3 days till D day. Or should that be H day?

Yesterday was my FULL day.
PTA meeting at 9
pay bills
get 6 tires rotated (they freakin HATE to see me comin!!)
pay bills
another PTA meeting (and a meeting about that belt fiasco)
pay bills
Baseball practice (Matt did VERY well!!)

Since my day had started at 5:30, by the time I got home I was ready to colapse. It wouldnt be so hard, if it wasnt so dang hot out there. Just miserable.
I did manage to go to walgreens. I got about 60.00 worth of stuff and paid about 12.00. Not the best, But I am proud of me. I got bottled water and chexmix. and some cleaning supplies.

Oh and I had two tires you could see the air in. they wanted to sell me two more. 379.00. And the guy was shocked when I told him to just put them on the back on the inside. I know I need new tires. But dang. The guy tried to tell me why I had wore off all the tread on just the inside half. he started by saying
"its a little out of line"
Hmmmmm.. NO, its ALOT out of line It looks like I took a razor and shaved half the tire off.
"that can happen when you hit a little pot hole"
hmmm. How about when you bounce up your driveway like a mexican jumping bean? its a 8 inch ditch between my road and my driveway. And at times it gets so rough that I have to use 4 wheel drive and a heavy foot.
"and since your truck sits up so high it is easier to get out of line"
Yep.. that height comes in handy with that 4 wheel drive.
"dont you worry, its not really anything you did wrong"
I finally had to tell him "I drive a One ton, 4 wheel drive ford. The Engine outweighs most passenger cars, Of course its out of line. I am just lucky all 6 tires are still headed in the same general direction"
"we can fix it, and it will only be 50.00 with the new tires"
I decided to get back to him on that. I have free rotation for life since I bought all 6 tires there 2 years ago. If I keep going in, get the good 4 rotated and turned and all that, I might can get a few more miles out of them. I just have to remember to go in and get it done. these actually still looked good. on one side. The other side looked like you had taken a filet knife and cut them to the bone. Which you could see a little of. Little wires sticking on in a few places.

Now I didnt see BOTH tires, they just brought in the one. I knew it was bad. Been saying for months I needed to do something about it. But I didnt realize my tire rotations were free. Had I known I would have been in before now. I dont think the other tire was as bad. I know it wasnt. But One really is.


The sad thing is, I dont have mud grips. I have little street tires. I would LOVE to put mud grips on my truck. It would look SOOO good with mudgrips. But I cant afford it. I thought about doing it two at a time. They'd cost about the same. But last longer. More tread for me to wear off.
I didnt have time to go to walmart or anything else. Now I wished I had. I will be going back Friday, BUT that damn huricanne is bearing down on us and our store shelves will be wiped out by the time I get there. I have to do the Bulldog store on Friday, get started getting the yearbooks together and run more errands.

I just hope they have school on Friday. Beaumont has already started canceling schools for tomorrow and Friday. And BR has warned me that he wont be working this weekend, he cant work with all the evacuation traffic.

Brett woke up this morning with a headache. After about 10 minutes of crying I sent him back to bed. when 6:07 came I told Matt to load up and got Bow headed out the door. Then Brett came running in and asked if he had time to get ready. I told him to hurry. Amazingly enough he was dressed and ready in less than 3 minutes. There is something to be said for a shaved head. ;) Matt said it was because my grandfather was coming to eat lunch with them today at school. It was grandparents day and they had asked him to come. He had to be there at 11 for Matt and 11:45 for Brett. They were thrilled to death.

I got Bow back to sleep and fell asleep about 7. The phone rang at 8:03. the school nurse had Matt in her office. He had a tummy ache. She had sent him back to class, but was worried about him. I told her if he came back to let me know, and send the brat home with my grandfather. She said she would. Aparently he got better, cause she didnt have to call me back.

Rayley pulled something today that I have tried to avoid since the day I had children. I keep ALL sissors put UP. I dont let them have them at all. Well, I still find them in the boys room. Aparently Rayley found them too. She cut her bangs. plumb up to the scalp. this child has no hair. never has. we just now got some length back on it from when the Brett got the comb stuck in it. And before that (on the day of a pagent) there was the incident with the drill. That left a bald spot.

