Fancy Pants

Yesterday my family embarked on an epic journey. We seemingly left our little town of Kotzebue and entered into another world. A world with marble tables, and real cloth napkins. A world of elevators bringing you to your destination, water served in glass goblets and a kids menu with an Alaskan Crossword Puzzle to keep busy.

We waited a bit to be seated in nice comfortable chairs. A Real marble tabletop awaited one of my kids to break their glass on it. But thankfully, they didn't. I mentioned quietly, "oohhhhHHh fancy..." to which my (mini-me) daughter guffawed, "This isn't THAT FANCY, they ain't gonna serve you WINE!" Touche` girl, touche`!

As I sat down, the view from my seat astounded me. Dark Blue seas gave way to a bright orange sky. The sun in full view on the horizon. Because of where we were located, you could look straight at the sun and not be blinded. It's so cold though, that the sun, I guess, is just for looks and a few hours of brightness during the day. There is no heat to it. As a matter of fact, it's colder during the day than at night when the waxing crescent arrives.

Caribou herds walked in front of us, taunting the inner hunter of my husband. Saying to him, "ha ha ha, you can't catch us..." He was beside himself in visible pain to be sitting 200 yards from them. Close enough for my 8 year old to take a shot. "We are EATING DINNER!" I calmly reminded him.

The menu was skimmed through and though the prices seemed high (to me), we went ahead and ordered whatever we wanted. A basket of rolls arrived at the table and my daughter exclaimed, "Man...real aanatuk!" (Ah-nah-took: means very sad, homely looking) while we all laughed. She's used to fresh rolls plucked out of the oven after a double rise, smelling of yeasty goodness. The taste was good though, so we enjoyed the rolls while we waited.

Our food arrived a bit later (and I apologize for not taking photos, next time!) and we all sort of gasped at how wonderful it looked. Eye Candy, for certain.

My meal consisted of a Country Fried Steak, perfectly buttered and smooth mashed potatoes. Just enough bacon and sausage gravy was spooned atop a hand dipped pan fried steak the size of my husbands hands. (And they are HUGE) Steak so tender you could cut it with a fork, even if you had wimpy arms! The marriage of butter mashed potatoes and the pan fried steak (not deep fried!) was enough to make my tastebuds do an Eskimo Dance of Quvaisunga (HAPPY DANCE) in my mouth. My perfectly steamed vegetables also were seasoned to perfection. Cauliflower still firm, yet soft, carrots glazed in pan drippings. Seriously folks, that Steak was so good, I hate to admit, but it was probably better than mine. And mine are made with Caribou and are REALLY REALLY GOOD!

My 8 year old decided she wanted "Pasta and Meatballs" for her meal. A choice of Fries, Fruit, or Veggies, yielded some Fresh Fruit on the side. When her meal came in a nice deep bowl, two of the largest meatballs I've ever seen were there for the taking. Corkscrew pasta was cooked al dente and bathing in a tomato based sauce perfectly seasoned for a child. Now, my children are not picky eaters by any means, (her favorite food? Tuna and Salmon Sashimi and Edamame) but this meal will satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. Especially if you tell them the meatballs are two HUGE eyeballs of a pasta monster that needs to be eaten up!

Kaisa exclaimed, "THIS IS AMAZING....I wanna work here. Too bad they have like laws and stuff that won't let me." All based on the fact that her meal was so good.

Dean went out on a limb and ordered the Creole Chicken with Italian Sausage and tomato sauce. I was surprised because he is SUCH a meat and potatoes kinda guy, I was thinking he would order what I did, or the New York Strip. But he didn't. And was very very pleased with his choice. It too came in an oversized hot bowl. Moist grilled spice rubbed chicken sat atop a bed of al dente pasta swimming in the sausage tomato sauce. Not too spicy for my wimpy taste buds, but spiced enough to satisfy my husbands. The Italian sausage was cut into coins and married well with the sauce. The serving was large enough to make Dean happy as he almost licked his bowl clean.

Halfway through the meal Kaisa said she had to use the restroom, so we ventured off to find it. Passing a Jade Counter, and several display cases showcasing local art we found it next to yet another elevator. When we walked in, the black and white tiled walls reminded me of Mukluk Trim made of Calfskin. While Kaisa did her business, she yelled, "MAN, These bathrooms are pretty nice and it's HARD TO IMPRESS ME with bathrooms...." To which I had no words to rebut! They were pretty nice though.

