Happy 30th Birthday, Carolyn, you know we love you.

Mike and Billie

Mike and I got home about an hour ago, unloaded the car and put everything away.

What a wonderful Birthday I had.  It was great seeing Krissyann and Stephen once again.  It has  been way too long.  We stayed at the http://www.mountainthyme.com/AboutTheRooms.htm

I did have a delicious chocolate cake that Rhonda had made.  In case you were wondering, I finished off the last two pieces, but I did share with the rest.

The morning of my Birthday, Rhonda and Mike, the innkeepers made Creme Brulee French Toast.  The four of us really sunk some teeth into that.  It was out of this world. 

Mike built a fire outside at the request of Stephen.  We ran into Wally World to pick up what we needed and headed back.  That was a such a great ending to a great day.

Then it came time for Krissyann Stephen to depart.  I told myself I would not cry because I was so thankful for the great time we had with them.

We had the B&B to ourselves for a couple of days and you couldn't pry us from the porch.  The nights were so cool and you could hear all the little critters making noise. 

Two nights, Rhonda and Mike made dinner (which isn't a part of the package) and we really enjoyed getting to know them better.  What a lovely couple they are.  On Wed. Night we took them to dinner at the Country Club.  This is in Hot Springs Village.  When I saw the prices on the menu I just knew there wasn't going to be enough food to fill any of us up, so I ordered shrimp to go with my steak.  I was thinking $13.00 for a steak?  How much can there be on the plate, especially prime cut.  Merciful heavens, when that food came out we could have fed the whole Inn.    There was no room left for dessert.

Thursday, we went diamond hunting.  That was very interesting and a lot of work.  You would dig and fill up a bucket then go back to the wash station to clean all of that mess.  You had to screens of stuff.  Mike mostly sat while I hauled the dirt and screened it.  We didn't find a diamond, but I had fun, got really filthy, but I had fun.  Mike stayed clean.

Oh, Stephen had told Rhonda and Mike about Mike's M&M's that Stephen held on the cruise.  Mike thought he would never get them back.  One evening, Rhonda called me aside and said she had taken Mike's M&M's off the dresser and placed them in the room next to us.

Mike came down to breakfast the next morning and said he wanted the Police called, there had been a robbery.  They asked Mike what was missing, like jewelry, purse, wallet.  He said no, none of that....something more valuable.  Finally he said it was his bag of M&M's.  The three of us burst out laughing because it's hard to get one over on Mike.

Check out the link above to see where we stayed and relaxed.

Recently I decided it was time to purchase a new hand mixer.  My old dollar store one wasn't cutting it anymore.  The best it could do was beat up egg whites, not whip them.  I knew what I wanted and the color I wanted, I just didn't want to pay the price of $80.00 for a KitchenAid, red, hand mixer.  I felt that was a little on the steep side.

Finally I found what I thought was the best bargain.  The KitchenAid, in the color I wanted, for $30.00.  This morning I thought I would put it through it's paces to see just how well this thing works.  Let me tell you it really can kick some rear.  I love it.

I had just finished with making cookie dough and was getting ready to clean the mixer and put it away when the doorbell rang.  It was 8:00am and I thought maybe it was a new meter reader wondering where my gas meter was.  For a change, I was dressed by this time of morning so that wasn't a problem. 

I opened the door to find a nicely dressed man standing there with a look of shock, horror or whatever you want to call it.  He handed me a card and said he was so and so and was running for some office in town and would appreciate my vote; then he was off in a flash.  I didn't get a chance to ask him about any of the issues that were going on in town.  He made such a hasty retreat that I swear he burned the grass he ran over.  I, of course had to say, you can skip my vote then closed the door.

When walking by a window I realized what the heck he saw.  There was a woman that opened my front door dressed in purple sweatpants, a T-shirt that said...I Don't Do Mornings, barefooted with a mixer in her hand.  That's not the worst part.  Somehow managed to get red food coloring all over her shirt, cookie dough in her hair and most of her hair was standing on end because she had brushed her bangs out of her eyes so she could see to answer the door.

That poor man must have through a murder was taking place in the house by the way she looked.  He might have thought she was using the mixer to "beat" someone. 

I really need to quit answering the door.

I had to take Lily to the Vet today because the poor thing was itching to death. 

After I got there and she was checked over and found it to be nothing life threatening, but allergies the Vet told me that dogs, as well as people, develope illness' due to an overly clean house.  Dogs that stay inside are more prone to allergies than dogs that stay out. 

I thought the overly clean part was very interesting, myself.  Going to have to bring that up to Mike tonight that maybe I have been cleaning way too much over my lifetime and I need to slow down.  Maybe we wouldn't catch as much stuff. 

You think that would work? 

Cute, cute, cute.


http://www.riversongs.com/Flas/today.swf

 I am having gall bladder surgery bright and early tomorrow morning.  I have waited too long to do this, praying that I have made the right decision to have the surgery here, instead of having it done in Houston. 

It took a little while to find a surgeon that would do it laproscopically instead of the old 8 inch incision that they used to use.  Most of the general surgeons, here, believe in that incision and aren't certified to do surgery laproscopically. 

I have educated myself on what to expect through talking with our nurses and Drs. and listened to their recommendations. 

When I came upon this Dr. I realized he's the one that took such good care of my friend when she had her cancer surgery and to find out that he is certified and the recommendations I decided to go for it, here.


Billie

Good one Julie.

As those of you know, that that read my post and don't fall asleep, Mike and I forage for food on Saturdays.  

Today was just like any other Saturday around here, hot and humid.  I dressed in my best jeans, my Jimmy Fortune T and my slip on shoes.  (I did managed to leave the sneakers home for a change.)  

We had quite a few stops to make, even the girls has a grocery list.

First stop was at the Academy for new sneakers.  Both of us needed a new pair because our looked like they had been through a hurricane and were barely surviving.

Next, we went to PetsMart for the girls and filled their order.

Then we decided it was time to eat.  Everyone knows just what a slob I am when it comes to eating.  We stopped at Toney's to have sphagetti before we went grocery shopping or the basket would be full of nothing but junk.

I had nearly finished my plate of food when it happend.  A big glob of Sphagetti right on Jimmy's head.  I grabbed my Tide Stain Stick out of my pocket and started cleaning.  Can't have stains on Jimmy.  The whole time I was doing that, Mike was laughing his head off at me.

You know what they say about paybacks!!! Mike got paidback.  He turned his glass of tea over and it went all over him.  Now, it was my turn to laugh.

When we left Toney's, I had a clean shirt; Mike was soaking wet.