Daddy Diva

So, I know there are so many posts about the subject that we all love to fuss about but none of us actually do anything tangible about; MEN! I always have funny stories about the men that surround the train wreck that is my life, but often I don't post them due to fear of hurting someone's feelings. I suppose that is an opinion I have recently tossed into the back of the closet because here it is, my current man rant. Last night Big and I were traveling all over (actually I had traveled all over he just made one stop with me) to locate certain parts for his sick refriderator. After several minutes of running around the store we finally arrived at a choice of brushes that he needed. During our walk around, I had received a few texts from my Daddy that said that their power was out there in Drummonds and was out for no particular reason. He was complaining about how hot it was and how bored they were. I expressed my sympathy for the situation and kept trailing after Big. While checking out at the Home Depot, I received a text that made me laugh and perplexed me all at the same time. It read something like this: call the power company, give them my number and see what's going on...... Ummmm.... you are texting me on your cell phone.... So I explained that we were out shopping and I couldn't really just stop and call, so he should use that cell phone that he was texting me on at that precise moment to call the electric company to find out what was the malfunction. The answer was, I can't call you call. LOL. This was just too good. We texted back and forth for a minute and then decided that he was out of luck and also very hot. Frustration was building up even though I somewhat felt sorry for them all down there in the heat. Taylor was swimming in the pool outin the darkness of the front yard, which I am sure was hilarious on more than one level. I just could not for the life of me understand how he had signal enough to reach me continuously via text message but could not make a single phone call to log an outage. Okay, so it sounds like I am angry but I am not, promise. I assure you it was all comical to me and still is which is why I am sharing it with you guys here and now. After checking out, driving to get food, getting the food, driving home, unloading the vehicle, and then finally eating some grub, I was trying to make him understand that no one would be there for me to ask on a Sunday night all the while he was complaining about dying from heat exhaustion. The several years that I lived out there the power used to sporadically go out for no apparent reason at all. We never really knew why and became really used to it. I know it's really been a scorcher here lately but oh my goodness. My suspicion was that he just didn't want to, but then again maybe he really couldn't make a call even though there is an old timey rotary phone around that house down there somewhere. You never know what is going to come out of his mouth or apparently his phone these days. LOL I responded to his text finally saying that they were working on the problem only then to get one back saying that the power was back on. Just Damn. He was appreciative for all of that in his own way. Just thought I would share my current Daddy Diva story. Love You Dad.

Wicked

I want to take a moment and say that if you are a fan of the arts at all, or if you like music at all, please don't walk but run to The Orpheum in Memphis and get your tickets for Wicked as soon as you possibly can. Saturday I was privileged enough to see this wonderfully choreographed production of Wicked with my Mommy. She had already seen it on Broadway in New York City on a trip a few years back and couldn't resist joining me to view it again. I have been a HUGE fan of The Wizard of Oz since I was a small child. It was so extreme that for Halloween for more than one year I went as Dorothy and even made people call me Dorothy when I was little. This story was the prequel to The Wizard of Oz and tries to paint a picture of how the Wicked Witch of the West became... well... Wicked. Hands down, best musical I have ever seen and I can't even begin to describe the scenes and set changes. I could sit here all day long and write adjectives to depict what absorbed all afternoon, but I will try to sum it up as best I can. The visual effects were breath taking as well as the costumes that were very over the top and larger than life. Oh, and the music.... there aren't adjectives that can describe how absolutely amazing the performances were. Glinda the Good was perfect with her comedic timing and her beauty as she portrayed a popular girl trying to make her way in the world of Oz. Elphaba was stunningly strange and mysterious with her green skin and powerful voice. It was like being inside of a movie. I didn't even realize how much time had passed as each song was flying by and with all the special effects it was such eye candy. If you get a chance to see it, please go and enjoy it and I promise it won't let you down. For me, it was like being a child again getting to revisit the land of Oz. This is the best thing for me, to feel as though I can escape life and be a kid again and just sit back and smile. Speaking of that, I think I smiled the entire show! Hopefully, others are fully appreciating it the way I did. I would go again and again if I could and certainly encourage you guys to come out and support the arts and that beautiful theater. Until next time: Try Defying Gravity!
P.S. I got very few pictures of it because I didn't want to disturb the others around me and also because I could barely tear myself away from the show long enough to fish my phone from my purse. ;)

