Well – it is raining…..duh!

Actually, not so much right now, but Hanna has made things pretty soggy! Right now, it there is a heavy misting going on and the breeze isn’t as strong as it was a little earlier.

Last evening, as the wind started to pick up, I realized I should take in my beautiful new patio umbrella that I got at the Arden sale and not risk having the wind ruin it! So, I went out in the rain and pulled it out of the stand and brought it in the house (I didn’t want to walk through the already soggy grass to the shed). Since it was wet, I put it in the tub in the guest bathroom – it was the best place for it – out of the way and where the drips could be contained! Well, this morning I woke up, let the girls out and went into the guest bathroom to splash some water on my face and brush my hair – as usual, I didn’t turn the light on and as soon as I entered the room, I caught sight of that big umbrella in the tub out of the corner of my eye and jumped out of my skin!!!! I leaped sideways and banged my hip and wrist on the sink cabinet and stubbed my toe – ouch! It only took me a second to realize that my first thought (that someone was standing in my tub) was, of course, incorrect and that it was just that darned umbrella! But it sure succeeded in waking me up – fast!

My mushroom crop is gone – the mower ate them all!!! Maybe all this rain will sprout a new crop……..

It is going to be a good day to hibernate with the girls and be lazy! I see a marathon of LifeTime movies in my near future. Right now, I am enjoying “The Family Stone” on FX – good movie!

Hhmm – curious things I’m finding….

I have discovered two very curious things this week…..
  1. I did a load of laundry and when I pulled the clothes from the dryer, they had all these white silky threads clinging to everything!! The threads were all the same length – about 6″ and looked the same! The load I washed was all just dress pants and tops for work, so I couldn’t imagine what these threads came from! But I was terribly annoyed that I had a mess on my hands! I pulled the filter screen out and it was FULL of these threads, too!! What in the world were they and where did they come from????? Then it hit me!!!! I took down the shear curtain I have on my back door and washed it a few days ago — it has (or had) fringe all along a valance type top. I didn’t even notice when I took it out of the dryer and put it back up on the door that the fringe was gone and only small balls remained!!! The fringe was all now in my washer AND dryer!!!! I have no idea how I missed noticing it BEFORE I put in a load of my good clothes!!! Uugghh!!!
  2. I let the girls out the other day and noticed what looked like a pile of white something out in the back yard. I kept looking at it to see if I could figure out what it was — I imagined they had tore up something or found something to play with and there it was! But – I was still in my jammies, so I didn’t go out and look at it up close. Later in the day, I let them out again and it caught my eye, so I went out to see what it was and toss it out! Well, it wasn’t a toy — it was a crop of mushrooms!!! BIG mushrooms!!! With all this rain we’ve been having, they sprouted up like they were meant to be there! There were 5 or 6 of varying sizes – the largest was about 5″ across and the smallest was about 3″ across – but most were in that 4-5″ range — BIG!!! And they just popped up over night!!!

So – mysteries solved!

Mid Week Rambling….

Since I was off on Monday for Labor Day, I can’t keep what day it is straight in my head! Today is Weds, today is Weds, today is Weds……..only problem with doing that is that tomorrow, I’ll STILL think it is Weds! ha-ha-ha

My Mom sent me an email this morning that cracked me up!!! It was related to my use of the term “The Girls” when I refer to my dogs – Katie, Megan, and Amy! I make it a priority to allow time to go home and take care of the girls when I have a lot going on – I don’t care what I’m late for – the girls come first!!!! I write her all the time to say “I ran home and took care of the girls and then (fill in the activity or destination)….” or I’ll say “I got up and took care of the girls and then went about my business…..” and so on! Well, she got a real kick out of this morning’s Good Morning America (I think that’s the show she mentioned) — apparently there was a lady on there promoting her new book “Taking Care of the Girls” and she laughed her butt off when she found out the book was about Breast Health and Self Exam……….ha-ha-ha-ha She said she would forever have a very different picture in mind when I say “I ran home to take care of the girls….” ha-ha

I was listening to the podcast for The Rant this evening and they were making “fart” noises to make a point on one of their topics during the first half of the show. It drove Katie nuts!!! ha-ha I make motorboat sounds with my mouth to get them riled up and they dance a round and whine and growl and howl………it is fun!! Anyway — when Katie heard the “fart” sounds on the computer, she thought it was me making my motorboat sounds — but, it puzzled her when she came up beside me and I was obviously NOT making the noises! She jumped off the couch and ran around the living room trying to find out where the sound was coming from and it just drove her nuts!!! Megan and Amy just slept through it…….but Katie really enjoyed it!!

