Thursday Thirteen Edition #29 13 things I'm going to miss my son saying when he's gone. Everyone know that Matt will be leaving July 23 for boot camp. Here is my list of just a few things that I will miss hearing him say. 1. Mom, I love you! (my favorite) 2. Mom do I have any clean underwear? (did you put any in the wash) 3. Mom what's for supper? (always a hungry child) 4. Mom, you got any money? (why do I always get this question.... ;-) 5. Mom, can I borrow $20 till payday? (payday never gets here ;-)~ ) 6. Mom, I love you! (still my favorite) 7. Mom, can I go to Justin's? (my best friends son) 8. Mom, just 5 more minutes, please. (this is what he says when he doesn't want to get up) 9. Mom, I'll clean my room in a minute... (I'm still waiting) 10. Mom, where's my socks? (where you put them) 11. Mom, will you go to the store and buy me a can of dip? (I had rather know he's doing this than him doing it behind my back. It could be worse.) 12. Mom, will you trim this hair off my neck? (he hates his hair long, won't have no problems with the military haircut. ) 13. Mom, I love you! (the very best EVER)

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY EDITION #29 MEMORIAL DAY 2007 My mother, step-son and sister-in-law waiting on the food.... ;-) My step-son sporting his new 'fro.... (that boy has GOT to get a hair cut) My two beautiful step-daughters .... My sister-in-law doing what she does best .... ;-) My brother-in-law ... listening to his sister doing what she does best .... ;-) Shiloh .... what a begger she is ... Our Memorial Day feast ... fried catfish with hushpuppies, fries, slaw and onions... we also had the traditional hamburgers and hot dogs too ... Matt had to work Monday and Kaitlin was roaming the neighborhood on her bike with her friends ...

WHAT A WEEK .... WHAT A WEEK!!! Whew.... thank goodness last week is OVER!!! Monday was Kaitlin's 6th grade graduation ... Tuesday, this lovely lady, my mother had oral surgery. Wednesday was a full day of work for me. Yup, had to take care of business in Jackson, Wasn't too bad... Thursday, the newest addition to our family, "Shiloh" had an appointment with the vet. Someone had "dropped her off around our house." Kaitlin found her and wanted to keep her... so we said yes but she was going to have to be spayed and have her shots... she is now an official member of the family. Friday morning ... well I work half day ... I send Matt and Kaitlin to the vet's to pick up Shiloh. About 2 hours later Matt calls "Mom, ummmm.... Kaitlin and I wanted to go for a ride in the country ... and I uh ummmm... well I'm kinda stuck in the middle of the road.... my leaf spring is buried about 1/2 inch into the pavement. I called a wrecker and they were going to charge me $45 to move my truck 2 feet. I'm walking down the road to see if I can find somebody to help me. "Matt, call Mrs. P and she if she can call son to get you out" Now Mrs. P is the mother of Matt's ex-girlfriend D ... so he calls and calls me back... "Mom, Mrs. P is calling son to come and help me ... I'll call you back when I'm out." "Ummmm Matt... where is Kaitlin and Shiloh?" "I told them to sit in the truck and not go anywhere that I'd be right back" Oh lord.... So he gets unstuck and all back home safely.... Friday night graduation.... Thank God he has FINALLY made it!!!! By this time he was sick of having pictures made... but oh well, he got over it... this only happens once in a life time.... The kid in the picture with Matt is Cody. He is going into the Marines with Matt. They both leave July 23. I told them I wanted this picture and then when they come home in November I want another one ... can't wait for the comparison. Saturday morning, we get up around 9:00 am ... we had promised Kaitlin that we would take her fishing and boy did we ever.... I have picture for proof.... my fish stories ain't no lies .... these were some of the biggest catfish I have ever seen in my life.... well see for yourself.... Tony and Kaitlin very proud of their catch!!!! That was the weekend .... in a nutshell... tomorrow Memorial Day pictures....

