blackbird

Thursday, August 27, 2009

New Furniture!



Do you suppose it is strange to love the smell of leather in the morning? Well after a month of looking and fretting over what to get we finally decided on a leather sofa and loveseat in the color called "spice" - let's be honest - it's brown. We ended up finding it in Tulsa, Oklahoma at a store called Mathis Brothers. Loved that store, reminded me of Nebraska furniture mart with tons of choices. We had a very knowlegable salesman named Charles that was wonderful. The boys were with us and were more than happy to "try out" all the furniture. As a matter of fact they both fell asleep on the set we ended up buying so that was a selling point for me.

Well, it seems picking it out was the easy part. We agreed to have it delivered and were promised it on the next Wednesday. That morning the store called and there was not room on the truck, look for it the following Monday. I stayed home from work on Monday - ALL DAY! and finally it was discovered, oops, not today either. They apologized and refunded the entire delivery charge. Ok, that helps. Then told me it would be here on Wednesday. Wednesday comes, no furniture - alright, enough is enough already, give me the furniture or not but quite yanking my chain. "Well, Mr. Fast, we are very sorry it was a computer error, would it be acceptable to deduct another $180.00 from the price". Well heck yes it would be acceptable. What's another day? Maybe before long we will end up getting it free, we already have had a total of $400.00 deducted!

Thursday comes and the furniture does manage to get here, YEAH! I love it. The dogs hate it, double YEAH! I got material that day and made curtains and throw pillows. It looks great.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

I am the new Marlin Perkins

You know if I keep having these animal rescues, I might just very well get my own tv show. I mean Marlin Perkins (come on you old people, you remember - Mutual of Omahas, Wild Kingdom, it came on tv right before Walt Disney?)

I had not been asleep long, before that I was playing several rounds of Bejeweled Blitz via my Facebook page. That has become a favorite pastime of mine. Not because it's stellar intellectual stimulation, not because it hones my lightning quick visual skills but because I have the need to be at the top of my friend list in the score total. Don't lie, that is the only goal of this game, beat your friends -a virtual nod to the challenge. I had just achieved an ok score, at least enough to put me above my friend, Michelle, so I could rest peacefully. I was somewhere deep in REM sleep when Murphy, who is kenneled in the kitchen area started barking (which is highly unusual) and then woke up and started Austi (who was sleeping in our room) barking. Well after this 21 kinds of H*^% broke loose, someone needed to get up and check what was going on.

Greg kindly let me check on it, so after donning my pink robe and taking my scared -of-everything dog as protection, I set out to find the cause of this disruption. I went from room to room turning on every light in the house warning the intruder I was on my way and it would be best if he just left before facing me. Of course, any self-respecting robber would have run away screaming after coming face-to-face with me and my scary out of control hair. They would swear they faced Medusa herself.

Well, not seeing anything or anyone, the dogs were jumping to go outside, I flipped on the patio light, bracing to see the cause, but there was nothing. I opened the doors and the dogs flew out with a plan in mind. I heard one yelp and went out the door and saw (with my limited middle of the night sight and no contacts in) they had something, a bunny? no, didn't look like that, a cat? perhaps but I heard no yowling, a possum? it really didn't look that creepy. I went out and yelled at them, I was afraid to out to the yard where they were but I got their attention and they let go of it. I got them to come in the house and then had to decide what to do.

I went and put on shoes because I need to see what this beast is, it could be a rabid animal that would sit and wait until morning and attack again, it could be a wounded animal that might die and stinketh out back, or it could be some sort of animal that is wounded and needs my assistance. When I returned and went out back it was very apparent what the animal was, a really cute older calico kitten. A very slobbered on, quite stunned and frightened kitten. I went out and with a towel picked it up, and other than mental trauma, it seemed fine.

I put it out front under the bushes along with a dish containing a torn up hamburger patty soaking in milk. Mother Nature - do your thing.

Well, in doing this I notice Brett was not home yet and it was well after his curfew time. I called him and he informs me there is a meteor shower and he and some friends are at the park watching it. Part of the conversation went like this:

Me: Where are you?
B: At the park with friends watching the meteor shower.
Me: Oh, which way do I look?
B: lol, mom, look up silly.
Me: Oh, yes, I see one, cool.
B: Yes, it is.

OK, I know it was a dumb conversation but it was 2 freakin o'clock in the morning!

SO, I didn't want to get up, I didn't want to deal with the cat, but I ended up getting to see a light show from God himself. Cool. Unintended consequences, sometimes a beautiful thing.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

WOO HOO KU

Well, I have recovered from my black eye and are now on to the bruised heart. No, no accident, it's just both boys will be leaving to go off to school. Empty nest. My feelings flucuate between pride, sadness, and pure joy. I mean, I am happy they have progressed to almost adulthood and moving on to the next phase of their lives, but they do keep life interesting. I am also happy to have moved to a new level or phase in my own life. One back to just the two of us at home, not worrying about cooking a square meal to keep SRS away. Maybe having time to take a few classes or start a new hobby. Maybe even leaving in the morning with a clean house and returning in the evening and it be as I left it. Maybe cooking with icky green peppers and onions. I don't know exciting? yes - scary? a little - an new adventure on the horizon? - most definitely.

First up on the agenda, clean house.

Rock Chalk.