And there goes our precious gravel...

Today when I got home, J was heading down our driveway in his brother's excavator. I knew it was bad news.

We just paid to have gravel put down to recover from our disaster from this weekend. The check to the gravel guy had not even hit the bank.

And we're flooded out again.

This time, the water is not quite as deep, so we are really hoping that the damage is not severe. We are trying desperately to cling on that little bit of hope. Otherwise, all we have is what we see - all our hard earned money washed right down our river of a driveway.

Back for More?

One of my sisters-in-law is really shy when confronted with the whole family. It seems like she just doesn't like to be around a big group of people, which I understand. She's great one-on-one, but really quiet within a group. She doesn't stay very long when she comes to our get-togethers.

On facebook, we talk more than we ever have before. That's the great thing about social networking via the internet. You don't have to talk face-to-face, you can just write whatever. You can take your time to respond to people if you want, and it's so much more comfortable for introverted people (and I'm one of those, too) that might never reach out otherwise.

So we are friends on facebook, and she introduced me to Scramble. That was dangerous. I am really competitive with stuff like that, and I don't want to play unless I am really, really good. I also tend to get pretty addicted. Today she challenged me for our fourth game. Games 1-3 I tore her up. I didn't even mean to beat her by as many points as I have. And today, she's back for more.

Nothing to bond us quite like a little friendly competition.

I Feel It All Over Again

I just re-read the post about the conversation that I had with Monkey T yesterday, and thinking about her makes me so proud. She's such a great kid. Sometimes she really amazes me with her insight and her grasp on things.

I got to spend quite a bit of time with her at the beach, and she always makes me smile. Like Saturday night, at dinner:

Monkey T: (telling me about her school life)...and I got to see Alfredo. Sigh.

Me: Alfredo? I thought you were over him.

I'm not making that up, that's really his name. He's the boy that Monkey T liked during the school year. I got to meet him at her birthday party over the summer, and he's a cute kid.

Monkey T: I know. I thought I was, but every time I see him, I feel it all over again.

Tweens in love. She has no idea how cute she is.

Questions, Questions

Monkey T: A, does it hurt?

Me: Does what hurt, T?

Monkey T: Having a baby in there. (points at my stomach)

I thought about it for a moment. She's only 10, but she acts 30ish sometimes. And, she knows how babies are made and that sometimes kids a few years older than her actually have one of their own. And, we just finished discussing the boy she likes.

Me: No, it doesn't hurt while the baby is in there. But only if you wait until you are my age to have one.

Not a River

No, you are not seeing a river or even a pond.

This is my driveway today, thanks to rain from the tropical storm. We are stranded at home. The picture does not adequately portray the high speed in which the water is rushing over the driveway, and the deepness at it's lowest point. This one is going to cost us some serious cash to fix.

Happy Birthday J!

Today is J's 32nd birthday. I decided that to celebrate, I would take him to Outback and invite our favorite members of his family.

I tried to think of everything. I arranged to be at home early so I could take the dogs out before driving all the way back up to the nearest "big" town where the Outback is located. I called ahead for reservations, excuse me - choice seating, so that I would not have to hear any certain family members griping while we had to wait for seats.

Luckily, I remembered that J refuses to let the waiters and waitresses sing to him, and I was able to remind his mom before she attempted that again. Such a bad sport. Last year he made such a big deal about it, that the waiter left the cake and ran away, never to be seen by us again. For such an easy-going guy like J, it was a pretty big scene. I was just relieved that we already had our food at the time, so the waiter didn't have the opportunity to spit in it.

Anyway, we had a fabulous time tonight. Sometimes the best birthdays are just simply spending time with the people you love and that love you right back.

Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?

Sometimes, a little humor at work makes the day go by faster. Or at least more cheery. Okay, more tolerable.

A co-worker and I have resorted to quoting the awesome cartoon known as Pinky & the Brain.

We have to IM a lot (even though our offices are close by and it's probably more laziness than actual need. When things get too serious, one of us will IM "Are you pondering what I'm pondering?" Then the other one has to come up with the end of that sentence. Luckily for me, there's Wikiquote, although I've used most of the ones I really like, and unlike me, he remembers what I've used.

To brighten the day of any PATB fans out there, I would like to share a few of the endings to that all-inspiring question:

• "I think so, Brain, but how are we going to get the bacon flavoring into the pencils?"
• "I think so, Brain! How much deeper would the ocean be if there weren't sponges down there?"
• "Yes Brain, but if our knees bent the other way, how would we ride a bicycle?"
• "Well, I think so, Brain, but pantyhose are so uncomfortable in the summertime."
• "I think so, Brain, but isn't that why they invented tube socks?"
• "I think so, Brain, but if we give peas a chance, won't the lima beans feel left out?"
• "Well, I think so, Brain, but if Jimmy cracks corn, and no one cares, why does he keep doing it?"
• "I think so, Brain, but can the Gummi Worms really live in peace with the Marshmallow Chicks?"
• "I think so, Brain, but why would anyone want to see Snow White and the Seven Samurai?"
• "I think so, Brain, but why does a forklift have to be so big if all it does is lift forks?"

Project Out the Door

After months of blood, sweat and tears my big project went live today. Okay, so maybe not blood & sweat. The tears are a little more accurate.

But it's over. And I can breathe

Conversations with Meltdown

My two-year-old niece, Meltdown, looks into my eyes with fierce determination. She moves her face closer to mine, and our noses are almost touching.

"Flob smar fop lupe good" she says very seriously.

This is just an estimate. I do not think that there is an adequate literal adaptation for the words that actually came out of her mouth.

"What, honey?" I say.

She repeats herself again. And again, a very serious expression covers her face.

I have no idea what she said, but I did not have the heart to ask her to repeat herself yet again. Normally, I do pretty well to translate her words, but this time I am clueless.

So I do the only thing I can. I grin at her. A really, big grin.

She grins back at me, her whole face lighting up.

We stare at each other that way for a moment, and then both collapse in giggles. I may not know what she said exactly, but I got the message. She was telling me a joke. And it was a good one.

Dog Sitting

My Dad came and stayed at our house to dog-sit while we were gone this weekend. The dogs love my Dad. He spoils them a lot, and they love to climb all over him. It's really cute to see.

When Max sees anyone coming, he barks. So when my Dad got to our house Friday, Max let me know. SOMEONE IS RINGING OUR DOORBELL. THE NERVE. Then I open the door to Daddy, and Max is all, Oh, it's you. You'll give me treats and let me lay on the bed.

Both my dogs are great manipulators like that.

Molly makes you think that we don't feed her. She is so desperate to be given treats by people that come over that she will sit at their feet and whine. Then, after you have given in to that adorable face, she will pretty much bite your arm off to get the treat.

So, when J & I got home, the dogs were excited to see us for 5 minutes, then back to my Dad.

We all hung out for a while, and then they were so sad when he left to go back home.

Looks like we are going to have to hire Daddy to come be our dog-nanny full time.