Time again this week for my Public Service Announcements. For the good of mankind, don't ya know? :)

To the lady who is walking around with her sunglasses on her head: You are not chic. You are not even stylish. Ernesto is outside pissing on our heads, it's dark as pitch and you are worried about the sun shining in your eyes? (no she doesn't have a medical problem either, I discreetly inquired).


To Tropical Storm Ernesto: How about pack your shit up and get on out of town already. You are making it gloomy and me depressed. My hair looks like a limp dishrag and my umbrella is ready to go on strike.

To My Husbands Boss: How about knock the "coming in early" stuff off. How am I supposed to get a little bit in the morning if he is gone at the butt-crack of dawn. You are impeding my lovelife and I don't like it.


I'm just too tired to bitch anymore. Imagine that.

This is our cabin. It was VERY nice. Loved the screened in porch w/ rocking chairs!

We saw quite a few deer and a bobcat thank God no snakes!

This is a shot of the lake. I loved sitting on the swing enjoying the peaceful quiet.

Brittany and Madison built a "fort" in the closet. :)

A bee landed on Madison's ball and freaked her out. She kept going "Get off Bee!"

La La (Reilly) went with us. He enjoyed the screened in porch the best.

That is Miss Madison going up the steps. Her favorite activity was going in & out and slamming the screen door. Imagine that! :)

I did have a great time but it is HELL here at work. I mean pure hell. Please pray for me! I may not be able to visit all blogs today but i'll get to them over the week-end I promise!!!!!! I did miss y'all *kisses*

Here is my girl on the potty yesterday morning.
Well i'm leaving at Noon so my time will be short. I hope I get around to everyone's blogs. If I don't I probably will Sunday while Madison naps and before we leave for the Cabin.
I have to ask what is everyone's opinion on John Karr, the guy who says he killed Jonbenet Ramsey? I am hoping he is the guilty party so that family has some closure but he seems like a nutcase to me also. Is there anything worse than a pedophile?

This pic was taken this past week-end in Summerville but this morning
MADISON PEE PEE'D IN THE POTTY FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Can ya tell i'm excited? She has sat on the potty for the longest without doing anything and at least we've got a start going.
We went to Stefano's for italian last night. OMG it was AWESOME. I had angel hair pasta & meatballs. The Toniolo's are a real italian family from NJ and their meatballs are made with a combination of beef,pork & veal. Madison ate one all by herself and those suckers are huge. When you first walk in it smells just like a hoagie shop in PA. I was in heaven.

Yesterday afternoon, I was sitting in my cube (sad because it was my bosses last day. He's going to a different area) when a female co-worker comes in and sits down. I'll call her Ditsy. In a second you'll find out why.
Ditsy: "You have quite a few gay friends right?"
Me: "Uh, Yes"
Ditsy: "Well do they are all know each other?"
Me:"What?"
Ditsy: "Do they all know each other?"
Me: "Who?"
Ditsy: "You're gay friends"
Me: "Which gay friends?"
Ditsy: "All of them"
Me: "Um, no they live all across the United States"
Ditsy: "Oh, I thought it was like a big network or something".

Thank Gawd she got up and left so I could sit there and crack up by my lonesome. WTF? A big network. Where do some people get ideas from? And I still don't know why she even brought it up to me.
Well, my boss who is leaving, is gay but that's no big deal to anyone. He's out and proud. He's been a great boss. Gave me wonderful raises and bonuses and was very fair. My new boss will be a woman. I'm not so thrilled about that. She's kind of, well, I get the impression she might be catty but i'm reserving judgement and trying to be fair. I must say Thank You Ditsy for making me laugh on a day when i've been pondering alot of things, workwise.

We had a wonderful storm yesterday evening. It started getting dark about 4:30 and I could tell one was brewing. The wind picked up, the temp dropped (Thank God). Usually neither Madison nor Reilly pay much attention when we have a storm. Not this time. I had both of them in my lap shivering and Madison kept her head buried in my shoulder. The wind blew, the house shook, rain pounded on the roof and the lights went out. I patted Maddie's back and stroked Reilly's tiny body to reassure them and I think it worked. All in all it was a rather cozy time with the two I love the best.

This is the same little girl who HATED to have her picture taken. I had my camera out and she said "Cheese Mamma". I was so delighted!
I still haven't had "enough" apparently but i'm getting there.Thanks for all of the good advice & support.

It might be hard to see but this woman has on overall shorts and a string bikini top. Yes, people it is true. I had to take the picture from far away to avoid getting my ass beat by her and her large common-law husband as they had already busted us making fun of her outfit when they were walking in the gates. You will see any and every kind of sight at a redneck racetrack on a Saturday night (technically this was Sunday due to a rain-out the night before but who's keeping track?)