The Day the Music Died...Again

Well, as my Mr. Big stated, "It's the end of an era!" Our King of Pop has left the building at the young age of 50. There has been an out pour of prayers and thoughts for the Jackson family from people all over the world via letters, text messages, facebook, myspace, tweets, and people showing up outside his home. He revolutionized the music industry from the minute he stepped out on a stage to begin his solo career with his white sequined glove and his provocative dance moves much like the King of Rock and Roll did. As I drove into work this morning listening to all the radio stations paying homage to Michael, I was saddened to think that he would never get to make his come back or sing on another stage. On twitter last night, there were many stars expressing their sadness and mourning the loss of such a visionary man. I know he had many transgressions and tons of negative publicity, but his music spoke loudly and to millions of fans worldwide. For those haters out there yesterday it was reported that his concert tour of 50 different stops were all sold out! I repeat 50 concerts were SOLD OUT! Most stars burn out within a short amount of time, but his career spanned over 40 years which was amazing to me that he constantly was able to reinvent himself to survive all of those hard times. Marketing, mixing, and performing music was changed forever while he just pursued his passion. Countless artists have proclaimed over the years that his style and charisma influenced their own music such as: Justin Timberlake, Akon, Britney Spears, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and his own younger sibling Janet. Personally, I feel like I cut my teeth on his music and many other artists from the 80's. My Momma used to turn the television to MTV and let it play on the weekends all day long. Of course this was back when I was young and when actual music was on MTV. His videos were beautiful, insightful, and almost always told a story of some controversy going on in our world. I will always remember my brother singing "Black or White" as a young kid and how I loved dancing along to "Bad". He was an artist that literally changed the face of how we hear, see, and consume music today. His presence will be missed by all who loved him. And for those of you out there that are questioning what all the hype is about, maybe you should just sit down, be quiet, and try to be respectful of the feelings of all the musicians and the family of a legend. Last night I tweeted that it was our generations version of "the day the music died" and I do feel that way. To the King of Pop, we will miss you and continue to play your music forever! Until next time, dust your old albums off and honor this generation's King!

Quick, Fast, and In a Hurry

I am sure all of you have heard it by now, but one of the greatest sex symbols of our lifetime has passed away today after a long struggle. Farrah Fawcett has died at the age of 62 from a tedious battle with cancer. Please say a prayer for the family and friends of this fallen angel as I did when I read the story.
In other news, here in our lovely city of Memphis the mayor has finally resigned his post and is hoping to run for the 39th Congressional seat in the future. I hate to say it, but I will be thrilled to see him step down and move on from here. Maybe now we as a city can rise up and be greater. Hopefully we can keep all the sports teams and the new restaurants that have opened up in business and everything will transition well. Everyone around me has said that we needed to vote him out for years, and he has been our leader for 18 years now. Of course the person stepping in isn't any better. Over all I think that him leaving will be a great thing for this southern city on the river.
Work has been crazy busy lately for no reason at all. I constantly wonder if things like the heat contribute to sleep apnea, which is what I do. The summer is normally our slow time of the year with everyone going on vacations and not wanting to spend the money on medical testing. I suppose I can understand that logic because I seem to look forward to a slow and steady summer to get caught up on the paper work that gets looked over. Unfortunately, that hasn't happend this month at all. May started off slower and then June boomed. We as a group have mixed feelings about all of this because we want to be busy and then again we wanted to breathe a bit. Until it slows, we will just keep on trudging as though it were winter.
Grey baby is almost walking folks. Wish us luck ;) He is standing in the middle of the floor without any assistance at all needed. Five or six steps is what he is up to right now, but he is desperately trying to walk more and even taking a stab at some running. I think he's going to follow in our family's footsteps and want to constantly be on the move. This week his parents took him to the mall in the stroller and when they stopped to look at something he would rock forward and then backward in attempts to make it continue rolling. LOL. We need to get that baby a four wheeler, bike, or maybe even a little race car. Tonight I am reluctantly going to accompany Momma to Wal-Mart so that we can get safety products to drape our house in because the little bugger won't stop pulling open cabinets, trying to go up the stairs, and opening and shutting all the doors in the house. Psst... please nobody tell him about the electrical outlets because his Daddy was a pro and sticking things in those. The more vocal Grey becomes the more we laugh and have to call and tell each other how cute. Now, when I hold him while eating he will chew along with me even though there is nothing in his mouth. Take my word for it, you can't help but smile at how precious he is. He is just that darn cute and funny. How awesome it is to watch a little person experience life for the very first time. Crazy to think how fast he is cruising through all the steps in childhood. It goes by too fast. Alright, enough bragging for now I got to get back to work. Until next time, stay cool and if you know someone with sleeping problems give me a shout.

