It's been a long time!

I had to pull away the cobwebs to get here, it's been so long! Is anyone even out there anymore? I've been living in semi-cyber hermit mode except for playing Frontierville via Facebook and throwing out the random pithy comment here and there. Like everyone else, life just started piling up on me and settling on the frontier was just the easiest way to go! Not so sure it's the most mentally healthy way to go according to some but what are you going to do?!

Just thought I'd kick the dust off and see if anyone's still out there. Sometimes these rambling thoughts in my head bubble over and need a place to go!

Food allergies...now? Really?

I've come to the conclusion that my body is turning against me. All the little DNA pieces are getting together and saying "Did she treat us right?? Nooooooooo! Are we going to take this anymore??? Noooooooooo!" and so they revolted!

In this long quest to figure out the origin of the mystery rash I went for allergy testing. I knew I'd test positive for the animal dander and some "outside environment" things but I didn't expect my back to light up like a Christmas tree and test positive for EVERY tree, grass, weed and most of the molds they tested me for! And then....the horror of horrors....but we'll get to that in a moment.

Did you know you have to get on a scale at the allergist's office? I didn't. I thought it would be one of the few medical visits where I'd be safe from that dastardly devise but nooooooooooo. I should have known then that things could only go downhill from there. Skipping over all the Q & A that occured I'll just jump right to the testing. I had to lay facedown on a table while the technician stabbed me in the back (literally!) over 60 times. I'm not going to lie, it hurt! Not excruciating pain kind of hurt but after about 20 times and you know you aren't even halfway finished you start to tense up a tad! But I lived through it and the tech said to just lay still for 15 minutes and he'd be back. He came back when he said and says "Well, I don't have to ask you how you're feeling....it's evident by your back!" Then he asks me if he can take a picture for me with my cell phone "Because you really have to see this!" Apparently my allergy reactions are over-achievers and he hadn't quite seen one like mine before. Happy to help in the name of science! So then they decide to do some more testing and stab me up and down both arms. (Sidenote: I've decided acupuncture is not anything I'm interested in exploring!) The doctor comes back and shows me the list of highlighted items ( the comedian/technician quips "I had to get a second highlighter!"). As well as the previously mentioned items I also tested positive for corn and.........it pains me to type this........(imagine Ralphie saying "soap poisoning") ....CHOCOLATE!!! I blurted out "That is just cruel!!!"

Did you know that corn is in EVERYTHING????? I had to go on a corn free as possible diet for at least a week and then have CORNPALOOZA where I ate as much as I could stand of things with corn in it. The rash did come back. Sadness. It's much easier to find gluten free items than it is to find corn free. It's depressing and I have wavered back and forth from being mopingly depressed to "ok, I can do this".

But my question is why now? Why at am I suddenly breaking out in rashes because of corn. I live in the corn belt! I worked in high school/college detassling corn or working corn pack. Why did it turn against me???

I think the corn and my personal DNA are in cahoots with each other! And I can't even discuss the whole chocolate issue right now....it's just too soon!

Things that make you go "huh".

After much internal debate I posted on Facebook this morning about how I had made tomorrow my start date for THE "losing weight" journey. On top of the mysterious rash that no one can agree on what's causing it I've also been dealing with anemia, an aching knee and apparently high blood pressure (which apparently is the cause for the discomforting sensations in my chest that will occur from time to time). In short...I'm a mess! And so I went public (and am doing so once again even though it's a small public for my blog!) in the hopes it would make me more accountable. I'm hoping I'll be a little less inclined to give up...again...if there's the chance that someone will ask me how the journey is going.

But then the thing that made me go "huh" happened. Someone I've been friends with since I moved to Rankin waaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1978 commented that I had one of the strongest sense of will power that she knew. I definitely have never thought of myself in that way. Stubborn maybe but not always in a beneficial way, more like I wasn't going to let some particular annoying people in the past "win" but I never thought of it has having strong will power. She also reminded me she's seen me through some tough times and you know what? She's right. I have gone through some nasty crapstorms but I've always told myself that everyone has so who cares? I'm not going to go all Dr. Phil but there have have been some people in my life who should have been built me up but instead seemed to like chipping away at me instead. But you know what? That was then, this is now. I can let those voices keep whispering away in my head that I'll never succeed so why bother or I can remember that I HAVE (excuse the melodrama here!) sailed through some crapstorms a little bruised and battered but I did survive! Stubborness or will power? Who cares?!