I will not be posting on Monday as it is a holiday. Hope that everyone has a safe Memorial Day. Freedom is not free I watched the flag pass by one day, It fluttered in the breeze. A young Service man saluted it, And then he stood at ease. I looked at him in uniform So young, so tall, so proud, With hair cut square and eyes alert He'd stand out in any crowd. I thought how many men like him Had fallen through the years. How many died on foreign soil How many mothers' tears? How many pilots' planes shot down? How many died at sea How many foxholes were soldiers' graves? No, freedom isn't free. I heard the sound of Taps one night, When everything was still, I listened to the bugler play And felt a sudden chill. I wondered just how many times That Taps had meant "Amen, "When a flag had draped a coffin. Of a brother or a friend. I thought of all the children, Of the mothers and the wives, Of fathers, sons and husbands With interrupted lives. I thought about a graveyard At the bottom of the sea Of unmarked graves in Arlington. No, freedom isn't free. LCDR Kelly Strong, USCG - Copyright 1981

Tonight Graduation Next step in his life - United States Marine Corp - Parris Island, SC

Really short post today. I've got a really busy week. Yesterday, Kaitlin graduated from 6th grade. Today, Mom is having oral surgery. Tomorrow and Thursday - who the heck knows... ;-) Friday, Matt graduates high school. I'm working in Jackson this week since my schedule is so busy. I promise that I will try to keep in thouch through the blogsphere but just in case I miss a few days you will know the reason why.... And from the archives of my e-mail Marital Bliss Husband and wife in bed together. She feels his hand rubbing her shoulder. She: "Oh, that feels good." His hand moves to her breast. She: "Gee, honey, that feels wonderful." His hand moves to her leg. She: "Oh, honey, don't stop." But he stops. She: "Why did you stop?" He: "I found the remote."

It's Friday and I'm back home. Working in Jackson and this desk here looks like another war zone. Don't have time for much today. I must share things that I have learned living in Tennessee... have a great weekend all! THINGS I HAVE LEARNED LIVING IN Tennessee: and a chuckle for those who do not reside in Tennessee. Possums sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air. There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in Tennessee. There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Tennessee plus a couple no one's seen before. If it grows, it sticks; if it crawls, it bites. Onced and twiced are words. It is not a shopping cart; it is a buggy. People actually grow and eat okra. "Fixinto" is one word. There is no such thing as "lunch". There is only dinner and then there is supper. Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two. We do like a little tea with our sugar! Backards and forwards means "I know everything about you." DJeet? is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?" You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH them. YOU KNOW YOUR FROM Tennessee IF: You measure distance in minutes. You use "fix" as a verb. Example: "I'm fixing to go to the store " All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked. You know what a "DAWG" is. You carry jumper cables in your car...for your OWN car. You only own four spices: salt, pepper, Tabasco and ketchup. The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local gossip and sports. GO VOLS!!!!! You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.. You know all four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, still Summer and Christmas. Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past time known as"goin' Wal-martin"or off to "Wally World". You describe the first cool snap (below 50 degrees) as good pinto-bean weather. A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola or pop...it's a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. Example: "What kinda coke you want?" Fried catfish is the other white meat. We don't need no stinking driver's ed....if our mama says we can drive, we can drive. You understand these jokes and share them to your friends from Tennessee (and those who just wish they were). Not EVERYONE can be a Tennessean; it's an art form and a gift from God!

THURSDAY THIRTEEN EDITION #27 13 things that have come out of my kids mouths at one time or another …. Maybe two or three…. Some of them I have truly lost count on…. 1. What has crawled up your butt and died? 2. Hey y’all, don’t go into the bathroom for 30 minutes, I just blew it up! 3. Mom, you just don’t understand. You were never a kid…… 4. You can’t make me do anything. You’re NOT the boss of me!!!! 5. Good night Mom, I love you. 6. What’s for supper? 7. Do I have to??? 8. Bye Mom, I love you. 9. Mom, can’t you just write a check for it… I really need it... 10. But Mom, M & S & T & A and all my friends have one… I need one too… it’s no fair!!!! 11. I AM NOT going to wear that outfit…. It’s ugly and YOU CAN’T MAKE ME! 12. I ain’t eating that…. That’s just gross… 13. Mom, I love you

