Deck The Halls!

Today’s been a lovely day, even recuperating.  ThatManILove has pretty much grounded me to one of our living room chairs, my left leg up on pillows, with a circulating polar ice therapy machine cuff wrapped around my knee.

We usually travel over Christmas, due to the fact that both of us had prior marriages and children.  Children of divorce have to split their time between all their parents, so we try to make it as easy on our boys as possible.  

But this year, we had discussed:  Christmas decorations? Yes, or No?

Susan and Jacey Glover of Ruth and Naomi Landscaping came over and put winter color in our flowerbeds.  I heard they were making Christmas wreaths, and asked to see them prior to their show.  They came over and let me pick one out, and and a date to install the tree and decorate was made from there.  They are such sweet ladies, and really know how to put the plush on!  

So...welcome to the creation of our first Christmas tree.

Here it is at the start.

And here come the first ribbons.  Isn’t the lime green color wild?  I love it!

And more decor.

And now, the brown fur ribbon!  Yes, fur!!  (Fake, of course!)

And....all the accoutrements!  Looking awesome, and they're not even finished yet!

The red pheasant feathers.  What?  You've not ever seen a red pheasant?  Take it from me, the accomplished bird hunter…they don't exist.  But aren't they beautiful?

And here?

The wreath, that started it all.  Well, that, and ThatManILove.  Here's a final shot of the tree. 

I like it… this  picture doesn't do it justice - it's absolutely beautiful.


Dang.  Does this mean I have to go shopping now?  But I'm grounded...

Gimpy Girl

Yikes.  It’s been a while since I posted.  Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  Update on my brother-in-law, Mark: his post surgery Pathology test came back clear, great news!


As to my other brother-in-law, Mike, he is undergoing chemo treatment as I write this.  He is desperately fighting lymphoma. ThatManILove took blood tests to see if he will be compatible as a bone marrow donor for his oldest brother, and we are awaiting those results.  We are hoping for positive results.


Thank y'all so much for your continued prayers for them both.

Were y’all able to do that tongue-twister from my last post?  That seems like a year ago!

I’ve not been posting because I’ve been busy getting everything ready and all my ducks in a row so I could have arthroscopic knee surgery Dec. 1st.

We finally got rid of our huge red sectional, and got new furniture in, a day at a time.  First, we bought the coolest chairs.  And then, we bought this really cool curved Flexsteel couch, cream colored leather.  Absolutely beautiful.

But it didn’t fit in our living room, so we had to take it back.  Waaaah.  And the furniture store gracefully refunded the money.  Yaaaaah!

Then we went to another store, a furniture store that is going out of business, and found another couch.  The living and dining room and kitchen are shaping up nicely.

And then we found a new dining room table, and chairs.  They will be delivered Friday.

Which was yesterday.

Did I get everything done prior to my surgery?  Nope.  I had to put off several people for their Christmas photos, and still have some "real" work to do.   I did give it the old college try, though.

Did I have surgery?   Yes.  And I’m doing well.  Yesterday afternoon, I was walking all around the house.  Today? Not so well with the walking deal.  I’m on my 3rd pain pill since getting out of surgery, and that helps.  But I hate taking them, I hate the way they make me feel.

But I will survive, and hope to be better than new, soon!

Friends are bringing by food tonight, and it will be fun to see them.  I hope I can stay awake!!

What the Pluck?

Here's your Sunday kind of cool thing to do. (Well, if you can't do it right the first time, stop. Repent.  And wait until Monday.)


Say this. 


Six times. In a row. As fast as you can.


I'm not the pheasant plucker. I'm the pheasant plucker's mate, and I'm only plucking pheasants 'cause the pheasant plucker's late.


I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son, and I'm only plucking pheasants 'til the pheasant pluckers come.

I Found Another Me!! (Well, sort of…)

I’m always gritching and whining about needing another me, because I’m so busy all the time with travel, etc..  

A good salesperson needs time to assimilate all the information he or she has collected, and share that information with bosses, coworkers, etc.  That’s how sales works...it begins with a collection of information, and ends with the proper dissemination of that information, and then delegation of such, if one has a team.  And then, one goes from there to building relationships, being a solution provider, etc.

