Public service

You stalkers know I'm all about educating you because I'm a giver.  And once again, I have un-selfishlessly found an resolution to a problem that plagues us you from time to time.

Remember last week when I showed you all those super cute pics of me & Butterfly?  (Like you could forget?)  Some of them were turned sideways & I could NOT for the life of me figure out how to make them the right way.

WELL.  When I was doing my Flashback Birthday post, they did it again.  And I am not sorry, but I can't have all my our cuteness screwed up by sideways pics.  

So I put on my google investigator hat & found out how to fix it:

http://www.linesacross.com/2011/08/how-to-rotate-pictures-in-blogger.html

This chick is a genius.  AND.IT.WORKS.

I'm not gonna lie - it's a bit extensive what you have to do.  But if you are a committed blogger like myself, it will be worth it.  If you're not committed, leave your pics sideways...we'll all just quit reading....

My suggestion is to open the instructions about in a new tab (I hope I haven't confused anyone...)so you can flip back & forth between the work you're doing & her step by step instructions.  (All you have to do is roll your mouse over the link, right click & say, "open link in new tab".  Easy breezy...)

Sideways sleepers from last week...

Again - I leave you with the best part of moms day...turned the right way...

Flashback Friday

It's time for Flaaaaaaaashback Friiiiiiidaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy.  Yesterday was Butterfly's 35th birthday & since these posts help my numbers for my made up contest in honor of him I wanted to share with you some of our past birthdays!

Ah, my first birthday.  Maybe you're wondering how I know this was my FIRST birthday?  Do I remember that?  Nope...not at all!

I know because there is no Butterfly in the picture....and there is no Butterfly because he wasn't alive yet.  Oh, the good 'ole days...

Of all the birthday pictures I found at moms, Butterfly & I are in every.single.birthday.picture.together.

 This picture is funny to me because it appears we BOTH had gifts. (and I am VERY excited about mine!  Check out my hand!)  

And NO our birthdays aren't close.  I'm May, he's September (duh, I just told you that...)

  Was this moms way of keeping us both happy even though it wasn't 'our' birthday?  I have no clue which one of us is the birthday person!

(Really?  What.am.I.wearing?!)

 If you pay close attention, you can tell the one opening gifts is the birthday 'haver' & the one attached to their hip is the birthday attention 'wanter'.

Look at that birthday attention wanter...

 Yea, he's holding a flower...you know...just because... it's my birthday...

MY NEW iPHONE IS HERE.

My iPhone arrived Tuesday in a very non-radiating awesomeness package.

And if I hadn't been tracking its location like it was Santa known it was coming - I would never have suspected that inside that boring brown box was the best thing since sliced bread.

How do I love thee, iPhone 5?  Let me count the ways:

#6.  I love how much lighter you are. 

#5.   I love how much longer you grew.  

#4.  I love how bright your screen is.  (which I think is what they refer to as the retina display?  I just call it a vibrant, colorful, pretty screen.)

#3.  I love how much faster you are than my 2 year old phone. 

(Yea, I'm totally a 'out with the old, in with the new kinda gal.)

 #2.  I love that I was able to find a purple case for you.  

(And if you questioned for one, teeny, tiny second it wouldn't be purple - well, then - you don't know me at all....)

 And the #1 thing I love about you?  That Siri allows me to re-name people.  

You can tell her, "Linda Brown is my mom."  And she replies, "Do you want me to remember that Linda Brown is your mom?"  I say "yes" & voila... I can say, 'call mom' & she will....

SOOOOOO.... I told her what B-rad was to me... & she remembers...  

Show the stalking, er - I mean love

My friend, Shauna, used to be a avid 'journaler'.  Like writing...with an ink pen...on paper.... ugh.   Obviously in this day & age, that's hard to keep up with.  She tried to journal for her & then each of her 2 offspring had a journal.  Can you say daunting?

Being the awesome blogger that I am - I encouraged her to take a crack at it.  I told her how I have met so many new, interesting stalkers people... & even new friends...  I also explained how she could make blog books like Alicia does for her kiddos if she wanted to preserve family memories.

