blogcrawl

Hey Ya'll sorry I didn't participate in the crawl yesterday. I was in the hospital all day with my dad. He was in a pretty bad motorcycle wreck yesterday.

I know, I'm a crawl downer. He has a broken collarbone and a pretty good gash to the head. He got to ride in a helicopter cause he was a trauma with a head injury.

He'll be fine though. Thanks for crawling through even though I wasn't playing!

ELVIRA!

As I slave away at the day job, I suddenly remembered something from my childhood. Well, suddenly is not a very good description. The memory sort of snuck into my mind like a foggy reminder of days past.

You see, when I was 2, my mom was admitted to the hospital with complications from pregnancy. Since my dad was blue collar and was working steadily at the time, he was unable to take off work to look after me. Each day, on his way to work, he would leave me with family friends.

Now, these folks were not ordinary folks. They lived in a house that sort of looked like the pre-oil Clampett homestead. The grandparents lived in a two room apartment above the garage/shop. They had 5 large Great Danes who resided in the family room, and when I say resided, I mean it! One sat in a lazyboy all day. One sat across the couch all day. One laid beside the coffee table and one in front of the tv. The last would follow you around getting under foot whenever possible. Being a tiny-two year old, these dogs seemed to me to be horses and they allowed me to treat them as such. In addition to the 5 dogs, there were assorted cats, birds and children. I was weary of joining the clan.

Each day at drop off, I would wail at the thought of having to go into that house. So, the only thing they knew to do was put my favorite record on the turntable and dance. Once my mind was on my favorite song, my daddy would slip quietly away. My favorite song? I know you are dying to know . . . Hot Legs by Rod Stewart. Don't ask!

There were several children in this clan. The oldest was P.L. She was a good 7 years older than me, I don't quite recall exactly, but I think it was 7. I remember she would dance to Hot Legs with me, swinging me around the room and rolling up her pant leg in a Rockette's-like routine. I would be in stitches. She would play with me, dress me up and otherwise dote on me - she had brothers and sisters but I guess they didn't allow her to play with them like a doll and I did.

I grew very fond of P.L. over the years and she of me. When I was 5, P.L. was diagnosed with a massive brain tumor. Several operations and other treatments left her wheelchair bound, bald and a shadow of her former vibrant self - but I still loved her and she me. Whenever she would have a particularly bad day, she would shrug it off with a beaming smile and suggest a dance - or rather a roll in her chair - around the room to whatever was a favorite song of that time. I enjoyed jumping into the chair and careening around the living room and down the chair ramp to various musical selections.

P.L. was a big country music fan and through Make a Wish or some other terminal illness connection, she met the Oak Ridge Boys, Alabama, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton and even the President. I remember the pictures around the kitchen of those meetings.

When P.L. was 14 - maybe even 16, the brain tumor grew with renewed vigor and P.L. was dead before the year was out - specifically, early October. It was the first funeral that I can remember attending, though I know I attended at least one prior. She was my best friend, or so my young mind felt, and she was gone.

Her passing was celebrated with a party, the way P.L. liked to do all things. We danced around the living room. New dogs had replaced the danes and new music had replaced Hot Legs. The adults all got drunk and the kids all snuck drinks. P.L. would have laughed heartily at us from her chair. Over the next several years, P.L.'s dad would be further stricken with a genetic degenerative bone condition, one brother would give over to drugs, the other would begin to develop the degenerative bone condition, her mom would eventually die of breast cancer and her sisters would each have children before the age of 18. P.L. would have smiled a beaming smile at each of those hardships and soldier on despite them.

I do sometimes think of P.L., I spent such a large part of my childhood with her family and with others who knew her, yet, I can barely remember her features - save her beautiful, wide smile and wispy blonde hairs that never, ever grew back.

Still today, I can close my eyes and see every dirt-filled crack of the clan's house, I can smell the rancid stale whisky from pop-pops (P.L.'s grandad) glass, I can see the smoke rings from his pipe, I can hear the sliding sound that Dot's (P.L.'s grandma) walker made across the room, I can smell pot from the boys outside, I can see the always-green swimming pool, the pony tied out back, the dirt path to the woods. I can hear Hot Legs and the scratchy record we played. I can hear P.L. laugh at my dad's bad jokes, see her smile, but I cannot remember her features.

Every year, nearing October, I begin to think of P.L. even more, what she would have been like had she survived her brain tumor. I think of how different I would be if I'd never entered that house for all its filth but all its love as well. I wonder why I still think of P.L. and that picture of her with Alabama on the wall.

And every year, nearing October, I hum Elvira to myself, because it happened to be one of her favorites and to this day remains one of mine. Not because of the silly lyrics but because of the way it made P.L. giggle, smile and twirl her chair.

