Anyway we left home at 7:30 and was to pick up Aaron around 8. Dad wanted to fill the tank up in K. So, as soon as we get there, my cell phone rings.... "Are you guys here yet?" I could hear the excitement in Aaron's voice. I explained about the gas, and then he asked "Did Austin come with you guys?" When I said yes, he got really excited and said "Awesome, this is going to be so much fun."
When we got there, Aaron was like a little kid excited about Christmas. Chris told us that he's been so excited for a week or so. He really is a funny guy when he's in a really good mood.

With a lot of laughing, teasing each other, and sleeping (on my part) we got to Chicago.. Oh, and that's not mentioning the groans from Austin and I (nor my eye rolling) during dad's skunk song... YES, Ashley, dad sang his skunk song for Aaron. We tried to talk him out of it, but he just HAD to sing it for him. Oh, and the way Aaron laughed, I think dad finally found someone that actually LIKES his song.

So, we get to the museum, and our tour through the Body Worlds 2 exhibit wasn't for another 2 hours.

So, we went looking through the museum, At one point we found computers where you can email free postcard emails to people. AARON got the wonderful idea to send one to Ashley. Even though he typed in from The M.... It's actually HIS work. So, you have him to thank for the email postcard. :) Yes, Ashley, you were very missed.

Then came the exhibit of the lifetime... Aaron asked me if I had told mom or dad what it was about. I said no, and he laughed really hard. I don't know what dad thought it was going to be, but by the time we were in line to go in, he was really hesitant. Aaron, compared this exhibit to a roller coaster ride... "Can't wait to go." We walked in and it was pretty "tame" at first. It showed a skull, and an infant's skull. Then it eventually had the bodies....
At first it made me cringe, but after a while it was pretty interesting. The skin was off the bodies, and some had the muscles showing, others had the body standing or sitting with it sliced vertically. All the bodies were posed in every day situations. Stretching, bending, kicking a ball, etc.. It wasn't long before I went past the "These are dead people" thinking to "WOW, I didn't know the muscles in my back pull like that when I bend.

I think the most "eye opening" was the lungs. They had a set of healthy lungs, then a set of smoker's lungs, and then the coal miner's lungs. (Coal miner's lungs were tons worse by the way.) Then hanging on the wall behind the lungs was a container they made to look like a cigarette carton. It was over half full of cigarette packs that people threw away after looking at the lungs. They were urging people to take an oath to stop smoking.

The saddest body was the woman who was 5 months pregnant. I found it interesting how protected the baby really is in a mother's womb. You had to really look to see it. However, it is sad to think that both mom and baby died.

Then they had a "recruiting" area where you can sign up to be a donor. You can donate your body to be exhibited. I was teasing my mom about donating my body, and she said "I'll hide it first."

They had a gift shop where Aaron found a couple books he wanted. One which had over 300 pictures of EVERY single exhibit (even the bodies that was touring with the other 2 groups) was what I bought him as a birthday gift. He read it all the way home. The other book is the life story of the guy that started this.

Here's the link to official website:
http://www.bodyworlds.com/en/gunther_von_hagens/life.html

After going through the exhibit, we headed home. All in all it was a very fun day.

Thank yous, Migraines, and home remedies

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for their prayers. I really NEEDED them, and it's always a comfort to know there are loved ones praying. Thanks again..

I feel better, but I still feel "out of it." I feel like I'm in a daze. The first thing I noticed after my migraines is the fact that my glasses aren't as strong as they were. Whether it's due to the headaches or the fact that it's been three years since I got my eyes tested I don't know. I prefer to think it's the later.
I don't want to go to the eye doctor until AFTER my head is COMPLETELY better. I'm hoping to go sometime next week.
I emailed a lot of my friends (aka coworkers,) and asked them if they had any good home remedies for migraines. Got some really interesting ideas......
These are the most interesting...

1. Ice packs placed on head/neck WHILE soaking hands in hot water. The hot water supposedly draws the blood away from your head. I do use ice packs, but never thought of using hot water.

2. Eat Plenty of vanilla ice cream. Not exactly sure what it's supposed to do, but hey any chance to eat ice cream without worrying about calories is ok in my book.

3. Peppermint oil... Take occasional whiffs of it, or put some in a dehumidifier and scent the room. Supposedly works as well as aspirin. (??? Sounds iffy to me.)

Other suggestions that sound impossible........
1. Ignore it, and keep yourself busy.... YEAH RIGHT UH HUH LIKE THAT'S REALLY GONNA HAPPEN!! *Major eye rolling*

2.Turn lights off, close curtains, and watch a movie with the sound low. UH..... Hmmmmm..... :/ Um.. A movie? I think NOT. I can't even stand turning a light on to go to the bathroom, so how am I going to be able to watch a movie? (I haven't watched a movie since Friday (April 20)....

3. lay perfectly still, relax, and take deep breaths.. Yeah, as soon as I CAN lay down. My head usually hurts too much to sit OR lay.

4. Find out what triggered the migraines and "stay away from it." Well, thinking back.... The times that my head hurt THE WORST (Where I was crying and BEGGING for mercy) were the times it was POURING DOWN RAIN!!! So, how can I stay away from rain? Which also makes me wonder if my migraines aren't allergy induced.

One lady, who's a licensed? aromatherapist has offered to help me find the "perfect" aromatherapy treatments to eliminate migraines all together. I see dollar signs.

