let's try this again

While I was in Iowa this past weekend, I ran into this couple that I have known since junior high. We have stayed in touch and often times chat online. I convinced them that the three of us should stop smoking by December 1, 2007. I told them that since we are all online during the day, that we could give each other support.
I have been smoking heavier than I have in the past 5 years since that conversation.
Wish us luck.

The cooked duck sucked -- I started gagging.
Apparently it is an acquired taste.
I was going to have chimichangas for a backup, but instead I went with Paula Deen's hot spinach-artichoke dip.

I am having a problem with my work again. I missed the word left in one of my reports from a week ago. Left, right ... to someone that does not have a left or right knee -- what does it matter? I communicated with her (LLS) both on the phone and via email a few times yesterday, but so far there has been no communication and no work uploaded today.
This MT work is so simple in concept -- but it's so fucking hard some times.

gobble gobble quack

It was off to Iowa on Wednesday. I managed to get the power car/notebook adapter about 2 days before -- so I did my work all the way there. Worked quite slick. Kept my mind and attention off the malemate's driving.
No speeding tickets again this year.
Kinda pisses me off, because I told him about 3 years ago that the next speeding ticket he got that I was getting some plastic surgery done. I guess he doesn't want to foot that bill.
He will though.

I got to see the latest addition to the Faulkner clan who is not named such. He is a beaut -- unfortunately the mother (my niece) did not give him our sir name -- sad too because we have no more boys to carry on the name -- my 2 brothers are the end of the line unless one of the nieces has a boy and gives him the name. Sad when it comes to that.

We had the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings. The turkey was dry - as always. Why is that? I have decided I am going to get myself a turkey this season and see if I can make it without it being dry. The challenge.

One of my cousin's husband is an avid hunter. It's duck and goose season. She hates them both. I have never had duck.
Thanks to her, I now have two - which I will attempt to roast tomorrow.
However, I will have a backup option ... just in case.

i think i can, i think i can

1This past weekend the malemate and I did a tango workshop in Arkansas. Talk about a humbling experience. One of the instructors is from Argentina and the other is from Brazil. It was an quite the exhausting and fulfilling experience.
It would be nice if we could have retained a least one step that we learned for the $170 that we spent on the afternoon.

A couple weeks ago, our regular dance instructors ask us if we still did any swing dancing. Well, the malemate responds with a much-too-quick 'YES'. I am cringing, as I know there is more to come and i know we have not done much swing dancing in almost 5 years. End result, he volunteered us to do a demonstration for the chamber of commerce here in town.
Okay, I can do this. After all, there will probably only be 25-40 people there.

The time draws near (last weekend, and the event is Thursday) and I hear one of the other 'performers' tell that she had to get a new a dress.
WTF? It's just a quick demonstration and you went out and bought a new dress?
She proceeds to tell me that the theme for this event is 'dancing with the stars'
WTF? What kind of chamber gathering is this that they need a theme?
So, I fat finger my way through the internet to check out the chamber's calendar of events.
OH SHIT!!! This is their annual banquet with installation of officers! This is much bigger than she led on for us to believe.
shitShitSHIT!
So, on the day of the event, I call the chamber to get the gist of just what the hell is going on. First, I am told by the voice on the other end, whose name is Donna, that they have sold about 253 tickets.
WHAT? And will all these people show up? "Oh yes," Donna says, "it's our biggest gathering of the year."
shitShitSHIT!
And what is the agenda, I ask. Donna tells me about the happy hour (thank GOD!), the dinner, the presentation of awards and installation of officers, and lastly the entertainment. I ask what is the entertainment.
Donna tells me that there are 4 sets of dancers coming in to perform.
oh FUCK! Now, it all comes to surface. The malemate and I are part of the entertainment.
Thank GOD I got my Xanax refilled yesterday and thank GOD I got my scotch refilled last weekend --- and because of these 'tools', I am pretty sure I can do this.

Late in the afternoon we started donning our duds and doing some practicing.
Then it was off to the event we went.

First thing on my agenda: Locate the bar and get my order in, as does the malemate.

The program starts and they go through their looooooooooong list of kudos and then the time has arrived -- and we are on.
shitShitSHIT! I need more scotch. I need more Xanax. My mouth is dry. The floor is sticky.

The music starts and it's just the malemate and me.

Bottom line, it was not flawless. But, we made it through and many people came up to us afterward and gave us sincere thank-yous and compliments.

The malemate is such a good lead.
Thank you God for that.

old ladies gone drunk

I took a trip to the 'Palm Desert of the Midwest' this past weekend. I wanted to see Cap'n Max, Sharon and Kat.
It was just a quick overnight trip.

I arrived on Saturday morning - just in time to hit the last hours of one of the big twice-yearly tag sales. Unfortunately (or maybe not) it was pretty well picked over and I only ended up with some tote bags to use as trash bags in the car. That is probably a good thing though, as I really don't need anymore junk.

Then Cap'n Max took his harem out for an excellent lunch. One of the harem members could not make it because she was making 'goodies' for later that afternoon. I am so damn glad she didn't come with us because she was making my new favorite snack: bacon wrapped jalepeno poppers.
Good God those things are fabulous!
Dammit, I wish I didn't have such a taste for the fat foods.

I brought the flow-bee because Sharon was in need a cut. She and Kat took off for early mass (because with all the scotch in the house, there was no way they would be able to make it to Sunday morning mass). I went out to the deck to get the 'salon' set up for when they returned. They were back in no time and the scotch was poured and the haircuts began. Sharon was very pleased with her cut and although we all liked Kat's, I don't think she was too happy with it.
Like our mother's always told us - 'it will grow out'
I am thinking that is not what she wanted to hear, so I only thought it :^/

Then it was off to the den for a good ol' girltalk session. The Pinch flowed ever so smoothly as did the topics of conversation.
Too bad I can't remember all of them.
What I do remember is that it was such a pleasure to be back in the warmth of friends I love.

I miss them.