Koy ended up being safe and ordering Fish and Chips. They were battered well but the real showstopper was the tartar sauce, a creamy tangy dip served in a side bowl that made you want to stick your finger in it and slurp. Red Cabbage coleslaw also had a tangy bite served on the side. It's pretty hard to screw up fries, but to make them awesome is a gift. A gift Koy gladly accepted while eating the crunchy seasoned fries.

(un)Fortunately, my kids heard the servers ask another patron if they were interested in dessert, so (begged) asked nicely if they could get something from the dessert menu. To which we obliged because, well, I wanted dessert too! An order of Berry Cobbler came for me steaming with a scoop of vanilla ice cream sitting perfectly on top. The peanut butter pie was decadent in it's cute little round servings, but the real star was the HUMONGOUS Chocolate Cake that the kids shared. Not even able to get through 1/3rd of it, the remainder sits in my fridge for the rest of the week while they whittle away at it. Dessert? Passed my test!

Even though they didn't serve me WINE, I was happy to drink my pepsi in an ADULT CUP. I was happy to put my cloth napkin on my lap and I was happy not to clean up. The servers were great, taking turns busing each others tables, checking on us often, and quietly sweeping up messes when needed. My hats off to the chef last night as well. The food was AMAZING, and you can't beat the view.

The check, if you're wondering, was $97.85, and I have to say for a FULL MEAL with dessert, it was WELL WORTH IT for my family and I to eat out at a place like that right here in our own hometown of Kotzebue, Alaska. I highly recommend checking it out at the Nullagvik Hotel Restaurant if you're in town.

SONday

I love Sundays. Really. Anything that starts out at church singing as loudly as we can has to be great right!? Even the pile of laundry that waits on the couch can't bring me down.

I have plenty of things to look forward to this week. Plenty of things to be thankful for. I've been blessed beyond compare. Life is so good.

Tomorrow I start my Sewing Classes here in Kotzebue. (Spread the word) I don't really have a "plan" per say because I want to get a feel for what everyone wants to make first. We have so many options. Atikluks, Mukluks, Aprons, Purses, Mittens, Fur Hats, Fleece hats, etc. And options with skin sewing by hand, or sewing cloth with a sewing machine. We are going to learn to make patterns, and use those to share what we've made! I'm excited.

Wednesday the twins come back up north for a 5 day visit with us and we CAN'T WAIT to see them. Our nephew Coltrane will also be here, and so all my mom's grandkids will be here!

There have been several caribou roaming around the town (yes, in town...walking around...hanging out with us folks!) My husband's cousin was petting the little ones while they ate on the side of the road. It's just like Finland! Anyway, they are super excited to go hunting when they get here. Maddie hasn't caught a caribou yet, so she'll have to give it away if she gets one. Max caught one last year so hopefully he gets one so we can eat! :)

And of course Thanksgiving is in a few days. We've begun the preparations, only as far as trying to clean up the house! Though this Thanksgiving will be different because we usually eat with our Aana Katak (and she's still in the nursing home in Anchorage), we will still try to get together in the evening so the kids can play Eskimo Bingo and we can visit. We have a large close-knit family, and we'd very much like to keep it that way.

We have a pretty extensive menu but so far we will have 8 or 9 extra people and maybe 15-20 extras for dessert. It helps to have two kitchens, and lots of cousins! :) Time to get baking.

Have a great Sunday.

Lessons...Dean style

I have tried and tried and tried to get my husband to teach me how to make BBQ sauce. I have begged, pleaded and made bad deals, to no avail! He won't tell me.

So, how would YOU get back at your husband who wants to keep his BBQ goodness from the WORLD!? Duh, you sneak around with your long range lens and snap photos and BLOG about it!

So, here you go. Don't ask me how to make it, or ask him for that matter, cause he won't tell anyone. He's stingy. But that's OK cause he makes a case of this at least every month.

You see, we like BBQ sauce on things. Caribou, Ribs, Chicken Nuggets, Pulled Pork, etc. It's plenty good.

1. Cut up at least one onion.
2. Brown the onion and I think it looks like some garlic.
3. I saw at least two cans of Beef Broth...
4. Parmesan cheese Spread?! OK whatever works.