I've TOTOALLY gone off on the school system.... I'm having a nervous breakdown.... I think What the hell am I going to do with my son? Actually I should be asking what the hell is wrong with our freakin school system. That's the questions that I've been asking myself today. This "No Child Left Behind" is a crock of crap.... the schools systems honestly don't give a flying frogs ass if your child graduates or not... Let me explain.... Matt tell me last Thursday that he has 3 hour of school to make up. Ok, I can handle that. This stems from being tardy in the mornings, leaving early, etc, I think ... that's no problem... has 5 days of school left...he can do it... I'm cool with this... Monday night he calls me mad as hell and says. "Mom, Mrs. B told me today that I won't graduate because I've got 6 hours that I've got to make up and that I would have to make it up in summer school." Matt says - "Mrs. B I've already made a committment to the Marines and I have to graduate." She says "Matt, I can't help it, you will not graduate next Friday ... you have to make these 6 hours up. This is not my problem" What was this freakin woman thinking.... it's not going to be that hard to make up 6 hours between now and next Wednesday ... I'm going freakin balistic ... believe me if I had been at home I probably would have literally kicked his butt ... I've been fighting this battle trying to get him graduated for the last 6 years and 5 days away and I've got some freakin school administrator tell me that my son's not going to gradute... she's lost her freakin mind. So I call this Mrs. B today and I'm pissed... I'm so pissed that I'm shaking... I want to know what is going on... so I ask... "What seems to be the problem? Matt tells me that you said that he will not graduate next week." I proceed to tell her that 'the school systems talk a good talk about this "no child left behind crap" but can't fool me y'all don't give a shit if they graduate or not. If you did, you wouldn't wait a week and a half before graduation to tell the kids. And why wasn't I contacted????" What I find out is that he has many, many tardies ... not only that he has 5 unexcused absents... whaaaaa???? FIVE UNEXCUSED ABSENTS!!!!!! I'm going to kill the kid ... the Marines may not get him!!!! Yup, sounds like he's skipped some school that I haven't known about... The real kicker here is that 3 hours are from last semester. Please explain to me why they haven't already said something about LAST SEMESTER ... So to make a long story short, because I know this is boring, he will graduate next week... he will leave for the Marines Corp on July 23 ... and I will NOT have a nervous breakdown.... but I am going to kick his butt when I get home... just because I can... because I brought him into this world and I can sure take him out of it...

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. I know I did. It's one that I will always remember. Actually, my family made sure that I had a Mother's Weekend. Saturday morning, Tony wakes me up around 6:00 am. Yup, I know it was early, but we didn't have any kids Saturday morning.... I'm not saying anything else about that. So, we get up around 7:30 or so, go over to the cemetary to put flowers on the family graves as this is also Decoration weekend where my dad, brother, grandparents and uncle are buried. After we do that, we go for our morning walk, just enjoying the beautiful cool morning. When we finish, he hand me $100 and tells me to go to the nursery and get what flowers that I want for the yard. So I take off to the nursery and he starts to cut the grass. I get back, Matt and Kaitlin are now both home. I told them that I needed help putting out the flowers that I've bought. To my surprise I received NO LIP SERVICE from either one of them They are glad to help. Saturday night our church hosted their 16th Annual Mother's Day Banquet. Very nice... the food was great, the speaker was outstanding and the music from the youth choir was unbelievable. Matt didn't get to go because he had to work and Kaitlin had already planned a trip with "grandmother" so Tony and I went by ourself. We get home around 10:00 pm and Tony says, Kaitlin and I have an errand to run. We'll be back in a little while. Fine by me, I was exhausted and was ready for bed. They take off and I'm off to bed... I never heard them come in... haven't a clue as to the time. Sunday morning, I am woke up by the smell of coffee and breakfast under my nose, literally... they thought they were being cute... which in fact they really were. I go to get out of bed and before I could take one step I had to pick up this really heavy gift bag. I hadn't a freakin clue as to what was in it. Yup, they had gone and bought my Mother's Day gift. Three beautiful Inspirational Stones .... Love, Happiness and Faith. I'm so proud of them. So we go to church. Leave early and surprise my Mother at her church. After church we decide to go out to eat. Any if it could go wrong, IT DID!!!! Matt wanted to drive his truck and go on ahead of us, he has something he wants to do before we eat. No problem because he did have to work Sunday night and that would save him from having to go back home change cloths and then back to work... we go to the store get gas and I notice that his left front tire looks low... I tell him to put some air in it... he does and leaves while we are still at the store getting gas... 5 miles down the road, calls me ... "Mom, I've got a flat" "No problem son, where's your spare tire" "It's flat Mom, don't you remember" ... "No" We go to get the portable air tank hoping to be able to fill with air to get it back home. It works, thankfully, get the truck back home. Finally, time to go eat. We are all starving... Lunch at Catfish Cabin was wonderful. Matt tells Tony that he needs to stop at Wal-Mart on the way out of town. No problem Tony says... We stop at Wal-Mart and Matt is the only one to get out. We sit and wait... he come back to the car with a long stem rose for me and his grandmother... "Mom, Grandmother, I didn't know what else to get you. Happy Mother's Day"... I don't let him see my face.... the tears start to flow. It hits me... this will be the last Mother's Day that I have my son as home for who knows how long. My loving son has bought me a rose. A rose that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Yes, I will keep it after it dies. I am struggling with this chapter of my life. I have been told this is normal. These anxiety attacks, panic attacks, what ever you want to call them, I'm having them. Matt has only 7 more days of school and will close that chapter of his life and open a new one. Ok, so some may want to know what "Decoration" is... when families decorate the cemetary with some of the most beautiful flowers you have ever seen. Here is my Dad's... So that was my Mother's Day Weekend... one I will remember always.