Now I did learn one thing... Clutter headaches can feel just as bad as migraines, and are headaches that happen one after another. Usually several headaches back to back. However migraine meds DO NOT work on Clutter headaches. That takes a whole different medicine for that. So, now when I go to MY Dr. I'm going to ask if I really have migraines. That would explain why the meds didn't seem to work.

More prayers needed..

I know it seems like I'm bombarding all of my readers for prayers. I am sorry, but I have another one to add.....
Last Sat. I suffered from a migraine, which lasted 24 hours. Usually I have a migraine and don't have another for 6months or so... Well GUESS WHAT???? Woke up with another one.
Called my Dr, but his office was closed. So, I went to Med One which is a 24/7 walk in Dr office. They gave me a shot and 3 count them 3 prescriptions.. They also suggested that I call my regular doctor and insist a MRI on my head.
Went home slept all day, woke up around 11:30 last night in horrible pain. Pain was so bad I could stop crying, which made it hurt worse. Took more meds, then woke up around 7 this morning with ANOTHER migraine. 3 migraines in a 24 hour period.
I'll be calling my doctor tomorrow. Right now my head hurts, and I have too many missed days at work.
So, please keep me in your prayers. ;)

Could ya mind sayin' some extry prayers mateys????

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Lois had a Dr. appointment Monday morning... She doesn't have pneumonia as we first thought. She did the whole X-ray thing done, and found out that she has bronchitis. She is really sick, and I was relieved to see that she took the day off work. However, she's planning on working tomorrow.
Please send some prayers her way, because she sure can use them.

(note to self: Call Philip, Lois's 8 year old, and tell him to try to talk his mommy into staying in bed, and taking care of herself.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

I know this is going to be late. Sorry!!!! But HAPPY BIRTHDAY AARON!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, my little brother is now 30. Doesn't seem possible does it?

While we were on vacation, Aaron called and said "You want to know what the BEST birthday gift you can give me is? Take me to the Science and Industry Museum in Chicago to see the Body Worlds 2 exhibit on April 28.".. In case you don't know what that is.... It's an exhibit of over 20 whole-body plastinates... In other words.. Dead bodies posed for our "entertainment".. Yes, that is where AARON wants to go for his birthday. So, where Aaron goes, we ALL go... LOL.

This is the very last weekend for it, and tickets are selling out FAST. I checked on the S&I website,(Thank goodness I checked. Was only going to get prices. LOL) and because of high demand, the hours of this exhibit is being extended... 9:30 AM to 10 PM every day. The museum itself closes at 5. And starting on Friday the exhibit will be open 24 hours a day from 9:30 Friday morning until the last tour on the 29Th.

Since this is what Aaron wants (which he hardly EVER asks to take him anywhere.), I didn't want to run the chance of it being sold out. So, I had to make sure exactly who's going. Didn't know if one of Austin's friends was planning on joining us or not.. I know Ashley can't go due to obvious reasons. (Wish you could go with us sis). I called Aaron to see about Chris, but she has a wedding that day. So it's just mom, dad, the brothers, and me.
Anyway, I went ahead and bought the tickets online last week, and mom and dad are supposed to pay me back. I've never bought tickets online before, and this is WEIRD!!! I paid for them, and had to print them out. Each person's "ticket" (looks like something you print off from eBay. Nothing special.) has two boxes on the paper. Those boxes are the bar codes. If you try to make copies it won't work, and it will come up "invalid" when scanned. It will also come up invalid if the bar codes have been folded or wrinkled. I can't figure out HOW you can print off bar codes from your home printer, and not be able to copy it... Amazing... What will they think of next?

Two Seasick Pirates and a 24 hour Migraine...

This has to be one of the worst weekends I've had in a LONG time. I guess it started before then... More like last Friday....
I met Lois at work, and she told me that she was fighting a "cold". Well my dear readers, that COLD went into her lungs on Sat, and she has a full blown case of Pneumonia. She has a Dr. appointment Monday morning, and I pray it won't keep her down too much. I'm praying really hard for ya Captain....
Then when I got home last Friday, I wasn't feeling all that well myself, so I went home, took my shower, ignored my computer, and climbed into bed around 1:00. That right there is a sign that SOMETHING was wrong, I NEVER go to bed that early, nor do I go to bed before checking emails. I thought laying quietly watching a movie wouldn't hurt any. YEAH, didn't hurt a bit except gave me a MIGRAINE!!!!!!! My vision was "jumping" and so I was FRANTICALLY searching my nightstand for my prescription.... I was completely out.... Not only was I out of that (Have to go to the Dr. for a renewal), I was also out of my backup.... Over the counter Excedrin Migraine.. Which works wonders if you take it soon enough.. So I went to plan C... Plain old Tylenol.... My hand eye coordination was way off (That's normal during the beginnings of a Migraine)and I must have looked really funny trying to pry the lid off. It killed the pain enough for me to sleep 2 hours... Woke up feeling nauseous... (Another for sure sign) Felt so bad I was wishing I'd just get sick and get it over with... Didn't matter, nothing happened, just dry heaving..... Around 7 AM. I took more Tylenol and dropped back to sleep. Around 9:30 or so I called my mom. She was at a church thing, my dad was at work so I left a message asking her to see if I left some Migraine meds in their cooler.... Okay, so it's a cloth lunch cooler that we use as a medicine chest while we're traveling. Mom called me back a couple hours later, and sure enough.. She had some.
The bad thing is... I already missed work on Wed due to not feeling well, and I volunteered to work Sat to make up for a short paycheck. The way I was feeling, there was NO WAY I could go to work. Not to mention DRIVE. So I missed Sat too. I slept ALL day. I did get out of bed around 11 PM or so, thinking a shower might help. I crawled back in bed and slept till Sunday morning...... Oh, and my mom and I BOTH overslept, so we missed Sunday school, but we managed to get there in time for the morning service.
I never realized until Sunday morning how much the bright windows and loud mics can kill your head. Bro. W. knew something was wrong, because he asked about my flushed face after church.
Oh, and I spent all day Sunday sleeping. Didn't wake up until 7 PM. I still don't feel 100% yet. My energy level is GONE, but I pray I will be better SOON (as in tomorrow). I feel like I just WASTED a perfectly good weekend. One good thing is.. For the first time in 46 hours I'm now hungry. Think I'll go check the "icebox." LOL.

