All Because...........42!!

This goofiness........

 

(Can you guess why I'm an "only child?")

(....and who looks more like wax???  Johnny or PrissE???)

All because these 2 fell in love.......

 

Happy 42nd Anniversary, Oma & Opa!!!

We Love You!!!

 

New sneaks! and, I'm not a basket case!

The first week of school is complete! It was a huge success at our home! If you're new to the blog, or don't really know me, then you don't know what's been happening around here. Let me fill you in.

It was my first week as a high school mom.



At the same time, my two youngest started Jr. High School. Which makes me officially parents of only secondary students!





You've probably noticed that these photos are all taken from the car window, from the drop off line at school. That's right! When your kids get big, they don't want you to walk in with them anymore. That's alright with me.

You might be thinking my kids are too big to pose for 'traditional' first day photos. Well, you'd be wrong! Take a look at this! (New sneaks!!)



I sort of expected to be a basket case on the first day of school. Really? Everything went pretty well. I'll have tons of stories about football, teenagers and nachos later in the season, but for now I think I'll just enjoy a really quiet morning and look forward to game night!

Today's MY Birthday!!!!

Today is PrissE's BIRTHDAY!!!!

Today begins the end of 3 decades of life.....Only 365 more days and then:  40's, Here She Comes!!

Look out, Maxine.........PrissE's on her way "Over the Hill!"

Today is OMA DAY!!! Happy BIrthday, Oma!!!!

Today is my mom's (a.k.a. Oma) birthday!!  Yes, I realize this is a Christmas photo...but just LooK at her smile!  I think I get my "always got a smile on my face" smile from my mom.

My mom is ALWAYS willing to participate in the name of FUN!!!  I think that's why she makes the 60's look SO YOUNG!

.....And just where did MY inner diva come from???  MY MOM!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM/OMA!!!!!  WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
    

Walmart Line Etiquette, part 2 (Subtitle: Return to Hell Pushy Lady!)

Today's Walmart check out line adventure begins with me standing in a super. long. line. I have only a few things in the basket and I'm waiting very patiently for my turn.

I'm leaving an adequate amount of space between me and the polite woman and child in front of me. They need some room to load up their thousands of items onto the conveyor belt. I'm giving them space.

The lady behind me, who is visiting our planet from circa 1984, sees no reason to leave a polite buffer zone. She jams her buggy full of Monster drinks and frozen pizzas right up my butt. I guess in an effort to push me forward. Not much chance of that now. She has two giant teen boys with her. What she doesn't know is, I'm not easily intimidated by teenage boys. No matter how tall, smelly or freakishly dressed they are, it's just a boy. I'm a momma. End of story.

I take my turn to load my purchases onto the conveyor belt, and it's at this time that she begins the deep sighing. (Now, I must take a moment to tell you when you see a plus size gal loading up a conveyor belt with diet foods, tampons, Midol and one tiny carton of ice cream, then you should realize today's not your day to screw with me.) Fortunately, her cell phone rang, and that gave her the opportunity to talk badly about me to her friend, in a loud tone.

"Yeah, we're trying to check out. Sassy lady in front of me is texting and can't move up any farther. I guess we'll get there as soon as we can... this is taking forever."

Now, I take a moment and look at the boys, who are totally mortified by what their mother (or possibly grandmother) is saying on the phone. I just smile politely, and stand. my. ground. No forward movement in this line. Not in our immediate future.

She begins loading stuff onto the conveyor belt, and in the process, steps on my foot! Thank you lady! (Now, I must spin you by that long, gross, gray braided ponytail and throw you right back to 1984 where you came from. Take those stupid pink Crocs with you!)

I just looked at her and said, 'Oh, you forgot the box of hair die.'

Which caused the boys to snicker.

Paid for my purchases and left.

People, please... leave a buffer zone in the Walmart line! It's just being human!!

OOPS! I Did It Again.....

People, it is NOT save to text and drive.  That is a matter of fact.  And...in my case, on occasion, it's just not safe to think & text!!

I am one of the coolest people I know...this is another matter of fact (not up for discussion).  I love to surround myself, either in person or spirit, with other "coolest people I know".....hence Sassy and I are such magnificent kindred spirits.

Another kindred cool person with whom I stay connected is my rockin' older cousin, Rob (and she's a girl).  One thing she and I have in common that keeps us totally awesome is music!  Not just any music, either.....I'm talking the tunes that made the 70's, 80's & TODAY!!!  Y'all, not only can we sing these tunes like songbirds, but we can even SPEAK in song lyrics!!