Father's Day

I hope every one's Father's Day went as well as mine did. First thing this morning, I got up and went to see the baby who was talking loudly in his room next to mine. Kasey suggested we all go to IHOP for Nathan's very first Father's Day. We of course did get up and get ready to go eat together for a change. After stuffing ourselves we ran down to Drummonds to see my Nana and Grandaddy. Dee Dee spent most of the time attempting to configure Grandaddy's new television with his surround sound system, however; even with Nathan's help she was unsuccessful. Technology can be so fickle sometimes. It seems to at times make our lives much easier, but when it doesn't work after one has been depending on it, well it just stinks. I left Nana's house traveling towards Daddy's house as I looked down at the temperature reading on my car. It said it was 99 degrees! Insane how hot is already is and it's June. I foresee many pool days in my future. When I pulled up the driveway I immediately saw an orange blow up swimming pool in the front yard sitting quite and still but full of water. Taylor seemed uninterested in me as I walked through the door, and this is very unusual for her. She normally runs and jumps onto me acting as though she has really missed her Sissy. Today, she was more interested in getting into her swimming suit so that she could go and disrupt the calmness that was the pool. She did so with no regard for the water being so cold having just came out of the water hose. Nathan and Grey arrived shortly after I did, and as we waited for the baby to wake up we gave Dad his gift. I made a calender for him. I know this like a strange gift but it was full of pictures of all of the kids from various stages of our lives. If I do say so myself, it was adorable. Dad seemed to really like it. Overall Father's Day went well for us this year.

Taylor played in that pool for almost two hours straight and Grey only dipped for maybe two minutes. He didn't care for the pool even though he loves the bath tub so much. Taylor jumping and splashing probably didn't help his little fears, but at least he got to give it a try. No drama really transpired this weekend and for a holiday in my family that is an accomplishment. LOL. I love my family, but we are complex at best.

Other than the holiday, my life was boring as usual this weekend. No hot date or rendezvous' to speak of other than spending Saturday mostly underwater while conversing with my Dee Dee. As much as I love this task, I had kind of daydreamed of atleast a dinner, but it wasn't in the cards for me this weekend. Maybe next weekend. Alright, I am going to clean up around my room and try very hard to get some sleep even though I have slept in two days in a row. Until next time, hug your Daddy's and sweet dreams