But this does have me wondering do any of us see ourselves as others see us??? How amazing it would be if we did? (Unless people think you're a jerk and then it's probably better not to know! )

Hey Kelli, look!!!

It's been so long since I've blogged that I wasn't sure I remembered my password! I thought I had forgotten it and then realized that someone had turned the numbers lock key off. @@ But just for my friend, Kelli, I wanted to post something so I can say "There! I blogged!"

I go from thinking I have nothing entertaining to write so this little corner collects cobwebs to I still have nothing entertaining to write but let's share it with the world anyway! (Hey, I never forced any of you to click your way over here to read my ramblings now did I??? )

Life has been a roller coaster ride lately but hopefully I'm headed in the right direction to take care of some of that with my appointment with the allergist next week. Apparently while living in my head dealing with my own "doctor drama" I've been missing some drama going on around me. You know what? I have no problem with that! I used to feel like I had to know everything but the older I get the less that urge hits! And the more I'm able to let some of the family drama go as well. It's no fun for people if they don't have an audience...or so I've heard! I hope that's true but even if it isn't...not my problem!

So there's my teaser of a blog and Kelli, I'll try not to have it be months before I blog again!

Anybody out there?

Now that the link to my nonsensical ramblings doesn't appear on my FB page anymore and the fact I went from part time to full time in a big way I haven't really paid this poor little corner much mind. I'm not even sure anybody's out there anyway...tap...tap...tap...is this thing on???

Rambling Thursday

I had the day off from work today so I deep cleaned the kitchen this morning. I'd much rather have gone to work! But now all the greasy dust bunnies are banished and for a moment all the dog hair is off the floor. Sad thing is these people are going to expect me to actually COOK in there tonight! And mess up my masterpiece?!?

Day two of school and I'm almost feeling guilty to say I wanted to cheer when I saw the boy's bus lumbering around the corner this morning. His bus driver (same wonderful woman that drove when Katie went to that school) said she would pick up and drop off in front of our house "just like I did with Katie" because according to her the kids are not supposed to be crossing the street to get to the bus stop. I told her it's been that way every year since we've been here and I did let the transportation office know two years ago. She said "Well, he's not crossing the street when I'm driving!" Love her! The "problem" is that the boy is already fretting over NEXT year when his friend who is a year behind him will be riding the same bus. "But I want to be with him at the bus stop!!!" Two days into the school year and he's gnashing his teeth over a year from now. Not one of my finer moments to admit that it's these moments I want to go running into the night or rather early morning in this case. I THINK that he's feeling out of control with all the changes and Stinky is trying to get the better of him so he's stressing over, what to me, are silly things, at the moment. It's sometimes hard to keep reminding myself of that when all the drama is unfurling.

Which I think is possibly the root of my next rambling and this lovely hivey rash I seem to suddenly have going on since yesterday. I have problems with eczema so I think it's a branching off of that and stress but it's definitely annoying.

Oh, where is my deserted isle? Where's the S.S. Minnow when I need her and her crew?!?

Back To School

Tomorrow the kids go back to school. The boy will be going to a different school this year and thanks to how the district lines are drawn only one other kid from his class will be going to the same school. The rest of them will just go across the street from where they were last year. He'll be going into 5th grade and this year he'll have different teachers for different classes and be moving around a lot. A situation that makes a mom worry about her OCD/ADD labeled child. I worry that "Stinky" (the name we gave the OCD) will rear its ugly head and he'll lose some of the ground he worked so hard to gain. I keep telling myself to have faith and I really do want to but it's difficult! It's part of a mom's nature to want to protect, the hard thing is part of what he needs to be protected from is how the OCD can make him think. And when you have an "smart" kid to boot it's not like you can try to "trick" him into thinking differently! He's already thought through everything a million different ways himself!

So I worry about him and then wonder if I've sent enough concern in his going into 8th grade sister's drection too. You couldn't pay me to go back to junior high!!! She's Miss "Julie Joiner" so I think/hope/pray she'll be ok. It should just be the typical mean girl garbage we face on occasion....at least I hope so!