Too heartbreaking for words.

When I first heard about the shooting at V Tech, my first thoughts were "Those poor kids". I can't even begin to imagine the pain of the victims families. Not to mention the surviving classmates.

I found it ironic that one of the professors that was killed was a Holocaust survivor. The shooting took place on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

I read in the paper today that many of the students are heading home, and some parents drove for HOURS to get to their kid. The paper said that one mom was hugging all of her son's friends telling them "that's from your mom."
I understand the parents driving to be closer to their kids. TRUST me, if it had happened at JBC, I would have left work and drove straight there to be there for Ashley.
I just wonder how many parents and family members that have kids away at college are aching to hold and hug their child/family member now. I know I wish I could. I wonder how many kids away at college called their parents and/or family members up just to say I love you.

My prayers go out to the families of the shooter, his victims, and all the classmates who either lost friends or was injured themselves. I pray they won't be traumatized by this horrible act of hatred. My heart aches for everyone involved.

My Top 100 List....

Shortly after getting to work, Lois texted me the following question....
"Where else would ya want to be than at work?"
SO, I textd her back......

Angela's top 100 places/things she'd rather do than be at work......
100 go to Alabama
99 Alaska
98 Arizona
97 California
96 Colorado
95 Connecticut
94 Delaware
93 Florida
92 Georgia
91 Hawaii
90 Idaho
89 Iowa
88 Kansas
87 Louisiana
86 Maine
85 Maryland
84 Massachusetts
83 Minnesota
82 Mississippi
81 Montana
80 Nebraska
79 Nevada
78 New Hampshire
77 New Mexico
76 North Dakota
75 Oklahoma
74 Oregon
73.Rhode Island
72.South Dakota
71 Texas
70 Utah
69 Vermont
68 Wisconsin
67 Wyoming
66 Germany
65 England
64 Switzerland
63 Holland
62 Paris
61 Ireland
60 Egypt
59 The Holy lands
58 South America
57 Australia
56.Greenland
55 Norway
54 Russia
53 Canada
52 China
51 Japan
50 Iceland
49 watch a movie
48 Ihop
47 Starbucks
46 Steak N Shake
45 walmart
44 Meijer
43 a mall
42 hiking
41 camping
40 horseback riding
39 White Water rafting
38 reading
37 take a long bike ride
36 spend time talking with family
35 camp outside Johnny Depp's house
34 Shout "I love you Johnny" every 10 mins until the police show up and arrest me for stalking.
33. Take a cruise through the Caribbean
32. Pretend to be on the "Black Pearl" during said cruise.
31. go fishing
30 teach the dog a new trick
29 teach my cat a new trick
28 teach my brother a new trick
27 think of ways to annoy Barry (a VERY annoying coworker)
26. Think of ways to annoy Captain Lois (NOT an annoying coworker)
25. Have a farting contest with said Captain.
24. Act out both Pirates of the Caribbean movie from memory
23. Re watch both movies to see what I forgot to act out.
22. Count the number of times Jack Sparrow says "bugger" in the second Pirates movie
21. Burp or Hiccup every time RUM is mentioned in both movies.
20. Laugh hysterically every time Jack is trying to be serious.
19 Boo and hiss every time Cutlet Beckett or Davy Jones is shown on Pirates 2
18 Get teary eyed during the father/son moments in Pirates 2
17 Sit at an intersection with a hair dryer and see how many drivers slow down.
16 Cut letters from a newspaper and glue them on a paper to make a threatening letter to Barry. (Annoying coworker.. Remember?)
15 Stare at someone for a while then say "You're one of THEM!" then act scared and back away from them.
14. Fly a kite
13. Watch every Johnny Depp movie you own
12. Make your very own pirate costume
11. Set up a tent at Walmart and invite strangers to join you.
10 Fly to New York, watch a Broadway show, and fly back in one day.
9 go to a beach and insist that you CANNOT leave until you find the heart of Davy Jones.
8. Sit on a porch swing
7 Jump on a trampoline
6 play in a playground
5 pick dandelions
4 spend your whole life savings on Pirates souvenirs at Disney World
3. Go to Disney World and annoy everyone by repeating over and over "This really is the happiest place on earth".
2. Ride the Pirates of the Caribbean ride ALL DAY until you have it memorized.
And the Number 1 thing I'd rather do than being at work is........

Get kicked out of Disney World for trying to steal the Jack Sparrow off the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride.