I couldn’t get to sleep last night — I tossed and turned all night long and might have actually gotten about 3 hours sleep! I sure hope tonight is better! I hate it when I have a long bout with insomnia! I hope this isn’t going to be one of those!

So – I’m heading to bed to see if I can get some real sleep tonight! But – I need to take care of the girls, first — the four legged girls, that is! ha-ha-ha

Temple Theater Review – A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline

I finally got my chance to go to the Temple Theater and see “A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline” today! All I can say is WOW!!!! This show is playing until September 28th — be sure to see it!!!

I am so glad I spent my Sunday afternoon at the Temple today — the show was fantastic!!! It started out with her first time on the radio at age 14 and went through to her death in 1963……. There was a narrator (played delightfully by Temple staffer Michael Brocki) that told some stories behind the songs and what was going on in her life about the time she either recorded the song or sang it for something special.

The stage musicians were amazing and Lisa Dames did an incredible job as Patsy Cline!!! Her voice was amazing!!! OK, so she isn’t a perfect match to Patsy (there was, and always will be, only one Patsy Cline), but she’s as close to perfect as you can get without being Patsy herself!!! She really belts out the songs and has that growl and crack in her voice at all the right spots — only someone who can close their eyes and instantly listen to the real Patsy sing the songs could tell the difference — very, very good!!!

It brought out all kinds of emotions — hearing the songs, seeing the costumes, etc — it was very moving!!! I teared up a few times, but broke out sobbing when she sang “Sweet Dreams” and “Crazy” — then, the icing on the cake was after the narrator portrayed a radio announcer telling the news of her death — they shined a white spot light on a lone microphone stand and she talked from off stage saying how her fans will never know how happy they made her by loving her music and caring so much about her — then, she came out and stepped into the spot light wearing an impeccable white suit and sang the hymn “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” — she had the entire audience in the palm of her hands!!!! And I lost it!!!!

I can not imagine anyone not loving Patsy and her music — if you do, you don’t want to miss this show!!! But even if you aren’t a big fan — if you enjoy listening to an incredible voice — go see this show!!! You won’t regret it!!!

It was incredible — so well done — so beautiful — so well worth the time to see it!!! I just may have to go again before it is done…..correction I WILL be going to see it again before it is done!!!

My Ring Tones

Picking a ring tone is a very personal decision that takes a lot of thought and reflection. Your ring tone is a reflection of your personality and/or what makes you smile. So, I have never been one to just pick the first ring tone that sounds half way decent to me.

My old cell phone didn’t have a lot of features and, therefore, not a lot of choices for ring tones. But, I was able to down load ring tones from a limited selection. I went through all the choices over and over again trying to decide what ring tone would suit my style. I settled on Henry Mancini’s Pink Panther Theme. In my previous position, part of my responsibilities included investigations and auditing, so it was kind of cool to use the Pink Panther Theme to signify the inspector/auditor part of my life!

In my current position, I don’t do much of those types of tasks. Also, over the past year or so, I have been trying to focus more on my private life and bring that part of my life out more. So — when I got a new phone a month or so ago, I wanted to find something very special to me personally…… The search began!!!!

The first ring tone I downloaded and used for a short time was My Girl by the Temptations – in honor of the girls – I sing that song to them all the time! I liked that and thought I found my ring tone! But, in searching further, I found Mustang Sally by Wilson Pickett! BINGO!!! I couldn’t down load it fast enough — it is perfect for me — it makes me smile — it makes me want to just let the phone ring, sing along, and call the person back later! ha-ha

I also downloaded (for future possible changes to suit my mood) a couple of classical instrumentals for mellow moods, I Love Rock ‘n Roll by Joan Jett for my rock side, and a crazy one — it starts out yelling “Hey, Kim!” and goes into a really cool guitar riff, then yells “Come on!” and goes into a great rock melody. The last one is pretty cool, but irritating when it goes off in my office or the grocery store, so I will have to be in a really wild mood to use it! ha-ha

So – after a lot of searching, thinking, and trial & error, I settled on Mustang Sally – with a few back ups in case I get a wild bug telling me to change it up a little! If you are in a store somewhere and hear a Mustang Sally ring tone go off on another aisle, look around – you’ll probably find me answering my phone (or maybe just letting it ring and bee bopping around the produce section….)!