I tried to cut it as best I could. I was sorta able to fix it, but we lost alot of length and I am NOT a beautician. It looks awful. You cant just cut blonde hair and expect it to look good, you have to know what you are doing. Every sissor mark shows. I dont know why she doesnt have hair like the boys. They HAVE to have a hair cut once a week at the least. BR shaves his head every day. But it has taken Rayley over 4 years to get past her shoulders. And now I had to cut 3 inches off it.

Matt had homework tonight and I asked him to get on it as soon as he walked into the house. At 9:41 I sent him to bed, crying and screaming that I hated him. There was no talking to him. He still has a page to read, 5 sentences to write and 4 questions to answer.

OH and one of the sentences is "Did you watch Johnny Carson last night?"
How old is this crap that they are using? I used to sneak and watch Johnny when I was their age. Jay Leno is getting ready to retire. I know that the structure of sentences havent changed in 30 years, But honestly, Couldnt they find something that would appeal to the kids more? Thats like asking them if they watched the Brady Bunch. Matts teacher isnt even old enough to have watched Johnny!

I have gotten a few loads of laundry done. The kids are supposed to wear Red, white and blue tomorrow. In honor of Sept. 11th. They call it Patriots day. Call it was it was. 9-11. The day our world as we know it changed. The day we were attacked on our own soil. Instead of turning it into a 'feel good' day, use it to show who we are. That we are a country that you cant hold down.

But I have ironed and hung up 6 pair of jeans, and 6 shirts so far tonight. And I am through. The kids dont have the concept of 'take it off when you get home' so it doesnt get dirty. They could wear most things more than once. Instead they take them off and hang them on the floor.

Tomorrow I will try and get 'ready' for the influx of problems that only a huricanne will bring. we have until Saturday before he hits. And he should be a Tropical storm by the time he gets to us, so we are safe. Its just the evacuation and having all the kids and BR home for 4 days.

I want to pray it doesnt hit close to me. But that would be wishing it on someone else. Thats hard to do. Either way, someone somewhere is going to loose their house, someone somewhere is going to spend money they dont have evacuating, and someone somewhere is going to have an awful weekend. I just pray that everyone is safe.

'Plecia nearctica' must mean Pain in the ass in latin

I wasnt going to blog until tonight.
But I just went outside to tell BR bye and take out the trash. And I got swarmed. I swear, if love bugs (they have other names too, telephone bugs, *explitive* bugs and their latin name Plecia nearctica)
were dangerous, or bit it would be an epidemic. they would have the goverment down here trying to get rid of them.



You can say "the skeeters are everywhere" or "I was swarmed by flys" But honestly, you dont know what swarmed is, until you literly cant breathe for fear of sucking one down your throat. If you swing your arm in front of your face you kill at least 20. I am NOT exagerating. These things are awful. And they just get worse every year.

They are not like anything you have ever seen, there is no fear or avoidence. There is just absolute coverage. They get all over you. They are on everything you touch. And they smush SOOO easily, there is no picking them up and throwing them out. If you touch one you have smushed it on you. And they STINK. I cant desribe the smell. But it perments everything around you. If you turn on the AC in the truck its all you can smell.
They die on anything and everything and 'cook' in the heat.
And they only live 2-3 days, so all of them that get in to the house die. and they are EVERYWHERE. Bow tries to eat them. The cat eats them. Its nasty.

Now, you might say "2-3 days, just deal with it", NO ONE lives 2-3 days. they are out for weeks on end. about 6 weeks to be exact. Twice a year. EVERY year. Spring and late summer.

I drove 16 miles yesterday. 8 to BR's job and 8 back. and my truck was covered. By the time I got to the yard I couldnt see the road. I had to clean my windshield before I could attempt to drive home.

Here are some pictures of the front of my truck after just a 16 mile trip, and we had washed some off.









and you cant just spray them off. you have to scrub them off. I had to wash my truck last night just so I could see out the windshield the next time I go to town. I took these pictures before and after. Did you notice my antenna? something that little and it is absolutly covered.