Of course you can't forget that it's also a great way to keep your parents updated on your life - right, Ginmommy?!  I figure instead of having claws for hands from doing all that writing, she might get carpal tunnel instead...but eh, ya gotta die of something...

I won't even begin to explain the hilarity of the night we tried to think of a blog title & name.  She writes under the pseudonym of Sunshine (you know, like all famous writers do...) & you can find her blog here.

She's funny, people...show her some stalking... 
(But for God's sake - DON'T tell her about my made up contest... Since she just started 3/4 of the way through the year - there's NO WAY I don't think she can catch up to me...)

Flashback Friday

For this installment, I went ALL out because Ginmommy has thrown the gauntlet DOWN & I have to step up my game because I heart all you stalkers.  You are about to see what I like to call:  

Me.  Butterfly.  And the stupid cute stuff we did.

My grandma used to tell me that when mom dropped me off at her house to go have Butterfly that I cried.  And then she would say, "And if you had known what she was coming home with you never would've let her leave."  (Man, I miss my grandma....)  Mom gave us first & middle names that started with the same letter. so our initials were exactly the same.  Now-while you're probably thinking, "oh, that's so cute!" UHM NO.  It was annoying.  We'd go to painting classes & the teacher would say, "OK, kids - put your initials on the bottom of your work."  Sigh.  

Butterfly & I would just look at each other & then decide who would do JDB & who would just do JB.

I love this pic of me with crazy eyes (makes you wonder what I was thinking...) & little, innocent, baby Butterfly helpless in that swing...  

I was 16 months old when he was born.

  (And just in case you've forgotten - Butterfly has an actual name.  It's Jeremy...)

Yea, just standing around in the rain... looking cute...

Hanging out in the ghetto pool..me mouth wide open...some things never change...

Playing with huge tires is fun...& not dangerous at ALL.

Oh, you wanna carry stuff on a couch cushion whilst wearing your dads boots & your brother wears a funny hat?  Eh, at least you look cute...

Fun Easter egg hunt & posing with your loot...while your brother wears no pants...

Get an upgrade to the ghetto pool, your brother's wearing a bucket on his head & it APPEARS that you could - just maybe- be bossing him around which is COMPLETELY out of character.

Can you guess whose dad chewed/dipped/smoked/had an intravenous drip of tobacco?  

Child abuse?  

(I think this is Butterfly but I'm not sure.  We both looked very cute similar.)

Dad had motorcycles when we were little.  I'm really actually shocked he let us touch it.  

Question-why am I mostly naked & Butterfly has on a shirt?!  Also-notice whose in the drivers seat?

Just hanging out on the wood pile...

I couldn't get the rest of these to not be sideways.  Hmph.

A rare moment where dad is actually doing something with us.  And by doing something, I mean pretending we exist by holding us.

 Again on the motorcycle.  He must not have been home & mom posed us.  At least I've got all my clothes on.   Butterfly was destined to ride motorcycles.

 Doesn't everyone sit most of the way naked on fabulous orange & burnt sienna patch-worked couches?

This HAD to have been moms favorite time of ANY day....

Current events

Hiya, Stalkers!  I'm still here!  I know I've slowed from my hot & heavy posting to win my made up contest keep you informed of all aspects of my life!  However - I've had some recent drama that has taken precedent over kicking your butts blogging.

First up-house drama.  Sigh.  Ya'll know the housing market sucks, right?  And it sucks REALLY bad if you live in a manufactured home like us.  Modulars & manufactured homes were all the rage when we got married 13 years ago.  And it was the PERFECT solution for us.  Our home came with everything we needed except furniture.  No lie.  Blinds, curtains, carpet, linoleum, dishwasher, stove, microwave, hot water heater... you get the drift.   All we had to do was buy furniture & a washer & dryer.  We were in our EARLY 20's with not much money so it was great.  About 10 years ago, we got a home equity loan because that's what all the cool kids were doing (yes, if someone jumps off a bridge...we're totally doing it too...) but it's maturing like NOW & I've either gotta pay it off (which would wipe my savings out & I HAVE to use that to see Faith Hill.  Duh.) or re-finance.  Well, no brainer,  I'll take re-finance...except that appraisals are lower now for homes... & my stupid manufactured home has a lot of stupid 'restrictions' on it because so many stupid people that lived in modulars foreclosed on their loans, etc & scared the banks.   (& if you did that - I'm sorry for you- but I hate you...)

