Hubby and I survived hosting our first family Thanksgiving at our house.  The kids and grandkids were here.  We ate a lot of food.  We had fun.  But it was weird not having MIL here.  Hubby and I had no idea all the planning that goes into cooking Thanksgiving dinner.  She always made it look easy.  We just knew that she was laughing hysterically at us.  

 

We survived delivering the Black Friday ads on Wednesday night/Thursday morning.  We're giving up the paper route on December 27, so I'll never have to do that again. 

 

I need to clean my house. 

 

I need to go into work for a little bit.

 

Other than that, no real plans.  Maybe finally some cross-stitch or some knitting.   

 

Life has calmed down a bit and I'm getting to spend more time at home watching TV.  The doggies are loving it.  I sit on the floor and they snuggle on my lap.  I'm catching up on my reality shows. I'm catching up on my Soaps.  I'm seeing all kinds of new commericals.

 

 

  

 

This one is my new favorite.  I love the southern accent on the pot hole. 

 

You gotta love the simple things in life . . . .

Oh Dear.  I'm in Charge?!  Who put me in charge!?  I didn't ask for this but sure as I'm sitting here, I'm in charge.  Crap!

 

It's only been a month or so since MIL's passing, but it's pretty obvious who is going to be taking over the family tradition of Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners.  Yes, that'd be me.  (See me smiling and waving!)  Crap! 

 

I don't want to be in charge.  I don't want to cook Thanksgiving Dinner.  MIL never let me help with anything so I have no first hand experience with cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people.  I can barely get the timing down right to cook dinner for me and Hubby.  I have to plan dinner for 10 people.  The first dinner as the new Matriarch of the Family.  The one where everyone is going to be saying "it's not like Mother's/Grandma's" . . . Crap!

 

Hubby and I talked about gathering the kids and grandkids and going out to eat.  I'm sure there's a buffet place that we could go to for a lovely Thanksgiving dinner.  But then we wouldn't have any leftovers.  What's Thanksgiving without a ton of leftovers?  And this is Princess' first Thanksgiving at home in over 15 years.  You can't start a tradition at a buffet place.  Crap!

 

Mom invited Hubby and I and the kids to her house for Thanksgiving Dinner, but they really don't have the room for 27 people in their little house. 

 

Just when I was starting to have a major panic attack . . . I read the Kr0g3r ad.  They have pre-cooked Thanksgiving dinners with all the trimmings all ready.  You just order the dinner and they do the rest.  Sooooo, I'm cheating.  I ordered a pre-cooked Thanksgiving dinner.  Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, pies.  All I have to do is the side dishes - easy enough. 

 

Since I know that my cooking will never live up to MIL's - or to everyone's memory of MIL's cooking - it won't sting so much when they say "It's not like Mother's/Grandma's"  I know that no matter how hard we try, things are going to be different.  Not bad.  Just different.  We have to adjust.  Just when you think you're adapting well to the adjustments, you get smacked between the eyes with something new.  

 

So, how many years will it be before I stop dreading holidays?   

 

 

The Game Starts at Noon!!

 

  

 

Go Bucks!!

 

UPDATE - FROM ESPN - "The Buckeyes clinch the outright Big Ten title for the third time in four years and will almost certainly be headed to the Rose Bowl. Michigan dropped its seventh consecutive Big Ten game to finish last in the league for the first time since 1962. The Wolverines will miss a bowl for the second straight season." 

 

Poor Michigan!  ROTFL

 

 

I can hardly believe it.  My baby boy will be 1 year old tomorrow. 

 

On November 19, 2008, Rocky made his appearance.  The story we were told is that his mommy was left at the Animal Resuce Place.  She was very pregnant.  How could anybody just leave a very pregnant dog like that?  They took her in and got her all comfortable.  Good thing because the very next day Rocky and his 12 siblings appeared.

 

 

He spent 11 weeks at the Animal Rescue Place before we found him.

 

 

It was love at first sight for Hubby and Rocky.  I needed a little more convincing.  Losing Blacky so suddenly was rough and I wasn't ready for a puppy.

 

 

It was love at first sight for Luci and Rocky, too.  I could see that I was outnumbered.

 

But how could you not love this face?

 

 

He's a sweet boy.  Obedient.  Well behaved.  Did great in puppy training class.  He's Mommy's sweetie.  But then he gets to romping with Luci and he's a holy terror.  We've already had more than a few trips to the vet for sprained legs.  He just never gives up when he's playing with Luci and she doesn't realize that she's so much bigger than him.  He's a joyful addition to the family. 

 

 

Happy birthday, Rocky.  Mommy can't imagine life without you. 