STICKY POST Back in Pulaski today and my desk looks like a war zone... Will post from hotel tonight and catch up on my blog readings. What a wonderful Mother's Day I had ... will fill ya in later.... gotta run!

To all the mothers - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

REMEMBRANCE Picture taken from http://grunt.space.swri.edu/thepast.htm Sorry folks no Thursday Thirteen today. I did have one - 13 things that you will hear out of my kids mouths at any time, will post next week. Something has happened this week and I feel that it is important that I post about it. This is something that is really bothering me... Monday, after I get to Pulaski, I go to Sonic and get some lunch. I am ordering my lunch and see this man, around the age of 65 - 70 who appears to be homeless, walks in front of my car and over to the outside table and sit down. One of the girls that works there came out, called him by name and said something that I couldn't hear and he responded. Next thing I know she is bringing him a coke out. He shuffles through his pocket and hands her some change. A few minutes later another girls comes out with my food. I ask her... "Is that man sitting there homeless?'' "No", she replies. "Does he have money for food", I ask She says, "We give him food and sometimes people will give money and we put it in a box in there for him." So I hand her some money for his food fund. It wasn't much as I didn't have much cash on me but it would buy at least a couple meals. I've had this man on my mind all week... TODAY.... I go BACK to Sonic for lunch and there he sits again. Today, he is eating what appears to be a hamburger some fries and a coke. I order my food. The girl, who appears to be no older than 19 or 20, brings me my food and I ask again about him.... She tells me that he lives in a Veterans Group Home here in Pulaski. She tells me that his name is Eugene and that he is a very sweet man but when he came back from the war that he was really messed up. I ask her from what war but she didn't know. I thank her for the information and give her some more money and told her to put it in his food fund. She said that she would and gave me a very nice thank you. As I drive away I'm thinking that it had to have been the Vietnam war. That was the only war that this gentleman could have possibly been in because of his apparent age. Once I get back to the plant, I e-mail friend SARGE CHARLIE because I know he will be able to tell me. He e-mails me back and says - "Yes, there is a lot of Vietnam Vets that live under bridges, drug addicts or drunks, he would be the right age. Homeless vets is a big problem, some of us had the support to get through it, others did not." Ok y'all this really bothers me. We have veterans who have bravely served our country that do not or did not get they help they needed when they came back. Therefore they are having to live like this - under bridges, homeless shelters or group homes. Let's get real folks... animals are treated better than this. I know that I'm just one person and that there is really nothing that I can do. But if we all worked together maybe - just maybe it could make a difference. I guess you can call me a softie if you want, I don't care ... but it truly breaks my heart ... it truly bothers me to know that there are people out there who do not know where their next meal is going to come from or where they will lay their head that night. Finally from the same website as I found the picture posted is a poem What is a Nam Vet? Guy L. Jones (110801) Co A & Hq,43d Signal Bn, Pleiku Vietnam 68-69. He is a man who once was a boy who loved to joke and play with his buddies. He is a man who once never believed in fear or death. He is a man who in one day learns that fear was real. He is a man who grew up very fast in a world of real life death and not the games you play as a kid when you play cops and robbers. He is a man who learns to cry when fear over took him. He is a man who learns to have faith in his buddies to help him survive in battle. He is a man who came home to hate and scorn from his friends. He is a man who now must live with the demons of his past. He is a man who must now live in a world of life, love and pain. He is a man who must deal with his wounds that he brought home from a war far from home. He is a man who must stand sometimes alone but always with the love and faith of his family and those who have been there also. What is a Nam Vet he is a man who still can stand tall in his heart and who still believes in his country.

