From ..... http://www.tracithorson.typepad.com facts about yourself......I don't really know how to link to other folks but would love to read others facts!
1. I have stated this before and I will state it again…….I may be 51 years of age but in my mind I’m still 25!
2. I quit smoking on May 14, 2007……I feel better and I know it’s good for me but I hate it
3. I love to drink ice cold beer
4. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have Johnny in my life
5. I might be lucky to have Johnny in my life but he drives me crazy at times…….and he knows it…..and I think he loves it
6. I hate my hair…..I used to have beautiful black silky hair but now that I have grown older (physically, not mentally) my hair is turning gray and is frizzy…..you know, that old lady frizzy!
7. I get very excited when John Grisham writes a new book. I’m not in a huge hurry to read it, just to buy it……I wonder why
now tell me

It was a dark and stormy night......

Nah....not really. The weather has been great tonight for trick or treating. Though it used to be a lot more fun than it is now. But for some reason, I still get a little excited about the evening. Johnny boy used to love taking the kids trick or treating. It was one of his favorites………him and a bunch of the dad’s would take all of our kids out, cold beer in each of their pockets and I’m not sure who had more fun, the kids or the dads. They would end the night at someone’s house with more beer, maybe roasting some oysters on the grill…..a lot of fun. Then there was a rash of divorces in our neighborhood and Halloween would never be the same! But Johnny boy still enjoyed taking our kids out and they always had lots of fun. Now they are all grown up.

Our grandson Maddox is only 2 yrs old but I know when he gets older, Johnny is going to want to tag along with the trick or treating.

My dogs hate Halloween. Chrissy, the diva, believes there is something very sinister about anyone dressed in a costume or a mask and she will attack! Bucky put a mask on Sunday and walked into the den and Chrissy went after him! So it’s a real pain trying to keep the dogs away from the door.

we have had a lot of kids come by....between 7:00 and 8:00 pretty steady.

a few pictures......kitchen hutch looking all halloweeny(even though I have started getting my snowmen out and yes, I have already gotten the snowmen dishes out), table in the foyer and our favorite little monkey.....Maddox!

later.....

Space bags babeeee..........

this is a post of pictures. I'm sure I cannot download them in the order I write but here goes.....

• here's a monkey crawling away
  


• cute pic of Maddox
  


• the damn yard sale.....look at that junk!
  


• spider webs for Halloween on the front porch
  


• Nicole and Maddox cleaning out the pumpkin. He actually gagged and threw up....no kidding
  


• Ziggy wearing his football jersey and sleeping on Bucky



• me working on my laptop
  


• And SPACE BAGS! who knew? These are most of Jacquelyn's summer clothes and trust me, she has a lot of clothes!!

and that's it for tonight.....

later.......

Don't hate me......

but I hate, well, that's a bad word......I loathe......well, I just don't like yard sales!! We had a yard sale one time and I swore I would never have another one. People come like a hour before the sale and they don't want to give you anything for your stuff. I swear, if you put 10 cent on something they would say......."hey, I'll give you a nickel for it". And then if you just try to outsmart them and say it's a $20 item so you put $30 on the item so you can go down in the price...well, these people, these people who never want to give you anything for your stuff, well, they will say......."hey, I'll give you $15 for it".

So what did we do.......we had another yard sale. I didn't want to but Johnny boy did......and I just asked him, will you ever do another?

and he said........."I've never worked so hard to give away so much stuff. And no, not as long as I'm alive".

later........

Will it last........

7 more days until Halloween........wonder if this candy will last until then

Let's go green........

I've been trying to do my part to "go green". We recycle cans, I now use Method cleaning products........we changed light bulbs. At our local grocery store they sell the tote bags for carrying your groceries home so you do not need to use paper or plastic.........good idea. So I bought a few and keep them in my car so I'll use them.

So Johnny and I go over to the Ukrops store and I carry in 2 of my totes. We buy a few items and then do the self check out. And as Johnny swiped the milk, he put it in the plastic bag and then put the plastic bag in the tote bag.

yeah Johnny...........go green!

later.......

A little out of it.....

Jake took this picture of me and the doggies yesterday. That's Ziggy with his pumpkin shirt on. Came home early from work with a headache and achy body on Wed.......stayed home today.

Now...as of 6:30 this evening, my headache is finely gone!

later.......

It's Tuesday.....

enough of this doggie talk! here's what else has been going on..........

• The Cowboys lost to the Patriots! I guess no surprise there but I had hope.......ya gotta have hope and I did. I even wore a Dallas shirt during the game. Went to the grocery store and was stopped a few times with compliments on my Dallas shirt. It says on the front....."Got Five?" and then on the back it says "We Do" and then it list the 5 Super Bowls that Dallas has won. Those boys just need to work on their defense.......