Lois textd back......
"A good friend would bail you out of jail after you get busted for stealing Jack Sparrow off the Pirate's ride, but an AWESOME friend would be sitting in jail next to you saying dang poppet, that was fun!"

This is so WRONG!!!!!!!

I understand when they make a movie about a book, it's seldom EXACTLY like the book. However, most the time they TRY to keep to it. Take Christy and Little House, sure they got away from the books toward the end, but it started pretty close to them.
Now I LOVED the "Love Comes Softly" series. The first movie was pretty close to the book. The only difference is in the book Missie is only 2, in the movie she's 9. I had no problem with that considering the fact that there would be more of a story line with an older girl. However, with each book/movie they are going WAY off.....

"Love's Unending Legacy" which will be aired April 19 at 9 PM on Hallmark is WAY OFF base.... Here's what the Hallmark channel site said about it.......
Love's Unending Legacy

The screen version of the acclaimed fiction series “Love Comes Softly” continues. Two years have passed since the tragic death of Missie LaHaye's husband Willie. Ultimately unable to work the land on her own, Missie (Erin Cottrell) and son Maddie leave Tettsford Junction for the security of her father's ranch and the hope of a new life. New adventures await as Missie takes in reluctant orphan Belinda (Holliston Coleman) who hides a secret. A new home also brings the possibility of romance… if Missie can manage to put the past behind her. Dale Midkiff and Victor Browne also star in this touching story of faith and love.

Okay, I have a HUGE problem with this.... ONE this book is about Marty discovering she's pregnant with Belinda..... She's NOT AN ORPHAN.. And second. With "Love's Abiding Joy" it leaves Missie and Willie's life, and moves on to Belinda, which the series concludes with Belinda's life.

I don't see where they can even consider this movie "based on the book". It's a WHOLE different story altogether.
Why do they have to ruin good books? Yes, I'll watch it, but to me it won't be based on the book. I'll just consider it a movie with the same title as the book.

Book hunting, leaky tents, and car sickness OH MY!!!

If I could find one word to describe this week, I would have to say it was.... Interesting.. This will probably be a long post, so sit back or come back later when you have time. :)
We left home at 2 AM, got to TN around 11 (My dad likes to stop to take naps. Go figure.) After setting up our tents and camper, we drove to pick up Ashley.

Then we went to the Christian Book Warehouse (Now called Family Book Warehouse.. Same thing) In which I found 7 books that I have been searching for. I have a small notebook with movies/books I'm searching for, and thankfully I brought it with me to TN.. I had asked for these books for Christmas, but my mom couldn't find them ANYWHERE..I did see them on Ebay and Amazon, but wanted to see if they'd be cheaper in TN. Sure enough... They were. To tell you the truth, if my parents said "Sorry, but we have to go home now" I would've been perfectly okay with that. I was in book Heaven..

Afterwards, we got tickets to Dixie Stampede and the Chinese Circus. (That was really cool.) Then we went back to the campground and ordered pizza. With Ashley, Austin's, Shawn's, and my cell phones we didn't need payphones. Made it easier to keep up with everyone too. Especially when the boys would take off walking.

So we had pizza, and afterwards went to the arcade/go carts. After we were tired there, we went to one of the MANY outlet malls. This one had a Starbucks. So, mom,Ashley, and I walked ALLLLL the way to Old Navy. By the time I got there, I was feeling quite dizzy. So I eventually went outside, found a seat and waited.

I was thinking maybe the dizziness was a low in sugar thing, so before we went back to the van, Ashley, Austin, Shawn, and I went into Starbucks to get something to drink.

We were driving Ashley back when the dizziness got worse. Oh, and riding in the back on winding, twisting, mountainy roads doesn't help any. By the time we got to the T where the school is, Ashley asked if I was ok. I told her that I didn't feel well. She gave me a couple Walmart bags. Thankfully I waited until AFTER the guard waved us on before I got sick. Yes, I, Angela got sick in a vehicle for the first time ever. I've felt sick before, but never actually GOT sick. Oh, and having the driver SLAM on the breaks doesn't help either. It did help to have my little sister rubbing my back.

By the time we got parked by the dorms I was ok. So, Ashley showed me where the dumpsters were, and after throwing away the bags, she invited me to her room. Somewhere between the van and her room, she became "Nurse Ashley". First thing she did was hand me a cold bottle of water from her fridge. Then I said I sure could use a toothbrush, she told me "Well, you're NOT using MINE" but she did give me some mouthwash, and finally she loaned me a shirt. She walked me back to the van, sprayed air freshener in the van, and told dad not to be too hard on me. Then she made me promise to call her when we got back to the campground.

I still felt dizzy. I woke up several times that night. Once around 3 to go to the bathroom (Was so dizzy I fell down twice.) and again around 7 when the wind picked up. Had to pull things away from the sides. Around 9 I heard a piano. They have church services at the campground. I was wanting to go, but felt way too dizzy. So, I laid on my air materess listening to the music. Yes, I was still dizzy by 9. I had prayed very hard for the dizziness to go away.

I know some people make deals with the Lord. You know what I mean, they go something like this... "Lord if you will do this, then I'll do that." Well, I'm not that way. I'm the kind of person that "throws things in His face" so to speak. For example.... "Lord, you remember healing the blind man? Remember the lady that touched the hem of your garmet? How about that man that said 'You don't have to go to the sick, just say the word.'? I KNOW you can touch me, and I'm waiting. I know when I wake up, I'll feel better." Guess what? It worked. By 11, the dizziness went away COMPLETELY!!!

