Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm!

You know when you're having a down day and you get an unexpected phone call from someone you haven't talked to in a while, and didn't realize how much you wanted to talk to them until they called? It's a great high! Especially when that someone really brightens up your day with their kind disposition, positivity and encouraging words!


Ahhhhhhh.....much better now!

4 Firemen in my bedroom and there wasn't a camera anywhere

What a weekend! As I've mentioned in previous blogs, there's been a LOT of sickness floating around my house the last month or two. It all came to a head on Saturday with E. He had a bad interaction with some medications and it caused him to pass out/fall down on our marble floors. VERY LONG STORY short....I called 911 and Trophy Club's finest were at my door within minutes.

After we realized he was going to be OK, it hit me........I had 4 FIREMEN in my bedroom! This certainly was not the way I envisioned having so many FIREMEN in my room, but at least I can say they were there! I thought it would be a little tacky to ask them to pose for a provocative budoir photo, given the situation.

Gotta love those men in uniform!

Mom read my blog

Mom came over very late tonight just after the 4 firemen left my bedroom (I'll explain in another post once I'm over the shock) and read my blog for the first time. She read the Bullie post while I dangled the live version in front of her (then laughed as I tried to pull a hair off of it thinking it was mine then realizing it was Bullie's).

Next, she indulged and read the Gouche post. Her initial reaction? "I can't believe you girls still make fun of your Mom like this!" Then, after reading the UrbanDictionary.com definition of Gouche she looked at me square in the eye and said, "Oh my God....if I only knew then what I know now! I have such a dirty mouth and didn't even know it!"

I directed her to the comments section where my wonderful sister-in-law Leslie informed me that I forgot to mention one of Mom's most overused "fake" words: piddle (Mom's definition: to go potty, to pee). Leslie took it upon herself to look up piddle on UrbanDictionary.com and discovered it's meaning. When Mom found out that "piddle" meant fingering....well, you'll just have to click on it to read it for yourself....she said, "I am so dirty. Can you believe I used that word in public?"

After freaking out that her influence has reached such epic peaks, she walked away from the computer and said, "This is so gouche! I can't take it....I'm going piddle."

Rat on!

After a long afternoon of shuffling kids between Girl Scouts, soccer practice and basketball practice, I finally came home with my Taco Bueno and sat down to eat and read the paper. Instead of pouring over the headlines and editorials as I usually do (wink! wink!) I flipped straight to the Your Life section of the Fort Worth Star Telegram. On the cover was an article about the Chinese New Year. 2008 is the year of the rat. The rat is the first animal in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle.

What I learned is that I, too was born in the year of the rat (1972). According to Chinese lore this means I am "intelligent (check), outgoing (check), inquisitive (check), clever (check) and a good leader (check, although my mother always called it instigator, but I prefer leader)." That's the only time in my life that I agreed to being called a rat!

What was even more thrilling and exciting was that Olivia Newton-John (1948), Bono (1960), Antonio Banderas (also 1960, and can I just add a schwing!) and Ben Affleck (1972) were also born in rat years! These are some of my favorite people, as well as some of the people I fantasize about most (minus ONJ)!


Another coincidence: my first concert ever (without my parents) was Ratt! BTW...first concert with my parents when I was very young was Donny & Marie, but I digress!

Let me just go back to the Bono/Antonio Banderas connection for a moment.....I just knew, knew, knew we had a connection. I finally have my "in" when I meet those hot, sexy, talented, gorgeous men! Both are on my "pre-approved even though I'm married" list! Until then, I bask in our rat-tastic bond and hope that when I do get that opportunity to jump, I mean meet them that the "outgoing, inquisitive, clever" part of the Chinese lore is true!

What bull!

One evening, not too long ago, my dear, dear friend Jules and I were discussing quantum physics when she happened to stumble upon a funny little tchotchke at a scientific web site we were debating.....OK, OK, we were laughing at the idea of me screaming hysterically at the Rick Springfield concert, when at my encouragement, she went to check out the venue (Billy Bob's Texas) web site. On a whim, she decided to visit their gift shop and found the most amazing piece of art EVER:

What is this odd shaped, purse-like thing? It's a Saco de Toro ....English translation: "Sack of the Bull", you know....bull balls!

Being the bargain shopper I am, I immediately hopped on the Internet to find similar Saco de Toro's at a better price and purchased the above beauty! On Saturday morning it finally arrived. My very own bull ball sack. Of course, I immediately called Jules shreiking, "it's here! It's here!" She thought I was talking about the end of the world, but I cleared that up quickly and explained that it wouldn't be right if she wasn't on the phone when I opened the package. I opened the box, careful not to slice in to any of the precious cargo inside. Once I dusted off all the packaging peanuts, I set my eyes on real, live bull balls....my own Saco de Toro.



My first observation was that it was very hairy. My second was a question: is this one ball or two? If it was two per bull, it would look like this:

Whoa! That's a lotta ball!!

Thank goodness, my good friend A. cleared up my confusion. It is definitely one sack for two balls. She's from Mississippi, so she knows stuff like that.

My third observation was that my dog, Jax, really, really loved smelling my new Saco de Toro:

Finally, my fourth observation: you feel a very strong urge to wash your hands after fondling the Saco de Toro.....

Am I glad I made such a whimsical purchase? You better believe it! I now have the most original purse in all of Fort Worth, which is the only place in the world you could get away with carrying your lipstick and cell phone in a ball sack! I just need to remember to bring my antibacterial lotion, too!

Jessie's Girl.....done and done!

Ah...there we were. A gorgeous bunch of thirty (cough) somethings out on the town to see Rick Springfield live and in person! He was playing at Billy Bob's Texas, the world's largest honkey tonk! I'm assuming in the world of honkey tonk's that is pretty significant. We started off at my house for pre-concert cocktails and munchies. Then, in an act of pure suburban domesticity, we hopped into D's mini-van and headed to Fort Worth to see our 80's idol.

Once we arrived, all bets were off.....we headed inside, secured our spot in the viewing bar and waited, waited, waited for the show to begin. The downside to musicians being late for their show-times is it gives the audience too much time to drink!

If I recall correctly, my ass even hit the floor at one point, but my memory of the evening is slightly fuzzy. I do know I watched Rick on the big screen to get a better view and drank waaaaaaaay too many beers....and yes, I sang Jessie's Girl at the top of my lungs (much to the dismay of the neighboring table).

Once the show was over, the girls piled back into the mini-van and bee-lined it to What-a-Burger for post-show greasy grub (this bad habit is becoming quite a tradition after a rockin' Girls Night Out).

D....you ROCK for driving! Thank you so much! We all owe you one, girlfriend!!

All photo credits go to D.B.

Plumber butts!

FINALLY, the plumbers are here to replace my water heaters!!! It's been two days with no hot water.....! We had to run to Mom's last night to take showers. Hoping for hot water by tonight! Now, I just have to find time to paint my laundry room ceiling to cover up all the water damage.

Home ownership is such a joy!

Oh, and I'm getting sick....but I'm taking tons of airborne and zicam. I've got a date with Rick Springfield Saturday night and no amount of snot pouring out of my nose will keep me and my duct tape from seeing my 80's idol (OK, he was #2 after John Taylor, bass player for Duran Duran...and Simon LeBon....and George Michael...and Rob Lowe.....and C. Thomas Howell....and John Cusak...I was seriously boy-crazy)!

Update: I have hot water again!!! Yeah! I can shower again! I can wash dishes! Wait......