SO EXCITED!

I have a new helper:

Klay is wearing his PPE for cooking bacon, and ready to demolish some waffles

Today’s Exploit:

I got a package in the mail the other day. It came from my second mom, Tammy. I was really excited because packages are fun, but I made myself wait until I finished my errands to open it. 

When I finally got home I dropped everything by the door and got my scissors out. She sent me so many fun things. 

So many new toys!

I got pieces for another quilt, Grandma Catherine’s cake pans and so, so many icing tips and toys for making cakes pretty. I immediately threw them in some soapy wanter and cleaned a few years of sticky coatings from them. I had to scrub a few of the better used ones a lot and use baking soda to cut through the grease. But now they are all shiny and clean and ready to decorate some cakes. Now I just need to decide on an occasion.  

Some baking soda and water, after scrubbing a bazillion icing tips.

All shiny and clean and drying in the sink.

The cake pans were still in the original box, one that has definitely seen its share of use.
However, the instructions for making a party cake are still in good shape.

She Wants To Look Like a Monkey, Too

I have been acquiring new nicknames from Oscar and Ali. Some of them include Mikalina, Taylor, Muffin Pie, Dewy and Meeka.

Today’s Exploit:

Ali has decided that she wants to do my workouts with me.

Today she made it almost halfway through the video. 

She complained the entire time about how out of shape she was and that she is a smoker.

She also told me I looked like a monkey, laughed at half the exercises I did and talked loudly on her phone. 

But she wants to do another one tomorrow. I guess I’m impressed. We shall see how long this lasts.

Photos with Boys

More running pictures at Evergreen Trail Runs!

Today’s Exploit:

On my last day I remembered to take out my camera. And I made Eli and Cavan sit still, mostly, for pictures with me.

Cavan:

The crazy face

The tickle face

Normal!

Eli:

Oops, a finger. That lens is in the wrong spot!

I said, "Don't move!"

A good one!

It’s hard to get them to sit still. They wiggle and giggle and want to take pictures of everything. 

Addicted to Words

Countdown:  12 Days. Getting rather nervous.

No one out here seems to understand that I am not capable of eating 2 chicken fried steaks and 3 bowls of seafood ay-too-fay for dinner.  I’ll stick with just the peach cobbler and some corn, thanks.

Today’s Exploit:

I got Every Word, a free game for my Kindle.  

I have been playing it endlessly for the past week, or so.  

It took me ages to beat level six.  AGES.

Each time I surpassed my previous high score I jumped around the box in excitement.  Then I’d sit back down to lose 48 more games at level two or three.  

But today was a good day.  

I beat level six on the fourth game.  Then I got through level seven.  And immediately got one of the four winning words for level eight.  It was a miracle.  And amazing.  

And then I failed miserably at level nine.

Remembering the Hillbillies

Countdown:  58 Days.

I. Love. My. Job.  In a demented, angry sort of way.

Today’s Exploit:

Today I was remembering some of the people I know from Louisiana.  Lots of them are called Coon Asses.  I’m not sure why, and I’m not sure what region contains them.  But they’re funny.

I remembered Mr. Doyle’s story about beating his brother with a dead raccoon, er possum.

And the time everyone on the rig floor danced a jig when I brought food.

Also, that there are people who still name their kids things like Billy Joe.  And those kids are both very sweet and a bit loco.

January Favorites

Countdown:  59 Days.

I ran maybe 5 miles yesterday.  It made my lungs hurt.  

Being sick ruins everything.

Today’s Exploit:

Love You Much Better - The Hush Sound

Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O’Connor

Everything Good Goes Away - Ruby James

You Lie - The Band Perry

Count On Me - Lucy Schwartz

You’re Only Lonely - Schuyler Fisk

All I Want Is You - Barry Louis Polisar

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

Charlie Chaplin - Katie Herzig

Quiero Que Me Quieras - Jesse & Joy

January Wedding - The Avett Brothers

You’re the One That I Want - Angus & Julia Stone

Wonderful - Annie Lennox

Rich Girl - Hall & Oats

Plainsong - The Patti Fiasco

Bedroom Eyes - Dum Dum Girls

You Really Got a Hold On Me - She & Him

Beautiful - Lucy Schwartz

Summer Fling, Don’t Mean a Thing - New Found Glory

Honey - The Hush Sound

Strangers - Norah Jones

You and Tequila - Kenny Chesney & Grace Potter

From Where I’m Standing - Schuyler Fisk

Hold the Line - Toto

Sentimental Heart - She & Him

Hell on Heels - Pistol Annies

Jack and Jill - Katie Herzig

I Should Know - The Patti Fiasco

Deer In the Headlights - Owl City

No Strings - Mayer Hawthorne

Little Martha - Leo Kottke

New Romantic - Laura Marling

Fools Gold - Katie Herzig

Well, Well, Well - Duffy

Big Jet Plane - Angus & Julia Stone

I Was Made for Sunny Days - The Weepies

Obsessions

My new favorite quote:

If I call you darling, will you make me pancakes?