I think it was a mixture of things... Lack of sleep, riding in a vehicle all day, eating at odd times, the pizza, the Mocha frappucino, and the winding roads were the cause...

We went to two shows. Then on Tuesday my parents went to "Memories" while Austin and Shawn went trolley hopping. Oh, and the trolleys are only 50 cents one way. Which left me alone at the campsite. Which was okay with me, especially since I had some new books and had brought my portable dvd player and dvds with me. I finally got to watch Nativity Story, by the way it's AWESOME!!! I really enjoyed it.

Somewhere in there the boys came back starved and wanting money. So, as I was fixing them some Mac and cheese they were telling me about this music store they found. My brother found a mandolin, and Shawn found a guitar. Both, with taxes, was 80 some dollars a piece. They were excited. However they were a little short, and since I gave Ashley some gas money, I gave Austin just as much to make it fair. Which was exactly what they needed for both instruments.

That night a HUGE thunderstorm came through... Just as bad as the one I went through last year... (See last years post.) By morning my tent was okay, but my brother's was flooded. My brother and Shawn never slept in that tent. They prefered to sleep in the van from day 1, so we used the tent for storing our suitcases... Their clothes were SOAKED... Mine? Ziplock bags really do work. My duffle was wet, but I didn't have to dry out anything.

On Wednesday, my brother talked my dad into driving them to this store. The store boxed up the instruments, and we went to the post office and mailed them home. Which beat us home.

Later that night I spent the night with Ashley and her room matey Jo Beth. The next morning I went to chapel with Ashley (See? I did get some church in.) After Chapel, Ashley had to work. Now she works on campus. There's a rec room (there's a name for it, but they're letters... XOP? LMNOP? STR? Something like that.) This room has ping pong, pool tables, tv, couches, and a snack stand.. (Think of church camp. Burgers, fries. You get the idea) Well, that's where she works in the stand. So, I brought a book, and found a comfy seat and read for 4 hours. At one point Jo Beth, came in, ordered food, and kept me company until her next class. Found out later from Ashley that Jo Beth very seldom eats there. She only did it to keep me company. I felt so honored. Right before her shift was over, she called me over and asked what I wanted. She fixed us something to eat, then we went to her room to eat. Afterwards, she had homework to do, so she did that while I read quietly. (Good thing I like books huh? LOL)

Then we headed to her 2:35 class..... First and Second Corinthians... Which I found interesting. Then we went to the library, she had to get some books for her paper. She worked on her paper while I took a short nap, and then our parents showed up, went to Knoxville.... OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I fell IN LOVE with a bookstore there...... It's two stories high... It's NOTHING but used books, cds, and dvds... I found a couple movies on my list, and a few books that looked interesting.. If they had one of those stores here, I'd go broke. I LOVE that store.

Then we went to the mall, which has a bookstore in it where everything is $5 or less...... I bought Monster by Frank Peretti (spelling?) and two more books from my list that I can't find anywhere. Since it was a buy 3 get one free, I found another book for my Secret Pal at church.

Then we went to a Barnes and Noble, where I found 3 more books. None of them were on my list but I NEEDED them.... One is a Holocaust book, the other two are from the author of "A Girl Named Zippy." So, I now have 4 of her books. Happy happy joy joy.

Ashley spent Thursday night with us, and we left early Friday morning.

The weather was in the 80s at the beginning of the week, by Thursday it was in the 60s... It got COLD during the night on our last night. My sleeping bag claims to keep you warm if it's 30 below. It did a wonderful job keeping me warm. My face was cold though.

Vacations are fun, but it's always nice to come home too. It's like the saying goes.. "There's no place like home."

34 mins and counting....

We are leaving in exactly at 2 AM this morning. I'm just taking a few mins to let you know I will have my cell phone on me if you need to get with me for something. I still have to unplug everything I can possibly unplug, and take a shower.
We are going down with 5 people and coming back with 6. Yes, Ashley will be riding home with us.
Take care, and I'll post again when we get home.

Travel Tip Number 588.

Okay, so maybe I don't have 588 different travel tips, but I do have 3.. Ha ha ha....
I already shared one... Putting everything in ziplock bags. Well.. Got 2 more for ya...
This first one isn't limited to traveling, but that's what I use these for.... The mini M&Ms in the plastic containers are PERFECT for quarters. You can find them USUALLY in the checkout line at stores... There are 2 sizes... The smaller one holds about $7.00 worth of quarters... The larger ones (which you can find at the counter of CVS in T) holds approx. $22.00..

I have 2 large ones filled.. Which are perfect for vending machines (Never know when you NEED a candy bar or a bag of chips at rest stop)or need them for the air hockey table at the campground. LOL... However, We use them for a more practical reason.. The washers and dryers at the campground..My parents don't usually pack for the whole week. So mom and I usually spend one day (at the end of the week) washing clothes. I told her it would be cheaper to do them at home. Then again, if you do it there, you won't have to do them when you get home. Nice to just put them back in your drawer when you get home instead of doing laundry the moment you get home.
My next tip is if you like to camp in tents.. You can use luggage locks to lock up your tent. I've read that most people get robbed while on vacation (mostly while camping) because people let their guard down. They don't think about being robbed.

