Hubby Vent, and Who Doesn't Have at least One?

Has your husband ever done something and instead of admitting it, took the defense?

Dave did that yesterday and it wouldn't have been so bad, but he does it all the time. I mean, what am I going to do, give him a time out, a spanking? Please! Some of you are probably thinking, "Hey, he might like the later." Get your minds out of the gutter people.

Here's what happened. Friday is usually laundry day around here because that way the weekend is free for other things. Dave also usually goes into the office on Friday, but since he had to go in Monday and Wednesday for meetings, he stayed home to work yesterday, but that wasn't the problem.

Like I said earlier, Friday is laundry day. Thursday David did his laundry and after he was done, Dave decided to wash some winter coats and stuff. Not a problem except he forgot to tighten the cap on the laundry detergent when he was done. Well Friday morning when I went to use it, you guessed it, the cap fell off and laundry detergent spilled all over the rug in front of the washer. Thank goodness for the rug because otherwise I would have had a worse mess to clean up. At least the rug can be picked up and washed.

Anyway, as you might have guessed, I said a choice word and then yelled to David, forgetting that Dave had been the last to use it, that was until he said those magic words, "Well it wasn't like that when I used it." No duh! That's because he was the one who left it like that. No saying, "Oh I was the last one to use it so it must have been me." Nothing like that, no apology, nothing. He expects David and I to admit our mistakes, but no, not him. He, like I am far from perfect, so why not admit it? When he doesn't, all it does is tick me off for the rest of the day and makes his life miserable. You would have thought that after 32 years of marriage, he would have figured it out by now, don't tick me off or your life will be miserable. It's been that way in marriages for eons.

I know I shouldn't sweat the small stuff, but to tell the truth, sometimes I just have to. It's not in me not to hold on to a grudge for at least a day. He's just lucky I'm not holding on to it longer. I can keep a grudge for years and he knows it.

There, now I let it go and things are better... until the next time and we all know there will be a next time. It's inevitable.

The "Butt Scratch Boogie"

Just a little something to make you smile. :)

This is one of Max's favorite things to do. He stopped when he saw that I had the camera. Kenneth laughed so hard when he was here for Christmas last year and had his foot sticking out and Max started doing his thing. :)

He also likes Dave or I to scratch his back with the back scratcher David bought for them at the fair last year. I have a video of that too. :) He's such a funny pup.

The Godfather and The Cats

I think I know where the story for the Godfather came from, it came from watching cats.

Cats are sadistic little beings. I think they've been trying to leave a not so nice message for me. Twice now when they have caught a mouse, I have found only half of it. I think I know which cat it is too. I have it narrowed down to either Peanut or Patches, or Patches doing Peanut's dirty work. She is after all, the younger sister and being a younger sister, I remember how my older sisters made me do all their dirty work. I've also seen Patches with a mouse that she's caught; she is one sadistic little kitty.

I have a couple theories as to the message they're trying to convey. It could be, "Tell Max to quit chasing us or he gets it." Being a Jack Russell, he naturally likes chasing things and in the house, even though he knows he's not allowed to do it and has plenty of toys, he likes to chase the cats. And of all the cats, he likes chasing Peanut best, when he can catch her in the hallway that is.

It could be the message isn't for me after all, but for the mice. Maybe the cats are sending the mice a message that if they don't want the same thing to happen to them, they will find other living accommodations. That would be my best bet and if that is the message, I wish the mice would take the warning and leave. They are nasty little creatures.

But whatever the message was and whomever it was for, at least this time they were a little neater about it.

 

Patches, even the look on her face is saying, "Mice beware!"

Those Election Ads

I'm sure everyone else is going through it too, being bombarded with political ads from all sides. Every two years we go through it and it keeps getting worse.

If you're like me, by this time you are so sick of the ads, you mute every one. And they run one after another, so you just keep the mute on until the program you've been watching resumes.

Now I don't mind the ads candidates put out that describes what their accomplishments have been, but the ones that bash the other candidate have got to go. If you can't run on your own accomplishments, don't run at all. This year especially, it seems some candidates in this state have run ads bashing their opponents and also, bashing their opponents for things they, themselves voted for. I know, it doesn't make sense, but it seems they want to confuse the voters into thinking that they are the party of the other candidate. It would be funny if they weren't so desperate.

