Vancouver Canucks!

Wow!  It's been a little over a year since I fell in love with hockey.  After that local game back in January, I looked at NHL teams, read a little about some of them and picked the lucky winner of my devotion.  The Vancouver Canucks.  The Washington Capitals were a close 2nd but I could only have one fave team.


It's been an awesome year.  The end of that first season (09-10) ended in the 2nd round of playoffs in early May. I was thrilled to see the new team I had started to follow did well enough to go to the playoffs.  Fast forward a bit to Oct. 2010 and the new season starts.  I could not wait!!  Michael even purchased NHL Center Ice from our cable company so we could watch every single NHL game if we wanted to.  79 games down and I haven't missed one of them!


I have learned SO much about hockey this season.  I understand the rules, the game, the players and their positions.  I keep up with the standings of ALL teams.  I read pre-game and post-game reports.  I check out the opposition before each game.  I read about game day morning practice sessions.  I've become seriously addicted and I love it!!


So, where are we now?  We've won the coveted President's Trophy.  This is given to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season.  We have 3 games left in the regular season and we are off to the playoffs.  Oh yeah, we are #1 in the NHL.  Did I pick a great team to follow or what???!!!  


I still have no desire to watch football, soccer, baseball etc on tv.  I do understand now my husband's behavior during his beloved Dallas Cowboy & Texas Rangers games.  


It's true. 
If you holler loud enough at the television, the players, coaches, refs......yeah, they can all hear you!


Go Canucks and thank you for introducing me to the awesome game of hockey!

boring

I am the most boring person in the world.  I bore myself which is sad since I'm the person I'm with most of the time.

Can a person sleep too much?

Grandkids

Well, some of my babies are gone.  They've headed back to Kentucky.

All my kids & grandkids live here in Wichita except for my daughter, son-in-law and 3 little ones.  They were here for 2 wonderful weeks.  It was noisy, the house was dirty, there was major chaos but I don't mind so much really.  Told Brayden, he's 3, that I'd miss him and he said "I miss you too Gramma".  What a sweetie.

A few things about each of my grandkids.

Jacob 6 - The first grandkid.  He's active, loves Ben10 stuff, his DS, and has had a mad obsession with dinosaurs his entire life.  Loves his Gramma.

Ellie 6 -  The first granddaughter..  She's loves all things princess. She can be "all girl" or  a "all tomboy" depending on the time and place.  AKA EllieGirl.  Loves her Gramma.

Caedmon - 4  The first of the 3 boy cousins all born within 5 months of each other.  He's smart, funny, has his own opinions about things.  Loves all things Batman.  Loves his Gwamma, aka Gramma.

Gabriel - 4  A sweetie of a boy!  Gabe love to play.  He would make a perfect only child because he's happy either on his own or in a group.   Very cuddly.  AKA GabyBaby.  Loves his Gramma.

Malachi - 4  Very cuddly.  A definite introvert.  LOVES computers, cell phones, video games.  Is going to be a supersmart brainy nerd.  aka Kai Kai.    Loves his Kai Kai, aka Gramma.

Brayden - 3 Super active boy!  Loves matchbox cars & trains.  He jumps, darts, rolls and is totally fearless.  aka Mijo.  Loves his Mija, aka Gramma.

Kylie -2 Adorable little girl.  Loves elmo. Happy all the time.  Likes to sing and loves her Daddy.
Loves Gramma

Abigail -1 The baby(so far).  She's funny & huggable.  Like her Mommy she has 3 older brothers and can hold her own among them.  They best not mess with her or endure her wrath.  aka Abbi or BooBoo.  Loves her Gramma.  

I could write for hours about each of these kiddos.  All different in so many ways.  I love to have them here all at the same time.  Holidays when everyone can be here are the best.   Right now I'll just enjoy the quiet for a time and look forward to grandkids coming over.

Spring Break

I'm tired and need a nap.  My house is 3/4 way to being a total disaster.  I'm so far behind on laundry.  Glad the kids don't have school because it doesn't matter what they wear.  


It's beautiful outside.  I have at least a full day's work that needs done to clean the garage.  About the same amount of time for each yard, front & back.


*sigh*

WORST game of Whack-A-Mole. ever.

Let me first say.  I ABHOR basketball.  I don't care who is playing or why they are playing.  I don' t care to watch 8+ games a day.

Saturday.  One of the kids notices there is water in the backyard.  Upon inspection by Heather it is determined that sewage is backing up out of the clear-out pipe.   So, the clear-out pipe is what you snake when you have a clog......but what do you snake when the clear-out pipe is clogged??

Where are the men?

My clear-out pipe did not have a cap on it because one of our dogs ate it about 10 years ago.  I  mention this because this is a WONDERFUL thing.  Had I had a cap on there the sewage would have had no where else to go but back up into the house.  Oh wouldn't that have been a pleasure!  Yeah, NO.

Where are the men?

First plan of attack was to send the hose down with a high-pressure nozzle on it to see if we could dislodge the clog.  No such luck.  Some things came up......this is where the title to the post came from.  My oldest son was outside watching.  Yes, watching.  It was dark and he turned on his cell phone flashlight.  At one point I told him to point it back on Heather as she was having to grab "things" coming up out of the pipe so they did not go back down.  That's when Jarrett said, " Worst game of whack-a-mole ever!".   I should probably  mention now the protective rubber gloves Heather is wearing.