What’s your ring tone and why did you pick it? You can post a comment here or do your own detailed explanation on your blog!

I Have a Voice….and more….

Yep, I have a voice, folks! For those of you who have read my words over the past year, now you can actually hear me speak!!! The new Executive Director from Communities In Schools and I were guests on today’s broadcast of The Rant. If you missed the show, you can Click here to listen to the podcast. Hosts Billy Liggett, Gordon Anderson, and Jon Owens made our experience very – um – interesting! Just kidding – they were great and we all had a really good time! We join in the fun about 1/2 way through the show. The first half is filled with clever banter among the three hosts. If you haven’t gotten hooked on listening to The Rant, you should tune in every Weds morning on WDCC 90.5 FM at 8:00-9:00 — or, if you can’t listen in live, visit The Rant blog to listen to the podcast, which is posted later in the day each Weds. But, please check out today’s show and learn all about Communities In Schools and our upcoming Gala!

BTW — don’t feel sorry for Tina and me when you get to the end of the show and discover that we are NOT smarter than a 4th grader and that Jon Owens shamelessly beats us at the game! We actually sandbagged the game because we thought it would be rude to beat the host in his own studio! ha-ha-ha Just kidding — Jon won fair and square — those questions are HARD!!!

Hey — did you know that our blogs are on Wikipedia???? I was checking my stats page and saw that someone found me through a link from Wikipedia — that really peaked my curiosity, so I clicked on it and discovered that the Wikipedia page for Sanford, NC has a section called “Local Blogs and Discussion Forums” and most of us are listed there!!! WOW — that’s cool……now, anyone searching Wikipedia to learn about Sanford can read all the great things we have to say about our fair city!!! Click here to check it out – we’re listed right after the list of media info and The Rant!

Another very disturbing thing I found on my stats page: Someone from Sanford found my blog by typing in “ugly people in Sanford NC” as the key words in a google search………was it the words “Sanford, NC” that brought up my blog or the words “ugly people” — not sure how to take that one!!!

I wanted to go to Myra’s Kitchen for supper tonight, but it is raining so hard, I’m not sure I want to go out………….but, there’s literally NOTHING in my fridge, so I may have to go out!

Nothing to talk about…???

What??? I have nothing to talk about??? Is that possible??? Well, sorta……I have had a hard time coming up with something that would be worth writing about, but, I do have some thoughts rattling around in my head!
  • It was a rainy day in Sanford, today! Although I welcome the rain and know how good it is for the grass and plants and flowers and crops and water table and yada yada yada, I was pretty frustrated today when I had to be out in it going to/from my office and the main plant for meetings! I had an umbrella, but part of my travels was in the midst of the heaviest rain, so I still got drenched and my pants were soaked up to the knees…….
  • I came home to a torn up accent pillow today! When I saw the stuffing all over the floor, I said “who was the bad girl, today?” — Katie and Amy just stood there looking at me, but Megan tucked her tail between her legs, bowed her head down, and slid off behind the chair to hide! I think that identified the culprit! ha-ha
  • I’m really excited about the new season at the Temple Theater starting this week! “A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline” opens on Thursday evening and I am sure it will be amazing! I love Patsy Cline and her memorable music — I get chills whenever I hear her sing! You can bet I’ll be at the Temple at least once while this show is playing — maybe more than once! I sure hope I see a bunch of you there! If that show doesn’t appeal to you, check out the list of incredible shows that will be presented this season — there is something for everyone!
  • Be sure to listen to The Rant on local radio station WDCC 90.5 FM broadcast from CCCC this Wednesday morning at 8:00 – 9:00 am. Listen EVERY week, but especially this week because host Billy Liggett just might have a guest you may be interested in listening to! I’m not saying anymore……..just tune in! If you can’t tune in live, visit The Rant blog site later tomorrow evening to listen to the podcast!

I do believe it is time for the Sandman……I have a doozy of a headache starting — think I’ll go sleep it off!

Bagels for Breakfast!

On my way to Fayetteville yesterday, I stopped in the see Lenny and Kim at Bagels ‘n Stuff. I wanted to pick up some bagels and to show them some pictures of the last two CIS Galas so that they know what to expect during their first (and hopefully not last) year as one of the restaurants in the Taste of Lee County event at the Gala!

