Jamie Danford

Ruby...

She's a herding pomeranian. 

 Her specialty?  Pointers.

Good thing we happen to have a pointer.

A pointer, who reeeeeally likes to run.

Maybe I need to get her to herd me.  Goodness knows I could use the speedwork.

;)

Atlanta in Review...

Apparently somebody around here shirked her duty as family historian and forgot to share her family's Atlanta trip with her bloggy readers.

My bad.

Let's take care of this oversight right now shall we?

Rewind to the last weekend in October, and you have the Danfords scootin' up the highway to the ATL.  The occasion?  Miss Priss wanted to attend a softball camp in Alpharetta that was being put on by Jennie Finch.  And who the heck is Jennie Finch?

Oh only a bad ass Olympic gold medalist pitcher...

And kinda Miss Priss' version of a superhero. 

And how often does a girl actually get to meet, talk to and train with someone she dreams to emulate?  It was an awesome opportunity.

Miss Priss spent two full days at the camp, which covered all kinds of softball stuff, like pitching (of course), hitting, outfielding and infielding.  More importantly though, the team of five Olympic and International superstars focused on having discipline, getting good grades, and putting in the time to become better at the sport.  Talk about a set of role models... those ladies were amazing.

So Miss Priss got her fill of softball, while Big Dave and I huddled together for warmth (we were SOOO not prepared for that cold north Ga wind) and I clicked a few pics of her doing some drills...

...and Big Dave being, well... Big Dave...

In addition to hours upon hours at the Alpharetta softball complex, the Danfords played their hand at being tourists.  We hit the Georgia Aquarium, which was pretty breathtaking...

I swear I could sit in front of this tank for hours...

Hello Beluga.  You're magnificent.

And penguins... really, you must come home with me...

After the aquarium, per the request of the teenager in the family, we walked over the the World of Coca Cola, which was fun because we got to taste all the flavors of Coca Cola products from all over the world...

...which totally seemed like a good idea when we grabbed our plastic cups and made our way over the Asia flavors...

...but quickly became a pretty gaggy challenge as we encountered some concoctions that resembled bamboo and panda poop...

And I am telling you RIGHT now.  If you ever go to the Coke tasting room and see the flavor 'Beverly' from Europe, RUN... RUN... RUN AWAY.

However, our trip to the ATL couldn't be marred by icky liquids, and we really did have a fantastic little family getaway.  It's been a looooong time since we went somewhere with just the three of us, and I'm thinkin' that we need to plan more of these little family adventures.  After all, our baby girl is growing up...

Dear Turkey...

Thank you dear dear turkey, for making me look like a rockstar yesterday.  I appreciate your willingness to brown properly, to hold onto your juices, and to take that stuffing in your body cavities like a real man. 

Not only did you make me look like I knew what I was doing, dear dear turkey, but you enlisted the casseroles, mashed potatoes and pies in your efforts.  Everyone cooperated, and my mom, who has officially retired from her duties as the family holiday cook, really appreciated it...

In fact, I'm pretty sure everyone enjoyed your gobbliciousness, my dear turkey...

Thanks again, dear turkey... thanks again. 

;)

Turn that frown upside down!

Grumble grumble grumble...  That's what I kind of feel like doing.

I know it's not right to feel yucky this close to a holiday where we're supposed to be feeling thankful, but I'm afraid that's my plight. 

My childhood memories of Thanksgiving mostly revolve around my grandpa coming to town.  I can remember waking up on Thanksgiving morning, smelling the turkey cooking, and hearing voices and laughter coming from the kitchen indicating the arrival of my Pappy Dick from his home in Washington, Georgia.  There were other visits from my aunt and uncle, my sister who lives in Hilton Head, and sometimes other cousins and relatives who popped in.  It was so cool.

Nowadays, it's just my Mom, her boyfriend, his 99 year old mom, and my little family.  Six of us around the holiday table just doesn't feel all that festive to me.  I know it should.  I know that I should feel thankful that my mom, who happens to be my favorite person on the planet, has 'retired' from her dinner preparations and passed the baton to ME... and I am.  I'm excited to let her sit by the side with a glass of pink wine and watch me flit around the kitchen in my attempts to make the perfect dinner for her. 

