Dogs Rule

Meet Bailey.

She’s a miniature schnauzer.

And we were blessed to babysit her for the night.

When she strutted in, she was like a pimpin'  Steven Tyler, pre-drug free days.  Wondering who she might conquer, and what she might destruct, all in short order. No mountain was too high, no valley too low, she had it faded.

I took one look at this bit of black fluff, and figured out I’d better get her bluff pretty darn quick or I would pay for it over the next 24 hours.  So I began to blow her mind.  With training, not drugs.  I know, you're still on the Steven Tyler line, aren't you?

Within an hour or two, she was sitting upon command, and downing upon command.  By the next round of training, I had her giving me 5 with one paw while sitting down.

She would retrieve a pig ear rawhide for me to throw again.

And before the night was out, she was asleep, upside down, in my arms.  

I’d better watch out.  She already knows how to order our favorite drinks at Starbucks.

 AND schmooze the Barista.

She’s so smart she’s already figured out how to steal our hearts. Or at least maybe help heal them a little.

A Little More Cracked

Damn you, cancer.

Michael and his Mom.

We lost my husband’s oldest living brother, Michael, last Monday night about 10:30 p.m.  My husband was by his side, as were his wife and children and another brother. I cannot imagine what they all felt that night.

ThatManILove immediately called me, sobbing.  My heart, already broken, broke some more, for my man and his family.  I know what it’s like to lose a brother.  Not fun.  Killer deal. And here I was, going through some bizarro rerun, though a little remotely.

Being the only family in our town at the time, I was sent to inform Michael’s mom of her son’s passing.

My friend Clara was still here, thank God, so she went with me to my Mom-in-love’s to give her the news at 11 p.m.. My heart? Broke completely as I held this small woman whom I’ve grown to love as a mom, and told her that her son hurt no more.  That her boy was gone. She sobbed.  I wept.  Clara wept.  

I know, I know. Death happens. 

For a mom to bury a child - it should not happen this way.  And it’s really hard when you’re a mom, to see not one, but two of your sons pass before you.  I remember watching my mom as my big brother passed.  I don’t really know what “the natural order” of things is, but this cannot be right.  It sucks.  It really sucks.

We buried Michael yesterday.  His beautiful wife and children put together the greatest video of photographs of his life, along with some of his most loved songs.  The service was standing room only.  This man, Michael, was an honorable man of great character and integrity.  A man who loved his family, above all else.

I want to be like Michael.  Heck, we all do. He was an amazing man.

I’m more than a little angry.  Perplexed.  Hurting, for those I love, who called this man Husband. Daddy. Pop-pop. Son. And Brother. I'm waiting and watching. Caring. Loving.

And I’m praying. Praying that healing will come, and please, Lord God, sooner than later.  And until then, that Love will dull, and soon remove, the sting of pain for all of those beautiful people that are Michael's loves.  


Happy trails, Mike.  Until we meet again.

Outa Da Closet

I need help.

My closet is a mess.

Here’s why:

My travel schedule, and habit of hitting the bigger stores when I’m in a bigger town, in order to get the most up to date business wear.

My up and down of weight gain/weight loss.

My supposed need for workout gear.

I worked off and on all day today, and I still have a bunch of clothes.

I have put two garbage sacks full in my car for further disbursement.

I have taken ThatManILove’s clothes out of my closet and put them in his.

Now, I’m trying to separate the closets between (1) work wear and (2) casual wear.

I might start drinking.  Again.

Meeting Myself Coming and Going

It’s been a busy time.

My eldest brother-in-love has been at MD Anderson, and we’ve been spending quite a bit of time with he and the family there.  And yeah - I still hate cancer.

I’ve been all over everywhere for business meetings.

And during this time, when we’re at the hospital in Houston, who decides to make his appearance in Austin, but our little grandson, Eli?  Weighing a sweet 8.8 lbs and measuring 20.5 inches long! He is absolutely gorgeous, and mom and dad are both doing well.  So proud of them.

Did I have my camera with me?  No.  We left so fast to go to Houston, and thought we'd return quickly, that I didn't take it.  Hopefully I'll get to take some great pictures of the little man soon!

I swore I would try to post every day, but our “every day” lately has been full of work/hospitals/flying/travel and of course, we went to meet Eli.  How cool it is to see ThatManILove hold his grandson!  And how cool it is to see YoungerSon rocking it as a dad, and his beautiful wife rocking it as a mom.  Isn’t it neat how parents just learn as they go, and they do an awesome job at it?  Awesome to watch. Awesome, I say.

We’ve had a friend in from North Carolina who ministers in Kenya during   a portion of the year...it’s so good to see her! 

So, faithful readers, I’ll get track on back soon, I promise.  Just hang with me here a bit while we get through this wee patch of taking care of business at hand.  And then, go pick up the Wonderdogs from the trainer.  God, I miss them so.

Until then, happy trails to you!

Calibrate, Calibrate, Dance to the Music!

I took a Lightroom class last night - my first night of two.

I’m so excited.  I learned so much!

One thing, probably one of the most important - that your edited pictures you see on your screen may not be what your viewers see...so get a screen calibration kit.  Use it.

And be amazed.

That is the profound thought that is rocking my world today.

So be it.

ManCold…Little Tinkly Bell…Call 999

Oh, nooooo.

ThatManILove has a cold.

Yup.  I feel so sorry for him.  I went and got him soup tonight.  Then put an extra blanket on him.  Listened to how I made things worse because he joined a client and myself for lunch. Then took the blankie off because he was too hot.

Sounding familiar, ladies?  Yup.  He is a sick man, indeed.  Hang tight.  He's getting a chill. I have to put the blankie back on. 

Why?  Because, he has a: 

MANcold.

If any one of you even think of sending him a little tinkly bell, I will CUT you.