Today’s Exploit:

gardens

kitchens

party lights

mountains

running

snow

music

bread

smiles

chocolate mousse

going home

comfy chairs

basil

popsicles

nap time

air conditioning

cupcake pans

dancing

books

lazy mornings

shade

bright apartments

cold

oceans

gray shoes

laughing

sharp knives

ice cream

random numbers

lemonade

pillows

puppies

Myrtle Mint

Starting My Packing

I get to go to North Dakota!  And see some mountains, and some nice weather!

Today’s Exploit:

I started packing.  I’m really excited.  I’m ready to have a nice view and some direct sunlight, and a nice stove in my kitchen.  

I packed all my books and tried to organize my papers.  I even got the spare beds broken down and ready to go.  

And then I ran out of boxes.  

So I decided to go dancing.

I spent the whole time wondering where I could get boxes and if I wanted to get them from the grocery stores or from a moving store.  I also considered some plastic tubs.  

It was very distracting, and I’m out of practice dancing.

I was kind of a mess.

I also daydreamed about having my piano in my new living room.  

I Want It To Be October, Right Now

I’m currently addicted to cherries.  

Cherries and popsicles.  

Specially cherry popsicles

Today’s Exploit:

I decided, finally, that it is time for me to move.  

I even forced myself to leave my nice, cool apartment with the fully stocked kitchen to look for another one closer to where I work.

Since my old manager got a new job and I started working for my new manager I work mostly in south Texas.  This means that I have at least an 8.2 hour drive to get to any particular rig.  Mostly it’s more like 10.6 hours.  

But I digress.

I left my comfortable, air conditioned lair to drive around the cities of Texas in the blistering heat looking for a new place to live that wouldn’t eat 62% of my paycheck.  One that I was still willing to live in.  

And I found one.  

It’s new.  

Brand new.

It’s so new it’s not even finished being built yet.

But it will be delightful and shiny and modern.

And the best part?  

It has a gas stove.  

I’m so excited.

It also has granite countertops and stained cement floors.  

But the important part is the stove.  That’s why I chose it.  

Just kidding, but I’m really excited about it.  I’ve wanted to have one for soooo long.  

It also will get sunlight, especially in the winter.  And it’s close to a park with running paths and it’s close to downtown with live music and fun events (because it’s in a college town).  

I’m so excited.  Let me just jump up and down a few more times.

Myrtle’s Abandonment

One of the DDs just called me a hippie.

For eating yogurt; and for drinking chocolate milk.  

Ok, ok, I also had some Fig Newtons.

Today’s Exploit:

I forgot Myrtle.

I was going to visit Cupcake, and then to Austin and San Antonio to look at apartments.

So I packed everything up like I would for a job.  

I remembered my shoes, and my hardhat, and my contacts.  

I also remembered to re-pack my jeans that I’d washed and my sheets.

I was ready to go to Abilene and then to Austin, and then probably to a job.  

When I got to Abilene Cupcake and I made salad for dinner.  And she ate half a packet of mozzarella cheese balls.  And then we went swimming.  

After swimming we drove around looking for a park to walk in.  We ended up getting ice cream and going back to her room instead.

That was when I remembered.

Myrtle was still sitting on my kitchen window sill.  

I nearly cried.

And my plans changed a bit.

Naturally I had to go back for her.  She wouldn’t make it through a job sitting in that dark window.  I didn’t even water her before I left.  

*Sob

Myrtle was fine when I got back.  I don’t think she missed me much.  

And now she has a new friend; Kevin reminds me to take her every time I get into my car.  

I think she might like him better than me.  

Cowgirl Dreams: Achieved

I have strep.

I thought you were supposed to outgrow this disease at the same time you outgrew high school.  Along with useless homework and catty popularity cliques. 

Today’s Exploit:

I went to see my sister when she was in Abilene, for a fire.  