There was one ad running by an incumbent candidate that really hit rock bottom when it came to attacking his opponent, bringing up the guy's past personal financial problems at a time when hundreds of thousands are going through the same thing. He's since cleaned the ad up, but not by much and I think the only reason he did was because it was backfiring on him. I'm hoping it's done so much damage for his campaign that he isn't re-elected but unfortunately he probably will be.

There is one incumbent candidate that is running solely on his accomplishments and has not run one ad bashing his opponent. His opponent, however, has run ads bashing him that in my opinion were pathetic. No wonder she's thirty points behind in the polls. She's since been running ads trying to make herself look good, but I think it's too little too late.

I will be so glad when election day finally comes and the ads stop. Unfortunately with being the "First in the Country,"  here in Iowa, we already know that the ads for those presidential hopefuls aren't far behind. It seems that we just can't catch a break.

Corn Mountain

There is one town we go to every so often. We used to go to it more, but since they built the Wal*Mart in the one closest to us, we go there more now.

In that town there is what used to be a farmer's co-op, it may still be one, but the original one went bankrupt a few years back, so now it's in new hands. Anyway, when harvest time is in full swing, at that co-op or what used to be one, farmers come to store their grain until the following spring, when they plant their new crops or they sell it and each fall, there is a mountain of golden yellow that grows and grows. Each spring it shrinks down, but while it's growing, it's an impressive sight that can be seen by people as they're driving to and from town. I saw the mountain this morning as I drove into  town for a doctor's appointment and again as I left.

Iowa doesn't have any mountains, per say, but for the last few months of every year and the beginning few of the next, in this area and I'm sure in others as well, we have the golden mountain to look forward to seeing. It reminds us all of the hard work farmers do to grow the food that we put on our tables each day.

A little reminder in a little more than a month as we all sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, thank a farmer for his hard work and God for making it all possible.

The Smaller They Are

Did you ever notice that the smaller dogs are, the more room they take up? That was the case last night when Jake went to sleep on the floor, Max decided to sleep in his space.

First, it was something I should have discouraged, which I usually do, but last night I was extra tired from taking an allergy pill, my medications that I take at bedtime, and a sleeping pill, because I knew that if I didn't the allergy pill would keep me awake.

It did me hardly any good, thanks to Max. For a little dog, he takes up a heck of a lot of room, plus he snores. If that wasn't bad enough, he snuggled himself right next to me with his head either on my pillow, which isn't that big, or buried his nose under it, so that when he snored, it went right in my ear.

If he wasn't right there next to me, he curled himself into a ball, but did it so that he had most of my side of the bed and I was sleeping, or rather trying to, practically on top of Dave. Shucks, even Jake or Angel, when she sleeps there, isn't THAT bad about hogging space and they're bigger than Max is.

When he sleeps in his usual spot, at the bottom of the bed, Max will stretch himself out width wise, across the bottom of the bed so that between him and Angel, I have hardly any foot room. In the summer it's not a problem because both of them sleep on the floor and since Rolli can't jump on the bed anymore and Jake has started sleeping on the floor, it gives Dave and I our bed back. Jake will, in the middle of the night, jump back on the bed, but only for a little while. When the weather gets colder however, Max and Angel are back on the bed. You know that warm air rises and cold air falls thing, I think that's why.

I really don't mind them sleeping on the bed, but geeze, we have the biggest size made, a California king, and when they take up most of it, there's no room for us. Something's gotta give. Maybe we should just sleep on the sofa bed and give them our bed, think that'll work? Nah, they'll be in there sleeping with us and taking up that bed too.

On the Straight and Narrow Once Again

I went to the dentist for a realignment of my plate the other day and when I got home, realized that it was off center. Can you imagine going through the days with off center teeth? Neither could I so I went back today for another realignment. This time instead of the tech doing it, the dentist himself did it and afterwards apologized repeatedly for the screw-up. He was really nice about the whole thing. We even laughed when it was all over.

It feels good to have a straight smile again. My whole face felt cockeyed from my teeth being off center. Now when I look in the mirror, I won't feel all off center anymore, which is good because I get dizzy easy. Being off center can do that to you. I know because I've been off center in other ways for years.

A Must See for Dog Lovers

This just might change your mind about Pitbulls. It's a great video.

