520127, 520127, 520127, 520127, 520127, 520127

Well, we have had a very full week. Friday I was bound and determined to get my hair cut. So, I called, yes, at 10am. I had to get groceries and pay a few bills anyway.
Since I didnt have a babysitter, off Rayley, Bow adn I headed to town. I ended up holding Bow while I got my hair cut, and when we left, we looked like a sasquatch had been shaved beside us. I had worn a fleece jacket thing with work out pants. So, we were going STRAIT home. I was MOTIFIED that someone would see us. Bow literly had handfulls of 3 inch long blonde hairs ALL over him. and I had clumps of them ALL over me.

But I was happy with my haircut. Then my grandfather called. Could I pick up some fetlizer?
ACK! so I drug the kids into the feedstore. with hair falling all over the place. I appologized to the lady for bringing in a kid with no shirt on, and for me looking like I had gotten attacked by a weedeater and had the evidence all over me. We got our fertlizer and headed home.

I changed clothes, sat around for a few minutes, did a load of laundry and went back to town to get the boys. I still hadnt got groceries or ran any erronds. I took the boys strait to the barber shop. They looked like they hadnt had a hair cut in months.
I bet there was 5 people in front of us, and only 2 barbers. But we waited. Bow was sitting in my lap and kept doing his 'gimme' hand at those getting hair cuts, patting his head and grunting. When he would get restless I would tell him to sit still, he would be next. This would calm him down and he would sit still for another 15 minutes. FINALLY, it came our turn. He sat in my lap, and we got his hair cut. He never said a word. He just would turn his head, look down, look sideways. what ever we wanted. He was soo good. Brett and Matt arent this good when they get their hair cut! And this time I didnt have as much hair on me. or him.

Finally the boys got done, And we left, we had been there for almost 2 hours. Which meant no grocery run. we had to be at the banquet hall for set up at 6. I grabbed them some food, (they got McDonalds adn were THRILLED!!) and we headed to where I had to help set up. I turned on the DVD player in the truck, gave them a movie they hadnt seen in months. and told them to BE GOOD.
we were out in the country, and they were 5 feet from the door. I wasnt worried about anything happening. Other than them arguing over the movie.

Then I went in to set up.. We had dozens of tables and hundreds of chairs to set up. Eventually the kids got bored, and I let them out to play on the playground behind the center. Brett opted to help us. And he did help.

We finally got home around 8. I had to be back by 10am. And we went to bed so we could start all over.
At 9 my sister in law came and got Bow adn Rayley. I was so thankful that she did this for me.
I took Brett and Matt back with me, and they helped to set up all the merchandise. They really did work. When they had nothing left to do, they got their DVD player, set it up in a corner and watched Quigly down under.

We got done around 1, ran a few of those erronds, came home and BR was already here. He had worked that morning so couldnt help. We all got dressed and headed back at 3:30. The doors opened at 5:30 and we had a little more to get done.

The banquet was a Friends of the NRA banquet. Its a dinner and auction, with raffles and games. All the money raised is put back into the communities. Its given for shooting sports, training and education. Very seldom can I afford anything on auction, maybe a print, And this year there wasnt any prints I liked, we always do the raffle.

But I was happy with the raffles. there were 10 guns on the general raffle tables, and another 5 guns that we qualified for with the smallest raffle package that we bought.

I was working the event, so I didnt get to visit and BS with many people, but I still had a blast. I did get my grandfather to come too. he didnt stay long, but he did come.

BR helped me by running one of the games at one point. But it was the boys that I was very proud of. Our representative, he was so nice to the boys. He had gotten Brett to help him the night before, and Brett became his follower. well, at the actual banquet, Brett and Matt were his shadows. He even gave them NRA hats. They had a blast. I lost them a few times.

The first time I left the cashiers desk and asked BR where they were. He pointed them out to me. They were on stage, Brett had a rifle and Matt had a Redhawk pistol. They would have made Vanna White proud. And the feild rep intoduced them over his microphone. Said "if you have any questions, grab one of my assistants, this is Brett with the rifle, and Hoover with the pistol, and they will help you out".

A little while later BR asked me if I had seen the boys, I said No. He said they are over there. Well, they were walking around the room. Showing off guns. Matt had an AR-15 and Brett had a limited edition shotgun. They were in hog heaven. All I could do was pray they didnt drop them. (and before anyone freaks out, there were NO bullets, and its only a .223. plus, they dont shoot any faster than an expert with a pump shotgun can shoot They just look ugly.)

The boys worked the room all night, when they wernt busy showing off stuff, they were working the tables. We had football type grids- where you could win a gun, raffle drawings, and various other things. They would sit and take money, they would sell tickets, and bring me credit cards to run.

Someone came and got me when they went on stage for the check presentation. The 4-H shooting sports was given 11,060.00 from last years FNRA banquet. Not bad for a little club with less than 15 members.