 

I found this the other day and it's been in my head ever since.  One of those songs that get stuck in your head and you can't get rid of it no matter how hard you try . . .

 

So in honor of That Game and to celebrate my Ohio roots. . . and the fact that regardless of the outcome of the game Ohio State is going to the Rose Bowl . . . I give you . . .

 

The Best Damn Band In The Land . . .

We had a plan.  We were going to have an auction and sell MIL's house and all the stuff.  Furniture, applicances, household stuff.  It would be done all in one day.  

 

That plan didn't quite work out.  For various reasons.  We just weren't comfortable with some of the stuff we were finding out about how the auction process worked. 

 

So we resorted to Plan B.

 

House is being listed with a local realtor.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that it sells quickly.

 

As for the household stuff.  Well, MIL is having a big laugh at me from Heaven.  I swore I was done with yard sales.  She never believed me.  We'll be having a LARGE yard sale this spring to sell the household stuff.

 

As for the furniture and appliances . . . all I can say is thank heavens for craigslist . . . and free "for sale" ads with the local paper.

For the first time in I can't remember how long . . . I'm bored. 

 

Hubby and I had dinner together.  I actually cooked.  I'm surprised that I remember how.  I didn't blow up anything and I didn't burn anything. 

 

I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.  Why, yes, there is a table under all that stuff!!  

 

Hubby did the laundry for me so I didn't have to do that. I folded socks and underwear while watching TV. 

 

We're sitting on the couch watching a movie.  Yes.  Me.  Watching a movie.  From start to finish.  Hubby's flipping through the channels during commercials and we get sidetracked on some stupid commercial. 

 

The dogs are sleeping peacefully at our feet.  In my case, Rocky's actually sleeping on my foot.  

 

After the stress of the last year or so, this is a nice change of pace.  I can get used to this. 

It seemed like a good idea at the time.  Honest.  But, like most of my brilliant ideas . . . it went horribly awry.

 

I was going to take Luci and Rocky to the do-it-yourself dog wash place yesterday. Then I took a good look at the house and decided I needed to clean instead.  With all the stuff going on here lately, the house has been a little neglected.  So I cleaned the house and made a promise to the doggies that they'd get baths during the week. 

 

My original plan was to take Luci tonight and then take Rocky on Wednesday night.  Then I got the bright idea to take them both tonight.  I got off work early enough and there was plenty of time to throw them in the Dog Mobile and get to the dog wash place before they closed.  I had a coupon for a free wash for one of them and a 10% coupon for the other one.  I figured they would be together in the car and they'd be happy.  They whine and whimper when they are apart so I thought it would be better for them to be together.  Rocky is no trouble when I give him a bath and I'd have the groomer guy give Rocky a bath while I gave stubborn Luci a bath.  After all, that's why I have the Dog Mobile to take the dogs places together.  

 

Like I said, it seemed like a good idea at the time. 

 

When I come home from work, the usual routine is for me to walk the dogs.  So they were a little excited thinking it was time for their walk.  Then when I took them out to the car, they were really excited.  Luci jumped right into the back of the car.  Rocky wasn't quite so quick to jump up.  I'm trying to load Rocky into the car while I'm trying to keep Luci from jumping back out.  The car was parked on the street and I was worried that one or the other of them was going to get hit if somebody went zipping down the street.  Luci hopped out the back of the car and I decided I'd load them in through the passenger door.  Again, Luci jumped right in and Rocky wasn't having any part of it.  I had to lift Rocky into the car while Luci was trying to sniff him.  There the three of us were all crammed into the passenger side door.  Aaarrgh.

 

Okay, we're in the car.  I've got the special shampoo for Luci.  I've got the coupons.  I even managed to remember my keys, my cell phone, and my purse.  Things are looking good.  Off we go.  We get to the end of the street and Luci's whining.  Evidently Rocky was in "her" spot and wouldn't move.  As a matter of fact, he didn't move the entire trip to the dog wash place.  It was like he had turned to stone.  Thankfully, it's only 10 minutes to the dog wash place.

 

We get there.  They manage to behave themselves long enough to get out of the car and into the place.  We walk into the waiting area and Luci jumps up and gives the groomer a big old smooch.  Rocky's still acting like a statue. 

 

We go in.  I let groomer guy take Rocky and I get Luci into the tub.  Luci is totally incorrigable when it comes to getting a bath.  It's totally my fault because when she was a baby, I gave her a bath in her baby pool.  She thinks bath time is time to play.  She's excited to get in the tub and play in the water.