No Wordless Wednesday... I must get this meme in as I've been.... Tagged again! Yup you got it... Linda from ARE WE THERE YET? tagged me with this really easy Mimi…. Thank you Linda for tagging me with something where I don’t have to use my brain… I agree with Linda … We now see how Mimi, the Queen of Memes, got her start! This is an easy meme … simply go over to Wikipedia, type in the month and day of your birth, and then post three things that happened on that date in history, two people who share your birthday, and one person who died on that day. And as Linda says … this is one is so simple that even a cave man could do it! The Wikipedia Meme January 17 Three things that happened on this date in history 1950 - The Great Brinks Robbery - 11 thieves steal more than $2 million from an armored car Company's offices in Boston, Massachusetts. 1969 - Led Zeppelin's debut album is released. 1998 - Paula Jones accuses President Bill Clinton of sexual harassment Two people who share my birthday 1899 - Al Capone, American gangster (d. 1947) 1962 - Jim Carrey, Canadian actor and comedian One person who died on this day 1996 - Amber Hagerman, American namesake of the Amber Alert system (b. 1986) Now I'm going to be nice and not tag anyone but if you do play along let me know so I can see who shares your birthday.

What the heck is wrong with Blogger???? There are many blogs that I have visited and for some strange reason I'm not able to comment. So for everyone who has seen me come in and not leave a comment now you know.... Dang blogger!!!!! I just came back from SARGE CHARLIE 's and found this most wonderful tribute posted over there... His guest blogger is Melessa from COOL CALM AND COLLECTED. From Saturday is posted a beautiful tribute to her fiance Jim who lost his life serving our great country. Please go over to Sarge's place and watch this tribute... but let me warn you you will need more than one tissue. From there Sarge will let you know where to go to give this brave young lady a hug... Everyone knows that FINALLY Matt started his new job last week. Since I'm not home Monday - Wednesday nights he felt that he needed to check in with me. So his first two nights he would call me on my cell phone, at 11:30 and say "Mom, I'm home... just wanted to let you know. I love you... talk to you tomorrow." The first night he did this I lay awake for some time and cried. Cried know that in 2 weeks he will graduate high school... close that chapter of his life and open a new one... Cried knowing that in 2 months he will be leaving and won't be able to call me and let me know that he is home. That he won't be able to let me know that he's safe. Cried know that my son is no longer a little boy but a very brave young man. A young man that I am so very proud to call my son. As we made the motions through the weekend I realized that in 2 months that my life will no longer be the same. I won't have two kids at home. I won't be screaming at them to leave each other alone, to keep their hands to themselves, to just hush up and not say another word to each other .... to think to myself... only to have peace. Yes I know that I have another child at home. My daughter.... ah yes... my daughter... who is another story in itself and will have to wait for another post. Y'all have been subject to some of her doings and sayings but not all.... and I know that life will not come to an end... and I know that I'm not the only mother in this world who has or will also close another chapter in life... and I know that I'm not the only mother who has or will ever send her only son off to boot camp ... but this is a first for me and I'm not really a good one for change. For instance this Monday morning... priceless... absolutely priceless.... We only have one bathroom in our house. So if someone is in the shower and you have to use the bathroom then we just knock, go in and use it. We can't see through the shower curtain and vice versa.... so Kaitlin goes in while Matt is taking a shower to use the bathroom.... I'm in the kitchen fixing their breakfast... she comes out... no problem... Matt comes out laughing his butt off... he says.. "you're never going to believe what Kaitlin said"... "What??"... well she's in their taking a dump and says "Matt, something stinks, did you fart?".... he said "No you dummy, I didn't fart, that's you, taking your dump"... I do believe that she had a freakin blonde moment... I've never laughed so hard in my life.... The little things like this is what will be missed.... but life will go on... Matt will survive... Kaitlin will survive, Tony will survive and I will survive....

