Ahhhh, the Sun!

Here's what we've got today........sunshine. That's right. Lots of sunshine. Finally. I can't tell you what this is going to do for my well-being. I've just about had it with the doom and gloom of gray winter days. I want to spend the day enjoying the warmer weather of 55°. Ok, I'll be working but at least I'll see the sunshine out my office window. But tomorrow I'll be enjoying it. I'll throw open the blinds and let the sunshine in. I'm going to put on my walkin' shoes and head to the outdoors tomorrow after lunch. I'll have my MP3 cranked as I'm walkin' off those winter pounds that so conveniently have found a home on my thighs and buttocks! It is time to prepare thyself for unveiling thy body. It'll be time for capris, shorts, tanks and swimsuits before long. Are you with me? Let's get out and move this weekend and soak up the sun! Enjoy y'all!

Take the Plunge

Law-man's idea of fun is a bit skewed. This past Saturday was the annual Polar Bear Plunge at our local state lake. He and a couple of his pardners took the plunge in the icy cold water to benefit Special Olympics. This year's event raised about $30,000 for the organization.

Man, this is gonna hurt.

Dang it's cold!

Menu Plan Monday #6

Last week's menu worked great. The only adjustment necessary was switching around meals for a couple of days. I'm trying to keep this week pretty simple because I'm feeling the need for some spring cleaning. You know, organize closets, drawers, etc. I'm ready to do some purging!

Monday - Crunch Beef Tacos

Tuesday - Cookout at friends; I'll be taking a 7 Layer Green Salad

Wednesday - Saucy BBQ Sloppy Joes, Hashbrowns, Pears

Thursday - Slow Cooker Tex Mex Chicken with Rice

Friday - Hot Sandwiches of some sort

For more menu ideas go to http://www.orgjunkie.com/. Thanks for hosting Laura.

Hide the Kitten, Part 2

If you missed Part 1 go here.

So the kitten had been found. What a relief. I couldn't take anymore tears. How could they, Blonde 2 and 3, be so attached to an animal that they'd had less than 24 hours? Ok, I'll admit he was cute.

Now that kitty had been found they had to get his "area" set up. Litter box, food, water. All necessities in the life of a kitty. Those Blondes were more than willing to do that. How long can this last? I was guessing not long. And I was right.

Kitty easily adjusted to life in our home. I would too if I was treated like him. He didn't have to do anything and those blondes doted on him 24/7. It didn't take kitty long to find his favorite sleeping spots. Sunning spots. That's all he needed.

Well, the newness did wear off. And kitty became cat. Now I have to ask, plead and threaten those girls in order to get the cat chores done. No one wants to feed him. Or water. Or change the litter box . Eeww! And, yes, I must admit that I've been known to take care of that cat. More times than I care to admit.

It didn't take cat long to find his favorite night-time sleeping spot. Our bed. Lawman was none too pleased about that. However, he's adjusted to it now. No problem for him. Cat is on my side of the bed at my feet. Same spot every night. He moves to the floor as soon as my alarm goes off in the morning. He follows me to the bathroom and waits by the shower. He jumps up on the counter just waiting for me to turn on the sink so he can get a drink. He follows me to the kitchen when I make coffee. He doesn't drink coffee but he knows he'll get his morning kitty treat. Isn't he spoiled?

Then he checks the weather. That's right. He surveys the outdoors from the patio doors. And while he's doing that he's also considering his daily hunt. Squirrels, birds, bugs, blowing leaves. He thinks he's a hunter. He's never brought back a kill unless you count the little mouse he got in the garage. That was probably more of a playtoy though. He just tossed it around enough to cause battle wounds. I had to finish it off. Does that make me the hunter?

Then there's the neighborhood cats. He's always watching them. Like he's on the prowl. Somtimes he chases them. Sometimes he befriends them. Just depends on the day. One day this week he got caught. Lawman caught him under the deck with another cat. Lawman said, "I don't know what he thought he was doing. He can't impress the girls. He's done lost his equipment."

Another Happy Birthday

My great-nephew Brendan is celebrating his 4th birthday today. Here he is with his Great Grandpa at our family Christmas in December. It also happens that his Great Grandpa (my dad) was celebrating his 81st birthday the day this photo was taken. I think the fact that there's 78 years between these guys is pretty cool. Isn't it just precious?