And I hate to wash my truck. BR sees every little scratch and ding, and gripes the whole time.


I couldnt clean out the inside, because during lovebug season you have to race out the door, race into the truck and slam the door as quickly as possible to cut down on the amount that get in with you. They land on you and crawl. and although they are not dangerous, (unless you breathe enough in and literly drown), it IS dangerous to be driving 70 miles an hour and feel something crawling on you and get freaked out.

I walked out on the porch to take a picture of one and when I came back in about 35 seconds later, Rayley picked 17 out of my hair. I was NOT out there but a few seconds. I had no desire to be out there. Upon reflection, I can see NOTHING that would be needed to be done so badly as for me to subject myself to these vile creatures.





I Decided to steal this picture off the net. I did go out to take a pic, but they swarmed my camera and I couldnt get them OFF the lens long enough to get a picture. Plus I smushed some while I was trying to push the picture takin button.
These bugs are not native to here. They came in on a ship from somewhere. Just like fireants did. If you drive 75 miles north of here you dont have them anymore. I know that most of the gulf coast is covered in them. But this is the worst season in a long time. They thrive on wet ground litter. eating and laying eggs in the decaying leaves and such.

AND I have not seen a use for them. Honestly, there is NO USE. they are just a worthless, nasty, miserable little bug. I really feel sorry for anyone working outside during lovebug season. They thrive around anything white. Heat draws them (machines and such running), and there is NOTHIN to use to get rid of them.

I have read all about them, they have no actual use, They say they pollinate flowers. WEll, all our flowers got pollinated WELL before the 1940's when they first appeared in Galveston.

They are more of a danger than a benificial insect. Not to mention they are destructive. Just a few days of them being dead on your car and their decomposing bodies eat the paint off. ANd Destroy the chrome. When they get hit and end up on the radiator they clog it up and will cause your car to overheat. OR if you go daily to the carwash to clean them off you will end up bending the delicate fins on your radiator and having to buy a new one.

As we were driving yesterday I was hitting them so often and with such quick sessesion that it honestly sounded like it was raining.

Even when we have June bugs its not this bad. Granted, they are bigger, and when they splatter they make a bigger mess on the windshield, but they are not as numerous.

And the old joke "what was the last thing that went through that bugs mind when it hit the windshield?" (their butt) doesnt even give you a grin during lovebug season. Plus, you know they are just arguing. Its the male and the female connected together. So thats why they just flit around with no real purpose in life. They constantly argue.

Its also why they are called love bugs, telephone bugs (they say hello and hang up) and *explitive* bugs. Although I do tell the kids they are called that cause its shortened from "There are those *explitive* bugs again".

GO AWAY IKE!!

80 some odd years. The oldest person I can find in my family, that has lived here all his life, and NEVER has he evacuated for a freakin huricanne. NEver been told to before 3 years ago. That was said to be the storm of the century. Well, I reckon we are lucky and gona get to relive it.

I have a therory as to why we are getting huricannes. And everyone I have ran this by seems to be inclined to belive me. The newsmedia have sold their souls in exchange for a real huricanne to come into the gulf, and do something bad to New Orleans again. And they wont quit till it happens. Keep watching. the wind is going to blow and you will see the horns that Geraldo is now sporting.

I just cant fiqure out why Bush would conjour up this huricanne, when the last one went so badly. You'd think that he would give up. The huricanne didnt work, blowing up the levees didnt work. I guess he just feels the need to waste millions of tax payers dollars for no good reason. Other than to make us evac and use up all the oil and spend more money on gas.

Either way, I am NOT a happy camper. I truthfully cant evacuate. For more than one reason, but the biggest one being that its so expensive to do so. They havent turned the oil back on in the feilds like it was 2 weeks ago. They turned it off for the huricanne, BUT had already turned it down cause the price went down. So BR is not working as much. and even when you do come home there are all the bills waiting and if you get hit, you have to run a generator. Gas is high. Generators cost ALOT to run and you never know how long you will be doing it.

Oh well, the good news is, the kids will be out of school again. yee-haw.