Quick post... I just made it back to Pulaski and you would NOT believe my desk. Damm, I leave on Thursday afternoon and it looks like I wasn't here for a week... Geez... Anyway... I've got a really cute joke to post. Not much time for anything else. Will catch up on my blog readings tonight in the hotel.... A guy calls a company and orders their 5-day, 10 lb. weight loss program. The next day, there's a knock on the door and there stands before him a voluptuous, athletic, 19-year-old babe dressed in nothing but a pair of Nike running shoes and a sign around her neck. She introduces herself as a representative of the weight loss company. The sign reads , "If you can catch me, you can have me." Without a second thought, he takes off after her. A few miles later huffing and puffing, he finally gives up. The same girl shows up for the next four days and the same thing happens. On the fifth day, he weighs himself and is delighted to find he has lost 10 lbs. as promised. He calls the company and orders their 5-day, 20 lb. program The next day there's a knock at the door and there stands the most stunning, beautiful, sexy woman he has ever seen in his life. She is wearing nothing but Reebok running shoes and a sign around her neck that reads, "If you catch me, you can have me". Well, he's out the door after her like a shot. This girl is in excellent shape and it takes him a while before he can continue, so for the next four days, the same routine happens with him gradually getting in better and better shape. Much to his delight on the fifth day he weighs himself only to discover that he has lost another 20 lbs. as promised. He decides to go for broke and calls the company to order the 7-day, 50 lb. program. "Are you sure?" asks the representative on the phone. "This is our most rigorous program." "Absolutely," he replies, "I haven't felt this good in years." The next day there's a knock at the door, and when he opens it he f inds Richard Simmons standing there wearing nothing but pink running shoes and a sign around his neck that reads, "If I catch you, you're mine."

JUST CALL ME DORKY!!! I'm home again for the week but will have to head back out again on Monday. I know it's only been 2 weeks but I'm already sick of eating out every meal and living in a hotel. Now I've got to tell y'all the really dorky thing that I did Tuesday night. After work Tuesday I take a beautiful drive to Fayetteville to visit Tony's brother and his wife. Nothing out of the ordinary happened... nice trip... nice 2 hour visit. Nothing exciting happened on the drive back to Pulaski.... however.... I am really cutting my time close as I watch American Idol on Tuesday night, and get back to the hotel at exactly 6:56 pm... no time to get anything to eat. Ok, I'll call Legends, which is at the bottom of the hill, order take out, go at commercial and pick up back to the hotel no problem, plenty of time.... was I EVER wrong. I looked in the phone book, got the number, called in my order, a chicken fried salad and a slice a caramel pie. I'm set and ready to go... woooooooo... so American Idol comes on, I watch Phil and then Jordin and then Lakisha.... commercial... wooooooooooo it's time to go pick up my food.... so I hop in my car, drive down the hill, turn the corner, park in a no parking zone, run in to get my food ... I tell the hostess I'm there to pick up my order, she looks and says "Ma'am, I don't have your order." My mouth drops and I'm thinking oh god, I'm going to miss American Idol... "but I called it in at 7:15 and the little girl I talked to told me it would be ready at 7:35".... "do you know who you talked to?" "No, I don't.... I called 380-1888 to place my order"...the little hostess looks at me like I've lost what little mind that I have and said "that's not our number".... "Whaaaaaaaaaa" She said "our number is 343-5441" so there is a stack of take out menus on a table, I grab one, look at it and I'll be damn... I've called Columbia which is 30 miles away.... oh sugar... so the sweet little hostess, laughing says, "we'll get you fixed up, it won't take but just a few minutes." In the mean time, I'm trying to call everyone I know that is watching Idol to give me an update because I know that I''m going to miss Blake and didn't know who came after him but DID NOT want to miss Melinda. Ummmmm.... the only person I could get in touch with is my Randy Hoochie Turn..... I tell her what I've done... she laughes at me... well by this time I'm laughing at my stupid self too. I get my order, back to the hotel in time to see Melinda and I'm happy. Hope everyone has a good weekend.... I'm hoping that I won't do anymore dorky things, but knowing me I will. SMOOCHES!