So, even though we live on 112 acres THAT WE OWN.... & our home is permanently attached to the concrete walls of the basement.... & we have lived there for 13 years... & we have paid our mortgage every month on time... the bank still thinks we might hook it up to a trailer & pull it off in the night & leave them empty handed.  It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of.

So my days have been filled with crunching numbers & creative thinking to pay off this stupid 2nd mortgage.  (I have one husband for sale...he comes with lots of vehicles & 'stuff'.  Please comment if interested...)  Then  we'd only be left with a first mortgage (with an interest rate of 6.5%-which is EXTREMELY high now compared to new loans.)  Are you wondering why I wouldn't re-finance now to get a lower rate?  Please see above paragraph...

------------------------------

Tuesday I had to go ghetto on a friend of ours for some comments he made in an open forum on the internet.  It's a super long story that you don't care about (but you know I tell ya'll everything...)- the gist of it was the stupid motorcycle gang B-rad was in.  Basically - they're a bunch of middle aged piranhas & vultures.  Anything they can do to tear someone else down is job numero uno to them.  There was drama this summer when Brian had his accident on their ill-fated Deals Gap trip... then there was more drama in the aftermath of people questioning what exactly happened.  (All the vultures accused them of 'lying' about exactly how the accident happened.  Not sure why they would lie about it, but whatever.)  Again-I stayed out of it the best I could.  I figure if B-rad was gonna be involved on the website - he has to accept the consequences of socializing with vultures.  But B-rad's not been on the site lately.  He sold all his bikes & with the exception of maybe getting on it a few times a week (instead of 9 million times a day...like I check facebook...), he doesn't get on it much anymore.

ANYWAYS.  

A guy I consider a friend to him said something derogatory about him & Brian in regards to the Mustangs they drive.  And I.went.off.

Here's what I flipped out about:  this 'friend' also knows those people are vultures.  The 'friend' made a statement on a MOTORCYCLE site about Mustangs & used a derogatory term to describe Brad & Brian because they drive them.  So, the vultures that:

A) for some reason care that B-rad & Brian don't ride bikes anymore &

B) want to stir up trouble because they have no lives

POUNCED.  And just like that, the friend gave chum to the sharks & all the drama from the summer was right back in the forefront.  I am soooo over it.

I was LIVID.  LI-VID.  And the more time that passed where I thought I would calm down - I didn't.  I got more LIVID (if that's possible...).  B-rad refused to let me send a very spirited (yet very eloquent) message to the friend.  (He's so boring.)

Eventually the friend found out I was upset (as was Shauna...) & we were able to speak over the phone about it.  He tried to play it off like he was joking & 'that's what they do'  (call each other names, etc) & he meant no harm.

Now, do I believe he was joking?  Kinda.  

Do I believe 'that's what they do?'  Definitely.  Boys will be boys.

Do I believe he meant no harm?  UHM... I explained to him that being he was one of the smartest people I know - he did a stupid, STUPID thing.  It's one thing to call your buddies derogatory names in private.  Heck - I have no problem with that.  But the issue to me was calling them out in a public forum.  Not cool.

I'm still kinda irritated about it....2 days later...

----------------------

B-rad has been working at the barn every night to get ready to start harvest.  I'm sure once they start it should finish pretty quickly.  I mean, there's not much out there to get so should be easy breezy.