I've done a Thanksgiving dinner once before (ten years ago, no lie) when Mom went out of town, but I've never done one for her.  It will be my privelage. 

Okay, so why am I in this funk?  I guess a lot of people go through it as the 'elders' in their families grow older or pass away, and they become the official grown ups, right? 

I am thankful, that's no lie.  When I stop and think about it,  I have GOBS to be thankful for... You know, let me stop my whining, and concentrate on that.

I'm thankful for (in no particular order, of course):

My pets... even if somebody left a turd on my living room floor this morning.

My hubby... snoring, farting and all.

My precious baby girl... She's SO much like her mother (and I LOVE it!)

My Mom... This woman, sigh... she takes my breath away...

Living in Dhuland... my dream house.  Seriously...who gets to live like this?

My Mother and Father-in law, who are braving the struggles of his lung cancer treatments.  Their strength makes me proud.

The few who are brave enough to be my friends... Y'all are crazy, beautiful and make me feel loved.

My old plaid couch... it's already so gross that I almost don't mind when a dog pees on it.

Ah, new appliances... haven't blogged about these yet, but my new stainless steel range and fridge are gonna make fixing Thanksgiving dinner a WHOLE lot nicer! 

The gift of peace... I believe that when someone gets 'born again' God gives them a gift.  It's been years and years since I became a Christian, but I've never lost the gift He gave me...  PEACE.  No matter what happens in my life, good, bad or ugly, I have this crazy overwhelming sense of peace and well-being.  I wish everyone could experience this feeling. 

I'm a lucky girl... blessed beyond words.  So do me a favor would ya?  Throw something at me and tell me to QUIT MOPING!  This Thanksgiving is going to be great.  I get to spend it with my absolute favorite people, and for that I am thankful.  I'm gonna turn this frown upside down and focus on the important stuff.

Let's whoop some turkey ass!!

;)

 

Kitchen Sink Cage Match...

Hmmmm... what in the world could this be?

I can tell you one thing... it's NOT how I planned to start my morning, that's for sure.

Is it:

A.) My new method for cleaning the kitchen sink?

B.) The drain backed up and scary black stuff bubbled out of it?

C.) Somebody needed a bath because he came in for breakfast with two thirds of his body covered in marsh mud.

If you chose answer C, then you are correct... and I'm thankful because the thought of scary black stuff bubbling out of my drain sounds even less appealing than forcing thirteen pounds of angry tabby cat into a sink full of hot water.

Until this morning, I'd never given a cat a bath. 

I was a virgin to the carnage that can ensue upon submersing an overwrought feline covered in plough mud into a sink full of water.

One minute I'm picking up the slimy little sucker, the next I'm neck deep in hand to claw combat as he attempts to pull himself out of the water by grabbing hold of the faucet and propelling himself out of the window (which happened to be closed.)  It got ugly.  He went for the dish drainer, full of clean cookwear, nearly pulling the entire thing into the murky water with him. 

Gripping his neck in a death hold, I managed to dunk his lower body a few times without being flayed by his back claws.  I wrapped him in a couple of towels and finished by vigorously rubbing as much of the stuck on mud off of him while he yowled for mercy.

Stupid cat.

(Right after I took this photo, he flicked his paw, flinging a lovely spray of watery mud up the wall... damn cat.)

He was still pretty muddy as you can see, but it was a lot better than the solid black coating he came in with.  I can't imagine how his tummy feels after having to clean all that mess off of himself, but he's been very diligent and  appears to have recovered from both the mud and the cage match.

Friggin' cat.

Movie Fever...

There's nothing I love more than reading a book and then watching the movie.  Probably harkens back to my Lit/Film class a hundred years ago in college.  It's no secret that I am a complete bibliophile, falling hopelessly in love with the characters in the books I read. So when I get to see them acted out on the big screen, I feel like a lucky duck. 

Of late, I've enjoyed Water For Elephants and The Help in both forms, but the immediate future is looking downright mouthwatering.