If you have not yet stopped in to meet Lenny and Kim and to try their delicious bagels, you really need to do it!!! They are such nice people and they make the most wonderful bagels!!! I hear their specialty flavored cream cheeses are great, too — I don’t know personally because I am allergic to cheese and cheese products, but know people who have tried them and have raved about them! ALSO — they have started offering ICED COFFEE drinks that are comparable to Starbucks!!!! Anyway — check them out! They are located on Horner Blvd next to Cafe Vesuvio across from Walgreens – right at the far end of the Food Lion plaza.

So, back to my bagels — I bought a 1/2 dozen blueberry bagels. I had one for a late evening snack last night and am eating one right now for breakfast — YUM!!! They are so good!!! Exactly what a bagel should be like!!! Soft, but chewy – dense, but light – delicious flavor!!! Excellent!!! Last night I just ate it plain – just slightly warmed in the microwave, which I like sometimes. But this morning I fixed it the way I prefer to eat bagels – lightly toasted with some butter melted on it!!! Then, on a whim, I smeared a little of the Apple Butter I got from Amy’s Confection Company on Friday. I wasn’t sure how the Apple Butter would go with the blueberry bagel, but decided to give it a try on part of one half. WOW – it was so good that I went back and put more on the whole thing!!! It really added a nice touch!

Bagels for breakfast — go get you some!!!! (and get some of Amy’s Apple Butter, too…..)

Fayetteville, Revisited

When I first moved down here, 23 years ago, I used to prefer to go to Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville for my periodic need to have a “mall fix”. Mainly because, at the time, it was much easier to get to and seemed to be a quicker trip. At that time, Route 1 from Sanford to Cary was still mostly a 2 lane highway that was a bear to travel. The route to Fayetteville was about the same, but the traffic was WAY less congested! Also, the mall was less crowded than the Cary/Raleigh malls and so much easier to get in and out of! I actually rarely went down there, but when I did want to do the mall scene, Cross Creek Mall and the surrounding shopping plazas were my shopping meccas of choice!

Then, I got in the habit of going down there a lot! I got my Master’s in Administration through Central Michigan University at Fort Bragg. Fort Bragg has several universities that have satellite campuses on base for their soldiers who want to get their degree while in the service. They open those degree programs up to the public. The program I took held classes all day Saturday and Sunday every other weekend. So, I was on base and in the Cross Creek area a LOT over about a 2 year period from 2000 – 2002. While I was down there, I tended to say “well, while I’m here….” and spent a lot of time in that area.

But, since I finished my degree, there was no reason to go on a routine basis. Also, the last part of my time down there the base was under the stricter security and access rules (before 9/11, access to much of the base was unrestricted and it was easier to cut through the base to get to the Cross Creek area), so a lot of what made going down there pleasant was no longer applicable. Another reason I don’t go as much is that I have started going to Cary Towne Center for my “mall fix” because they have a Macy’s – I love Macy’s!!! So — since that time, the only time I go down there is to go to Sam’s Club about this time each year to get supplies for the CIS Gala and occasional other reasons.

I went down there yesterday to make my annual CIS Gala supply run. I almost went to the Sam’s off South Saunders Road because I had stopped in at Cafe 121 for lunch and through my conversation with Chef Hamm, I thought maybe that might be easier to get to. But – I get lost in my own back yard, so decided to just go where I was familiar and not risk it! I’ll check out where the one in Raleigh is sometime when I have more time and it won’t matter if I get a little lost!

WELL — have things changed since I was there this time last year!!!! I went to Party City first – there are some supplies that are better from there! Then I went to Dress Barn and got some new tops (yeah, I know – I went for Gala supplies – so I also got some stuff for “me” – what’s the problem with that?)! Then I went to Sam’s and to the Mall (there were a couple things that Sam’s and Party City didn’t have, but I thought I might find at the kitchen gadget store in the mall – but I found that store isn’t there anymore) and Bed Bath and Beyond (where I found the gadgets I needed) after that! There is so much that is new and different – everywhere!!! New stores, new restaurants, the mall has a new look (not drastically new, but nice), and OMG – the mall now has a Macy’s!!!! They built a whole new wing and put a Macy’s as the anchor!!! Rut Ro!!!! BUT – everything still had the same easier feel to it than the malls in Raleigh have. The traffic was congested, but it is still sooooooooo much easier to get in and out of all the plazas and the mall down there! AND – the stores weren’t as crowded, either! I got parking spots right at the entrances everywhere I went and it was generally a very pleasant experience!!! It is DEFINITELY not as scenic and well landscaped/manicured and the buildings aren’t as architectually appealing, but who cares? I don’t go to look at the scenery – I go to shop! And ease of shopping is my main attraction!