----------------------

I'm still busy doing my jewelry shows.  One thing that Premier expects of me is to help jewelers under me by encouraging & helping them.  I always try to have a 'contest' in place for them to dangle an extra carrot out there.  I usually offer free jewelry to them (because who DOESN'T love free jewelry?) but this time I got creative.  I have 4 gals under me right now & the one who does the highest retail for Oct, Nov & Dec combined (that's our busiest selling season, by the way) will win THIS:

UHM YES.  That's a real, live Coach Tote bag.  Oh my word, it's adorable!!!!  

And yes, just in case you were wondering - I AM an awesome jewelry mom...it never hurts to hear it though...

Jaime Mac musings - what the world wants is results, not excuses

I had a teacher in high school, Mr. Johnson, who always had these little sayings.  He would say them like 9 billion times in class & they are ingrained in my brain FOR-EVER:

• W-O-R-K is not a radio station.
• Lord willin' & the creek don't rise.
• If is half of Life.
• What the world wants is result, not excuses.

Of course at age 15 I thought he was nuts...but now at age, uhm, older than 15 he was exactly right.  And the older I continue to get- the man makes a lot of sense...

Excuses are a funny thing.  We all use 'em... whether they're little excuses or big excuses.  My all time favorite excuse people use is money.  Now - you know me - I don't try to ruffle feathers on purpose, but sometimes this really gets me.  I think money should be added to the category of 'things you don't talk about' like religion & politics.... With that said - here I go again...

Example:  How many times have you heard someone say, "Oh, I don't have ANY money."  Yet-they've just gotten a new tattoo.  Do you know how much tattoos COST?!  Obviously they had the money to pay for that.

True story:  someone I know took their son to like a field day thing at school that cost $25.  After she signed her son up, she heard the woman behind her crying that she didn't have the $25 for her kid to play.  Of course they told her, "it's ok- he can play."  A while later my someone noticed the crying lady talking on her iPhone... & her other child had one too.  

HHHMMM she has the money to A) buy at least 2 iphones & B) pay the monthly charge on at least 2 iPhones but don't have $25 for your child?  Really?  

What I WISH people would say is, "I don't want to spend my money on THAT."  That's a much more honest answer.  I would rather someone be honest than give me a flimsy excuse.  Honesty is always the best policy, after all.  And I think it's just one of those things that a lot of people say without even thinking.  It's like saying 'I'm too busy' when really maybe you're not - it's just a good excuse.  

You will never hear me say that I don't have the money for something.  It's not that I'm rich by any means (have you MET B-rad?), it's just that I decide what I will or will not spend MY hard earned money on.  There's nothing wrong at all with that.  Own it.  It's ok to NOT want to pay for something.  

You'll get no judgement on that one from me. 

We live in a modest home.  It's quaint, yet big enough for us but it's not what I consider a super 'nice' home.....not because we don't have the money for it, but because I would rather spend my money on Faith Hill tickets.  (See where I'm going with this?)

Had a gal tell me she couldn't go somewhere because she 'didn't have the money for gas'.  While she's talking to me on the phone she says, "Ok - I gotta go.  I'm picking up Pizza from Papa Johns."  UHM.  

Priorities is the word.  My priority is driving a new car.  My priority is going on nice vacations.  (B-rad's priority is spending money as fast as humanly possible.)  I cut back in other areas so they don't interfere with my new car & fancy pants vacation budget.  Like I said - those are MY priorities....

What are your priorities?  Got any guilty pleasures that you cut back on other things so you can splurge on them?  Think I am way off base?   Wanna deprive your children of food & shoes & go to Vegas with us?

In which I almost lost my mind over a phone

When I got my phone 2 years ago - it was because of B-rad.  I must admit - he's the reason I've become  an Apple snob.  His iPhone was one of the first things I bought with the jewelry money I made.  He had gotten an iPod touch from my mom for Christmas & loved it.  He promised if I bought him the phone he would let me look at it & touch it.  (I was NEVER allowed to touch his iPod.)  