Ok, I've poured out some angst and now have a slippery hold on things again! If you think about it tomorrow send up a prayer for both of my going back to school kiddos and their frazzled mom too! ;-)

Attending the symphony, dahling

I don't know why I feel the need to talk in a voice that is MY interpretation of an actress playing some hoity toity part in a 1950's movie when I talk about the symphony but I do. Pretending I'm cultured or something I guess! LOL But anyway, dahling, tonight my family is attending the symphony, go ahead and be fabulously impressed! "How is she getting her children including an almost 10 yo boy to the symphony???" you ask? Ok, I'll admit it....it's Video Games Live! Music from video games with scenes from those games playing on a big screen behind the symphony! And now you know the truth about how cultured I really am...not! LOL I looked up some videos on YouTube to get an idea of what we'd be seeing and Robbie was hiding his head under a blanket and pillow. "I don't want to hear or see it and ruin the show, Mooooooooooooooooooom!!!"

Now I wonder....is it permissible to take your camera into the symphony??? Or would that prove how uncultured I really am?! LOL

Inching back to the land of the living

I've been dealing with some sort of germfest that's been holding me hostage for a couple of weeks. I'll spare you the gory details but suffice it to say that if felt like a Mack truck had run me over a few hundred or so times! After a few phone calls and two doctor visits the doctor ordered blood tests. Turns out I'm "seriously anemic" according to the nurse on the phone. Had I felt better at the time and been thinking quickly on my feet I would have asked if there was a way to be "humorously anemic"! ;-) She told me a number on a scale but that meant nothing to me! But I've been taking a slow releasing iron tablet (to help with the tummy issues) for a few days and I'm already feeling more human. It's amazing how being low on one itty bitty mineral can really wreak havoc with your system! The fatigue was no bueno and throw in the inability to think clearly and WHOA Nellie! (Throwing in a mixture of slang and languages there! See?! The iron is working already!)

And there's my, what seems to have become, monthly update!

I know, I know

Once again I am a blog slacker which I guess is better than being a log snacker. Can you imagine how the bark must get stuck in your teeth?!?

Once again I have no good reason to not have blogged and once again I'm not all that sure it matters to anybody out there anyway! LOL I have been "busy" taming the wild frontier and fighting off bears, groundhogs, foxes and snakes though! Ok, so it's just over on Frontierville via Facebook but it's still a jungle...er....a frontier out there!

Speaking of Facebook I followed a link from a friend's wall to some stranger's blog. She had blogged about the mayor of her small community killing her older teen daughter and then herself. I guess there was an uproar about having a joint funeral and a memorial service being held for the mayor which led the blog author to talk about how judgements from people like that are probably the very reason this woman and her daughter didn't reach out to anyone while they were in so much pain. It seems the husband/father had died of cancer two years prior and the home had been close to foreclosure four times among other problems they were dealing with. I don't know what was going on in the woman's mind or that of her daughter but the whole story saddens me. Not only for the loss AND the pain they were going through and now their family and friends are going through but also because I know there are other people struggling out there who either don't know how or won't ask for help simply because of the judgements they fear. And sad to say in many cases they're probably justified in that fear.

Depression is an evil thing. It can quickly sneak up on you and try to pull you under. Or it can just linger around like a haze tainting things just enough that nothing seems right and you don't know quite why. I used to have somewhere that I thought I could go to for some support but found out the hard way that either support wasn't known how to be given or just didn't want to be, or so the judgements I faced there seemed then and admittedly still do. Thankfully there are a couple of good friends from that place that still hold me in the palm of their hands and hopefully they think I do the same for them.

I'm just as guilty of being judgemental at times. We are all human and therefore fallible. I will rant about "stupid people" and even judgemental people which kind of lumps me into that same boat doesn't it? And I'll also admit that if I catch someone lying to me I'll get judgemental pretty fast, I dealt with a liar for far too long way back when and just don't have the patience to do it anymore. But I do hope that anyone I know, whether in person or online, knows that if they feel like they are at the end of their rope and it's fraying fast that they can count on me to be there. I may not know any good words of wisdom but if I can throw a lifeline to someone so they don't feel alone and that they don't feel they have to choose the path the woman I mentioned earlier did then hopefully that will be enough for that moment. Sometimes day by day is too much and you just have to go minute by minute.

And now I'll get down off my soapbox and go fight a bear or something!

Hormonal Women Shouldn't Blog

Doesn't that sound like a great title for a movie?! Sounds like a Mike Nichols movie to me! I see the opening....a frazzled looking woman driving a tank in a big city and there in her sights is that annoying Mother Nature character from those stupid commercials! It would be "poifect" I tell ya, "poifect"!

So THAT being said....hee hee hee... I'm smacking my fingers today to not reply to a variety of FB statuses (statui???) today. There's no reason for me to take any of them personally but they're causing some reaction just the same. Sometimes I'm not a fan of maturity and would love to let loose with some catty remarks of my own but somewhere in my head that ol' fuddy-duddy reminds me that there are consequences of such actions. She's such a stick in the mud!