I also lock up my luggage if I stay in a hotel as well. I actually watched a talk show one time that showed footage from a hidden camera of hotel maids TRYING on clothes out of suitcases.. Including UNDER CLOTHES.. I shudder to think of some stranger trying on my under clothes while I'm out.
Anyway... I lock my tent when I leave and while I'm asleep. (You can rest peacefully knowing I lock myself in my tent at night.)

Okay, thought of another tip... So make this tip #4... If you're going to a big city (NYC or DC for example) NEVER carry all your money in your wallet/purse. When I went on SR. trip my mom (She really is a very smart woman) took squares of cloth, folded it over, sewed 2 sides. The last side she folded over and used a safety pin to hold it closed. She made me two of these pouches to hold my money. I pinned it to the inside of my waistband. I would count out my money every night and divide it by how many days I have left and only carry one days worth of money in my purse at a time. (I still do that while on vacation. By the end of the week I usually have more to spend per day than I do at the beginning. LOL.) The rest was pinned on the inside of my clothes. That way if I was victim to a pickpocketer, I wouldn't lose ALL my money. Just that day's.

Strange Phone call..

I received the strangest phone call yesterday. I was taking a nap when my phone rang. When I answered this young lady asked "What do you look best in bright or dark colors? I told her that I wear both, but prefer bright colors. She said "Ok, that's all I wanted." "So, you wake me up during my nap and ask what colors I like." She laughed, and said "Pretty much."
Okay Ashley, I am really curious. Want to fill me in? Or is it some sort of surprise? :)
Oh, and I CAN'T WAIT to see you!!! Prepare to be hugged.... A LOT!!! :)

Whew What a month!!!

In Feb. I had everything planned out... I would use my tax return for vacation, and work overtime 3 days a week and every Sat for extra spending money on vacation... Well.... Guess what?

I ended up with a $1,486 Jeep bill...
Seemed like every time I fixed one thing, something else went wrong.... Had a blown tire after that bad snow in Feb. Then the manifold (It's a pipe that runs from the engine to the I THINK muffler) was cracked. Got that fixed. Then they discovered that my timing belt was bad, would've snapped soon. If it had snapped, the Jeep would've been completely dead. To think that it could've just stopped as I was driving is enough to give me chills.
Went through 2 sets of spark plugs (12 all together) and then found out that the oxygen sensor was bad. Which caused my plugs to go bad, and to go through a half a tank of gas with one trip to and from work. Usually takes 3 trips to K to use up half a tank.. Oh, and it wouldn't even go up to 50 MPH.
Thankfully my coworker, Dave, follow me home one night just to make sure I got there. Then to top all that off, my car insurance was due at the end of this month. So, guess where all of my overtime money went?

I'm just thankful that my job allows all the overtime I want. Sure comes in handy for these type of situations. My tax return is all I'm taking on vacation. I might not be able to buy a sword to hang on my wall like I'm wanting, but oh well. I'm sure there are other things I "can't live without". I can't WAIT to get to the Discount Christian bookstore.

But look on the bright side..... I won't have to replace my front passenger side tire, spark plugs, Manifold, timing belt, or oxygen sensors for a LONG while. And my insurance isn't due again for 6 months. Plus, I have a wonderfully running and QUIET Jeep. It used to be loud. Not anymore!!! I feel like I'm driving a brand new Jeep. Might even hang onto it for another 3 or 4 years. Or at least until after contract which is in Sept.

Book and movie update.....

The Sarah Plain and Tall triology has been claimed. Everything else is up for grabs.

Free Movie and Book Giveaway.....

With the warmer weather upon us, it only means one thing..... Garage sales are in the near future. Garage sales, rummage sales, yard sales, bargain hunting, or grummage sales whatever you want to call them it means the same.. Getting something for practically nothing.
So, consider this an EARLY start to those bargains.....
I am getting rid of some books and movies to make room for other books and movies...
Here's a list of what I have. If you want something let me know. If you have questions, again, let me know... Oh, and IT'S FREE!!! Yes folks you heard me right.. FREE.. As in not a single penny will be charged. It's on a first come, first served basis. Oh, and if someone wants something that's already been "asked for" ask anyway. You never know, maybe the kind person that first asked for it, might be willing to give it to you. Never know...

Okay, so here goes......
All are dvds, unless marked otherwise.....Oh, and these have only been watched once or twice.

Hoodwinkle

Monster House

Sarah, Plain and Tall, SkyLark, and Winter's End (Videos. Was Grandma T's. Offered them to Carol, but didn't hear back. So Carol if you want these, you have first dibs. Oh, and these were grandma's favorites. I'd prefer they stay together.)

The Mickey Mouse Club week 1 Oct. 3, 1955-Oct. 7, 1955

The Adventures of Pinocchio (Not cartoon.. Jonathan Taylor Thomas)

Peter Pan Return to Neverland

Cheaper By the Dozen (remake. Steve Martin)

A Cinderella Story (Hilary Duff)

The Flintstones (Rosie O'Donnell)

The Flintstones Viva Rock Vegas (sequel to the above)

Are We There Yet?