About a month later - I got an iPhone as well.  Since then - you know we got an iPad to share (yea - that didn't happen) & I ended up getting one of my own that B-rad is not allowed to touch.  Recently I got an iMac & B-rad now has my discounted laptop.  Saying we love our Apple stuff would be an understatement.   B-rad is WAY more techy than me - but we keep up with that stuff.  That's our thing, ya know?  Some collect cars (UHM, wait...B-rad does that too...), some people get tattoos, some people have kids - we spend our money on techy stuff.  

  I read a Mac rumors blog & follow some people on Twitter who talk about all things techy.  I had been hearing RUMORS that Apple was going to release the iPhone 5 on September 12th.  And since it doesn't take much to excite me - this had me absolutely giddy.  Our phones are almost 2 years old & they are not the newest models.  (our contract wasn't up yet when the 4S came out & when it finally was up - we decided to wait for the new phones.)  

I diligently stalked the rumor blog about what the phone would look like, the changes that would be made, etc.  Here's what I read:  larger display screen.  Different connector port.  Change in headphones.  Headphone connector at the bottom rather than the top.

Now.... when I went to Heaven the Apple store - I tried to bat my eyelashes at the sales guy & get some info outta him.  I was all like, "So - rumor has it the new phones are going to be announced on Sept 12..  Are ya'll excited?"  This dude shut.me.down.  He was nice, but firm:

"No-there's going to be an event but it's on the 13th now.  We don't know anything about new phones.  You're reading stuff on the internet from people with great photo editing software & lots of time on their hands.  We have NOT been told anything about a new phone release.  The company that is supposedly making the phone hasn't said anything about it to us, their employees."

Obviously - he's a liar.

On September 12th I was GLUED to my computer watching tweets & blog updates to find out every morsel of information I could about the new iPhone.  And I was NOT disappointed....

 We have never bought one on pre-sale.  We came into the Apple game a little late.  This time - we decided we would pre-order our phones.  We want to be the cool kids who have them first!!!!!

Pre-sale started at midnight on Friday morning.  UHM that's midnight in Apple world which is 3 am our time.  GULP.  B-rad asked me very nicely guilted me into getting up at 3am to order new phones.  And what happened next is the reason why I try to limit my niceness....

I did get up at 3 am.  I watched the cute little countdown counter on AT&T's website 3, 2, 1.... GO!  UHM-the site wouldn't work.  I waited a few minutes & finally got in but it just kept taking me through a loop.  When I would put in my info & say 'pre order' it did nothing.  Annoying...

I decided to go back to bed around 3:30.  When I got up at 6:30-I tried again - it did the same thing.  Let's just cut the long commentary from me & assure you that the 9,532 times I tried it at home AND work that morning it wouldn't work.  Ya'll - I thought I was gonna die.  I called AT&T & held for 30 minutes & no one ever answered.  I had a massive headache (from lack of sleep & being uber pissed off) & B-rad was blowing up my phone with texts.  (He was a tad giddy too....)

Finally someone on Facebook suggested going through Apple.  I had no clue how that would work so I called Apple.  After 15 minutes, I spoke with a lovely lady who was super nice (despite the fact that I'm sure she wanted to kill herself with all the calls they were getting) & explained to me what I needed to do.

Once again, Apple proves it's superior to the stupid cell phone sites because my order went right through.  I cannot explain to you the anxiety that disappeared once I got those stupid phones ordered.  Pitiful, I know...

My order says they won't be shipped until the beginning of October (when the release date is Sep 21st), but after doing more twitter/web stalking I've realized they sold out their stock in the first hour.  WOW. Yes, I'm crazy - but not crazy enough to stand in line at an Apple store on Sep 21st.  I'll wait an extra week...I'm still gonna be cool...

In which I bitch about the internet...again...

Sometimes I feel a bit like a broken record. Living in the country sucks.  Having no hi-speed internet sucks.  Losing my made up blog contest sucks. 

Unlucky for ya'll I like to complain so here we go....