Happy Birthday Little Man! Hope your day is a happy one.

Hide the Kitten

We have a cat. A psycho cat.

A few years ago our girls thought they needed a pet. They wanted a dog and I said no because it would have required us to build a fence around our back yard. No. Because I like our backyard. It's very open. None of the neighbors have a fence so our backyard looks like one big park. I love it.

Ok, back to the story. No fence was going to be built so they suggested we have an indoor dog. Again, I said no. I'm a farm girl. Animals belong outside. Period.

We'd done fish and the girls said they didn't count as pets because you couldn't play with them. What? Have they never heard of a fish out of water?

Ultimately, their daddy caved. We caved. Lawman is friends with the local vet and of course he said it would be easy to hook us up with a cat. No problem. Well, he was right. Lawman and the girls went to the home of one of the vets clients. Said home had a mama cat with several kittens that were in need of a good warm place to lay their head. Lawman and girls picked one out and brought him home. He was only about 6 or 7 weeks old and all black. Cute little guy.

Now mind you, I'd already laid down the ground rules. I wasn't changing litter. I wasn't feeding the cat. I wasn't watering the cat. Do you water a cat? Whatever. You know what I mean. If they wanted the cat, they got the jobs that came with it. Got it? Got it.

Well, kitty hadn't been in our house long and he disappeared. We couldn't find him for hours. And hours. Did he escape out an open door? Where was that cat? Finally it was bed time and still no cat. Girls were in tears. How could they possibly lose a pet? It hadn't even been 12 hours since they brought him home. You can only imagine the number of tears that were shed. Poor kitty could be outside in the cold and wet. All by himself.

The next day while I was at work I told Blonde 2 to sit quietly on the steps and listen for the kitty. Eventually he'd make a noise. He did. She heard a little meow. But where was it coming from? That kitten had found his way into one of the recliners and in order to get him out, Blonde 2 had to cut away some of the fabric. Ugh! At last, kitty was found.

Guess what his name is? Peek-a-Boo. He likes to play that game. Go figure.

to be continued....

I've Reached Another Milestone

Blonde 2 had her first big high school dance this weekend, the Winter Semi-Formal. It was originally scheduled for December and has had to be re-scheduled twice due to ice & snow. Finally, the big day arrived. Rather than going with a date, she opted to go with her friends, Macy & Bailey. They had a ball together!

Here's Blonde 2....isn't she lovely?

And with her girlfriends.

And with lil' sister.

Menu Plan Monday #5

This is a busy week. Two nights of parent/teacher conferences, a swim team meeting and book club this week require several easy meals. Thanks to OrgJunkie for hosting MPM. Take a peek here for other menu ideas.

Monday - Chicken Fettucine with Broccoli

Tuesday - Red Beans & Rice (Zatarain's box mix, love this stuff)

Wednesday - Texas Beans, Roasted Potatoes, Sauteed Zucchini & Yellow Squash

Thursday - Stove-Top Tuna and Noodles

Friday - Stir Fry -- chicken, sugar snap peas, mushrooms with brown rice

I'm using the last of some pre-cooked chicken on Monday and trying a Knorr's garlic sauce mix. Tuesday's red beans and rice is a Zatarain's box mix; I love this stuff. I'm going to add some sausage which I cooked up tonight. It will kick the flavor up a notch. Texas Beans is a recipe from my mom. Not even sure you can call it a recipe as we just dump and stir....a little of this, a little of that. It's got ground beef, pork & beans, green pepper, onion, brown sugar and mustard. A favorite from my childhood.

I don't indicate side dishes for each night but we've always got salad, fruit and bread on hand to round out the meals if neded.

I baked chocolate chip cookies this weekend so the cookie jar is full. I also baked a banana coffee cake late last week so that should tide us over for sweets. Hope you all have a good week!

It's a Happy Birthday Shout Out

There's a birthday today. It's Jenny's. Happy Birthday, girlfriend!

Here she is with her hubby, Bart. Now doesn't she just look like a fun girl? Well, she is! She's one of my favorite people.