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Books
Children's books....
Beetles, Lightly Toasted by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Socks by Beverly Cleary

Dear America Early Sunday Morning The Pearl Harbor Diary of Amber Billows Hawaii, 1941

Mitch and Amy by Beverly Cleary

Christy fiction Series volume six Christy's Choice (based on the show. young adults book)

Paddington Treasury by Michael Bond (hardcover, oversized, looks like the complete Paddington Bear series. I have 2 of these)

Great Illustrated Classics.... Christmas Bedtime Stories (Hardcover)

Adult Books

Ever After (novel based on the movie)

3 in 1 Grace Livingston Hill The City of Fire, Time of the Singing Birds, and The Gold Shoe (Hardcover)

3 in 1 Grace Livingston Hill, The Strange Proposal, A Voice In the Wilderness, and Mary Arden (Hardcover)

Prince Of Egypt Destiny And Deliverance Spiritual Insights from the life of Moses by Philip Yancy, Max Lucado, John C Maxwell, Jack Hayford, Joni Eareckson Tada, Tommy Barnett, Kenneth Boa, and Thelma Wells (Hard Cover)

Holy Humor by Cal and Rose Samra

More Holy Hilarity by Cal and Rose Samra

Angel Behind the Rocking Chair.. Stories of Hope in Unexpected Places by Pam Vredevelt (Hardcover)

I'm sure I have more to list, but thought I'd do it a little at a time.

My poor Jeep.....

Besides the pipe thing needing replaced, they also had to replace my timing belt... (Can we say expensive?) Total cost? $664.00...
I wasn't kidding when I told my dad to call them up and ask if they have a payment plan. A hundred dollars a week or so. I had already gave them a check for $200 and told them to call me if it was more. I was even willing to let them hold the title until it was paid. He said he'd ask and hung up (I was at work at the time). He called back later and said..... "Your mom and I were talking. We can take the remaining $464 out of our vacation fund, and you pay us back before vacation." I sighed with relief knowing I didn't have to come up with the money on the spot.
Lois..... (I really love her.) textd me and asked about my jeep. Since she's my best friend, I told her. All she said was "OUCH" before we dropped the subject...
At 9 O'clock break, she textd me that I should come over and get some cookies (She bakes cookies and brings them to work ALL the time. She's the reason we never lose weight. LOL. She's SUPPOSED to bake a bunch for us to eat on the way to TN. Like I said, I love her.) I went over there, grabbed some cookies, and she handed me a book that I had asked beforehand if I could borrow. She handed the book to me, and I saw a piece of paper marking a place. I took it out to hand back to her, and she said.... "Oh, that's yours." It was a check for $330 made out to me, and in the memo part she wrote. "Broken Jeep" with a sad face. I started crying right there. This was enough for HALF of my repairs.. She then said... "Pay it back whenever. No rush. If you were one of these lazy people that never show up to work, I'd NEVER give it to you, but you're not. You're doing your best to work it out yourself. You're even working TONS of overtime, which I KNOW you HATE with a passion to pay it off. That's why I'm helping you out. It's the lazy people that would rather be given a handout that annoys me. Like I said, take your time paying me back. ENJOY your vacation." (Oh, and did I mention that I love her?) After thanking her a million times over, she said "I HAVE to take care of my little sister."

Growing up I always wanted an older sister. An older sister that would look out and take care of her little sister... On the other hand, Lois, being the youngest kid in her family, had always wanted a little sister.
All these years later, we both got our wish. I now have an older sister who's 9 years older than me. She is officially my unofficially adopted big sister.

Packing Hint

When I go on vacation, I like to take the LEAST amount of luggage possible. Wasn't always like this, but I discovered you only have a small amount of room in a 3/4 person tent (even less once you blow up the air mattress.) If I was sleeping on grass that's one thing, but the campground we stay at is all ROCKS and gravel. HAVE to have an air mat, but that's beside the point of this post.
Aw yes.. luggage.... As I was saying.... I usually take a double layered dufflebag.. (two compartments on top of each other. PERFECT), and a tote bag... Now the tote bag travels with me, while the duffle is in the camper. The tote holds everything from a notebook, pens, cd player, cds,portable dvd player, dvds, and of course a book or two. (Bet you can't guess what I do at 1 AM while every one's asleep. Ah the downfall of being the only night owl of the family. Another reason I insist on sleeping in my own tent.)
One of my biggest fears is rain.... If you've ever been in a tent while it's raining, you will know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. If you're not careful your air mat may become a floatation device. Not to mention your luggage being waterlogged. Before we go anywhere, I pull my air mat to the center of the tent and place my luggage on top. I've even slept (not very well) with my stuff on my feet during a storm. Which brings me to the title of this post.... HINT....
Lois and I were discussing traveling horror stories... She retired from the Air Force last April, and she's been EVERYWHERE.. Including serving in Desert Storm. She told me that she had to go fly out of the country.... Germany? London? Italy? Can't remember, after all like I said she's been EVERYWHERE...
She told me that when they landed, the group she was with had 2 or 3 hours to get ready for an important military dinner/meeting thing... They had to wear their dress uniforms (can't recall right off what they're called). When they landed ALL of their luggage was SOAKED.. So the girls went to their rooms, and all of them EXCEPT ONE had hair dryers trying to dry their uniforms. What about that one that didn't have a hair dryer? She opened her two gallon ziplock bag, pulled out her DRY uniform, shook it out, and was good to go. Lois told me that she was the envy of all those girls...
Here's a way to cut time and keep your clothes dry......
Go to the store and buy two gallon ziplock bags. When you pack, lay out each outfit together on the bed.... For example if you are packing for 3 days, lay out three outfits including socks and underclothes. Put each outfit in one ziplock bag. In other words if you're packing for three days, you should have 3 ziplock bags. It cuts time later since you don't have to dig through suitcases for socks, shirts, etc.. They are all together in one bag. You might have to shake some wrinkles out, but what's that compared to dry clothes and saving time? And I'm sure if you have kids, it will REALLY be a time saver. Just grab a bag and go.
Another great thing about this idea is when I'm camping I don't have to worry about dropping anything on the way to the showers. Not only that, but it's easier to know what's clean and what's been worn. Not to mention the assurance of dry clothes in the morning.