I came a little closer to that goal - the one of finding another me -  today.

I found an iPhone app for importing contacts.  

People, people, people are my resume.  I’ve gathered quite a few work acquaintances, customers and friends over 27 years in the oil and gas industry.

Before this morning, I had 6837 contacts in my iPhone.

I am not kidding.

Within 45 minutes, I had uploaded 50 more, bringing that total to 6887.  All by taking simple picture of each card.  If the card was a regular white card, with simple graphics, it took about 30 seconds to take the photo of the card, check for accuracy, and export to my phone.

This is revolutionary, people.

The app is WorldCard for iPhone.  WorldCard also has apps for Droid, Blackberry, and others.  AND if you use Cloud, you can send the card there, too.  Cloud means you never evah evahevahevah lose your stuff (relatively speaking).

My particular app was $5.99.  Best bang for the buck I’ve had in a while.

Wanted to share.  If you only meet 10 people a month, it’s worth it.

Here's a quickie youtube review of how it works.  Thanks, Jonathan! You ROCK!

Happy trails to you, until we meet again!  (and when we do, I'll have your contact info & blog in my contacts in about 2.3 seconds, thanks to WorldCard!)

Carol Anderson Would Be Proud

Today was c.r.a.z.y.

I overslept a tad.  Had to rearrange breakfast pickup for customers.

Went to a doctor’s appointment, then went to the office.  

Worked on several things simultaneously, getting ready for an AADE National Board Meeting.  Went to lunch w/ coworkers, then went to chiropractor, then from there to orthopedic surgeon to do the preop paperwork for my upcoming knee surgery.

Went home, changed to dressier attire for the Wildcatter’s meeting at the Petroleum Club, attended event, then met friends for supper.

By now, it’s 8:30 p.m.  I’ve fed the dogs, and decided to pick up poop before I run back to the office.  Poop.  You know, dod poop.  Out in the back yard.  In the dark.

When I’m almost through scooping poop, I realize - I have on my brand new Cabi “Editor in Chief” jacket.  Taffeta collar and all. 

YEAH - THIS CUTE LITTLE NUMBER.

 And my fanciest flats.

And I’m shoveling poop.

I bet Carol Anderson would be so proud.

WAIT.  What's that smell?

Thank You For the Rain!

Oh, my Lord. I’m so excited!

It finally rained here tonight.

Not once.  Not twice.

But three times.

It smells so good and fresh.   I would show you a picture, but it's 1:15 a.m.  So, just sit back, imagine you can hear the sound of rain drops hitting…everything!  And that you can smell the freshly washed air.  Take a minute - it will be well worth it!

I am so very thankful.

Have a blessed Tuesday!

Update on The Brothers

Wow.  Time has flown by! Thanks for all your comments and prayers.

In reference to my “Cancer Sucks” post, my brother-in-law is doing well post surgery. Once ThatManILove got off his current well, we went and stayed with them a couple of days and had a lovely time!

His pathology report came back clear, which is excellent news.  I appreciate your continued prayers for Mark.

At the same time, we received a report that TMIL’s oldest brother, Mike, is out of remission and he’s undergoing chemo again.

Man.  So I’m going to hold my thought: cancer still sucks.  But I’m praying for another miracle!  Join me, if you will.

Since I last wrote, I’ve been in Houston, Waco, Dallas, and Denver.  It snowed 10 inches in Denver, and when I left that lovely city, it was a cool 17 degrees.  Brrrrr!

I’ll be heading to Houston twice this week, once for a meeting, and the second time for the American Association of Drilling Engineers Fin Feather Fur Food Fest!  I will quit eating, in preparation for this huge Thursday gala, on Monday.  If you’re near Humble, Texas, buy a ticket and come on!  Everything cooked has to be wild game, either fin, feather, or fur related.  It is so much fun...I’ll post pictures!

My friend Brooke, at her brother's MUD birthday party in May. Love this picture!

My little friend Brooke, who is 10, helped me do baby bump shots yesterday.  I’ll be editing her pix today (she shot right alongside me), but here she is, doing art work on the mommy’s tummy.

