andyandeye's Blog

Well we are here. Not quite unpacked all the way. But getting into some type of groove.

The youngest 2 boys have been enrolled in summer school. And they really like it. Every Friday they get to go on a field trip. Tomorrow is a movie and field day at Smith-Cotton HS. I have to say, as much as I miss the quiet of my woods we left, I really love our new house. It's a real farm house on 5 acres of what was once a huge working farm w/ beef cattle. I find myself smiling at something new every day. I told Andrew yesterday that it's really noisy here. He said,"well we didn't have the road at our old house" I told him, that's not what I meant at all...

All the sounds are different. In the woods we had woodpeckers, cardinals, owls, dogs barking... But other than that and the wind, it was REALLY quiet.

Here we constantly have cows mooing, and tons of different types of birds chirping ALL the time. At our other house, the birds seemed to have a schedule. Early morning and mid afternoon. Then the crickets and frogs took over.

Here the birds are performing all day. We even have birds I've never seen or heard in person. Like a whiporwill(sp?), morning doves, Red winged black birds, and this CRAZY mocking bird. He sits about 20 feet above our deck in a pine tree doing every call you could imagine! We've named him Fred. I've come to the conclusion that Fred is just confused!!! LOL!

I can't figure out who he's going to mate w/ either. Cuz he calls everything from Cardinals to finches! RALMAO!!!

When I get some more time, I'll try to get some pics taken and posted.

The people here are amazingly nice. I got my very first welcoming pan of brownies the first night we moved in. And had coffee w/ the woman a couple of days ago. Come to find out, she knows my brother from years ago when he lived here and was the youth minister for her parish! She was actually on the panel that hired him. Too weird!

Then last weekend, we met our other neighbor. They've only lived in the country for 2 years, and have acquired 1 llama, 3 el pacas, 6 goats, 2 beautiful horses, a mini horse, 2 Angora Rabbits, 2 great peanease(beautiful dogs), and about 20 of these little yappie terrier dogs that she breeds, very expensive.

Now here's the thing, we've been wondering for weeks why in the heck would you want all of these animals. We found out that she SPINS YARN!!!! So cool. Like really, she combs or shaves the animals, then uses a spinning wheel to make yarn and knits cool stuff w/ it!!!! She told me she'd be happy to teach me! I'm excited about that for sure!!!

I really thinking I'm going to like it here.

Wowweee!  Talking about making me feel at home in our new home!

We've been in our new house for 2 weeks now.    Near Sedalia.     I was just in the other room and all of a sudden, I hear what I SWEAR is Sean Conroy's voice reporting from a Kansas City station!

I run into the room, and dang if it really wasn't him!   How cool is that, that Fox news does that, and now I feel like I'm still part of the STL family!

Thanks guys!

And thanks Sean!    Great job today, btw!


Hugs atcha all!
Eye

Took these from my front door.

BARACK OBAMA:

 The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN MC CAIN:

 My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON:

When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me......

 DR. PHIL:

 The problem we have here is that this chicken don't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.

OPRAH:

Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH:

 We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL:

Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...

ANDERSON COOPER - CNN:

We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY:

 Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

 NANCY GRACE:

That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN:

To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART:

No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS:

Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:

 To die in the rain. Alone.

JERRY FALWELL:

Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth?' That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA:

 In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS:

 Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE:

It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON:

Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

 BILL GATES:

 I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% .........reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN:

Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

BILL CLINTON:

I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE:

 I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS:

Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY:

Where's my gun?

AL SHARPTON:

Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

BARACK OBAMA:

 The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN MC CAIN:

 My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON:

When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me......

 DR. PHIL:

 The problem we have here is that this chicken don't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.

OPRAH:

Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH:

 We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL:

Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...

ANDERSON COOPER - CNN:

We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY:

 Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

 NANCY GRACE:

That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN:

To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART:

No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS:

Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:

 To die in the rain. Alone.

JERRY FALWELL:

Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth?' That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA:

 In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS:

 Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE:

It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON:

Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

 BILL GATES:

 I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% .........reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN:

Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

BILL CLINTON:

I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE:

 I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS:

Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY:

Where's my gun?

AL SHARPTON:

Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

Well, I haven't been around much..  So much to do, so little time left!

We are all doing well.  Andrew is living in our new house, he moved in April 1st, and we really love it.  Every weekend we visit each other.  Swapping who drives, he was just here this last weekend because we had a family picnic to go to Sat.   So the boys and I are driving out there this weekend.  It takes about 3.5 hours.  Sometimes less depending on traffic.

I've been hanging in there.  You know, good days and bad days.   I feel like I'm just going through the motions now.   Get kids up for school, go to work/gym, kids come home, fix dinner, bed, and start all over the next day.   The weekends are very much looked forward to.

I've been spending Sundays fishing w/ the boys.  Haven't caught much.   We went to Morse Mill last week, and the river was just too high and fast.  But it was nice to get out of the house.

This is us fishing a  couple of weeks ago at Rockford Beach....   River is WAY HIGH!