So — I think my mall fix trips will be in Fayetteville once again! And I will be able to stop saying “I am so sorry I decided to go to Cary – I hate going to Cary!” ha-ha-ha

Summer Hours Almost Gone…

Surely the title of this post must be a mistake — summer is not almost over, is it? Yeah, it is…..and here are my reasons for believing so:
  • At work, we can choose to participate in “Summer Hours” – the option to work 3/4 of an hour extra each day and only 5 hours on Friday! Many come in an hour early on Friday so that the 5 hours ends at noon and having the whole afternoon off. The “Summer Hours” season runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. So – the last week is next week!
  • Labor Day is typically the “end of summer” – not because the official summer season is over, but it is the last long weekend of the beach season, school is fully ramped up just about everywhere (some a little earlier – like here), and most summer vacations are now a memory in the photo albums!
  • The official end of summer is just around the corner – September 22nd is the first day of Autumn!

So, you see, Summer Hours are almost gone – in more ways than one!

Back to MY Summer Hours — how did I spend my “next to the last day” of summer hours?

  • Mostly working on the CIS Gala preparations!!! I sent out some emails to potential sponsors and made a few calls. I worked on tweaking the Gala Flier that we’ll start posting around town. I popped in to the CIS office to see our new Executive Director. Then, I went to Southern Jewelers to talk to Lora Wright – she’s sponsoring a special jewelry raffle that will make for a lot of happy winners! That was it for Gala work!! Lots more to do, but that was all I could do yesterday. I have to run to Sam’s today or tomorrow to pick up plates and cutlery to match what we have left over from last year. It is getting down to crunch time with preparations — October 10th is just two months and a week or so away!
  • While I was home sending the emails and making the phone calls, the girls got to run around the yard and play and enjoy the lovely afternoon, too! They totally wore themselves out and I had fun watching them!
  • I spent what was left of the afternoon on making me happy — I popped in to The Shops At Steele Street to see what Amy had still available to feed a chocolate craving I was having! Much to my surprise, she did have one box of Carolina Cake Truffles left – but it was an 8 pack! I stood there for several minutes staring at it! Should I get an 8 pack? I certainly don’t need an 8 pack! I could always freeze part of the pack and ensure that I would have some the next time I get a chocolate craving! But, I know me – I won’t freeze them – I’ll eat them! So, I finally talked myself into some chocolate covered pretzels, instead! I love those, too — a perfect mix of sweet and salt! I also bought a chocolate covered Nutter Butter cookie, a jar of Apple Butter and a jar of Cherry Preserves! I can’t wait to try those – I didn’t realize Amy started offering the jams and jellies!
  • I realized I didn’t eat any breakfast OR lunch and it was just about 3:30, so I decided I had better eat some real food before I lit into the chocolate! But where did I want to eat? It was too late for restaurants that close after the lunch time and too early for the ones that open for the dinner time! I wasn’t hungry until I realized I didn’t eat anything all day – then I was suddenly starving! So, I didn’t want to wait until 5:00 to eat dinner somewhere! So, I went to the Dairy Bar and had a delicious lunch/supper meal!
  • I was driving back home when I decided to give in and have my tires checked! For a couple weeks now, I have been feeling every little bump in the road and rough areas really toss me (and the car) around — I was sure the tires were low, but keep putting off having them checked! So, I called my very best friends, Ronald and Lisa, and asked if I could come out and have Ron check my tires (he does all my oil changes, tire rotations, etc.). He said “come on out” – so I did!! As it turns out, the tires were ALL about 10 pounds low!!! ooppss!! He filled them up for me, checked my oil and other fluid levels!
  • Then the three of us sat outside and chatted for a couple hours!!! It was a lovely, breezy evening and just sat back and enjoyed it and talked and talked and talked!!!
  • On the way home, it was obvious that the tire pressure WAS what was causing all my discomfort — the ride now is smooth and comfortable, again!!! And – I will probably get better gas mileage, now, too!
  • I got home and had a couple of Amy’s pretzels and saved the cookie and other pretzels for the weekend. I watched Monk on TV (I love Monk!!!!) and then dozed off before the opening credits for Psych got done rolling!

It was a great day!!!!