Meanwhile, entertain yourself I mean pray for him while you watch this video.

Game on, Manx. Game ON!

I had a bit of time prior to catching the plane in Tulsa yesterday.

And as I am wont to do when outside my little podunk town, I drove my little rental car to the closest Dillards.

A sweet one, it was.  Way bigger than the Dillard’s in our town.  Way more selection of cute clothes, guaranteed to turn ThatManILove’s eyes my way.  (You know, whenever he does get to come home. Yeah.  Mmmmmhmmmmm. )  And, who knew I would have just enough room left in my checked bag to pack 8 items of clothing and still be under the 50lb limit?  Yahoooo!

But, I digress.

I never know where to park when I go to a store that size, though.  And invariably, I end up parking in the housewares...or the suitcase section.  

Yesterday, though, I entered the Dillard's door, and voila!  There I was, in menswear.

And what did I happen to see, but Spanx.  In the menswear section.

Yup.

Spanx for Men.  AKA "Manx."

And I knew, with all my being, that indeed, God is a just, just God.  Because, you see, I myself have been laughed at, nay, ridiculed numerous times while getting into my Spanx.  Be it the tights, or the cami, or, God forbid, the slip, donning Spanx is always an accident waiting to happen.  Well, at my house, anyway, and with me at the controls.

I cannot wait until ThatManILove discovers Spanx for Men.

Who knows?  I may mail him a package anonymously.

He’ll just think it’s a t-shirt. Or underwear. (Yes, ladies and gents, they have both.  And they are beautiful, beautiful things, indeed.  Oh, yes, they are.)

Until that beautiful moment comes...you know, the one where he tries to put it on?  Then, my friends, a new ThatJanieGirl video will surreptitiously appear across the internet.

Bwahahahahahahahahhhhhhh!  Game on, indeed!

Snoozebucket

Another saga in the "It's Never Boring Around Here That Janie Girl Life"…


3:30 a.m. yesterday morning.


Renaissance Tulsa Hotel, Tulsa, OK.


"Ding. Ding."


"Good morning, Renaissance Hotel guests.  You are now clear to go back to your rooms.  We have discovered the reason for the fire alarm, and there is no danger to the guests.  Please return to your rooms and have a great night."


Ummmm…what alarm?


I'm supposed to be out of my room?


I never heard the first announcement.  I'm probably missing a Par-Tay out in the hallway.


Dannnnnnnng.

HELP! A Waffle Craving Has Been Flung Upon Me

So, what the heck?

It’s 1:47 a.m., and I’m awake.

To be honest, I suck at sleeping when ThatManILove is out of town.

I have to fly out of here in the morning.  And before I do that, I have to catch a chiropractor appointment, pack, run by the office to get some checks ready to deposit, and just generally get my proverbial poop together.

And...I’m awake.

Awake enough to write this plaintive cry of dismay.  (Otherwise known as the literary version of WHINE.)

Awake enough to consider going to get something to eat so I will sleep.  You know, like something that would inspire a carb coma or something?  (But scared I will miss my 5:30 a.m. alarm if I do so.  And also, pretty scared of my trainer, aka Cruella DeVille  V'Lesha.  I’ve heard about what happens when V'Lesha wears purple shoes.  SCARY, people. SCARY.)

It’s all Crystal's A Pistol’s fault.

She left a comment on my blog.  And I was awake, and responding to emails, and checked out her blog.

And her man, who obviously is not out of town, made her “The Daddy” of all waffles.  And to make matters worse, she posted pictures.

And the craving was, therefore, flung.  Upon me. For waffles.

And to top that baby off, I wanna know just how that woman, Crystal, can look like that and eat “The Daddy” of all waffles? She is gorgeous.

I clicked “follow”.  Because I’m gonna find out.  And the icing on the cake is that she’s really funny, too.

Meanwhile, back to the real issue at hand...does IHOP deliver?

Brooke and her 4H "Jamie's Coconut Cake"

My 10 year old friend Brooke simply amazes me.  We've been good friends since she was 1 1/2 years old.  She works alongside me as my photography assistant, and takes every picture I take on a scheduled shoot. She's won statewide awards in 4H with her photos.  Already.  I LOVE this kid.  And she's not (yet) too big to play in the mud.

This is the end of her first year to raise, work, and show lambs, and she is rockin' Texas.  She just won her 1st Junior Showmanship Buckle in the Texas Best Sheep Show Series.  And now,  we are currently in the middle of our Midland County Livestock Show, and she won some major awards yesterday. (See video!)


While attending school, AND getting her animals ready for the show, 3 days ago, Brooke began the process of baking her cake for her Culinary Arts 4H submission. (During this time, her mom had to go to San Antonio to be with Brooke's grandfather for his surgery.) And at 10 p.m. last night, I arrived with the cake board and doily and watched as Brooke put together the icing ingredients for her cake entry.  Everything had to be made from scratch.  And people, that was some GOOD icing.


Did I tell you that this child has compiled a cookbook that is currently in it's fourth printing?  Read about it here.


She's 10, people.  Ten.  1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10.


Meet my friend Brooke.  She's funny, smart, and has a heart of gold.  I love this child.  Oh, wait.  I said that already.

I'm Alive!

It's been over a month since I've last posted?


How time flies when you're having fun!


Quick update - had meniscus repair on my left knee.  My days have been consumed by (1) physical therapy and (2) working out trying to get back in shape and (3) working in the oil patch!


Christmas and New Year's passed by in a flash, as ThatManILove was out in the field most of that time.


I'm improving, every day.  Hope y'all are all well!  


Here's this morning's funny, from me, to my nemesis trainer, Cruella DeVille V'lesha.

Now, give me a mere half hour or so minute as I creep out to the car to start yet another day!

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!)