Stalkers - you know we live what some refer to as "God's Country".  However, surely God wants a smart, funny, pretty, sassy, bitchy gal like me to have hi-speed internet.  You'd think he'd get tired of hearing me too.  Hmph.  

Nowadays (don't you just LOVE that word?!) the internet is required for darn near everything.  You sucky stalkers that live with fast, fancy pants internet may not even realize what all you use it for because it's effortless.  It's just THERE.  Not here in God's country, people...

My new, most awesomest computer in the whole, entire world needed a software update.  OS X or Mountain Lion...perhaps you've heard of it if you ever watch the news...?  The download itself was WAY over our daily budget with our stupid satellite internet.  (YES we have a daily download limit.  God, can you hear me?)  And because stupid me thought, "oh - I don't NEED a laptop - I can do everything I ever need away from home on my iPad or iPhone."  UHM I forgot about super huge updates & the simplicity of throwing a laptop in a cute purple bag & being on my way.

What to do, what to do?  My iMac screen is pretty big & VERY heavy.  Mac's don't have the traditional 'towers' like in pc's so all the brains are in the screen.  And Mac brains are heavy.   So I was gonna have to lug this thing somewhere to do the update....

I thought about taking it to my mom's & mooching using her internet, but their house is older & it doesn't really have a lot of electrical outlets in the best places.  I didn't wanna leave my Mac on the floor for the dogs to pee on it,  look at it or breathe on it.  And I didn't want to plug it in & leave the cord dangling from the kitchen to the dining room table for my oaf of a dad to knock it off.   Then B-rad suggested, "Take it to Butterflies house."  He's a genius. 

This is B-rad's key Butterfly got him to get into the house.  I know it's worn a bit - but you get the picture...

I very carefully packed it in my car & took it to Butterflies before I went to work & started the update.   I sat it in his hallway... 

It took about 45 minutes for the update to run.  I went to check on it at lunch (Butterfly lives about 2 min from where I work & from mom & dad.) All I needed to do was install it & be on my way.

 Oh my gosh - I know I've said it before, but I cannot tell you how much I love this thing.  I am learning more & more on it everyday.  With the OS X update I can text another iOS device (iPad, iPhone) from.my.computer.  May sound silly, but as I sit here & type & B-rad's texting me - it's popping up on my screen & I can reply from here.  No phone in my hand.)

 I am so happy I wasn't cheap for once & just bought the damn thing.   (I'm quite certain my AAA credit card may think it was stolen because I put the iMac on it...then bought our flights for Vegas & put our hotel deposit on it.  AN just yesterday I put 2 new iPhone 5's on it...that's a WHOLE other story.  Curiously enough no one has called me to verify the purchases...it just likes to shop...)

Operation good deed a near disaster

Hopefully you remember the good deed mom & I did for some family this past weekend by driving them to Kansas to see a wee baby.  We left Saturday around 11am & I got home at 6:30 pm Sunday evening.  Sitting in a car for 10+ hours (including stopping, etc) is EXHAUSTING.  I can't even tell you.  My back is sore from constantly turning to look over my shoulder to dart in & out of traffic. I spent my entire weekend in a car.  

'Oh, it's ONLY 9 hours to get there'.... UHM- saying & doing are 2 different things.  

I put this pic first because I know all you bleeding hearts wanna see the baby...

Thankfully the entire drive was interstate & the speed limit was 70-75 in most places.  I started driving & mom decided even though we had a gps screeching in our ears we needed a real map.  "You just never know when this might come in handy."  mmmmm kay...

We knew the 'milestone' towns we were looking forward to getting to.  St Louis.  Kansas City.  Topeka.  We would drive & drive & watch the signs counting down how many miles we had left.  We would be SO happy because we made it - but then realize - we still had a LOT of time left....

I was behind the wheel at the first milestone, St. Louis.  I was very excited to see the Arch.  It's quite impressive.

We stopped for gas & to eat a quick bite & I let mom drive.  Sigh.  I am a control freak like no other.  I don't LIKE letting other people drive...especially my mother.  I sat in the back & attempted to nap on a roll of paper towels... just as I started to doze I hear, "Jaime?"  "what?"  "Can you get my Kindle out & harvest my crops on my smurf game?"