Brooke, working away!  Heather, mommy of the baby bump, was quite impressed!

End result of Brooke's art work.

We had a great time!

Happy parents-to-be!

When I left  Brooke yesterday, she was shearing her lambs in preparation for a stock show this morning, 2 hours away.  She's a hard working little girlie, and I love her so!

Brooke, shearing her show lamb.

Hope your week is lovely. Thanks for hanging with me!

Cancer Sucks

Today finds me in the beautiful town of Waco, where my brother in love will today undergo surgery for prostate cancer.

I love being around he and his wife, they’re so much fun - even in the face of adversity such as this.  They constantly make me laugh.

Have I told you I hate cancer?  I do.  I hate it.

There’s nothing right about it.

So, say a little prayer for Mark today, will you, please? 

And until I write again, here’s a photo for you to enjoy.

This sweet little girl was at the roping this weekend, and I noticed she was taking care of something in her coat pocket.  I asked her, "What do you have there?"

And she pulled out, very carefully, this beautiful monarch butterfly.

Sweet, that.

I love kids...

Busy Girl

Event season is over for this year.


I'm so glad.


Another reason I'm happy?  After the API Team Roping (my last event!) Brody and Emily came home for a couple of days, with horses and dogs in tow.  And that, my dears, makes a mama happy.

Happy trails, until we meet again!

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

I confess.  I have.

You Really Can't Live Well Without Us...

(another repost from my old blog)


You know, the energy industry is either boom or bust, feast or famine. I’ve been doing what I do for 25+ years, and I don’t think we’ve had a time when we could just “cruise.” To top it off, media hates the oil and gas industry. All they can talk about is the price of a gallon of gas...something that is regulated by many different things. Sometimes, it’s wearing to be in a field that is always in the negative limelight.

I go places (outside the oilfield), and people ask what I do. When I tell them, they frown. And then, tell me, “You are EVIL.” I’m always nice, but inside, I want to scream, “Do you know you really can’t live well without us?” So, I decided I’d show you a little bit about my industry. It is, after all, an industry that I dearly love. And who knows, maybe you'll see it a little differently after today.

Way past the basics of energy for your house, and gas for your vehicle (car enamel, dashboards, antifreeze, safety glass for that front window, additives, oil, tires and fan belts, etc.), there are some of the menial things essential to living well that you utilize every day... and they all are derived in some form or fashion from the oil and gas industry.

Got an IPod? iPhone? The casing is plastic. Plastic is made from...wait for it...petroleum.
What about that laptop or desktop? iPad? Tablet? Sweet. Oilfield, baby.
Cameras for those great picture moments? For sure, oil.
Play a guitar? What makes up your strings? Oil. Oh, yeah, baby, sing it. Right through those speakers. That, by the way, are also made from a petroleum product.

Wear makeup? Most makeup has a petroleum base.
Perfume? Eyeglasses? Even your soft contact lenses? Oil, baby.
Seal it with a kiss...because your favorite lipstick probably is made from petroleum.
Need cold cream to take that lipstick off? Thank the oilfield.
How about nail polish? Oil. Don’t like the color, need nail polish remover? Oil.

Does your kiddo draw with crayons? Yup. Oilfield.
Play with Legos? Oilfield. Model cars, trains, planes? Oil and gas, baby.
Baby dolls, trucks, trikes and bikes? Oil.
Huggies? Luvs? Passies? Made from oil...to help you take care of that precious baby. And when you put him or her in that life-saving carseat? Rest assured, it’s made from Oil.

Are all your clothes white? Or that unbleached fabric? Because if they have any color to them at all, the dye has some petroleum product in it. Speaking of clothes, the detergent you wash them with - is a petroleum product.
Go fishing? Fishing rods, line, nets, boots, lures, life jackets, oars. Cooler. Water skis. Wakeboards. Tow rope. Fishing BOAT, for God’s sake. All petroleum based.
Shower curtain? Shampoo? Hand Lotion? Oil and gas. Again.