Don't forget!!!!

Don't forget to turn your clocks up an hour before going to bed tonight... Yes, DST starts at 2 AM in the morning.
If you are like me that have clocks that automatically set themselves, great.... If not.. Well.... I would really hate to see anyone show up for church an hour late. ;)

More pictures part 2

Pictures

Now that I THINK I have the hang of posting pictures. I thought maybe some of you might like to see these pictures of Grandma and Grandpa.
They were taken Oct. 27, 2002. It was Pastor Appriciation Sunday, and the church wanted to honor them. The idea of being baptized while they were there was a spontanious thing. I had to send SEVERAL emails to different church members to make sure it was possible.. Sure enough, it was. I don't think my grandparents had any idea how much of an influence they were in my life. They belonged by my side on that day, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Chocolates

I know one of the most famous phrases in movie history is from Forrest Gump.... "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." There is so much truth in that... Buy a box, and see for yourself.. You never know if it will be coconut, carmel, strawberry, or creme until you bite into it... UNLESS... You cheat and poke your finger into it first.... By the way, YES I am a cheater when it comes to chocolates. I WANT to know what I'll be biting into.
I'm the same way with life... I LIKE to be prepared for things. HOWEVER life doesn't always let you... For example...
I had planned to work Mon, Wed, and Fridays for three weeks, and then work Tues and Thurs of the fourth week. PLUS all Sats. for the next 3 weeks. Just so I could have extra money for vacation.... HOWEVER LIFE is getting in the way of that......

Last Sat. I told my dad that my Jeep was acting up... It would jerk when you took off and let your foot off the brake. He told me it was probably the spark plugs and needed tuned... He did it for about $100. Pretty cheap if you ask me.
Then, for the last few weeks.. OKAY MONTHS Lois had been after me to get a new muffler. Well, I have noticed it's A LOT louder than normal. So, my dad called around.... It would be around $80 for a new muffler and tailpipe. Great... Still not bad... Then I found out it WASN'T the muffler/tailpipe after all... It's the pipe that goes from the engine block (Can't think of the name of it.) Has a HUGE crack in it.. Price? $500 and some odd dollars....
Mom and dad are using their vacation money on this, and I HAVE to pay them back by the time we go.
This is my ONLY mode of transportation, and I HAVE no other option but to get it fixed. I worked over Monday, Tues nights and I'll be working over Thurs, and possibly Friday night and HOPING to work Sat. Just the thought of using my overtime money on my Jeep instead of "stashing it" makes me sick...
Lois knows I'm working overtime for extra spending money, and she even offered to loan me the money for it. I told her I appriciated her generous offer, but I'm going to do my best to find my own way out of this. Besides I don't want to take advantage. However, if I can't come up with the money beforehand, I'll be calling her up. She's the first friend I ever had that EVER offered to help me out like this. She really is a TRUE friend.

I am SOOOOO ready...

I was planning on working 4 hours early OR over Mon. Wed, and Friday, and 4 early on Sat for 3 weeks, and then Over/early Tues and Thurs of the 4th week.. The overtime pay and the Sats. will be my extra money on vacation. I was worried I wouldn't have enough... HOWEVER, got my tax papers back, and that money will be PLENTY to go.. I'm still planning on overtime (just maybe not as many days.)

Then I found out today that Aaron MIGHT be going with us. He has postponed his vacation so many times, that he thinks it won't be a problem to get the week off. He's planning on taking his tent too. We're going to try to fit all three tents and the camper in 2 lots. It's going to be so much fun with the Aaron with us. I am SOOOOOOO excited.

25 days and COUNTING!!!!!!

A True Story.....

Once upon a time there were two fearless pirate lasses that went by the names Captain Lois and Poppet. One rainy, gloomy afternoon Captain texted Poppet during work. "What are ye doin' around 12 tanight Poppet?" "Don't know why?" "What say ye we sail to Ihop and plunder some grub?" Poppet thought about it. She knew she would just be watching a movie if she didn't go. Truth was she loved Captain(Okay NOT like that. It's a sisterly love) and was worried about her working 12 hour days 5 sometimes 6 days a week. The work had to be wearing Captain down, and she had tried several times to tell her to slow down. Poppet knew that it wasn't healthy. Besides she was sometimes sad when weeks would go by without hanging out with her friend. "Aye, sail away Captain," She texted back...

Later on at Ihop Captain ordered the Cinnamon pancakes. She took one bite and said "They're so good I could pee my pants." Which drove them both into a HUGE laughing fit seeing they weren't the only people in the restaurant. A while later Poppet's brother, Aaron, arrived on the scene. He said the waitress told him that the cinnamon rolls are so good she screamed. He said that if they don't make him scream, he's going to sue for false advertisement. I told him that if he doesn't scream, maybe he'll pee his pants. Which threw Captain and Poppet into another HUGE laughing fit.
After spending two hours in Ihop, Captain and Poppet said goodnight and sailed to their separate home ports with the promise of talking the next day.. And they both lived happily ever after.
The End.