5. Some sort of McCormick Grinder. I couldn't see it very well. Dangit.
6. Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning, no wonder it has a kick.
7. Brown Sugar, nuff said.
8. Vinegar. Regular old white Vinegar.

9. Looks good. I stole some and used it to marinate some chicken. Man that was tasty!
10. Pineapple Chunks?! I woulda NEVER GUESSED!
11. Lots of Ketchup. Whatever cheap Ketchup you have on hand. I saw at least three bottles.
12. Looks good now huh!?

13. Honey, now that's goodness!
14. Tupperware version Chipotle Seasoning.
15. Hand Blender, I had no idea he knew how to use this thing. I guess he does!
16. Bottle that goodness up into canning jars.

Word up. Enjoy trying to decipher this. I think I'll just be happy he makes it. :)

Better than Starbucks!

Especially when the closest Starbucks is, oh, 700 miles away. 700 air miles. Otherwise known as $720 in a round trip ticket. And as much as I love coffee, I'm not that rich, so we have to improvise.

I'll also be honest. I never ever EVER go to Starbucks unless they're serving the Pumpkin Spice Latte. (Shutup and get on the train, OK!?) Any other time I'm a Terra Bella girl. One hundred MILLION percent. Terra Bella. (Drive through off Benson and Little shop on Dimond in Anchorage!) Seriously, Terra Bella coffee will change your life.

It'll at least make you warm. :)

ANY-WHO, as we don't have a really great coffee shop here, and Mae is gone to visit family in my Coffee time of need, I figured I'd better make use of that Espresso Machine and just make my own.

Sigh.

Here's how I make my Pumpkin Spice Latte:

1. Place a spoonful of Pumpkin Puree in a cup. (We keep ours in a tupperware container in the fridge) (We also use disposable cups because this was for my son before school.)

2. Brew some good espresso.

3. Pour Espresso onto Pumpkin. Mix well.

4. Steam yourself some milk.

5. Pour milk into espresso/pumpkin mixture.

6. Pour 1-2 TBS Pumpkin Spice Syrup into your cup. (I make my own, stay tuned later this week when I show you how. Or you can buy it from Amazon too I just found out!)

7. Add Whipped Cream and a sprinkling of Pumpkin Pie Spice.

8. Give to your sleep deprived teenager so he can make it to school on time.

Step 9? OK, Step 9. Serve with Pumpkin Bread. (Maybe I'll share this recipe too. )

Enjoy.

1 minute of fame...

Sometime this afternoon I started getting texts and facebook messages about hearing me on ABC World News Tonight.

Huh!?

Oh yeah, yesterday a local news station called and interviewed me for a while about the storm of the century. I talked mostly about how we have been living through storms for thousands of years. My grandparents lived through them in sod houses, I remember hanging out in a canvas tent with a wooden frame one time at camp during a storm. As long as everyone stayed safe and prepared, we would all be OK.

Watch HERE .

I did mention we had a plane that had to be tied down, and our car was parked in front of it...

This was taken during the "eye" of the storm. Looking great so far!

And our plane did survive. But other people's planes weren't so lucky.

But the best part of the ENTIRE interview (I thought) was when I told the interviewer what my husbands facebook status said, "Dear God go ahead and take the House but PLEASE leave the plane alone!" HAhahahahahAHHAhah. Man, they didn't play that part!

Oh well. The good thing about being on National Nightly News for only a small part is that I still have 14 minutes of fame left in my life! Next time I hope they share humor with me!

UPDATE

Well, apparently I need to get more than one Dr. Pepper!

A statement released from NOAA today...

...SEVERE BERING SEA STORM EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

 A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING STORM LOCATED ABOUT 600 MILES SOUTHWEST
 OF SHEMYA THIS AFTERNOON WILL INTENSIFY INTO ONE OF THE
 MOST SEVERE BERING SEA STORMS ON RECORD AS IT MOVES NORTHWARD
 ACROSS THE CHUKOTSK PENINSULA TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS STORM
 HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD DAMAGE.