Gotta Have Faith

I have been so very cranky lately and unfortunately for everyone around me, I can't seem to figure out why or what to do about it. It's like no matter what I do or where I go there is very little that truly makes me laugh these days. I keep thinking that maybe it's the heat or at least the change in the weather that is causing me to be so discontent with my current state of mind. Normally, this is my happy time of the year when everything is pretty and green. A weekend at the pool will be a welcomed vacation from my everyday schedule and may be just what I need to hit the reset button on this melancholy. Now, I am certain that my friends and loved ones will be so glad to see this mood lift and moving onward because I know that I haven't been a jewel to be around lately. Mr. Big asked me what exactly triggered this episode and as I tried to search my brain for an answer, one did not come immediately. Although I attempted to be as honest as I am capable of, I really didn't know what brought this terrible feeling of dread on. After careful consideration, I think it was Maggie and her distraught break up with what she thought was "Mr. Right" that sent me into a downward spiral of depression. I can't for the life of me figure out how a young, beautiful, strong, talented, and educated girl like Maggie hasn't found "it" yet only "Mr. For the Moment". And if she has all of the qualities that are carefully sought out by hundreds of guys, why is this so hard for her? And if she's having this hard of a time, what does that mean for me? She ran into him last night while going to pick out a movie. She fled the scene without even getting a movie only to see that he was dressed nicely and it seemed he was going out to Nashville. She called asking me what she should do or how she should feel. My answer: Insert Mad HERE! She is one of those sweetie pies that tries to never become so overwhelmed to the point of actual outward anger but it causes a bit of damage holding it in. Unlike her, I wear my feelings on my sleeve to the point of being annoying. I really should work on that..... As open as I am, I can't seem to be uninhibited with my own Mr. Big. When he asks me things that are personal, which is somewhat rare, I pull out one of my sweet doe eyed looks and duck the question. This is ironic because he is the one that not only perfected this technique but he is also the one that taught it to me. I never avoided things before, but now I am terrified to speak my mind. Thinking that maybe there is no perfect match for me is such a silly and immature notion but talking about it to his face just mortifies me. I know he will probably read this and hopefully better understand my dilemma but I feel some how less lately. Romance, much like a garden, must be weeded and tended to. Maggie and Mr. Big neither one agree with me on that. They both feel that it is earth shattering and amazing and certainly outside of one's control. Maybe I am too much in my own head here, but it is selective to a painful degree. If I ever have had an at first site type of situation, it was with Big. I remember getting this tingly feeling that was electric and took on an energy all of it's own. What is unclear is whether I felt that feeling all by myself, but what is clear is that it was powerful enough to last for quite some time for me. There are very few things about him that I think are negative, and I mean very few things, but it is so hard to concentrate on building a relationship when no one's works out around me. I mean no disrespect to Big at all by making the previous statement. Maggie seems so ideal for the picket fence lifestyle with her dreams and goals but for some reason she and me alike have to trudge through all of the lies, deceptions, and inconsistencies in order to reach our very own happy endings. I am biding my time for now along with every other girl I know waiting on that guy that makes it all real to me. The one that isn't full of crap or tells elaborate tales in order to get just what he wants. I want the one that makes all the others seem like boys by being a man. Sitting here now I am wondering how much is too much information, especially since yesterday Big said I give away too many details, but I do care for him very, very much. He is very strong and regal in his own way but seems to have his own battle with melancholy going on too. My goal is to try and make him relax and just be able to be himself while he is with me. I normally try very hard to just be as sweet and kind as possible, but with him it comes very natural. So,whatever funk I am going through, or the one that he is going through, I hope so much that we can be normal pretty darn soon. I am missing that warm fuzzy feeling that he gives me when he smiles at me as I get out of my car or when he gives me a hug as I enter his house as though he really missed me. I know he's done it almost every time I get over there, but with all the doubt that Maggie's giving me, it's just hard to respond to it by giving in completely. Mags, this isn't your fault at all, but it's just a strong dose of reality that I wasn't expecting. I wish so much that I was as tough as Mags is being right now. She is coping as well as can be expected with the wake of the U.S.S Dumped. Maybe I got a little off topic just now, but I do feel a bit better to get it out there and say hey I just feel weird right now. Hopefully, it will go away. Truly, I already feel a bit better just writing it now and getting it out in the open. Ok, I think from this point on I'm going to just shake it off as best I can. I want to buy into the on cloud 9 thinking and that love is coming my way, so maybe if I believe it will come. Sort of like field of dreams. Maybe I'm not giving LOVE enough credit and certainly not faith. So I guess I should take George Michael's advice and say to myself, but you gotta have faith!

Until next time, have a great Friday and keep the faith.