So the fog creeps away, and I'll go another year without thinking too much about P.L. till October comes round again. and I'll leave you with Elvira - not the busty vampiress, but the song:

That girl can sure enough make my little light shine
I get a funny feelin' up and down my spine
'Cause I know that my Elvira's mine

So I'm singin'
Elvira, Elvira
My heart's on fire Elvira
Giddy Up Oom Poppa Omm Poppa Mow Mow
Giddy Up Oom Poppa Omm Poppa Mow Mow
Heigh-ho Silver, away

Tonight I'm gonna meet her at the Hungry House Cafe
And I'm gonna give her all the love I can
She's gonna jump and holler 'cause I saved up my last two dollars
We're gonna search and find that preacher man

Now I'm a singin'
Elvira, Elvira
My heart's on fire Elvira
Giddy Up Oom Poppa Omm Poppa Mow Mow
Giddy Up Oom Poppa Omm Poppa Mow Mow
Heigh-ho Silver, away

Steelers

I love my Steelers . . . so much so that I have the Steelers' emblem painted on my pudgy little toenails! They also say "Here we go"

See!

Carry on . . .

Guns!

On Saturday, I took my family to a gun raffle . . . for those in moonbat land that is a fundraiser where they raffle off guns of all sorts. This particular gun raffle lasted from noon - 7pm. See below the list of goodies that were going . . . They raffled off guns, cash or ATV's EVERY FIVE MINUTES!!
and you could eat and drink all you wanted for $40. Plus, it went to a good cause - one of the local fire departments. I didn't win anything, but my cuz, who lives with me - won the Glock 23 40 Cal! It was a good day!

11:55a $1000 Cash
12:00p Browning BPS Rifled Deer New Camo Breakup (New 2007)
12:05p Weatherby Van Guard Sub-Moa Matte Std. Cal.
12:10p Marlin 1895 Cowboy 4570
12:15p Remington 700 SPS Stainless Choice of Cal.
12:20p Mossberg Tactical Turkey Hunting Series
12:25p Ruger M77 Mark 11 Ultra Lite 204 Cal.
12:30p Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker Std. Cal.
12:35p Ruger 50th Anniversary 44mag Flattop Blackhawk
12:40p Remington 870 Max Gobbler (New 2007)
12:45p Browning BL -22 Grade 11 22LR
12:50p 257 Weatherby Vanguard Sporter Walnut Blued BBL
12:55p Thompson Center Pro Hunter Stainless Choice of BBL
1:00p $5000 Cash
1:05p Winchester Wild Cat Bolt 22 Rifle
1:10p Charles Daily 12 Ga. Camo Semi-Auto
1:15p Tikka T3 Hunter Choice of Cal.
1:20p Remington 870 Wingmaster 410 Ga.
1:25p Smith & Wesson Model 460 XVR Revolver
1:30p Savage 111FC Combo Std. Cal.
1:35p Beretta Tom Cat 32ACP
1:40p Glock 23 40 S&W
1:45p New England Fire Arms Ultra Varmint 223 Cal.
1:50p Marlin 917 VLS 17HMR
1:55p Ruger M77 Mark 11 308 Cal.
2:00p SUZUKI 400 EIGER 4X4 ATV (Automatic)-COLOR
2:05p Remington 700 SPS Varmint Choice of Cal.
2:10p Mossberg 4X4 Combo 270 or 30-06 (New 2007)
2:15p Remington 710 Youth 243 Cal. 3x9x40 Bushnell
2:20p Benelli Nova Camo 12Ga. 3.5”
2:25p Browning T-Bolt 22LR (New 2007)
2:30p Henry Golden Boy 17HMR
2:35p Smith & Wesson 22A 5.5”
2:40p Texas Defender - Bond Arms 44 Mag.
2:45p Remington 11-87 SP-T Thumbhole
2:50p Marlin 336W 30-30
2:55p Springfield X-Tream Duty 4” 9MM
3:00p SUZUKI 400 EIGER 4X4 ATV (Automatic)-COLOR
3:05p Thompson Center Fire Storm 50 Cal.
3:10p Mossberg Tactical Turkey Hunting Series
3:15p Remington 870 Police Gun 12 Ga. 3”
3:20p Browning BL -22 NRA Grade 1
3:25p Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan Choice of Cal. (New 2007)
3:30p Mossberg 535 ATS All terrain Slugster 12 Ga. (New 2007)
3:35p 257 Weatherby Vanguard Sporter Walnut Blued BBL
3:40p Savage 112 FV Stainless Fluted BBL. Choice of Cal.
3:45p Smith & Wesson 637 38 Special Air Weight
3:50p Remington 1187 Sportsman Deer Gun 12 Ga. 3”
3:55p Taurus Titanium 38 Special Ultra Lite
4:00p $5000 Cash
4:05p Remington 700 BDL Black Laminate Stainless BBL.
4:10p Thompson Center 50 cal. Omega
4:15p Ruger KP95 PR 9mm Pistol
4:20p Walther P22 5 in. 22LR
4:25p Taurus 605 357 Mag.
4:30p Savage 17 HMR Stainless Thumbhole
4:35p Remington 700 SPS Buckmaster Camo Choice (New 2007)
4:40p Ruger M77 Mark 11 Frontier Std. Cal.
4:45p Remington 870 Express Slug Gun 12 Ga.
4:50p Remington 7600 Pump Action Rifle
4:55p Mossberg 835 12Ga. Ultra Mag Camo
5:00p SUZUKI 400 EIGER 4X4 ATV (Automatic)-COLOR
5:05p Ruger New Vaquero 45 Colt
5:10p Browning NWTF Turkey Gun 12 Ga. 3” & 3.5”
5:15p Steoger Hunting O/U 12 Ga.
5:20p Browning Buck Mark Bullseye Target Stainless
5:25p Thompson Center Fire Storm 50 Cal.
5:30p Savage 111G Classic Hunter Std. Cal.
5:35p Remington XR-100 Rangemaster 22-250 (New 2007)
5:40p Browning BPS Upland Special 12 Ga.
5:45p Tikka T3 Hunter Choice of Cal.
5:50p Smith & Wesson 317 Air Lite 22LR
5:55p Winchester Wild Cat Bolt 22 Rifle (New 2007)
6:00p SUZUKI 400 EIGER 4X4 ATV (Automatic)-CAMO
6:05p Browning A- Bolt Stainless M-1000 Eclipse
6:10p Henry Golden Boy 22LR
6:15p Savage 111G Classic Hunter Std. Cal.
6:20p Remington 572 BDL Deluxe 22LR
6:25p Mossberg 535 Combo 22”. & 24” BBL
6:30p Remington 870 Express Slug Gun 12 Ga. 3”
6:35p Taurus PT 111 9mm Stainless Millennium Pro
6:40p Kimber Royal 45ACP
6:45p Thompson Center Pro Hunter Stainless Choice of BBL
6:50p Savage Series 10 Predator Hunter 223 or 22-250 (New 2007)
6:55p Marlin XLR Rifle New 308 Marlin Express (New 2007)
7:00p $10,000 Cash