Andrew used this one for bait!!!  LOL!



The other crazy thing is my cat had kittens 3 weeks ago!  That was pretty amazing.   The boys and I actually got to watch the birth!!!    Wow!   They are so cute too.  She had three but we lost one last week, it was really sad.  We buried it in my butterfly garden and planted a Dalhia over it.  It still bums me out.

But the other two are doing great.   Andrew took them up to the new house Sunday because they're starting to wander a bit too much.  And w/ 3 kids and 2 dogs running around, we felt it would be safer..  But before they left we took a couple of pics!  Actually, my youngest "B" took them, not too bad for an 8 y/o!



These are Gismo and Hammy(short for hamster cuz they looked like baby hamsters when they were born!  LOL!)



Too cute eh?!!!

My plan is we're going to get them all fixed and have them be our barn cats!   It should work out well.

Anyway, I thought I'd just say hey to everyone!!!

Hugs!

Eye

I took this picture Wed as we were heading out to spend the day  downtown.  We were hoping to head up W to 44, but W was already closed.  This is of Rockford Beach where I eat my lunch during the summer.  I guess it's a good thing the tables are chained down!!







This was taken at the same area during my lunch break on Thursday.  Around 1pm.



This is a pic on the other side of the bridge.  That farm is where we buy our mulch in the spring.  They have never evacuated, but they were being rescued when I took this picture.  The water was entering the house. 



Here's my favorite lunch spot again!



I took this one in Cedar Hill off of 30.



And Sorry guys!  Our beloved Club Villa is flooded.   There's the bus almost on high ground!

Mornin' all! Today is a special day for me! For years St Pat's was a family holiday. We always went to the parade on Saturday. My grandpa was St Patrick IN THE PARADE! We'd be so proud. Sometimes we'd walk in the parade, other times we'd just sit on the side and grab as much candy as we could!

My grandparents helped start one of the first Irish clubs here in STL. The "Young Ireland Club". My grandparents Irish heritage was a really big deal to them. They were very proud to be legal Irish immigrants. They both came through Ellis Island. And my mom actually got to go see there names on the registry!

After the parade we'd all go back to grandma's for a HUGE family meal. Interestingly enough, it was never corn beef and cabbage, but more like ham and potato salad. LOL! My mom is the second youngest of 9 kids. And there were about 18 cousins living locally. In all I think there are 25 grandkids. We'd all cram up to the table and sit on an old bench Grandpa made. It held 5 of us.

When my grandparents got older, we would just go watch the parade. And my mom ALWAYS bought my grandparents a green carnation to wear. My grandma loved that! It was probably corny, but she liked it. I used to love sitting next to my grandparents during the parade, and watching their proud eyes as the floats went past.

In all they were only able to go back to Ireland a few times. And they both moved here in the 20's when they were 18 or so. But for some reason, Ireland was always their home. I've never been there, but one day I will go and visit my cousins. They've all come here to visit. Maybe one day!

Anyway, HAPPY DAY ALL!

I haven't decided if I'm taking the boys to the parade today. It starts at noon, and I'm not very motivated after this weekend.

Maybe I'll just call my parents and bring my mom a green carnation!

That's my motto. For real!

 I try to wake up every morning and say that to myself. I also live every day like it might be my last. No regrets.

But today, that motto rings so true! Andy left this morning for his new base. That's it. It's really happening!

 Tomorrow the boys and I will drive out there after I get off work. We're going to see the house Saturday while the chimney is being inspected. I'm getting a bit excited to say the least. I think the boys are too.

If all the inspections look good. Andy will move into the house on April 1st. We'll be renting it pending the sale of our house. Say some prayers! We can only afford a double mortgage for about 4 months. So, we need our house to sell quick. Heck the boys and I will move into a hotel if we have to!

The movers will be coming May 27.  So we have a couple of months yet.

Anyway, you guys are so great for support and understanding. AND advice! I am really blessed to have met all of you.  Thanks to all of you!

Here are some pics of our yard!










It's still on the market for sale by the way!!!  ANYONE INTERESTED?!!!!

Last night Andy and I went to town to a local bar  We haven't been down there in quite awhile...

Anyway, as I was walking this guy calls me over. He tells me he has a joke for me.

OK. So he proceeds to tell me the joke, about the 5th word in he uses the "N" word. Now I don't know if ya'll know me well, but anyone who uses that word in front of me WILL get an earfull!

He goes on and on and on.. In all I think he said it 10 times.. I politely listened to him. And when he finished I didn't laugh. He asked me if I didn't think it was funny. And I told him the truth.

"Well, actually I stopped listening the first time you used the "N" word. I don't appreciate you using that word in front of me. Not at all. It's very rude"

And he got mad at me and said,"Well fine, why don't you just move along on your miss goody two shoe twinkle toes"



So I moved on.  And he gave me dirty looks all night.  What is it that makes people think it's ok to talk like that?!   I just don't get it.