Stormy Weather

Summer is finally here and so is the crazy weather! First of all I want to send warm wishes and thoughts out to all who were caused damage during the storms this past weekend. My house fared well and so did Jays, which is were I had to crash. Now, when I say "had to crash" what I mean is that I rushed over there after I left work early to let Tucker in because I was just terrified at the thought of that sweet baby being outside in what the news was calling a life and death situation. I called Jay, who at the time had not heard a word about anything the storm's arrival nor it's path of devastation, to see about getting into his house so that I could Tuckie-sit during a bad storm. Wish granted. When I opened the front door and ran in to keep from getting rained on Tucker was very excited to see me but also confused about why I was there so early in the day. I know he doesn't speak English and I remind Jay all the time, but if he could talk that is what he would have said. Anyway, as he and I waited until the storm hit us there in Bartlett we bonded on a deeper level. I think he knew that I was scared. Especially being in a house that noise's were somewhat foreign to me as far as storms go, I was nervous when the power went out and I could no longer see the news to know when to hunker down. After hearing a loud popping noise outside the large window in the kitchen and going to investigate with the puppy, I began to realize that the sky had turned a sage green color and that I should maybe get away from such a big window. This is when I heard a screeching metal sound which turned out to be Jay's stainless steel grill rolling slowly across the patio. That was the exact moment I made the decision to get myself and the Tuck into the hallway. Now, I had been dreading this because the dog isn't normally allowed on the carpeted areas in the house and the hallway is one of them. I thought he would try to run down and into the bedrooms or the office, but he did not. I sat against the wall Indian style while he laid across me. It is unclear whether he was protecting me or if he just wanted me to hold him and protect him but he didn't move for quite some time. He mostly just looked at me with steady eyes and breaths. I love Tucker and he loves me too for the most part, but it was different in the floor last Friday. He was my brave little man. When it cleared enough for me to venture out of the hallway I went outside in the rain to see if there was a dark cloud coming. I got pretty wet trying to look and gave up. I got in and was looking out of the storm door when low and behold here came Jay flying around the corner. I didn't realize but the last message he received from me was that the sirens were on and the puppy was going nuts. After that text he tried multiple times to reach me and was unsuccessful. This scared him a little bit thinking something happened to me and the Tuckie dog. He was so sweet to worry about us, but of course I have teased him about only worrying about his house and his fence. LOL. We were bored to tears after the adrenaline fizzled out because we had no TV or computer. Later in the evening, we went to Jay's parents so that we could enjoy some much needed AC and so Jay could check his Facebook. (Yea he's got it bad... lol). No damage at Jay's house was found that night or the next morning in the daylight, nor my house for that matter but there are still so many people without power all over Memphis and surrounding areas. All the pictures on the news is terrible and I just hope everyone is okay every time I see them. I was very thankful to have gotten into the house before it hit, whereas if I had been on my way to Millington I may or may not have made it in time. Thanks Jay. My whole family got home safely and no one that I know of had a ton of damage, but please just remember the ones out there that suffered from the storm of 2009.

Things at work have picked up substantially and I can't say that it isn't welcomed. I am excited to have so much to do all day to pass the time away. Today I looked up and it was already 1 o'clock in the afternoon and I did a little dance in my chair. It will also take some pressure off myself and my co-workers to pick the numbers up a bit.

Until next time, have a good Monday and stay out of all the tree branches on the side of the road.