Jenny and I met when their middle son and our youngest daughter were in pre-school together. Our friendship really started by chance. Lawman and I were out for dinner one evening celebrating an anniversary. By chance, Bart & Jenny came into the same restaurant that evening and were seated at the table next to us. At the end of our meal I started a conversation with them and before you know it we were all gathered around our table having a drink and watching the basketball game on the tv. That was the beginning of our friendship nearly 7 years ago. And what a great friendship it is.

So let's all give a Happy Birthday shout out to her. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNY!

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

I'm a reader. Always have been. As a kid I always had a book in hand. It was a way for me to go on an adventure. And I still feel that way. There have been periods in my life where I haven't been able to read as much as I would have liked to...college, when my babies were tiny, etc. But now I don't have any excuse.

When our girls were 4 and 1 my New Year's Resolution was to read more books. More adult books because I was reading plenty of children's books. I'm happy to report that is one resolution I've been able to achieve success with. And still am. I'm also a member of a book club which keeps me motivated but that's another story for another time.


My first read of 2008 was The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath. I'd never heard of the book or the author until I started reading Pioneer Woman's blog. I liked Pioneer Woman's blog and her side bar says she channels Sylvia Plath so I figured if PW is this cool, Sylvia Plath must be too. Boy did I need to get an education. About Sylvia Plath.


Sylvia was a poet and novelist. She had her first poem published at the age of 8 in a local newspaper. Her father was a zoologist at Boston University who died shortly after her 8th birthday from diabetes which he incorrectly self-diagnosed.


Sylvia attended Smith College and also Cambridge University. During her 3rd year at Smith she received a scholarship for Guest Editor of Mademoiselle. She married English poet Ted Hughes and died in London at the early age of 30.


It is said that The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical work. The story follows Esther Greenwood during her summer internship with a New York fashion magazine. Esther's friend Doreen is there to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way, some of which the girl should have said no to. And then there's Betsy from Kansas who Doreen refers to as "Pollyanna Cowgirl." Esther is exhillerated by this New York lifestyle but also scared and confused. Esther would have been better off if she would have been able to make her own decisions but the girl's a follower. Which leads her to situations that she doesn't know how to handle.


Upon the completion of her internship Esther returns home. Depressed, she sets her hopes on attending a writing course. When that doesn't pan out, she decides to write a novel. But that never materializes. Her mother encourages her to take a stenography class because that is a skill that would last her a lifetime. Esther wants nothing to do with that as she's not interested in the traditional roles available for women.


Not able to sleep for days, insomnia ensues. Her mother forces her to see a psychiatrist who immediately diagnoses her with a mental illness and proceeds to administer electroshock therapy incorrectly. Esther feels as if she's trapped under a bell jar and there's no air. After several failed suicidal attempts, Esther enters her new home; a mental hospital. Several life altering events during her stay lead to her regaining her sanity. The book closes with her interview which will decide if she's able to leave the mental hospital or not.


If you're looking for an upbeat or light-hearted read, keep looking. As much as it's possible to enjoy a depressing, gray book, I did. I chose this book because I'd heard so much about the author and I wanted to cure my curiosity. My personal opinion is that Esther did not need to be in a mental ward but that her mother didn't know how to handle the situation. I saw Esther having sane moments but being trapped because others had told her she was crazy. Her personality was to be a follower, and therefore she didn't know to voice her own thoughts in a way that others would hear her desires.


I will have to say that when I think of Esther Greenwood feeling like she's trapped in a bell jar, the visual image I have is from the 1940's, which would have been during the lifetime of both Esther and Sylvia, when Pheasant Under Glass was available in upscale restaurants.

I'm curious if PW has read this. And, I'd like to know just what characteristics of Sylvia Plath she's channeling.

I'm blank. I got no catchy title for ya today.

What a surprise I got at home last night. Lawman and Blonde 2 had dinner in the oven, candles on the table and Lawman bought roses for all 3 of us girls. What a guy! I'm telling you, there's nothing better than coming home to a dinner that you don't have to prepare. He and Blonde 2 did a fabulous job on the baked ziti! Yum-O! I didn't even have to help with clean-up. Score!

I mentioned last week that we had ump-teen hundred birthdays this month to remember. Another one occurred yesterday. Lawman's dad turned 75. Here he is with the love of his life.