I was talking to a few friends. We have done the PTA for years together. When Rita aka 'the huricanne that never was' came through I was President of the Primary's PTA. had a WONDERFUL network of people, and lots of projects going. We were RIGHT in the middle of making buttons that we had sold. And another friend had just opened a coffee shop. (she is to blame for my caffine habit. She introduced me to expressos. I even had my own coffee named after me. the Spe'chelle'tee its 5 expresso's, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of steamed milk.)
Well when RIta came through it blew apart the town. And my volunteers went every which way. We ended up having the WORSt year. I couldnt get help, nothing turned out right and I of course was to blame. It didntmatter that 3/4 of the ladies had substantial damage to thier homes, and the other 1/4 moved away. Or that the school flooded, loosing all our buttons, pictures and other things, or that we couldnt go back for weeks.

That was the last year, until this one, that I was a member of that board. This year I went back. I had been on the board for the other school. But had avoided this school. There were other problems other than the huricanne, but that was the straw that broke the camels back.

Anyway, as we were all sitting around last week, calling and bitching about the storm, discussing the fact that NONE of us could afford to evacuate, it dawned on me. I was talking to the coffee shop friend. She just reopened another coffee shop. Her other being lost in the storm.
I told her that ONE of us was going to have to give up. Either she gave up her coffee shop, or Rayley went her first 4 years with out me being on the PTA board at her school. She laughed adn said "I hadnt thought about that!". We tried to find another common link. Since in the ensuing years we havent even had the first inkling of being hit by another huricanne. not even close.

Nothing came to mind.

Later that night I was talking to the other friend, She was staying home too and just going to brave Gustav. After we discuss that, we got to important PTA stuff. She had called me and wanted to know if I remembered how to make the buttons, it had been years since we had done them. We had borrowed the machine from the primary school, so we could do pictures of the bulldog to give each kid as they got bulldog of the week.

Yep I said "3 to be exact".
She said "oh wow, your right!!, remember how awful it was when Rita came through and we lost ALL the pics of the kids with the bulldog!?!?"
"yes, I remember it, I was president and had to personally refund ALL that money. I am SOOO glad your president this time and will have to...."
"OH SHIT!" we both said at the same time.

Yep. common denominator.

Now I dont know which of the 3 of us is causing this. But I am still going to blame it on the news media. I am not sure if they are wanting it to totaly kill New Orleans, or if they want all the oil platforms wiped out. But either way, they just might get their wish if these stupid storms keep coming.

A hamburger joint in town even has their marquee up saying "go away IKE!" I agree.


Today my sister in law called, she wanted the kids. SO I woke them up, and asked if their rooms were clean. That Aunt AManda wanted to come and get them. Rayley got RIGHT on cleanign, didnt cry, didnt whine and actually did a pretty decent job! The boys didnt do too shabby either.

I got them dressed and she got here. SHe played with Bow for a few minutes and then they left. Bow followed them to the door and tried to open it and go with them. He got VERY mad when he couldnt pull it open. and really got mad when he banged on it and noone would open it back up. He wanted to go with them. I dont know why anyone wont take him. They use the excuse that he is still nursing. That does NOT matter. He can go all day with out nursing. and drinks milk if he gets thristy, or tea, or water, or juice.

He did play for a while in the floor. He gets into everything. And then eats it. He is starting to do real well standing up. And is learning to keep his balance.

My grandfather called when they had been gone for about 45 minutes. He wanted to take them to lunch. I told him the 3 big kids were gone. But he could have Bow. He said he didnt think Bow would enjoy a hamburger. He has never seen this kid eat.

So I was stuck with the kid. Finally they came home. And Bow was THRILLED!!
They finished up the laundry they had piled in their room and never put up when it was clean before. and they played with Bow. They really do love him and are great with him.

And he worships them. He will go and play while they do. Then he will come in here, crawl up, nurse for a few minutes and then get back down and go play. Or sometimes he will just come in here, crawl up and talk to me for a few minutes and then get down and go play. Its like he is checking in. making sure everyone is where they are supposed to be.

Well BR is home and wants to watch a movie. Something about a man eating croc.