THURSDAY THIRTEEN EDITION #26 Thirteen random thoughts 1. Oh crap…it’s Thursday 2. I have no clue as to a topic this week 3. Maybe I could list my 13 favorite St. Louis Cardinals baseball players 4. Maybe I could list 13 things I remember about growing up in the 70’s - 5. Maybe my favorite 13 blonde jokes … I’ll leave that one for Mrs. Bee 6. Should I list 13 things I’m going to miss when Matt’s is gone 7. What 13 reasons should I allow my daughter to live to see her 13th birthday – I think I’ll let her live…. she cost me a fortune… ;-) 8. Maybe I’ll just skip again this week 9. Maybe I should list 13 of my favorite movies… too boring 10. Thirteen reasons I need to should weight – as I stuff my face with the wonderful Caramel pie from Legend’s 11. What about my 13 favorite foods – dang that will just make my even hungrier. 12. Oh crap …. it's Thursday – Oh I’ve said that already 13. I am so thankful to have finally made it to 13…. Whew……..

Went to the Old Graveyard Memorial Park, got some really cool pictures of some really old graves... and I left my freaking camera back at the hotel. Didn't download them last night like a dummy. So I think that I'm going to rant today... I am a firm believer in the death penalty. As I was walking back into the hotel this afternoon I picked up a newspaper and the headline that slapped me in the face - From The Tennessean newspaper - Tennessee is ready to resume executions under new rules it released Monday, using a three-drug lethal injection method opponents say is still inhumane and unconstitutional. Excuse me... Last week, according to the newspaper a medical review of dozens of executions found that the drugs used to execute prisoners in the U.S. sometimes fail to work as intended, causing inmates to die painful deaths in which the condemned suffocate and feel pain but are immobilized and unable to say they are suffering. The only problem with the death penalty is that it isn't used enough. Texas and Florida have it right -- line them up, run them through. So what that the inmate should suffer a little pain. What do you think he inflicted on others to get the sentence in the first place? If others continue to be hell bent on harming innocent people, then they can head to death row, too. No reason to keep them around for 40 years to watch TV. I believe that this all stems from the upcoming execution of Phillip Workman. Workman was accused of killing a police officer during a robbery of a Wendy's in Memphis, TN on August 5, 1981. In March 1982, Workman was convicted and sentenced to death for the first degree murder of Lt. Ronald Oliver. What specifically is "humane" about murder? That IS the crime that earned the sentence of "death". If a person is tried and convicted beyond all reasonable doubt and the sentence is death then that is justification to end their life. Don't want to pay the price, don't commit the crime!

Back in Pulaski again this week working. Looks like I'm going to be back and forth for a while. Like the next 2 months or so.... fun - fun... Kaitlin's school calls me this morning. Well actually Kaitlin called me... "momma, I've got a spider bite on the playground." Ok... I'll call Mrs. C and talk to her. I've known C my entire life so I can say anything to her ... So I call C and she says to me, "How does she know she got bit by a spider? Now C you tell me, how the hell am I suppose to know ... I haven't a freakin clue... just put some Benedryl Cream on it and send her butt back to class. If she starts foaming at the mouth, having convulsions or something then call me... she'll be okay. Oh and by the way C, what test is she having today and what time?" Then Matt calls... "Mom... call and check me out at 2:30... ok... I have no problem doing this as he starts his new job. Yippie... Wooooooooo Hoooooooooo.... he starts his new job today. Thank. you. God! Yes, the Manager at the Burger King hired him knowing that he will be leaving in 2 months for the Marine Corp. He said that was the main reason he hired him. Heck, he hasn't even become a Marine yet and already getting the "perks", so to speak... LOL Back to the daily grind of trying to pull this plant out of the gutter. I think that they have finally gotten the idea that I mean business. Yesterday one of the girls up front called me a "Slut Puppy" to my face.... I've been called worse. I don't care... I just laughed. Then as I was walking down one of the halls I overheard someone else talking and if my ears where hearing correctly they called me the "Bitch from Jackson".... I kept walking and said loud enough for all to hear ... no that's "Ms. Bitch from Jackson" to you .... we have a meeting at 10:30 today .... Hope to get to some more of the old cemetaries this afternoon. I would like to put some pictures up tomorrow... we shall see. SMOOCHES!