 

Rocky has never really warmed up to the idea of bath time.  He's very well behaved but I can tell that it's not his favorite thing.  He won't even play in the pool or in the sprinkler.  He's just not a big fan of the water.  He never shakes.  He never makes any noise.  He's always perfectly well behaved.  At least he is when I'm the one giving him a bath.  He whined and whimpered and howled the entire time.  He couldn't see me.  He couldn't see Luci.  Some strange man was giving him a bath.  He was not a happy camper.

 

When Rocky starts to whine, Luci gets upset and tries to get out of the tub.  I'm trying to hang onto a wet 106 lb dog that's covered in soap.  She wouldn't sit still.  She kept trying to push me out of the way to get out to see what's going on with Rocky.  She's not a happy camper. 

 

I finally get her done and groomer guy is still using the blower dryer on Rocky.  Luci made a bee-line to the tub where Rocky was.  She stood on her hind legs next to groomer guy as if to tell Rocky that it was okay.  Sissy wasn't going to let anyone hurt him.  

 

Rocky's done.  Luci's done.  They both get bandanas and smelly spray stuff.  I pay the bill and we leave. 

 

They walk quietly out to the car. No pulling.  No fighting.  Now why couldn't they do that on the way in?!

 

They get in the car.  We drive home in silence.  Except for the heaving panting and the fogged up windows. 

 

We get home.  They both jump out at the same time and dash for the door.  

 

They haven't left each other's side since we got home.  

 

I think I'll go back to individual trips to the dog wash place. 

 

 

Yes, there is happy news from the Big Dog Family!!  It's been a rough month and I'm sure we have some more rough days, weeks, month ahead of us while we try to get the estate settled and live through the upcoming holidays.  Holidays.  Gee, not really something I want to deal with at this point but I'll get through it somehow.

 

Anyway, back to my wonderful news. . . .

 

Hubby bowled a 300 game on Monday night.  In the first game of the evening.  He's the secretary of the league which means he has a lot of paperwork to take care of on top of trying to bowl.  This is his second year being the secretary and he's been struggling to deal with both tasks.  Bless his heart, he's not a good multi-tasker.  But somehow he pulled it off on Monday night.  He got through the 9th frame before he realized what was going on.  He took a deep breath before he started the 10th frame and just threw the ball like he had all night.  And all the pins fell down. 

 

It took him 22 years of bowling to finally get his 300 game.  He's had a 299 and a 298 and thought he'd never see his 300.  It was like the Holy Grail for him. 

 

His team stomped and hollered for him.  The entire bowling league held their breath until he threw his last ball.  Then the place erupted in cheers. 

 

And I missed it.  After sitting in bowling alleys for all those years and being bored silly . . . I missed the biggest night of his life.  But I have a good reason and he understood.  See, Monday was All Souls Day and I was at Mass honoring MIL.  Near as I can figure, about the time the memorial candle for MIL was lit, Hubby was finishing his 300 game.  I'm thinking he had an angel or two watching over him. 

 

I found out about the 300 game by a voice mail message left at home by Hubby's BFF.  That's when I took off for the bowling alley.  You should have seen the smile on Hubby's face when I walked into the bowling alley.  

 

Believe it or not . . . that smile's still there . . .

This is Baby.  She lives with my Mom and Dad.  Mom adopted Baby to be a companion for Dad.

 

 

 

They rescued her five years ago from the local animal shelter.  Her previous owner was a sweet little lady that had to move to a nursing home and couldn't take Baby with her.  We think that Baby was about 6 or 7 years old when she came to live with Mom and Dad so that would make her about 12 or 13 years old now. 

 

 

 

Because we don't know a lot about Baby's history, we have to guess about why she does the things she does.  She doesn't like to play with toys and she doesn't play fetch.  She's a picky eater and prefers to have a little bit of people food mixed into her doggie dish but there isn't a brand of doggie treat that she doesn't like.  She loves to go for walks and rides in the car.  She was a friendly dog that loved everybody. 

 

 

When I visit Mom and Dad, I have to say hello to Baby before I say hello to anybody else in the house.  She's my buddy and she never lets me out of her eyesight.  I've been known to spend an entire visit at Mom and Dad's sitting on the floor with Baby. 

 

 

 

Baby passed away on Sunday afternoon.  It was sudden and it was awful.  We don't know exactly happened but we think it was a stroke.  She was fine Sunday morning and by 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon she wasn't able to walk.  Little Brother and Little Sister rushed Mom and Baby to the Emergency Vet clinic and they told Mom that Baby was paralyzed from the waist down and she was going downhill fast.  That's when Mom realized that it was time to let Baby go.  I wasn't home when Little Brother called to let me know they were going to the emergency vet . . . and he didn't want to give me such bad news on my cell phone . . . so I didn't get a chance to say good-bye to my furry little buddy. 

 

  

 

So now you know why I've had the chorus from this really old song playing in my head all week.