I'm starting my vacation/staycation. I should be h-a-p-p-y!!! (You have to spell that like you're cheering folks!) But Hormonal Woman is battling Fuddy Duddy Woman......where the heck does that leave ME?????? And thus I'm in a bit of a funk today. This too shall pass but probably not fast enough! ;-)

We're still waiting for the family doctor's office to get the insurance referral before the pediatric orthopedist's office will schedule an appointment. That's not helping the HW vs FDW wars either! lol

And so I shall stop blogging and go on to figure out the closing scene for the aforementioned movie!

Just rambling

We lost a tree during our thunderstorm yesterday evening. It wasn't a huge tree but still it had nest in it and had been home to some baby birds. I'm hoping they were strong enough to fly away before the recorded 74 mph wind gust came through! Or they were at least strong enough to "wind surf" with the gust. They're probably setting up home in Ohio or Pennsylvannia at this point! But that makes two evenings in a row when storms have rolled through. Makes me wonder what tonight may bring!

I'm taking the boy to the doctor today and I'm a little nervous about it, hence my rambling! His gait has always been a bit "off" compared to other kids. A doctor two years ago told us to try getting him on a bicycle because she had read that can help. We tried to get him on a bike and even got the kid a new bike (since his other one was too small) for his birthday last year when that was not what he really wanted. He tried to ride it but he just can't keep his balance on it. I noticed about a month ago when I was following him down the stairs that his one leg turns almost perpinduclar to the other when he goes downstairs. You can also notice it when he runs. He's made comments about how he's no good at the things they do in PE and I think other kids may have been saying things. This week-end after scout camp he mentioned to Mark that he thought he needed to see the doctor about his leg and feet so we're wondering if something was said at camp too. Which with kids being kids is a good possibility.

I feel so badly for him. He's had a tough road the past couple of years. But he's developed a wicked sense of humor with a flair for sarcasm! (No idea where he may get that DNA from!)

I'm hoping they can refer us to physical therapy or something and not in the direction of surgery which is where my worried Mom mind wants to go but I keep telling it to STOP! Hopefully there will be some exercises or stretches or something we can do.

I actually scrapped!

Ok, it's been a work in progress for a few weeks but I just finished it last week. I always want to scrap but can't seem to sit down and do it for some reason.

But anywho.......last year we got free tickets to the 4th of July Indianapolis Indians ball game. Of course a weird weather front came through and it was a chilly monsoon all day long. We decided to head down there anyway since there was a "chance" that the rain would let up.....it didn't! At one point the cement steps on one part of the bleachers was the backdrop for a lovely waterfall! We were all soaked and miserable but it was still kind of fun!

As for the layout...I bought the "baseball" sticker but I made the question mark and the "rainfall!" using my Cricut and Glossy Accents. How is it I have never used the GA before??!! That stuff is so cool! It makes me want to make all kinds of glossy stickers! lol Oh, and I used tiny Doodlebug rub on letters on the baseball too.

Stupid is as stupid does

Conversation with Katie today....

Katie "So how was work? Any stupid people today?"

Me: "Just me."

Katie: "Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooom, you're NOT stupid!"

First let me point out that it's my 13 yo saying I'm not stupid. A notable feat in and of itself! lol

Secondly, I know I'm not stupid but I just feel that way a lot at work. I really feel like I'm thinking through all the things I need to before I do something but it's still been an "interesting" few weeks. And I should note that no one I work with/for is treating me like THEY think I'm stupid and I was told that I'm harder on myself than my supervisor ever would be. But I still hate feeling stupid! Yes, I know, NO ONE likes feeling that way! Some MIGHT, MAYBE, PERHAPS say that I have some control issues. Ha, ha, ha, I scoff at that! ;-) I don't have control issues, I just want to know it all! Where's the problem in that?!?

Blog slacker

Over a month since I've blogged?! What has my vast audience done without my pearls of wisdom?! coughcoughhackhack...yeah, that last one was a little hard for me to swallow too!

I wish I could tell you I haven't blogged because I was too busy doing wonderful acts of humanitarism....orrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... traveling around the world....orrrrrrrrrrr....skipping down the lane with singing woodland creatures living a fairy tale life but sad to say...NOPE! It's just been a busy time.