Heartbroke Hill

I'm here today to ask the age old question, how DO you heal a broken heart? For a change,I'm not the person with it, but my very close friend of too many years for me to list is and I feel just as helpless as she does because I can't kiss it and make it better. Yesterday as I got out of bed and swiftly began to get ready because, as usual, I was running late, I realized that I had missed a call that came at almost 2am which made me worry instantly. Mags had tried to reach out to me in the middle of the night and I didn't hear it. Her boyfriend/sort of roommate broke off their relationship because he said he felt he wasn't ready. I mean what does that even mean? Not ready? Why do men ask us to move in or take bigger and quicker steps than we even feel comfortable with in order to move it forward and then abruptly slam on the brakes? Maybe I am out of practice due to not having a fully committed relationship myself for several years now, but I do know that I hate it when men are just not that into us and allow us to believe that they are until we become attached and then ultimately weepy when we come to the same conclusion as him. As I cried along with her last night I wondered if it's even worth it to try to fall in love and then to feel so alone in this world and to hurt so badly when your life as you know it crumbles despite your efforts to glue it together. Loneliness creeps up on me too sometimes thinking that I could be married by now or I could have children of my own and simply don't. Currently I am watching, listening, and learning while the relationships of all of my friends are put on and off of life support while yearning for something of my own but all the while questioning whether I really want all the drama. Again, I am not necessarily talking about my friend because he is the sweetest thing for the majority of the time, but he still is a man and has downfalls just like any other in the eyes of women. Maggie asked questions that there were and will never be a good answer for, while I just tried to console her and tell her how stupid he is for underestimating her potential as a mate. I'm starting to think that arranged marriages by compatibility isn't too shabby of a process. The whole "we didn't work" part isn't the part that bugs me, it's the lying to the other person. The making us believe something that isn't true. I am not currently on the "I hate men" band wagon, but I understand that she is devastated and I can't fix it for her no matter how much I want to. On and humorous note, she told me yesterday that this is the first time she's ever been truly dumped and at the end of May she turned 24 years old! Hello.... Anybody else jealous? I mastered being dumped a long time ago! I'm not positive what that says about me other than maybe my friends should question my judgement and shouldn't ask for advice from someone who's never had a successful relationship. That topic brings to light another question. What is a successful relationship? Lack of divorce/break-up? There are plenty of people inside of relationships that are acutely miserable because they can't for whatever reason seem to break free of the problems that encase them. So my question is for you is anybody really happy? What is happy exactly in a relationship, not wanting to kill the other person? (Wonder if that counts every single day, because some are worse than others with boys) Some people think they have it all figured out, but do they really? I wish I did because right now, my Maggie needs some of that wisdom to encourage her that life is indeed still out there for a beautiful, talented, sweet, driven, and wonderful person life her. The entire time I have known her she has been awaiting the prince, the white horse, and the castle to boot. She believes in the deepest depths of her heart that true love is real and out there for the finding, even though I was the constant cynic saying that it wasn't so. I have always thought love was like a roller coaster ride. You wait in line all excited with anticipation even though it's hot and boring. You get on the ride and for a split second you feel satisfaction because after all that waiting you have finally reached the destination you set out for. As it starts up, there are some bumps and shifts as you begin your ride out of the darkness into the light, but 5 minutes in you are screaming because your stomach has gone through the bottom of the car your are in but you are still happy just to be on it. After being beat up in the harness and the seat you are in and almost throwing up, you decided that it is time to get off of this drama filled ride. Or your time is up and someone else decides for you. As you walk out of the tunnel and back into society, you are somehow thinking, where's the next line I can get it. Everyone on the ride wants off and everybody not on it wants on. Nice. These rides should have signs like, Drama Mountain or Heartbroke Hill. Maybe Tower of Insecurity and Liar's Lane wouldn't be quite as attractive as what we perpetuate in our minds but it might force us to pause and rethink it. I know that she will be okay. Hey after all, it won't kill you right? Recovery rate depends on the person and she's not ready to stop crying just yet, but she will. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers because unlike her, I'm sure you guys out there have felt what it feels like to be rejected by a man you really love. I love her and am worried for her, but I know she will be okay. Until next time, think warm thoughts for a broken heart and good luck to anyone else going through it

Barking Dog

Well, poor little Tuckie has done it again folks. In the wasteland that is the backyard over at Jay's house there are various different kinds of trees that are in sporadic places all over. Mostly these trees are close to the house and this is often a cause of concern for Jay for obvious reasons. Since the last Tucker blog, there has been more damage to things like water hoses, window screens, trellis', grape plants, and patio chairs. Let me stop right here and elaborate on the patio chairs because what he does with them perplexes me to no end. All of the other things I listed above he has chewed on or chewed completely through, but the chairs he only moves off the patio and into the yard. For whatever reason, he will pick it up and toss it away or he will drag them off, but either way Tucker has decided that the chairs don't belong on the patio. As strange as it seems, he never has chewed on them to my knowledge. He just doesn't agree with the placement of them. Every single day Jay gets home and goes out into the backyard and has to retrieve the chairs and put them back where they belong only to have them moved only minutes later. Recently a swimming pool was purchased and placed where there was a flower bed until the puppy re-decorated. He hasn't quite gotten the hang of the pool just yet, but I got into it with him this past weekend and I think he understood a little better what the point of it is. More than likely there will be more blogging done in the future about the pool because he's so adorable in it.