Oh and did I mention I got into an altercation with a large man who out-weighed me by oh, a good 200 lbs?
Yes I did, but did Patti_Cake back down from the behemoth?
No S
he did NOT! She defended her driver's honor.
Here is the hottie who's honor I was defending, and my own hottie's beside him in his rebel pride shirt

As you can see Maddie is feeling better today (despite the fit she's currently throwing because she's tired but doesn't want to take a nap). She had bad blisters in her mouth and that was hell trying to get her to eat or drink so she didn't dehydrate but today is much better. She had a few blisters between her fingers but none on her feet/toes. I guess we were actually pretty lucky, though it sure didn't feel like it at times.
Brett is in the box my Garrett's popcorn came in this morning. Ohmigod that stuff is AWESOME. The cheesecorn is so buttery and cheesey. I thought it would be my pick but I actually heart the carmelcrisp a little more. I will probably buy this for some Christmas gifts. My fingers are already stained yellow!
Thanks for all of your kind wishes and suggestions for Maddie. We appreciate it. I stayed home with her because hf&m diseaase is highly contagious and I didn't want to risk infecting Carrie and her family.

Here is Madison last week with her caregiver, Carrie. We were doing a print of her hand and she loved getting messy! Carrie is worth a million dollars to me. Madison loves her to pieces, she listens to her and respects her and I don't have to worry about missing work when Maddie is sick like I would if she were in Daycare. I am a lucky, lucky Mommy and so is Maddie.
I figured y'all had enough with my bathroom post below LOL So i'd plaster another pic of my baby (who BTW her Daddy is taking her to the doctor as we speak becasue she has been running a fever today and has white/greenish blisters on her tongue and won't eat or drink). I'll give an update tomorrow. Poor baby :(

UPDATE: Madison has Hand,Foot & Mouth Disease. I only recently heard of this due to the Kept Woman's Peanut being infected. Of course Stacy said "She hasn't been around any cows". I stifled an urge to laugh and told him "It's not hoof/mouth disease." It IS very contagious though. Ugh. Now we've got to get soft, non-acidic things to feed her.

Blogger is once again being a HAB and won't let me post any pics so i'll just ramble on. I had a nice peaceful week-end. Stac & Maddie went to Summerville and I stayed home.
I went shopping with my sister on Saturday and man were the stores PACKED. It wasn't even tax-free week-end (that's this coming week-end). Good for the economy I guess. I sure did my share. Well, tell me what YOU did this week-end. :)
P.S. Did anybody else hear about Mel Gibson's arrest for drunk driving? He was pretty abusive to the officers involved. Wow. Not too cool.

Yesterday we went to the Watermelon Festival in Pageland, SC. It was a great time! They had the cutest little kiddie carnival, Maddie even rode the roller coaster - big girl! Her favorite is the merry-go-round though. Pageland is a small town that has retained alot of it's small-town feel. The downtown area is nice and the store fronts were all decorated to commemorate the festival. They were giving away free watermelon and it was cold, oh man good stuff! It's like taking a big bite of a smile.
Tell me about any festival's you have attended in your area. I'm a festival junkie!

I apologize for the poor quality of this picture. I took a picture of the actual picture sitting on a shelf and hurriedly downloaded it this a.m. before leaving for work. This is me and Stacy nearly 12 years ago. Yes I was pudgy when we got married. He loved me anyway ;) It is so hard to believe that was almost 12 years ago. My wedding was the most stressful event I had ever experienced up to that time but boy was it beautiful. We still watch the video sometimes but it's been awhile. Maybe it's time to break it out again. I know Madison will get a kick out of it when she is older. Hope everyone has a happy week-end! Got any wedding or romance stories to share?

Please note the elegant plastic menus and formica booths. Also the mural of Nascar Winston Cup Drivers behind me & Stacy. I was able to name every single one. Stacy was impressed :)


Since it was his last night w/ us Chandler wanted to eat at Raceway Grill. Raceway Grill is a hole-in-the-wall right outside the big ol' Darlington Raceway here in lovely Darlington, South Carolina. Lots of Nascar Drivers eat at the Grill when they are in town. The hamburger steak is awesome (the size of a dinner platter) and the french fries, they are hand cut and fresh. I could eat less than 1/4 of my hb steak w/ onions & cheese and about 10 french fries but Chandler & Stacy helpfully took care of the rest! We don't go to Raceway alot, but every so often we crave those handcut fries. Of course we go on Race week-end to be looky-loos On any given Friday or Saturday night be prepared to WAIT because this is a popular place. So... if you are ever in Darlington now you know where to eat!