The History of the Pitbull

Is it my imagination, or...

Is my mom's memory slowly getting better?

I called there yesterday to talk to my sister because I didn't get a chance to call her on Sunday and I thought she might have off, being that it was Columbus Day.

Well, she was at work, so my mom answered. Now normally she can't hear me that well, but again yesterday, she could. This was the second time in a row. Could be that her hearing aid was clean and my sister turns up the volume on the phone when she's gone. But that's not all, her memory was better again too. I haven't talked to my sister, so I'm not sure if Mom remembered to tell her that I called, but if she did, that would be the second time in a row too.

I do hope that it's not my imagination and her being off all the medication the doctors had her on is finally having a good effect on her memory.

Wouldn't that be great?

Harvest time Equals Barking time

Every year our one neighbor uses one of our grain bins to store his soybeans in. Well yesterday was the day they started cutting and bringing them here to store. I'm surprised the dogs haven't lost their bark from barking so much, especially Jake and Rolli. They are the two who have been doing the non-stop barking.

Max on the other hand, will go out for a little bit, bark and then turn around and want right back in. Then he'll sit in here and bark really low so that no one outside can hear him, but we can. I guess he thinks he's protecting Dave and I in case any of the people outside decide to try to get in the house. Of course they would have to make it past the other three first.

Jake just came in, I think he may have a sore throat from barking so much. I know if it were me, I would. He's now at the back door barking, but it does seem kind of hoarse. The two girls are still outside, but I don't hear Rolli barking, only Angel.

Finally Rolli and Angel are in. I think Rolli got bored with the whole barking thing or just tired herself out because she was just laying on the sidewalk when I went out. Angel tried to keep up the whole fearsome doggy routine, but I think she was getting tired as well. It now seems as if they've all worn themselves out keeping up the whole fearsome doggy routine and have crashed here in the house. They did put on a good act though.

Well, the bin is now full for another year and the pups have all settled down, all tuckered out from protecting their domain; except Jake, he's always on the alert, ready to bark whenever needed... or not.

The lucky dog!

A friend of mine is going to be in the Burgh over the weekend, the lucky dog!

He's a friend from high school who I got back in touch with through Facebook. He's actually going to be there for a couple dog shows. He and his wife raise and show Belgian Shepherds. They have four, three that they show.

Anyway, while back there, he's going to take a ride out to our hometown, to one of that town's favorite places for hoagies and pizza. He let it be known that he would be there tomorrow evening.

I'm jealous, not only because he'll be there and not me, but that he'll be having one of those great hoagies. I couldn't eat one right now even if I had one, but that doesn't matter, I'm still jealous.

Wow, October already!

Boy, this year has gone by really fast, already it's October. Before you know it, it will be Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and then Christmas.

Does anyone besides me not like Halloween? I'm so glad that we live in an area that does not have trick or treaters.

I used to like Halloween. I remember as a kid, we used to go everywhere trick or treating and got tons of stuff. We used to use pillow cases and would have to go back home and get another after we would fill the first one up or carry several for that reason. We would have candy until Easter. A friend and I even went trick or treating in our senior year of high school. Of course that was a long time ago. Nowadays a lot of areas have an age limit. There are even limits on how long trick or treating will last. Okay, that one I agree with. I even agree with the age limits too. Trick or treating should be for the little kids, not ones who can buy their own stuff.

Now Thanksgiving and Christmas I like because the family, meaning Dave, David, Kenneth, his fiance Elicia, and I all get together and have a nice day.

We bought a sleeper sofa so that Kenneth and Elicia could spend the night and not have to drive all the way back to Kansas City, but they prefer to do that and as Kenneth's mom, I worry the whole time. He doesn't always call to let us know that they made it okay either, which makes me worry even more until I see him on Facebook and then I get mad. I did teach him better than that, but he will do what he wants to do, he is after all, a grown man, even though he's still my baby.

Speaking of Kenneth, he'll be 30 at the end of the month. I was hoping to be a grandmother by now, but so far, it ain't happening and it doesn't look like it will anytime soon. Others I know are grandmothers, but not me. I have come to the conclusion that it probably won't happen and have learned to deal with it. I'm not happy about it, but I am dealing with it.

Oh well, at least the weather is cooperating.