 THE STORM WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD WINDS OF 40 TO 55 MPH
 WITH HIGHER GUSTS OVER THE WEST COAST TUESDAY NIGHT INTO
 WEDNESDAY EVENING. STRONG WEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
 OVER ST LAWRENCE ISLAND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. GUSTS TO 70 MPH CAN BE
 EXPECTED ALONG THE CHUKOTSK PENINSULA AND IN AREAS NEAR KOTZEBUE.
 WINDS OF 60 TO 75 MPH ARE EXPECTED OVER ST LAWRENCE ISLAND AND
 THE BERING STRAIT COAST. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO APPROACH HURRICANE
 FORCE OVER THE CHUKCHI SEA AND NORTHERN BERING SEA. THE STRONG
 WINDS WILL GENERATE SEAS TO AS HIGH AS 20 FEET OVER THE CHUKCHI
 SEA...AND TO 15 TO 25 FEET OVER THE NORTHERN BERING SEA.

 THE STRONG WINDS WILL PUSH LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER INTO NORTON
 SOUND...RAISING SEA LEVELS TO AS HIGH AS 8 TO 9 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
 TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE HIGH SEA LEVELS
 COMBINED WITH HIGH WAVES WILL PRODUCE SEVERE BEACH EROSION AND
 MAJOR COASTAL FLOODING ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORES OF
 NORTON SOUND AND ALONG THE BERING STRAIT COAST. HIGH WATER
 LEVELS WILL PRODUCE COASTAL FLOODING ALONG THE SOUTHERN
 SHORE OF NORTON SOUND. STRONG WINDS AND WAVE ACTION MAY PUSH
 ICE IN NORTON BAY ON SHORE.

 MODERATELY ELEVATED SEA LEVELS AND HIGH WAVES WILL CAUSE
 SEVERE BEACH EROSION AND MAJOR COASTAL FLOODING ALONG THE
 SOUTH AND WEST FACING COASTS OF ST LAWRENCE ISLAND TUESDAY
 THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

 ALONG THE CHUKCHI SEA COAST FROM CAPE KRUSENSTERN NORTHWEST...
 SOUTHEAST WINDS GUSTING TO A HIGH AS 70 MPH WILL PRODUCE HIGH
 WAVES AND SOME ELEVATION OF SEA LEVELS...RESULTING IN SEVERE
 BEACH EROSION AND MAJOR COASTAL FLOODING. THE VILLAGE OF
 KIVALINA WILL BE HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO DAMAGE CAUSED BY
 BEACH EROSION AND COASTAL FLOODING.

 THE STORM WILL ALSO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL AND BLIZZARD
 CONDITIONS OVER ALMOST ALL OF THE WEST COAST TUESDAY NIGHT
 AND WEDNESDAY. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF AS MUCH AS 14 INCHES
 ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE SOUTHERN SEWARD PENINSULA COAST AND
 IN PARTS OF THE INTERIOR SEWARD PENINSULA.

 AGAIN...THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING
 STORM WHICH WILL BE ONE OF THE WORST ON RECORD OVER THE BERING
 SEA AND THE WEST COAST.

Read more HERE.

Life Threatening??!?! I think it's time for a vacation. For real.

I went to the grocery store today at 5:00 p.m. to get a few "things" (Like Dr. Pepper!) and it was as if the entire town had congregated there. Hushed visits of the impending storm caused a stir throughout the entire store. People were picking up staples, like eggs, milk, potatoes and onions. I, too, had to pick up a few things. We have plenty of deer, caribou, chicken, and lots and lots of fish to eat. So I got enough food to subsidize those items in our freezers.

We are also filling our tubs and totes with fresh water (though there will be lots of snow outside!), and digging out the propane heaters, propane stoves, etc.

We are also praying that everyone stays safe, and all of our houses stay intact.

Storm Season!

I'm gong to the store tonight. I gotta get me a Dr. Pepper. Cause when it's stormy, I always ALWAYS seem to crave a dang Dr. Pepper!

According to the weather predictors we are in line to have a winter storm that has hurricane Force Winds, in addition to a Blizzard Warning. A 942 mb low is planning to hit the Bering Sea town of Nome has 65 knot winds and 15 foot seas. They're expecting power outages and will "probably" have to cancel school. We will get hit with the storm too, but we are a bit further north compared to Nome. Our storm warning runs from Tuesday through Thursday (maybe we won't go to work either eh!?) A 942 mb central pressure is the same as a Category 3 hurricane. This is all in addition to a temperature in the low 20's and 4-8 inches of snow and fog!