This is my blog..  To do with what I want.  To vent, to laugh, to scream, to WHATEVER!


This morning I was awake at 3am again.  But this time not worrying about our move and packing and painting and separation and all that which I worry about at 3am....

This time I was worrying about my friend, my neighbor for now.   She is stuck at home with her 4 kids, 9,7, and 5 y/o twins.  Her car is broken and she has no food in the house, or money with which to buy it.  WHY?    Because her husband is an idiot who wants to keep her chained to the house taking care of his kids while he stays out all night drinking and partying and spending all of his paycheck on Lord knows what!  One Friday he spent all but $100 of his $1,100 paycheck.   He said he was held up at gun point... OK!  Apparently this happens to him often.

She dropped out of HS to be w/ him and have his kids..  She has no skills as far as a job goes.  Apparently she worked at a pizza joint for awhile before they were married.  He's got her right where he wants her.   She feels she has no way out, no where to go, no help.

Yesterday she gave me her last $28 to pick up stuff for dinner and lunch today, because her husband was supposed to be home by 6:30pm and bring home more groceries.  Guess what!  He never came home last night.  Big surprise.

So I worried half the night.  What can I do?  Those kids deserve better than this.  Call DFS?  That would break her heart.  Not to mention the grandparents..  Who don't really know what's happening to their grandkids.  Call the grandparents?  She'd be mad at me, but it might be worth it.  

Worrying about the fact that I don't have time for other people's problems.  Much less room to take in 4 more kids.  Thinking about how blessed I am, that I don't have problems like that.  I have a wonderful loving husband, and great kids, and food.      Course, I never would have put myself in that situation to begin with.   That's just my personality. 

Finally after hours of worry, and coming up with a plan for my day...  I fell asleep.  

This morning she told me that she called her Father-in-law and told him what was going on.   He is coming over today to go get her food.  And hopefully will come up w/ a plan to fix her car.     I'm so relieved.   Relieved that someone can help.  Relieved that it's not on my shoulders right now.  Does that make me a bad person?  I don't know, maybe to some degree I'm a bit selfish, I really don't have time for her issues. 

We're moving, I have health issues to deal with right now.  We've made an offer on a new house, will they accept it? 

Is it ok to focus on myself and my family when she's having so many problems?  sigh. 

Well, sometimes it does help to put it all down on "paper" per se..

This morning I got 2 phone calls at 5 am, from the principle of both my kids schools to tell me the school was closed...  Northwest R-1 ROCKS!

What happened in the city?  Somebody oversleep?  Ridiculous! I'm just sayin'!

Never thought I'd see a day when I said I was tired of Sunshine!!!!

But here ya go! Andy and I spent the ENTIRE weekend painting the living room and kitchen Pale Sunshine. Along w/ a bit of Killz2 as primer... MAN we are so tired.

Andy started prepping and trim while I was at work Friday. It's amazing how much you have to do just to get a room ready to paint.

We stayed up till midnight Friday painting. I did the trim. Andy's discovered he HATES doing trim. I don't mind it. But dang! That was a heck  of a lot of trim to do in the living room! The reason I fell in love w/ this house is because of it's size. But DANG!

Got up Sat at 8am, and started again by 8:30. It took us all day. I started on the kitchen later in the day. You guessed it, prep and trim. sigh.

We finally called it quits by 8:30 pm. 12 straight hours of painting. We really didn't take any breaks either. It was more like, eat a slice of pizza while you're eyeing the walls to see if you missed something.

Sunday, same drill.. Andy painted the kitchen while I put the living room back together. It's amazing how much work it is to put a room back together! Especially when you pull down light fixtures to wash and stuff.

Yesterday we put the kitchen back together and started boxing up stuff in the youngest boys' room. Andy said he came up w/ 5 bags of trash! CRAZY! You know, stuff like McDs toys and missing pieces. less we have to move!

I had a doctor's appt, and had to go to the grocery and stuff that I couldn't do all weekend.

So now at this point, all we have left to paint is the laundry room, and our oldest son's room. If we paint that. It won't get done before the house starts showing, but at this point, I could care a less!

This moving stuff is hard work!

Andy is still due to arrive March 17 at our new base.  We've gone house hunting and found THE ONE.  It's a really nice 4 bedroom 2.5 bath on 5 acres near Sedalia.   Hopefully they'll accept our offer.  PLEASE LET THEM ACCEPT OUR OFFER!!!

Our house is officially on the market.  If anyone knows someone who'd be interested in a 3 bed 2 bath home on 1.5 acres, let me know!  It's a gorgeous lot(course I'm prejudice) and we have a HUGE garage.  AND the house is mostly freshly painted!^^^^^^^^  LOL!

My plan is to stay in the house until the BIG move, but if I have to I'll get an apartment for me and the boys until school's out.  Things are moving FAST now!

Eye

Why in the world doesn't Clinton concede already?!!

Seriously, is she THAT dense?  It's obvious what the majority of America wants in a Dem candidate!!!!


ANYONE?