The kids are now out of school for the summer so things may slow down a bit which would be nice! We took a Memorial Day week-end trip in to PA and Mark got to see his mom, siblings, his oldest two kids and their kids. Katie had a great time being Aunt Katie too. Busy jam-packed week-end and a few debates on how to pronounce the word "CREEK". And I stand by my saying a "crick" is what you get in your neck!

And now for a random (it's not really but I don't feel like going into details!) shout out to my friend, Jeanne. Who told me in an e-mail the other day that I'm strong. She said other nice things to me too but I needed that particular shot in the arm! Especially after spending several days feeling like I shouldn't be burdening anyone with my thoughts. I never think that about anyone else and tell people to stop being silly if they say it but for some reason it's ok for me to think it. I don't know! But Jeanne is one cool lady and also has one of the coolest blogs I've ever read! I want to be more like her! Thanks Jeanne!

Friday......???

Musings goes well with Monday but for poor old Friday all I can think of is Flatulence and while that may be an accurate description of my bloggings I still don't want to use it! lol

Friday Findings??? Well, I don't think I'm really finding anything though.

Friday Fiascos??? No, that doesn't work either, it's been a calm day today.

Friday FillInTheBlank/ForgetAboutItAndTypeAlready??? Ding, ding, ding we have a "weiner"! Although the alliteration is not that good!

I picked Katie up at the school an hour ago after her three day 7th grade camping trip. We hadn't even pulled away from the light at the school when the 'TUDE made it's presence known. I had hoped that she'd either be so weary or so thankful to be home that we'd get through the night at least before Tudezilla showed up. Alas, it just wasn't meant to be! I know I'm asking too much of a brain that will turn 13 on Sunday but in all my parental glory I've been known to slip and wonder WHY??? Why almost 13 yo brain would you think it's a good idea to get that snot-nosed tone in your voice and to talk in the manner that is going to get you into trouble?!? And then, it hits my 43 yo brain....."WHY ARE YOU ASKING WHY?! IT'S AN ALMOST 13 YO BRAIN, FOOL!!!" And then I clear away the steam that came pouring out of my ears and go find a quiet spot until the next eruption!

Monday at work we are starting Mission SlimPossible. It's open to everyone who works for the bank no matter what building/state they are in and it's going to last for six weeks. it will work something like The Biggest Loser. We'll turn in our percentage of weight loss each week (after the initial weigh in Monday) and see who wins. I'm not sure if we're just winning bragging rights or what but it's certainly a good motivational tool to finally get me started and to keep going. I can get started, I just quit! One of my co-workers pointed out the other day that if we don't try during the week it affects the whole team and not just ourselves. That was the point I thought "Oh craaaaaaaap!" GUILT! Guilt is a good motivator! I do well during the day but for some reason at night I want to snack. And exercise and I have not been very close buddies either. Time to get reacquainted! UGH! I don't mind hiking or doing stuff like that but I hate exercising just for the sake of exercising. I know it's good for you but it feels like I'm wasting time because I'm not accomplishing anything right then and there, you know? Like getting to point B, or smacking a ball, or whatever! Oh well, time to just do it anyway! Almost sounds like a sportswear ad, doesn't it?! Hey?! Does that count for anything?!!

If anyone has any good "gettin' healthy" tips, lay'em on me!

Monday morning musings

1. No, I'm NOT your mother, 4th grade girl at the bus stop, but when you and others are pushing each other for "fun" on the sidewalk and I envision a busted head I'm going to tell you to stop it. And all the "who do you think you are?!" looks and walking away muttering won't intimidate me in the least. This ain't my first dance at the rodeo, chickie!

2. I'm very appreciative of the fact my husband made the bed this morning while I was in the shower in the attempt to brighten my mood. A dark funk descended last night and it's still hanging out but I appreciate what he did and his offer to clean the bathroom tonight.

3. I adore spring but I'm hating the high tree pollen count that is causing misery for me, Katie and countless others!

4. Similar note, I like the dandelion patches I see on the side of the roads as I drive to work. Reminds me of when I was a kid playing in the yard. And the inevitable game of "Mama had a baby and it's head POPPED off!" as we snapped the not yet bloomed dandelion heads off the stems. Did you ever stop and think how so many nursery rhymes and things are kind of gruesome in their basis?! Ring Around The Rosy, etc, etc. That might explain a lot!

5. I wasn't sure I wanted to drive the 2+ hours to Alumni in two weeks but now that I realize due to other things going on that week-end I can't make it that makes me kind of sad. And I'm not sure why since the people I was closest to in high school can't make it anyway.