How many of these songs and artists can YOU identify from our recent texting conversation???

Me:  Hey gurl!  Kool just rang in and says "Get Down On It!"  Oh, and Lionel said, "Sail On."


Rob:  OMG!  Lionel also said, "Still."


Me:  He also said, "Hello."  Also, Donny wants to be my "Soldier of Love!"  He's got such a "Sacred Emotion" for me!!!

Rob:  Oh, girl....it must be "Puppy Love."


Me:  Well, since I'm "Bringing Sexy Back," JT's all "I Wanna Rock Your Body," but Barry, Robin, and Maurice said they're just "Blaming It On The Nights of Broadway!"


Rob:  I think "Saturday Night Fever" has set in!  "Doctor, Doctor Give Me The News!"  I think maybe you stood in the "Purple Rain" too long!!!


Me:  I think we just need a "Vacation."


Rob:  Seriously.  After all, "We Are Family."


Me:  ...and totally "Bootylicious!"  Well, gurl....."It's Time For Me To Fly."  "I'm Leavin' On A Jet Plane."  Don't be sad "When I'm Gone."


Rob:  I thought I felt the "Wind of Change" blowin....I knew I'd be "On my Own Again" soon.  Hey, girl...."Never Surrender!"


Me:  "Knowing Me, Knowing You," we will "Never Surrender!"  


Rob:  "Go Away Little Girl!"


Me:  I'm "Gone!"


So, did y'all get all that?  WHAT'S YOUR FAVE DECADE OF MUSIC???  and.....CAN YOU "SPEAK" IT?????

I'm falling woefully short, as it pertains to my quota of celebrity sightings.

We here at Tales from the Compact (TftC), have a long standing tradition of watching people in public places, for the sole purpose of.... seeing a celebrity look a like. I am not very good at it.

That's all you need to know for background information, as I make this public apology to all our readers, and also, at the same time, beg for PrissE's forgiveness! Because when she learns of how I handled these TWO separate incidents, she's gonna ground me from my crown.... ya'll.... this is serious.

Every summer, I make my annual trek to the stamping homeland. The mother ship. Stampin' UP! convention in Salt Lake City. The trip begins every year at our little town's airport. There's two gates. It's small. So, we rarely fly DIRECTLY to where we're going. There's always a stop or two... or three. I don't mind all that so much, because at the airport, I spend all my free time looking for famous people. I figure, it's the airport, there's gonna be famous people crawling all over that place! I'm always wrong. Until this year.

I arrived at our little airport, to the gate, found Wendy, and we immediately began talking about stamping. It's what we do. In the middle of our stamping conversation, I say, in whisper voice, 'Look! It's Pat Knight!' She didn't even pause our stamping conversation to discretely look over her shoulder to also see Pat Knight! We smile, laugh and begin texting our traveling partners who are at another airport, in a different city. Their text reply? 'Who's Pat Knight?' (Head men's basketball coach at Texas Tech University!! GUNS UP!!)

He was on our plane. Sat two rows in front of us, and I didn't get a cell phone picture of the back of his head. Please forgive me. He wore the sacred red and black, and was friendly to all who spoke to him. I heard nary a cuss word from his lips, and he didn't answer his cell phone obnoxiously. I was proud to be a Red Raider. Wendy and I laughed all the way to the women's restroom in Vegas.

We had an over the top, enjoyable week at Stampin' UP! convention (funny stories for a later blog post.)

Every year, at the end of convention, we make our annual trek back home. We spend our spare time planning classes, events, setting goals, and of course... looking for famous people.

We are happily waiting for our connecting flight in Vegas again. (Las Vegas for those of you looking for flight information on the overhead board thingies at the airport.) When who joins us at the gate but, Kristy Curry! (Head women's basketball coach, Texas Tech University!! GUNS UP!)

She gracefully sits in a waiting chair just three seats down from Wendy! She is perfectly manicured wearing the sacred red and black and carrying the absolute most wonderful Texas Tech carry on bag I ever saw! She is wheeling behind her a very modestly sized rolling bag that fit nicely into the over head container. Her flip flops were even marked with THE DOUBLE T! She is much more lovely and petite in person! We were star struck.

Now, I hold crown in hand, as I say to you... it happened, you're just gonna have to trust me.

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:No cameras were harmed in the telling of these stories. In fact, no cameras were harmed during the actual events of these stories!! Mainly because I forgot to bring them out.