• All the kids home on Sunday for football and homemade beef veggie soup! Now that's what I'm talkin about.........good times!




• Went to Lowes Sat evening to look for a new fake Christmas tree......our current one has seen better days. Found one but Jacquelyn and Bucky were with us so no room in the Expedition for a tree..... planned on going back during the week to pick up




• I knew it wouldn't be long and Jake would be pimping out his new car.......he got his windows tinted on Monday. And man oh man, it looks good! Now I want my windows tinted!!




• Johnny boy had gone by Home Depot to check out their Christmas trees and thought I would like them better. So Monday after work, we go over there and yes, I do like them better and the price is better........so we bought 2! One for the den and one for either the living room or dining room. I haven't decided yet.

I really feel lucky that my Johnny boy gets all into the holiday season with me. He loves to shop but not for clothes. He loves all of the decorating I do and he participates in some of it. Of course he does the tree lights because like Clark Griswold, we must have the most lights! He'll do whatever I ask him to do and I just think that is so nice! I'm really excited about the upcoming holidays....for one thing, we will have our nephew Tommy with us AND...we're taking all of the kids to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra! It's just going to be a wonderful time. here are the pics of the trees we bought.........just wait until you see them decorated!

later..........

Ziggy's turn.....

Ziggy over heard us talking about Chrissy's post and well, the whole jealousy thing happened so here's Ziggy's turn.........

Ziggy, Zigster, Zigman, Ziggarette, Dig, Diggy, Stinky, Dig Dig……these are just a few of the names I am called. I get the whole Dig Dig part because I love to dig…..everything! Here are some other interesting facts about me……..

1. I love treats. I love, love, love them……….it's pretty much all I think about all day long. It's the reason I love to get up in the morning, it's the reason I love to go to bed at night…because there are treats involved.

2. I am a tad bit overweight…..just 3 little lbs. (refer to number 1) I should weigh 9 lbs but I'm more like 12 lbs. My doc says that it may not sound like much but for my small frame, it is a lot. And in the words of Chrissy…….whatever!!

3. I also love to wear doggie clothes. Now most dogs don't because really, they ARE uncomfortable and face it, we have fur….BUT…..what other dogs do not realize is that when you are wearing them, the humans, well, they can not stop saying how cute you are. That dumb Chrissy hasn't even figured that one out!

4. I try really hard to get into that whole chasing squirrels thing that Chrissy loves so much but I'm just not into it. My favorite sport is barking. I know, not much physical activity (refer to number 2) but I enjoy it and I think it annoys Johnny boy just a little.

5. I'm really digging all of this baby gear that's been around the house since Maddox was born. I really enjoyed the johnny jumper, the stroller, the walker, and I even let them put a bib on me. Hey, I'll do anything to look cute.

6. I can do a few tricks…….paw, other paw, down and roll over. And if I think there is a treat involved, I'll do all 4 in the blink of an eye without you even saying them. Ha…I'd like to see Chrissy do that!

7. My mommy's name is Jacquelyn and my daddy is Bucky and they do not live with me. They moved to the country but let me stay here with the rest of the family and that dumb Chrissy girl. But my mommy comes home every morning before work and I love to smother her in kisses. She keeps telling me she is going to take me to the country……..and I keep waiting.

8. The reason I smell Chrissy's breath every morning is I'm checking to see if the ole grandma has given Chrissy a treat behind my back!

9. My collar is black and white and says "bad to the bone" all the way around it. It is not a reputation that I really live up to. Basically, I'm afraid of everything…..especially Chrissy.

10. I love it when Maddox is in his high chair. He drops more food than the sky drops rain. Now he's finally catching on and will hold his hands down and let me lick them clean. This could be adding to the weight situation.

11. I have a crush on Kayla……..Jake's girlfriend.

12. My favorite toys are squeaky toys

13. Our cousin Tommy has come to live with us and he might be my new best friend……he pays more attention to me than he does Chrissy!

14. I am so damn cute!

A guest blogger???