Happy Birthday Harvey!

Happy Birthday to Papa-Bad himself!

This year, he asked for a very specific gift, so below the fold my friend - hope you have a wonderful birthday!

Here is your gift:

I HAVE BOOBS!!

No, really, I do! I even took a quiz once that told me that my boobs resemble these:

So there you have it! I have Xena-Boobs! Who knew?

Happy Birthday Harvey, may your days be filled with laughter and your dreams be filled with boobies . . .

Preschool

Well, the Boy has entered Preschool. I put off preschool until this year (he is 4) because I wanted him to have time that wasn't structured. Time to get some of that Boy energy out. Since I am not home with him, I wanted him to at least not think I was shipping him off to an institution while I go to work each day.

(I realize school isn't that bad, it is all me). Anyway, the Boy starts "officially" tomorrow. Preschool! Last Tuesday was the orientation day - or as I like to call it - bring your daddy to school day.

The Hubby, who is recovering from a recent surgery, was home and as such it was his duty to take the boy to preschool orientation. As typical of preschool, they sang, ate snacks, colored and they played.

In particular, they played a game. All of the kids got into a circle on the floor (my son sat next to Teacher - important for later) and they had to say their name and then say something they liked. Then they went back around and said their name and something they did not like. As this was only day one of orientation, their were only 6 kids in the class so they went around the circle several times. Well, my Boy can be shy on occasion and he didn't want to talk at first. So after they went around a couple times he was into the premise of the game.

Well, they got to the Boy at one point and it was time to say what you don't like. The Teacher, apparently was patting him on the top of his head and said "so, Boy, what don't you like?" and my sweet and well-mannered child replied:

"I don't like things on my head!"

Of course the teacher missed the point entirely and said "Oh? You mean like hats?" to which the Boy replied:

"If you say so."

My Hubby could not contain his glee when retelling this story, first because Teacher was clueless as to the actual meaning and second because the Boy actually said it out loud. Oh, but the absolute best part is that everyone else in the room got it - including the 6-four year olds!

What exactly are the qualifications for being a preschool teacher? I'm just saying!

Wish us luck - it is going to be an insightful ride!