None of this was nearly as bad as what he has decided to get into now and I have included photos this time of the crime scene. I know I got a little off subject describing all the other things and you are probably wondering why I brought up the trees in the first place. Okay, so yesterday Jay went home on his lunch break and went out to check on him. On the far side of the yard there was evidence of some wrong doing. It was bark from the tree all over the ground. There were shavings all over the ground that were all different shapes and sizes from where he had gnawed and pulled until there was no more. It reached up over 6 feet. Of course, he was furious and scolded him immediately; however, it did not deter him at all. By the time I arrived at the house at 9pm last night there was considerably more damage to the bark than before. Much to Jay's surprise there was even more bark missing this morning from the already mostly naked tree. Somehow Tucker has stripped ALL of the bark off the trunk of a decent sized tree leaving it exposed to infection and the weather! We aren't completely sure how he started the quest of peeling off the skin of the tree or even why it was appealing other than shear boredom. Jay pleaded and begged after screaming and yelling for him to please stop killing all of the plant life on the property as though he spoke English and understood that he is hurting the ecosystem that is the backyard. Tuckie looked as though he was remorseful, but he can't seem to help himself no matter what type of punishment that is administered to him. Options are being discussed, probably as I write, about how to help the tree from dying and how to keep Tucker from tearing up another thing. Ladies and gentlemen, I think Mr. Big might just be at his wits end! This will make for wonderful stories one day when its all in the past and Tuck quits acting a fool. I have researched online about the tree and whether its as big a deal as we thought and turns out it really could be bad. Last night I thought, oops oh well it will have to all grow back now. But it isn't as simple as just growing back. There are things that I have read that would help, such as wrapping it in burlap sacks. Anybody out there think that this dog will leave that alone? Nope, I didn't think so. He eats rocks and wood why would something that is actually fun to chew on keep him from being interested? I do feel for Jay because he is now very stressed out about what to do with the puppy and the tree. Ah, the many adventures of raising a black lab pup is so entertaining. I often wonder what Jay and I did before he came along to disrupt and complete our lives. Hopefully the answer will just appear in a dream or fall right out of the clear blue sky to help Jay. Any advice that any of you could give would be very helpful and much appreciated.

I guess Jay is going to be the general theme of this particular blog and I'm sure he's smiling right now as he reads this. Last Friday night he traveled that really long and drawn out drive all the way out to my house. Perhaps the month that has passed since he has held Grey baby was getting to him. As painful as it must have been he still did it and then took me to dinner as well. Where you ask did we go eat? Chili's of course! Where else would we go in Millington to have dinner. Grey was as excited as he normally is to see Jay come through the door and quickly put his little hands in the air for him to hold him. The boys got in the floor and played which was so cute. As much as I hate to say it, he effortlessly likes Jay just as much as he likes me, and Jay knows it too. First me, then Taylor, and now Grey, how does he suck people in? We may never fully understand the depths of his powers. LOL. If he wasn't smiling before he certainly is now. ;) We had another close weekend with Uncle Clay at Chicago. He made it to the semi finals this weekend and had many great runs. Our phones were going off like crazy and were a blaze with us updating our Myspace's, Facebook's, and Twitter's. There was a really excellent article in USA Today this morning about the team and the successes. I think that once he breaks loose there will be no stopping MPE Motorsports from being great. I know that was a lot of information in one post, but things have been crazy at work and I haven't had a spare moment to write at night so there it is.... a summary of the week and weekend. Until next time, Happy Hump day and if you are having problems with or don't like a tree on your lawn.... I know a bored doggy that would be of some assistance to you.

Race Day in Topeka

Sunday morning I traveled out to Daddy's house to see Bug's cast and how she was doing with it. She is having a little bit of trouble eating and writing because it is on her right hand and this is the dominant hand. By mid afternoon I had left my Dad's and was oiled up and in the pool with my family, who were all sitting on pins and needles listening to NHRA's live coverage of the race in Topeka, Kansas where my Uncle Clay was racing his Top Fuel Dragster. I got the first text from my Uncle before I even got out of bed that morning, the second came as I was leaving my Dad's house, and I got to hear the live broadcast from the pool before the text ever even came. The tension was electric and almost tangible. As he raced through the rounds becoming victorious with each one, we were pleasantly surprised and very hopeful that yesterday was going to be "THE" day. He has been so close to getting his first NHRA win but each time it was snatched from him. As much as we wanted it and as much as MPE racing must want it, fate wasn't on his side yesterday. To me there is no doubt at all that one day will be his day and I believe that it will be very soon. We even joked and said that maybe he's waiting on Memphis. Wow, wouldn't that be amazing for him to win at his home track with all this family accessible for what would be a REALLY big party. It was so awesome for us to get to share that moment together. Nana sat on the deck, Dee Dee walked while wringing her hands back and forth, Momma had to get up and out of the pool so that she could jump, sit, stand, and scream. I was, inexplicably, content with sitting on the steps of the pools while in the water crossing my fingers and saying prayers. Overall, I think we needed to be with each other. Just this weekend someone pointed out to me that our family is much like a clique. We call constantly and see each other as much as we can because we want to not because we feel obligated. It's so nice to have what we have. Love you guys.

Until next time, have a good Monday and keep your fingers crossed for us on Sundays.