Here we go.

It was at this point I started facebooking & tweeting like a mad woman.  It is a very boring drive.  Not much to see except interstate!  Mom tends to have a lead foot & when we stopped at the rest stop - she wasn't able to slow the car down in enough time to make the turn off for the car section... so we had to park with the trucks.  Sigh...

When we got to Topeka - we were just sure we were there... & we still had like 3 hours left.  Like I said - exhausting.  I think I told you we were going to Ft. Riley.  Which for those of you who DON'T know - that's a military base.  With like helicopters & everything.  Chris (Amber's hubby) told us to meet him in the pull off before the gate.  (It was exit 301 & we would know it because off the field full of HELICOPTERS.  Impressive.)  We would need to have our id's ready, etc.  Apparently they also do RANDOM car searches.  And for whatever reason - when I heard that - something clicked in my head.  Mom has her conceal carry permit... & she definitely exercises that amendment... I looked & her & said, "Did.you.bring.your.gun?" 

She sheepishly shook her head yes.  

Holy crap.

Ok- so I go in full mach 10 freak out mode.  I texted B-rad tp tell him to be on standby for bail money.  I told her she HAD to tell Chris so he could tell us what to do.   (When you have a conceal carry permit - you MUST know the laws in the other states you're traveling in.  Like some states may say you have to keep it in the glove box.  Some may say it's ok under the seat.  You HAVE to know the laws.  We traveled across 4 states & she had no idea what the laws were.)  Then I was worried we would have to go to the brig.  Then I was worried my cousin wouldn't get to see her grandbaby.  Lordy be.

I know the pic is blurry - but you can see the dude in camo checking Chris onto the base... then it was our turn...

Chris had told mom to remove the clip & put it in the glove box & to put the gun in the trunk.  We had to pull over (embarrassing) so the other dude could fill out some paperwork.  He was inspecting the gun...

& looked & looked for a serial number - but couldn't find out.   UH OH.  

Eventually he told mom that his superior would NEVER believe her gun didn't have a serial number & to 'leave it in the trunk & do NOT get it out.'  Talk about dodging a bullet....

And finally... after 10 1/2 hours in a car... Ann got to hold her grandson...

And she was seriously happy.  

Which made all the driving over the rumble strips mom did, all the crazy talk of listening to Doris Day, parking in the truck section at the rest area was all worth it.... ok it was sorta worth it.

James Mason Ethridge

I was forced allowed to hold him too.  He's got a really, really big red spot on the top of his little head.

Oh my word, what a good pic.  

Amber was VERY tired... & not feeling well. (completely understandable!)   The hospital on base is tiny.  Listen to this!  They don't even have a NURSERY.  Nope!  Babies stay in the room...with the mommies who can't escape.  They had to move them to another floor that night because other people were coming in in labor.  Obviously the Military does their own thing, but I would think a BRAND NEW newborn has no business anywhere else in a hospital with sick people... but no one asked me....

We visited for a couple of hours & mom & I went to our hotel to go to bed.  We got up the next morning to head home.  My cousin & aunt are staying a week & then her hubby is going to pick them up.  I am hoping  this has gotten me some kind of block or shiny brick up in Heaven.  I endured a lot, after all, in my selfless deed...

(Side note: after all was well with gungate 2012, mom tried to justify to me just WHY the military would have HAD to let us on base.  I tried to explain that the Military can do whatever they want - they're.the.MILITARY!  She thinks that the military has to keep the 'private citizen' happy.  UHM, the military doesn't care WHAT private citizens want... & they sure as heck aren't gonna let them bring GUNS onto their base!  Really?

When I tried to explain what all could've happened - her response, "They couldn't do that to an old lady!"  

I finally said, "MOM - YOU'RE 60...NOT 80!!!!"   

She said she would write into Fox news & they would get it all worked out.  Lord help us....)