And to celebrate he and the Mrs. went to Hawaii for a week. I don't know about you but I'd take a week in the tropics right about now. I've had my fill of snow, ice and cold weather. I'm due for some sun, sand and surf. Hope they're eating poi and doing the hula to celebrate. Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Valentine's Day!


Standard procedure at our house is to exchange Valentine's in the morning before everyone heads off to work and school. Girls were quite pleased with their small gifts from Cupid. Lawman and I decided to exchange cards and we managed to have lunch together today at a local authentic Chinese restaurant. Yummy! I emphasize authentic because these folks can barely speak the English language and they write your ticket in Chinese.

Tonight will be a quiet evening at home consisting of an Italian dinner and Survivor.....sounds romantic doesn't it? It probably would be if I'd light some candles and wear my survivor buff. Just kidding!

Hope your Valentine's Day is all you wish for and more!

Compassion International

Compassion International is sponsoring a mission trip to Uganda. They've sent 16 Christian bloggers there to experience it first hand and then share it on their blog sites. BooMama and Rocks in my Dryer are there as I write this.

I don't personally know either BooMama or Rocks but I have been a lurker on their blogs for several months and have developed a real connection. These women are posting daily about their trip. It's a slice of the world that most of us have never seen and may very well never experience first hand. It's enough to make me rethink my comfortable existence.

Amen.

I'm not a big Kid Rock fan but I was impressed with this. Go here to check it out.

Menu Plan Monday #4

Here we go again. Monday seems to get here faster every week.

Posting my menus has been good for me. It holds me accountable. It's not that I know all of you. It's not that many others read my menu plan. But somehow I feel compelled to stick to the plan. That's good. It keeps me out of the drive-thru line and there's no pizza delivery guy at my front door. For more meal & recipe ideas visit OrgJunkie; thanks for hosting!

I had a request for the Bacon-Chicken Crescent Ring recipe. I'm sharing (at bottom of post). My girls have already requested that I make this again.

Here's the plan for this week:

Monday - Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Cheesy Corn & Mac Casserole (recipe below)

Tuesday - Broccoli Cheese Soup, Caesar Salad, Biscuits

Wednesday - Leftovers from Monday

Thursday - Baked Ziti, Salad, Garlic Bread, Cherry Cheesecake (family favorites for Valentine's Day)

Friday - Fish Tacos, Coleslaw

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Bacon-Chicken Crescent Ring

2-8oz. tubes of refrigerated crescent rolls

1-10oz. can chunk white chicken, drained and flaked

1 1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

3/4 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. finely chopped sweet red pepper (I used green)

1/4 c. finely chopped onion

6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 T Dijon mustard

1 T Italian salad dressing mix

Grease a 14" pizza pan. Unroll crescent roll dough; separate into 16 triangles. Place wide end of one triangle 3" from the edge of prepared pan with point overhanging the edge of pan. Repeat with remaining triangles along outer edge of pan, overlapping the wide ends (dough will look like a sun when complete). Lightly press wide ends together.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon over the wide ends of dough. Fold points of triangles over filling and tuck under wide ends (filling will be visible). Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 8 servings.

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Cheesy Corn & Mac Casserole

1 can cream corn

1 can whole kernel corn (with juice)

1 c. elbow macaroni

6 oz. Velveeta, cubed

1/4 c. melted butter

minced onion to taste, optional

Mix all ingredients in an 8" or 9" oven proof dish. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes; remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes.

1948. A Good Year.

Today marks another birthday. Another milestone. For my sister-in-law, Sharon.

She's been a member of our family for longer than I can remember. Literally. She and my brother started dating when I was only 14 months old. I was 2 when they got married. I was the flower girl. But the story goes that I slept through the wedding in the back pew.

Anyway, last night as I was celebrating a 50th birthday here, guess who walks in? Yep. Sharon. Turns out that she was there to celebrate her birthday. Remember that I said it was a milestone? She's entering a new decade today. That's right. 60. And that's a good thing. It's a big year for her. She's also going to retire this year. She's been an elementary teacher for at least 30 years. That too is a milestone.

Happy Birthday sister. Enjoy your new decade!

P.S. That 50th birthday I was celebrating last night wasn't mine.

How Many Birthday's Can You Celebrate?