6. I wonder what it will take to kick this dark gloomy funk out of my head!

The Donut Whole

This place didn't open until after I had moved away but it was while Sam still lived in Wichita so she was able to check it out and wanted to show it to me while we were in town. We went around noon on Friday and the light coming in the windows was AMAZING! It was an ameteur photographer's dream! Such a cool, ecclectic place! I asked the woman behind the counter if she minded if I took photos and she said they had photography students in there snapping away all the time. I would have liked to take more time and take some more artsy-fartsy shots but Sam was making her way for the door!

We went back Saturday evening with Sarah. It was getting dark and cloudy so the lighting wasn't as good but the donuts were just as good as they were Friday! This is not your ordinary donut! Interesting flavors and combinations and all made fresh right there! YUMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!! They also have live music some nights too. It was such a cool place and I wish it was closer to me but maybe with as good as those donuts were it's a good thing it isn't! And no, I do not know what a rooster has to do with donuts but there were a lot of the little guys decorating the place!

Home again, home again...

but I'm too tired to do any jiggity jigs. And a headache decided to join me yesterday morning and hasn't decided to leave just yet. Some guests just don't know when they've overstayed their welcome!

I had a great time traveling with my oldest young'un this week-end and seeing all my scrappin' peeps back in Wichita! There are people there that I miss greatly and I'm sure I always will. Working with some of them was really like working with family, things weren't always sunshine and roses but all in all we worked well together, knew and accepted each other's little quirks and STILL liked each other! Where I work now is good too but it's a different environment being a bank and not a store where you can get creative so the atmosphere is understandably different. Not as many occassions to break out in boy band dance moves or to quote movie lines incessantly! lol

But with all that said I think that, after almost two years here, it's finally hit me that this is really now our home. Floating around in the back of my head was that after the three years Mark would have to work here so we wouldn't have to pay back any moving money that maybe, just maybe, he could get his old job back in Wichita. I've associated so many negative things that have happened to this move, some probably less fairly than others. I still have flares where I take issue with how it all went down but it is what it is at this point. Moving back to Wichita isn't going to make Robbie's "issues" go away, it won't make Samantha's life any easier and I definitely wouldn't be getting my old job back! And Katie hit the ground running here and I doubt we'd be lucky enough to have it happen in reverse too. I don't think the job here for Mark was as big a bonus as he envisioned. The cost of living is definitely higher here so the extra money in the paycheck is a wash but he tells me that there's more chances for advancement here. If that makes him happy in his work life then I have to accept that. It's time to try to force some roots in Indiana.

Samantha had her own revelations this week-end. We both are full of conflicting emotions right now but we both agreed that growing up is sometimes "pretty sucky". ;-)

Road Trip

After a somewhat chaotic afternoon at work Sam and I hit the road. We stopped in Vandalia, IL at a Sonic and got our first Sonic fix of the week-end...YUM! However it caused the need for a rest stop and for some reason Sam didn't think we should stop in a rest area late at night! Just because I mentioned the most recent Criminal Minds episode we watched?! We stopped for gas and a potty break in a well lit area but even that felt kind of creepy. It's funny how even though I think I'm an independent "hear me roar" kind of woman I still feel safer with Mark around in certain situations! But we made it through some rain and some heavy traffic in spots and got to Columbia, MO and stopped for the night. I just don't sleep well outside of my own home anymore for some reason so I slept for maybe 15 minutes at a time and not too many times! A cup of coffee or two the next morning though and I was ready to hit the road.

We hit some rain and a lot of areas that looked like they had had downpours but thankfully we missed that while driving! We got through KC and stopped at a QT (and it wasn't me who needed the potty break that time! lol) and I got a French Vanilla cappacino...aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!! Yes, it's a convience store cappy but it's the BEST one I've ever had!

We got to Wichita at lunch time and Sam picked Louie's for lunch. Fried green beans?! Who knew they'd be so yummy?! We got to check into the hotel early and then Sam dropped me off with Mary and she met up with some of her friends. And now I'll spare you the play by play for now! LOL

It's good to be back here visiting but I also think that we both have found some closure. I can't speak for Sam but I think it's finally hit me that while I loved living in Wichita and it will always be full of fond memories it's no longer "home". I guess it's time to start forcing some roots in Indy. (But Mark and I both agree we'd like to find a different neighborhood to live in within the next couple of years!) Sam and I agree that growing up sometimes sucks (and I hate using that word but it fits this situation).

And I'll cut this short because soon it will be time to head to Get Scrappy!!!