Where are the men?


So, dark, raining, still clogged.  We gave up for the night.

Sunday.  I make a trip to Home Depot.  Mike, the son-in-law, goes grocery shopping.  Husband cooks his famous french toast and bacon for breakfast. I then run to another son's house to pick up a small hand auger that he has.  Try the auger in both toilets. Nothing.  Put a cap on the clear-out pipe thinking maybe just a little back pressure will flush out the clog.  Nope. This is getting serious.  We are nearing "call the plumber" stage.
I go to Home Depot, again, and rent a very large electric 100 foot sewer snake.  Heather and I wrestle it into the back yard and get started.  God bless her.  She's the one standing in the muck feeding the snake into the pipe.  I'm standing on dry ground about 4 feet away working the power on the snake machine.  I did occasionally have to do the following things for her....pull her pants up for her.  Push her hair out of her face.  Get a piece of hair out of her mouth.  Let her scratch her face against my shoulder. etc.

Where are the men?


We did get a bit of supervision (from the men) after a few attempts to snake the pipe.  After about 30 minutes or so, and 50 feet of snake,  Heather finally broke through the clog.

I won't describe it.  Trust me and just be thankful for that.

So, total $ spent today to unclog the main drain from the house - $65.   No clue what a plumber would have charged but I'm sure it would have been much more.

I'm very proud to have a daughter who takes after me and isn't afraid to fix things herself.  I've learned a lot of stuff doing things like this as they came up.  I've replaced thermostats on clothes dryers (easy).  I've replaced spark plugs and wires on a Miata, I removed and replaced an alternator on my son's old truck.  I can change a tire.  I can change my oil & filter (if I wanted to). etc.

So you men can have your basketball March Madness or whatever, but don't holler at us if we don't put your tools up exactly how we found them.  The toilets flush and that is what's important here.

We defeated the Whack-A-Mole!

Phlegm

*SIGH*  A conversation I had with Davis this morning.

Davis - You know that stuff that you cough up in your mouth?  And you either spit it out or swallow it?
Me - Yes, what about it?
Davis - Mine is green.  Here, I'll show you. (Sticking finger in his mouth)
Me - NO! I don't want to see it.  Go spit it out.  I believe you.
Davis - Sometimes when I'm in bed I swallow it.  Or, I put it in your ear. (laughing).
Me - You're disgusting!

There is something seriously weird about my kids.

What is wrong with my kids??!! Lots of name calling in the car on the way home from school! 

Rylie: You're Benjamin Franklin!
Davis: No, you're Benjamin Franklin!
Davis: You're John Wilkes Booth!
Rylie: Well, if I'm John Wilkes Booth then you are Abe Lincoln! *pause*    OH BURN!

My kids are nerds!!

Snow Days

Snow Days.

What a load of crap.

My kids LOVE to hear that school is canceled because of snow.  The worst thing is I think they enjoy it because they now have a whole day at home with me to make my life a living.......um difficult, let's just say difficult.

Come on!  It's Kansas people.  It snows.  Quit canceling school.  My kids go to a private school which means no bussing so it's not like there are kids waiting out in the -10 waiting on a bus.  I have to drive them to school every day.  I don't mind at all driving in ice or snow. BOTH of my vehicles are 4X4.

PLEASE let me bring my kids to school!

Terriers :-(

My favorite show was canceled today after one short season.  13 episodes of some of the most fantastic acting I have ever seen. So few people watched and now are clueless as to what they missed.
I'm pretty sure Terriers will remain my most favorite. show. ever.  Seriously, I don't really get hyped up about shows.  Up until Terriers started, Lie To Me was probably my most-liked show.  Honestly I would have thrown it under the bus had that been possible to save Terriers.  Not that that was ever an option I'm just saying if one of my personal fave shows had to go I would have given up any......past and present.

Do yourself a favor. When that single season DVD comes out of Terriers, buy it and watch it.  You won't regret it......well, maybe you will regret not watching it originally because that might have saved it.

RIP Terriers

Thanksgiving

Well we survived yet another Thanksgiving with a house full of people.  Missed Joe and Kylie though.  Also Pam but she stopped by later in the day.  As usual my favorite adopted son Andrew came by for a visit as he has every Thanksgiving Day for as long as I can remember.
No Thanksgiving Karaoke this year.  Hmmmm  Maybe we'll need to have some Christmas Karaoke in a few weeks.

I hate when Thanksgiving is over and I haven't started Christmas shopping.  I always feel like I'm running behind.  I suppose I'll just need to make a list and get moving.

In the last 4 weeks we have had our dishwasher break and now the washing machine.  I only had to go a few days without the dishwasher but I'm going to be about a month before my washing machine can be delivered. DANG all those Black Friday shoppers for buying appliances and taking all the earlier delivery dates.
It's not like anyone gives a new washer and dryer as a Christmas gift. geez!  So, will take inventory of the laundry and hit the laundromat to get caught up. Luckily the dryer is working fine so I'll just bring home the wet clothes and dry them here.  Daughter-in-law has graciously offered to help me out.  She actually has a load of towels at her house right now.

As usual nothing interesting to write about.  I've finished a few good books and am starting a new one today......just can't decide which one.  Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my Nook?  Yeah, I do.

Ciao