I don’t really have anything to blog about today so I thought I would have a guest blogger…..Chrissy, my dog! Laugh but she has a lot to say….so here are 16 random facts about Chrissy…..from Chrissy

1. I love my family but I love my mommy the most
2. I am a CKC registered breed….Peek-A-Poo. I know…the AKC does not recognize my breed, whatever!
3. My favorite sport is chasing squirrels in the back yard. I have mastered the art of leaping through the air which is getting me much closer to them than I could have ever imagined. It is only a matter of time………
4. My favorite place to sleep during the day is my princess pink fluffy bed that I got for Christmas last year. At exactly 4:30 every evening, I go sit on the 3rd step of the staircase where I can see directly out the dining room window and wait for my mommy.
5. At night I sleep at the foot of mommy and daddy’s bed, pressed up against mommy’s legs. If that annoying Ziggy tries to go past me, I let out a low growl and he backs right off……what a whimp.
6. I have a beautiful purple collar with fake diamond studs……I really wish they were real. And if my daddy ever hits the lottery, I’m pretty sure real diamonds for me are on the list!
7. I really hated the day they brought Ziggy to our house. I sat in the living room by myself the first few days. Then I discovered the little bastard couldn’t jump on the sofa so I pretty much stayed up there and showed him my teeth whenever he came near. There are days that he really gets on my nerves. But overall, I really love the little guy. I just don’t let my family know.
8. I AM a diva
9. I do not eat much……and my family worries about this all of the time. They just do not understand that a diva needs to watch her figure. I have to be buff looking at all times. You never know when Mr Right might come by….oh wait, I’ve been fixed.
10. I do love to eat potatoes and string beans but for some reason they insist on giving me dog food….as if!
11. I have OCD……I am very, very obsessed with lights. I look for lights every day, all day…..any little reflection will amuse me. I know who has flashlights on their key rings and when they come to visit, I hound them for their keys. One day I received a UPS package from my Aunt Dee in Atlanta….she had sent me a laser light. It was the best gift I have ever received….besides my princess bed.
12. I have a Diva girlfriend……her name is Mia. She is kind of like a diva in training and I am her mentor. I have my mommy email her diva rules all of the time….she is up to #38
13. I have a crush on Bucky and Jake (they are humans)
14. Ziggy has to smell my breath every morning…….I wish he would stop.
15. I will be 8 years old on November 1st and I’m starting to get a little gray hair…..good grief, what’s a diva to do!
16. I have a great life!

Football Sunday......

Johnny and I headed up to FedEx field around 8:30 Sunday morning.......traffic was not too bad. I say not too bad because I have become used to NOVA traffic. Johnny thought it was bad....traffic jams around Dale City and then after we crossed the Woodrow Wilson bridge all we saw were brake lights. It didn't help Johnny's patience that the big cup of Wawa coffee was finally making it's way through his body. Finally made it to the stadium and rolled right in with a prime parking spot right next to the stadium. And there he goes...Johnny saw porta potties and he was off!

We were in the company I work for corporate suite and it was awesome! There's absoutley no better way to watch a game! The worst part was having to be in there with a bunch of Redskin fans.......haha. We had one other Cowboy fan, a Phila fan and a Pittsburgh fan.......and all of us cheered for Detroit. And that was hard considering they dropped the freakin ball just about every time they had their hands on it.....which wasn't very often what with all of the fumbles and interceptions! So the Redskins won but that's ok......Cowboys are still ahead. Johnny said with all those people wearing those Redskin jersey's it was like being in the worst dressed event he has ever attended.....LOL......can you tell how much he doesn't care for the Redskins. We play Buffalo tonight....and I'm not going to say anything about it should be an easy game or nothing like that.....don't want to jinx it. BUT.....next week, good grief, we will face New England.

also, the random pic of little Ziggy.........no, he didn't go to the game with us. Just showing his haircut that he got on Friday from our favorite groomer.....Ms Bess.

I'm working on some layouts right now.........gotta go finish up before the game!

later..........

Saturday night......

I said I might do a little shopping.......uh oh...I did a lot of shopping! You know how I am with the Gap. I went in there and I couldn't stop. There was no one with me to stop me or remind me of how much I was spending......and uh oh.
So I came home and told Johnny boy......sorry, I was out of control. And he said that's ok, it's fine. that was at 4:00 this afternoon and he still hasn't asked me how much I spent. Do ya think he's a little scared.....
But man oh man..........I LOVE the shit I bought!!

later..........

Friday......

I took off work today.......Johnny boy has been off all week getting some work done around the house. And because he works 7 days a week EVERY week, I wanted to spend some time with him. So we cleaned the garage! well hey, when you've been married as long as we have, that's just fine with us. I always have fun with Johnny no matter what we do and cleaning the garage today, we had fun........he had me laughing all day, which is probably why we have been married 28 years. Well, that and the fact that I think he's the most wonderful man on earth.....right there beside my daddy.