Dang. Everyone is comparing this to the "Storm of 1974", but the difference was that they had a bunch more ice coverage which basically means more shore protection. We have 60% less ice than in 1974, so it'll be interesting to see what it does this year. Anyway, I'm going to the store getting me some Dr. Pepper, maybe another gallon of milk and some pasta. Since our freezers are full of caribou, deer, shrimp and all that good stuff.

See you on the flip side!

Life is Tough

I remember being a kid and I would always say, "That's not fair..." My dad would tell me, "Life is tough."

I hated him for that. I mean, I really really hated when he said that. But now that I'm 34 years old, I know he was right. Life is tough.

I spent a good part of my twenties feeling sorry for myself and blaming everyone else for my problems. I left home at age 18, literally, the morning of my 18th birthday at 6:00 am, I left home and flew 5,328 miles on a one way ticket from Kotzebue to Orlando not exactly knowing what I was going to do, but knowing that MY LIFE wasn't gonna be "tough."

I got married, had a baby, didn't call my parents until I had my child. My mom hung up on me. Whatever, if she wanted to be a witch, then I didn't care.

Until I realized that I needed my mom. Because I was a new young mom. But it still wasn't my fault. Cause Life wasn't tough. For me.

Eventually I came back home. Not because I really wanted to, but because I had to. I was almost forced to go back home. So I spent a lot of time blaming everyone else that I had to come back to this God-Forsaken town above the Arctic Circle without even, GASP! a movie theater. Sucky. I lived in low income housing, and worked two jobs, eventually realizing I had to go back to school. So aside from being a divorced, single mother, who worked full time, I also took on 18 college credits at the local Community College.

And when I was burnt out, it was everyone else's fault but mine. Now, I have to add that I had a difficult childhood. I was torn between things. Right vs Wrong. Good vs Evil. Sure, I went to church on Christmas and Easter. I did my part and memorized my lines for the Christmas Program so the other C&E Christians could Ooohh, and Awe and my awesome acting skills as the Little Drummer Boy, Mary mother of Jesus, Ruth...

Other than that, we went to church to attend funerals. And that was it. I seriously did not think there could be a "God" because how could this so-called-God allow such horrible things to happen to me? But life wasn't tough. Not for me. It just was someone else's fault. Not mine.

When I was 26 I had my second child. A little girl. And three months after she was born, her dad left me for another person. Not that I blame him, per say...I mean when you're mad at the world, it's hard to live with someone else and not blame them for your problems. So, I did what I always did. Blamed the world. Blamed God. Blamed my parents. Blamed my friends. Blamed everyone but me.

When Kaisa was just a month old, her God parents came over and said to me quite frankly, "We are taking OUR GOD-DAUGHTER to church. Feel free to come with us. Or not." And they took my infant, breast-fed only, baby with them to church and left me to wallow in my sorrows at home. (They took my son too) They never pressured me to go to church with them, cause I was quick to argue that God couldn't exist, and I was proof of that. If there was a God, I wouldn't have had such a "hard life."

Eventually, Kaisa's Godmother called and said she was hungry, so I needed to come to church. Hemming and hawing, eventually I made my way over there to feed my starving baby. It was Mother's Day in 2003. After a moments of trying my hardest not to listen to the sermon, I opened up and heard the Word of God. And I cried. And cried. And cried some more.

Unsure of exactly what I was feeling, I went back. And went back again. It was like every single sermon that Pastor Phil was preaching was meant for me and only me. Give it to God. Trust in his Word. Pray. Pray. Pray. God doesn't give you anything you can't handle. Obviously, that was true because, 1. I was still alive. and 2. I was STILL ALIVE!

After several months of crying every Sunday, it was like the clouds lifted and I could see. I always knew I was "pretty good" at things. Sewing, Baking, Teaching, Crafting, Building, etc. And I just didn't know what to do with that. When I started living the word, and giving it to God, for real...it all made sense. Help people. Teach people. Spread the word in actions not words.

Everything I've gone though, though some very difficult to talk about. "Things" that included several visits to the witness stand to face people who did horrible things to me, and my family members, "things" that included police visits, several hospital visits, broken bones, broken spirits were all NOT in vain. Now, I can walk down the street, I understand what it's like to be in that position. I see women and children scared and I know what's going on. So, I walk up to them, I say, "Hi!" with my most smily face. And I talk to them about their day, their week, ask their kids about school. And tell them I am glad they are alive. Glad they are here to share this world with us!