Our first item on our agenda was to get haircuts.  

We both forgot, again.

But we did go shopping.  For cowboy boots, naturally.  

I think Cupcake tried on 832 pair.  And I looked for some steel toes with red sequins, like Dorothy’s Oz shoes.  But alas, Cupcake was more successful than I.  She found some super-duper-fancy boots with pointy toes, just like she always wanted.

After dinner we went for a walk so that she could be a cowgirl.  It’s what she wanted to be when she grew up.  

Abilene is sidewalk challenged, just like Oklahoma City.  So we walked on the road and in the dirt and stickers and around a sketchy neighborhood.  And it was 947 degrees out.  

So we had to go back to her hotel and get Slurpees.  I love Slurpees.  I’ve been living on them.  They’re the only thing I want, along with popsicles, when it’s this hot out.  

I Was the Hero of the Day

I spent all day doing nothing.

I feel like I’m at work.  Although I had more friends at work.

Today’s Exploit:

On my drive home I was trucking right a long when I saw a small brown blur bounding down the hill along the interstate.  

As I got closer I could distinguish a dog bounding closer and closer to the road.  I told it not to get on the road, because people don’t watch where they’re going very well.  

When I passed it I saw that it was a puppy.  

I had to stop.

I got off the highway and went back until I was pretty sure I was where the puppy was.  

Then I saw the others.  

Five of them were playing near a bush.  

My stomach sunk.  I was sure that they were abandoned.  

I went over to them to see if they were ok.  All of them were fat and playful.  So they weren’t abandoned.  Whew.

Then I looked down the hill for the one that had gone by the main highway.  

Three of them were playing in a storm drain.  

I chased and teased six of them into the yard of the house that was nearby.  Then I went to the door to see if they belonged at the house.  

Three kids answered the door.  They were shocked that the puppies had gotten out, but they didn’t know how many there were.  

What kid doesn’t know how many puppies are living in their yard?  

So I went back to the road to check that all the puppies had been rescued.  And the kids went back inside.  

There was one more.  I caught it and took it to the yard where the little boy was rounding the others up so that they couldn’t escape again.  

I did my good deed for the day.  And I got to play with some puppies.  

The Sexy Walk

I have spent the last 3.7 days listening to the DD snore, while waiting on the rig to get going again.  

I’m ready to have some work again.  Even sitting in my box sounds exciting.

Today’s Exploit:

The other day I was wandering around the rig, and hassling the roughnecks.  As usual.  I talked to the driller, then the floor hands and then wandered down to the mud tanks.

The mud tanks are generally 37 times hotter than anywhere else because the mud is hot from being in the well.  So I don’t go there very often.  That’s why Joseph was so excited for some company.

Joseph is a crazy kid.  He’s always joking and teasing people.  He finds it endlessly fascinating to make me turn red.  

He teases me about going behind the hopper to get some privacy, or showing me his “dance moves”, which consist of rubbing against me. Also he jokes about me looking at his bum while he’s doing his job.  

The best part of this day was The Sexy Walk.  He had to go across all of the tanks to open a valve.  So, the entire way he exaggerated the movement in his hips, rather like a model.  Every few steps he’d look back to make sure I was watching, once or twice giving me a finger wave.

He spent the rest of the day referring to his sexy walk, and asking if I wanted to see it again.

Supermaaan! Whoops, Supertuurrrrtttllleeee!

I just finished week 7.  Wahoo.  

While I was dancing one of the guys asked me what I do.  

Me:  I work on oil rigs

Him:  I thought you looked like you had strong shoulders.

Actually it’s the P90x, but thank you.

Today’s Exploit:

At the zoo, our almost-very-last stop was to see the tortoises.  I am amazed at tortoises.  They’re so huge.  And lumbering, and huge and green.

Also, the flamingos were in the same enclosure, quacking at us.

But this turtle.  He knew how to live right.  He ignored the others drawing attention in the corner, and the ones curled up together by the fence.  

He was superman.  Tanning, no flying.  Yeah.  It must have been a pretty amazing dream.

A kindred spirit for Cupcake.  She did that a lot while she visited me.  I cooked while she baked herself to a crisp.

But I sometimes sleep like this, too.  When I forget to turn the AC down, or when I’m at the rig where the AC is turned to full-blast-freeze-your-toes-off during the day and to bake-at-350 at night.  Seems counterintuitive to me.  It also means that I don’t sleep much.  And the sleep I get is spent like this, with weird dreams.