How about that cellphone? Coffeemaker? Those cool little appliances that help you make it through the day, from drying your hair to making a grilled cheese? And do you play those old LPs or CD’s throughout the day? All petroleum based.
.
Scotch Tape? Electrical tape? Duct tape? Glue? Paint brushes? Paint rollers?
Bicycle/motorcycle helmets? Trash bags? All that, and more are made from oil.

Do you use a toilet seat? Yeah. Seriously. You’re sitting on oil, baby.
How about those credit/debit cards? P.l.a.s.t.i.c. - made from o.i.l.

Are you a golfer? You couldn’t be without those little white balls! Petroleum. Shooter? Parts of your gun are made from oil. Tennis player? Rugby? Any sport known to man? I bet the oil and gas industry has some part in it.

Wax your floor? Yup. Is it linoleum? Yup again. Use a mop? Burn a candle? Oil.
How about when you write a check? Use a ballpoint pen? Oil.

What if you fall and get a booboo? Need a bandage? Oh, yeah, honey, it’ll get better with oil. Are you diabetic and need insulin injections? The syringes...are made from oil.
Take antihistamines? Aspirin? Cortisone? Wear dentures? Use a toothbrush, comb, brush, hair curlers? Glycerin, insect repellant? Gotcha. All made from Oil.

Anyone been in the hospital lately? The shunt they put in your arm to start an IV---oilfield. The Christmas tree contraption they add to that so you can get 4 different meds by 4 different delivery systems – made from oil, and the technology came from the oilpatch.

And what about the very process of running a camera into an artery? That process originated in the oilfield, as well, if I’m not mistaken. These and numerous other medical advances were fueled by the injection of oilfield workers into another field, bringing their knowledge and can-do with them.

I could go on and on, forever. But I’ll leave you with this: When your future’s so bright you gotta wear shades, remember this -  you wouldn’t be sporting that badass bling without the oil and gas industry. So next time you see your favorite oilfield worker, don’t trash them. Give them a hug.

And maybe even a pair of those bling bling shades. 

Q&A From Texas Red (rerun)

This is a repost from 2009…I thought it was pretty cool, so I'm going to reshare...

Texas Red flung an interview upon me. So, here goes the answers to her questions. And man. She went a little deeper than the most!

Her questions (and my answers) are as follows:

(1) When and why did you join the oilfield industry? Well. Hmmm. I didn’t join with any set purpose – kind of hard to believe now, huh? Oil and gas is a major industry in West Texas. I was raised an oilfield brat. And when a job came available as an office manager, I took the job. My son was 2 years old…so that was 26 years ago! My, how time flies when you’re having fun! I soon was promoted to sales, and promoted, and promoted and here I is. Even in it’s worst cyclical nightmare, I love the oilfield. It’s never boring, always changing, and full of awesome people.

(2) What does your typical weekday look like---posting on the blog; lots of phone calls; meetings; travel in the field, etc.?Mondays, I drop breakfast by a customer’s office by 7 a.m., then spend most of the morning on conference calls with my staff and fellow coworkers…starting at 9am, it’s the sales call; morphing into the 10 am accounts receivable call. Meanwhile, my friend Daniel comes and steals LaToya the Sequoia for her weekly carwash. Some Mondays, I’ll then go meet another oilfield salesperson at Starbucks to trade opportunities and information (that’s how this patch works, it’s all about networking.) At 11:30, I’ll be at a customer’s office to pick them up for lunch. After lunch, I spend most of the afternoon collecting invoices, fielding calls from consultants, making sales appointments for the rest of the week, and making sales calls. I leave the office around 6-6:30 p.m., and head to the house to free Zack the WonderDog from the confines of the backyard. Then we grab something to eat, do some laundry, and if I’m lucky, I’ll spend time reading blogs. And every once in a while, writing something of content and purpose. If I'm really motivated, I'll post ahead a couple of days. Tuesdays look totally different, but that’ll save for another Q&A session, right?