I was very proud of them. And got quite a few compliments on their behaviour adn how nice and polite they were.

When it came time for the raffle drawings, I was worried about BR paying attention. I was really busy checking out people, but decided to take the tickets from him. I had his package, mine that came with my ticket, and my grandfathers and uncles. (since they had left).
BR and Matt were drawing the numbers, and since they had tickets I was worried about them not checking to make sure THEY didnt win. I went and checked, they were making sure it wasnt them! They had it together.

they went through almost all the buckets. I hadnt won crap. I had 4 sets of numbers in my hand. FOUR SETS. and they danced all around my numbers. The one that ended in a 4. They called out the 3 twice, and the 5 once. It was the same for a few of the others.

They got down to three items, and I went to stand by BR. So I could bitch about my kids not drawing my ticket. I was tapping my toes (I was wearinng my lucky boots after all) and quietly chanting my numbers-- There wasnt many buckets left,and I really didnt know what they were calling for.
Then Tony started calling. 52012.....7!

yes, I jumped up adn down, and yes I screamed. Then Tony said "committee members cant win." I cant remember what I said- as I was running from the very back to the front of the place.. I am quite sure it started with BULL...
He told Brett to check my ticket to make sure the numbers matched... I told Brett to show me his first... We matched!



It was a joke anyway. Why would I buy tickets if I couldnt win?

It was a .22/410 combo. Its a little single shot youth rifle. I had put in tickets and so had BR. We used to have 2 of these, But one of them was in the house when it burned down. The other was in my truck. So we only had one.

I went and was giving the guy my name who was writing on the guns. We dont get to take them home, you have to go through the check at a licenced firearm dealer same as if you went to a store and bought it. As I was standing there they did the next to the last bucket. I cant remember what it was. But it wasnt my number.

THEN, it was the last gun on the general raffle table.

52012...7

I was standing RIGHT beside Tony, who had the microphone. and still went to hollerin. See we have a rule, he calls out the number ONCE. Then he says "going once, going twice, calls out the number and then GONE!" he drops it and draws the next one. I wanted to make sure he didnt drop MY winning number!!

This time it was an 870 Remington 20 Gauge pump shotgun.

Then they went to the red and yellow tables. Depending on the size of package you buy, you get put on these tables. We were on the cheap table. I had 999994.
They called 999995 adn 999993, but never 999994. Oh well. I had gotten 2 guns. and that was better than nothing! :) My prizes exceeded my out of pocket.

The event was over a little after 10, but we had to clean up, count up and get everything settled. We left there at 1am.

BR was starving, so I drove to wataburger. Two other committee members that had left about 10 minutes before me, were in line in front of me. That was NOT a good omen.
I called Amanda, telling her that I was on my way soon. She said Bow and Rayley were asleep and had been NO problem.

I got to the window to pay 43 minutes after I pulled into line. I kid you not.
Then I was blessed with them standing around arguing about who was not doing their work. They hadnt even STARTED my food yet.

It was another 15 minutes before I got it. I was so mad. But everyone was starving, we had ate a VERY rushed meal at 4:30. People were already lined up to get in and staring at us as we ate, so we took about 10 minutes to scarf down some food (the committee members have to eat beforehand, otherwise you will never SEE food. ) and then opened the doors.

Yesterday I spent cleaning house. and washing dishes. Because my dishwasher decided that after 2 to 3 loads a day for 3 years, it was time to die. I kid you not. We moved into this house in April or May. I think we bought it in April and got moved in the first of May. THREE years ago. Everything that breaks, breaks in these months, because thats when the warrenties are up on it. SO now I get to wash dishes by hand. I dont like washing dishes by hand. I like to put my dishes, scraped, into the dishwasher and turn it on.

but such is life. I dont like making beds, folding laundry or vacumming either. (which by the way, BR and the boys broke the belt on my vacuum again..... on monday- since I havent made it to the grocery store all week, I am swimming in dog hair and small peices of paper.. why do small peices of paper end up on my floor you ask? well so do I.. I dont know why they are there. My kids just manage to produce them. ALOT of them..)

They broke the belt cleaning up my incubator. I have had this thing for years. Since before the house burned, but never had the chance to use it. So, they cleaned it up, in the middle of the living room floor, its a cabinet one, about 3 1/2 feet tall, almost 3 feet long and about 18 inches wide, and they left it in the middle of the living room floor, until yesterday. I got BR to help me get the brooder out, it will go down to the coop, and get this in that corner.
I put my first ever eggs in it last night. 23 various chicken eggs, I hope some of them hatch. We shall see in 21 days.

OH and now that the FNRA banquet is over, I get to start on the NWTF banquet. The first meeting is Thursday. SInce Baseball is winding down, (7 games left) and School is almost out (if they dont close us down for H1N1- I refuse to call it swine flu, and I wont even get started on THAT vent... yet... ) I will have some time on my hands for more projects!