First up... I hate to say it, Breaking Dawn Part I, the first of the two part finale of the Twilight series.  Honestly, I'm not on Team Edward OR Team Jacob.  I'm too busy being on Team Jamie.  And Team Jamie gets it's rocks off enjoying a good story, which is why I will be paying the extortionist fees at the theater next week (after the crowds of opening weekend have died down) to enter the land of Bella Swan and her band of vampires. 

I can't wait!!!

 

And then in December, I get to be thrilled all over again with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo...

...Just in time for Christmas!  This novel was FREAKY and CREEPY and AWESOME all at the same time.  A lot of detail about white collar crimes that I don't give two squirts about, as well as way too many sexual crimes.  However, you can't help but to root for the little badass, Lisbeth, in this story, and for that I am willing to muddle through the other stuff. 

I can't wait!!!

And in January, guess what????

Ohhhhhh... Janet Evanovich, you are my all time favorite author.  And now your heroine, Stephanie Plum, not only comes to life, but it comes in the buxom package better known as Katherine Heigl.  Be still my heart.

One for the Money promises to be sexy, silly and full of Ranger/Morelli delictability.

Guess what... I can't wait!!!

Then, come March, another dream comes true as The Hunger Games arrives in theaters.   And hear me loud and clear, RIGHT now... If you haven't read this series, you need to do so immediately.  It's beautiful.  As is its main character, Katniss Everdeen...

 The fact that  Miss Priss read this series with me makes it even cooler.  Love it.  

Did I mention, I CAN'T WAIT?!?!??!?!!!!!!!!

Okay... dorkball signing off.

 

Tuesday observations...

1.) At the rate my dog's stomach is churning, there WILL be diarrhea on my floor in the morning. 

2.)

 
The view from my kitchen sink is... well... perfect.  Too bad I have to be doing the dishes to enjoy it.

3.) I've found my calling.  Dog-tick-picker-offer.  What can I say?  If I can trade out dog-tick-picking for in-house-lizard- extraction, then my relationship with the hot neighbors is fair.  It's nice to feel needed.

4.)  We REALLY need a tick remedy around here.  Anybody got a good one?

5.)  Dirty books on my Kindle ROCK. I'm going to bed  now. 

(grin)

And yes... she has pink hair.

SHE...

...HAS...

...PINK...

...HAIR.

What can I say?  It's hair.  It'll grow out. 

Who me? Living vicariously through my daughter?

Um...

Yes.

(Chuckle)

Old dog, new trick...

HOLY slimeballs Batman!

I can't believe it.

No seriously.

After 39 years of oyster abstinence...

... it happened!!

I bellied up to the oyster table, popped an oyster down my gullet and shuddered a little.  Then I ate another.

And another.

And another.

A couple dozen of those pruned up little suckers later, and I'm officially an oyster eater!!!

I can't believe it.  I mean because let's be honest... they kinda look like steamed up (grey) tree frogs... or vaginas. Whichever works for ya.

But I did it... I broke through the wall.  I've always been SO jealous of my oyster eater friends because they get to gather around the shucking table...

It's like a sacred temple of shellfishdom...

And they look like they're having SO much fun...

I tell ya, I'm a convert.  One of the diehards that live for months that end in 'R'.

Ah yes, my sweet friends.  It was a goooooood night.

New Toy...

Sigh...

I'm in love.

Love.

LOVE.

LOOooOOOooVE.

I've been naughty.

So very naughty.

But my old camera, which really isn't that old at all, has been giving me fits, so right before our Atlanta trip two weeks ago, I did some serious research and headed to Best Buy.

My new baby is a CANON Powershot DS40.

I'm dazzled by it's freakishly awesome zoom capabilities, along with it's reputation for quality shots in low light situations like gyms and stuff.

So, in true Dhuland fashion, I hit the garden to play around.

Check it out...

Okay, well this one might not exactly fit in with the others.  Silly Ruby!

I'm kinda diggin' the sorta deadish lookin' flower thing right now...

This one's for Big Dave...

Mama likey her new toy... yummmmmmm...