BIG HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BLOG BUDDY CHEEKY

Well I thought Chandler was going home this week-end and i'd be able to meet Cheeky but he wants to stay this week too so Stacy & Maddie will take him home on Friday. Hopefully next trip Cheeky!
Instead we went to the beach for the week-end. I can't describe how the beach makes me feel. I love relaxing on the sand, letting the warm sun kiss my body, the ocean breeze blowing alternately warm and cool. Ahhh.... there isn't much better to me. I grab a day or two whenever I can but I think next month we are going back for a WEEK. Bliss.
What happens when you let an 11 year old take your picture? Dork-On-The-Beach that's what! ;)

But it takes a special one to be A Daddy!" Here is Daddy's little girl waving a sparkler on the 4th of July. Last year she grabbed one and burnt her lip. We felt like the WORST parents ever! This year she just kept saying "Ooh pretty". Stacy is not only an awesome husband he is an awesome Daddy as well. He changed Madison's first ever diaper and has never shirked from one since. He cooked dinner for us last night and cleaned up. I told Chandler "You better take notes on how to be a good husband".

#1 I can't believe I was dumb enough to come back to work today! Thursday feels like a Monday. Ugh!
#2 We went to a big family 'do in Summerville and brought back my 11 year old nephew Chandler with us. Last night it was `knock`knock`knock. Chandler would go to the door and either Brittany or Hailey would be standing there giggling. Or else they were on the front porch peeping in the window. Gah! I didn't know that started at their age! (almost 7) Finally I said "Chandler please go outside and smile at them, wave, SOMETHING. They are driving me nuts". So Chandler gamely goes outside and game "chase" ensues. Me & Madison went out to watch the proceedings. Cute! It should be even more interesting today when Kelsey is there too!

We had yummy grilled hamburgers & hotdogs, silver queen corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, baked beans, pasta salad, chips, cupcakes, blueberry pie, unbaked cookies & I think that about covers it. We had AWESOME fireworks. Of course the guys were in charge of setting them off while the girls ran squealing from the wild ones but Madison LOVED the fountains & sparklers. Not so much the bottle rockets & firecrackers buti'm not a fan of those etiher.

Well, what did everyone else do their 4th of July holiday? What did you eat? Didja see any good fireworks?

As soon as Stacy gets home after 5 we will be packing up and heading down to Summerville for a big family get-together tomorrow so I thought i'd go ahead and wish all of you a Happy 4th of July. May you eat plenty of good food and enjoy pretty, sparkly fireworks!
I am raising my hand for the "dumbass of the day" award. There is a pool in our backyard. A large pool, not a kiddie pool, filled with sparkling clean blue water. So why am I laying on a freaking lounge chair melting in a pool of my own sweat. Wait, I forgot the old maxim, "Southern girls don't Sweat, we Glisten".
Okay, why am I glistening my ass off in near hundred degree heat? Because I am a moron who doesn't want to get her hair wet in the pool and the kids will splash me cos' they are rotten 6-11 year olds! I can't stand a swim cap either so I guess i'll just wrap this up and go glisten some more!

I got an email from "someone" who was offended by yesterdays post about my darling Yorkipoo, Reilly, and the baby Guinea. "Someone" said that if I were going to exploit my pet for amusement purposes that just maybe I should not be a pet owner, and also that I did not seem to be concerned for the welfare of the tiny Guinea if I let my dog that close to it. Initially I was all upset and hurt, then I got mad.

First off "someone" can kiss my ass. I love animals as much as anyone (more than the average person). I take wonderful care of Reilly and my cats and have rescued many animals over the years and taken in strays. I AM concerned about the welfare of the Guinea which is why i'm having my husband build it a pen so it will have some modicum of safety from predators. It's not my bird but I will do what I can to look after it's welfare. I am always checking on my niece's dogs and rabbits to make sure they have what they need also (food,water,shade) but she is an excellent pet owner as well in my opinion.
Well now that i've got that off my chest I want to wish you all a WONDERFUL week-end. Some have to work Monday (I don't) but i'm sure i'll blog from home.
How about light a sparkler for me :)
Firecracker. Out.

My niece who lives next door is somewhat of a Dr. Doolittle.
She has three large dogs, two rabbits and now she just got, from God knows where, a baby Guinea.
He is a little guy, probably the size of a tennis ball on a good day. To me, he looks like a tiny quail.
Anyway myself,Madison & Reilly went over there yesterday on the screened in front porch where the quinea currently resides.
Reilly is my darling 5 lb Yorkipoo. He thinks he's a guard dog but the cats are twice his size,poor little guy.
He noticed the guinea and made his way over to it. The tiny bird stood there, looking him dead in the face.
As Reilly leaned toward it the bird pecked him a quick peck on the nose. Reilly jumped back. The look on his face said "What the hell is this and what did it do to me?".
He eased forward again and the guinea pecked him again. Reilly backpedalled toward me. Then the guinea sensed that he had the upper hand and it was ON.
He ran poor Reilly all over that porch and we were just screaming with laughter. Maybe i'll get a chance to video it. For once Reilly finds something that is smaller than him and it turns out to be feisty. It's tough being small I guess.
****UPDATE to answer Sandra's question of what does she plan to do with the guinea whenit's grown, she plans to keep it and let it run in the yard and roost in trees. They eat all kinds of bugs.