If it wasn't for my daughter's God Parents, David and Tina Matthews, and the fact that God still loved me after all the toxic worlds I spoke of Him, I would still be a miserable bitter person, blaming everyone else for my life. I wouldn't be able to give my whole heart and 100% trust to my husband. I would still be a difficult, bitter person, and not such a good mother.

Life is tough. Really tough. But no matter what, there are three constant things that I try to remember.

1. God loves me. Even though I am a sinner. Even though sometimes I don't love myself.

2. You always have a choice. Always. You can choose to be ugly. You can choose to be happy.

3. Someone, probably somewhere close to you, has already faced what you're facing. And they are there to talk to you if you want.

You will always get knocked down. Always. There will always be difficult times in all of our lives. Since it's Sunday, and we are watching Football. It's not whether you'll get knocked down, it's whether you get back up...

I try and try to remember that I need to trust in the Lord for the plan He has for me and my family. Even if we don't understand it right away, He still has a plan. The toughest thing in my life right now is trusting that everything will be OK. I love the Lord. But even though I love the Lord, I still struggle with this every day. As a matter of fact, recently my husband was laid off, and we are still struggling to see what is in store for us. We are trusting in the Lord and hoping for the best. Because that's all we can do...

Remember...Life is Tough. It's what you choose to do with it that makes you the person everyone sees. Be a quarterback. Get back up. Smile. Help someone. God Bless you.

Red Riding Hood

My 8 year old wanted so badly to be Medusa this year. So I obliged. Purchasing some nasty green crushed velvet at a thrift store in Anchorage, in addition to the several snakes we would weave through her hair.

The costume came along very well in my head. She was excited to wear sponge curlers on Sunday night, and get up early Monday morning for school so we could expertly weave those plastic snakes through her curls.

I had to throw this in with the post. She was THE CUTEST PIGLET EVER!

Seriously...look at those hands...ready to cause a ruckus! (My niece Rea)

Little did she know though, that every little girl in our family has to be Little Red Riding Hood. I was LRRH, Saima was LRRH (my mom was the Grandmother, and we had a 6 foot Wile E. Coyote that stood in as the Wolf), Elsa was LRRH, and I think Clara was LRRH too.

My mom meticulously sewed each of us a costume each year. From Clowns, to Princesses, to Indians, to California Raisins (I was SO COOL!). Our Little Red Riding Hood dress was one from our Grandma, and the Hooded Cape (as I remember calling it) was made out of Red Corduroy. My mom didn't use patterns either, she just made whatever she could out of whatever scraps we had!

I desperately wanted her to continue the tradition and was happy she agreed. So, since we had a School Carnival on Friday, she thought she could just be LRRH for the carnival and be Medusa at school.

I sketched a simple dress I wanted to sew up. White button up shirt with a Peter Pan collar, Full skirt, tulle to give it volume, and a front chest overall section with Finnish inspired details, white pleated apron to go in front and of course a hooded red cloak.

Friday at lunchtime, I made the skirt and apron. (We had the shirt leftover from when Koy was a little boy, so I just cut the sleeves off, and curved the collar) Friday after work I made the Red Velvet Hooded Cloak.

She used the exact same basket we all used as children, and put her hair in braids.

Thankfully she loved the outfit so much that she decided that maybe Little Red Riding Hood was the way to go at school too.

I'm glad our traditions run deep. Now if I could just get one of my kids to wear my California Raisin Costume I made in middle school.... :)

Giggles (etc.)

Oh...are you looking for the Baboon story!?

Too bad. Cause apparently, "I must not know how it feels to get beaten up..."

So, it's saved for ONLY SUPER SPECIAL people, on a blocked site. Those who appreciate HUMOR when they read it. And who don't go all ape-shit crazy emailing me about how "Inappropriate a Post like that is." (Yeah, I threw that Ape in there again!) Tell you what...why don't you call my Mouse Lawyer, cause I'm still being tried in that court too!

AND Really!? That's what you got from the blog!? hahahaha ahha... Sigh... It was about a monkey. Or, sorry, Pre-Pre-Pre-Pre Human, if you want to be "politically correct!" (Since I apparently am NOT!)

And yes, you DID entertain me. What with all the Leaves and Baboon Sex going on. Thanks for that. I appreciate it.

Oh, and the shopping too. Yeah, that's awesome as well. But not as awesome as the Zoo.