And I was very proud of how Johnny "the pack rat" actually threw things away. He even threw away things that he questioned, wondered what it was, wondered if he would ever need it again.....normally, he would not be able to part with items that he had questions about. But we filled up the pick up truck and off to the dump he went.

and I am tired........as I sit here typing and my back is sore and there's Johnny boy, laid out in the recliner.......snoring.

Tomorrow........I'm getting my nails done and maybe a little shopping.
Sunday Johnny and I are going to the Washington Redskin / Detroit Lion game. We are NOT Redskin fans, we despise them........we love the Cowboys! But it's a professional football game and we're too far away to see the Cowboys so what the heck.......it will be fun!

later.......

Yes, I am pathetic.......

Here is your laugh for the week.......or some may just shake their head in disgust, whatever, it's just one of my weird things. I do not pump gas. I have some sort of fear of gas o line.....ewww.

Long ago, service stations were full service. Full service in that the guy would come out and ask you how much gas you wanted, he would check your oil and clean your windshield. This is what service stations did.......it's all I knew. And I liked that.........and I would tip the service station attendent. I didn't have to touch the gas nozzle and he would get a tip.......win win situation.

And then they started introducing self service........and to intice you to pump your own gas, check your own oil and clean your own windshield, self service gas was just a tad bit cheaper. And not much......just a little. Well, with me not liking gas o line...ewww....I snubbed my nose to the self service. What did I care that it was a few pennies cheaper. Well, I didn't care but my new husband, Johnny boy, he cared. It was during the gas o line....ewww, crunch of the early 80's and he said I needed to save the money and pump my own gas! Ewwww, I told him, no way, I'm not doing it, plus, I do not know how to check oil and I can't reach all the way across the windshield to clean my windows! So Johnny boy, being the most wonderful man on earth, said...no worries, I will fill up your car every week for you........and guess what, he has been doing it for 29 years. I know, hard to believe but true...it's like a little magic for me because my fuel tank gets a little low and then I get in my car and poof......it's full again! And I won't lie....I like it.

And with the exception of a few times with Johnny boy being out of town and me not having a full tank, I have only pumped gas maybe 3 times in 29 years. I know, pathetic but again, I won't lie.....I like it.

All of this leads up to today......while on my drive to work I happen to notice that I was just about on E. I checked the little car computer and it said my fuel range was 60 miles and since work is only 30 round trip, I was in good shape. Or I thought........because as I pulled into the parking lot at work the warning light came on and the fuel range now read "low". arghhhh! I must have gunned it a little too much trying to impress the big rigs on the highway. So I'm a little worried at this point........go inside and call Johnny boy and bless his precious heart....he says damn, I forgot to put gas in your car. Lord knows I love this man. But he does warn me that once that car hits E....that's pretty much it, the truth........it really is E.

Believe it or not I worried about this most of the day. When I go to leave work, the low fuel light is no longer on.........and low and behold, the fuel range is now 50 miles. WTF........so I call Johnny boy and tell him and he's like no.....you better not trust it, you better get gas.

So I did.....yeah me! I went to the Wawa and pulled up.......at least I knew which side the tank is on. Had a little trouble getting the cap off..........put in my debit card, pumped $20.03 worth of gas and stopped as the slushing sound of the gas o line...eww, that I could hear was about to put me in a panic. Then I couldn't get the gas cap back on and had to ask the gal next to me to please help me.......and she was very nice and showed me how to put it back on.

So there.....I did it and laugh all you want. I guess you would even think it's funny that I just learned how to use my debit card this past spring......now there's something Johnny boy has regreted that I learned.

later.........

And here's another freaky thing......

Johnny boy is also a poinsettia freak! Yes......Mr. Manly Man of all Men loves poinsettias. And he loves to buy them (back to the shopping thing) in different ways.

So one year, I come downstairs and every inch of the kitchen counters is covered in poinsettias. Another year, 3 or 4 would appear.....a few days would pass and 2 more would appear.....few more days go by and 3 more! and that went on for 2 weeks. So it's just different every year in how he presents them.

So this year, he comes in with one of those really big poinsettia's. WOW....so pretty. And that's all! BUT.....a few days later, here comes another really big one. WAIT........a few days later, another big one! I was thinking that's pretty much it.....NOT. The other night, 7 more smaller ones. And now, we're all just laughing. And thinking this is it because really, where else am I going to put these things..........WRONG. We were all snuggled in the den waiting for the Dallas game to come on and here he comes walking in with 3 medium size poinsettia's in his arms. We all just busted out laughing! These were the colored ones...... one blue, one dark purple and one light purple.

So we have 13 right now.....that might be it. And they are beautiful.

I love my freak!

later.....