The month of February is a crazy month for our family due to a high volume of birthdays. Between the 10th and the 27th we have eleven birthdays to recognize/celebrate. Isn't that excessive? Too bad we don't own stock in Hallmark.

We celebrate the first of the eleven tonight. And it's a biggie. A doozy. A milestone. One to remember. It's a 50th birthday for our dear friend, Dane. Seen here with his lovely wife.

We're going here for an early cocktail. And then here for dinner. He doesn't suspect a thing so let's keep it quiet.

I'm really looking forward to this evening. Hope the birthday boy has as much fun as the rest of us will. There's nothing better than sharing an evening of fabulous food with your best friends.

Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh My.

Remember going to the grocery store with your mom as a kid? Did you get a treat at the end of the shopping trip? I did. Usually Cracker Jacks, with a surprise inside or Animal Crackers.

Earlier this week I saw a photo of the Barnums Animal Cracker box and it took me back to the days of my childhood.

Remember?

It makes me hungry for those tasty little animals.

How many different animals are in that little box? 18.

What is the newest animal to be added? The koala.

How many boxes are sold each year? Oh, only about 40 million. 40 MILLION!

I had no idea people still bought them. I bet you could count the number of boxes I've bought during my days as a parent on one hand. Maybe just 1 or 2 fingers.

I think I'll add Barnums Animal Crackers to my next shopping list.

Oh, remember the little string handle? I always thought it was to make it easy to carry my crackers with me. Wrong. It was so the five cent box of crackers could be hung on a Christmas tree. Bet you didn't know that.

Lawman Gets Whoop'd

Seems that our trip home on Friday night provided a lot of blogging material.

It was late by the time we got on the road after the ballgame. Lawman had to be up at 6am the next day so I kindly offered to drive home and he could catch some Zzz's if he wanted. He said he'd rather drive so we could make good time. What? Do you think I drive slow? Never mind. I already know the answer to that question. Lawman would say slow and I would say that I abide by the posted speed limit.

The road we were driving is 60mph, two-lane. Lawman's driving. We meet a car and we both know immediately that it's a patrol car. Uh oh. Lawman and I look at his speedometer. It says 70. I said, "Lawman, you do know that this is a 60mph zone."

Like that's some kind of newsflash. He's been driving this road for the past 17 years.

Sure enough. Patrol car flips a U.

There's the lights.

Lawman pulls over.

Patrol car pulls up next to our vehicle rather than behind it.

Officer says, "Sir this is a 60mph zone. Please slow it down for me."

Lawman responds...."Yes sir."

Officer was receiving another call on his radio which was more important in nature than Lawman's speeding. Lucky for Lawman, no ticket.

I said, "Now honey, if I had been driving that would have never happened because I would have been driving 60."

No response. But I'm sure Lawman rolled his eyes.

How lucky can you be?

Random Thoughts

Random thoughts. We all have them. Right?

Blonde 2 has plenty of them.

The other day as we were driving she says to Lawman and me, "Do you ever think about even and odd numbers? I think even numbers are feminine and odd are masculine."

Lawman & Me - What?

Blonde 2 - Yeah. Don't you ever think about that?

Lawman & Me - No.

Blonde 2 - I think about stuff like that all the time.

Me - I have other things to think about besides the femininity & masculinity of numbers.


Lawman and I looked at each other quite puzzled. I wondered if she really did spend alot of time thinking about things like this. So I asked her the next day.

Me - Honey, do you really think about numbers alot?

Blonde 2 - All the time. If I'm not thinking about boys, I'm thinking about numbers. They're always running through my head. I see a number and then I want to know how many times another number will go into it. Is it divisible by 2, 3, etc.? Always.

Me (to myself) - You're kidding, right? Numbers? When you're not thinking about boys? How often is that?

OK, we're all different. She does excell in math so I'm just going to assume that God wired her brain that way. For a reason.

Then on Sunday, as we're sitting in church she leans over and says, "Have you ever wondered what the purpose of eyebrows are?"

I could think of no response except to tell her I'd seen a special on Discovery that said there are microscopic spiders in our eyebrows. She said, "Yeah, I know. We supposedly eat them when we sleep because they crawl into our mouths."

Heaven help me.

Menu Plan Monday

Thanks to OrgJunkie for hosting MPM. Be sure to go here for more menu/recipe ideas.