(3) What would you recommend for non-hunters trying to learn about/appreciate the sport? Go with someone! Tag along. Observe the hunter, preparing, planning. A hunter is patience personified. Watch the dogs work – it is a fine dance, one that becomes a finely executed ballet when the hunter works with his dog. It's beautiful. Learn to shoot, and connect with times of old – when hunting was an absolute must, in order to live. Hunting gets you “out” – out in the open, sunshine, cold, whatever. Know that it’s a glorious thing to be outside, in the wild, with the wild, and watching a fine dog do his work to his best ability. Watch TV shows. Learn about whichever hunting sport most intrigues you, and go to it! There are classes and hunters all around you, I promise. They may be quiet, but they’re there. And almost every hunter I’ve know has an excellence about them…a love for wildlife, and for the cycle of life. You’ll see. And you’re welcome to go with me, anytime. Any of y’all are welcome to go. Just tell me you want to, and it’ll be A. Done. Deal.

(4) What do you love most about West Texas? Lord, girl. The sunsets. The people. The weather and its inherent insanity. The oilfield. The farmers. Stock shows and rodeos. Blue skies. Pumpjacks on the horizon. Oil rigs, lit up like Christmas trees, when I'm landing on the flight from anywhere at Midland International Airport. But mostly, it's the people I love. The people are great, no matter their race, religion, or gender. I love the “try” in people…they just will not give up, and they are bound and determined to make their way in this beautiful desert land that is the frontier of West Texas. I’m one of them. There are a million awesome things about West Texas. Balmorhea. Goldsmith. Ft. Davis. Alpine. Midland. Stanton. Big Spring. Odessa. Forsan. Kermit. Coahoma. Each of them has their own drawing points. Okay, enough about the towns. But wait, one more thing about the West Texas towns…the best thing is they are all great places to raise your children. How about the colleges? Did you know most every child that graduates in Midland/Odessa has the chance to go to college for free with a little community service? Are we blessed, or what? Back to what I love most about West Texas, I cannot forget Scenic Mountain in Big Spring…I have cried my heart out on that mountain. When I was younger, and lived there…and after I moved to Midland, I would drive over. And when I came to the Lord, cried out, screamed, ranted to Him many times on Scenic Mountain. And He heard my cries. And then, I worshipped. It’s a special place to me., and to many others, as well. Go pay your $2 and check it out. There’s something awesome about that State Park…

(5) What was your motivation for starting this blog? I read blogs for about a year. And commented. Before that, I wrote stories about my life experiences, i.e., vacations with the boys, a work experience, something that happened with my mom, and would send these stories via e-mail to my customers. They loved them! They encouraged me to write, to try to publish. And though I’ve not yet gone that far, I won’t forget my first try at blogging. I loved, and love, the comraderie and friends I’ve made through blogging. If I were to stop writing tomorrow, I’d still stay in touch with my blog buddies. You and they are all part of my family now, if that makes any sense. So, in essence, I started for myself – but I stay, 

because of y’all.

Hope you enjoyed that. If anyone else has any questions, please feel free to contact me. Like I said before, "I ain'ta skeered!" You may be bored to death, but I'll try to answer.

Going To the Dog Wash (sing it!)

Somebody's Wonderdogs needed a bath last weekend.


And they got one, each…thanks to ThatManILove!

Zanna is so good about taking baths!

Zack doesn't like baths.  He likes showers.

The Boy and Reg

Thought I'd post some really neat pics of Brody's new Aussie pup,  Reginald.  Well, his real registered name  is LaReginald Eugene Jackson-Freeman-Snipes.  Don't ask, I don't have a clue.  We were at the USTRC roping in Abilene.


Brody calls him "Reg".

Reg was sitting in the stands with us.  When
he saw Brody, he jumped down and ran to the fence.

Totally happy when he's with his Brody.

Teaching him to ride on the saddle.

And to jump into his arms.

Three happy, happy beings.

Happy trails!

Real Life Between The Seeeeester-In-Loves

Texts between my sister-in-love and myself:

Lisa: Do you know much about yours and Scott’s genealogy?

Me:  Not really.  Wilbur (our uncle) has done all the work on Mom’s side.

Me:  Why?

Lisa:  Looking to see if there is anything that will help Nick in college admissions.

Me:  Hmmmmm.  Other than his aunt is a rock star in her own mind?

Lisa:  Yeah....couldn’t find a place for that one on here.

I love ThatLisaGirl.  That girl flat cracks me up.