I had a request for my spaghetti carbonara recipe from last week. It's very easy and always a favorite with the family.

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 lb. spaghetti

1/4 lb. lean bacon, diced

3/4 c. grated Parmesan

3 eggs lightly beaten

1/4 c. white wine (optional)

1 tsp. pepper

Cook spaghetti in rapidly boiling water until tender. While spaghetti is cooking, fry bacon over low heat until crisp. Mix cheese, eggs and wine (if using). Drain spaaghetti and return it to the pot. Pour egg mixture over the hot spaghetti; add pepper and 2 T. of very hot bacon fat. Heat of spaghetti will cook the egg mixture. Transfer to hot platter and garnish with bacon.

Here's our menu for the week --

Monday - Bacon Chicken Crescent Ring, Peas, Apricots

Tuesday - Tuna Patties, French Fries, Green Beans

Wednesday - Breakfast for Dinner

Thursday - Spaghetti or Taco Pasta

Friday - Mexican Turkey & Rice with Tortillas


The Bacon Chicken Crescent Ring is from the Nov/Dec 2007 issue of Simple & Deliscious (I tried to provide a link but it is in the subscriber only section of their site). The Tuna Patties recipe came from the Starkist web site years ago. Apparently it is no longer available there. If you'd like the recipes, let me know and I'll be happy to post them. Have a good week!

Bag O'Condiments

I told y'all that we went to winter homecoming at my old high school on Friday. Before the game we had dinner with my folks. I had called the local cafe earlier in the week and asked if they'd be kind enough to have burgers and fries ready for me to pick up. The owner said that she'd be happy to since it was for my folks (they usually don't have the grill open on Fridays as they have a limited menu that evening). She even knew that my folks would prefer potato salad instead of french fries with their burgers. How's that for small town service? I also asked if the condiments could be on the side as Blonde 2 and 3 prefer only ketchup (eeww!). Wouldn't be a problem. She'd have the condiments in a small sack.

As it was almost time to eat, I asked the girls if they'd get the food out and place it on the table. Blonde 3 found the small sack with the condiments. Here's the conversation that followed.

Blonde 3 - "Wow. She sure gave us alot of condoms."

Blonde 2 - "It's condiments."

Blonde 3 - "Oh well, same thing."

You can only imagine the amount of laughter that followed. And continued through dinner. But the girls were the only ones in the room when it happened. So all during dinner they had the giggles. Their grandparents thought it was so "cute" that they laughed like that together. And, their grandma told us about how much trouble she and her sister would get into as little girls when they would get the giggles during dinner and how mad it would make her dad. Which only added to the situation and they would laugh harder. Sound familiar? I know that happens at our house.

So now I'm thinking I better explain the difference to Blonde 3 between condiments and condoms. Wouldn't want her to go to the local cafe and ask for condoms on the side.

Going Home

I went to my high school alma mater last night. My nephew, David, is the Assistant Coach for the boys basketball team and I told him I would come to one of his games.

Going to that game was a walk down memory lane for me. I hadn't been back to a game since 1994 when David's older sister was candidate for Queen of Courts (winter homecoming). And, as it turns out, last night was Queen of Courts so the attendance was high. Which was great for me because I got to see alot of people I hadn't seen in years.

Lawman and the girls were with me. Have you all experienced taking your kids to your high school? It was so hard for those girls to get their heads around the idea that that is where their mother went to school and that yes, I was a teenager at one time.

I had only taken about 10 steps into the gym when 3 ladies hollered at me. So of course I stopped to chat. Lawman is behind me tellin' me to keep movin', go sit down, people are looking. Well, hello. Of course they're looking. They're trying to figure out who in the world these strangers are. So I cut my conversation short and found a place to sit so I could get the family situated. Needless to say, throughout the course of the evening, I did a lot of chatting. I probably got more than my allotted number of words in yesterday! Just ask Lawman.

At half-time,I took the girls out to show them the senior composite pictures. They of course managed to find my senior picture quite humorous. But I wouldn't let them stay focused on me for too long. I focused their attention on locating their many cousins who also graced the halls of this high school. They had a lot of fun, not to mention laughs, doing that.

It was a good night for the Bulldogs as they claimed victory. And a good night for me too.